Terms Of Reference Pregnant Women’s Group Project by Child.org Meru County, Igembe Central Sub-County at Child.Org

Project Background

The Pregnant Women’s Group project is a project designed to increase health literacy, self-efficacy and peer support of 5,700 rural poor pregnant and recently delivered women living in Igembe Central sub-county in Meru, Kenya. This will result in safer pregnancies for women and early lives for their newborns, evidenced by measurable changes in their knowledge for health protection, peer support networks, agency to seek care, utilisation of maternal and newborn health services during pregnancy, delivery and in the postnatal period, and early infant feeding practices.

26,277 community members will be engaged in maternal and child health to better sensitize them to value and support the well-being of pregnant women, contributing to a more enabling gender-respectful environment. Public health services in Igembe Central will be strengthened by training and capacity-building of Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) and designated community members as facilitators of 70 Pregnant Women’s Groups (PWGs).

Project Partners:

The project will be implemented through Child.org’s implementing partner CIFORD (Community Initiatives for Rural Development). Additionally, the project will work with the Health Ministry at County and Sub-County levels to ensure effective implementation of the project. It will work with the community health strategy system for identification of pregnant women, facilitation of PWG health session and establishment of clear referral pathways to local health facilities for pregnant women.

Purpose of evaluation

The baseline data for the project was taken from the Kenya Demographic Health Information Survey of 2014. We are cognisant of the fact that some of these indicators could have changed over the years. This community baseline survey will therefore give us a more accurate indication of baseline statistics to ensure realistic targets are set for the project.

Evaluation objectives

• To verify project baseline data against Kenya Demographic Health Survey Data 2014.
• Enable project set realistic endline targets.
• Help in identification of wards within Igembe Central with greatest need.
• Enable the project team to make a more concise implementation strategy through better understanding of the project area.
• Undertake a basic needs assessments in the health facilities to help the project to start prioritising needs.

Scope of work

• Desk review of project documents including project proposal and logical framework.
• Work with the Child.org team to develop a research methodology for the survey
• Review of data collection tools developed against project set indicators.
• Give technical oversight over data collection process including support in training enumerators on data collection.
• Cleaning, analysing and interpreting data collected.
• Present a summary of key evaluation findings to the project team.
• Work with the project team to set realistic and achievable targets for the project.
• Give technical guidance to the project team on ongoing data collection process through the project implementation period.

Duration of the evaluation

The evaluation has been scheduled to take place for a period of 5 weeks between 21st of October and 22nd of November 2019.

Expected deliverables

• A proposal in revert to this TOR detailing the understanding of the Terms of Reference and proposed way of working. The proposal should include an outlined budget for planned activities.
• Refined data collection tools for the baseline survey.
• Consolidate an analysis report the data collected.
• Based on the analysis report, propose realistic output indicator targets for the project.

Required expertise and qualification

• Advanced degree in Public Health/Community Health/Social Sciences.
• Proven experience working in Maternal and Child Health programs.
• Strong report writing skills.
• Strong data analysis skills, or inclusion of a partner in possession of such skills, to produce summaries of quantitative and qualitative data collected.
• Proven experience conducting Public Health research.
• Exposure or familiarity working in Meru County will be an added advantage.