TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR): SMART SURVEY
Location: Hudur, Elberde & Wajid - Bakool Region - Somalia
Tentative time of Survey: December 2024.
BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE.
Action Against Hunger has been a key humanitarian actor in Somalia since May 1992 providing Multisectoral services in Nutrition, Health, Food Security and Livelihood, Water Sanitation and Hygiene across 9 Regions; Bakool, Bay, Lower Shabelle, Sool, Nugal, Lower Jubba, Gedo, Hiran and Banadir. Our Health and Nutrition programme focuses primarily on prevention and treatment of Acute Malnutrition through static and mobile therapeutic centers (OTP and TSFP) and Stabilization Centers as well as Primary and Secondary Health care services through health centers, hospitals and mobile outreach teams. Action Against Hunger works in compliance with humanitarian principles, placing people at the center of its interventions whilst considering existing local capacities and vulnerabilities, and environmental and political factors.
The humanitarian situation is at a critical level with an estimated 1.6 million children aged 6-59 months are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition. Out of those, 430,000 and 1.2 million cases of children are likely to suffer SAM and MAM respectively. Moreover, a total of twenty-five population groups are classified in IPC Phase 3 (Serious). Several factors contribute to acute malnutrition. They include a high-disease burden, with a total of eighteen areas recording a high morbidity prevalence (above 20 percent). Moreover, access to health and nutrition services remains low, with coverage of vitamin A supplementation and measles vaccination falling below 80 percent in more than 30 of the assessed areas. Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities remains inadequate, especially among the rural population. According to the FSNAU June-July 2024 survey, the median prevalence of households accessing water from improved sources was only 43 percent, while the median prevalence of the population accessing sanitation facilities was 59.5 percent. All Infant and Young Child Feeding practices (IYCF) indicators remain suboptimal across the country, constituting an additional high-risk factor for acute malnutrition. According to REACH 2024 Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment-MSNA (June-July 2024), less than 10 percent of children assessed met the Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD), while less than 40 percent met the Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF) .
The nutrition situation in the Bakool region was very poor in 2024. According to the nutrition survey conducted by Action Against Hunger in Elbarde District in January 2024, the prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) was 26.4 %, and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) was 7.3 %. Hudur District recorded a GAM prevalence of 17.9% and SAM of 4.1% according to January 2024 SMART. In Wajid District, the January 2024 SMART survey indicated a GAM and SAM of 11.5% and 2.3% respectively, indicating a very high/critical nutrition situation.
In efforts to strengthen Nutrition surveillance across Somalia and provide quality and timely nutrition data amid the current crisis, Action against Hunger intends to conduct SMART survey in Elbarde, Hodur and Wajid districts in Bakool region. Action Against Hunger Somalia Country Office is seeking an external consultant to conduct the SMART Survey in the three districts and take lead of the nutrition assessment with the aim of generating quality information for humanitarian actors. The SMART survey will be conducted with the aim of filling nutrition information gaps at the regional level. Moreover, the humanitarian situation requires constant updates and specifically to ascertain key indicators that can aid in ensuring appropriate response.
Objective:
To lead in SMART survey data analysis and report writing in three districts in Bakool, Southwest state of Somalia.
Specific Objectives of the support are:
A. To work with MEAL department to provide support to field teams on coding and uploading data on ODK/Kobo platform and exporting data to ENA software using existing questionnaires.
B. To extract daily plausibility report from ENA and give feedback on data collected.
C. To analysis of coverage of Vitamin, A, immunization services and prevalence of illness among children under five years.
D. To do data analysis on the levels of key FSL indicators of HDD, FCS and CSI and WASH indicators.
E. To engage AIMWG for Survey protocol and report validation.
F. To write survey reports for three districts-Hudur, Wajid, and Elbarde.
Duration of engagement:
The consultation will be engaged for a period of 24 working days with the possibility of extension if other assessments arise. The support onsite and routine updates provided to the Head of Health and Nutrition department, Nutrition & Health Information Management Specialist and Nutrition & Health Quality Assurance Manager.
Role & Responsibilities:
The Nutrition & Health Information Management Specialist (NHIMS), supported by the Head of Nutrition & Health Department coupled with the MEAL staff & Health & Nutrition team at country level will provide all the necessary support to the consultant for conducting the SMART survey. Action Against Hunger will provide all necessary project documents including a previous SMART survey, technical assistance (e.g. availability of any other documents and information needed etc).
Action Against Hunger Somalia Role:
• Lunch and refreshment during the training days for the enumerators and training facilitators,
• Training venue and related cost
• Enumerator recruitments, and related costs during the data collection process,
• Engagement of data collection vehicles
• Community guides related cost
• Data collection tool on Kobo collect
• Liaise with respective line ministries at both federal and Southwest state level.
The consultant role:
• Develop training plan for the SMART survey and conduct full enumerators training for all survey participants.
• Facilitate, conduct and share the record of Standardization test with the survey manager (NHIMS).
• Develop SMART survey protocol and present to the AIMWG for validation,
• Review of the SMART survey training materials ahead of the training and provide input where necessary.
• The consultant will manage pilot test in specific selected clusters, analyze the data and give feedback before starting data collection.
• The consultant will oversee the process of the collection of all data ensuring quality control measures are in place.
• The consultant will conduct daily data quality checking and share the plausibility report with Action Against Hunger team on the ground regularly.
After survey completion:
• The consultant will lead the data analysis and generate quality report in line with smart Methodology quality standards
• Share full ENA dataset with all sections completed (planning dataset, standardization dataset, under5 dataset, mortality and morbidity dataset, food security and WASH and other additional indicators dataset).
• Prepare power point slides for AIM working group validation and share one week before presenting to the AIMWG for internal review and input.
• Present the SMART survey assessment result to AIM working group.
• Address any additional comments from AIM working group.
• After validation, share final report with complete dataset and stata files for reproducibility.
Administrative responsibilities are assigned below:
Action Against Hunger Somalia will support
• Airfare to and from Mission
• Entry visa to country of mission
• Domestic transportation (Work Only)
The Consultant
• Health Insurance for him/herself
• Equipment for use (Laptop etc.)
• Food/per diem.
• Domestic Accommodation
• Domestic Security
Deliverables
• Training and data collection proposal,
• Develop a proposal for the training and data collection including the budget for the whole exercise plus the consultancy fee.
• Training report/ Reflection report.
• A report detailing the content of the training. Composition of the participants and key observations (reflections from the training).
• Quality data set
• Total Number of HH- Achieved (100% of the sample is expected)
• Quality Plausibility check result- Acceptable data (Overall score)
• Acceptable standardization data (and dataset)
• All cluster control forms
• Final SMART Survey Report
• Scanned zipped and mailed.
Requested Profile:
• You hold a degree in Nutrition/Public Health/ Statistics with at least 3 years of experience in conducting surveys, research or surveillance, and with good reporting skills.
• You could coach, supervise and build capacity on SMART methodologies. You have some knowledge in SPSS, ENA, EPi-info and preferably attended the SMART survey Manager`s training or equivalent.
• Be fluent in English (Mandatory), have adult learning skills, Presentation skills, and high organizational skills. Proving the ability to contextualize the training will be an added advantage.
• Good coordination, management and report writing skills
• Previous experience with Action Against Hunger will be an added advantage.
• Thorough knowledge on the relevant thematic areas and Somalia context
• Fluency in English is mandatory while Somali will be an added advantage.
Reporting
The SMART survey consultant will report to the Nutrition & Health Information Management Specialist & Head of Health & Nutrition Department during the duration of the consultancy.
All expressions of interest should include:
a. Cover letter addressing the survey criteria
b. Technical Proposal highlighting brief explanation about previous experience in conducting the SMART Survey; understanding of the TOR, description of the specified Survey data collection methodology and the task to be accomplished as well as draft survey framework and work plan. Detailed CV should be annexed to the technical proposal
c. Financial Proposal: The financial proposal should provide cost estimates for services rendered including daily consultancy fees.
Applications should be sent to the following email address: procurement@so-actionagainsthunger.org with the subject as CONSULTANT- SMART SURVEY BAKOOL REGION
Submission Deadline: 4th December 2024
Due to the high volumes of applications expected, we regret that only short- listed candidates will be contacted for interview
Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. For more than 40 years, we have led the global movement to end hunger, for everyone, for good. We save the lives of chil... Read More
