Kingdom of Lesotho
Ministry of Health
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
(Consulting Services- Individual Selection)
Individual Consultant to Support Development of National Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) System.
Terms of reference
REF: LS-MOH-269371-CS-INDV-LNHSS-2022
BACKGROUND
Strengthening the national nutrition program is one of the priorities in Lesotho as this will address the drivers of all forms of malnutrition and consequently maximize human capital development for long term economic growth. The Lesotho Food and Nutrition Strategy and Costed Action Plan (LNFSP) was developed to address the high prevalence of chronic and micronutrient malnutrition, heavy reliance on food imports and a need to address the current food and nutrition security scenario as well as to improve on the enabling nutrition policy environment. The Government of Lesotho is implementing the Lesotho Nutrition and Health Systems Strengthening Project (LNHSSP) that has been funded by the World Bank to accelerate efforts in the area of nutrition and health towards reducing malnutrition amongst women and children and eradicate all forms of stunting among children 0 to 5 years old for five years (2021 to 2026). The project has defined 3 priority components, namely on: (i) strengthening community nutrition and health service provision; (ii) strengthening quality of district level clinical health services; (iii) and strengthening government stewardship, project management, and National Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation System.
As the office mandated with coordinating the national nutrition program, the Food and Nutrition Coordinating Office (FNCO) will be responsible for the implementation of some subcomponents within LNHSSP. The project is to support FNCO establish an integrated National Nutrition M&E system with the integral components such as establishing the nutrition database, and data processing elements, up to capacitating the end users on utilization of the data. This National Nutrition M&E system within FNCO will be used to monitor and track nutrition program performance at the national and sub-national levels.
The Government of Lesotho subscribes to achieving the global, regional and national nutrition targets. However, it lacks a robust M&E system to inform the performance.
The building blocks for the nutrition surveillance system includes; Multi-sectoral Nutrition Plan, M&E framework with clear indicators (both qualitative and quantitative), Data Management Tools, Database/repository and Human Resources to manage the M&E (data collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination/reporting). Currently the various sectors are collecting sector nutrition information/data in an uncoordinated manner. The Health sector through DHIS are collecting nutrition specific data routinely e.g birth weights and weight for age. Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Education are collecting nutrition sensitive data e.g. NISSA, dietary diversity and food security and number of learners who benefitted from school feeding programme). Lesotho already has the multi-sectoral National Food and Nutrition Strategy and Costed Action Plan costed Strategy with clear indicators.
The major issues are related to untimely, unreliable, inconsistent and or unavailable and inaccessible data, and weaknesses in analyzing, reporting and disseminating data, culminating to low utilization of critical information. FNCO therefore, needs to develop and implement a robust National Nutrition M&E System that will enhance sustainability, efficiency, impact, effectiveness, coherence and relevance of programming. FNCO is in the process of establishing the M&E TWG that will work with the consultants and will proceed to guide the implementation of the system.
OBJECTIVES OF THIS CONSULTANCY
The following objectives were set:
- To establish a fully functional National Food and Nutrition M&E plan including leading the development of M&E tools, platforms and methods that are appropriate to the scope, context, and technical requirements of FNCO.
- To build capacity of FNCO to track the performance of the National Food and Nutrition program against the Lesotho Food and Nutrition Strategy and Costed Action Plan and Multi-sectoral nutrition operational plan.
Scope of work
The scope will include developing the M&E plan and its accompanying guidelines and standard operational procedures. Among others, the consultant will work closely with the surveillance team to:
- Develop the National Food and Nutrition M&E plan including the theory of change, logical framework, M&E tools and develop a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework in line with the 12 twelve components of the functioning M&E system;
- Develop and facilitate validation of a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plan with clear indicators, data collection methods and timelines;
- Establish a Food and Nutrition coordination mechanisms to manage comprehensive range of M&E activities, including performance tracking, accountability, evaluation and reporting
SPECIFIC ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE CONSULTANT
- The consultant will conduct M&E need identification in a form of desk review among the relevant sectors (including that of district level) and identify M&E capacity gaps;
- Identify data gaps and provide recommendations for what information needs be collected, captured, analyzed and evaluated in order to monitor relevant indicators;
- Develop sector specific monitoring and evaluation framework in consultation with FNCO, the sectors and other stakeholders;
- Based on the framework develop simple and user category wise monitoring format and its guidelines and SOPS to be used in monitoring process;
- Establish process, output, outcome and impact level indicators for progress monitoring and develop data collection tools;
- Validate the data collection tools;
- Prepare annual monitoring and evaluation plan in consistent with M&E Framework;
- Conduct pilot exercise to assess application practically of the National and Food Nutrition M&E plan and measure the baseline;
- Develop standardised training package for Technical Working Group;
Deliverables
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- National Food and Nutrition M&E desk review Report;
- National Food and Nutrition M&E Plan;
- Standard Operating Procedures;
- National Food and Nutrition M&E data collection and reporting tools;
- Report on piloting M&E reporting tools;
- Training Package.
DURATION
The assignment is for a period of 3 months and the consultant is expected to work full time.
SCHEDULE OF PAYMENT
| Stage | Payment |
| Deliverables 1: Inception Report | 5% |
| Deliverables 2: National Food and Nutrition M&E desk review Report and National Food and Nutrition M&E Plan | 40% |
| Deliverables 3: Standard Operating Procedures | 10% |
| Deliverables 4: National Food and Nutrition M&E data collection and reporting tools | 30% |
| Deliverables 6: Report on piloting M&E reporting tools | 5% |
| Deliverables 7: Training Package | 10% |
The consultant will be paid upon contingent upon timely submission of agreed deliverables as approved by the Director and presentation of relevant claim documentation approved by the project.
REPORTING
The consultant shall report to and receive technical guidance from the Director Food and Nutrition Coordinating Office. The Project Coordinator will be responsible for managing the contract.
RESOURCES
The Consultant will be provided with the following resources:
- Office space for the development work with office related accessories (reliable Wi-Fi, office furniture);
- All available relevant documents that may be required.
DUTY STATION
Maseru Lesotho, with not more than 2 field trips if need arises.
PROFILE OF THE FIRM
Required qualifications
Master’s Degree in the field of Nutrition, Monitoring and Evaluation, Public Health Economics, or Statistics.
Experience
- Minimum 10 (ten) years of experience in Monitoring and Evaluation practice.
- Excellent knowledge of Lesotho nutrition landscape and programs.
- Proven experience (from previous similar assignments) in development of M&E systems, tools and frameworks.
- Experience in research methodologies, statistics, data collection and documentation.
- Demonstrated ability to develop data collection tools, conduct assessments, analyze data and write reports.
- Strong analytical thinking and excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work confidently across a variety of stakeholders and levels.
- Strong communication, facilitation and negotiation skills.
- Fluency in Sesotho and English is essential, both oral and written
SUBMISSION OF THE PROPOSAL
Proposal Submission
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn from the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011 (revised July 2014). (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1600 hours from Monday to Friday. All applications should be in English and must be properly filled in and be couriered with the subject “Expression of Interest for “Individual Consultant to Support Development of National Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) System” or hand delivered to the below address. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below in person, on or before 25th August, 2023 1200-hour Local time.
Attn: Procurement Specialist at Procurement Unit, Ground Floor, Ministry of Health Headquarters, Corner Constitution Road & Linare Road P. O. Box 514, Maseru 100, Lesotho, Tel: (+266) 27323277/58881521