BACKGROUND

Concern Worldwide and the University College London (UCL) Institute for Global Health have been jointly conducting a research study project entitled “Cash for Improved Nutrition in Somalia (CINS)”. The study involves a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) of conditional cash transfers and behaviour change communication (BCC) delivered via audio messages to mobile phones. The study is investigating the effectiveness of these interventions against risk factors for acute malnutrition in children. The trial is being conducted amongst internally-displaced persons (IDP) living in selected settlements in the Mogadishu-Afgoye Corridor.

The study includes collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Collection of quantitative data is now completed and the qualitative research will start soon. The qualitative data will be used to understand the context of the study, the fidelity of the intervention implementation, and any unexpected outcomes of the interventions. A consultant with prior experience and proven skills in qualitative research is required to support this component of the study, in close collaboration with CINS study team (UCL and Concern).

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The consultant will work under technical supervision and support from the CINS Study Coordinator, and formally report in to the Health & Nutrition Programme Manager.. The consultant will play a key role within the CINS team; he/she will lead field-level qualitative data collection, its transcription and translation, so as to generate data for the ongoing CINS study. The qualitative research will aim to explore:

· Beneficiary perception of the BCC intervention e.g. beneficiaries perception of the messages, inter-camp message diffusion, which message topic(s) was more interesting / relevant, what they perceived changed in their behaviours as a result of the intervention, household-level sharing of the messages as these were sent only to the women.

· Barriers and facilitators of vaccination uptake among displaced populations

· Attitudes to the cash soft conditionality used in the study.

OBJECTIVES AND SPECIFIC TASKS TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE CONSULTANT:

Working closely alongside the CINS Study Coordinator, Field Study Officer and two Nutrition Monitoring Supervisors.

· Help finalise the study tools, i.e. focus groups discussions (FGD) topic guides and interview guides, for the qualitative study.

· Work closely with the Field Study Officer to organize and plan interviews at field level, including selection and engagement of study participants.

· Conduct fieldwork in targeted IDP camps within the study area of Afgoye Corridor, Mogadishu, which will involve visiting IDP households to conduct Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs); the consultant will take the lead in field study qualitative data collection to ensure quality data is collected so as to ensure full and correct understanding of the issues.

· Translate the Somali transcripts into English.

· Lead interviews and FGD data collection; produce interview and FGD notes and (if recorded) transcriptions in Somali.

· Support the Field study officer in uploading all recordings, transcripts, and other documents from the project to a secure Concern data storage drive and ensuring all files are shared with UCL team.

· Review drafts to help finalise a report that describes, in brief, the activities undertaken and the methods used in enough detail for use in peer-reviewed publications. The contents of the report should contain all of the components required in the COREQ checklist for qualitative research.

DELIVERABLES/EXPECTED OUTPUTS**

· Inputs in to a concise report describing the activities undertaken, led by the CINS Study Coordinator. The report will include a description of the households and individuals sampled, an itinerary of the fieldwork, the methods used for data collection and any constraints that were encountered

· Interview and FGD notes in English.

· Recordings, transcripts of interviews and FGD in Somali and translated transcripts in English.

· Weekly progress reports in addition to informal updates provided through day-to-day interaction with CINS field study team members from UCL and Concern.

TIME FRAME

The research will take up to 3 months including preparation, data collection, transcription, translation and reporting. All works must be completed within the stated time frame of the 3 months. Exact workplan will be determined in the early days of the contract.

LINES OF COMMUNICATION

The consultant will formally report to the Health & Nutrition Programme Manager, liaise with on day today activities with Research Field Study Officer and will receive training, technical quality assurance and guidance support from the CINS Study Coordinator routinely.

REMUNERATION

The consultant will be paid on monthly calendar basis for the duration of deployment. The final payment is dependent on satisfactory undertaking of the above objectives, activities and deliverables

CONSULTANT’S PROFILE

· Master’s degree in social sciences, public health, anthropology, or a related field.

· Prior experience in a similar role with a minimum of year.

· Research experience relevant to public health in a community context, knowledge of research methodologies and associated ethical processes

· Strong experience in qualitative research: proven ability to conduct interviews/FGDs, skilfully probe responses to verify understanding, and write high quality transcripts and translations

· Demonstrated experience in working with IDPs/Somalia context with volunteers/health workers in a sensitive and respectful manner

· Fluent in written and spoken Somali and English; translation experience an added advantage. Maay would be an added advantage.

· Excellent analytical, problem solving, planning, organization, interpersonal and reporting skills.

· Proven ability and willingness to learn quickly and take guidance, to fit quickly and effectively into an existing team and work in a collaborative manner to reach shared objectives.

· Willingness and ability to make regular field visits to Afgoye IDP sites, as part of the field study team.

· Commitment to strict adherence to Concern’s security protocols, Code of Conduct and associated policies, Data Protection, and Accountability principles.