Consultancy in Documentation of Best Practices in Nutrition Program at Merlin in Turkana County 2013
Terms of Reference (ToR) for Consultancy in Documentation of Best Practices in Nutrition Program in Turkana County
Purpose: Best Practice Documentation and publication on High Impact Nutrition Interventions (HiNi) in Turkana County of Kenya
Location: Loima, Turkana Central, Turkana North and Turkana South sub-counties of Turkana County of Kenya
Duration: 27 days
Start Date: Upon signing of a contract
Reporting to: Merlin Kenya Country Director
1. Background
Merlin was established in 1993, currently is the UKs leading charity specialising in international health, sending medical experts to the front line of global emergencies and is active in 15 countries worldwide.
In Kenya Merlin is Currently implementing Health and Nutrition programs inTurkana County located in the north-western region of Kenya is approximately 77,000 square kilometers in size and borders Uganda to the west, Sudan to the northwest and Ethiopia to the northeast.
The county also borders Marsabit County to the West; West Pokot county to the southwest, Baringo County to the South and Samburu County to the southeast.
Turkana County has an estimated population of 855,399 according to 2009 population census and is divided into 17 administrative divisions.
The county has 6 districts namely: Turkana Central, Turkana North, Turkana East, Turkana west, Turkana South and Loima.
Turkana is classified as an ASAL (Arid and Semi Arid) county of Kenya.
The county’s livelihood zones are pastoralism (62%), agro-pastoralism (14%), fishing (8%) , urban/peri-urban (16%).
The ASALs in Kenya continue to be worst hit by continued chronic food insecurity as a result of poor rainfall, prolonged dry spells and severe successive droughts over the years that overtime have resulted in high malnutrition levels in children, pregnant and lactating women.
The July 2012 nutrition survey conducted by county health authorities across all Turkana districts with the participation of Merlin and other partners and funded by UNICEF, indicates that Turkana South and Turkana North districts registered GAM rates above the WHO 15% threshold.
While the EWS Drought Monitoring Bulletins (March -May 2012) had shown an improving trend by June 2012, all livelihood zones were classified under alert warning stage, with a worsening trend.
The key factors associated with these relatively high malnutrition rates include poor Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) practices, low micronutrient supplementation, low de-worming coverage, poor hygiene and sanitation with sub optimal hand washing practices, and minimal treatment of unsafe drinking water at the household level, all of which pre-dispose children to diarrheal diseases and acute malnutrition.
In addition, Turkana communities have not been involved in activities that will strengthen their abilities to identify the risks affecting their livelihoods and introducing means to mitigate these risks.
Merlin has been supporting nutrition programs in Turkana County since 2005 and is currently the lead NGO in provision of Health and Nutrition services in Turkana County in line with the MOH guidelines, policies and action plans.
Since 2010 the Ministries of Health and partners agreed to focus additional resources in the county wide scale-up of eleven evidence-based High Impact Nutrition Interventions (HiNi) in collaboration with district health authorities.
The Kenya HiNi integrated nutrition package includes management of moderate and severe malnutrition, infant and young child feeding, de-worming of children and women, promotion of improved hygiene practices including hand washing, Zinc supplementation for diarrhea and micronutrient supplementation.
Other elements of HiNi include salt iodization and iron fortification of staple foods.
Currently through funding from UNICEF and OFDA Merlin has enhanced efforts to scale up nutrition interventions with focus on HiNi and supporting the district health authorities in contributing to reduction of morbidity and mortality in under-five (U5) children and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in Turkana County.
However documentation of best practices, case studies, publications and sharing of key lessons learnt for focused programming has not been done consistently.
There is therefore a need for a consultant to undertake the initial documentation while training the key staff to undertake best practice documentation, publication of case studies and lessons learnt documents as part of routine programming.
The Documentation will also collect information in retrospect Merlin’s work and include in the documentation the effects of Merlin’s work towards supporting sustainable programs within the County and District health teams
2. Justification
Merlin has for the past seven years provided technical support and guidance to the CHNT in the provision of nutrition interventions in Turkana County however best practices documentation, publication has not been adequately done to inform future interventions on best approaches and the success of a counterpart system in the implementation of HiNi and other nutritional operational (capacity building phased plans) and best operational systems approaches in delivery of successful and sustainable nutrition programs.
The purpose(s) of the consultancy includes but not limited to the following key areas both in retrospect, current scenario and forecast:
- To film, document and publish best practices in the implementation of HiNi in Merlin’s supported Districts in Turkana County
- To document the impact and lessons learnt in Merlin’s approach of working in collaboration with district health authorities in implementation of nutrition programs
- To document Merlin’seffective and efficient implementation of nutrition programs in Turkana county
- To document the impact of community outreach activities and community strategies in promotion of nutrition programs in Turkana County
- To recommend best approaches in the scaling up of nutrition activities with focus on the CNAP and recommend a rational exit plan
3. Process:
The documentation will be conducted in a participatory manner that will enable government counterparts from the CHMT and DHMT, other partners and beneficiaries to participate.
District health authorities and key community leaders within the Merlin’s operational area will be consulted and trained on Documentation.
The process will involve a series of planning, consultative meetings and related sessions that will include:
- Detailed review of existing qualitative and quantitative data
- Consent from participants in filming and documentation
- Training of key select teams on Documentation of Best Practices
- Visits to operational selected sites with schedules provided
- Short films and documentaries limited to the scope of work
- Focused group discussions (FGD)
- Key informant interviews
- Observation checklists
- Final review, documentation and publication of work
The consultant will brief Merlin field based staff at the end of the exercise and will also be required to present a narrative not more than 40 pages and a documentary film of Best Practice.
4. Time Frame
The duration of the Documentation will be for 27 (17 days in the field, 2 days technical planning at the head office and 5 days compilation and submission of final report) working days and starting date will be the date of arrival to the field site and will be clearly indicated in the signed contract.
5. Expected Deliverables
- Detailed documentation protocol, work plan and budget before departure to the field
- Final report on nutrition best practice for Turkana County
- Case study documentation in IMAM and IYCF
- A film on best practice documentation in Turkana County
NB: The final report should be both in hard and electronic copies.
6. Reporting and Payment Schedule
It is proposed that the payment schedule will be as follows: 20% as first Instalment on presentation of the Approved Protocol, 40% with completion of draft report and 40% on completion and presentation of final report. Progress reports are required at each payment schedule.
7. Expected Background and Experience of Consultant
- A reputable consultant with documented experience in conducting similar work for international non-government organisations
- Knowledge and understanding of nutrition programmes and systems in Kenya
- Experience in arid, semi-arid and pastoralist environment
- Experience in county systems and filming is an added advantage
Desirable Qualifications
- The consultant should preferably be a holder of a post graduate degree in public health, sociology, anthropology and related discipline. She/He must have good analytical, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills. Prior work experience of working in Kenya-Turkana County would be an advantage.
- The consultant should be fluent in spoken and written English. Knowledge of the Turkana language will be an added advantage. The consultant could be supported by another member with a strong background in filming health and nutrition documentaries.
- Excellent in public speaking, writing, reporting and presentation skills.
8. General Conditions
Merlin will support the successful documentation by executing the following:
- Initial meeting with key stakeholders on the upcoming consultancy especially the CHMT, the DHMTs and beneficiaries.
- Cover the cost of flights to and from Lodwar for the consultant and his/her assistant filming technical assistant
- Cover the costs of accommodation and meals for the consultant and his/her assistant during their stay in the field
- Facilitate local transport for the consultant and his/her assistant during their stay in the field but the consultant is expected to cover the cost of transportation within Nairobi.
- The consultant will work from a combination of locations i.e. from Merlin Nairobi office, Merlin Lodwar office and other remote locations in Turkana districts
- The consultant should be able to conduct his / her task by using his /her own IT equipment and other office supplies related directly to the task but Merlin will cover the cost for stationery and other printing and photocopying costs that will be required
- Merlin will provide the consultant with all project related documents and technical guidance as required from the nutrition technical teams and the monitoring and evaluation teams
- Provide translators as required but for the film the consultant will be expected to have a translation software
- Final payment to the consultant will be dependent on the completion of deliverables
Policy both parties should be aware of:
- The consultant and his/her team are not entitled to payment of overtime. All remuneration must be within the contract agreement.
- No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both Merlin and the consultant.
- No travel in lieu of the contract will be undertaken by the consultant and his/her team to the duty station without prior submission of insurance cover and waiver in the event of injury while executing the duty.
- The Consultant must adhere to Merlin’s security guidelines
Interested consultants are invited to submit their proposals including a letter explaining their competencies to meet the requirements of the scope of work, CV, detailed budget in Kenyan currency and a tentative detailed work plan to: recruitment@merlin-kenya.org
Application deadline is 5:00pm on Friday, 11th October 2013.