ETH-03 - Regional level capacity on nutrition finance analysis, resource tracking, accountability and partnership management in Ethiopia

Terms of Reference (ToRs)

Background

Technical Assistance for Nutrition (TAN) supported by UK aid from the UK government seeks to improve the capacity of countries that have joined the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement to design, deliver, and track the progress of nutrition programs and to generate, learn from and adopt knowledge of what works. Nutrition International is contributing to TAN by coordinating the provision of technical assistance to help national SUN Focal Points in select countries to overcome gaps in capacity for the design and delivery of multi-sectoral national nutrition plans, tapping into its global hub to source and deploy the expertise needed.

With nearly 100 million inhabitants, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world, as well as the second-most populous nation on the African continent- after Nigeria. Household food insecurity, hunger and undernutrition remain critical issues. The previous four national level Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in Ethiopia show a decreasing trend in the proportion of children who are stunted and underweight. Between 2000 and 2014 the prevalence of stunting decreased from 58% to 40%; and the proportion of underweight children declined substantially from 41% to 25%. Conversely, the prevalence of wasting has remained fairly static over the last 15 years. Anemia prevalence among under-five children remains high at 44%, despite a decline from 52% over the last 6 years. Despite this general decline in malnutrition rates over the past decade, Ethiopia remains a country with high burden of malnutrition.

Ethiopia joined the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement in September 2010 through commitment from the Federal Minister of Health. At the time, Ethiopia had set up a high-level multi-stakeholder platform for nutrition comprising seven ministries; it also established a National Nutrition Coordinating Body (NNCB) chaired by the Minister of Health with representation of each ministry with a nutrition portfolio. Ethiopia recently reviewed and extended the 2013-2015 National Nutrition Plan II (NNP II) to 2016-20120 which aims to scale up and streamline nutrition actions in the country.

In 2015, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) launched the Seqota Declaration as a commitment to end child malnutrition (with specific focus on stunting among children under two years) by the year 2030. The Seqota Declaration builds on and supports implementation of the National Nutrition Program II (NNP-II 2016-20120). The SD is led by a 15 years multi-sectoral implementation plan (road map) where health, education, water, social protection, agriculture and natural resources, livestock and fishery, women and children affairs will be addressed through a three pronged pathways that contribute directly or indirectly to stunting reduction.

The SD Implementation Plan/Roadmap will be executed in three phases over a 15-year period. The first five years innovation phase (2016 – 2020) focuses on prioritized innovative and proven high impact interventions that will be tested and evidence generated for the expansion phase (2021 -2025) to more stunting prevalence Woredas (Districts) within the regions and scale up (2026-2030) phase throughout the country. The Seqota Declaration innovation phase multi-sectoral costed investment plan is currently being implemented in selected high stunting prevalent woredas in Amhara national regional state (26 Woredas) and Tigray regional states (6 Woredas).

The government of Ethiopia established SD Federal and regional Program Delivery Units (PDU) in 2017 to coordinate the implementation of the SD Roadmap. The Federal PDU is in Addis Ababa and the two regional PDUs are stationed in Bahir Dar and Mekele respectively. Each PDU is staffed with multi-disciplinary technical leaders. The major roles of the PDUs are coordinate and provide technical assistance to the sectors and partners during the investment plan development and implemetation process, manage sectors and partners performance using performance management tool and engage with decision makers to secure support for resource mobilization and effective implementation of the Seqota Declaration innovation phase investment plan.

Resource tracking for nutrition across sectors generates data on nutrition funding (i.e. budget allocations and expenditures) which can be used to help build the investment case for nutrition and ensure efficient allocation of resources. However, critical information on how much has been invested for nutrition across sectors and stakeholders, where and what has been targeted (regions, interventions, e.t.c), and funding compared to costs (i.e. the potential resource gap) is commonly missing in the discussion of scaling-up nutrition programs in Ethiopia especially at the regional level. In 2017, Results for Development (R4D) supported the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) to build capacity to track nutrition funding across sectors. The exercise enhanced the capacity of Federal staff and yielded results that will be useful in planning, prioritization and advocating for increased investments in nutrition interventions.

In addition to nutrition funding tracking initiative by R4D, SD PDU in partnership with its technical partners recently completed development of a web-based Seqota Declaration stakeholders mapping tool to track partners involved in SD. The tool is expected to provide high level information for policy makers, donors, sectors, development partners and researchers contributing to meeting stunting reduction goals in the Seqota Declaration. The PDU’s envision that effective management of partners and networks will enable the PDUs as well as decision makers at different levels to not only equitably serve the target Woredas, but also to reduce duplication of efforts and increase leverage among various sectors and partners interventions. Morever, improved PDU management will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of sectors and partners performance through enhanced communication and information sharing. It will also enhance the PDUs ability to manage sectors and partners performance. SD PDU is currently unable to effectively roll out the tools and provide technical expertise needed to manage the SD partners and networks.

The FMoH and key partners highlighted the importance of the R4D nutrition resource tracking initiative being cascaded to the regional level with priority being given to the two regions where SD is being implemented. The stakeholders also highlighted the need for building capacity on partner management being added to the package of support. It is in this context that the Federal Program Delivery Unit, SUN Focal Point, the Director of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Department FMoH and key stakeholders requested the TAN project to support regional level capacity building on nutrition finance analysis, resource tracking, accountability and partnership management. This TA will be implemented hand in hand with the second phase of R4D nutrition funding analysis at the federal level.

Objectives

Overall objective

The overall objective of this TA is to build regional level capacity for sustainable and effective nutrition finance analysis, resource tracking accountability and partnership management.

Specific Objectives

1. Support development of a framework to determine regional trends in nutrition financing and resource allocated to meet SD investment targets and track spending among sectors and partners implementing nutrition specific and sensitive programmes.
2. Develop capacity building plan and tools and conduct regional capacity building exercises on routine resource tracking, financial analysis, information collection and analysis and partner management.
3. Support development and dissemination financial tracking updates, accountability score cards and advocacy documents.
4. Support review and effective roll-out of SD partnership management framework.

Expectations

This TA support is expected to contribute significantly to the successful scale up of multi-sectoral nutrition actions in Ethiopia. The main outcome will be enhanced planning, prioritization, financing and coordination of multi-sectoral nutrition interventions.

Specifically, the TA support will:

1. Build technical skills among various SD stakeholders on nutrition resource tracking, resource allocation, resource mobilization, financial analysis,, efficient resource utilization and tracking and partnership management.

2. Engage sector and bureau level heads and experts, stakeholders and higher level government officials to utilize resource mapping and tracking results for decision making

3. Increase utilization of the SD stakeholders map to establish/strengthen new partnership and manage SD partners and networks especially at the regional level.

Scope of Work

Taking a facilitative, consultative and participatory approach under the overall guidance of federal and regional PDU, MoH, and the SUN Focal Point, the consultants will undertake specific activities and produce the following deliverables:

Objective 1: SD investment allocation framework and spending tracking tool development

Activities

• Develop resource tracking tool (both for allocation and spending) linked to stakeholders mapping

• Work closely with regional sector office and Woreda offices to identify sectors, partners and donors allocation for SD based on SD investment plan

• Track resources used and financial expenditure of sectors and partners to implement the SD planned activities as indicated in the investment plan

Deliverables

• Detailed methodology and plan for the TA

• Inception and stakeholder consultation report

• Resource allocation and tracking tool

• Cost effectiveness analysis report

Objective 2: Capacity building

Activities

• Conduct tracking capacity gap analysis and develop a capacity building plan

• Develop supportive supervision tools

• Conduct regional level trainings on resource allocation, tracking and partner management

• Train and mentor PDU and SD stakeholders to effectively utilize stakeholders mapping tool

• Facilitate periodic support supervision and mentorship targeting regional staff and partners in resource tracking and spending tool utilization and partnership management

• Provide guidance to sectors and partners to allocate adequate resources for nutrition sensitive and specific interventions based on SD investment plan to meet the target set in their annual plans

Deliverables:

• Capacity gap assessment with amenable recommendations on how to address the challenges

• Develop training curricula

• Development of regional capacity building (training, mentorship and support supervision) tools

• Regional level training, mentorship and support supervision reports.

Objective 3 – Development and dissemination of quarterly updates

Activities

• Work closely with sectors and partners offices and Bureau of Finance and Economy to track SD sector offices and partners spending on quarterly basis.

• Conduct financial resources tracking analysis (allocation and spending) on quarterly basis and disseminate for decision making

• Flag inconsistencies in resource allocation or spending for the respective SD sectors or partners for timely corrective action

• Disseminate the result of the financial analysis on resource allocation and spending tracking using SD platforms and other partnership forums and networks

• Develop an advocacy briefs using financial allocation and spending analysis for more resources allocation to SD using the financial analysis and resource tracking result

• Utilize the financial tracking information to advocate for additional resource allocation from the governments and donors to fill the funding gaps

• Develop and implement score card to show sectors and partners performance

Deliverables

• Quarterly financial allocation and spending analysis report

• Sectors and partners financial allocation and spending tracking score cards

• Resource allocation and expenditure advocacy briefs

• Report of regional and Woreda levels decision making using financial analysis date to increase accountability

Objective 4 – SD partners and networks management

Activities

Activities

• Conduct review of the stakeholder mapping tool

• Develop strategies to fill the gaps identified from stakeholders mapping tool review (financial, geographic information, population coverage etc)

• Review and update the stakeholders profile based on the partners annual plan

• Train PDU staff and decision makers at regional and Woreda levels to effectively utilize stakeholders mapping tool to manage SD partners and networks

• Provide guidance to the Woreda administrative to establish strong and functional Woreda based community labs (multi-stakeholder platforms) for effective planning, resource allocation and utilization of the resource map

• Train PDU and various stakeholders in building effective partnership and networking

• Establish a system for partners and networks regular meetings and follow up the agreed upon decisions relevant for the program delivery unit

• Link new partners to the wider SD stakeholders and networks

• Develop information toolkit that provides briefing on SD partners and networks

• Represent PDU in various partnership and networking forums

• Work closely with SD partners and networks to identify challenges and define way forward

Deliverables

• Revised and updated stakeholders map

• Updated stakeholder profiles

• Regular stakeholder coordination meetings updates/reports

• SD partners and networks information toolkit

• Status report on Woreda level multi-stakeholder platforms

• Minutes of FPDU engagement with partners and networks

Duty Station/Location

The lead Consultant and team will be based at the Federal PDU at FMoH for activities that require physical presence e.g stakeholder consultations and workshops. The consultants will also be expected to travel to Amhara and Tigray.

All travels required under this consultancy will be provided for by Nutrition International and FMoH.

Timeline

This TA support would be for a period of up to 12 months, from May 2018 to April 2019. The Level of Effort will be agreed upon in consultation with FPDU and MoH.

Management and Reporting

1. The lead consultant will report to the Senior Program Manager FPDU or any other staff designated by the MCH Director.

2. The Senior Program Manager FPDU will facilitate the operational linkages with line ministries, regional leadership, Technical Working groups, SUN Networks and other stakeholders under this TA.

3. Specific financial and administrative accountabilities are to the Nutritional International for all the deliverables of the assignment. Payment will be subject to performance and reaching deliverables as agreed upon at the moment of contract signing.

4. Nutrition International will provide technical input into the assignment and is responsible for assuring the quality of the work being delivered by the consultant.

5. Nutrition International in liaison with the Senior Program Manager FPDU and MCH Director will review consultants work and agree prior to sharing externally (as needed).

Profile/qualifications of consultants

It is expected a team of consultants or firm with assorted areas of expertise in finance tracking, policy and planning, economics, finance, resource mobilization, capacity building, advocacy and nutrition will be required to complete all aspects of this consultancy. The Lead Consultant is responsible for work completed by all team members.

Lead Consultant

• Post-graduate or doctoral-level qualifications the following fields; Finance, Planning, Economics, Public Health and Applied Sciences or related areas.
• A minimum of 15 years’ experience in the field of development sector including consultancy work with the Government and development partners in nutrition, health, food security or related fields.

· Excellent knowledge of Ethiopia health, food security and nutrition landscape and programmes.

• Specific experience in costing, budgeting, tracking expenditures and resource mobilization and multi-sectoral engagement in the both in nutrition related areas.
• Experience of providing strategic policy advice to national and sub-national governments.
• Experience in program design and M&E in combination with specialized experience in food security, health or nutrition will be added advantage

· Experience in working with multistakeholder platforms and processes, or other complex collaboration platforms across sectors, including health, water, education and agriculture

• Experience in coordinating and managing a team of subject matter experts.
• Excellent communication, analytical and writing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver quality results within strict deadlines.

Other Consultants

· At least 8-10 years of experience in planning, design, M&E, costing and tracking of nutrition, food security, health and other related programs

· Excellent knowledge of Ethiopia food security and nutrition landscape and programmes.

· Experience in working with multistakeholder platforms and processes, or other complex collaboration and partner management platforms across sectors, including health and agriculture

· Experience in coordination and partnership management.

· Experience in building capacity of government and partner staff in areas of financial tracking and resource mobilization

• Excellent communication, analytical and writing skills
• Demonstrated ability to deliver quality results within strict deadlines

· Experience developing capacity building materials and processes, and delivering associated events

Language Skills

· Fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory

· Knowledge of Amharic will be an added advantage

Nutrition International is committed to gender equality. Consultants are required to indicate how s/he will ensure that gender equality considerations are included in the provision of TA including deliverables. To this end, NI has developed the following tools in order to help. Examples of integration of consideration for gender equality could include but are not limited to; ensuring government departments responsible for women are included wherever possible, gender sensitive indicators are included, emerging data is sex disaggregated, relevant documentation related to gender is reviewed.

• Checklist – Integration of gender considerations

• Background document « Gender and nutrition »

• Powerpoint presentation « Gender 101 »

Interested consultants are invited to submit the following by email to TechnicalAssistance@nutritionintl.org before 23rd March 2018:

· Up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV)

· Technical proposal: not exceeding ten pages, describing the consultant’s understanding of the task, proposed methodology, responsibilities of team members and key stakeholders and detailed work plan that breaks down activities and outputs.

· Financial proposal: Including daily fee rate, suggested number of trips/days in-country and any other expenses required to fulfill the terms of the consultancy (field trips, meetings, materials, etc.).

NB: Submissions without Technical and financial proposals will not be processed