Individual Consultancy for endline evaluation

Job title: Individual Consultancy for endline evaluation

Company: International Rescue Committee

Job description: Background of the projectThe International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, the IRC restores safety, dignity, and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure.The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when it responded to flooding in Kogi State. Due to the ongoing conflict in the country’s northeastern states, the IRC currently operates across eight sectors, including health, nutrition, WASH, protection/rule of law, child protection, women’s protection and empowerment, education, governance, and economic recovery and development. Currently, IRC’s Operations are managed from six field offices in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria.SSNR Program OverviewThe Strengthening Sustainable Nutrition Services (SSNR) project is a UKAID-funded initiative aiming to reduce maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates resulting from poor nutrition services. It is implemented by the IRC in partnership with GREENCODE in Maiduguri, Jere, and Monguno LGAs of Borno State. The project began in July 2023 and runs until September 2025.SSNR seeks to improve access to skilled breastfeeding support, micronutrient intake, and sustainable, quality treatment for acute malnutrition. Direct beneficiaries include children under five and pregnant and lactating women (PLW). Services are delivered through CMAM (Community Management of Acute Malnutrition), IYCF (Infant and Young Child Feeding), and Tom-Brown nutrition programs.IRC is seeking a dynamic and experienced independent consultant with strong technical expertise in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), particularly in nutrition-related programs, to conduct a comprehensive Endline Evaluation of the SSNR project. The assessment will evaluate the project’s effectiveness, capture outcomes, and generate learning across key components including CMAM, IYCF, and Tom-Brown implementation. Below is a summary of the project:Project TitleStrengthening Sustainable Nutrition Services and Resilience for Vulnerable Communities in Northeast NigeriaProject ImpactEnding the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children under five years due to poor nutrition across three LGAs (MMC, Jere, and Monguno) Borno stateProject OutcomeChildren under 5, caregivers, and PLW have increased access to skilled support for breastfeeding, micronutrient intake, and sustainable quality treatment for acute malnutrition; Community members participate in community-based problem-solving.Outcome indicators * % of exclusive breastfeeding among infants6 months * % of children discharged as recovered from acute malnutrition at SSNR sitesProject Outputs * Increase equitable access to quality essential nutrition services

• Services are embedded within strengthened health systems and are tailored to the needs of the population.
• Increase access to supplements and messages on healthy diets among women, adolescent girls and children while building greater awareness about health-seeking behavior and healthy diets.
• Citizens can influence government and other decision-makers on the drivers of preventable deaths from poor nutrition

Locations/Areas of Intervention * Maiduguri Metropolitan City (MMC)/Jere (4 outpatient therapeutic program centers, 2 stabilization centers)

• Monguno Local Government Areas (LGA) (4 outpatient therapeutic program centers)

Operating PartnersIRC- The lead consortium partner providing nutrition and governance support across the project locations.Green concern for Development: Provide nutrition services in MMC and Jere (2 OTPs)Targeted GroupsChildren 6-59 months, Caregivers (Male and females), community volunteers and community leaders.Endline Objectives

• To assess the relevance, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the SSNR project interventions (CMAM, IYCF, Tom-brown and PDIA).
• Independently assess project progress against project indicators.
• Identify implementation gaps, learning and actionable recommendations to stakeholders for future programming and sustainability.

Scope of workTo achieve the objective of assessing the relevance, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the SSNR project interventions (CMAM, IYCF, Tom-Brown, and PDIA), the consultant will carry out the following tasks:

• Design and finalize the evaluation framework and methodology, ensuring alignment with international standards and donor expectations.
• Conduct a desk review of project documents, including baseline data, project reports, and monitoring data to establish context and track progress against planned indicators.
• Develop and validate tools for data collection (quantitative and qualitative), incorporating indicators that reflect relevance, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.
• Conduct field data collection across all intervention LGAs using mixed methods, including key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and household surveys.
• Analyze community and caregiver knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to nutrition, with a full comparison of endline findings to baseline data to measure changes and impact.
• Identify key implementation gaps, challenges, and successes related to each of the project components (CMAM, IYCF, Tom-Brown, and PDIA).
• Provide actionable recommendations based on the evidence gathered to inform future programming, scale-up strategies, and sustainability efforts.
• Independently assess progress made against the project’s logframe indicators and theory of change.
• Present key findings to IRC, GREENCODE, and relevant stakeholders, incorporating feedback into the final report.

Evaluation CriteriaThe final evaluation will be based on OECD DAC criteria. The main evaluation questions are based on SSNR project quality framework as described below:1.Relevance

• Assess how well the SSNR project design and interventions (CMAM, IYCF, and Tom-Brown implementation) addressed the actual nutritional needs of children under five, pregnant and lactating women (PLW), and caregivers in Monguno and Maiduguri.
• Evaluate the alignment of project objectives with community priorities and the broader nutrition and health goals of Borno State.
• Collect community and stakeholder feedback to validate whether the program remained appropriate and responsive over its implementation period.

2. Effectiveness

• Measure the extent to which the SSNR project achieved its intended outcomes, such as increased access to skilled breastfeeding support, micronutrient intake, and quality treatment for acute malnutrition.
• Examine changes in key nutrition indicators (e.g., MUAC, SAM/MAM treatment rates) among under-five children and PLWs.
• Document successes and lessons learned how well program interventions performed in each of the eight (8) implementation communities.

3. Efficiency

• Review the cost-effectiveness and timeliness of project implementation strategies.
• Assess how well resources (funds, staff, supplies, partnerships) were utilized in delivering nutrition services across the LGAs.
• Identify any bottlenecks or inefficiencies in coordination between IRC, GREENCODE, health workers, and community volunteers.

4. Impact

• Evaluate the broader effects of the SSNR interventions on maternal and child health outcomes in the target communities.
• Analyze how the program influenced community awareness, health-seeking behavior, and practices around child feeding and nutrition.
• Investigate any unintended positive or negative consequences of the intervention.

5. Sustainability

• Assess the likelihood of continued delivery of nutrition services (CMAM, IYCF, Tom-Brown supplementation) beyond the project’s end, especially by local health structures and community groups.
• Review existing community-based problem-solving mechanisms introduced or supported by the project.
• Provide recommendations for strengthening institutional capacity, community ownership, and potential scale-up of successful models.

Deliverables * Inception Report:

• Conduct an in-depth literature review
• Complete Inception meeting
• Develop of data collection plan and tools
• Write and present a comprehensive inception report

1.2. Data Collection:

• Design and development of data collection tools
• Conduct Proper training of data collectors on both qualitative and quantitative questionnaires
• Continuous monitoring of data collected by assessing the reported data
• Supervise data collection exercise to improve data quality
• Conduct Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) discussions
• Clean and analyze data (Quantitative and Qualitative)
• Draft assessment report

2. Final Reporting:

• Organize and hold workshops to present findings and recommendations and co-develop work plans
• Submit a final report of not more than 40 pages excluding annexes.

Payment Rate and SchedulePayment rates shall be subject to negotiations. Payments shall be scheduled at inception stage (40%) and at the final reporting stage (60%) based on satisfactory completion of the key deliverables.Requirements

• At least a master’s degree or PhD in one of the following fields is required: Food Security and Nutrition, Public health, Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Sciences, Nursing or any related medical field.
• Experience in Implementation of Nutrition technical assessments such as SMART, SQUEAC will be a plus.
• Prior experience in carrying out Endline assessment of UKAID funded project will be a plus.
• Experience with the use of Mixed method approach and use of Commcare, Kobo collect, ODK for tool design.
• Experience working in Nigeria especially in BAY states. Experience as a consultant producing and delivering quality results.
• Experience in interacting with stakeholders at all levels including but not limited to community, facility level and state.
• Experience in fostering open dialogue, building trust, and engaging key stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal skills required, including strong professional communication ability.
• Advanced computer skills with proficiency in Windows, Microsoft office and other digital media
• Strong written and spoken English ability.

Expected salary:

Location: Maiduguri, Borno State

Job date: Tue, 15 Jul 2025 22:41:06 GMT

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