Consultancy Service : Feasibility Assessment of a Financial Support Modality to Improve Treatment Adherence for Nutritionally Vulnerable Children"

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Consultancy: Feasibility Assessment of a Financial Support Modality to Improve Treatment Adherence for Nutritionally Vulnerable Children

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal (focus on Lumbini Province)

Duration: 3–4 weeks (Estimated 20-25 working days)

Organization: Helen Keller Intl, Nepal

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome long-standing cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision, we help millions create lasting change in their lives.

With over 35 years of experience in Nepal, we ensure everyone has the opportunity to reach their true potential. Helen Keller Intl Nepal invites qualified individual consultants to conduct a feasibility assessment of financial support modalities intended to improve treatment adherence among nutritionally vulnerable children within an existing public health sector in Lumbini Province.

Position Overview

Undernutrition in children remains a serious concern. Although treatment is provided free of charge through the public health system, many families still face costs when seeking care. These costs can include travel, meals, short stays away from home, lost income, and small medical expenses. For some families, these indirect costs make it harder to start treatment quickly or return for follow up visits.

Families experiencing poverty, social exclusion, or long travel distances are often affected the most. This can lead to missed visits, stopping treatment early, or children becoming unwell again after recovery. Timely treatment for malnutrition saves lives, yet these barriers often prevent the children who need care the most from completing it.

This consultancy will assess whether a short term, treatment linked support approach could help reduce these barriers. The assessment will explore options that fit within Nepal’s current systems and requirements, including bank based and other regulated payment approaches, and will recommend practical steps that are safe, fair, and workable for families and health facilities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Assess Policies and Barriers

• Review national policies and current practices.
• Identify key indirect costs and practical challenges that prevent families from completing treatment.

2. Design a Feasible Support Approach

• Propose a simple, government-aligned support model.
• Define eligibility criteria, payment mechanisms, verification steps, roles of local authorities, and required safeguards.

3. Strengthen Practicality and Risk Management

• Recommend solutions for families with limited access to banking services or formal docu-mentation.
• Explore feasible digital payment options.
• Identify key risks and propose realistic mitigation measures.

Deliverables

• A concise design note describing the recommended financial support approach and how it would function in practice.
• A simple decision guide outlining which payment option may be suitable for different household situations.
• A short risk and mitigation note aligned with government and donor requirements.
• All deliverables must be submitted in English and in editable format.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in public policy, economics, development studies, public health, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in social protection, health financing, reimbursement mechanisms, or treatment linked support programs.
• Experience with bank based and regulated digital payment mechanisms in Nepal, including practical understanding of financial inclusion barriers.
• Good understanding of local government systems under Nepal’s federal structure and common documentation requirements.
• Strong ability to produce practical, implementation-ready recommendations that are acceptable to government partners.

How to Apply

Interested and eligible individual consultants or consulting firms are kindly invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for initial consideration.

The EOI should include:

• An updated CV (or CVs, if applying as a firm), highlighting relevant experience aligned with the scope of this consultancy.

Please note that only CVs are required at this stage of the application process.

Helen Keller Intl will review all EOIs and shortlist candidates for the next stage of the selection process. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted and provided with the detailed Terms of Reference (ToR), along with further instructions for submitting a technical and financial plan.

Interested applicants are requested to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) by February 10, 2026, 5:00 PM Nepal Time (NST) to the following email address: Nepal.procurement@hki.org

In the spirit of our founder's extraordinary ability and vision, Helen Keller Intl fosters a culture of fairness and belonging within our workforce.

Helen Keller Intl is an Equal Opportunity Employer.