Background & Rationale
In 2014, OFDA committed funding to World Vision to implement the “Saving Children’s Lives using mHealth to Improve Treatment, Reporting, Monitoring and Supply Management for Acute Malnutrition” Project in Mali, Niger and Chad. A mobile health application (mHealth app) to guide registration, assessment, and follow up of children with MAM & SAM, and women with MAM has been developed by Dimagi, Inc., and adapted to individual country national CMAM or IMAM guidelines. In Chad, WV also partners with International Medical Corps (IMC) to deploy the app in Guera and Ouaddaï Regions.
The project has trained health workers to use the CMAM app, and also laid the foundational competency for participating health workers in using electronic job aids such as mHealth apps. There are also rich lessons learned for INGOs and technology partners that support the development and deployment of mobile health apps tailored to support Ministry of Health -owned treatment protocols. It is critical to evaluate this project in terms of key parameters of user acceptability, user competence, compliance to treatment protocols, but also capture additional learnings through other approaches such as observation and engagement with both health workers and CMAM beneficiaries. These findings will inform future discussions with MoH and stakeholders with respect to the scale up of this mobile application, as well as future innovations in mobile health. Therefore, WV seeks the services of a qualified CMAM consultant with proven CMAM expertise and mobile health experience, and fluency in French, to lead this project evaluation of both WV and IMC project sites.
Main Objectives of the Evaluation
1. To identify the effects of the CMAM mHealth app on how health workers carry out their duties pertaining to CMAM services;
2. To assess the acceptability and competence of health workers trained on the CMAM mHealth app;
3. And to capture lessons learned from deployment and use of the CMAM mHealth app among field level stakeholders (health workers, CMAM beneficiaries)
Scope of Work
Data will be collected from approximately 30% of the health facilities that are using the CMAM App in each project area, i.e. , 3 intervention sites supported by IMC in Abdi in Ouaddaï Region, and 3 intervention sites supported by WV in Bitkine in Guera Region. The selected facilities should capture the diversity of the implementation sites, i.e.
1. One larger health facility more central to the district;
2. One relatively remote health facility;
3. And one or two health facilities of average size/distance.
One health facility that is not using the CMAM app will be selected from each Region for comparison purpose based on criteria to be provided by WV.
Methodology and Tools
Data collection tools for the evaluation have been developed by WV and IMC. These tools are listed below and will be shared with the consultant in advance. WV will orient the consultant to the evaluation methodology and tools via a skype call and e-mail. The Consultant evaluator will spend 1 day per selected health facility to collect data using the following tools and methodologies and leading and completing focus group discussions, key informant interviews and the observational checklists
1. Observational Checklist
2. Focus Group Discussions – guiding questions will be provided by WV
3. Key Informant Interviews – guiding questions will be provided by WV
The 3 additional tools below are currently being administered by project staff, and the data will be provided to the consultant for analysis and report writing:
1. Rapid Assessment – on health facility status, patient case load, connectivity & logistical considerations
2. User Acceptability Assessment
3. User Competence Assessment
Roles and Responsibilities
• WV will provide the evaluation tools to the consultant, and share the methodology and expectations of how the tools will be used.
• The World Vision country office will provide ground travel for the consultant to project locations.
• The International Medical Corps and World Vision country offices will provide transport and logistical support to the consultant to the identified health facilities in their respective project areas.
• World Vision country office and International Medical Corps country office, in collaboration, will liaise with the MoH and District Health Management Teams to organize any document reviews required, and arrange for health workers and beneficiaries to meet with the consultant as necessary.
• World Vision Chad and IMC will provide the accommodations, meals and logistics for the consultant to access the project sites. For allowable expenses incurred during the field visit portion of the consultancy, original receipts must be provided to WV Chad by August 15th for reimbursement purposes.
Timeline and Deliverables
The duration of the consultancy will be the equivalent of 18 working days beginning July 15th and ending August 31st, 2016, allocated as follows:
2 days - Orientation to evaluation methodology and tools through skype or e-mail; general preprations
1 day - Travel from N’Djamena to Abdi, Ouaddai Region; meeting with district health and nutrition officials
5 days - Data collection using tools provided by WV, conduct focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII) at 4 health facilities selected by IMC
1 day - Travel from Abdi to Bitkine, Guera Region; meeting with district health and nutrition officials
4 days - Data collection using tools provided by WV, conduct focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII) at 4 health facilities selected by WV
0.5 days - Travel from Bitkine to N’Djamena
4 days - Report writing & revisions at the consultant's domicile
0.5 days - Debriefing skype or webex call with WV & IMC to be scheduled after receipt of draft report
The consultant will share all completed assessments (listed under Methodology & Tools) including complete set of raw data with WV.
The evaluation report, with individual sections on each of the implementing regions – Guera and Ouaddai - must be received at WV by August 15th, 2016. Upon receipt of the report by WV, the consultant is expected to be available for a half-day skype or webex meeting with WV and IMC to answer any queries arising from the review of the report. A final report that includes the clarification points is due August 31st, 2016.
Qualifications of the Consultant
• Qualified CMAM consultant with proven CMAM expertise
• Experience with mobile health technologies in health programme settings
• Proven experience in qualitative methodologies (KII, FGD, observation) including strong group facilitation skills
• Fluency in French
• Strong report writing skills in English
Please send a letter of interest, including consultancy rates, along with a CV to Laura Snyder laura_snyder@worldvision.ca and Miriam Chang miriam_chang@worldvision.ca.
Deadline for submission: July 11th, 2016. Previous experience with WV is an asset.