IHCS

International Health Consulting Services

IHCS provides National and Regional Governments and Non-Governmental Organisations in Australia, Asia and the Pacific Region with services in such areas as Capacity Building; Infrastructure Strengthening; Total Quality Management, Reviews of National Programs; Evaluation of Service Provision; and Advice and Training in Quality Assurance and Change Management.

International Division

Current activities include:
	Health Services Evaluation and Quality Improvement Consultant – Federated States of Micronesia IHCS is providing a consultant to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of existing primary care systems and expansion plans in all four states. Specific emphasis is on dispensaries, community health centres and rural health, and covers the following areas: (1) dispensary staffing; (2) communications; (3) referrals; (4) infrastructure; (5) transportation; (6) the procurement and distribution of medicines and other essential supplies; and (7) new and in-service training. The evaluation includes both quantitative and qualitative analysis of primary care system performance and service delivery effectiveness, identifying important issues and opportunities for improvement.  Establish an institutional diagnosis of the quality problems encountered in FSM health services.  Existing barriers to services are being analysed and broken into component processes in order to develop procedures and solutions to encourage appropriate change.  Workshops will be carried out in each state with Public Health and Primary Health Care teams to discuss the diagnosis and identify solutions.  Organic plans will be developed to address identified problems, encourage solutions, and monitor improvement in services, with implementation milestones and monitorable indicators.

Recently completed activities include:

Development of Standards, Competencies & Qualifications for Nurse Practitioners - Australasia

IHCS provided Project Management for a consultancy to report on the development, progress and description of the role of Nurse Practitioners in Australia and New Zealand and to develop a set of core competency standards for Nurse Practitioners.  In addition the consultancy developed approved Trans Tasman standards for education that can be applied in the accreditation of courses leading to a qualification for recognised Nurse Practitioners in both countries.

HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Project Implementation – Xinjiang, China

IHCS provided a Team Leader to oversee project mobilisation to China, establish the project in the remote far north west of China, set up a field office with long term international and local advisers with facilities for short term advisers and to oversee the Inception Phase.  The project covers a large province which has the fastest increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS in China.  The Project aims to build capacity to respond to the epidemic through assisting multi-sectoral partners to develop their own HIV/AIDS strategic plans within the context of the Regional and National Plans.  The project design includes the conduct of trial interventions where new knowledge and skills can be applied in a practical implementation setting, and, where best-practice international approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention and care can be adapted and tested in the Xinjiang context.

Program Review and Strategic Plan for Family Health – Indonesia

IHCS reviewed and directed the development of strategic plans and the production of an Activity Identification Document in the fields of Capacity Building, Counterpart Training, Community Participation, Monitoring and Evaluation, Safe Motherhood and Midwifery for an integrated Women’s Health and Family Welfare project in Indonesia.

National Long Term Strategic Plan for Health – Marshall Islands

IHCS provided a Strategic Planning Specialist to develop a Long Term Strategic Plan for the Ministry of Health and Environment covering 2001 to 2015.  The Plan is divided into three, five year plans with a detailed operational plan including objectives and outputs for the first five years.  This operational plan incorporates a detailed activity analysis allocating tasks to MOHE staff positions with necessary achievement levels and completion dates.

Evaluation of Inclusion Support Project – Australia

IHCS evaluated the Inclusion Support Pilot Project in Queensland, Australia to determine to what extent the project increased and improved access to Home and Community Care services for people with a challenging behaviour, to assess and draw conclusions on the effectiveness and efficiency of this model of service delivery, and to make recommendations for future viability of the service.  The evaluation analysed relevant data for all inclusion support project related activities, appraising the quality of the service as perceived by the client, family carer and service provider including other concerned family and friends, and relevant health professionals, identifying key strengths and weaknesses of the service, identifying ways by which the Project Committee could build on the strengths of the service.

Strengthening of Primary Health Care Program – Marshall Islands

IHCS provided a Team Leader and Primary Health Care Specialist to the Health and Population Project in the Marshall Islands.  The project aimed to assist the RMI in improving the quality of its Health and Family Planning services, and strengthen the Government’s Primary Health Care services in order to provide a sustainable health service delivery system that is appropriate for the country. This was carried out by reinforcing the PHC model of Health services delivery through organisation and technical support for PHC, training of female health personnel, increasing physical infrastructure at the health centre level, equipping the new hospital in Ebeye, developing repair and maintenance activities and institutional strengthening through improving capacity in health services administration, general management, human resource management and financial management both at ministry level and in hospitals in Majuro and Ebeye

Family Planning Reviews and Training Programs – South Pacific

IHCS provided a Resident Advisor, funded by AusAID, to the South Pacific Alliance for Family Health to provide efficient technical, administrative and financial management for the operation of activities aimed at improving health education, contraceptive and reproductive health services and prevention in the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases in the seventeen member countries throughout the South Pacific region.  Optimal procedures were developed to improve effectiveness and appropriateness of programmes for the efficient management and delivery of integrated family planning services at national and provincial levels, develop IEC materials and provide training courses to all levels of health cadres.  Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour surveys were developed and carried out in member countries.

Integrated Community and Primary Health Care Program - Vanuatu

IHCS provided a Team Leader and Primary Health Care Specialist to Save the Children Fund working on the AusAID funded Integrated Community and Rural Primary Health Care Programme in the Republic of Vanuatu.  The project worked with local counterparts to improve Rural Health Care Delivery with particular emphasis on Health Promotion, Staff Training, Family Health Service Management, Family Planning, Immunisation and Nutrition.