Consultant for qualitative field research

Consultant for qualitative field research

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position: Consultant 

Abt Associates is looking for qualified four female field researchers to serve as Interviewer for In-depth Interviews (IDIs). Consultancy will be short term: approximately 3-5 weeks in December 2020 to January 2021 working 80% of the time (~25 days). 

Department/Location: Research, Monitoring and Evaluation/ SHOPS Plus/Nepal Office, Kathmandu

Reports to: Director- Research, Monitoring & Evaluation

Supervision: None

Collaborative With: Nepal CRS Company and CRS field staff; SHOPS Plus Nepal and US offices; Nepali government counterparts where fieldwork will occur

Job Purpose: The consultant will work in the SHOPS Plus/Nepal research office. She will be responsible for conducting in-depth interviews (IDIs) with contraceptive users, private providers, public providers and female community health volunteers. In-depth interviews will discuss topics related to contraceptive products both public sources and private sources specifically CRS products. Specifically, the in-depth interviews aim to understand reasons behind the low use of CRS products in GGMS areas. The consultant will attend data collection training, help translate data collection tools, pre-test data collection tools, collaborate with local stakeholders to facilitate recruitment of IDI participants, conduct IDIs, transcribe IDIs, and translate IDIs into English. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Preparing for data collection

• Working closely with RM&E Director, the consultant will help prepare data collection tools. This includes but is not limited to:
• Review the IDI guide
• Assist with translation ofthe IDIguide into Nepali (if English language skills are sufficient)
• Review the field implementation plan and protocols

Training and Pre-test

• Participate in two-day data collection training
• Manage and conduct pre-testIDIs in nearby Kathmandu.
• Transcribe data from pre-test IDIs
• Translate pre-test transcripts into English (if English language skills are sufficient to do so)

Field implementation

• Coordinate with CRS district/regional staff
• Debrief with research partner and supervisor daily on challenges, best practices, and lessons learned
• Maintain verbal communication with the Director of Research, Monitoring & Evaluation to update on fieldwork progress and flag potential problems for input
• Audio record all IDIs and successfully transfer audio recording to RM&E Director 

Documentation and Reporting

• Transcribe the IDIsverbatim in Nepali
• Translate all transcription content into English (if English language skills are sufficient to do so)
• Prepare short report of post-field implementation, detailing how field work was actually implemented and any challenges encountered

Representation

• Represent SHOPS Plus/Nepal office and its values at the local level. Coordinate with CRS/local bodies/community to smoothly implement studies and share learning.

Job Specifications (minimum job requirements)

Education: Minimum bachelor’s degree in public health/social science/statistics from a recognized university

Work Experience: Three years’ experience conducting qualitative research on health and social science at the field level. 

Required Skills:

• Relevant experience conducting qualitative field research, especially conducting in-depth interviews
• Willing to travel to rural settings frequently
• Experience on verbatim transcription ofin-depth interviews
• Proven ability to work in a multidisciplinary team
• Preferred Skills 
• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Nepali

About SHOPS Plus/Nepal

SHOPS Plus (Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector) is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health.

In Nepal, SHOPS Plus supports the goals of USAID and the Government of Nepal to increase the use of and access to family planning and other health products. To this end, the SHOPS Plus Nepal program is tasked with building the technical capacity and financial sustainability of CRS, a Nepalese social marketing organization and key USAID partner. This program will address CRS’s capacity in distribution, promotion, behavior change communications, product development, pricing, research, monitoring and evaluation.  By building CRS into a strong, local institution, SHOPS Plus will contribute to the achievement of the Strategic Objective of CRS to increase access to and utilization of family planning and other health products through the private sector.

Deliverables:

• Successful completion of data collection training 
• Audio recordings of all In-depth Interviews
• Transcribed (in Nepali) verbatim In-depth Interviews
• Translated (in English) verbatim in-depth interviews
• Post-field implementation report detailing how fieldwork was implemented and challenges encountered 

Application: To apply, please send your CV and cover letter (must include applicant’s current daily rate and proposed daily rate for this task) to Sujan_Karki@abtassoc.com no later than 17:00 NPT, December 5, 2020