Baseline Consultant at International Rescue Committee

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.