Research Consultants - Baseline Survey at Malaria Consortium - 66 Openings

Malaria Consortium is one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations specialising in the comprehensive prevention, control and treatment of malaria and other communicable diseases among vulnerable and under privileged populations. We increasingly find our work on malaria can be effectively integrated with other similar public health interventions for greater impact and therefore expanded our remit to include child health and neglected tropical disease interventions.

We are recruiting a qualified candidate to fill the position below:

Job Title: Research Consultant - Baseline Survey

Location: Anambra
Job type: Contract
Duration: April - May, 2022
Timeline of Activities: No of TA days - 30 days
Slot: 66

Job Description

• Malaria Consortium requires qualified research personnel that will carry out a baseline household survey across Anambra State before the ITN distribution campaign.

Purpose / Scope of Assignment

• Malaria Consortium in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) will implement a campaign to distribute insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) in Anambra State in June 2022.
• Malaria Consortium will also implement a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) research in relation to the campaign. The M&E research is supported by a grant from Open Philanthropy based on GiveWell's recommendation.
• The project will gather comprehensive data to assess the outcomes of the campaign in terms of ITN coverage, cost, use rates and net durability.
• Data on other factors will be also collected, including insecticide resistance levels in malaria vectors, meteorological variables, and costs of the campaign.
• The survey will be used to gather pre-campaign household data on ITN ownership and use rates and associated factors, malaria prevention in pregnancy, treatment seeking behaviour, and other relevant variables.

Personnel Required:

• Four teams of four data collectors and a team leader each, and 2 coordinators will be required:
  • Coordinators: 2
  • Team leaders: 4
  • Field data collectors: 16
• There will be one household mobiliser selected from each ward to assist the survey team (Total of 44 household mobilisers).

Specific tasks
Coordinator:

• Will be in charge of two household interview teams.
• Will be required to attend training prior to survey.
• Visits assigned wards one day before the interviews according to the schedule to sensitise community leaders and select household mobilisers.
• Selects an appropriate settlement in each ward according to relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Coordinates household enumeration in each ward and submits a list of households for sampling to be carried out remotely by assigned study investigators.
• Resolves any issues reported by team leaders.
• Reports to the M&E Manager who will be the overall survey coordinator.
• Ensures that household mobilisers are paid.
• Ensures that all data are accurately collected and uploaded according to guidelines or SOPs.
• Writes reports related to activities of the teams, including achievements, challenges and recommendations.

Team Leader:

• Will be responsible for a team of four data collectors (or interviewers).
• Will be required to attend training prior to survey.
• Leads the team to enumerate all households in a selected settlement in each of the sampled wards assigned to the team.
• Submits the list to the coordinator for sampling of 16 households.
• Assigns each interviewer to administer interviews in four households per day.
• Makes sure that data collection in 16 households (or one ward) is completed every day and the team completes the work in a total of 6 ½ wards in seven days (=104 sampled households).
• Supervises the interview process and resolves any issues, working with the household mobiliser.
• Ensures that the data is collected accurately and uploaded according to the relevant SOPs or guidelines.
• Ensures accurate review, validation and submission of electronic data.
• Supports team members to charge mobile phones using a power bank (each team leader will keep a power bank, which should be kept charged daily and as necessary).
• Collects mobile devices from data collectors at the end of each day for charging and safe keeping.
• Responsible for ensuring that activities of data collectors are carried out while observing COVID-19 prevention measures and keeping respondents’ data confidential.
• Writes a short report on the team’s achievements, encountered challenges and recommendations.

Field Data Collector:

• Will be required to attend training prior to survey.
• Enumerates households in each selected settlement in each ward.
• Carries out data collection in sampled households, including obtaining written consents, administering interviews with heads of households and women 15–49 years old, collecting ITN physical integrity data by collecting data on each net owned by the household.
• Takes good care of the mobile device issued for data collection, and ensures the device’s battery is kept charged.
• Uploads the data to the server at the required frequency according relevant guidelines.
• Ensures confidentiality of respondents’ personal data during and after interviews.
• Reports to the team leader any issues and helps to solve problems.

Deliverables

• Interviews completed in all sampled households (data collectors)
• Complete data from all sampled households in 44 wards uploaded (team leaders).
• Process reports submitted by each team leader and coordinator (coordinators and team leaders).

Qualifications and Experience
Coordinator:

• A post Graduate Degree in Health Sciences.
• 5 - 7 years of experience in coordinating household surveys.
• Demonstrated report writing skills for quantitative studies or surveys.
• Good knowledge of the Igbo language.

Team Leader:

• A minimum of B.Sc Degree in Health related discipline and Social Sciences.
• 3 - 5 years of experience in coordinating or conducting household surveys.
• Experience in electronic data collection tools such as SurveyCTO or ODK.
• Demonstrated report writing skills in English.
• Excellent knowledge of the Igbo language.

Field Data Collectors:

• A minimum of B.Sc Degree in Health-related discipline and Social Sciences.
• Experience in conducting household surveys.
• Experience in electronic data collection systems such as SurveyCTO or ODK.
• Good knowledge of the English language.
• Ability to give attention to detail.
• Excellent proficiency in the Igbo language and other languages in the study communities.

Total TA Days:

• Coordinator (Supervisors) - 19days
• Team Leader -18days
• Field data collector -17days.

Application Closing Date
22nd April, 2022 (8:00AM).