Consultancy for Research: Adolescent Nutrition Project at Christian Aid

Terms of Reference

IMPROVING ADOLESCENT NUTRITION PROJECT IN NAROK COUNTY, KENYA

Research Consultant

Purpose and Scope

In order to generate information that would feed into future projects design, adaptation and funding bids, Christian Aid Kenya seeks to engage the services of a qualified and experienced research consultant (s)/consultancy firm to lead and manage the planned formative research focussing on providing an in-depth analysis of the current situation facing pregnant and lactating adolescent girls (and their children) in the projects’ target locations.

Specific objectives will include:

• Understanding the needs of pregnant and lactating adolescent girls (under 19) in Narok when accessing and utilising nutritional advice and services
• Mapping of current needs and how they are currently met
• Identification of gaps in provision and barriers to accessing information and services

Specific Tasks

• The consultant will oversee and direct the Christian Aid’s formative research by:
• Developing in consultation with CA Program Manager, M&E Officer and other Technical Advisors a research protocol, which includes the research design and methods
• Conduct a literature review/summary of current approaches to nutrition in pregnant and lactating mothers
• Develop research data collection tools and informed consent forms
• Prepare and submit a detailed study protocol to local Ethics Review Committee for ethical approval and seek any other approval for conducting formative research within Kenya
• Participate in selection, hiring and training of field staff
• Develop a detailed work plan that clearly outlines activities and their schedule for implementation in accordance with the project timeline and in collaboration with stakeholders
• Coordinate the research activities together with CA Program staff and other partner staff
• Lead the field work including data collection, management, analysis and report writing. Presenting and discussing findings with Christian Aid and implementing partners and engaging in plans of how to modify the project based on the findings and learning as needed

Methodology/Procedures

The formative research will be conducted in Transmara East Sub County of Narok County. The consultancy will be divided into four phases which include study preparation, implementation, analysis and presentation.

• Phase I: Study Preparation - The consultant will develop a research protocol, which includes the research design and methods (study area, sampling methods, sample size, data collection methods, training, field supervision, data analysis plan and ethical considerations); develop data collection tools and informed consent forms and prepare for and submit a detailed study protocol to local Ethics Review Committee for ethical approval and seek any other approval for conducting formative research from relevant authorities within the ministries of health etc. The consultant will also participate in interviewing and selection of the field team and prepare to carry out training for them on tools procedures for data collection, management and research ethics.
• Phase II: Field Work/Data Collection – The consultant will direct the field work, with the help of logistics support from Christian Aid Office in Nairobi, to ensure that the field staff are carrying out the data collection in a timely and professional manner; the data notes and any other written transcripts are completed and meet expected standards; data are recorded, submitted and stored efficiently and ethically; troubleshoot any problems, inform the Christian Aid Program Officer and correct them promptly; maintain frequent communication with Christian Aid and partner staff and manage field staff. The consultant is expected to be present through-out the period of data collection.
• Phase III: Data Analysis – The consultant will conduct training for data entry staff and oversee the entry; The consultant will ensure that data is cleaned and accurate. Once all data is entered and cleaned, the consultant will be in charge of analysis of the collected data with input from Christian Aid Program Officer, M&E Officer and Research Advisor.
• Phase IV: Report Writing – The consultant will prepare and deliver an approved final report.
• Phase V: Article/Manuscript Writing - The consultant will draft an article/manuscript for publication to a reputable journal.

Time frame

The consultant is expected to carry out the exercise within 40 working days with the exercise starting from end of March 2018 and submitting the draft Report by 31^st May 2018 and the final report not later than Mid-June 2018.

Consultant Profile

The consultant (s)/consultancy firm must have the following qualifications and experience to be eligible for this assignment:

• The lead consultant must have a minimum of a Master’s Degree. A technical background in public health or experience working in the field of nutrition and with a focus on adolescents is desired.
• The lead consultant (s) must have demonstrated experience and expertise in designing and managing research studies for similar projects and in delivering agreed outputs on time and within budget.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in designing and implementing rigorous research. We are interested in innovative approaches to addressing the objectives that may include purely qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods approaches.
• Demonstration of good knowledge of the context in Kenya and Narok County is an added advantage.

Deliverables of the Consultancy

• Acceptable research protocol
• An inception report that should include Approved protocol, Data Collection Tools and Informed Consent Forms and final schedule of field work.
• An acceptable draft report after the analysis of data for CA staff feedback following an agreed upon format. The report should be comprehensive and provide detailed specific findings within each result area and considerations/recommendations.
• Lead the analysis and synthesis of evidence to develop key findings; Discuss findings with Christian Aid and implementing partners and incorporate feedback to generate the final report.
• Develop and submit to Christian Aid offices in Nairobi 3 hard copies and a soft copy of an acceptable final study report
• Summary of the findings in (MS PowerPoint) to be used for subsequent dissemination.
• The final cleaned data set used for analysis and production of the final report in an acceptable electronic format (Excel, SPSS, MS Word transcripts) depending on research approaches/methodologies used.
• Draft of an article/manuscript for publication

Ethics and Child Protection

It is the responsibility of the consultant to demonstrate commitment to strictly adhere to Christian Aids Child Protection Policy and local context standards for handling minors related to consent, assent and confidentiality. The consultant has the responsibility to ensure that any persons hired, used or consulted during the process are made familiar with the policy and commit to abide by it during execution of this work. The consultant and associates must sign the policy prior to engagement in the assignment.