Survey Managers - Consultant at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Background of the project  

The proposed research project will leverage IRC’s Tom Brown TSFPs in Borno State, Nigeria. In this part of Nigeria, an estimated 1.0 million children under five suffer from SAM and 1.55 million from MAM. To address MAM, WFP and partners, including IRC, have piloted the Tom Brown approach in northeast (Borno, Yobe) and northwest (Katsina) Nigeria under the WFP 2023–2027 Country Strategic Plan, aiming to transition TSFP sites from RUSF to Tom Brown. Funded by BMZ/KFW and implemented by IRC, BSPHCDB, INTERSOS, and SHI, the Borno project targets 58,696 MAM children across 7 LGAs in 2025.

The IRC has been delivering MAM treatment in six Borno LGAs including MMC, Jere, Konduga, Magumeri, Gwoza and Monguno LGAs for the past four years and currently supports 40 TSFPs. Under the above-mentioned project, 11 IRC program sites (3 in Konduga, 8 in MMC) have transitioned from RUSF to Tom Brown. Between March 2025 and January 2026, the program aims to target approximately 10,000 MAM children with Tom Brown. As part of the project, care groups have been formed, lead mothers selected, and IEC materials have been developed. Lead mothers receive training, cash, and vouchers to prepare Tom Brown flour using locally available ingredients—millet, sorghum, soybeans, and groundnuts, which are fortified either with Moringa or MNP. Vouchers and cash transfers cover ingredients, utensils, fuel, water, milling, and transport. Lead mothers coach caregivers bi-weekly on Tom Brown preparation and IYCF. The preparation i.e. cleaning, roasting and milling of the grains is done jointly and each child receives 300g/day (869 kcal, 43g protein, 28g fat) over a 10-week period in biweekly rations of 4.5 kgs. Community Nutrition Monitors (CNM) visit participants weekly to measure and record MUAC and monitor consumption of the blended flour. TSFP sites are linked to PHC facilities, with referral systems for SAM cases.\

Sub-study objectives and methods

This research project will consist of the following 4 sub-studies, with separate objectives but the same data collection.

Sub-Study Objectives and Methods

Qualitative Feasibility Study:

This sub-study aims to understand current models of Tom Brown implementation and scale, assess feasibility as perceived by caregivers, local implementers, MoH, UN agencies, and INGOs, and identify challenges and facilitators to scale up. Data will be collected through in-depth Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with purposefully selected participants, combined with interviews for acceptability and cost studies. Written consent will be obtained, and interviews will be conducted at workplaces or caregivers’ homes, audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated by research staff.

Qualitative Acceptability Study:

The objective is to explore perceptions of acceptability, likeability, usage, and effectiveness of the Tom Brown approach and porridge among caregivers, lead mothers, health workers, and community members. This will be achieved through in-depth KIIs with key informants, as outlined in Table 1, using the same integrated interview approach as the feasibility study.

Economic Evaluation:

This sub-study seeks to estimate the cost of Tom Brown TSFPs from a societal perspective, identify major cost drivers, and compare costs to a hypothetical MAM program using RUSF. Expected outcomes include cost per participant enrolled (and, if feasible, per child cured), total program cost, cost drivers, and a cost model for government-led implementation. Data will be collected from program financial records and KIIs using an ingredients-based approach.

Stakeholder Values Study:

The goal is to document stakeholder priorities for treatment outcomes to ensure future studies focus on indicators meaningful to affected communities. Data will be collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with diverse stakeholder groups, including caregivers, health workers, MoH staff, researchers, INGOs, and UN agencies. FGDs may include pile-sorting exercises, with an estimated 10–20 sessions planned.