Background and context

• The Saharawi refugee camps are exposed to recurrent public health risks, including epidemicprone diseases and outbreaks related to water, food and environmental conditions, as well as nutrition-related complications. Health services exist at camp and daira level, but procedures for early detection and structured response are not yet fully standardized.
• The project will introduce a near real-time epidemiological surveillance subsystem that aggregates indicator-based and event-based information from dispensaries and hospitals. To translate this information into action, the Ministry of Health and MLRS require a coherent
• EWARS package that defines:
  
• How signals and alerts are generated,
  
• Who is responsible for reviewing and validating them,
  
• How investigation, response and recovery actions are triggered and documented.
  
• This EWARS must be realistic and feasible under the humanitarian, low-resource conditions of the camps.

Objective of the assignment

• To design, validate and support the initial implementation of a practical EWARS package (framework, protocols, tools) that:
• Builds on the new surveillance subsystem,
  
• Covers an agreed list of priority events and conditions,
  
• Clarifies structures, roles and timelines for investigation, response and recovery,
  
• Can be integrated into existing coordination and decision-making mechanisms.
  

Scope of work and main tasks

• The selected consultant or firm will:
  
• EWARS framework
  
• Review current practices for outbreak detection and response in the Saharawi camps (formal and informal).
• Review the design of the epidemiological surveillance subsystem and the list of priority conditions.
• Facilitate technical sessions with MoH, MLRS and WHO to:
  
• Define what constitutes a signal, alert and event in the local context;
  
• Agree on which indicators, trends, or event reports should generate alerts;
  
• Clarify roles and responsibilities at facility, camp and central levels.
  
• Prepare an EWARS framework document describing:
  
• Objectives, scope and guiding principles;
  
• List of events and criteria for alerts;
  
• Institutional structure and communication lines
• Protocols, procedures and tools
  
• Draft standard operating procedures (SOPs) and flowcharts covering the key phases:
  
• Detection and notification (from data and from field observations/rumours),
  
• Triage and validation of alerts at central and/or intermediate level,
  
• Investigation (including field visits, sampling, line listing),
  
• Response (control measures, communication with population and stakeholders),
• Follow-up, recovery and return to routine.
  
• Ensure SOPs are pragmatic, with clear, short steps adapted to staffing levels, transport and laboratory capacity.
• Develop or adapt simple tools, such as:
  
• Signal/alert notification forms;
  
• Investigation and line-list templates;
  
• Brief summary templates for response and lessons learned.

Integration with the surveillance subsystem

• Work with the surveillance subsystem developer and MoH/MLRS to translate EWARS rules into practical features (flags, alert lists, simple dashboards).
• Define how both indicator-based alerts (thresholds, trends) and event-based alerts (rumors, unusual events) are recorded and followed up in the system.
• est integrated workflows using simulated scenarios (e.g. suspected measles cluster, diarrheal outbreak in one camp).

Initial implementation support

• Contribute to the preparation of training content for staff who will use EWARS (linked to the separate training ToR).
• Provide technical support during an initial period (e.g. 46 weeks) for:
  
• reviewing actual alerts produced by the system;
  
• deciding which require field, laboratory, or coordination action;
  
• documenting at least a few complete cases from detection to closure.
  
•  Provide recommendations on how to strengthen and institutionalize EWARS beyond the project.

Expected deliverables

• EWARS framework document.
  
• SOPs and flowcharts for detection, validation, investigation, response and follow-up.
  
• Set of simple EWARS tools (forms, checklists, templates).
  
• Short note on integration of EWARS with the surveillance subsystem.
• Brief implementation and lessons-learned report.
  

Required profile

For individual consultants:

• Medical doctor, epidemiologist or public health professional with experience in surveillance and outbreak response.
• Experience working in humanitarian or low-resource settings.
  
• Demonstrated ability to develop clear, operational SOPs and guidance.

For firms / organizations:

 Demonstrated capacity to support disease surveillance, EWARS or similar public health systems, based either on organizational track record or on the accumulated experience of key technical staff (including work carried out under previous employers or institutional affiliations).

Ability to mobilize a team including at least:

• One senior epidemiologist or surveillance expert with solid experience in outbreak detection and response;
• One professional with experience in field investigation or outbreak operations (this can be the same person if profile and availability are adequate).
• Clear description of how the team will translate technical standards into practical SOPs and tools, adapted to low-resource and refugee settings.
• Evidence of capacity to facilitate technical discussions and workshops with mixed audiences (ministry, NGOs, UN, health staff) and to integrate comments from different stakeholders.
• Organizational systems that allow reliable planning, follow-up and delivery of outputs within tight timelines (workplan, focal point for communication, internal quality control of documents and tools).
• Languages: capacity to work in Arabic and/or Spanish and/or English is required at team level.

Submission of proposals

• Interested individual consultants and firms/organizations are invited to submit a technical proposal and a financial proposal.

Financial proposal

• The financial proposal should:
  
• Present a clear total cost for the assignment.
  
• Indicate the main budget lines or unit costs (fees, travel, per diems, communication, other direct costs as relevant).
• Specify the currency used.
  

Format and language

• Proposals should be submitted in English or Spanish.
  
• Proposals should be sent in PDF format, and MO Word format.

Submission address and deadline

• The email subject line should clearly indicate the assignment title, for example:
• Proposal Name of consultant or firm
  
• The deadline for submission is: 27/01/2026
  

Note:

• MLRS reserves the right to request additional information, conduct interviews or clarification meetings, and negotiate technical and financial aspects before final selection.