Project End-line Evaluation-CHABASH DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH INITIATIVE


Project Title – Prevention and treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) amongst children 6-59 months and Pregnant and Lactating Women through integrated community-based approach using Tom Brown local solution in Affected communities of Michika and Madagali LGAs of Adamawa state

Background of the organization

CHABASH DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH INITIATIVE – CDHI plans to bridge the gaps in humanitarian aid as part of its vision and mission. In January 2021, CDHI launched the Project title – “Prevention and treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) amongst children 6-59 months and Pregnant and Lactating Women through integrated community-based approach using Tom Brown local solution in Affected communities of Michika and Madagali LGAs of Adamawa state”. The project is funded by the United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – UN-OCHA under the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund – NHF.

The Project reached a total of 18,799 beneficiaries with activities that will contribute to improving the nutrition status of nutritionally vulnerable groups including children 6-59 months, pregnant and lactating women, and the members of the communities at large affected by the Boko Haram crisis in Michika and Madagali of Adamawa state, Northeast Nigeria.

The intervention focused on providing direct access to integrated multi-sectoral, context-adapted assistance, which will cover the most urgent humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable people and communities. Its approach is community-based and participatory, seeking the empowerment of beneficiaries, rebuilding their lives after an emergency hit, and the collaboration with community structures to enhance delivery of essential malnutrition prevention messages in vulnerable communities. Specifically, the project treats children and PLWs with Moderate acute malnutrition using locally available nutritious food – Tom Brown, promotion of maternal, infant and young child feeding through community-based nutrition activities as well as integration with other relevant nutrition sensitive sectors such as WASH, GBV and food security and livelihood.

Project Background

CDHI implemented 12-month MAM management for children 6-59 months and PLWs using locally available blended food – Tom Brown model. And promote malnutrition prevention through IYCF promotion and increased demand for consumption of nutrient dense locally available foods as well as increased access to specialized skilled IYCF counselling amongst nutritionally vulnerable groups particularly PLWs and caregivers of children 6-23 months. MAM PLWs and children 6-59 months identified using MUAC screening (MUAC </= 22cm in case of PLWs and MUAC < 12.5 cm and > 11.5 cm) in case of children were enroll in a cohort and received intervention that treat MAM using local solution (Tom Brown). MAM management will include the use of Tom-brown model and with a linkage to other health and nutrition services such as MNP supplementation, routine medications as per the revised national guideline of community management of Acute Malnutrition, in collaboration with UNICEF and ADSPHCDA.

PLWs and caregivers of children 6 -23 months, adolescent girls’ women and men received MIYCF promotion activities through community peer group platforms using mother or father peer support group. IYCF promotion activities through the established support groups were facilitated by trained CNMs and lead mothers based in the communities. Cooking demonstration was integrated in IYCF sessions. PLWs and caregivers of children 6-23 months received individual skilled IYCF counselling at the community or facility by trained CNM or CHWs respectively. Capacity of community structures was built on malnutrition programmes to ensure that members of community take ownership and are able to respond to their nutrition needs using tested local models.

The nutrition activities were linked with nutrition sensitive sectors; WASH, Health, child protection and GVB sub-sector. CDHI distributed soap to IYCF peer support group members to encourage practice of hand washing. Similarly, MAM PLWs will be identified through existing ANC services at health facilities. Those identified at the community level will be encouraged to access ANC services. Caregivers of children 6-23 months in the communities were encouraged to access immunization services at the facilities. CDHI leverage on its existing UNFPA/PPFN project on GBV prevention to ensure that GBV prevention and mitigation measures were well mainstreamed in the communication package that were delivered to the members of the community including father peer group through the group platform. gender and accountability to affected population was mainstreamed in the programme designed.

The Ultimate Outcome of the project is.

Providing direct access to integrated multi-sectoral, context-adapted assistance, which will cover the most urgent humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable people and communities

The Goal of the Project.

The overall objective of the project is to deliver quality, life-saving management of moderate acute malnutrition MAM for children 6-59 months and pregnant and lactating women using Tom Brown local solution and strengthened malnutrition prevention through promotion of consumption of locally available nutrient dense food, and MIYCF promotion in selected wards of Madagali and Michika LGAs of Adamawa state. While strengthening nutrition information and knowledge management through evidence generation on use of local solution for malnutrition prevention and treatment in Nigerian humanitarian context.

The specific objectives include.

– Treat boys and girls 6-59 months and PLWs with moderate acute malnutrition using Tom Brown

– Strengthened promotion of maternal, infant, and young child feeding and increase demand for consumption of nutrient dense complementary food

– Build capacity of community structures, health workers and government on malnutrition prevention and treatment

– Provision of timely nutrition information for need analysis, monitoring, and coordination of emergency responses

– Mainstream nutrition intervention with gender, protection, Health, and WASH

– Strengthen the capacity, coordination within the nutrition actors to effectively accelerate the delivery of a comprehensive MAM treating package at scale using local solutions

Purpose of the end-line evaluation

The purpose for the evaluation is to assess the performance of the NHF-funded project – (NGA-21/NIG_ERF/SA1/N/NGO/20463) and capture change over time of all baseline indicators from beginning to end of program implementation. The evaluation will determine to what extent the NHF project has delivered effective, relevant, and timely activities to beneficiaries.

The evaluation will be complemented by a significant learning aspect for all stakeholders by providing concrete and actionable recommendations for future improvement.

Objective 1: Evaluate to what extent NHF Project has delivered effective, relevant and timely activities to beneficiaries as set in the project log frame

Effectiveness:

Through this evaluation, we will seek to respond to the evaluation questions around effectiveness

  • To what extent have the planned objectives in the log frame of the project been reached, per indicator, disaggregated by gender and age?
  • Did interventions reach the appropriate target groups and individuals within the target areas?
  • To what extent have the project activities contributed to the overall goal,
    • A particular focus to be placed on how cross cutting activities were integrated, harmonized, and resulted in improved Nutrition status for children and PLWs from HHs that received multiple interventions compared to those that received fewer?
  • What were the major factors and constraints influencing the achievement of the objectives of the project? What are the main reasons that the project provided or failed to provide to its target beneficiaries the assistance proposed at design stage?
  • Have proper accountability and risk management framework(s) been in place to minimize risks on program implementation?

Satisfaction

It is important to include beneficiaries’ opinion on the quality of the services received.

  • To what extent were beneficiaries informed about how to use the project assistance and services.
  • To what extent were beneficiaries able to access the services?
  • What challenges/barriers did the beneficiaries face while accessing the assistance/services?
  • To what extent were participants faced with safety issues during their participation?
  • To what extent were the beneficiaries satisfied with the amount of cash, the vendors, the way they received assistance
  • How do beneficiaries perceive the relevance of the project to meet the project’s objective and how have the activities implemented improved their lives? Are there any stories of change?
  • How satisfied are beneficiaries with the quality of the various components of the program (food security, wash and protection)?
  • How has the collaboration between the partner (CDHI) and community stakeholders contributed to appropriate response and understanding of needs and priorities of the beneficiaries?
  • To what extent was the project participatory in all the project cycle?
  • How quickly and effectively were protection issues addressed?

This evaluation will also determine the satisfaction of vendors with the CDHI

  • Do the vendors find the collaboration with CDHI beneficial economically as well as qualitatively? How can CDHI improve collaboration in the following ways?
    • Negotiating Prices
    • Encouraging further investment in resource in implementation areas
  • Do vendors and beneficiaries feel safe with CDHI’s Nutrition treatment program using locally available nutritious food – Tom Brown program (how they receive their food or money)?

Adaptability/Flexibility

The end line evaluation should assess the overall quality of the implementation.

  • To what extent was project able to adapt and provide appropriate response to context changes and emerging local needs, and the priorities of beneficiaries?
  • What mechanisms are in place to track project implementation of the NHF project? (i.e. internal monitoring, evaluation, accountability, learning (MEAL) and quality assurance mechanisms)?
  • How have they been utilized to increase quality within the project?
  • What alterations were made (if any) to the program design in terms of collaboration during the implementation phase based on the reality on ground?
  • To what extent did the project interventions contribute to build long-term community capacity?
  • To what extent has the program contributed to boosting market supply and increased vendor activity in the intervention zone?

Objective 2: Provide concrete and actionable recommendations based on the findings for areas to improve, gaps in delivery and beneficiary satisfaction, and improvement to program implementation that can be incorporated into future program design

Recommendations

  • What lessons were learned regarding program design, targeting, and implementation?
  • What opportunities exist within project to reach more beneficiaries with the available budget or to reduce costs while reaching at least the same number of beneficiaries without compromising quality?
  • What were the best practices?
  • How effective were the project management, systems, and processes established by the project?
  • How effective were the strategies to improve gender equity both at the participant level and project management level?
  • How can protection issues identified be proactively mitigated in the future?

Scope of the Evaluation

The scope of the evaluation will cover the entire project from January 2021 to December 2021. The evaluation will also include how the context has changed over time and how this has affected project participants. Using data from previous PDM/reports to understand how beneficiaries have fared within and without the program. Within this period, the evaluation will assess project outcome at all levels including all result areas. This includes Prevalence of global acute malnutrition amongst households or communities as well as some households’ food security indicators including Food Consumption Score (FCS), average reduced coping strategies index, etc. The evaluation will also cover the beneficiaries’ knowledge, attitudes and practices as related Nutrition, WASH outcome indicators, and percentage of targeted beneficiaries with reduced risk of SGBV from a better protective environment

Methodology

The data collection will use mixed method of qualitative (focus group discussion, key informant interview) and quantitative approaches (electronic data collected using kobo collect) to gain a deeper understanding of the outcomes of the project, including desk review of background documents (project document, project monitoring data, progress report, field visit reports etc). The external consultant expatiates on the methodology; detailing sequencing quantitative-qualitative, or qualitative-quantitative or concurrently running both.

The CDHI MEAL team will hire an external consultant or consulting firm and enumerators for the survey, and they will be trained on data collection. The consultant or consulting firm shall use appropriate and strategic sampling method as recommended by the MEAL team.

Deliverables

The consultant/firm is expected to lead, accomplish, and submit the following deliverables within the agreed timeframe and budget:

  • An inception report, which will serve as an agreement between parties on how the evaluation will be conducted. Items to address:
  • Understanding of the issues and questions raised in the ToR
  • Data sources; how to assess the questions in the ToR
  • Research methodology, including suggested sample and size
  • Schedule of activities and traveling (timeline)
  • Detailed budget
  • Appropriate draft data collection tools (e.g., methodological guidelines, group interview questions), these tools will be validated by SC and then finalized for field activity
  • Raw data in any of the following statistical packages (Excel, STATA, SPSS, CSPro) and transcribed qualitative scripts
  • Power point presentation of preliminary findings.
  • A max of 20-page draft (MS Office and PDF for final) in English.
  • A max 35-page final evaluation report (in MS Office and PDF for final), excluding annexes and methodology (to be kept simple), in English.
  • Both reports should be in the format indicated below, to be submitted to CDHI. It is preferable to illustrate the results by appropriate graphs, visuals, tables and/or a dashboard with an accompanied explanatory text.
  • An Itemized price quotation for consultancy fee (Exclusive of international and domestic travel expenses which will be provided separately by CDHI)

The report should consist of:

a) Executive Summary in bullets (max. 2 pages)

b) Introduction

c) Analysis and findings of the evaluation. The analysis should be done according to the objectives

d) Address concerns, lessons learned and comments from the consortium team

e) Conclusions for each of the end line evaluation objectives

f) Recommendations for future projects

g) Annexes:

  • Stories of change and quotes from respondents Methodology, including sampling and limitations Relevant maps and photographs of the evaluation areas where necessary
  • Bibliography of consulted secondary sources
  • Finalized data collection tools
  • PowerPoint presentation of preliminary findings to CDHI MEAL and management team

3. Indicative timescales

The data collection phase in the field is to be confirmed between the consultant/firm and CDHI MEAL Team.

PhaseDeliverablesPaymentWorking days indicationTentative dates (TBD)
Inception phaseDraft inception report
2December 22 -23
Tools Development PhaseDeliverable 1: final inception report including budget, methodology, qualitative and quantitative research tools, approved by CDHI, and the project team.30 % of total budget5December 28 -31
Data Collection PhaseDesk review of project data
3January 2023 3 – 6
Interviews (FGDs, KIIs) in the field visits, collection of quantitative data
8January 2023 9 – 14
Data Analyses PhaseData analysis and power point presentation of initial findings to the program team30% of total budget3January 2023 16 – 18
Report Writing PhaseDraft evaluation report, for comment by project team and SMT
7January 2023 19 – 25
Deliverable 2: Learning session with team
1January 2023 26 – 27
Deliverable 3: Final evaluation report approved by the Consortium40% of total budget2January 2023 30 – 31
Total
100%31 days

Location and official travel involved

The preferred supplier would be available to travel to field locations in Michika and Madagali LGAs of Adamawa State to conduct the field work; including training of enumerators and data collection. The supplier may also work remotely for desk research, report writing and revisions following CDHI MEAL Team’s review. For a supplier who cannot travel to Nigeria, there will be preference for a candidate with a strong background in remote support for training and data collection. For the former, regular office hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Sunday. Office space will be provided but the consultant is responsible for bringing his/her own IT equipment. Any required travel will need pre-approval by CDHI Security Team in accordance with CDHI’s Travel Policy and applicable Expense Policy.

Specific field locations for the survey are as listed below; LGAs: Michika, Madagali

Qualification and experience

Required

  • At least Master’s degree in Education, International Development Studies, Humanitarian Leadership Program, or a related field
  • At least 7 years’ experience in working with humanitarian multi-sectoral programs relating to Nutrition, Food security, WASH and Protection (GBV)
  • Strong understanding of humanitarian and evaluation ethics and a commitment to ethical working practices
  • Demonstrated experience with quantitative and qualitative research, data base management and statistical data analysis
  • Experience of working in similar emergency settings
  • Experience of evaluating Nutrition, FSL, WASH and Protection Programs
  • Proven record of communicating with beneficiaries.
  • Understanding of Nutrition, food security, WASH and Protection programing, standards, and protocols
  • Ability to assess and further develop a conceptual evaluation tool
  • Ability to deal with hardship and remote area field work

Preferred

  • Experience of working in insecure environments in Northeast Nigeria and managing security risks
  • Action-oriented and evidence-based approach and strong drive for results.
  • Highly developed self-management, and communication skills
  • Ability to travel and to work in Borno and Adamawa state

Guiding Principles and Values

Adherence to CDHI Code of conduct, Child Safeguarding practices and confidentiality when interviewing or photographing children. Gender mainstreaming is key to CDHI management and the donor; therefore, the lead consultant will have to ensure that the research team is gender balanced, ensuring that females are available to interact with female beneficiaries and vice versa. The consultant will also consider principles of impartiality, independence, objectivity, participation, collaboration, transparency, reliability, privacy, and utility throughout the process.

Selection process

CDHI will use its internal guidance, checklists, and an interview process to select the successful consultant or consulting firm. The guidelines require the consultant to submit, a proposal explaining, their comprehension of the ToR, and how they would approach this assignment, with a summary of their methodology, especially in terms of how they plan, to meet the objectives, including a period and budget. This should include a team composition with a lead consultant and at least one other experienced evaluator and a cv of each person to be involved in the assignment, including relevant experience, a detailed budget and time availability

Submission of application

Along with their CV interested candidates should submit

  • A technical proposal explaining, their comprehension of the ToR, and how they would approach this assignment, summarizing, the methodologies, and approaches they, plan to use, including a timeline.
  • Two samples of similar previous assignments
  • Their availability

Method of Application

Interested individuals or consulting firm should submit their application via email to the email below as follows.

[email protected] and [email protected] with the title “Project End-line Evaluation”

Application Deadline is 19th December 2022

Only Successful candidates will be contacted. CDHI reserves the right to cancel the process without incurring any cost from supplier who have applied.