Consultant Request for Application

Scoping Exercise on Adolescent Nutrition in Bangladesh

Anticipated Period of Performance:  May 1, 2019 – May 31, 2019 (10 days Level of Effort)

Introduction

Alive & Thrive (A&T) is a global nutrition initiative to save lives, prevent illness, and ensure healthy growth of mothers and children. From 2009­­–2014, A&T demonstrated that rapid improvements in infant and young child feeding (IYCF) are possible in settings as diverse as Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Viet Nam. In 2014, A&T began working in Burkina Faso, India, Nigeria, and throughout the Southeast Asia region, expanding its scope to include maternal and adolescent nutrition, and using agriculture and social protection programs as delivery mechanisms for maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN). Currently, A&T is leveraging its robust network and knowledge base to strengthen systems and build capacity in these and other countries across Africa and Asia, and disseminate innovations, tools, and lessons worldwide. A&T is managed by FHI 360 with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other donors.

 The overarching goal of A&T is to accelerate effective coverage at scale of key nutrition interventions in priority geographies. In Bangladesh, A&T contributes to this goal through strengthening systems for MIYCN interventions by providing technical assistance to government, development partners, and other stakeholders to accelerate delivery. A&T’s priority is to support the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) to achieve nutrition-related disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs) in two divisions (Chattogram and Sylhet) in collaboration with the World Bank and UNICEF, and use those lessons to inform replication, scale and sustainability through the National Nutrition Services Operational Plan (NNS-OP) in the remaining six divisions. In parallel, A&T will implement a learning agenda to test innovations to improve MIYCN services in urban settings, and to better understand and address the determinants of adolescent behaviors. A&T will also conduct program and policy advocacy to strengthen BMS code monitoring, and align with partners on how to ensure GOB readiness for World Health Assembly targets.

Background

Over the past decade, Bangladesh has made remarkable strides improving health and nutrition for mothers and families. Under-five mortality has declined from 144 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 38 per 1,000 live births in 2015, and stunting rates have declined from 43 percent in 2007 to 36 percent in 2014. A significant driver of these successes has been improving key nutrition practices. Recently, successful infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and maternal nutrition programs have shown that key household practices can be scaled up with speed and impact. In just four years, for example, Bangladesh increased exclusive breastfeeding from 44 percent to 88 percent in A&T program areas.

Despite progress, however, there is a powerful missing link in current efforts to create lasting improvements in nutrition and health across generations: supporting good nutrition for adolescents. In Bangladesh, the majority of public health interventions have either focused on children aged 0–5 years or on pregnant women, and to some extent on lactating women. Although the importance of nutritional status of adolescent girls is often talked about, insufficient attention has been paid to nutrition programming targeting adolescent girls in developing countries.

To better understand the adolescent nutrition landscape in Bangladesh, A&T is seeking a consultant who will conduct a scoping exercise on the adolescent nutrition policy, research and program context in Bangladesh.

Scope of Work

Objective:

The consultant will produce a report that summarizes the adolescent policy, research and program context in Bangladesh. A&T will provide a draft set of scoping questions to guide the content necessary for inclusion in the report. The consultant should finalize the scoping questions, and then cull information to respond to the scoping questions through a combination of desk review and key informant interviews.

Specific Tasks for the Consultant:

1. Finalize list of scoping questions.
2. Prepare list of stakeholders working in adolescent health and/or nutrition.
3. Conduct desk research to summarize relevant research projects, policies and programs related to adolescent health and nutrition in Bangladesh.
4. Conduct key informant interviews with stakeholders working in adolescent health and/or nutrition.
5. Compile information into a scoping report.

Technical direction and approval: Dr. Santhia Ireen, Senior Technical Advisor (MIYCN) and Deputy Country Director A&T Bangladesh.

Payment Terms

Alive & Thrive anticipates issuing a Daily/Hourly Rate contract to the offeror(s) whose proposal is most advantageous.  Payments will be based on actual hours worked on approved activities.  Certified invoices will be submitted on a routine basis and payments will be contingent on financial review of the invoice and appropriate progress toward deliverables.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• At least a master’s degree or its equivalent in one of the following or related fields:  Public Health, Human Nutrition, International Health; and MBBS.
• Fluent in English and Bangla.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Experience:

• At least 5 -12 years of working in international agencies/UN services and or working in/ with national health and nutrition services of Bangladesh in adolescent nutrition programs including experiences at both policy/strategy and implementation level.

• Experience in research work and technical input to strengthen nutrition component of adolescent nutrition
• Comprehensive knowledge of implementation of nutrition project.
• Ability to influence, motivate, negotiate, and work well with others
• Relevant computer software skills (including, at a minimum, the standard applications in MS Office).

Proposal Instructions and Deadline

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply for the freelance consultancy. Please submit a technical proposal along with a CV detailing your experience and suitability for the role to smabdullah@fhi360.org and copy to zmahmud@fhi360.org no later than April 25, 2019, 2017 at 5 p.m. (Dhaka time). Applications that do not clearly address the suitability of the candidate for this specific position will not be reviewed. Offers received after this date and time will not be accepted for consideration. FHI 360 will acknowledge receipt of your proposal by email. Proposals must be submitted in electronic format.

Any questions or requests for clarification need to be submitted in writing to the same email addresses by April 21, 2019 at 5 p.m. (Dhaka time).  Answers will be shared with all firms. No telephone inquiries will be answered.

In order to be considered, PROPOSALS must include the following:

1. Capability Statement – (not to exceed 1 page) indicating, educational qualification and relevant past experiences as per RFP.
2. List of your relevant achievements in brief
3. Approach and Strategy - A brief tentative plan, strategy and approach how you will perform the tasks (not to exceed 3 pages)
4. CV
5. Completed Biodata Sheet, including Proposed Rate completed (Click here to get Biodata sheet)
6. Three references with contact information
7. Email address to allow Alive & Thrive to confirm receipt of the submission

Criteria for Evaluation

Technical and Cost Scores (100 points max)

1. Quality and level of experience in urban health/nutrition programs – 50 points
2. Quality of tentative work plan, strategy, approach, and justifications for the proposed strategy and plan – 20 points
3. Cost proposal – proposed daily/hourly rate – 20 points
4. References and Past Performance – 10 points

Withdrawal of Proposals

• Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice, email or facsimile received at any time before award.

Termination of Contract

• FHI 360, Alive & Thrive has the right to terminate the contract at any time during the contract period with 30-day notice period.

False Statements in Offer

• Offerors must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and its attachments.
• Proposals become the property of FHI 360.

Award and Notification of Selected Proposals

• FHI 360 will not compensate offerors for preparation of their response to this RFP. Issuing this RFP is not a guarantee that FHI 360 will award a contract.
• FHI 360 reserves the right to issue a contract based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion.
• FHI 360 may choose to award a contract for part of the activities in the RFP.
• FHI 360 may choose to award a contract to more than one offeror for specific parts of the activities in the RFP.
• Special attention will be paid to clearly define the inputs required from FHI 360 to ensure satisfactory implementation of the assignment. FHI 360 may request from short-listed offerors a second or third round of either oral presentation or written response to a more specific and detailed scope of work that is based on the general scope of work in the original RFP.
• FHI 360 has the right to rescind this RFP or rescind an award prior to the signing of a contract due to any unforeseen changes in the direction of FHI 360' client, be it funding or programmatic.
• FHI 360 reserves the right to waive any deviations by offerors from the requirements of this solicitation that in FHI 360’s opinion are considered not to be material defects requiring rejection or disqualification; or where such a waiver will promote increased competition and if such action is considered to be in the best interest of FHI 360’s client organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Please do not include examples of your work although you may include a website(s) for us to review that reflects your work. If FHI 360 requires additional materials, we will request those materials during the review process.
• Should FHI 360 choose to make an award, all deliverables produced under said award shall be considered the property of FHI 360.
• Should FHI 360 choose to make an award, assignment from award of contract will be subject you to normal tax liability in Bangladesh. Kindly contact the concerned tax authorities for further information in this regard if required.