National Consultancy - UNJPGE III Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Study (Open to Malawian Nationals Only)
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BACKGROUND
The government of Malawi has committed to ensuring that girls and boys realize their rights to quality, inclusive and equitable education, and acquire life skills so that they become more productive and innovative, and attain their full potential. Despite this, the realization of the right to education is a challenge. Children in Malawi, particularly girls and the most vulnerable, face multiple barriers that prevent their access to inclusive quality education and alternative learning pathways; these include poor-quality schooling, poor food and nutrition, inadequate protection against sexual and physical violence, harmful social and traditional practices and violations of sexual and reproductive rights. To support government address these barriers and promote sustainable solutions to improving access to quality education, the United Nations (UN) in Malawi has secured funding through the Royal Norwegian Embassy and is supporting the government to implement a four-year multi-sectoral Joint Programme on Girls Education (UNJPGE III) that addresses education, nutrition, safety, and integrated sexual and reproductive health concerns in a holistic manner and also focusing on other aspects such as life skills, gender equality, and community engagement. Beyond the school, the program also focuses on the out-of-school adolescent girls and boys and ensure they are not left behind through supporting the delivery of alternative learning pathways and promoting access to essential services. UNJPGE III is implemented in four targeted districts of Dedza, Mangochi, Salima, and Kasungu, and three United Nations agencies (WFP, UNICEF, and UNFPA) are providing technical support. The program goal is to address barriers to access to quality education for girls and boys and ensure the achievement of inclusive and equitable access to education.
The UNJPGE III is a follow-up of the UNJPGE I and II. JPGE had its first phase from 2014-2017 (JPGE I - Improving access and quality of education for girls in Malawi). The second phase (JPGE II was from 2018 to 2020- Poverty Reduction through improved Quality Education and Basic life skills for in and Out of School Adolescent Girls in Malawi). While the first phase focused on the building and piloting of a multi-sectoral model to improve girls’ education, the second phase focused on the expansion of the model and most importantly placed emphasis on strengthening the role of the government in coordination and implementation of the program. Most of the interventions were implemented through the District councils and with the support and oversight of six participating ministries. The integrated and multi-sectoral approach of the program in identifying and addressing barriers to education remains central to the program even within the UNJPGE III. It looks to strengthen the integration of the results framework and promotes the adoption of comprehensive outcomes, key interventions to avoid duplication and foster further synergies, and a robust sustainability strategy.
The program aligns with the Malawi Growth Development Strategy (MGDS III 2017-2022), and the goals in key sectoral policies and strategies, particularly the National Education Sector Investment Plan (NESIP). The program directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Coordination Framework (UNSDGCE 2019-2023) particularly Pillar 2, Population Management and Inclusive Human Development. The program aims to facilitate and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, having a clear potential as an SDG accelerator, building on interlinkages among the goals. Specifically, the program will contribute to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). It adopts a more gender transformative approach and focuses on girls as well as boys and most vulnerable and marginalized children both in and out of school. It will ensure that boys are actively engaged so they can be champions in promoting gender equality.
The three key outcome areas of the program are; 1) Increased access to quality and inclusive education by girls, boys, and adolescents (especially the most vulnerable) delivered through integrated services in a safe and gender transformative school, that enhances learning outcomes; 2) Increased access to complementary alternative learning and life skills and integrated services by girls and boys out of school and; 3) Increased investment and support for education, life skills, health and nutrition of children and adolescents in and out-of-school by communities, parents and education stakeholders.
Social behavior change communication has been determined as a key strategy for achieving social behavior related results across the key outcomes including improvements in knowledge, attitude, and practices around access to inclusive quality and equitable education among different stakeholders; parents, learners ( and learners with special needs), opinion leaders, teachers, mother groups and all other key influencers. The program takes into consideration the changing environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore will work to also mainstream preventive and response measures of the pandemic.
UNICEF, UNFPA, and WFP seek to hire a consultant to conduct a Baseline KAP study that will be used to assess improvements in communities’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices in regards to creating demand to access quality inclusive and equitable education including for alternative pathways and serve as a benchmark against which project outcomes will be measured during implementation and after project completion.
JUSTIFICATION
UNJPGE I and II demonstrated the importance of working with communities in improving access to education. Community members, especially parents/guardians, local leaders, cultural and religious leaders have been highlighted as key in influencing behavior change. A strong community engagement, through the active participation in various structures, for instance, mother groups, school management committees, child protection, and food committees contributed to promoting positive behavior. An evaluation of the JPGE[1] demonstrated that JPGE did not manage to sufficiently engage parents, as a result, they were not committed to their daughters’ education. These noted gaps in parental support towards girls’ education were observed and addressed through strengthening engagement with parent-focused school-based structures. UNJPGE III will continue to strengthen parents’ engagement including through mainstreaming parent-child communication to reaching out to guardians and adolescents. Parents are considered an integral part in influencing the direction their children take especially in education. Many of the issues affecting girls’ education are rooted in mindsets and cultural practices in the community and in UNJPGE III the assumption is that if communities will not adopt the program goals, the achievement of the program will be minimal. Broadly, the UNJPGE III has a strong element of community involvement to support breaking socio-cultural barriers, ensure value of education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition, and gender equality as reflected across the program outcomes, and strengthen ownership and leadership. The role that social behavior change communication plays have shifted from raising awareness as conceptualized in the UNJPGE I and II to facilitating engagement focused on promoting behavior change and sustainability bottom-up in UNJPGE III. UNJPGE III will reinforce efforts to engage with communities in ways that facilitate their direct involvement and coming up with local solutions to support access to education and other services, especially for the most vulnerable children including adolescent girls.
Broad indicators and targets for tracking Social Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) results have been developed based on the reviews of the UNJPGE I and II. However, to be more accurate and to effectively measure results and effectiveness of the social behavior change communication component of the program to change behaviors and practice, the baseline (reference value) for use in tracking implementation progress and considering the changing roles of the community (men and women) needs to be established. Further, this has to take into account the COVID-19 pandemic situation on the implementation of SBCC programs.
The UN agencies within the UNJPGE III are therefore seeking the services of a qualified consulting individual to design and conduct a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice study and, based on the results, guide on the specific indicators to be used in line with the key program outcome and output areas.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The overall purpose of the KAP study is to generate baseline evidence that will inform tracking of progress and assessment of the SBCC component of the UNJPGE III including providing benchmark information and defining targets for measuring program progress, achievements, effectiveness, quality of change, and impact with respect to program objectives and expected outputs.
The consultancy is to design and conduct a knowledge, attitude, and practice study around access to inclusive quality and equitable education including on alternative learning pathways, safe learning environment, and social services provided at the school platform; school meals, sexual reproductive health services, adolescent nutrition, and hygiene services as defined in the UNJPGE III program outcomes. The consultancy will also support the preparation of the UNJPGE III evaluation.
[1] United Nations, March 2019, Decentralised Evaluation: Evaluation of the Joint Programme for Girls Education (July 2014 -October 2017), pp ix
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SCOPE OF WORK/OBJECTIVES
The objective of conducting a KAP-baseline study is to capture the knowledge, perceptions, and practice of learners including children with disabilities, parents/guardians, community, and school-based structures.
Specific objectives include the following:
- To assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding education for school-aged group 10- 18 years including children with disabilities, among parents, guardians, learners, communities, local authorities, and religious leaders and school-based structures including Parent Teacher Associations, Mothers’ Groups, food committees and child protection committees
- To identify the determining factors of parental attitudes and practices related to the education of school-aged group 10-18 years including children with disabilities
- To assess the current practice of parents/guardians and school structures in protecting learners and creating demand for additional social services delivered at the school level, especially for girls, and from any risks in and around school activities ( school meals, nutrition education, and weekly iron and Folic Acid supplementation, Menstrual Hygiene and Management, Safe schools and Reproductive Health)
- To assess the attitudes and practices among parents, guardians, learners, communities, local authorities and religious leaders, and school-based structures regarding violence against children
- To examine the current involvement of parents/guardians in decision-making and their capacity in promoting education
- To provide recommendations for social behavior change communication interventions for successful removing the barriers identified
Study Assumption
The major assumption regarding the interrelationship between KAP are as follows:
- Positive practices regarding children’s education are largely the function of positive attitudes
- Positive attitudes regarding children’s education are the functions of awareness of contemporary child rights issues, value of education, awareness of opportunities, and access to such opportunities
- Awareness and value factors are largely the functions of parents’ ability to communicate apart from their literacy, social-economic status, and culture.
- For positive practices, either the determinants can be altered or relevant programs can be introduced to minimize the effects of such determinants. impact of poverty is minimized.
The KAP study will focus but not be limited to
- Education (primary, inclusive, alternative pathways- benefits and value)
- Readmission
- Safe learning
- Access and provision of social services; nutrition, health/SRH, HPV vaccination, and sanitation and hygiene, safe learning including knowledge of access points and perceptions of the services offered
- Attitude and perceptions on issues affecting education ie dropouts, teenage pregnancies, early marriage, and absenteeism
- Child rights, inclusive education, and Gender equality values and dimension
- Boys/male involvement
- Community participation and capacity strengthening
- Integration and coordination of SBCC approaches and systems
Methodology and Technical Approach
The technical proposal submitted by the consultant organization should include the organization’s proposed methodology for conducting the surveys, noting how each various stakeholder group (parents, teachers, community leaders, etc.) will be interviewed/addressed. The consultant organization is expected to prepare a detailed work plan with a tentative timeframe, which will be agreed with UNICEF and the UNJPGE III M&E Task Team, which is comprised of staff members from all three participating UN Agencies.
The methodology should cover the following items (non-exhaustive list):
Sample definition: representative sample of all groups to be included in the survey, taking into consideration that the target population would include adolescents 14 years and above (population 14+ years).
Data collection and analysis
- Given the purpose of the KAP survey, separate questionnaires need to be developed to collect data from all relevant groups - adolescent boys and girls, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders.
- Options on conducting the data collection, taking into considerations limitations imposed by the current
situation stemming from the spread of COVID-19;
- Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the collected data
Ethical considerations
The consulting organization is required to clearly identify any potential ethical issue, as well as the processes for ethical review and oversight of the data collection process in their proposal. UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation, Data Collection, and Analysis can be found at: https://www.unicef.org/media/54796/file. The procedure should be consistently applied throughout the research process. The procedure contains the minimum standards and required procedures for research, evaluation, and data collection and analysis undertaken or commissioned by UNICEF (including activities undertaken by individual and institutional contractors, and partners).
As noted above, considering the specific circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the methodology of the survey must take into account the Government measures introduced to prevent/contain virus transmission and be valid at the time of conducting the data collection. This may potentially mean that the data collection will have to be conducted remotely via phone or online. As part of the technical proposal, agencies are required to propose details of their technical approach to achieve the major deliverables.
The consultant will work closely with UNICEF, UNFPA, and WFP in the design of the study that will target Dedza, Salima, Mangochi, and Kasungu districts with participants distributed across these four UNJPGE III intervention districts based on the population size and distribution by gender (men, women, boys, and girls). UNICEF as the contracting agency will have administrative oversite on the contract while UNFPA and WFP will provide technical inputs as part of the reference group.
The consultant will be responsible for the development and presenting the study methodology which includes sampling techniques, sample selection, instruments, and procedures of data collection and analysis including training of enumerators on appropriate data collection techniques. Study participants will be recruited with assistance from the UN Agencies and district councils. At the end of the assignment, the consultant shall provide a comprehensive final report on:
- community and learners knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding girls education with a focus on their roles and responsibilities to supporting access to a quality inclusive and equitable education; primary education, alternative pathways, hygiene, safety, gender roles at household, community, and school level in general and during COVID-19 in specific, disability and nutrition and
- challenges, negative social norms, and expectations as well as opportunities.
The Expected Activities & Major Deliverables:
Under the direct supervision of the three UN Agencies led by UNICEF, the consultant will be responsible for undertaking the following activities:
1) Develop, present, and submit an inception report including i) literature and desk review, ii) an outline of study design, iii) sampling methodology, and iv) action plan with an agreed timeline to be used in the study approval from the three UN agencies through UNICEF
2) Survey questionnaires developed and approved: the final questionnaires will be submitted to UNJPGE III M&E Task Team for review, feedback, and approval prior to initiating data collection.
4) Survey questionnaire pre-test and necessary changes incorporated and approved. Agency to propose details as part of the technical proposal.
5) Data collection carried out and Progress report. Consultant to propose details, including preparatory work for data collection (i.e. training of field researchers) as part of the technical proposal. The consultant is also expected to prepare and present a progress report that shows the preliminary findings of the study. This could be done in the form of a PowerPoint + presentation to the three UN Agencies.
6) Final report including statistical tables and graphs submitted in SPSS, Excel, and Word format. A comprehensive report with results and recommendations
7) Summary of key findings as follows:
a) a short PowerPoint deck summarizing key findings;
b) a factsheet that summarizes key findings
8) UNJPGE III Evaluation TORs: The consultant will support the development of the ToR for the upcoming UNJPGE III Evaluation
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- A master’s degree in development and social studies, Education, communication for development, human rights, and gender or any related field
- A minimum of 10 years of professional technical experience in conducting studies/ surveys particularly community perception surveys.
- Proven record of previous publications/reports related to community perception surveys. Education, Gender, and community participation knowledge is an asset.
- Good experience in a socio-cultural, geopolitical, and economic country context, as well gender equality principles is a strong asset.
- Excellent communication and writing skills in English and interpersonal skills
- Fluency in local languages is an asset
- Ability to work independently and accurately
- Ability to work effectively in teams and in a multicultural environment
- High sense of integrity and results-oriented
- Computer skills, including internet navigation, and various office application
- All deliverables and reports should be in English
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People, and Drive for Results.
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.
For more information, kindly refer to the attached ToR:
ToRs UNJPGE Knowledge Attitude and Practice study .pdf
To submit your financial proposal use the attached template:
Template for Financial Proposal.xlsx
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
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Source:
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