National Consultant

State Consultant

Established in 2003, Malaria Consortium is one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations specialising in the prevention, control and treatment of malaria and other communicable diseases among vulnerable populations. Our mission is to save lives and improve health in Africa and Asia, through evidence-based programmes that combat targeted diseases and promote universal health coverage. We are recruiting to fill the position below: Job Title: State Consultant Locations: Bauchi and Niger Purpose of the Assignment The purpose of this engagement is to recruit experienced research personnel to support the implementation of quantitative and qualitative surveys under the SMC + VAS project in Bauchi and Niger States, including the Post MNCHW round 1, LQAS end-of-cycle 1 and 2, and Post MNCHW round 2 surveys. The surveys will assess the coverage, quality, effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of co-implementing Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS) with Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), as well as the effect of the integration on the uptake of other key MNCHW interventions across all the LGAs in both states. The study will be conducted across 45 LGAs in the two implementation states (20 LGAs in Bauchi State and 25 LGAs in Niger State), excluding security-compromised LGAs where applicable. A multistage sampling approach will be used to select respondents from sampled communities and households across the LGAs. For the quantitative component, a minimum sample size of 900 children per survey round will be targeted, amounting to approximately 1,800 children across both round 1 and 2 in the two states. A minimum of 45 clusters/communities will be sampled per survey, with approximately 20–25 households selected per cluster depending on the survey type. Overall, the surveys are expected to cover about 1,791 sampled settlements/communities across both states (Bauchi = 323 wards; Niger = 274 wards), with eligible households selected from each sampled settlement. For the qualitative component of the Post MNCHW 1 and Post MNCHW 2 surveys, a National Consultant, State Consultants, who are also the interviewers will be engaged to coordinate and implement the qualitative activities, including training, field testing of tools, data collection oversight, transcription and translation, analysis, and report writing. A total of 13 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) will be conducted, comprising 6 FGDs with Health Workers (HWs), 3 FGDs with Maternal and Chile Health (MCH) Focal Persons, and 4 FGDs with caregivers. In addition, 11 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) will be conducted, including 6 KIIs with state stakeholders and 5 KIIs with national stakeholders. For the quantitative component of the Post MNCHW 1 and Post MNCHW 2 surveys, State Consultants and Data Collectors will be engaged to support household data collection activities using electronic data collection platforms such as SurveyCTO or KoboCollect. In Niger State, dedicated data collectors will be recruited and trained specifically for the surveys, while in Bauchi State, the survey will leverage the existing LQAS data collectors engaged by the PF-SMC project to support implementation and if need be extending the number of days worked. The LQAS surveys 1 &2 will align with the existing planned SMC LQAS (cycle 1 &2/3) activities in the states and will assess SMC coverage, adherence to treatment protocols, and implementation immediately after each SMC cycle to support timely corrective actions where required. The VAS project Senior M&E Officers (SMEOs) for Niger and Bauchi States will work closely with the engaged national and state consultants, as well as data collectors, and will also coordinate with the respective State M&E officers and SMC M&E Managers to ensure effective implementation of the assignment and integration. The engaged State Consultants will support data analysis and interpretation in line with the LQAS methodology, while the National will be responsible for reviewing state-level analyses and consolidating final reports across both states. The consultants and supervisors will train data collectors and provide oversight for the data collection process, while data collectors will be responsible for conducting field data collection using an electronic data collection platform. Survey Components Survey Type Methodology Timing Post MNCHW Survey 1 LQAs Quantitative Post MNCHW Round 1 End of Cycle 1 (LQAS) Monitoring Survey End of SMC+VAS Cycle 1 End of Cycle 2/3 (LQAS) End of SMC Cycle 2 or 3 Post MNCHW Survey 2 KII &FGD Qualitative Post MNCHW Round 2 Scope of work The surveys will be conducted across all 45 LGAs in Bauchi (20 LGAs) and Niger (25 LGAs) States, covering 323 and 274 in Bauchi and Niger respectively, 1,791 settlements/communities, and 20-25 households selected per cluster during each survey round sampled through a multistage sampling approach. The quantitative surveys will target eligible children aged 6–59 months and women of child-bearing age (15–49 years), while the qualitative component will involve purposively selected state stakeholders, LGA officials, health facility workers, community drug distributors (CDDs), MNCH focal persons, malaria focal persons, and caregivers. 1 National and 6 State Consultants/ qualitative interviewers, 10-13 supervisors, 67-84 quantitative data collectors, will be engaged in each state to support the implementation of the Post-MNCHW and LQAS surveys under the supervision of the SMC-VAS Senior M&E Officers and the state MC/VAS teams. Quantitative data collectors will administer structured electronic questionnaires using SurveyCTO-enabled handheld devices, while state consultants/qualitative interviewers will serve as moderators, note takers, transcribers, and translators for the Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) using semi-structured interview guides. Pre-data collection activities will include stakeholder engagement and community entry, recruitment and selection of qualified field personnel, adaptation and translation of data collection tools into relevant local languages, household identification and respondent selection procedures, training of field teams, field testing/pre-testing of tools, and orientation on research ethics and informed consent procedures. For the qualitative component, State Consultants will conduct interviews and FGDs, take field notes, audio record sessions, transcribe recordings verbatim, and translate transcripts into English where applicable. The qualitative component will also include daily uploading of audio files and transcripts to password-protected folders and real-time review of transcripts to ensure completeness and quality. Data quality assurance processes will include field supervision, spot checks, household revisits, validation of submitted forms, daily review meetings with field teams, use of in-built validation checks within electronic tools, and routine data cleaning and consistency checks by supervisors and consultants before final submission. All data collection activities will be conducted in line with the approved research protocol, ethical standards, and Malaria Consortium quality assurance procedures to ensure the generation of high-quality and reliable evidence on the integration of SMC and VAS, and its effect on the uptake of MNCHW interventions. Type of Personnel Required for the Surveys The following personnel will be engaged to support the implementation of the Post MNCHW 1 and 2 surveys, and LQAS Cycle 1 and 2 surveys under the SMC + VAS project in Bauchi and Niger States. Survey Component Type of Survey Personnel Required Key Roles Post MNCHW Survey 1 – Quantitative Component State Lead Consultants and Data Collectors Coordinate household survey implementation, train and supervise data collectors, oversee data quality assurance, conduct data collection and upload SMC + VAS End of Cycle 1 (LQAs) Survey State Consultants/Supervisors and Data Collectors Conduct LQAS household data collection, supervise field activities, ensure adherence to LQAS methodology, data quality checks, and reporting SMC Standalone End of Cycle 2/3 (LQAs) Survey Conduct end-of-cycle household assessments, supervise data collection activities, support data validation and reporting Post MNCHW Survey 2 – Qualitative Component National Lead Consultant and State Consultants Coordinate and implement KIIs and FGDs, supervise qualitative data collection, transcription, analysis, and report writing Post MNCHW Survey 2 – Quantitative Component Support household data collection, field supervision, data quality assurance, preliminary analysis, and reporting The assignment will be conducted in phases corresponding to the different survey rounds. Specific dates and deployment schedules will be communicated prior to each survey activity. Also, field activities will be conducted across all LGAs in Niger and Bauchi States. Personnel may be deployed to any assigned LGA based on project needs. All personnel that will serve as data collectors must be indigene of/ resident in the states (Niger and Bauchi) Specific Tasks for the State Consultants (Post MNCHW round 2 Qualitative) Attend training to understand the study and their roles as State Consultants. Arrange for the selection of participants and venue for focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Participate in field testing of FGD and KII guides to ensure their effectiveness and relevance. Obtain informed consent from respondents before conducting interviews, ensuring they understand the purpose and confidentiality of the study. Facilitate focus group discussions and key informant interviews assigned to them, ensuring effective data collection. Take notes and record interviews to capture detailed information. Transcribe FGDs and KII notes and recordings, ensuring accuracy and completeness. Facilitate summarization of transcripts to identify key themes and findings. Keep survey data confidential and safe, adhering to data protection protocols. Submit FGD/KII audio recordings and notes to the Lead Consultant (LC) and prepare a brief field report for submission. Deliverables Completed Stakeholders Basic Information Sheets, recorded discussions and interviews, and complete set of transcribed notes of KIIs and FGDs. Detailed process reports submitted and approved by Senior M&E Officer Qualifications and Experience A Degree or M.Sc in sciences, social, behavioural or health sciences Familiarity with qualitative data collection and experience in transcription At least 10 years’ experience in conduct and management of qualitative studies Ability to work within stipulated time frame Demonstrate report writing skills for qualitative study Understanding of the context and setting of interventions in the north Must not be part of SMC/IMNCH personnel in whatever capacity (National, State, LGA, HFW, CHW, TA or LM) Must not be a staff of Government at any level and in any Ministry at the time of engagement/activity. Hausa language is compuls0ry Report Format and Content: The final report should include an executive summary, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusions, and recommendations. The report should be written in clear and concise language, with tables, figures, and graphs used to support findings. The report should be submitted in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint formats.