INVITATION TO BID: ENDLINE RESEARCH FOR BMGF-SUPPORTED RURAL SOCIAL MARKETING (RSM) PILOT

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Background:
DKT Ethiopia has been promoting family planning and HIV&AIDS prevention through social marketing in Ethiopia since 1990. DKT uses targeted and measurable marketing techniques to communicate public health messages to prevent unwanted pregnancy and HIV. DKT promotes high quality health products and ensures a consistent availability and accessibility of the same throughout the country.

 

To meet the unique needs of rural target groups, DKT designed a Market Town Activity (MTA) (also called Rural Social Marketing [RSM] or Likke Project) to increase the frequency and quality of RH messages and product availability at the market town level. The market town intervention is one of DKT’s increased efforts to reach people living in rural areas with family planning information and services / products. It is planned to increase the general demand for all RH products and services, focusing on the safety, efficacy and ease of use of all methods and highlighting local availability through private and public health facilities.

 

In 2013, DKT Ethiopia was presented with a unique opportunity to pilot an expanded Market Town Activity / MTA activity in three (3) zones of Oromia and SNNP: West Arsi, Guraghe, and Siltie. The 15-month pilot, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), has been undertaken in 30 market towns of which 16 are in West Arsi and seven (7) each in Guraghe and Siltie. It experiments with three (3) implementation modalities and aims at expanding health communication and increasing demand for family planning, ensuring effective referral of clients to health facilities for counseling and use of FP, and improving access to family planning service in private clinical outlets.

 

At the inception of the pilot, DKT Ethiopia commissioned two (2) surveys to establish baseline data on the existing level of product distribution and communication interventions in pilot areas. The facility based survey – Measuring Access and Performance (MAP) - provided information on DKT product availability, depth of availability, and coverage in areas targeted by the BMGF pilot. The household survey – Output Tracking Survey (OTS) - provided information on the demographic characteristics, contraceptive awareness, use, and attitudes, media habits and exposure to DKT Ethiopia and Likke products and interventions as well as determinants of contraceptive use of 15 – 49 year old women and men in targeted zones.

 

Currently, DKT Ethiopia would like to hire consulting firm to carry out the endline survey and complete within six weeks time. The findings of this endline survey will be used as a major input for model evaluation and refining as well as comparing with the baseline. DKT designed these surveys to include the zones where the supplemental activities are conducted to determine if there is any significant differences resulting from the enhanced efforts in the pilot area. Two zones in close proximity to pilot zones, which are also part of DKT Ethiopia's regular MTA activity, will be included as control groups in the study.

 

Scope of Work:

• - This study is expected to encompass 38 market towns (for MAP) and surrounding 40 rural kebeles/EAs (for OTS) in West Arsi, Gurage, Silte Zones as well as two (2) additional zones (list of towns is annexed in the technical proposal).
• - DKT Ethiopia team has prepared the technical proposal, including methodological approach, study areas, and data collection tool for quantitative and qualitative method. The selected consulting team is expected to be involved in finalizing the research design and data collection tools with DKT team.
• - Hire enough number of interviewers and supervisors who have participated in large-scale socio-demographic surveys and can speak the local languages.
• - Provide intensive training that includes both theoretical and field (practical) training.
• - Pilot testing – in areas which are not selected for the actual study.
• - In order to guide the process, the consultant will submit the pilot data set for analysis and inception report which include interpretation and understanding of the deliverables, time frame of the task, tools to be used for collecting data (after pretesting of tools) and a summary describing the whole process and how to go about the next steps before proceeding to the actual data collection.
• - Two (2) separate reports will be produced (for MAP and OTS).

 

Key Activities and Responsibilities:

• - All interested/invited firms are expected to develop technical proposal that clearly defines the time line and methodological approach for data collection, data quality assurance technique, data entry and analysis and report writing. Include your comment and suggestion on the technical proposal (indicate your understanding and feedback on the technical proposal and survey instrument).
• - Prepare a detailed financial proposal.

 

Specific Activities After Agreement

 

a) Preparation Phase:

• - Review and finalize the study proposal including specific objectives, methodology, sampling procedures, timeline, data collection, field supervision, quality control, data entry, data analysis and reporting with DKT Team.
• - Finalize data collection tools and translate to local language/s
• - Submit the final technical approaches and tools to DKT team for approval
• - Submit operation plan/inception report

 

b) Training and Pre-testing Phase

• - Conduct pre-testing of survey tools and present the findings to DKT team and get approval for the actual data collection.
• - Train the data collection team in collaboration with DKT team

 

c) Data collection

• - Conduct field supervision and monitoring during the data collection.
• - Provide technical assistance during the data collection period.

 

d) Data processing and reporting

• - Submit data entry templates for both (MAP and OTS) to DKT team before starting data entry (using CSPro) for approval
• - Perform the data entry
• - Conduct data cleaning
• - Conduct data analysis
• - Develop draft reports and submit to DKT Ethiopia for feedback
• - Debriefing at DKT Ethiopia office
• - A final report will be produced at the end of the agreement period, five weeks

 

Deliverables:
DKT Research team will oversee the process and be responsible for accountability and guidance throughout all phases of execution, and approval of all deliverables:

 

• - Data collection tools
• - Work plan and proposed outline of the pilot test report will be submitted within one week after signing the agreement
• - Raw data sets in SPSS version and CSPro
• - Syntax used for analysis
• - Draft survey report for review
• - The Final report (both in hard and soft copies) will be submitted to DKT Ethiopia incorporating all comments and feedback. All reports should have standard report writing sections with all required annexes included. All data collection tools used (both in English and Amharic) and datasets should also be delivered to DKT Ethiopia.

 

Qualifications and Experience:

• - The consultant team shall consist of professionals and should posses a minimum of postgraduate degree in the field of health, Public Health, Development Studies, Demography/Population Studies, Statistics or related fields and should have at least 5 years of proven experience undertaking projects of similar scope. Applicants should also have excellent analytical skill.

 

Timing and Reporting:
The assignment is expected to be completed within five (5) weeks period.

 

Submission of Proposal:
Interested/Invited consultants are expected to collect technical proposal prepared by DKT team free of charge and submit proposals within the deadline. Technical and Financial proposal including, timelines and budget estimates, should be submitted in separate envelopes and should be submitted to DKT Ethiopia office in person.

 

Note: Documents such as personal profiles and other credentials with a covering letter should be included to the Technical proposal.

 

Technical and financial proposals should be submitted to DKT Ethiopia to the address given below before or on December 31, 2014 before NOON (in person).

 

Note: The DKT team will review submitted technical and financial proposals of agencies. There could be a possibility of presenting proposal at DKT office by the top three agencies to make our final decision.

 

Address:
In front of Bole Bridge, near Brass Hospital
WOMSADCO Building, 3rd floor
Tel No. 0116632222