Formative Research Consultant at Helen Keller International

Background

• The USAID Advancing Nutrition implements and provides technical support to nutrition interventions across sectors and disciplines for USAID and its partners. The project’s multi-sectoral approach draws together global nutrition experience to design, implement and evaluate programs that address the root causes of malnutrition.
• Committed to using a systems approach, USAID Advancing Nutrition strives to sustain positive outcomes by building local capacity, supporting behavior change and strengthening the enabling environment to save lives, improve health, build resilience, increase economic productivity and advance development.
• The overall purpose of the project in Nigeria is to provide technical support to the Government of Nigeria, and other nutrition stakeholders and generate evidence to enhance nutrition programming toward achieving the overall goal of improving nutrition for a healthy, productive, and resilient Nigeria.

Scope of Work

• In fiscal year 2022 (FY 22), USAID Advancing Nutrition will conduct a formative research study on adolescent nutrition in Bauchi, Kebbi, and Sokoto states of Nigeria. A recent position paper by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria highlighted limited data availability, poor coordination and delivery platforms as challenges to adolescent nutrition programming.
• USAID Advancing Nutrition’s scoping review identified that very few programs targeted adolescents and those that did, adapted programs designed for older women of reproductive age and older mothers, specifically around iron and folic acid supplementation.
• Since most programs for adolescents are school-based they tend to miss adolescents who are out of school. They also tend to miss boys, who grow up to be husbands and fathers.
• Thus, USAID Advancing Nutrition will conduct formative research on non-pregnant older adolescent girls (15-19 years), younger adolescent girls (10-14 years) and boys to understand how to design effective programs to support optimal adolescent nutrition behaviors.

Objective

• The purpose of the consultancy is to support the Nigeria FY 22 work plan activity 3.1.2 by providing technical support to the adolescent nutrition formative research study conducted in Bauchi, Kebbi, and Sokoto states.

Activities
The consultant will work in close collaboration with the USAID Advancing Nutrition teams based in Nigeria and US to do the following:

1. Protocol design workshop: Support the formative research protocol design workshop in Bauchi, Kebbie, and Sokoto states. For this sub-activity, the consultant will:
   • Work with the USAID Advancing Nutrition Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor based in Nigeria to identify workshop participants, draft and send invitations, and manage logistics at the venue.
   • Work with the USAID Advancing Nutrition technical advisors based in the US to prepare for the workshop, including reviewing and presenting slides on the desk review findings.
   • Facilitate the protocol design workshop. Manage junior colleagues such as note takers to prepare a concise workshop report.
2. Research firm selection: Work with the USAID Advancing Nutrition Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor based in Nigeria to review the technical and budget narrative of applications submitted by research firms.
3. IRB process: In collaboration with the USAID Advancing Nutrition MEL Advisor based in Nigeria, determine the IRB process for submitting the formative research protocol at the national as well as state levels.
4. Training: Participate in the training of qualitative researchers hired through the selected research firm and piloting of research tools.
5. Data collection: Supervise data collection by trained qualitative researchers. This will include traveling to at least one site per state during data collection. As needed, spot check recordings during data collection. Spot check transcripts developed by the research firm.
6. Analysis workshop: Support the planning, design, and execution of the formative research findings analysis workshop in each of the three states. Participants of this workshop are ideally the same participants of the protocol design workshop.
7. Dissemination workshop: Support the planning, design, and execution of the formative research findings dissemination workshop in each of the three states. Participants of this workshop are ideally the same participants of the protocol design and analysis workshops.
8. Report: write assigned sections of the formative research study report and review drafts of the full report.

Note: Activities 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 require travel to Bauchi, Kebbi, and Sokoto states. We estimate that total travel will be around 20 days.

Deliverables and Schedule

Note

• * - To be completed by the Contracts Manager.
• LOE: The total LOE is approximately equivalent to [30] days.
• All required deliverables and reports shall be submitted to the JSI Activity Manager listed on Page 1.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in international nutrition/ public health.
• Minimum of a Master’s degree in nutrition, public health, medical anthropology or similar related field.
• Experience in qualitative research methods.
• Experience writing qualitative research reports.
• Proficient in English (written and oral communication skills) and Hausa (oral communication skills).