Consultant at Plan International

Department & Location:

Micro-Nutrients Initiative funded IFAS Project; Sokoto and Kebbi States

Starting Date 3 May, 2017

Contract period:

22 May – 23 June, 2017

Contract duration:

Total of 22 billable days

Reports to:

(position) Programmes Development Advisor

Purpose:

How does this post support Plan’s strategy and mission?
Plan International Nigeria is seeking to engage an experienced Consultant on the Global Affairs Canada, Micro-Nutrients Initiative and Plan International “Boosting Iron Folic Acid Supplementation for Pregnant Women in Northern Nigeria (IFAS) Project. The Consultant will be responsible for conducting a desk review to facilitate the Adaptation of IFA Messaging for FLW and CBHVs/TBAs Including Supportive Supervision Tools for Supervisors in Sokoto and Kebbi states.

Background: Plan International Nigeria is implementing the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and Micronutrient Initiative (MI) funded Boosting Iron Folic Acid Supplementation for Pregnant Women in Northern Nigeria (IFAS) and the Zinc Scale Up projects with support from Plan International Canada. Both projects are an innovative micronutrient intervention being implemented to ensure an additional target of 750,000 pregnant women receive any IFA supplements and show an appreciable increase in the number of pregnant women receiving and consuming at least 90 IFA supplements in Sokoto and Kebbi on the IFAS project over the next two years four months. Nigeria’s 576 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births contribute to 14 percent of all maternal deaths globally, second only to India. Similarly, the 128 child deaths per 1,000 live births accounts for 13 percent of all under-five deaths globally while the neonatal deaths contribute to 32% of all under five deaths in Nigeria. There are huge in-country disparities in maternal mortality figures in Nigeria. The extremely poor Northwest part of Nigeria, including Jigawa, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi, has the highest maternal mortality rate of 1,026 per 100,000 live births compared to 165 per 100,000 live births in the Southwest. WHO estimates anaemia in pregnant women at 41.8% with at least half of the anaemia burden due to iron deficiency. Moderate or severe anaemia during pregnancy have been associated with an increased risk of premature delivery, maternal mortality, and infectious diseases. Frontline health workers, their supervisors and TBAs have not prioritized health education messaging and IFA prescriptions using a gender lens to improve uptake of IFA among pregnant women and adolescents. Only 19.6% and 21.4% of pregnant women had iron tablets as component of ANC during a pregnancy in the last five years in Sokoto and Kebbi states respectively according to the NDHS 2013.

Purpose of the Consultancy Assignment
The consultancy will support the development/adaptation of messages for frontline health workers, their supervisors, on the importance of revitalizing and prioritizing IFA, and on how they could contribute to a more effective gender and adolescent responsive IFA program and messaging adapted for TBAs on importance of Ante Natal Care (ANC) attendance by pregnant women and adolescent girls including use of IFA supplements. This process will also review existing training manuals, supervision tools and advocacy messages for frontline health worker, their supervisors and TBAs on IFA with a view to improve on them using a gender lens.

Specific objectives and role of the consultant
Objective 1: Consultant to conduct desk reviews of Behavioural Change Information (BCI) messaging for frontline health workers and supervisors including with a gender lens.

Objective 2: Consultant to conduct desk review on motivation of TBAs using Result Based Financing methods.

Objective 3: The consultant will also facilitate a review of training manuals, supportive supervision tools and advocacy messages including with a gender lens targeted at health care workers to improve their commitment to delivery of quality IFA services.

Objective 4: The consultant will supervise the information sharing events for the presentation of the messages.

Methodology
The desk review will use a mixed method approach. The consultant will be required to collect, analyze and interpret both quantitative and qualitative data from primary and secondary sources so as to develop and validate tools for IFA and Zinc programming. A variety of methods including review of key and relevant documents; primary stakeholder engagements, workshops, team planning and review meetings; in-depth interview with key informants; site visits; data analysis will be employed in a cost effective manner.

Deliverables, Time Frame and Level of Effort

• The period of the contract will be expected to cover a maximum of 22 days as per agreed upon timeline. The Consultant is expected to conduct all the preparation required to facilitate this process as suggested in the time frame below:
• Deliverables Expected Time Frame Consultancy
• Briefing meeting with Plan international Nigeria and planning meeting with state stakeholders

22 May, 2017 1
Conduct and submit brief on desk reviews of Behavioural Change Information (BCI) messaging for frontline health workers and supervisors.

23 -26 May, 2017
Conduct and submit brief on desk review on motivation of TBAs using RBF methods.

29 May – 2 June, 2017 5
Review of training manuals, supportive supervision tools and advocacy messages including with a gender lens targeted at health care workers to improve their commitment to delivery of quality IFA services.

5-9 June, 2017 5
Translate materials into outlines and presentations and submit package for sharing with Supervisors, FLWs and CBHVs/TBAs

12-13 June, 2017 2
Supervise Information sharing event 19-21 June, 2017 3

Submit final report 26 - 27 June 2
22

Qualifications of Consultant

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in social & behavioural change communications/marketing, Nutrition, Maternal Neonatal and Child Health programming or related field.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting content specific, effective and gender responsive desk reviews in social and behavioural change or related field
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of community participatory development processes
• Experience in working with low literacy communities especially in low resource settings
• Fluency in English and the local language (Hausa) spoken and written
• Ability to produce high quality work under tight timeframes
• Ability to establish a good working relationship with State stakeholders and integrate feedback as required
• Excellent skills in documentation and reporting