State Lead Consultant (Quantitative Survey)

Locations: Bauchi and Niger

Purpose of the Assignment

• The surveys will assess the coverage, quality, effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of co-implementing Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS) with Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), as well as the effect of the integration on the uptake of other key MNCHW interventions across all the LGAs in both states..
• The engaged State Consultants will support data analysis and interpretation in line with the LQAS methodology, while the National will be responsible for reviewing state-level analyses and consolidating final reports across both states.
• In Niger State, dedicated data collectors will be recruited and trained specifically for the surveys, while in Bauchi State, the survey will leverage the existing LQAS data collectors engaged by the PF-SMC project to support implementation and if need be extending the number of days worked.
• For the quantitative component of the Post MNCHW 1 and Post MNCHW 2 surveys, State Consultants and Data Collectors will be engaged to support household data collection activities using electronic data collection platforms such as SurveyCTO or KoboCollect.
• A total of 13 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) will be conducted, comprising 6 FGDs with Health Workers (HWs), 3 FGDs with Maternal and Chile Health (MCH) Focal Persons, and 4 FGDs with caregivers.
• The LQAS surveys 1 &2 will align with the existing planned SMC LQAS (cycle 1 &2/3) activities in the states and will assess SMC coverage, adherence to treatment protocols, and implementation immediately after each SMC cycle to support timely corrective actions where required.
• Overall, the surveys are expected to cover about 1,791 sampled settlements/communities across both states (Bauchi = 323 wards; Niger = 274 wards), with eligible households selected from each sampled settlement. For the qualitative component of the Post MNCHW 1 and Post MNCHW 2 surveys, a National Consultant, State Consultants, who are also the interviewers will be engaged to coordinate and implement the qualitative activities, including training, field testing of tools, data collection oversight, transcription and translation, analysis, and report writing.
• A minimum of 45 clusters/communities will be sampled per survey, with approximately 20–25 households selected per cluster depending on the survey type.
• A multistage sampling approach will be used to select respondents from sampled communities and households across the LGAs.
• For the quantitative component, a minimum sample size of 900 children per survey round will be targeted, amounting to approximately 1,800 children across both baseline and endline surveys in the two states.
• The study will be conducted across 45 LGAs in the two implementation states (20 LGAs in Bauchi State and 25 LGAs in Niger State), excluding security-compromised LGAs where applicable.
• The purpose of this engagement is to recruit experienced research personnel to support the implementation of quantitative and qualitative surveys under the SMC + VAS project in Bauchi and Niger States, including the Post MNCHW 1 (baseline), LQAS end-of-cycle 1 and 2, and Post MNCHW 2 (endline) surveys.
• The VAS project Senior M&E Officers (SMEOs) for Niger and Bauchi States will work closely with the engaged national and state consultants, as well as data collectors, and will also coordinate with the respective State M&E officers and SMC M&E Managers to ensure effective implementation of the assignment and integration.
• In addition, 11 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) will be conducted, including 6 KIIs with state stakeholders and 5 KIIs with national stakeholders.
• The consultants and supervisors will train data collectors and provide oversight for the data collection process, while data collectors will be responsible for conducting field data collection using an electronic data collection platform.

Specific Tasks for the State Lead Consultant (Post MNCHW 1 & 2 Quantitative)

• Liaise with Senior M&E Officer for randomization/selection of health facilities and settlements.
• Moderate role-play sessions during data collector training.
• Coordinate piloting of survey tool, report findings, and support real-time monitoring of data uploads.
• Lead the quantitative component of the baseline survey, ensuring adherence to survey methodologies and guidelines.
• Develop and implement a data quality assurance plan to ensure data accuracy and completeness.
• Facilitate training sessions for data collectors, focusing on Survey CTO application, LQAS survey methodologies, and survey questionnaire.
• Clean final survey data, conduct preliminary analysis using STATA software, and prepare reports.
• Coordinate installation of Survey CTO application on data collector’s phones and troubleshooting issues.
• Conduct regular data quality checks to identify data irregularities, ensure corrections, and verify data accuracy.
• Coordinate daily online evening review/feedback meetings.
• Support MC M&E Officer in walking State Consultants through survey questionnaire.
• The State Lead Consultant should ensure compliance with relevant data protection regulations and guidelines.
• Ensure State Consultants comprehend LQAS survey methodologies and adhere to them.

Qualifications and Experience

• Ability to work within stipulated timeframe, demonstrate report writing skills, and work independently.
• Demonstrated expertise in research, data collection, and data analysis techniques.
• Experience in using STATA for advanced data analysis.
• Proficiency in SurveyCTO, Kobocollect, and other data management applications.
• A post-graduate M.Sc. or Ph.D. degree in social, behavioral, or health sciences.
• Experience in leading evaluations, surveys, and analysis.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to synthesize findings, and prepare well-written reports.
• At least 10 years' experience in conducting and managing quantitative surveys.

Deliverables:

• Complete and cleaned data set from 8,721 households in 323 wards.
• Process and data analysis reports submitted and approved by Senior M&E Officer.

Report Format and Content:

• The report should be submitted in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint formats.
• The report should be written in clear and concise language, with tables, figures, and graphs used to support findings.
• The final report should include an executive summary, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, conclusions, and recommendations.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online - Niger

Click here to apply online - Bauchi

Note

• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and as a result, the process may conclude before the advertised deadline. Therefore, early applications are highly encouraged.
• Safeguarding: Malaria Consortium is committed to protecting children and vulnerable adults and ensuring that all staff, partners, and representatives uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct. Our Safeguarding Policy outlines our responsibility to prevent abuse, harassment, and exploitation in all areas of our work. We expect everyone working with us staff, consultants, volunteers, and partners to adhere to this policy and our Code of Conduct. By following these standards, we help create safe environments and reduce any risk of harm in the communities we serve.
• Malaria Consortium does not accept or ask for payment during recruitment. We also would not accept hardcopy CVs; all applications should be sent through the above link.
• Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• Applicants who do not follow this specification will be disqualified.