Terms of Reference (ToR)

For a consultancy firm to conduct a Lifecycle Tracer Study for project-ASTHA

A. Background

Swisscontact, Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation, is headquartered in Zurich and was founded in 1959 by Swiss private sector and academia for sustainable development cooperation. Swisscontact promotes economic, social and ecological development by supporting people to successfully integrate into local commercial life. The focus of Swisscontact’s systemic interventions in the private sector is the strengthening of local and global value chains. Through its projects, the organisation enables access to professional training, promotes local entrepreneurship, creates access to local financial service providers and supports the efficient use of resources with the goal of successfully promoting employment and income generation.

The Swisscontact Bangladesh (SCBD) office is located in Dhaka which has the mandate to develop and maintain Swisscontact’s portfolio of development projects in Bangladesh. This Terms of Reference (TOR) relates to one such project within SCBD portfolio that focuses on improving healthcare access of rural communities through creation of skilled community paramedics. The project is branded as Achieving Sustainability Towards Healthcare Access (ASTHA).
ASHTA focuses on four major intervention areas:

Intervention Area 1: Strengthen Community Paramedic (CP) Programme and capacity of Community Paramedic Training Institutes (CPTIs)
Intervention Area 2: Enhance the capacity and service provision of Community Paramedics
Intervention Area 3: Sensitise public and private scale agents

Intervention Area 4: Mobilise communities to create awareness:

  • to change their healthcare service seeking behaviour
  • to promote Community Paramedic-based healthcare services

The project wishes to appoint a competent consultancy firm to conduct a Lifecycle Tracer Study of Community Paramedics (CP). The assignment will be conducted over a period of 3 months with a reasonable number of samples both from the selected project districts and non-project districts.

B. Objective

The purpose of the study is to trace, document and analyse the changes in the lives of former CP beneficiaries of ASTHA. The study will gain insights on the CPs’ journey from graduation to gaining employment and running a service outlet.  It will assess the attributable changes made by ASTHA in the lives of CPs and find out the key challenges that they have faced, that will allow the project to improve its performance and better plan future activities. The study will be conducted throughout 7 project districts - Nilphamari, Patukhali, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat and Barguna – and 3 other non-project districts.

Some of the more specific objectives of the assignment will be, but not limited to are:

  • Trace the former CP beneficiaries of ASTHA who have graduated and have been in employment for more than 2 years and have been receiving benefits from the project.
  • Obtain insights on the series of stages that a CP has to go through after graduation, to gain employment.
  • Document the processes that CPs adopt to start their own practices.
  • Identify the challenges and difficulties faced by CPs in gaining employment and practicing on their own.
  • Gather information on the level of quality/confidence/capability of CPs and their improvements due to project interventions
  • Identify and analyse the role of any external stakeholder/entity/groups that have made significant changes in CPs’ careers after graduation. 
  • Evaluate the extent to which the project has established CPs in project locations in comparison to the neighbouring non-project districts
  • Asses the perception of patients and communities regarding CP services and their level of satisfaction
  • Assess CP income trends/income categories/fees/patient referral trends/referral destinations etc. in project and non-project locations

C. Methodology, Sample Size & Activities

I. Methodology for the Assessment

The study will primarily be conducted on a sample of the existing Community Paramedics under the project network and community members living within the vicinity of those Paramedics. A portion of the study will also be conducted in nearby non-project districts (3) for comparative analysis. The detailed methodology for this assessment will be demonstrated by the project team.

II. Study Population:

The study population will be consisted of:

Sample Respondents Tentative Sample size
Community Paramedics (Self-Employed) 150
Community Paramedics (Salaried-Employed) 50
Patients of Community Paramedics 200
Rural Residents 500
Stakeholders of Self-Employed CPs 10
Employers of Salaried-Employed CPs 05

III. Tasks of the Consultant  

The suggested, but not limited to, specific tasks of the consultant are:

The suggested, but not limited to, specific tasks of the consultant are:

Tasks
Develop study proposal and methodology  
Prepare assessment tools
Connect with CPTIs if required
Organise and conduct training of enumerators
Conduct in-depth interviews with CPs
Coordinate and conduct Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) with rural communities.
Collect and collate qualitative and quantitative information from respondents.
Transcription/Tabulation/Analysis of Data
Preparation of draft report for feedbank
Preparation of final assessment report

IV. Role of Swisscontact (ASTHA Project Team)

  • Assist in study planning activities and provide technical assistance (as required)
  • Provide list of the Community Paramedics and their locations
  • Provide support in enumerator and supervisor training
  • Bear all costs of survey conduction (as per approved budget) 
Provide overall guidance

D. Deliverables and Timeline

The tentative timeline of the assignment is provided below.

Sl. Activities Timeline
1 Submission of detailed work plan and research questions for conducting the study 7 Days from contract signing
2 Preparation of assessment tools 5 Days from submission of work plan
3 Orientation and training of enumerators 5 days from the finalisation of assessment tools
4 Survey and Data collection 3 days from completion of enumerators training
5 Sharing of findings 22 days from completion of field assessment
6 Submission of draft report 7 days from sharing of findings

E. Required Documents

All bidding consultants/firms are required to submit the following:

  • A technical proposal (Maximum 20 pages) showing understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, assessment tools, time-line (activity plan), key staff profiles, roles and individual time to be spent in the assignment;
  • A separate financial proposal setting out a detailed budget for the assignment;
  • A summary of relevant services (particularly healthcare surveys, if any) provided during the last 3 years;
  • Submission of an organizational profile, with the CVs of key personnel who will be involved in the assignment;
  • A list of the existing clientele of the organization;
  • It is mandatory for the bidding organisations to submit documentary evidence demonstrating their legal, taxation and financial status. This includes:
  • A certificate of incorporation (for individual companies, a trade license);
  • NGO bureau registration (if applicable);
  • An organizational organogram of key personnel, inclusive of the names of such personnel;
  • Tax identification number (TIN);
  • VAT registration number;
  • Proof of a segregated account (providing the name and address of such account);
  • A signed statement testifying that all information contained within the proposal is correct and true.

F. Selection criteria

While the exact set of criteria will usually vary based on the nature of the assignment, the following criteria are generally applicable for evaluation of the potential consultant/firm:

Sl. Criteria Score 
1 Understanding of the assignment 05
2 Professional capacity to carry out the assignment (relevant skills, knowledge); 20
3 Relevant experience in similar projects and/or in the sector; 05
4 Adequate resource pool (human and financial), ability to mobilize additional resources; 15
5 Established networks relevant to the assignment; 10
6 Presentation on the proposal upon selection of shortlisted candidates. 10
7 Experience of working with Swisscontact or a similar donor funded projects; 05
8 Value for money 30
  Total 100

G. Submission Details

Interested Consultancy firm should submit the technical and financial proposals (sealed and separate) for the above-mentioned tasks by 24th November 2019 before 4:00 pm to the address mentioned below. Shortlisted candidates will be called in for a brief presentation of the proposal submitted.

Coordinator Finance and Procurement, Swisscontact
House 19, Road 11, Baridhara, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
For more information please e-mail: tamiz.mullick@swisscontact.org