Design Team – Vanuatu Australia Health Partnership Investment Design

Vanuatu Australia Health Partnership Investment Design

August 2025 January 2026 with travel to Vanuatu for two-weeks of consultations in late September/early October

1. The current Vanuatu Australia Health Program (VAHP) design is a 15-year investment. The first 5-year implementation phase of AUD5 million annually (2019-2024) plus additional 2-year extension ending September 2026 is implemented by Managing Contractor DT Global. The current program focuses on strengthening the health system workforce development improving public health and supporting the decentralisation of health services to the provincial level.
2. The current program uses a mix of approaches including Managing Contract budget support to MoH through a Direct Funding Arrangement (DFA) humanitarian funding through DFA and grants to WHO Respond Global and Pasifika Medical Association.
3. Australia invests significantly in regional and global health programs that support the Vanuatu health sector including regional programs visiting medical teams humanitarian response efforts Australia Awards and Australian volunteers. The design process should consider these investments to ensure that all DFATs support to the health sector has common objectives is measurable and is well coordinated.
4. DFAT recently developed an Investment Concept Note (ICN) which identifies high-level objectives and establishes draft end of program outcomes for a new Australian investment in health in Vanuatu.
5. A design process for the new health investment will also provide an opportunity to explore potential modalities identified in the ICN and identify the preferred modality/modalities for the new investment.

The Design Team will:

1. Review key documents for the design
2. Develop a draft and final Design Plan that outlines the proposed design approach and methodology
3. Develop the Aide Memoire after in-country consultations
4. Draft the Investment Design Document (IDD) using the DFAT-Led Design Investment Design Template to include:

• Update and expansion on the contextual analysis in the Investment Concept Note (ICN) to describe key factors likely to influence the achievement of outcomes including gender equality disability equity and social inclusion (GEDSI) considerations
• Update and expansion on the rationale for investment in the ICN
• Identify key lessons learned from current and previous health investments in Vanuatu to inform design decisions and future programming including in relation to GEDSI and other cross-cutting issues
• Review the relevance of the proposed investment objectives identified in the ICN to ensure alignment with the MoH Health Sector Strategy and Australian government priorities
• Develop a program logic and theory of change for the investment through a collaborative process involving DFAT Post Vanuatu and Government of Vanuatu representatives ensuring that gender equality objectives are included (as per DFAT policy on new investments of $3m and above) and cross-cutting issues such as disability equity and rights and climate change are integrated
• Identify target provinces and/or criteria for provincial selection for the investment (such as provincial performance budgeting and planning and key health indicators)
• Identify specific interventions aimed at improving equitable health services and health outcomes in targeted provincial areas and communities especially for women children and people with disability
• Determine whether the current mechanism to channel additional funds through DFA to respond to disasters and health emergencies is appropriate and if not recommend an alternative
• Explore the feasibility and viability of delivery options that will ensure a value for money approach to implementation of the investment
• Develop a monitoring evaluation and learning (MEL) framework (based on the program logic/theory of change) that meets DFAT Design and MEL Standards outlining the overarching approach to MEL key qualitative and quantitative indicators (measurable and feasible) including GEDSI indicators MEL resourcing key evaluation questions and reporting requirements
• Develop the implementation arrangements including governance and management mechanisms that improve program management efficiencies for the DFAT Post Health Team and work with DFAT to develop the proposed approach to DFAT policy dialogue and donor coordination required to support the achievement of outcomes under the new investment.
• Develop the proposed approach to GEDSI climate change and other relevant cross-cutting issues
• Outline budget and resourcing requirements including cost assumptions value for money considerations opportunities for alignment with global and regional health programs and DFAT resourcing requirements
• Conduct a full risk assessment using the DFAT risk tool and template and assumptions underpinning the program logic/theory of change and develop a Risk Register outlining key identified risks that may impact the achievement of outcomes risk mitigation and management strategies
• Draft all required annexes as outlined in the DFAT-Led Design Investment Design Template

5. Develop the Draft Statement of Requirements and Pricing Schedule for procurement of a managing contractor (if this is the proposed modality).

Design Consultations

DFAT at Post will work with the team to draft the in-country consultation program and support the scheduling of meetings with in-country stakeholders. Design stakeholders will include Vanuatu Government Officials MoH the MFEM PMO (Aid Coordination Public Service Commission) DFAT (Post and Canberra) VAHP WHO Respond Global Unicef and other donor and implementing partners working in the health sector in Vanuatu.

The Design Team will deliver the following deliverables:

1. Draft and final Design Plan outlining the design approach and methodologyfor DFAT approval prior to in- country design consultations.
2. Aide Memoire for presentation at the end of the in-country consultations highlighting initial findings from consultations.
3. Draft Investment Design Document (25 pages plus annexes)
4. Final Investment Design Document and Draft Statement of Requirements (SoR).The final design document will be published on DFATs website.