Concern Worldwide is looking for a consultant to carry out a SQUEAC survey in Aweil West and North in South Sudan.

Terms of Reference

1. Background
The SQUEAC Survey is to be conducted as an end of year assessment for Concern’s Health and Nutrition Programme to better understand the coverage of the CMAM program and the factors affecting it.

NBeG is currently facing severe hunger, resulting into a Nutrition Emergency which started in February 2016. The food security and nutrition situation in NBeG has continued to deteriorate as confirmed by the latest Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring Survey (FSNMS) conducted in December 2016. There was increased household food insecurity from 59% to 67% and inadequate food consumption score from 56% to 72%, from the previous year. NBeG reported the highest dependence on markets for cereals, tubers and vegetables coupled with the highest number of households (78%) reporting reduced income; attributed to loss of crops/harvests and high prices. Based on the mass MUAC screening of 54,397 children under 5 years in June 2017, in Aweil West and North, the GAM and SAM rates were 20.1% and 3.8% respectively; having reduced from 29.0% and 6.8% in June 2016. The various donor and development partner interventions in NBeG, have contributed to the noted reduced acute malnutrition from June 2016 to June 2017. However, acute malnutrition remains unacceptably high, and the FSNMS results indicate a worsening food security situation, which has implications for chronic malnutrition and vice versa. According to the FSNMS findings, a serious humanitarian crisis is likely to occur in many parts of the country unless serious steps are taken to support the vulnerable populations.

Concern has been providing emergency nutrition services in NBeG since 1998. The programme supports 49 clinics (25 in Aweil West and 24 in Aweil North) and 3 stabilization centres (2 in Aweil West and 1 in Aweil North). These nutrition clinics are run in collaboration with the County Health Departments, State Ministry of Health and guided by national protocols which include regular nutrition and mortality surveys to inform nutrition interventions. Concern’s nutrition programme model in NBeG includes OTP, TSFP, BSFP, in-patient care and community outreach activities to prevent and identify malnutrition early. Concern will conduct an annual SQUEAC Survey in both counties where nutrition interventions are supported, to assess the coverage and factors affecting it. The last SQUEAC Survey was conducted in 2014 and showed that the coverage estimate for Aweil North was 42.3% with the confidence interval of (33.5% - to 50.7%). A SQUEAC Survey was planned for 2016 was not done because of the upsurge of violence in the country.

2. Purpose of the Consultancy
To support an effective planning and implementation of the SQUEAC Survey, the service of an international consultant is required for a 3 to 4 weeks period, depending on the discussions with the Consultant on the scope of the Survey. The consultant will accomplish the tasks outlined in the section below. The coverage expert will also build the capacity of the Concern team in Aweil West and North to strengthen subsequent routine analysis of programme data to improve programme performance.

3. Essential and Desirable Experience/Qualifications
a. Academic qualifications: Master’s Degree in Nutrition, Public Health, or Biostatistics, along with relevant technical knowledge in Research methods and the SQUEAC and SLEAC methodologies.
b. Necessary experience: Extensive experience (3-5years) in coordinating and managing nutrition surveys especially in South Sudan
c. Other necessary/desirable skills/qualifications.
- Documented experience in survey protocol development ·
- Proven skills to analyse, identify needs and respond with recommendations to address supply, human resources and implementation issues
- Ability to conduct data analyses, including collating and presenting survey data
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Willingness to travel and work in tough field environments
- Documented supervisory, coordination and organization skills
- Excellent English Fluency

4. Objectives and Specific Tasks to be undertaken by the Consultant(s)
Principle Objective
The principal objective of the SQUEAC Survey is to assess the coverage of the CMAM program, the factors affecting coverage and the barriers and boosters to access.

The specific objectives include:
• To provide a comprehensive on-the-job training on coverage assessment methodologies for supervisors and data collectors
• Estimate the coverage classification of the CMAM programme catchment areas in Aweil North and West
• Identify the distribution of adequate and inadequate coverage of the different health facility catchment areas with acceptable accuracy
• Identify barriers and boosters to access to OTP and TSFP services using data gathered from acute malnutrition cases found not admitted in the programme at the time of the survey.
• Make recommendations and develop action plans, based on the findings to improve access to the OTP and TSFP services and increase the overall programme coverage in the targeted areas.

Specific Tasks of the Consultant:
The contract will focus on the planning, implementation, data entry, analysis and report writing. The following are specific tasks to be completed in the contract:

a) Planning
• Adapt and finalise the methodology, tools, and timeline of activities, data collection, based on the local context.
• Review and analyse Concern’s recent quantitative programme data (last 2 years) for the OTP and TSFP programmes in Aweil North and West to identify gaps in data availability
• Present the methodology to South Sudan Nutrition Information Working Group (NIWG) for approval and respond to questions raised by NIWG, in collaboration with Concern.
• Work with Concern team at Aweil to ensure that all survey materials, tools and equipment are ready.
• Support the management of measurement and assessment equipment, ensuring that the measurement equipment is standardized.

b) Training
• Conduct the tool and methodology training for supervisors and data collectors.
• Organize a field test to validate the questionnaire, the work flow, recording and data entry.
• In collaboration with the Concern nutrition and transport teams, prepare a transport plan to organize the deployment of data collection in teams to the different clusters of two counties with a plan indicating who will work, where and when.

c) Implement SQUEAC Survey
• Ensure adequate supervision of each survey team during the entire data collection period
• Make supervision visits to survey teams during their work to ensure high data quality
• Review the entered data daily with support of Digital Data Gathering focal point and provide prompt feedback to teams.
• Document the constraints, difficulties or potential biases identified during the survey implementation process

d) Data analysis and report writing
• Conduct regular plausibility checks during the data collection period.
• Conduct the preliminary analysis of the survey results and prepare a short preliminary report that will be also be used to present to the NIWG.
• Interpret the results of the survey with Concern Nutrition team
• Complete reports and all other activities timely as per the agreed schedule
• Share and discuss the survey results and action plans with Concern
• Present the survey methodologies and results to Nutrition Cluster and NIWG.
• Share a soft copy of the report, power point presentation of the findings and data sets (raw and clean) with Concern.

5. Outputs
1) Final survey methodology and coverage survey work plan, including finalised data collection tools, prior to start of Survey
2) A final SQUEAC Survey report including results and findings disaggregated per county and recommendations on actions to address the situation to be presented by 4th December 2017
3) The findings, recommendations and action plans to be presented to Nutrition Cluster and the NIWG. Date to be confirmed and communicated to consultant by Concern Programme Director. (Oral presentation and PowerPoint slides and discussion of technical questions).
4) The raw and final cleaned version of the data sets used to calculate the survey results is to be sent to Concern Programme Director to be saved for future reference.

6. Consultancy fee, mode of payment and other costs:
• The consultancy fee will be subject to 20% withholding tax in accordance to the laws of South Sudan.
• The consultancy fee will be paid by cheque or bank transfer.
• Travel costs (International flights, Visa and in country flights/official movements relating to this assignment), Perdiem and accommodation in Juba and Aweil will be provided in compliance with Concern’s policy.
• Concern technical team in country and at HQ level will review the survey report and confirm its acceptability based on SQUEAC survey standards before 2nd and 3rd instalments are paid.

7. Lines of Communication
The consultant will report to Programme Director Concern Worldwide South Sudan, but will work closely with the Health and Nutrition Programme Manager and Emergency Nutritionist for Aweil West and Aweil North Counties. For any technical questions on SQUEAC methods, the consultant will liaise closely with Concern Health and Nutrition Advisor.

Working arrangement:
- The consultant will work in the Concern offices in Juba when undertaking Juba based assignment and in Concern offices at Nyamlell when in Aweil with field visits as per the agreed work plan with the Programme Director.
- Concern will provide transport to facilitate the work activities.
- The consultant must complete all formal administrative requirements of Concern like signing Concern’s Programme Participant Protection Policy.
- The consultant should have their own lap-top to complete the work activities.

7. Timeframe
Planning phase (4 days) Training and pretesting of questionnaire (5 days) Data collection (18 days) Data analysis and final report writing (10 days) Presentation of finding (3 days). Altogether 40 contract days; a detailed work plan is attached as annex 1

8. Security
The Country Director as the person responsible for security will make the final decision on travel plans of the Consultant based on security assessments. The consultant must accept the Country Director’s decision and must adhere to all Concern South Sudan security protocols while in-country.

9. Application procedures
Qualified and interested candidates (individuals or firms) are requested to send their application to Nina Gehm, Desk Officer for South Sudan nina.gehm@concern.net, copying the South Sudan office southsudan.logs@concern.net stating in the subject line ‘Aweil SQUEAC Survey Consultancy’

Applications must include the following:
1. Cover letter,
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Technical Proposal including a work plan
4. Financial Proposal (budget)
5. One SQUEAC survey report previously written (Concern will keep it confidential.)

Note that softcopy supporting documentation may be submitted to southsudan.logs@concern.net