Job Opportunity at Child.org

The project

The HealthStart program is currently working in 25 schools in Muhoroni and Nyando Sub counties, Kisumu County which is a malaria endemic region. The schools are grouped in 5 clusters: Angoro, Ayucha, Milenya, Nyatao and Ngeny. HealthStart works with the schools, local government and communities to implement a clear and effective framework that delivers School Health and Nutrition interventions and improves educational attainment. It works to establish a robust framework within schools so that interventions delivered in have a long lasting, sustainable impact on every pupil. The project also works with different stakeholders to strengthen each stakeholder’s ability to gather data and to understand the impact and learn from it. The activities implemented by the project as relates to the program outcome areas include:

• Systems Strengthening HealthStart works in each school to strengthen governance through the School Board of Management ; introduce the Kenya National School Health Policy of 2009, form a School Health Committee and a health clubs; embedding national policy. It also provides schools with the internal structures and partnerships with the relevant line ministries to ensure GoK provides health services and to hold local ministries to account for any failure to deliver.
• Health Education Development The HealthStart program works with local and county level representatives from relevant ministries, as well as teachers, to understand the program framework and to disseminate engaging content including the key health messages of the Kenya National School Health Policy of 2009.
• Community Mobilization Health clubs provide children with a structure through which to advocate for their rights holding the School Board of Management to account when their needs are not met. Parents are better informed on the health and wellbeing of their child(ren) through the introduction of the school health report card that gives a summary of a child’s nutrition status.
• Health Services Each school went through a needs assessment process to establish existing resources/services and potential. Interventions were tailored as a result. The package in different schools included: deworming; nutrition specific interventions; LLITNs; improved sanitation; and health education. Data collected was in putted into the Kenya Demographic Health Information System to support in informing government decisions.

Partners Roles

Omega’s role in implementing the program was to ensure that all the stakeholders are identified, mobilized and capacity built to understand their roles in schools as stipulated in the Kenya National School Health policy. Omega would also ensure regular mentorship for stakeholders to ensure the policy is well understood and implemented. Ogra, on the other hand would work closely with MoH, to ensure mosquito nets, deworming tablets & vitamin A supplements are available and properly administered. Ogra was also charged with the management of regular dialogue meetings in all 20 schools, bringing Government partners, school health clubs and school management together to ensure the National School Health Policy is understood and implemented by all stakeholders.

Expected Program Outcomes:

By providing improvements to capacity building on the SHN policy alongside improvements to accessible literature on healthy and risky behaviours for School Health Committees, representatives from all stakeholders (children, teaching staff, BoM and caregivers) will have improved access to understanding and knowledge on how to stay healthy. Building capacity and strengthening systems for school governance will improve the sustainability and longevity of any other interventions and relationships developed to improve health for children and communities.

Improving inclusive channels of communication between different stakeholders, awareness of their rights and understanding of how to advocate for change will empower children, communities and schools to become agents for change. Improved access to technology for data collection, storage and sharing enables schools to understand the importance of data, to learn about key trends and needs within their community and to shape and evolve activities as a result.

Purpose of evaluation

The end of project evaluation is meant to assess the progress of the programme and the various challenges noted during the entire period. To assess relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact of the project benefits to its targets and to analyze and effectiveness of programme approach and strategy noting the gaps and how these gaps have affected the programme. This is with a view to inform the next iteration of the HealthStart Programme.

Evaluation objectives

• Assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and equity of project benefits to its targets.
• Assess the project progress (indicators/outcomes) compared to baseline and end -term review data and confirm the level of change delivered by the project
• Assess the effectiveness of the partnerships between the three organizations (Child.org, Omega and Ogra) in delivery of the HealthStart program.
• Draw the key learnings from the project and recommend the replicable elements of the project for the next iteration of the HealthStart Program.

Scope of work

• Desk review of the baseline survey including review of data collection tools
• Visits to all the 25 project schools to conduct School Health Audits
• Conduct self-completion surveys for all class 7 & 8 pupils at each of the 25 schools
• Conduct interview surveys with sample groups of parents/caregivers from each school (house to house visits)
• Visit to partner offices in Kisumu County to conduct partner evaluations
• Present evaluation findings/Summary of key findings and recommendations to Child.org

Duration of the evaluation

The evaluation has been scheduled to take place for a period of four weeks between 2nd of March and 20th of April 2018 (ensuring that the pupil’s survey doesn’t coincide with end of term exams or fall into the April holidays).

Expected deliverables

• A proposal in revert to the TOR detailing the understanding of the Terms of Reference and proposed methodology. The proposal should include an outlined budget for planned activities
• Administration of three surveys/three survey tools: pupil survey, and caregiver survey and carrying out School Health Audit
• Undertake a partnership evaluation for each of the partners and put together an evaluation report
• Consolidate an evaluation report for the entire evaluation process

Methodology

The consultant will share his/her own methodology with Child.org. Final agreement of the methodology will be by Child.org. It will be expected that the methodology will include among other components, review of the baseline survey and tools used, carrying out school visits to undertake School Health Audits, administering the Pupil and Caregivers’ surveys, and carrying out partner evaluations for each of the partners

Required expertise and qualification

• Advanced degree in Public Health/Community Health/Social Sciences
• Proven experience working in Health and Education programs
• Strong report writing skills
• Proven experience conducting Education and Health research
• Exposure or familiarity working in Kisumu County will be an added advantage