Consultant to assist in Data collection and Transcription

        I.            Introduction/Background

Ipas works globally to improve access to safe abortion and contraception so that every woman and girl can determine her future. Across Kenya, we work with partners to make safe abortion and contraception widely available, to connect women and girls with vital information so they can access safe services, and advocate for safe, legal abortion. We believe in a world where all people have the right and ability to determine their sexuality and reproductive health.

Ipas Africa Alliance implemented a project funded by Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) that sought to accelerate Medical Abortion Self Use (MASU) through Direct 2 Consumer models. The project worked with pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists to connect women and girls to MASU services through the Nurse Nisa D2C platform. The project was anchored on Nurse Nisa as a D2C linkage platform. Nurse Nisa provided a digital accompaniment support to women and girls who already have abortion drugs in their hands and information support to build demand for self-managed abortion services to women and girls. Additionally, the Nurse Nisa platform supported direct referral of women and girls seeking abortion services to ipas vetted pharmacies in western Kenya.

The project’s effectiveness was centered around three objectives:

1. At least 10,000 women and girls reached with accurate information on safe abortion and post abortion contraception.
2. At least 1,000women and girls receive MASU through Nurse Nisa via pharmacies or clinical providers.
3. At least 800 women and girls successfully terminate their pregnancy through the self-administration of MA tablets through Nurse Nisa, confirmed through post care follow up.

To better understand the project’s gains, a program evaluation will be conducted to asses how a D2C linkage platform – Nurse Nisa is promoting access to comprehensive abortion care (CAC) amongst WRA in Ipas-supported sites in Western Kenya.

This study will therefore assess the project’s effectiveness, and clients’ satisfaction levels on the quality of MASU services provided at the Ipas Nurse Nisa implementing sites. In addition, the study will evaluate the alignment of Ipas-supported pharmacies and chemist’s services with the project’s stated objectives at the start of the project.

Ipas is seeking therefore Research Assistants and Transcriber to support our work to better learn from this project.

      II.            Period of Performance:

It is anticipated that the assignment will be completed within the engagement will be  for 10 DAYS during the field data collection a total of 10 days from the date of the signing of the contract between Ipas Africa Alliance and the Service Provider. All work must be completed by the 31st May 2024.

    III.            Place of Performance:

Kakamega County, Vihiga County, Trans Nzoia County and Bungoma County.

    IV.            Scope of Work:

Research Assistants

• Administering data collection tools to the sampled study participants,
• updating daily summaries and field interview notes
• participating in the pilot and testing of the data collection tools.

Transcriber

• Listening to the Audio recordings from the Focused group discussions and Key informant interviews.
• Transcribing the audios into a readable, well understood and presentable scripts from the FGD sessions and key informant interviews.

V. Deliverables

Research Assistant

• Administer interviews to all the study participants allocated to them.
• Data cleaning of the collected information before submission
• Complete submissions of the data collected.
• Soft or any hard copy of information collected to Ipas staff.

Transcriber

• Transcribed scripts of all the Focused group session and Key informant interviews shared with them, well saved in Ms Word format.
• Present back all the audio sets and any other materials issued to them to Ipas.

 

VI. Technical Requirements:

Research Assistant:

• Demonstrated experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative data collection, especially in health-related projects for multi-cultural organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating FGD sessions. transcribing IDIs and insights generation.
• Relevant/related professional experience and related degree.
• Strong experience in people-centered and rights-based programming at the policy, strategy as well as implementation level
• Strong experience in participatory and inclusive assessment/research methodologies and user- centered approaches
• Experience working with organizations that are or are working towards non-hierarchical, shared leadership, or other related practices.

Transcriber:

• Demonstrated experience in conducting project evaluations in health-related projects for multi-cultural organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in transcribing IDIs, FGDs and insights generation.
• Relevant/related professional experience and related degree
• Strong experience in people-centered and rights-based programming at the policy, strategy as well as implementation level
• Strong experience in participatory and inclusive assessment/research methodologies and user- centered approaches
• Experience working with organizations that are or are working towards non-hierarchical, shared leadership, or other related practices.

  VII.            Reporting:

The Transcriber and Research Assistants will be reporting to the PMERL Advisor, Ipas. The Research Assistants will report on a daily basis on the number of interviews done while the Transcriber will report periodically based on the agreed timelines with the PMERL Advisor.

VIII. Application procedure

Interested consultants or candidates are invited to submit a detailed proposal including the following:

1. Cover letter outlining your qualifications and relevant experience, for this assignment.

Other Requirements

NOTE: The applicant MUST BE  a resident of the specific Counties.

Submit application to [email protected]; cc Wilbert Nango(nangow@ipas.org by 26th April 2024.