Invitation To Bid for Consultancy for End-line evaluation for Integrated Emergency Health and Nutrition Services for Conflict Affected Populations in Kismayo, Somalia Save the Children, Somalia 2021-2023.

11             BACKGROUND

The health care system in Somalia remains weak, poorly resourced, and inequitably distributed as the health expenditure remains very low. The humanitarian crisis in Somalia is the longest-standing in the world, more than 6.7 million people in Somalia need essential and life-saving integrated health services. Armed conflict, recurrent climatic shocks, the COVID-19 outbreak, and a severe desert locust infestation have aggravated Somalia’s complex, protracted humanitarian crisis, depleted people’s coping capacity and recovery, giving rise to large-scale displacement, and leaving 4.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The Somali government has been unable to meet the increasing health needs of her population without support from international partners. Health and Nutrition indicators in Somalia are among the lowest in the world, for example, the immunization coverage rate for measles is 23% but only 12% of Penta 3 coverage countrywide and even this is lower in hard-to-reach areas. Somalia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world at 692 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (UNFP 2022 report).

About 43,000 excess deaths occurred in Somalia during the 2022 drought, of which 50% were children under 5 years. Despite the positive impact of the 2023 Gu rains and sustained humanitarian assistance, humanitarian needs remain high, exacerbated by floods caused by the April to June Gu rains, protracted displacement, renewed conflict and security operations, and access impediments. Between October to December 2023, 4.3 million people are expected to face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse outcomes in Somalia. This includes over 1 million people who will likely be in Emergency (IPC Phase 4[1] The levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition in the projection period are expected to remain high or worsened between October to December 2023 due to a combination of factors, including the adverse impacts of El-Nino related heavy rains, flooding, and anticipated decline in the level of humanitarian assistance in the coming months because of funding constraints. Available forecasts indicate an increased likelihood of El Nino and above-average rainfall during the 2023 Deyr (October-December) season across most of the country, with likely adverse impact the health of the children, Nutrition, livelihoods, and food security mostly in riverine areas including Hiran region.

FSNAU[2] government and Partners conducted a total of 36 integrated food security, nutrition and mortality assessments between June and August 2023. These assessments covered 16 rural livelihoods, 10 urban population groups and 10 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) main sites. The analysis findings show that the acute malnutrition situation has showed some improvement compared to the same season in 2022[3], with the decreased median prevalence of GAM from “critical” levels of 15.9% in post-Gu 2022 and 15.4% in post-Deyr 2022 to “Serious” levels 12.4 % currently (post-Gu 2023). Even though there was some improvement on the level of acute malnutrition level, this led to a situation which in still concerning. At least 1.5 million children under 5, and 500,000 pregnant and lactating women are likely to be acutely malnourished between August 2023 and July 2024, including 330,630 who are likely to be severely malnourished, including 331,000 children expected to be severely malnourished and at an elevated risk of death. In addition, the improvement was not the same across all the regions. Of the 46 population groups included in analysis, a Critical situation (IPC AMN Phase 4) was observed in thirteen population groups. Additionally, twenty-

two population groups were classified in Serious (IPC AMN Phase 3), while ten other population groups were classified in Alert situation (IPC AMN Phase 2), and in just one population group the situation was classified as Acceptable (IPC AMN Phase 1).

[1]  IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Analysis (August - December 2023) Link: https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/somalia-ipc-acute-food-insecurity-and-acute-malnutrition-analysis-august-december-2023-published-18-september-2023

[2]   Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit - Somali

[3]               https://fsnau.org/downloads/Somalia-2023-Post-Gu-Nutrition-Results-Summary-18-Sep-2023.pdf

SThe Global Affairs Canada (GAC), International Humanitarian Assistance branch (IHA), supports the implementation of the life-saving health, nutrition, and gender/sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) interventions. In addition, critical water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities area also mainstreamed within these components to support the safety and quality of facility-based health and nutrition interventions. The project’s operational sites in and outside Kismayo district have successfully addressed the immediate lifesaving needs of the most vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and host communities in Galbet IDP camp, Kismayo town, and the outskirt villages of Qamqam, Yontoy and Hajiweyne. Overall, the project contributed to achieve its ultimate project outcome of reducing suffering, increase and maintain human dignity, and saving lives of conflict and drought-affected IDPs, returnees and host communities - particularly girls and boys under 5 and pregnant and lactating women/girls (PLW/G) - in Kismayo district of the Lower Juba Region of Somalia. The project addressed the needs of women, girls, boys, and men taking into consideration vulnerable groups in the community and cultural appropriateness. This was to support different community groups, which ensured inclusivity. During the project period the recommendations from both of SC’s Gender and Conflict Sensitivity (GE-CS) and Barrier Analysis (BA) assessment outcomes were considered and implemented.

Multi-Partner-Technical-Release-on-Somalia-2022-Post-Gu-Assessment-and-IPC-Analysis-Results-12-Sep-2022

PROJECT OVERALL OBJECTIVE AND OUTCOMES:

The Ultimate Outcome of the project is reduced suffering and increased and maintained human dignity and lives saved from conflict and drought affected IDPs, returnees, and host communities (particularly girls and boys under 5 and PLW/G) in the Lower Juba Region of Somalia. Below are specific outcomes:

✓     Outcome 1100: Improved health, nutritional, and hygiene status among girls and boys under 5 years (U5), and PLW/G.

✓     Outcome 1200: Increased equitable access to dignified & confidential survivor-centered care for SGBV survivors.

✓     Outcome 1110: Increased access to gender-responsive1 and age-appropriate essential lifesaving primary health services for IDPs, returnees, and host communities.

✓     Outcome 1120: Increased access to quality gender-responsive nutrition services aimed at identifying & treating acute malnutrition among girls & boys U5 & PLW/G.

✓     Outcome 1130: Enhanced knowledge of optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF-E) practices among caregivers (m/f) of girls and boys U2.

✓     Outcome 1210: Enhanced knowledge and capacity of health service providers (m/f) on dignified, gender-responsive, and confidential survivor-centred care for SGBV survivors

Project Locations

Save the Children continued support of the health facilities (One mobile health clinic and two integrated health facilities) in Kismayo district and the surrounding villages.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE EVALUATION

The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the performance of the project and capture project achievements against the pre-set objectives and project outcomes and document best practices to contribute to learning and inform future similar programming. The project will be evaluated using recall survey tool as well as the OECD DAC criteria which assesses the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, impact, well-coordinated, and gender-sensitivity and disability inclusiveness of the project).

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

✓    To evaluate the project’s performance and achievements vis-à-vis the project’s overall objectives, project indicators in the logical framework, and the baseline data for the indicators gathered at the start of the project.

✓     To assess mothers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice on infant and young child feeding practices and WASH practices of the target population.

✓      To determine the proportion of children 0-5 months exclusively breastfed.

✓     To determine the proportion of children (6-23 months) who consume from four and above food groups 24 hours prior to the survey.

✓      Determine the proportion of pregnant mothers who have access to antenatal health care.

✓      To provide recommendations based on the findings for future use and improvement actions.

✓    Conduct FGDs and KII with project key stakeholders including MtMSG/FtFSG, facilities in charge, health staff, community leaders, government officials, and SCI Staff. Triangulate qualitative information with quantitative data to ensure accuracy.

✓    Identify key intended and unintended outcomes and impact level results (both positive and negative) that this project has contributed to and assess to what extent the integration approaches have been successful in creating the intended outcomes and impact outlined in the program documentation.

✓     To evaluate the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, coherence, scalability/replicability, and gender sensitivity and disability inclusiveness of the project.

Performance Indicators

Data will be collected for the following two indicators:

1000.1 % of beneficiaries who self-report reduced vulnerability to crisis regarding their health.

1130.1: % of caregivers with a child U2 who can identify at least 2 IYCF practices

Evaluation Criteria

The following key questions will guide the endline evaluation’s assessment of the project against the DAC Criteria for Evaluating Development Assistance.

Effectiveness: The extent to which the project attained its outcomes.

o    To what extent were the outcomes achieved? To what extent did the project achieve project indicator targets?

o    What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the outcomes? Efficiency: The extent to which the project used the least costly resources possible in order to achieve desired results, considering inputs in relation to outputs.

o    Challenges in project implementation including managerial, organizational and any other unforeseen

factors?

o    To what extent did the project collaborate with national and sub-national partners and stakeholders

(technical, advocacy, funding, etc.) to achieve results in an efficient manner?

Impact: The positive and negative changes produced by the project, directly or indirectly, intended, or unintended.

o    What has happened because of the project - either intended or unintended, positive, or negative? Relevance: The extent to which the project was suited to the priorities of the target beneficiary group(s), stakeholders, and to the donor.

o    Was the project relevant to the needs of the beneficiaries, as identified at the project inception/design stage?

Sustainability: The extent to which the benefits (outputs, outcomes) of the project are likely to continue after donor funding has been withdrawn.

o    What is the likelihood of the continuation and sustainability of the project outcomes and benefits after completion of the project?

-       What commitments (financial, human resources, etc.) have been made by stakeholders to maintain or improve results?

-       How will improvements in stakeholder knowledge, attitudes, capacities, etc. contribute to maintaining results?

-       To what extent is support available from the external environment to maintain or improve results?

METHODOLOGY

The endline evaluation will employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to ensure a comprehensive analysis. In order to facilitate a positive learning experience, a participatory approach will be utilized during the data collection process. The consultant will work closely with the Save the Children technical team, utilizing their advice and guidance throughout the evaluation.

To gather information from project target communities, the consultant will conduct a household survey using a comprehensive questionnaire provided by Save The Children. Additionally, focus group discussions with IYCF support groups will be conducted, utilizing an FGD guide tool provided by Save the Children. It is important to note that all participation in these data collection activities will be voluntary, meaningful, safe, and inclusive, therefore, the consultant should develop a robust methodology that clearly demonstrates participation and how is safe and inclusive.

The Washington group model questions pertaining to domains of functioning will be employed to ascertain the presence of disabilities among respondents. Subsequently, the collected data will undergo a disaggregation process based on gender, age, and disability. Preliminary findings will be shared with the project team and relevant stakeholders for validation.

In addition, the consultant will engage in an extensive qualitative data gathering process, which will include a comprehensive literature review of project documents and available data. Furthermore, the consultant will conduct key informant interviews and in-depth interviews with SCI program staff, government representatives, community leaders, and other influential individuals within the communities.

CONSULTANT ROLE AND EXPECTING DELIVERABLES

The consultant is expected to perform through 3 phases –inception, data collection process, data analysis and report writing, and dissemination. Some key activities during these phases include an, training data collectors (including refresher training on PSEA, CSG and GE/GBV), document review, data collection, analysis/interpretation, report writing, and presentation to key stakeholders. The evaluation will have the following key phases:

Phase I - Desk study: Review of documentation and elaboration of field Study

The lead consultant/evaluation team will review relevant documents of the project including the project log frame, MEAL plan, project reports, and monitoring reports. Based on this review, they will produce an inception report which will include an elaborate plan of the evaluation that will include but not be limited to the study, methodology, and sampling strategy of the data collection plans, etc. The data collection will only proceed to the next stage upon approval of the inception report. An appropriate inception report format will be provided to the selected consultant.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

✓     Project narrative proposal and milestone targets

✓      Project monitoring and evaluation plan

✓      Monthly and Quarterly Reports

✓      Project MEAL reports (IPTT)

✓      Project narrative reports

✓      Knowledge management reports

✓      Data collection tools – surveys, FGD and KII guides

Phase II: Field Data Collection

This phase of the evaluation will seek to collect primary data on the key evaluation questions explained under the evaluation criteria. The consultant will use the agreed plan, methodology, tools, and sampling strategies from Phase 1 to conduct the fieldwork.

Phase III – Data analysis and production of evaluation report

The team will draw out key issues in relation to survey questions and produce a comprehensive report.

As a minimum, the evaluation process will include the following key steps:

✓    Review relevant literature related to the project (list of reference materials provided below) and draft an inception report before the survey exercise in the field.

✓    Application of appropriate data collection tools (e.g., questionnaire, checklist, etc.) for interviews and focus group discussion.

✓      Data analysis and assessment report writing, and

✓      Presentation of key evaluation findings

✓      Datasets, FGD and KII transcripts, photos, GPS, and case studies.

REPORTING

The consultant will maintain daily contact with the SCI team assigned to manage the monitoring activities. The collected data will be analyzed on daily basis by the consultant and given feedback to the teams.

A final report with the main text of a minimum of 50 pages excluding the cover page, table of contents, abbreviations, and annexes. The draft report should be delivered in a soft copy in English. References should be fully cited after all important facts and figures. List of people interviewed or consulted.

Provide a complete set of raw and cleaned data in SPSS and EXCEL, including complete codebooks for quantitative

Application Procedure And Requirement

Candidates interested in the position are expected to provide the following documentation:

✓    A technical proposal with a detailed response to the TOR, with a specific focus on the scope of work, methodology, and timelines, and how the participation of children and persons and children with disabilities in the evaluation will be ensured.

✓      Initial work plan and an indication of availability.

✓    A financial proposal detailing the daily rate expected including accommodation, transportation, stationery, data collectors, research assistance, and all other cost related to this assignment. (Operational and consultancy fees).

✓      Company profile or CV including a minimum of 3 references.

✓      At least two previously conducted similar studies.

Supplier Sustainability Policy and the included mandatory policies: Click Here to Access

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications can be submitted by either:

Electronic Submission via ProSave (Recommended)

➢    Submit your response in accordance with the guidance provided in the below document:

•       Bidders are encouraged to apply via Ariba system. Please request the Ariba link via email sending your company profile and Business registration certificate/CV. Please address your request to apply via ProSave to [email protected]

Electronic Submission via Protected Email box (Optional)

•       Email should be addressed to [email protected]

•       Note – this is a sealed tender box which will not be opened until the tender has closed. Therefore, do not send tender related questions to this email address as they will not be answered.

•       The subject of the email should be “PR406508 - End-line evaluation for Integrated Emergency Health and Nutrition Services for Conflict Affected Populations in Kismayo -Somalia’’. – ‘Bidder Name’, ‘Date’’.

•       All attached documents should be clearly labelled so it is clear to understand what each file relates to.

•       Emails should not exceed 15mb – if the file sizes are large, please split the submission into two emails.

•       Do not copy other SCI email addresses into the email when you submit it as this will invalidate your bid.

Your bid must be received, no later than 24th Dec2023.

Bids must remain valid and open for consideration for a period of no less than 60 days