Terms of Reference - Training of Trainers on Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) at Plan International

Strenghtening Health Outcomes for Women and Children (SHOW) SOKOTO

Purpose of the Consultancy Assignment:
Plan International Nigeria is implementing the Global Affairs Canada funded Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and children (SHOW) project with support from Plan International Canada. The project seeks to empower women and girls to improve their access to economic opportunities. One of such is the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA). The primary purpose of a VSLA programme are to: Provide simple savings and loan facilities, in a community that does not have access to formal financial services for timely utilization of health services for family planning, healthy pregnancies, deliveries and newborn care. It provides a form of self-insurance to members, supplemented by a social fund which provides small but important grants to members in distress. It also improves the economic and social security for women, men, adolescent boys and girls, their household and their community. As part of the processes for ensuring the realization of the intermediate outcomes, the SHOW project in partnership with the SMoH, SPHCDA, MOWA and other stakeholders, plans to train PLAN staff, government partners and CSO implementing partners on leadership, economic empowerment, gender equality and MNCH/SRH issues using existing VSLA guidelines and manual. These trained officials will play key role in rolling out VSLA training and implementation at the LGA. To this end, Plan International Nigeria is recruiting a consultant to facilitate the training of trainers (TOT). Specifically, the objectives for the Consultant is to act as the lead facilitator in this training of trainers.

The consultant’s tasks include but not limited to the following activities:

• 1. Conduct a 5-day training on leadership, economic empowerment, gender equality and MNCH/SRH issues using Plan International’s existing VSLA guidelines and manual.
• 2. Conduct a 5-day training on VSLA field training, including process of VSLA formation and financial Education to enable the VSLA groups determine their seasonal calendar to know when to save, borrow and buy their goods.
• 3. Write and submit the technical report of all trainings conducted to Plan International Nigeria. The Consultant will report directly to Gender Equality Advisor. The National Program manager will provide coordination with support from the VSLA Coordinator and other project staff in Sokoto state.

1. Roles and Responsibilities of Consultant:

Responsibilities of the Consultant:
Conduct a 5-day training on leadership, economic empowerment, gender equality and MNCH/SRH issues using Plan International’s existing VSLA guidelines and manual.
Conduct a 5-day training on VSLA field training, including process of VSLA formation and operation, and financial Education to enable the VSLA groups determine their seasonal calendar to know when to save, borrow and buy their goods.
And if required, revise/update VSLA field training guidelines based on project and local context
Submit the technical report of all training conducted to Plan International Nigeria

Specific Scope:
As part of the process of rolling out VSLA Programme, simple savings and loan facilities will be provided, in a community that does not have access to formal financial services for timely utilization of health services for family planning, healthy pregnancies, deliveries and new-born care and accountability phase of the project, gender responsive VSLA manual will be used for the training and capacity
building of SMoH, SPHCDA, MOWA, CSO implementing partner and PLAN staff, which will serve as a means to improving knowledge, attitude and practice in the area of savings and loan to the beneficiaries and for timely utilization of health services for family planning, healthy pregnancies, deliveries and newborn care in the 23 LGAs of Sokoto State.
This activity will help to complement efforts:
To empower women, men, adolescent boys’ and girls’ groups in the area of leadership, economic empowerment, financial Education, gender equality and MNCH/SRH issues.
To help in timely utilization of health services for family planning, healthy pregnancies, deliveries and new-born care.
The following are the areas that the assignment will cover.
THEMATIC AREA TYPE OF TRAINING OF

TRAINERS

EXPECTED TARGET AUDIENCE

Village savings and loan Association (VSLA)

Leadership, economic Empowerment, VSLA field training, including process of VSLA formation and opertaion, Financial Education, Gender Equality and MNCH SRH issues SMoH, SPHCDA, MOWA, CSO implementing partner and PLAN staff

Deliverables, Time Frame and Level of Effort
The period of the contract will be expected to cover a maximum of 14 days as per agreed upon timeline. The Consultant is expected to conduct all the preparation required to facilitate the training of SMoH, SPHCDA, MOWA, CSO implementing partner and Plan International’s staff suggested in the time frame below:

DELIVERABLES EXPECTED TIME FRAME
Review, revise/update VSLA field training guidelines based on project and local context

2 nd and 3 rd November, 2017

Conduct a 5-day training on leadership, economic empowerment, gender equality and MNCH/SRH issues using existing VSLA guidelines and manual

6 th November, 2017 (Starting date)

Conduct a 5-day training on financial Education to enable them determine their seasonal calendar to know when to save, borrow and buy their goods

16 th April, 2018 (Starting date)

Report writing and documentation of the process and final submission

Two days after each of the training.

Qualifications of Consultant(s)

• Master trainer on village savings and loan Association VSLA
• Significant experience working in NGOs engaged in VSLA in the region
• Minimum of 5 years of practical experience in village savings and loan Association.
• Demonstrated understanding of Gender and how it affects health care seeking behavior of women, girls, boys and men.
• Having through knowledge and understanding on gender equality issues, particularly in the context of WEE, YEE
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating community participatory development processes.
• Experience in working with low literacy communities especially in low resource settings
• Fluency in English and the local language (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

PROJECT SUMMARY
Project Subject Strengthening Health Outcomes for Women and Children (SHOW)

Project Background
Plan Canada and Plan International Nigeria have developed an MNCH project to address the high rates of maternal, and child issues in Nigeria through a participatory proposal development process that involved key
stakeholders, including Ministries of Health and partner Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), to ensure that the project is
implemented in high-need areas where there are gaps in MNCH service
provision. The ultimate outcome of the project is to contribute to the reduction of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria, specifically in Sokoto state. By increasing the quality, availability, utilization of essential
MNCH/ASRH/GE services, and local health governance mechanisms, the project implemented over the next 4 years will scale-up improved
health outcomes in underserved areas.

Overall Project Objectives

• To contribute to the reduction of maternal and child mortality in targeted regions among marginalized and vulnerable women, especially adolescent girls and their children Ultimate Outcome
• Improved utilization of essential health services by women of child bearing age (WCBA), adolescent girls, newborns & children
• under 5 living in poverty, with high vulnerability.
• Improved delivery of quality essential health services to WCBA, adolescent girls, newborns and children under 5 living in poverty,
• with high vulnerability.
• Increased dissemination & use of data by project, communities, health committees, service providers, planners & decision

makers.
Immediate Outcomes

• Increased knowledge of basic maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) issues & services among women, adolescents, & male community members
• Increased ability of women & adolescent girls to make decisions on MNCH services utilization
• Improved social capital & network of women & adolescent girls
• Enhanced capacity of government health officials, service providers, health committees & community health workers
• (CHWs)to provide gender & adolescent responsive, and environmentally safe MNCH services
• Improved gender responsive referral systems at primary & secondary health care facilities
• Improved availability of environmentally safe essential MNCH resources & client focused, quality, gender responsive clinic
• management techniques including waste disposal at primary health facilities
• Improved Health Management Information System (HMIS) integrated with accountability cycle & technology
• Improved capacity in sharing results & learning locally, nationally, internationally

Specific Project
Location/ Implementation Areas

The project is to be implemented in 244 wards in the 23 LGAs of Sokoto State.