Thought Leadership Consultant to Support Case studies on Mothers Group Component. at PACT

Background
The State Accountability and Quality Improvement Project (SAQIP) is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented in Gombe State by Pact West Africa. The project’s targets include; improving the governance capacity for the public health system, improved accountability and community participation in the public health system and increased utilization of public Maternal, New-born and Child Health (MNCH) services. To achieve this, SAQIP works with the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, including Local Government Area (LGA) Health Teams, Primary Health Centres, Ward Development Committees and members of Mothers Groups who are rural poor Women of Child Bearing Age within the eleven LGA’s in the State.

SAQIP’s Primary Outcome III focuses on increasing utilization of public MNCH services in health facilities using the WORTH Model (a literacy-led approach to economic empowerment for women through savings and loans). WORTH also layers health education sessions onto the literacy and savings & loans sessions to increase knowledge of danger signs associated with pregnancy as well as the motivation of members to seek MNCH services at the PHC’s. SAQIP also utilizes an MNCH module intended to improve knowledge and attitudes on MNCH for pregnant and other members of the groups/ women of reproductive age who come together to save and utilize the funds to increase access to MNCH services including health, nutrition and positive parenting practices.

As the project will be folding up in June of 2019, the project is seeking for technical support from a consultant to come up with case studies that will support Pact West Africa with an understanding of the effective practices and innovative solutions that evolved due to the implementation of the State Accountability and Quality Improvement Project (SAQIP) in Gombe under the mothers group component.

Purpose of the Consultancy

• To support technically in coming up with a case study that will showcase the effective practices and innovations that evolved due to the implementation of the State Accountability and Quality Improvement Project (SAQIP) in Gombe State under the mothers group component.

Description of Key Tasks

• Desk review of relevant literatures and program documents
• Develop protocol for qualitative study and dissemination plan for findings
• Develop interview guides and identify respondents for study
• Obtain ethical approval where relevant
• Interview and collect data from respondents using appropriate methods
• Analyze qualitative data and information gleaned from desk review
• Develop report describing the effective practices and solutions due to SAQIP

Requirements
Candidate with:

• At least an M.Sc Degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Public Health, Political Science, or Economics and at least eight years of research experience
• Experience in designing and conducting qualitative studies in the development/humanitarian space with evidence of conducting at least one in the last three years
• Experience using NVIVO and/or any other qualitative data analysis tool
• At least one peer-reviewed publication in a reputable national or international journal in the last five years
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to speak Hausa fluently
• Readiness to share sample(s) of similar work done in the last three years.

Language:

• Fluency in written/oral English and Hausa is required
• Expected Outcomes
• Study protocol
• Developed Interview guide and consent form
• List of respondents for study and justification for selection
• IRB ethical approval
• Taped recordings of interviews
• Copies of transcripts of interviews
• Final report of study

Milestones and Deliverables
Activities/Tasks Timelines Days Outputs:

• Inception report TBD 3 Soft copy of Inception report
• Study protocol TBD 7 Soft copy of study protocol
• Interview guide and consent form TBD 3 Soft copy of Interview guide and consent form
• List of respondents for study and justification for selection TBD 4 Soft copy of respondent list and justification for selection
• IRB ethical approval TBD 3 Soft copy Ethical approval
• Taped recordings of interviews TBD 20 Soft copy of recordings
• Transcripts of interviews Soft copy transcripts
• Draft report of study Soft copy of study report
• Final report of study Soft copy of final reports

Working Relationships:

• The Consultant will be expected to work in collaboration with the following SAQIP staff - Clusters Team, LGA PHCD Team, The Mothers Group Officer, Mothers group Assistants, and Advisors.