Summary
Date Posted: Monday, November 01, 2021 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Consultancy to undertake Data collection for Health Facility Audit
Background
Oxfam Canada is an affiliate of the international Oxfam Confederation, networked in over 90 countries as part of a global movement for change.
Our mission is to build lasting solutions to poverty and injustice with a focus on improving the lives and promoting the rights of women and girls. We work directly with communities, partners and women’s rights organizations to challenge the systems that perpetuate inequality and keep people poor. Together we seek to influence those in power to ensure that women trapped in poverty have a say in the critical decisions that affect them, their families and entire communities.
Oxfam Canada’s Her Future Her Choice (HFHC) project is a direct intervention to progress Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique Zambia and Canada. The project encompasses activities in the areas of education, services and advocacy, responding to a direct need for information, services, and social change. Together with local organizations, we are putting sexual and reproductive health decision-making back in the hands of young women and adolescent girls.
Timeframe and deliverables
The consultant will be responsible for conducting data collection for the Health System Assessment across 37 health facilities in the following districts: Namwala (15), Itezhi Tezhi (3), Chibomba (16) and Chisamba (3). The consultant is responsible for the planning, implementing, and overall coordination of the survey, including survey logistics and timelines, training data collectors and supervisors, monitoring progress and supervising fieldwork. The consultant will produce a report on the field data collection.
Method of data collection: in-person interviews and direct observation, and all data will be collected digitally using SurveyCTO. However, in some country setting COVID-19 may pose restrictions for in-person data collection and phone-based interview may be an alternative. The decision to switch to phone-based interview must be approved by both Point of Contact at Oxfam Canada and Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia well in advance.
Smart device for data collection: The Point of Contact in Zambia will make available the smart devices for data collection, and shall be returned to Oxfam at the end of the assignment.
Data Collection tools: The survey forms will be pre-programmed onto SurveyCTO by Oxfam Canada. The Consultant will be provided with the final paper survey for reference. The Consultant must ensure that the programmed survey on SurveyCTO (English and local language versions) do not have any errors. The Consultant is responsible for conducting pilot tests and ensuring no errors in the SurveyCTO versions.
Number of survey forms: 1
• Survey form # 1 – Health Facility Audit

Consultant Responsibilities
In terms of preparation and planning for data collection, the following are the consultant’s responsibilities:
• The consultant will prepare and acquire necessary approval(s) from Ministry of Health or other key stakeholders to conduct assessment with health care providers and clients. Each Oxfam team has already established relationships with Ministry of Health and district officials. The consultant should consult with the Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia prior to starting this process.
• Translation of the survey tools. Point of Contact at Oxfam Canada will provide the templates to translate the survey tools.
Consultant must provide minimum 5 business days to allow for the translations to be uploaded onto SurveyCTO.
• Pre-test and pilot all tools (questionnaires and SurveyCTO) prior to beginning training and data collection activities.
Consultant must provide minimum 7 business days to have these changes incorporated onto SurveyCTO survey forms.
• Recruit, hire and train enumerators and/or research team with skills needed to collect data. Ensure compliance with the survey guidance provided by Oxfam.
• Develop operations plan and fieldwork timelines, adapting as necessary throughout the study timeline. Coordinate with Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia on these logistics.
• Ensure submission and approval from relevant in-country ethics and/or research approval boards for the study as required.
Consultant must submit the final ethics or research approval to Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia person prior to starting data collection.
• Ensure the enumerators and/or research team have access to appropriate materials to carry out data collection.
• Ensure data collection smart devices are set up and SurveyCTO software is properly installed and working, and data management system is established.
In terms of Training enumerators, the following are the consultant’s responsibilities:
• Develop training materials, including agenda and slides, coordinate, facilitate and lead training for enumerators and/or research team in accordance with the guidance provided by Oxfam team.
• Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia will be the first person to address any questions or clarifications required by consultant. Point of Contract at Oxfam Canada will be available for additional support.
• Train enumerators and/or research team on data collection tools, SurveyCTO, smart device usage for data collection and data quality assurance measures.
If any changes to the protocol or tools is required, coordinate with the Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia. If the changes are significant then Point of Contact at Oxfam Canada must approve the changes prior to implementation.
Ensure enumerators have clinical knowledge and experience.
In terms of Field work for data collection, the following are the consultant’s responsibilities:
• Liaise with Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia to establish contact with administrative and traditional authorities in district or community to notify them of the study, obtain their cooperation, and thank them when leaving.
• Liaise with Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia to arrange and manage field work and data collection.
• Monitor and oversee all field operations in order to ensure adherence to survey protocols and timelines for completion.
• Review and validate collected data (in the field prior to leaving a survey zone).
• Conduct data quality assurance checks, including daily monitoring of responses (e.g., verifying data is logical, consistent and complete). Alert supervisors so that enumerators can be supported and advised about their errors and corrective actions.
• Conduct re-entry of data and/or re-training on data collection procedures, if required.
Maintain detailed field notes.
In terms of Post-fieldwork, the following are the consultant’s responsibilities:
• Coordinate with the Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia to indicate completion of data collection.
• Conduct a review session with the Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia and Point of Contact at Oxfam Canada to identify any data entry errors or issues. Document in-detail any re-entry of data or errors if necessary to be edited on SurveyCTO. The consultant will not be able to edit the raw data. The editing of raw data will be done by Point of Contact at Oxfam Canada.
• Submit a summary report regarding the field work and any relevant field notes.
• Respecting Autonomy of Survey Respondents
The consultant must ensure that the autonomy of the survey respondents is respected. This would include:
• Providing survey participants with sufficient information to make an informed decision as to whether to take part in the survey (informed consent) both before and after the interview.
• Ensuring that participants are not subject to coercion to take part or penalty for not taking part, including reassurance that there is no risk to their employment by participating, nor that their performance will be shared with anyone.
• Ensuring that participants are aware that they are free to withdraw at any point without giving a reason and without prejudice.
• Protecting and respecting personal data provided by participants through rigorous and appropriate procedures to ensure confidentiality and privacy.
• In case of phone-based interviews, ensuring that the participants are in a safe location and/or cannot be overheard by anyone is essential. Ensuring that the participant can answer the survey and not result in any harm to the individual is important.
Quality Control
The consultant will use SurveyCTO for data collection. If consultant uses paper-based survey for convenience (ex. for Client-Provider Direct Observation surveys) then the consultant must ensure that all data is transferred onto SurveyCTO. Survey tools will be programmed onto SurveyCTO by Oxfam Canada team. The consultant will be provided with the final paper survey for reference. The consultant must ensure that the programmed survey on SurveyCTO (English and local language versions) do not have any errors. The consultant is responsible for identifying any skip patterns errors to the Point of Contact at Oxfam in Zambia. Final survey entries with errors will be re-sampled by the consultant without additional payment/reimbursement. A quality control tasks will be discussed with the successful Consultant during the inception meeting.
Deliverables
The deliverables for this consultancy include the completion of data collection in the targeted districts as well as production of a report to be approved by BOTH the Point of Contact at Oxfam Canada and Zambia. The Consultant will also provide insights and context-specific perspectives on data-sense making.
Oxfam Policies
The consultant must abide by following Oxfam’s policies. A copy of these policies will be provided as part of the ToR or contract to the consultant. In addition, the contact details for the local Safeguarding Focal Point person will be provided.
• One Oxfam Child Safeguarding Policy
• One Oxfam Policy on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
• Oxfam GB Survivor Policy
World Health Organization (WHO) health-care waste management guidelines
A section of the Health Facility Audit survey is regarding waste management at health facilities. The following WHO resource provides all required details to conduct this piece of assessment: https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/facilities/waste/training_modules_waste_management/en/
Profile of the Consultant(s)
The tools within this assessment are complex, and they require the data collector and assessment team to have medical or clinical knowledge and experience, in particular Sexual and Reproductive Health. Typically, for this assessment a research team will consist of at least three people.
The person observing the client-provider interaction should have clinical training (e.g., doctor, nurse, midwife, etc.), and the client exit interviews should be performed by a social scientist with interview experience. Since the facility audit requires the researcher to examine medical equipment and to interview the manager of the facility, the person administering this instrument should have a clinical background and possess interviewing skills.
Highly desirable competencies:
• Current or previous experience in the local health system or school of public health or university.
• Familiarity with public health system, local health staff.
• Knowledge of the geographic area where the survey will be conducted.
• Experience using SurveyCTO or any other ODK platform, and field data collection. Desirable to have experience in similar health facility audit.
Submission and Evaluation of Proposals
Consultants meeting the above criteria are invited to submit a proposal by email to with the subject line: “Health Facility Audit 2021 Proposal”. Proposals should be no longer than eight (8) pages, and include both technical details (methodology and process) and financial information. Note that the budget proposal should only include professional fees related to the level of effort (number of days, daily rates in Zambian kwacha, and number of hours expected to undertake the assignment). All costs related to travel and field work logistics will be handled by the Point of Contact – Oxfam in Zambia.
Include contact information for two NGOs or organizations as references. Please submit an example of prior work along with the proposal; a cover letter outlining relevant years of experience in data collection, Health Facility Audit and Quality of Care Assessments, relevant geographies, SurveyCTO and other relevant research capabilities; biodata of the Lead Consultant and/or any other member of the research team and please specify if someone has clinical/medical background and/or experience with similar assessments. Also provide a statement indicating the Consultant’s average weekly availability for the duration of the contract and flexibility for an extended period should delays arise due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please submit your application to hrzambia@oxfam.org.uk, using job reference number OX/HFHC/02/21. In your application, please ensure that you address your suitability as stipulated by the ToRs. Applications should be received before or on November 9, 2021. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.
Oxfam is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, vulnerable young people and adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those that are suitable to work within our values are recruited to work for us. This post is subject to a range of screening checks and consenting to Code of Conduct and Child Protection Policy.

Education Requirement: No Requirements

Job Experience: No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

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Job application procedure
To apply for this job email your details to hrzambia@oxfam.org.uk

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