Save the Children Knowledge, Practice and Coverage (KPC) Survey – Mandera Central, Wajir East and Wajir South Sub-Counties

Terms of Reference: Knowledge, Practice and Coverage (KPC) Survey – Mandera Central, Wajir East and Wajir South Sub-Counties

Organization background: Save the Children is the world's largest independent organization for children, making a difference to children's lives in over 120 countries. We deliver immediate and lasting improvements to children's lives worldwide. 

Save the Children listens to children, involves children and ensures their views are taken into account. Save the Children secures and protects children's rights - to food, shelter, healthcare, education and freedom from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Our vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.

Our mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. 

The rights-based approach of our interventions is founded on four pillars: direct programming, political and policy change, popular mobilization and fundraising. We provide support through both longer term development work and humanitarian relief in emergencies. 

In 2012, as part of a global reorganization process, Save the Children combined the programmes of SC UK, SC Canada and SC Finland to create a single operation in Kenya. In Feb 2014, we completed a second transition, which saw us join forces with the British INGO, Merlin, and merge their health and nutrition programmes with our own. 

Save the Children now has an operational presence in Bungoma, Dadaab Refugee Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Turkana and Wajir and we work through partners in many other parts of the country. We employ more than 300 staff and have an operating annual budget in 2014 of approximately US$25 million.

Save the Children has a strong track record of supporting health systems through direct interventions, policy analysis and advocacy across all the 6 building blocks. 

As a child rights organization, we are committed to ascertain and follow the priorities of the communities we work with and to increase child and community participation in governance, policy-making and delivery of health services. 

Summary of current programmes: With funding from diverse donors we are implementing programmes in Wajir, Mandera, Turkana, Nairobi, Garissa and Bungoma Counties. 

Our programming covers the areas of Health and nutrition, HIV and AIDS, Education, Food Security and Livelihoods, Water hygiene and sanitation, child protection and child right programming:

As an integral cross-cutting component of our work we advocate for policy change and allocation of resources required to save children’s lives. 

At the national level we actively engage with policy makers and processes to lobby for sustained investments in actions that have lasting and positive impact on children’s lives. 

We are building strong coalitions with like-minded partners and are members of key civil society networks such as HENNET.  

We participate in policy and strategic forums such as Inter-agency Coordination Committees (ICCs), Kenya Food Security Steering Committee (KFSSG), Nutritional Technical Forum and a number of thematic technical working groups at the national and county level. 

Save the Children is also in the Executive Committee of the Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Network.  

We also draw on our global expertise to undertake policy analysis and publish technical reviews and briefs as well as comparative case studies to inform policy. 

Our EVERY ONE campaign is about mobilizing and galvanizing popular movement of people and organizations in Kenya, to advocate for the critical changes that must happen for child survival to be guaranteed. 

2. Purpose and Objectives of the Evaluation: Save the Children, Kenya Country Office, seeks to procure the services of a consultant to take up the task of generating comprehensive information on the current status of Knowledge, Practices and Coverage of key Maternal, New-born and Child health interventions in Mandera Central, Wajir East and Wajir South Sub Counties.     
 

2A) Specific Objectives of the Survey

• Assess the knowledge, practices and coverage of key maternal, new-born and child health interventions
• Assess the knowledge, practices and coverage of appropriate infant and young child feeding
• Document cultural and traditional practices that enhance or undermine appropriate Maternal, new-born health, Infant Young child and hygiene practices in the two counties
• To determine and recommend effective channels for behaviour change communication.
• To assess the health providers’ competencies regarding integrated management of neonatal and childhood illness (IMNCI), and HINI
• Make recommendations for adjustments of project strategies and future areas of interventions to achieve the overall goal of Save the Children programming in the two counties
• Compare findings of the key maternal, newborn and child health interventions with previous survey findings
• Compare knowledge, practices and coverage of infant and young child feeding with previous survey findings

3. Methodology

The survey will require the critical examination of both qualitative and quantitative information. 

However, the detailed methodology of the survey will be designed after consultation with Technical Health and Nutrition staff at Save the Children. 

3.1 Document Review

The review of documentation will be an important task throughout the assignment. 

The Consultant will be expected to undertake a desk review of secondary data that will complement the primary data that will be collected.  

Below are some of the documents among those to be reviewed by the consultant: 

• ECHO/DFID project Proposals
• Previous KPC reports in the two counties
• County specific health strategies.
• Relevant MoH MIYCN, MNCH Guidelines
• Kenya National Nutrition Action plan
• Other relevant assessments reports i.e Nutrition Survey, Cost of Diet

3.2 Primary Data Collection

The primary data will be collected from various methods:

3.2.1 Household Survey
 

With the understanding of total beneficiaries and locations the consultant will propose the sampling method and sample size to Save the Children for conducting the household survey.

3.2.2 Key Informant Interview (KII)

Staff from Save the Children, relevant governmental departments and NGO Partners and UN agencies will be purposively selected for interviewing to obtain information about the knowledge, attitude, behaviour, social, cultural and traditional norms of the indigenous people in relation to Maternal/new born and child health and Infant Young Child Feeding. KII is a flexible tool allowing for a more informal interaction between the interviewer and interviewee. 

The new questions will be brought up during the discussion.

3.2.3 Focus Group Discussion
 

The beneficiaries of Save the Children ECHO/DFID project consists of children under five years, pregnant women and lactating mothers. 

They will be purposively  selected for Focused Group Discussion to assess the knowledge, skills, attitude, and practice norm, perception related to Maternal/new born health and Infant Young Child Feeding. 

It is recommended to organize FGD for the following target groups:

• Group of children
• Core caretakers members
• Mother to mother support groups
• Pregnant women and lactating mothers

3.3 Data Collection, Processing and Analysis

The consultant will train and orient the enumerators on the methodology and data collection tools. In addition to this, the Consultant will be expected to supervise data collection in the field and data entry while ensuring quality is maintained throughout the process. 

All the data collection tools will be pre-tested in an area that will not be sampled for data collection. The tools will be revised accordingly after the pre-test exercise.

All quantitative and qualitative data collected from secondary data, household survey, KII and FGD will be consolidated, analyzed and put into a report. 

The Consultant will present the findings, conclusions and recommendations to Save the Children Health and Nutrition Program managers and Advisors and other key stakeholders including County Departments of Health in consultative workshops at Save the Children’s Country Office and in the 2 counties of Wajir and Mandera.  

4.0. Deliverables

Deliverables under this consultancy will include the following:

1. A detailed proposal showing how the consultant seeks to undertake the study. The proposal will include a clear methodology and data collection tools, analysis reporting details and a detailed work plan.
2. Presentation of the KPC methodology and final findings to Save the Children Country Office, the stakeholders at the area field office levels, and Nutrition Information Working Group (NIWG). A draft report detailing the survey findings and recommendations 4 days after completion of data collection activities in the field.
3. Power point presentation of preliminary findings and recommendations
4. Final report  13 days after data collection
5. Training of Save the Children health and nutrition teams on KPC
6. Data sets including the printed hard-copy filled-in questionnaires

The final report shall be submitted as scheduled to the Health and Nutrition advisors at Save the Children in both electronic versions, MS Word and MS Excel, and 3 printed hard copies. 

Duration and Time: The entire assignment including preparation of the study tools and protocols, recruitment and training of data collectors, field work, analysis of data and report writing is estimated to last 31 calendar days. The exercise is expected to commence on 4th of August 2014

Proposed Time frame (Note that this is a guide and consultants are asked to be realistic in their proposals)

Activity	Proposed No of days	Timeline
Pre assessment activities	3	4th to 6th August 2014)
Travel to the field	1	7th August
Training and pre-testing	3	8-11th August 2014
Field preparation	1	12th August 2014
Field work/data collection	6	13th to 19th August
Data entry and analysis	3	18th  to 21st August 2014
Presentation on preliminary findings	1	22nd August
Draft report	3	27th August (3 days after presentation of preliminary findings)
Dissemination of findings at the field level	1	26th August 2014 at Wajir, 27th or 28th in Mandera
Presentation at the NIWG	1	2nd September 2014
Final report	8	5th September 2014
Total	31

Desirable Qualifications:
This assignment requires a high level of skill, patience and motivation to accomplish within the stipulated time frame.

The consultant will be required to devise appropriate strategies to generate as much information as required within the limited time. 

In addition, the consultant should be capable of working in difficult environment where security situation is unpredictable and with limited basic facilities and amenities.

Education and background required:

• The lead consultant must have a minimum of Masters level education in Nutrition or Public Health. A Postgraduate Study in Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodology in the team is an added advantage.
• Previous experience of undertaking KPC surveys of similar magnitude in North Eastern Kenya. 
• Previous proven experience with LQAS or other appropriate methodologies
• Excellent analytical and writing skills
• Adequate knowledge of the Kenyan health and nutrition sectors
• Skills and experience of collecting and analysing qualitative data
• Ability to work well in a team and coordinate and communicate well with a range of stakeholders
• Excellent presentation skills
• Previous experience of conducting community-based surveys in North Eastern Kenya

5. Administrative/ Logistical Support
 

5.1 Budget
 

The lead Consultant should submit to Save the Children forecast of the budget including his/her consultancy fees. 

All other administrative and logistic costs for the survey including transport from Nairobi to field and back (flight) and field accommodation will be covered by Save the Children or as per the contract.

5.2 Schedule of payment
 

The following payments will be made to the consultant using and agreed mode of payment.

• After inception report: 30%
• After Final Report: 70%

The payments will only be made when the deliverables have been assessed by the Save the Children team to be of good quality. 

5.3 Logistics
 

Save the Children will provide the following support towards the successful execution of this consultancy:

• Avail relevant internal documents as referenced above
• Costs of flights between Nairobi- field and back.
• Field transportation and reasonable accommodation
• Stationeries and supplies
• Linking the consultant with the key organizations/stakeholders at the county and Sub County that will be consulted during the survey.
• Pay consultant’s fees

6.0 Conditions of Work
 

The consultancy will be technically supervised from Save the Children by the Country Nutrition Advisor and Nutrition Specialist and operationally supported from Save the Children area offices in Wajir and Mandera by the Health and Nutrition programme Managers. 

The consultant will be required to abide by the organization’s applicable rules and regulations, including the code of conduct and child safeguarding policy. 

7.0 Expression of Interest
 

All interested consultants/firms are requested to write an expression of interest following the attached EOI format ONLY (Click here to download) by email to: Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org. 

Please indicate ‘KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICE AND COVERAGE (KPC) SURVEY – MANDERA CENTRAL, WAJIR EAST AND WAJIR SOUTH SUB-COUNTIES’’ as the subject heading.

Application deadline: Any canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.