Research Consultant

Terms of Reference to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices contributing to child marriage and teenage pregnancy, and develop an advocacy and campaign strategy on ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy

1. Background Information
Afya Mzuri in collaboration with Save the Children International is implementing Children’s Future Program in Petauke District, with overall goal to ensure, all adolescents whether pregnant and/or married, in school or out of school are protected from all forms of abuse and access quality education arising from community driven social change interventions at home, school and communities leading to reduced girls school dropout, teenage pregnancy and early marriages.

Study Purpose: The aim of the requested consultancy is to assess key drivers of behaviors, attitudes and practices contributing to child marriage and teenage pregnancy, to inform the designing of an advocacy and campaign strategy on ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy, which will contribute to children accessing quality learning.

The Study will be conducted in three chiefdoms of Mwanjawathu, Mumbi and Kalindawalo of Petauke district.

2. Study methodology

The study will use mixed methods imply that the consultant will collect data using quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative tools will be administered to project beneficiaries such as parents, traditional leaders, traditional initiators, peer educators health workers and teachers. Qualitative tools will engage in focus groups discussions with parents, traditional leaders, health workers, teachers, peer educators and traditional initiators. The KII will include engagements with Ministry of Health, Education, Social welfare and department of community development. The sample size will be agreed during inception meeting.

Other Parameters: the study should be

• Participatory and inclusive
• Safeguarding of children and adults at risk
• Data Disaggregation (gender/age/disability)
• Data Security and privacy (informed consent)

3. Key Guiding parameters

• Identify key behaviors’, attitudes and practices driving teenage pregnancies?
• Identify key behaviors, attitudes and practices driving child marriages?
• What are the key motivators for having this change?
• Identify the positive and negative influencers, actors and stakeholders (in support of and those who can influence the desired change
• Document key advocacy and campaign messages

3. Time Frame

The KAP study and advocacy strategy development should take only 30 days. The estimated start date is 15th September – 15th October 2024

4. Deliverables

• Inception report including proposed data collection tools, work plan and team composition and CVs.
• Final KAP study report
• Final Advocacy and Campaign Strategy
• Any data sets collected/analyzed and other documents related to the study.
• A summary Power Point Presentation highlighting main findings and recommendations.
• PowerPoint presentation highlighting key areas of the Advocacy and Campaign strategy

5. Expression of Interest
The consultant is expected to submit a technical and financial proposal including the following:
Technical proposal:

• A description of the consultancy firm.
• Consultancy Capacity Statement.
• CV ´s of suggested team members.
• An outline of the understanding of these TORs
• Suggested methodology, which shall contain suggestions for the sample size of the different target groups and the suggested data collection methods for the different target groups.
• Data Analysis section.
• A detailed work plan for the entire assignment.
  The proposal should not be more than 20 pages.

Financial proposal:

• A detailed budget in Zambian Kwacha for the expected assignment shall include all costs expected to conduct KAP study and advocacy and campaign strategy, and taxes according to the rules and regulations of the consultants’ local tax authorities.

Afya Mzuri reserves the right to terminate the contract in case the agreed consultant/s are unavailable at the start or during the assignment.

All expressions of interest should be submitted by email to: enquiries@afyamzuri.org.zm by the 5th September 2024.