Short-term consultant staffs for supporting the “Realizing Gender Equity and Altitudinal Change for Transformative Systems in Nutrition (REACTS – IN)’

Terms of Reference

Short-term consultant staffs for supporting the “Realizing Gender Equity and Altitudinal Change for Transformative Systems in Nutrition (REACTS – IN)’’ Somalia

Date: 19th June 2024

1. Background

Undernutrition among women, young girls, and boys has worsened due to the deepening hunger crises, sharp declines in household incomes, dramatic decreases in the availability and affordability of nutritious foods, and disruptions in healthcare accessibility, including nutrition services and social protection services (Akseer & Kandru, 2020). To reclaim the nutrition gains lost in the past few years, with a particular focus on the gender dimensions of the nutrition crisis, World Vision Canada (WVC) and its partners have joined the Partnerships for Development Innovation Branch, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to tackle the staggering food insecurity, malnutrition, and sexual reproductive ill health exacerbated by COVID-19, conflict, climate change, and economic shocks.

The ultimate outcome of the REACTS-IN program is improved nutrition, nutrition-related rights, and gender equality for the poorest and most marginalized, especially women, adolescent girls, and children under five years of age in Bangladesh, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. To realize this outcome, the program is designed around achieving three intermediate outcomes and three immediate outcomes under each intermediate outcome:

1. Improved adoption of Gender-Equitable Practice:
2. Strengthened Gender-Equitable Service Delivery
3. Improved Local and Canadian Stakeholders’ Effectiveness

2. Objective

The general objective of the consultancy is to collect accurate and representative data that establishes baseline for REACTS-IN program in Somalia. The specific objectives include:

• Customize and adapt study tools developed by McGill University to align with the specific context of the target area in Somalia, ensuring relevance and applicability.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative data collection using adapted tools to document baseline conditions in the target area concerning nutrition, health, and gender equality.
• Achieve high standards of data quality and integrity by employing robust data collection techniques and ensuring accurate data recording and storage.
• Build local capacity in data collection techniques to foster self-sufficiency and sustain ongoing data collection and analysis efforts after the consultancy period.
• Pre-process and prepare the collected data for analysis to facilitate the generation of actionable insights and recommendations for program strategy and design.

3. Scope of Work

A successful consultant is a critical instrument to achieving the study’s objectives. He/She will have various roles and responsibilities. Below is a detailed outline of these roles and responsibilities, which aim to ensure the study’s quality, relevance, and effectiveness in informing the REACTS-IN program in Somalia.

• Develop a protocol that outlines the study design, methodologies, sampling strategies, and data collection and analysis procedures together with WVS and WVC.
• Prepare necessary documents that World Vision Somalia will submit to the local IRB for approval, ensuring that the study adheres to ethical research standards.
• Address any feedback or revision requested by the IRB in time to obtain approval.
• Adapt the tools and methodologies developed by McGill University to the specific context of REACTS-IN in Somalia in collaboration with the consultant that leads the data analysis and report writing.
• Ensure the data collection tools and methodological approaches are culturally appropriate and relevant for the local setting in close collaboration with the consultant leading data analysis and report writing.
• Digitize the data collection tools using Kobo Toolbox in collaboration with WVS and WVC.
• Train local team and enumerators on the adapted tools and methodologies.
• Oversee and manage the data collection process in the field in close collaboration with the World Vision Somalia national office REACTS-IN team.
• Implement quality control measures and ensure the accuracy and reliability of data. Review the data collection process regularly and make necessary adjustments to maintain high data integrity standards.
• Pre-process the data collected (Quantitative and qualitative) and get it ready for analysis.
• Responds to questions or concerns on the collected data or on the process of collection whenever requested by the consultant until final write up of the baseline report is completed.
• Engage stakeholders and beneficiaries throughout the process and provide updates on the data collection progress to WVS.
• Ensure all research activities are conducted ethically, respecting local cultures and norms.
• Address any ethical concerns that may arise during the data collection according to accepted ethical guidelines.
• Prepare comprehensive report to document the entire process of methodology/tools adaptation, data collection and data pre- processing.

4.Deliverables

Key Activities

Deliverables

Submit a Letter of Interest with any specific question

Letter of interest emailed

Submit Study Proposal

Technical and Financial Proposal

Award of Contract

Signed Contract Agreement

Attend Inception Meeting with WVC and WVS

Inception meeting attendance

Review project document and tools

Inception report

Adapt/customize Survey Instrument

Qualitative and Quantitative Survey Instruments both in English and local language with digitized version

Develop a detail implementation plan

Survey implementation plan

Compile Study protocol for local IRB approval

Study protocol

Develop Supervisors and Data Collectors training curriculum

Training curriculum for supervisors and enumerators

Training of data collectors and supervisors

Training schedule and signed attendance

Field data collection and data cleaning (Qualitative and Quantitative)

Fully cleaned dataset, data dictionary/codebook

For qualitative include all raw data files, including audio recordings (if applicable), transcripts, and FGD/IDI notes,

Documentation of the process

Data Collection Report*

Continued Support for Data Analysis

Responds to data analysis support requests within one business day

5. Consultant(s) Qualifications

The consultant’s qualifications and experience should reflect a robust professional background and strong skill set. The following highlights the consultant’s required competencies, specialties, and expertise.

• Advanced degree in Public Health, Human Nutrition, Epidemiology, or other related fields.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience specifically in data collection for evaluation studies, preferably for international non-profit organizations or multilateral agencies focusing on nutrition, SRHR, WASH, gender, and related fields.
• Proven track record in managing and executing large-scale data collection projects.
• Proficiency in using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, STATA, or Python) and experience in managing complex datasets.
• Deep understanding of the cultural, social, and economic context of the target population, demonstrated by previous work in the region.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, for effective coordination with local teams and stakeholders.
• Ability and experience of training high performing teams for such projects.
• Flexibility to collaborate effectively with both WVS and WVC teams, adjusting methodologies as needed to meet project goals and timelines.

6. Timeframe

The consultancy is expected to be a short-term assignment, starting on the 1st of July, 2024.

7. Reporting

The consultant(s) will report to SomRIL lead and technical advisors at SomReP.

8. Payment

The financial proposal shouldn’t exceed CAD $31,000.00. Please include the dates that the quote will be valid

9. Confidentiality

The consultant(s) will treat all information obtained during the course of this consultancy as confidential.

10. Application Process

1. Letter of Interest:

All interested bidders/consultants are requested to submit their requests via email [email protected] on or before 25th June 2024.

Only applications with the following subject will be considered ‘’ Short-term consultant staffs for supporting the “Realizing Gender Equity and Altitudinal Change for Transformative Systems in Nutrition (REACTS – IN) Somalia ’’.

Bids received after deadline shall not be considered.

1. Proposal: Once received the ToR, consultants are requested to submit a proposal within the deadline announced, not exceeding seven pages, based on the following outline:
2. Executive Summary (1 page)

• Brief overview of the consultancy firm and its qualifications.
• Summary of the proposal’s main points, highlighting the consultant’s unique value proposition and understanding of the project requirements.

1. Project Scope and Objectives (0.5 pages)

• Concise description of the consultant’s understanding of the project’s aims and the context in Somalia.
• Confirmation of the methodology and tools provided by WVS and the consultant’s readiness to implement them.

1. Methodology and Implementation Plan (2 pages)

• Brief explanation of how the methodology and tools outlined in the ToR will be applied in the field.
• Steps for adapting the methodology to local conditions, if necessary.
• Description of the data collection process, including timelines for each type of data gathering.
• Quality assurance practices to ensure data accuracy and reliability.

1. Team and Management Structure (1 page)

• Overview of the project team, including key personnel and their roles.
• Brief bios highlighting relevant experience and qualifications for key team members.
• Organizational chart showing the reporting and communication lines (if available).

1. Ethical Considerations (1 page)

• Identification of potential risks and challenges associated with the data collection process.
• Strategies for mitigating these risks, particularly those related to security and data integrity.
• Detailed ethical considerations

1. Work Plan and Timeline (1 page)

• Gantt chart or similar visual timeline showing major activities and milestones.
• Critical dates and deadlines for key deliverables throughout the data collection project.

1. Financial Proposal (0.5 pages)

• Summary of the budget, categorizing major expense areas such as personnel, travel, and equipment.

Justification for the budget, and how it is calculated