May 2020
MSF teams are racing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in over 70 countries, including opening projects in new countries as they become pandemic hotspots.
In this COVID-19 edition of our quarterly newsletter, we wanted to share how several TIC projects are mobilizing to support MSF’s response to the pandemic.
• MSFeCARE is improving medical interventions and quality of care by designing, implementing and scaling electronic Decision Support System (eDSS) tools. The team is developing COVID-19 triage management decision support systems to strengthen clinical diagnosis and treatment approaches.
• POCUS (Point-of-Care Ultrasound) is significantly improving diagnosis and quality of care at the patient’s bedside by scaling-up the use of point-of-care ultrasound in MSF’s day-to-day operations. The team has posted educational videos/content in Arabic, English, and French on SharePoint (MSF email address required), and is supporting staff using portable ultrasound with COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures and additional training materials.
• TEMBO is employing a personal learning and development environment to transform the way MSF staff work, learn, and develop in real-time. The team is hosting and sharing medical, logistics, and supply chain learning resources for COVID-19. For general learning, MSF staff can access courses, quick videos and exercises, job-aids, learning communities, and more.
• MSF Academy for Healthcare is improving clinical and public health competencies for MSF health care providers by offering bedside and blended training programs. The team is accelerating Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) field learning, conducting webinars targeted to vulnerable populations (e.g. retirement homes), and mentoring medical teams on IPC.
• Mentoring and Coaching Hub (MCHub) is extending support to MSF staff facing increasing field challenges by offering tailored mentoring and coaching to frontline staff responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• MSF Urban Spaces is mobilizing MSF associative and executive to take local-level action on shared global issues by creating a dialogue, building partnerships with civil society, and sharing best practices. The team is sharing their approach, experiences, and tools across MSF to support local community action on COVID-19.
• Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in MSF is addressing the exclusion of persons with disabilities by raising awareness in MSF offices and in the field; adopting best practices producing guidelines; and providing transformative training for MSF staff. Along with an expert partner, the team has co-developed considerations for persons with disabilities,which are included in new health promotion guidelines for field missions during COVID-19.
• Patient Multimedia Engagement Toolkit is designing a toolkit that uses social and digital technologies to better reach individuals experiencing extortion, torture, and sexual violence during their migration journey. The team is working with Operations to develop COVID-19 digital health promotion initiatives with pilots underway in Mexico, Colombia and other locations.
• MSF REACH (REaction Assessment Collaboration Hub) is fostering efficient decision-making during emergencies with a digital platform that combines institutional data with crowd-sourced information in real-time. The team is prioritizing platform features for COVID-19 emergency response by mapping external peer networks to fill HR gaps; mapping outbreaks in vulnerable populations; and providing a guidance checklist for interventions.
• New Approaches to Extreme Violence is adopting new and locally adaptable patient-centered approaches for individuals and communities suffering from exposure to extreme and recurrent violence. The team is developing community engagement tools to better respond to increased violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Improving Sourcing Outside of Europe is exploring the Asian market to identify new procurement sources to ensure sustainable supply and achieve cost savings. The team is evaluating potential Asian-based vendors to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) for field missions.
• MSF has created a global MSF Shared IT Services (SITS) Centre in the Czech Republic to support all MSF offices. The SITS team is delivering enhanced IT support for Microsoft 365 and other back-office applications for MSF staff working from home and practicing self-isolation during the pandemic.
The TIC team has received and continues to welcome applications from MSFers interested in finding new solutions and ways of working to better meet the needs of populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn how to apply, click here.
MSF’s Transformational Investment Capacity (TIC) and Efficiency Program Join Together!
As of April 2020, MSF’s TIC and Efficiency Program have officially joined efforts. Integrating these programs creates significant synergies in governance, streamlined processes, and impact for the MSF movement.
MSF’s Efficiency Program was started a year ago, and with a renewed mandate from the Full ExCom, is supporting and directly implementing intersectional change projects that reduce costs, promote continuous improvement across the movement, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of MSF’s social mission. Key initiatives include the Multilateral Cash Netting project and the Travel Rationalization project.
By partnering together, the TIC will benefit from the enhanced capacity and expertise that the Efficiency Program brings to the TIC Efficiency Gains project portfolio. Similarly, the Efficiency Program will benefit from TIC processes, tools, and expertise – including the TIC Selection Committee – which are recognized for effectively supporting project teams to deliver results.
TIC @ MSF Scientific Days
On Wednesday May 13th and Thursday May 14th, MSF-UK is hosting MSF Scientific Days, which brings together researchers, practitioners, academics and patient representatives to catalyze improvements in the quality of care for patients and at-risk populations.
This year, MSF Scientific Days will take place as a fully virtual conference – we invite you to check out the TIC project teams presenting and/or exhibiting their work including Safe Water Optimization Tool, Patient Multimedia Engagement Toolkit, GeoMSF, Climate Smart MSF, Meteorological and Climatic Anticipation and more.