Job Roles at Malaria Consortium

Description

• The Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin among Children 1–59 Months in Nigeria (SARMAAN II) project which is aimed at evaluating the safety, impact on antimicrobial resistance, and effects on child mortality of mass azithromycin administration (MDA) in children aged 1–59 months.
• By combining service delivery (intervention component) with rigorous research, SARMAAN II ensures that evidence directly informs practice and policy. Implemented across 11 states in Nigeria including Kebbi, the project aims to generate actionable insights for adoption as a major child survival health intervention in the future. The AZM MDA campaign will commence with microplanning in February 2026 with biannual implementation occurring from June-July and November-December 2026.
• Effective Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBC) is essential to ensure caregiver awareness, acceptance, and uptake of these interventions.
• Malaria Consortium therefore seeks to engage an SBC Consultant to support planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of SBC activities during the 2026 MDA campaign in the State.
• The Malaria Consortium SARMAAN II project is funded by the Gates Foundation. This term of reference (ToR) is however focused on 2026 AZM MDA delivery in Jigawa, Kaduna, Adamawa, Kebbi and Gombe States.

Rationale

• SBC plays a critical role in supporting the successful delivery of AZM MDA by promoting caregiver understanding, acceptance, and adherence. As the State implements these important child health interventions there is need for coordinated SBC support to ensure clear, accurate, and consistent messaging to caregivers and communities.
• The SBC Consultant will support all SBC activities related to Azithromycin (AZM MDA) intervention implemented before, during and after the campaign period. Their role is to strengthen community engagement, build trust, address caregiver concerns, and support informed participation in programme activities.
• The SBC consultant will work with the state to support social and behavior change for AZM MDA delivery ensuring community engagement and caregiver acceptance of preventive measures.
• They will also adapt messaging that combines information about AZM MDA, emphasizing the benefits of the intervention as well as the specifics of the scheduled campaign.

Purpose of the assignment

• The purpose of this consultancy is to provide state-level technical assistance and oversight for SBC activities supporting the 2026 AZM campaign in Jigawa, Gombe, Adamawa, Kebbi and Kaduna States.
• The SBC Consultant will work as part of the State team to support demand creation, community engagement, capacity building, monitoring, and reporting related to AZM MDA distribution. Working with the relevant State agencies (SMEP/PHCDA), the consultants will serve as SBC focal points and support AZM MDA key activities including Advocacy visits to key stakeholders, adaptation of SBC materials, planning for engagement activities, development of SBC materials and tools, facilitation, capacity-building of SBC related personnel, monitoring, and reporting on overall SBC activities in the states.

Methodology:

• The technical support would be via a combination of physical or virtual participation in planning and implementation activities including off-site training, on the job training, supervision, and monitoring.
• The TA will work in sync with other State and LGA staff and Government officials but would oversee SBC related activities with support from the State Project Manager (SPM).
• Data collection and reporting would be via the standard campaign forms, platforms, tools, and MC standard reporting template.

Scope of work:

• The technical support would cover all the LGAs of the states for AZM MDA distribution. The activity will conclude after the last round of AZM MDA for the year with the submission of a report.

Specific tasks
The specific tasks include.

Context-Specific Social and Behavior Change Materials:

• Incorporate tailored social and behavior change strategies to address Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement
• Develop targeted advocacy strategies focusing on identified stakeholders, market leaders, youth groups and traditional rulers to promote AZM MDA uptake.
• Strengthen collaboration with community leaders, religious figures, to foster ownership and sustained engagement to improve child health and contribute to the reduction of All – cause U5 mortality.

Training and Capacity Building:

• Facilitate Training of Trainers (ToT) for health workers and community mobilizers to enhance malaria awareness and AZM MDA promotion.

Media Engagement and Information Dissemination:

• Develop and execute localized media plans, leveraging state-specific communication channels and approaches that reach the target audience.

Community-Level SBC Personnel Selection and Deployment:

• Support LGA teams in identifying and training local malaria champions.
• Influencer and Key Stakeholder Identification.

Monitoring and Evaluation of SBC Activities:

• Track and monitor community engagement activities using state-specific SBC monitoring tools.

State and LGA-Level Engagements:

• Provide technical support for state and LGA flag-off events, ensuring key community stakeholders participate.
• Post-Campaign SBC Planning and Reinforcement

Reporting and Documentation:

• Prepare a comprehensive SBC activity report highlighting state-specific challenges, successes, and recommendations for improved malaria prevention.
• Submit a detailed consultancy report within seven days post-campaign, outlining SBC interventions, challenges, and impact.
• Populate and submit all required SBC monitoring templates to track media and community engagement efforts.

Expected Deliverables and Performance Standards

• SBC pre, during and post campaign workplan
• Adapted Social and behavior change materials within 2 days from engagement.
• Advocacy plan prepared and shared with MC LGA Field Assistants and SPM for consolidation with activity report.
• Weekly update reports to the State SPM to collate as weekly updates.
• Social and Behavior change report during the AZM MDA campaigns submitted to the SPMs at the end of round in the state.
• Completion and submission of AZM SBC preparedness check list
• Detailed campaign reports prepared and submitted to the SPMs at the end of the round for consolidation and onward submission to Country level.
• Detailed consultancy report on MC report template, clearly highlighting specific tasks/role during the activity submitted at least 7days after completion of the activity.

Required Specifications for Consultants

• Minimum of First Degree in Social Sciences or related fields and at least 3 years post-graduation.
• Excellent leadership qualities.
• Previous training and experience in AZM or similar campaigns (ITNs, SMC, Polio Immunization, etc.) campaigns.
• Previous experience supporting the development of behavior change campaigns that delivered results.
• Previous experience supporting the development of behavior change campaigns that delivered results.
• Knowledge of malaria and its prevention, diagnosis and treatment is required.
• Previous experience working in a National and/or State Ministry of Health preferred.
• Experience with a flexible approach to managing and prioritizing significant workloads and multiple tasks, in a fast-paced environment, with tight deadlines, is required.
• Excellent training and supervisory skills
• Excellent technical writing and presentation skills
• A proven ability to work as part of a team and independently.
• Excellent experience in using Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work under stressful conditions and to remain flexible and calm under pressure.
• Experience of proactively identifying and addressing bottlenecks/issues desired.
• Experience of establishing strong working relationships with team members and state personnel.
• Experience and understanding of demand creation issues related to campaign distribution.

go to method of application »

Description

• The SARMAAN II Project, an acronym for Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin among Children 1-59 Months in Nigeria is a large-scale initiative aimed at evaluating the safety and impact of azithromycin mass drug administration (MDA) on antimicrobial resistance and child mortality.
• The project has both an intervention and a research component, which is being implemented across ten states in Nigeria: Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Jigawa, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa.
• The research component is led by the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in collaboration with the Federal and State Ministries of Health, national agencies such as Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and international partners, including the University of Washington, University of California San Francisco, and the Institute for Disease Modelling. This research component focuses on monitoring drug safety (Adverse Drug Reactions), antimicrobial resistance, and mortality trends.
• The intervention component however involves a bi-annual (every 6 months) mass administration of azithromycin to children aged 1–59 months and is implemented by Malaria Consortium alongside other key partners, including Sightsavers, eHealth Africa, African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Mission to Save the Helpless (MiTOSATH), Solina Centre for International Development and Research, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF),. Furthermore, NHREC and NAFDAC provide statutory regulatory oversight to both research and intervention components of the SARMAAN Project.
• Malaria Consortium is implementing directly in Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Gombe and Adamawa states, while providing oversight to AFENET and MiTOSATH implementation in Katsina, Zamfara and Bauchi States respectively.
• The primary goal of SARMAAN II is to explore the potential of azithromycin in reducing under-five mortality in Nigeria, where the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) currently stands at 105 deaths per 1,000 live births, and the infant mortality rate (IMR) at 60 deaths per 1,000 live births. By addressing the leading causes of child mortality including respiratory infections, diarrhoea diseases, pneumonia, and malaria, the project aims to contribute to significant reductions in morbidity and hospitalization rates. To achieve measurable impact, the consortium is committed to reaching at least 80% coverage of eligible children across all implementing states during the MDA rounds.

Job Objective

• The objective of this consultancy is to engage qualified Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Consultants to provide technical support for micro planning, data collection, validation, analysis, reporting, and learning during the 2026 AZM MDA campaigns in Adamawa, Gombe and Jigawa States.
• The M&E consultants will ensure evidence-based implementation, accountability, and delivery of high-quality data for timely decision-making and reporting.

Purpose of the Assignment

• The purpose of this ToR is to engage one (1) consultant each to serve as an M&E Officers in Adamawa, Gombe and Jigawa states. They would support MC’s state implementation team to carry out all M&E-related tasks through the AZM MDA campaign. These include micro planning, digital data collection, data quality assurance, geospatial analytics, supportive supervision, reporting, and documentation.
• The consultants would also provide M&E leadership to ensure effective tracking of programmatic indicators, timely submission of high-quality data, and triangulation of data across multiple sources to support validation and learning.

Methodology
Engagement and Onboarding:

• The consultants would be engaged as short-term M&E personnel via MC’s standard HR recruitment protocols.
• The Consultants would be introduced to program teams and oriented on campaign tools, digital systems (Kobo, Digit HCM), data workflows, and validation processes.

Embedded Support Model:

• M&E Consultants would be embedded with MC’s state team and support all LGAs through direct visits or remotely as needed.
• He/She will coordinate with MC’s State Programme Manager, Program Officers, and Field Assistants.

Implementation Strategy:
The consultants would:

• Lead pre-implementation data verification, support Kobo collect tool deployment, track all activity attendance digitally, and support real-time supervision.
• Coordinates daily data analysis, conduct facility visits, supervision, and validate treatment, and logistics data.

Support and Supervision:

• The consultants will report to their respective State Programme Managers, with technical guidance from the M&E Manager/Designee.
• They would conduct coordination meetings and reviews.

Data Quality Assurance:
The Consultants would:

• Tracks and reconciles daily digital submissions from CDDs, HFWs, and LGA teams.
• Conducts field validation, spot checks, and data triangulation with physical and digital records.

Reporting

• Submit reports and summaries and support M&E reports.
• Documents lessons learned and contributed to knowledge products.

Timeline:

• The consultants will be engaged for 90 days from March to August 2026.

Key Responsibilities

Daily Tasks:
Monitoring & Evaluation (70%):

• Manage the information-gathering process for results and performance reports, in addition to other briefings, summaries, presentations, etc. as needed.
• Ensure quality data collection and management processes before, during and after each round of mass SARMAAN II drug administration.
• Coordinate the documentation of SARMAAN II state level performance and ensure proper achieving such for easy access and reference.
• Assist State project managers to develop robust monitoring plans for quantitative and qualitative reporting on project performance indicators.
• Adapt and maintain a high-quality database for the project in line with the MC standards.
• Routinely monitor project performance against targets and prepare periodic reports on M&E activities for SARMAAN II Project.
• Support learning-to-action events and reflection sessions to systematically analyze data for programmatic use for the state, and to document and incorporate lessons learned into program design and implementation.

Data Validation & Reporting (20%):

• Analyzes and cleans treatment, stock, and other relevant datasets.
• Collaborates with Country M&E team, Digital Health and State team to resolve data errors.
• Produces periodic summary reports, dashboards and trend analyses.
• Ensures accurate population-based coverage and program reports.

Coordination & Capacity Building (10%):

• Supports training of supervisors and HFWs on data collection tools.
• Participates in state-level review and validation meetings.
• Provides technical mentoring to LGA-level staff on data entry and tool use.

Specific Tasks, Expected Deliverable and Timeline
Deliverables

• Verified personnel database.
• Finalized MDA e-attendance records.
• M&E section of End-of-Round (EoR) reports.
• Data analysis briefs and dashboards.
• Activity reports (Training, Supervision, validation sessions).
• List of flagged data issues and resolution summaries.
• Updated Performance Monitoring (targets vs. achievement).

Accountability

• Reports directly to the State Programme Manager.
• Functional reporting to the M&E Manager.
• Adhere to MC’s safeguarding, ethics, and data protection policies.

Expected Outcome

• Timely and complete reporting from all LGAs.
• Quality-assured datasets with validated daily submissions.
• Active monitoring of program performance indicators.
• Early detection and correction of errors in submitted data.
• Contribution to data-informed decision-making at the state level.
• Strengthened capacity of LGA staff on M&E practices.

Required Specifications for Consultants

• Degree in Public Health, Development Studies, Statistics, Data Science or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in M&E roles, preferably in malaria campaigns.
• Proficiency in data collection tools like Kobotoolbox, QGIS, Excel, and Power BI.
• Strong understanding of Nigeria’s public health systems and campaign structure.
• Excellent analytical, coordination, and communication skills.
• Ability to speak English and Hausa fluently; Fluency in other local languages is an added advantage.
• Availability for the full period of the survey.
• Candidate must not be a staff member of Government or involved in MDA-AZM activity at any level and in any State Ministry of Health (SMoH) at the time of the consultancy.

go to method of application »

Description

• The SARMAAN II Project, an acronym for Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin among Children 1-59 Months in Nigeria is a large-scale initiative aimed at evaluating the safety and impact of azithromycin mass drug administration (MDA) on antimicrobial resistance and child mortality.
• The project has both an intervention and a research component, which is being implemented across ten states in Nigeria: Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Jigawa, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa.
• The research component is led by the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in collaboration with the Federal and State Ministries of Health, national agencies such as Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and international partners, including the University of Washington, University of California San Francisco, and the Institute for Disease Modelling. This research component focuses on monitoring drug safety (Adverse Drug Reactions), antimicrobial resistance, and mortality trends.
• The intervention component however involves a bi-annual (every 6 months) mass administration of azithromycin to children aged 1–59 months and is implemented by Malaria Consortium alongside other key partners, including Sightsavers, eHealth Africa, African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Mission to Save the Helpless (MiTOSATH), Solina Centre for International Development and Research, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF),. Furthermore, NHREC and NAFDAC provide statutory regulatory oversight to both research and intervention components of the SARMAAN Project.
• Malaria Consortium is implementing directly in Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Gombe and Adamawa states, while providing oversight to AFENET and MiTOSATH implementation in Katsina, Zamfara and Bauchi States respectively.
• The primary goal of SARMAAN II is to explore the potential of azithromycin in reducing under-five mortality in Nigeria, where the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) currently stands at 105 deaths per 1,000 live births, and the infant mortality rate (IMR) at 60 deaths per 1,000 live births. By addressing the leading causes of child mortality including respiratory infections, diarrhoea diseases, pneumonia, and malaria, the project aims to contribute to significant reductions in morbidity and hospitalization rates. To achieve measurable impact, the consortium is committed to reaching at least 80% coverage of eligible children across all implementing states during the MDA rounds.

Job Objective

• The objective of this consultancy is to engage qualified Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Consultants to provide technical support for micro planning, data collection, validation, analysis, reporting, and learning during the 2026 AZM MDA campaigns in Adamawa, Gombe and Jigawa States.
• The M&E consultants will ensure evidence-based implementation, accountability, and delivery of high-quality data for timely decision-making and reporting.

Purpose of the Assignment

• The purpose of this ToR is to engage one (1) consultant each to serve as an M&E Officers in Adamawa, Gombe and Jigawa states. They would support MC’s state implementation team to carry out all M&E-related tasks through the AZM MDA campaign. These include micro planning, digital data collection, data quality assurance, geospatial analytics, supportive supervision, reporting, and documentation.
• The consultants would also provide M&E leadership to ensure effective tracking of programmatic indicators, timely submission of high-quality data, and triangulation of data across multiple sources to support validation and learning.

Methodology
Engagement and Onboarding:

• The consultants would be engaged as short-term M&E personnel via MC’s standard HR recruitment protocols.
• The Consultants would be introduced to program teams and oriented on campaign tools, digital systems (Kobo, Digit HCM), data workflows, and validation processes.

Embedded Support Model:

• M&E Consultants would be embedded with MC’s state team and support all LGAs through direct visits or remotely as needed.
• He/She will coordinate with MC’s State Programme Manager, Program Officers, and Field Assistants.

Implementation Strategy:
The consultants would:

• Lead pre-implementation data verification, support Kobo collect tool deployment, track all activity attendance digitally, and support real-time supervision.
• Coordinates daily data analysis, conduct facility visits, supervision, and validate treatment, and logistics data.

Support and Supervision:

• The consultants will report to their respective State Programme Managers, with technical guidance from the M&E Manager/Designee.
• They would conduct coordination meetings and reviews.

Data Quality Assurance:
The Consultants would:

• Tracks and reconciles daily digital submissions from CDDs, HFWs, and LGA teams.
• Conducts field validation, spot checks, and data triangulation with physical and digital records.

Reporting

• Submit reports and summaries and support M&E reports.
• Documents lessons learned and contributed to knowledge products.

Timeline:

• The consultants will be engaged for 90 days from March to August 2026.

Key Responsibilities

Daily Tasks:
Monitoring & Evaluation (70%):

• Manage the information-gathering process for results and performance reports, in addition to other briefings, summaries, presentations, etc. as needed.
• Ensure quality data collection and management processes before, during and after each round of mass SARMAAN II drug administration.
• Coordinate the documentation of SARMAAN II state level performance and ensure proper achieving such for easy access and reference.
• Assist State project managers to develop robust monitoring plans for quantitative and qualitative reporting on project performance indicators.
• Adapt and maintain a high-quality database for the project in line with the MC standards.
• Routinely monitor project performance against targets and prepare periodic reports on M&E activities for SARMAAN II Project.
• Support learning-to-action events and reflection sessions to systematically analyze data for programmatic use for the state, and to document and incorporate lessons learned into program design and implementation.

Data Validation & Reporting (20%):

• Analyzes and cleans treatment, stock, and other relevant datasets.
• Collaborates with Country M&E team, Digital Health and State team to resolve data errors.
• Produces periodic summary reports, dashboards and trend analyses.
• Ensures accurate population-based coverage and program reports.

Coordination & Capacity Building (10%):

• Supports training of supervisors and HFWs on data collection tools.
• Participates in state-level review and validation meetings.
• Provides technical mentoring to LGA-level staff on data entry and tool use.

Specific Tasks, Expected Deliverable and Timeline
Deliverables

• Verified personnel database.
• Finalized MDA e-attendance records.
• M&E section of End-of-Round (EoR) reports.
• Data analysis briefs and dashboards.
• Activity reports (Training, Supervision, validation sessions).
• List of flagged data issues and resolution summaries.
• Updated Performance Monitoring (targets vs. achievement).

Accountability

• Reports directly to the State Programme Manager.
• Functional reporting to the M&E Manager.
• Adhere to MC’s safeguarding, ethics, and data protection policies.

Expected Outcome

• Timely and complete reporting from all LGAs.
• Quality-assured datasets with validated daily submissions.
• Active monitoring of program performance indicators.
• Early detection and correction of errors in submitted data.
• Contribution to data-informed decision-making at the state level.
• Strengthened capacity of LGA staff on M&E practices.

Required Specifications for Consultants

• Degree in Public Health, Development Studies, Statistics, Data Science or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in M&E roles, preferably in malaria campaigns.
• Proficiency in data collection tools like Kobotoolbox, QGIS, Excel, and Power BI.
• Strong understanding of Nigeria’s public health systems and campaign structure.
• Excellent analytical, coordination, and communication skills.
• Ability to speak English and Hausa fluently; Fluency in other local languages is an added advantage.
• Availability for the full period of the survey.
• Candidate must not be a staff member of Government or involved in MDA-AZM activity at any level and in any State Ministry of Health (SMoH) at the time of the consultancy.