Baseline Consultant at International Rescue Committee

Project Outcomes

The AFYA UZAZI JUMUISHI project aims to realize the following outcomes:

Outcome 1: Improved availability and access to RMNCAH services for women of reproductive age and children in Kakuma refugee camp. Outcome 2: Enhanced efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of quality client centred RMNCAH services within PHC facilities in Kakuma refugee camp. Outcome 3: Strengthen the health system to deliver quality RMNCAH services at health facility & community level in Turkana County.

Target Group

The target group for the AFYA UZAZI JUMUISHI - Integrated RMNCAH Initiative will be as follows:

• The project’s direct beneficiaries include 77,405 women of reproductive age, 44,231 adolescents (comprising 21,444 girls and 22,787 boys), and 9,126 neonates. These individuals represent both refugees (90%) and host (10%) populations.
• To ensure the effective delivery of services, the project also focuses on strengthening the capacity of 31 healthcare providers including nurses, clinical officers, midwives, nutritionists, and laboratory technicians as well as 60 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and 2 Community Health Assistants (CHAs).
• Indirectly, the initiative aims to reach over 280,000 individuals through community-based messaging, outreach activities, and media campaigns. This includes 131,133 women and 155,720 men, as well as 33,076 female and 32,032 male household and community members. Special attention will be given to hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities (2,623 women and 3,144 men) and the broader refugee population (129,421 women and 146,532 men), ensuring inclusive and equitable access to essential RMNCAH services.

Baseline Survey Consultancy

The baseline survey is a formative study designed to establish the initial status of key indicators before the implementation of the AFYA UZAZI JUMUISHI project. It will serve as a reference point for measuring progress and evaluating the effectiveness of the project over time. The survey should employ both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to collect comprehensive data on the outcome indicators outlined in the project’s results framework. This data will provide a foundation for comparison during future evaluations, including the endline assessment.

Rationale

The baseline survey will generate critical insights into the conditions and needs of the main target groups within the project locations. This information will inform implementation strategies, help set realistic performance benchmarks, and guide adaptive programming to ensure the project achieves maximum impact. The findings will be an integral part of the project’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) system and will support a results-based management approach throughout the project lifecycle.

Specific Objectives for the Assignment

The baseline assessment seeks to:

To provide baseline data that will guide project implementation, monitoring, and reporting for the RMNCAH indicators, in alignment with the project’s intended outcomes. Assess levels of community knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health. Evaluate the availability, accessibility, and quality of RMNCAH services in IRC-supported health facilities. Identify barriers and facilitators influencing uptake of RMNCAH services, including socio-cultural and economic factors. Generate actionable recommendations to guide project implementation, monitoring, and advocacy efforts.

Scope of Work

In consultation with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning team at IRC, and with reference to the available donor guidance, the consultant will be required to:

Participate in briefing and consultation meetings to discuss the assignment aimed at building consensus on the baseline survey design and implementation plan.

 Inception Phase

• Review of project documents, including the proposal, logframe, indicator reference sheets, and M&E framework.
• Develop a detailed Inception Report outlining the methodology, data collection tools, sampling strategy, ethical considerations, and work plan.
• Present the inception plan for validation by IRC Health and MEAL teams before fieldwork begins.

Design, translate, and pre-test quantitative and qualitative data collection tools (household questionnaires, FGD and KII guides).

• Recruit and train enumerators, ensuring gender balance and inclusion of both refugee and host community members.
• Collect data using digital platforms (CommCare) to enhance data quality and timeliness.
• Conduct household interviews, facility assessments, and qualitative discussions with community health promoters (CHPs), health staff, adolescent groups, male partners, and community leaders.
• Implement strict data quality assurance and ethical standards during fieldwork.

Data Analysis and Reporting

• Analyze quantitative data using SPSS or STATA and qualitative data through thematic content analysis.
• Compare findings with county and national RMNCAH benchmarks (e.g., KHIS, KDHS, and UNHCR HIS).
• Develop and present a draft baseline report summarizing methodology, findings, and recommendations.
• Submit the raw data with the IRC
• Facilitate a validation workshop with IRC, MoH, and key stakeholders to review findings.
• Finalize the baseline report incorporating feedback from the validation session.

Methodology

The consultant will propose a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods to ensure comprehensive coverage of RMNCAH issues.

Key methodological elements include:

• Study Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.
• Sampling: Stratified random sampling for households and purposive sampling for key informants and focus groups.
• Respondent Groups:
  • Women of reproductive age (15–49 years)
  • Adolescent girls and boys (10–19 years)
  • Pregnant and lactating mothers
  • Health workers (midwives, nurses, clinical officers)
  • CHPs, community/religious interest leaders, and male partners
  • Sexual partners of adolescent girls and young women
• Data Disaggregation: By sex, age, refugee/host status, and geographic location.
• Tools: Structured questionnaires, FGD and KII guides digitized on CommCare
• Data Analysis: Statistical and thematic analysis aligned with RMNCAH project indicators.

Duration of the Assignment

The consultancy will run for 30 working days, inclusive of inception, fieldwork, data analysis, reporting, and validation.

 Consultant Qualifications

The ideal consultant should have: -

• Master’s degree in public health, Epidemiology, Demography, Biostatistics
• Minimum 10 years of experience in conducting baseline or evaluation studies in RMNCAH, health systems, or humanitarian settings.
• Experience conducting assessments funded by USAID, EU, and UN donors, and familiarity with their indicators and definitions, is an added advantage.
• Experience in working with marginalized and vulnerable populations in multidisciplinary setting i.e. the government and development partners.
• Strong understanding of Kenya Health Information Systems (KHIS) and UNHCR Health Information System.
• Experience in data collection using digital tools (CommCare)
• Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and presentation skills.

 IRC’s Responsibilities

• Provide relevant project documents, indicator frameworks, and access to existing data.
• Facilitate coordination with community leaders, CHPs, and health facility staff.
• Support enumerator recruitment and logistical arrangements.
• Review and approve tools, inception, and final reports.
• Provide technical oversight through the MEAL and Health Technical Units.

Application Procedure

Interested applicants should submit their CVs and technical and financial proposal not later than 7 DAYS starting from the announcement date.