Guiding Principles for the Call for Proposals for the 2018–2023 Term

To support Santé publique France, a committee on “National Missions on Healthcare-Associated Infections” (CMNIAS)—a body responsible for developing and evaluating calls for proposals—has been established under its Director General. The CMNIAS is tasked with a) defining the terms of reference for future national missions; b) to evaluate the quality of the applications received in response to calls for proposals so that the agency can select them and propose to the Ministry of Health the future lead agencies (for a term of 5 years) for these national missions; c) to evaluate annually the activities of the CPias thus designated, based on their annual activity reports.

Its scientific analysis took into account the missions of the CPias and Santé publique France, drawing on an assessment of the current situation and the results of a prior consultation with stakeholders. It also incorporated the objectives of the National Program for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (Propias), the interministerial "Antimicrobial Resistance" roadmap, and the European programs coordinated by the ECDC.

The scope and content of the national missions were thus defined by taking into account the current situation and the following factors:

• The need to integrate surveillance and prevention activities into a single mission with the aim of ensuring continuity and providing information for action;

• The expansion, via Propias, of the scope of HAIs to include community settings, a major challenge;

• A lack of coverage by current surveillance networks of certain areas of healthcare-associated infection risk and certain types or sectors of care;

• The expansion of the scope of procedural infection risk with the development of outpatient surgery and interventional medicine or radiology;

• The evolution of concepts in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections;

• The gradual introduction of risk management methods into the field of HAI prevention, with an individualized approach to infection risk;

• The availability of training tools utilizing new information technologies;

• The high accessibility, via the Internet and search engines, of documentation and bibliographic resources;

• Finally, the fact that certain national activities are intended to remain under the direct purview of Santé publique France. They will therefore not be delegated through calls for proposals. These include, in particular:

  • the national coordination of HAI reporting, directly linked to the agency’s alert functions;

  • national prevalence surveys (hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community settings);

  • monitoring of antibiotic use in community settings;

  • the promotion of vaccination and the monitoring of vaccination coverage among healthcare professionals.

The CMNIAS has thus identified five major missions that the CPias can address:

1. Surveillance and prevention of hospital-acquired respiratory tract infections (HARTI) and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in outpatient care and the medical-social sector;

2. Surveillance and prevention of HAIs in healthcare facilities;

3. Surveillance and prevention of infection risks associated with surgical and interventional medical procedures;

4. Surveillance and prevention of infections associated with invasive devices;

5. Support for prevention efforts: assessment, training, communication, and documentation.

The balance between each of these major missions, their potential interactions, and the transition arrangements with existing systems have been taken into account.

The general terms of reference and the specific terms of reference for each mission are included in the documents below.

The annual budget allocated to the implementation of all these national missions amounts to 1.8 million euros.

The selection of candidates will take place during the first quarter of 2018 and will conclude no later than March 31, 2018.

The selected CPias will be asked to carry out these national missions for a period of 5 years, from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2023.

How to respond to this call for proposals?

To respond to this call for proposals, CPias must review the documents listed below. They must strictly adhere to the formal requirements and instructions in the consultation guidelines.

Applications for this call for proposals must be received by Santé publique France no later than January 31, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. Any application submitted after this date will be deemed ineligible.

For any additional information, please contact the National Public Health Agency at the following address: MNIAS2018@santepubliquefrance.fr

Application Package

• Application package

• Financial Proposal (updated January 5, 2018)

Documents constituting the call

• Consultation Rules – MNIAS Call for Proposals 2018–2023

• National Missions (NM) for the Surveillance and Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) and Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance (BAR) – Introduction to the methods and rationale underlying their definition

• General Terms of Reference for the National Missions for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance

• Specific Terms of Reference for the 5 National Missions:

  • Surveillance and prevention of bacterial resistance to antibiotics and healthcare-associated infections in outpatient care and the medical-social sector

  • Surveillance and prevention of bacterial resistance to antibiotics in healthcare facilities

  • Surveillance and prevention of infection risks associated with surgical and interventional medical procedures

  • Surveillance and prevention of infections associated with invasive devices

  • Support for prevention initiatives: assessment, training, communication, documentation

Reminder of regulations

• Decree No. 2017-129 of February 3, 2017, on the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)

• Order of March 7, 2017, regarding the reporting of healthcare-associated infections and establishing the specifications for support centers for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Regarding eligible expenses for carrying out the missions, the call for proposals states: "IT development costs necessary for the implementation of the mission in 2018." Is this expense line intended solely for 2018, or will it be included every year to allow for the inclusion of development expenses? This expense line is intended solely for 2018 and covers expenses related to IT development specific to the implementation of the mission. Expenses related to IT maintenance are listed as eligible under operating costs.

Question 2: In order to best calibrate the projects and resources, I would like to know if you plan for the 5 missions to be funded at the same level, i.e., approximately 360,000 euros each? (=1.8 million euros / 5).Furthermore, how should we consider funding for IT development related to the mission’s implementation, given that it is not necessarily “recurring” or, in any case, variable over the 5-year contract period, or even that it will not necessarily be developed in the first year of operation?Should this be considered in addition to the overall budget? Over the entire 5-year period? The funds allocated for each national mission’s operational year will be awarded following review of the financial proposal submitted as part of the call for proposals and are not currently pre-determined to be distributed equally among each of the 5 missions.The IT development costs line is planned only for 2018 and corresponds to expenses related to IT developments specific to the mission’s setup. A specific budget is set aside for these expenses. Expenses related to IT maintenance are listed as eligible under operating costs.

Question 3: In tab 2 of the financial proposal, should the total for the mission in E17 be equal to that in G17, or rather to that in G13, which would be much simpler for us? If the answer is G17, can the 10% so-called management fees calculated on the self-financed portion be included in the requested budget, or must they also be self-financed, requiring us to develop a special explanatory budget section? In this vein, we can also infer that only minimal operating costs can be included in self-financing since the 10% calculation is automated.In the tab, the total cost of the project in E17 must equal G17 to obtain the full cost of the project (including the organization’s own funds, if applicable). The 10% is calculated based on personnel costs and is automatically included in the full cost of the project. It can therefore be included in the funding requirement.

Question 4: In the financial proposal tab of the Excel file, are the terms "permanent" and "temporary" synonymous with "tenured" and "contractual"?In the financial proposal tab of the Excel file, the terms "permanent" and "temporary" are synonymous with "tenured" and "contractual" or "permanent contract" and "fixed-term contract."

Question 5: In the "CPias Commitment" tab of the Excel file, is the total amount for the CPias coordinator to be entered the grand total of the mission (E17 in Tab 1) or the total funding amount (G26 in Tab 1)?In the "CPias Commitment" tab, the total amount to be entered is the grand total listed in G26 "TOTAL FUNDING REQUESTED FOR THE MISSION IN 2018 (1+2)" in Tab 2 – "Financial Proposal."

Question 6: It states on page 4 of the consultation guidelines that the application must be dated and signed by the Director of the institution hosting the applicant CPias. When two CPias wish to partner to respond to a mission, it would therefore make sense for the application to be signed by the directors of the university hospitals hosting the two CPias. Have I misunderstood? The signatures of the two university hospital directors hosting the two CPias are required.

Question 7: On page 3 of the application package, a list of publications from the applicant center and any associated center is requested in the field corresponding to the mission. Should the list of publications within the scope of the mission be limited to the last 5 years, as in the previous section (scientific and technical activities), or can we go back further? Are we limited to articles in peer-reviewed journals, or do you also want to include conference participation (posters and oral presentations)? For the list of publications, no time limit is set. Regarding the presentation of publications, no restrictions are set either. It could, for example, be organized thematically: national and international publications, national and international presentations (oral and poster), and invited lectures.

Question 8: The CMNIAS has identified five major missions, each of which is subject to its own set of specifications. For the national missions on "Surveillance and Prevention of Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance," two missions are planned: one covering "community care and the medico-social sector" and another reserved for "healthcare facilities." What about nursing homes (Ehpad), which are classified as EMS and may sometimes be affiliated with healthcare facilities? Which mission will address these nursing homes included in healthcare facilities?The surveillance and prevention of bacterial resistance to antibiotics in nursing homes (EHPADs) fall under the "Outpatient Care and Long-Term Care Facilities" mission and not under the "Healthcare Facilities" mission. Indeed, nursing homes (EHPADs) are long-term care facilities, and the production of surveillance indicators and prevention actions concerning them must be based on a single mission, regardless of their administrative affiliation. However, given that certain nursing homes are affiliated with healthcare facilities, the application files for each of these two missions (Outpatient Care and Long-Term Care Facilities on the one hand, Healthcare Facilities on the other) may describe the planned collaborations with the other mission (data sharing, exchanges on prevention measures, etc.) to facilitate its work, and by extension that of the nursing homes regardless of their affiliation.

Question 9: In the financial proposal, regarding tab 4 "CPIAS Commitment," in the left-hand side of the table, should it read: legal representative of the "CPIAS" or of the "ES"? The legal representative of the CPIAS is the Director of the healthcare facility hosting it.

Question 10: I updated my DPI by selecting the National IAS Mission via the link on the website. However, after final validation, my application does not appear in my current missions. Is this normal? Since this is an application, it should appear in the "Current Applications" tab. If your application is accepted, you will become a “member” and your status regarding the MNIAS call for projects will change to “ongoing assignment.”

Question 11: Regarding the creation/maintenance of IT applications, is it possible to engage external service providers with whom Santé publique France regularly works? Do you already have ongoing contracts of this type, or would you like to suggest some names? If not, we will be forced to find our own contacts, with the risk of receiving widely varying price ranges in return, especially since we cannot provide them with a precise technical specification at this time for a potential quote. You should not contact service providers to prepare your application, but rather estimate a budget—even approximately—which will then be discussed during budget negotiations. In fact, the choice of “tools” cannot be fully defined at this stage and will need to be the subject of methodological discussions at the start of the mission’s work, with Santé publique France as well as with the other CPias and other missions (particularly if some of these tools are intended to be shared).

Question 12: In the Excel spreadsheet for the financial section, there is a “Last Name, First Name” column for calculating personnel costs. It seems to me that this data is unnecessary, given that the evaluation of the proposal on this aspect will not be based on specific individuals but only on:- Qualitative criteria, using professional categories (and qualifications or degrees where applicable)- Quantitatively based on FTEs. Furthermore, it is not always possible to provide an immediate response, as some individuals may need to be recruited if necessary, or conversely, the final decision rests with the HR department of the host university hospital, for example when multiple individuals may be eligible for a single position. I would therefore prefer that the “last name and first name” field not be required.

If the individuals are known, this should be indicated in this column. For individuals currently being recruited, “to be recruited” should be indicated in this column. The application guidelines stipulate that the technical and scientific section of the submitted application must include an organizational chart specifying each person’s role; this must not be modified. Regarding the names of the individuals comprising the proposed team, this information is required as it is useful for the committee to assess (particularly in conjunction with the team’s list of publications) their qualifications.

Question 13: For the projected budget, I am required to follow the guidelines of my host institution:- A “Personnel Expenses” line = OK - An “Operating Expenses” line = variable but generally not exceeding 10% of personnel costs (>mission expenses, travel, external service providers…)- An “Administrative Expenses” line = exactly 10% of the total amount requested, not 10% of personnel costs (>indirect costs, rent, equipment, phone, postage, personnel management…) I understand that the 2018 IT developments will be separate. If I were to follow your instructions, I would have no operating budget, which is impossible. I am therefore required by local budget rules to use the same template as for the CPIAS application, adding an operating line in addition to the management fees, which are already equal to 10% of revenue. Please approve this modification.

Article 4.1 of the consultation guidelines specifies that “each applicant must strictly use the provided documents,” meaning without modification. Moreover, paragraph 3.2 specifies that operating costs include management fees.

Question 14: Since the deadlines for preparing responses to the calls for proposals are very short (36 business days between Friday, December 8, 2017, and Wednesday, January 31, 2018), we need to manage our reverse schedules as effectively as possible to ensure that Santé publique France receives our responses by 5:00 PM on January 31, 2018, at the latest. Why not allow submissions via email with a read receipt—which is fully recognized legally and administratively (see relevant case law)—alongside a paper submission that might arrive after January 31, 2018? Indeed, requiring submissions solely by mail forces regional applicants to send their applications by certified mail no later than Friday, January 26, 2018. We all know that the postal service is struggling and that it is unreasonable to expect you to wait beyond January 26 to receive our responses. As a result, there are now only 33 business days left to respond to this call for proposals!

If you wish, you may submit your application via email. However, please note that since the postmark serves as proof of the date of mailing, an application may be sent by mail no later than January 31 via certified mail with return receipt. There is also an electronic registered mail service, the validity of which is unequivocal (see Decree No. 2011-144 of February 2, 2011). Electronic registered mail has the same legal standing as traditional registered mail.