REOI - Terms of Reference

Multi-sector nutrition capacity building initiative

UNICEF India is planning to issue an RFP for services of an agency to provide technical assistance with a Multi-sector nutrition capacity building initiative. The Terms of Reference is given below.

Agencies who are interested in participating in the bidding process are requested to submit a capability statement in not more than 3 pages (Arial Font Size 11) addressing the points mentioned below. Please note one side of an A4 size sheet will be considered as one page.

a. A brief organizational profile and details of key personnel.

b. Experience of similar assignments

c. Experience of working in the South Asian Region.

Kindly respond and send the capability statement to  by close of business hours on 27th July 2016.

The RFP will be sent only to shortlisted agencies following review of the expressions of interest (capability statements) received.

  1. BACKGROUND

Child stunting meaning a child is too short for one’s age, is an irreversible and chronic manifestation of undernutrition. Latest data shows that 47 million Indian children are stunted, with children from poor and from backward social groups having higher prevalence of stunting. Stunting in socially backward children, is influenced by inter-related factors including poverty-induced household food insecurity, maternal undernutrition, poor feeding and care practices in the first two years of life and poor access to water, health and sanitation services. This means that all Ministries addressing various causes of undernutrition require to work in a coordinated manner and incorporate nutrition-sensitive goals in their programmes. Presently, Ministries of women and child development and health and family welfare are working to deliver nutrition-specific interventions. There are however, nutrition-sensitive sectors which are working on addressing basic causes of undernutrition, which not necessarily incorporate nutrition goals in their programmes. These allied sectors include - Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (MoRD & PR), Drinking Water and Sanitation, Agriculture, Water and Land Resources, Tribal Welfare, Environment and Forest and Education.

National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD) is an autonomous training institution under Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and specializes in building the capacities of mid and senior-level rural serving officials fanning across various nutrition-sensitive ministries cited above. Hence, , one way to reach out to the nutrition-sensitive sectors is through trainings conducted by NIRD&PR. Hence, UNICEF India and NIRD&PR have partnered to develop and pilot-test a ‘Multi-sectoral Nutrition Capacity Building Initiative’ to build the capacity of government officials and programme managers in allied [“nutrition-sensitive”] sectors implement pro-nutrition programmes. This curriculum will be practitioner focused, developed after landscape study, board-based stakeholder write-shops for curriculum development and pilot testing of curriculum in four proposed tribal dominated Indian states (Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand) through their respective State Institute of Rural Development in a phased-manner starting with one tribal district and one tribal block each in these states. Centre for Women Development and Gender Studies (CWD&GS) within NIRD & PR is convening this initiative. UNICEF is providing funding to develop such a curriculum by CWD&GS and bring on board technical agencies/experts to support CWD&GS in this initiative.

There is experience from UNICEF office in South Asian Country-Nepal in development of such curriculum with support of global agencies. Given that this work is being done for the first time in India, services of a globally renowned agency are being sought who has experience in supporting in development and rollout of such a curriculum. Similar experience of supporting International Development Agencies/UNICEF offices in South Asia will be preferred.

  1. OBJECTIVE

To support NIRD&PR in development, pilot testing and evaluation of a Multi-sector Nutrition Capacity Building curriculum for allied sectors (Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Agriculture, Water and Land Resources, Tribal Welfare, Environment and Forest and Education)

  1. Duty Station And Location

Off site, with visits to India (NIRD & PR Hyderabad and Koraput district, Odisha).

  1. SCOPE OF WORK:
  • Design – (a) a landscape study (methods and tools) for mapping organizations who have created model best practices on each of the domain areas and (b) need assessment tool of SIRDs.
  • Technical, handholding and Advisory support to NIRD&PR team to write the findings of the landscape study and finalize the peer review paper based on findings of the study
  • Design format and facilitate a write-shop for each of the nine domain ministries (1) Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (2) Drinking Water and Sanitation (3) Agriculture (4) Water and Land Resources (5) Tribal Welfare (6) Environment and Forest (7) Education (8) Health and (9) Women and Child Development) for development of the outline of curriculum and selection of writing group for these nine allied sectors
  • Finalize with NIRD&PR the curriculum developed by the working groups for the nine domain ministries
  • Finalization of curriculum developed for pilot testing and training of 1 State, district and block and frontline trainees in one state.
  • Input into training of SIRD staff and NIRD&PR to carry forward the pilot study in the remaining three states
  • Participate in the mid-project review meeting to assess progress on ground and ascertain mi course corrections.
  • Lead the round 2 need assessment of trainees (post intervention)
  • Finalize the training package to be integrated within NIRD&PR as a capsule course of allied sectors and its peer review paper for dissemination in the advocacy workshop with government

Proposed Methodology is as per attached MoU and proposed team (maximum limit is of 5 persons): It would be required to have a team of two full researchers working with NIRD&PR based Hyderabad who can be provided accommodation support at NIRD&PR (travel cost will have to be borne by the agency). These researchers would have experience in coordinating with local experts, local academia institutions on development of curriculum, report writing and writing in peer review journals, preferably from a nutrition background. These researchers would require to be supported by a senior person and an international advisor or advisor with international experience for the project, who can be working part-time on the project.

  1. MAJOR TASKS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED (table 1)

Table 1: Tasks, timelines and deliverables
Task / Work-days and travel days (proposed) / Deliverable and date of delivery / Onsite/offsite
Design – (a) a landscape study (methods and tools) for mapping organizations who have created model best practices on each of the domain areas and (b) need assessment tool of SIRDs / 8 workdays
0 travel days / Deliverable:
Mapping and need assessment study tools
Deliverable date: July 30 / Offsite
Technical, handholding and Advisory support to NIRD&PR team to write the findings of the landscape study and finalize the peer review paper based on findings of the study / 10 workdays
0 travel days / Deliverable:
Peer review paper of landscape study
Deliverable date: August 30 / Offsite
Design format and facilitate a write-shop for each of the nine domain areas for development of the outline of curriculum and selection of writing group for these nine allied sectors / 18 days
12 travel days
(NIRD&PR Hyderabad) / Deliverable: write shops facilitated and draft outline of curriculum developed
Deliverable date: 30 October / Onsite
Finalize with NIRD&PR the curriculum developed by the working groups for the nine domain areas / 8 workdays
0 travel days / Deliverable: draft curriculum
Deliverable date: 30 November / Offsite
Finalization of curriculum developed for pilot testing and training of 1 State, district and block and frontline trainees in one state / 20 days
10 travel days
(Odisha –Koraput district and Koraput block / Deliverable: pilot study design and its training report of 4 SIRD
Deliverable date: 30 December 2016 / Onsite
Input into training of SIRD staff and NIRD&PR to carry forward the pilot study in the remaining three states / 7 workdays
0 travel days / Deliverable: training aids developed and completed
Deliverable date: 30 January 2016 / Offsite
Participate in the mid-project review meeting to assess progress on ground and ascertain mid- course corrections / 7 workdays
4 travel days / Deliverable: project mid-review report
Deliverable date: 20 March 2017 / Onsite
Lead the round 2 need assessment of trainees (post intervention) / Deliverable: post intervention report
Deliverable date: March 20 2017 / Onsite
Finalize the training package to be integrated within NIRD&PR as a capsule course of allied sectors and its peer review paper for dissemination in the advocacy workshop with government / 18 work days
10 travel days / Deliverable: training package
Deliverable date: December 30 2017 / Offsite
Total days / 96 days (of which 36 days are travel days in India)

End products:

#1. Methodology and tools for landscape study.

#2. Methodology and tools for need assessment study.

#3. Peer review paper based on landscape and need assessment study

#4. Write-shops designed and convened with working groups for nine domain areas

#5. Training curriculum and training aids

#6. Training evaluation report

#7. Final study Peer review papers (2)

  1. Estimated Duration of Contract

July 2016 to December 30 2017

  1. Official Travel Involved:

36 days in India (all travel days will be accompanied by UNICEF staff)

  1. QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES
  • Global health/nutrition agency, which has acclaimed standing in the work around multi-sector capacity building on nutrition with allied sectors.
  • Proven record in advanced technical writing and international publications in global peer reviewed journals systematic reviews on the subject;
  • Experience of working with International Development Agencies on multi-sector capacity building/ UNICEF offices in South Asia preferred.
  • The proposed team members should have a Master’s Degree in international development/public health/nutrition background.
  • Knowledge of UN, including UNICEF terminology, language and style an advantage.
  • Willingness to travel to India and field sites
  1. PAYMENT SCHEDULE:

7 instalments

  • 1st: 10% of total amount to be made against the Inception Report
  • 2nd: 20% of total amount to be made after completion of landscape study and submission of the paper to peer review journal.
  • 3rd: 15% of total amount to be made after completion of write-shops for nine domain areas
  • 4th 15% Training curriculum and training aids submitted.
  • 5th 15% Training of 1 State, district and block and frontline trainees in one state (Odisha, district Koraput, block Koraput)
  • 6th 15% need assessment of trainees (post intervention) report

All payments are based on satisfactory approval by supervisor

7th: 20%: two papers submitted and dissemination workshop.

Technical evaluation criteria and weight allocated between technical and price proposal / Technical Approach and Methodology and presentation of results [50%]
Organization’s and Technical capacity of team proposed for this assignment [50%]. Only technically qualified agencies’ financials will be opened.
The weightage for selection of the agency would be Technical (80%) and Financial (20%)

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