1.1 About USAID/Ghana Accelerating Social and Behavior Change Activity
The purpose of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)|Ghana Accelerating Social and Behavior Change (ASBC) activity is to increase and sustain the adoption of healthy behaviors and practices for improved health outcomes with a focus on family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH); malaria prevention and treatment; maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH); community and household-level water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices; nutrition; and public health emergencies, such as COVID-19.
ASBC builds on previous USAID/Ghana investments in Social and Behavior Change (SBC) in the last ten (10) years that resulted in a strong partnership and collaboration with the Ghana Health Service/Health Promotion Division (GHS/HPD). Ghana has recorded improvements in some health outcomes.
ASBC emphasises community-driven approaches in four regions (North East, Upper East, Northern and Upper West) in northern Ghana; these are USAID priority areas where severe health disparities persist, and behavior change approaches require significant community engagement. In particular, the activity is focusing community level activities in 17 Zones of Influence (ZOI) target districts across the four regions.
1.2 ICT Platforms under the USAID ASBC Activity
Savana Signatures is implementing all the ICT-based interventions in the ASBC activity under Result area two (2). This includes supporting and strengthening the capacity of the Health Promotion Division (HPD) or Unit at all levels, Implementing Partners (IPs) and other NGOs and stakeholders identified to utilize digital and electronic platforms to communicate for health.
The Kpododo mobile engagement platform is a three-tier system (The QR Code system, the Collect System and the messaging system) installed on an android tablet that health workers at CHPS Compounds use to register interested women during their initial antenatal care (ANC) or postnatal care (PNC) visits. The registration triggers the QR code system with a generated code that is attached to the client’s Maternal and Child Health Record Book provided to each woman during their initial ANC or PNC visit. The QR code is then linked to a unique identifier for each woman, namely the phone number listed during registration. This is then linked to the messaging platform that delivers weekly voice messages to registered women in their preferred local language.
Savana Signatures is seeking to hire the services of an external consultant to conduct an independent research work to evaluate the effectiveness the Kpododo Mobile Messaging system. Thus, establishing value for money of the system by determining the relationship between the messaging system and positive MNCH behaviours and outcomes.
Deliverables
The following deliverables will be expected from the consultant:
- Inception Report- with identified stakeholders, proposed methodology, workplan and times lines.
- Quantitative data analysis and related status report.
- Draft and finalise report with headline findings and recommendations.
- Inception phase:
- Preliminary review of available and relevant studies/material undertaken already
- Tailoring, defining, and conceptualizing the scope of the study.
- Development of an inception report (definition of scope of study, proposal for conceptual framework, identification of key stakeholders, methodologies and approaches, timelines, milestones, data collection tools, proposed outline of the report)
- Data collection and analysis
- Develop data collection tools, support tools pre-testing and finalization for roll-out.
- Complete primary data collection as per agreed methodology
- Analysedata, highlight any gaps that needs to be filled. Engage in follow-up consultations with Savana Signatures to address the information collected and gaps identified.
- Drafting, reporting, validation:
- Submit a report of the study including highlights of top-linefindings and include programmatic recommendations for Savana Signatures’ Team consideration.
- Present the study to Savana Signatures team to validate the findin
- Based on inputs from consultations from Savana Signatures team, Submit the final study report and an accompanying slide deck for future dissemination This should summarise the study-rationale, method, key findings, and recommendations.
Profile of Consultant(s)
The consultant(s) should have the following qualifications/expertise:
- Post graduate degree in Health Economics, Economics, or related field
- At least 6 years’ experience of carrying out health research, programme baselines, and impact evaluations
- Proven background of research work in the areas of Health and Health Economics
- Expertise in Health Financing
- Knowledge of country and geographical context
Interested applicants should submit the following by 12pm Ghana time on Thursday 30th April, 2024 by clicking on the 'Apply Now' button;
The documents for submission include:
- Individual or proposed team CVs
- A planned budget encompassing consultant fees and other anticipated expenses.
8th April, 2024
Offer ended on April 30, 2024
