Expression of Interest Needed at PCI

Job Position Expression of Interest at PCI

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST TO CONDUCT SCHOOL FEEDING SUSTAINABILITY STUDY

Introduction

Project Concern International, a Global Communities Partner (PCI)’s integrated school feeding program, called Food for Education (FFE III), is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition (MGD) program. Since 2016, the program has provided school meals for more than 200,000 students in the Mara Region, Tanzania. The school feeding model relied first on food importation from the United States, while simultaneously building capacity for local communities to manage and implement the program. Beginning of January 2020, food was no longer imported, and the program relies entirely on community contributions, either in the form of 1) voluntary parent and community groups contributions or 2) harvest from school farms and gardens.

Study Objective and Methodology

The School Feeding Study aims to understand the enabling factors for sustained community-led school feeding, which is defined as consistent and adequate meals in schools provided by local communities (either parents, community groups, and/or producers). The School Feeding Study will be conducted by an external study team and has the following objectives:

• To identify factors promoting or hindering parents’ and community provision of food for school meals,
• Determine whether schools that have sustained community-led school feeding can influence student outcomes such as school enrollment and attendance.
• Identify, document, and prepare 2-3 case studies from successful community-led school-feeding models.

The school feeding study will utilize a mixed method (quantitative and qualitative), doer/non doer approach, cross-sectional design to answer the research questions above and plus any additional evaluative learning questions deemed relevant by PCI and the consultant.

Consultant Deliverables.

1. Prepare for inception report and study protocol.
2. Develop all necessary data collection instruments.
3. Obtain study approval for all relevant GoT partners (NBS, COSTECH, PORLAG, etc.).
4. Prepare materials for training and lead 3-day enumerator training and field test.
5. Build surveys into mobile data collection platform and collect, clean and analyses all data.
6. Collect qualitative data program schools in Bunda, Butiama and Musoma, and translate all transcripts into English.
7. Prepare a final study report summarizing the methodology, limitations, results, conclusions, and recommendations in response to the study questions.
8. Prepare study highlight paper (1-2 page).
9. Document 3 case studies from successful community led school feeding models.

Consultant Qualifications

The consultant(s) should have a good understanding and experience in the national school feeding sector plans and systems, and National education policies and strategies. The suitable candidate should possess a minimum of masters training in social / education and /or health sciences or related field, and have a minimum of five years’ experience in assessing education and development programs with:

1. Experience in administering and evaluating school-based programs
2. Extensive experience leading project evaluations using quantitative and qualitative data
3. Extensive experience conducting data collection in Kiswahili and ability to communicate effectively in English,
4. Knowledgeable of the Tanzanian context
5. Experience evaluating projects funded by the U.S. government/USDA strongly preferred.
6. Experience conducting observational research studies that involve human subjects
7. Expertise in doer/non-doer analysis

Submission Information

Interested candidates should submit the following by June 20, 2021: a) Letter of interest describing qualifications, b) CV of key team members, and c) A list of previous, relevant study/evaluations with the date and client contact information. Please send an electronic copy of the materials with the subject line “School Feeding Sustainability Study” by email to Wilfred Donath, wdonath@pciglobal.org, and Jennifer Simpson, jsimpson@globalcommunities.org. Any questions or clarification questions should be 5 submitted in writing through the same emails above.