Call for Consultant - OMBEA Periodic Data Collection Systems in Sokoto and Bauchi States

1. Introduction to the Assignment:The ASPIRE project, titled Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Nigeria, aims to improve the realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls and women, including vulnerable populations, in Bauchi and Sokoto states. The project includes results-based management, and will be implemented through relevant national, state and local partners. ASPIRE applies robust human rights, child protection, safeguarding and environmental sustainability policies. The project also includes a rigorous monitoring and evaluation system, and it mainstreams gender equality across all aspects of the project cycle.The ASPIRE project employs a three-pronged theory of change that:* Foster individual and collective agency, autonomy and choices of women and adolescent girls to claim their rights to SRH and protection * Strengthen the delivery of and access to quality GAR&I SRH and protection services in health facilities and schools * Strengthen national and local WROs and YLOs to build meaningful women’s and youth participation; strengthen evidence-based advocacy; and call for greater accountability and capacity building of responsibility holders and duty bearers.As part of the ASPIRE project’s monitoring and evaluation strategy, Plan International Nigeria requests this call for a Lead Facilitator to conduct Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with the project’s targeted adolescent girls, young women and adolescent boys in the two states of Bauchi and Sokoto who have engaged with the core interventions of Champions of Change. and 100 Women’s support group (young women) . The Lead Facilitator, along with his/her team, will work with the ASPIRE M&E team to collect qualitative data through Focus Group Discussions using OMBEA, transcribe the notes and enter the data into an Excel template developed by Plan.2. Roles and responsibilities of the Lead FacilitatorThe Lead Consultant is expected to complete the following:1. Mobilise trained OMBEA Facilitators with adequate knowledge of OMBEA kits, sufficient ability to transcribe notes collected in Hausa into English, including tested ability to conduct FGDs. For this Assignment separate female and male Facilitators are required who will be responsible for data collection with the various groups of their sex. 2. Conduct refresher training to selected facilitators on note-taking, moderation using pre-designed FGDs tools and guidelines as developed by Plan in each state of Bauchi and Sokoto. 3. Develop a detailed field-level itinerary based on the timelines laid down in this ToR and discussions with the Plan MERL team 4. Monitor and supervise quality data collection in the field with the communities, and as per timelines 5. Ensure that the data collection team is following the FGD tool and injecting probes as per the protocol to get quality data 6. Work with facilitators to ensure accurate and comprehensive note-taking/transcription in English is completed in word document. 7. Review notes with OMBEA Facilitators and Plan team at the end of each FGD to ensure clarity, relevance and completeness and to resolve all outstanding gaps and conflicts in responses 8. Ensure that all notes are typed from paper to a Word document and shared with the ASPIRE MERL team for review and clarification 9. Conduct daily debriefs with the Plan team on the progress of data collection 10. Ensure that the OMBEA Facilitators team have recorded the conversations from the community’s respondents for effective note-taking 11. The lead Consultant is responsible for entering all the transcribed data into an Excel coding sheet prepared by Plan 12. Submit all final data to the Plan team 13. Respond to all reviews/feedback by the Plan team and make necessary improvements in the qualitative data entry 14. Adhere to all safety and security protocols as laid down by Plan International during the entire period of the consultancy.3. During the Assignment the following deliverables are expected to be completed by the Lead OMBEA Consultant:1. Share the finalised field plan in collaboration with the Plan team2. Complete all focus group discussions as per the timeline and the tools.3. Submit complete English transcribed notes in Separate word documents from each focus group discussion. This must include quotations from each respondent for each question. Data must be presented by age groups for each FGD4. Submit final qualitative data coded into the prescribed Excel format as shared by the Plan team5. Incorporate any feedback/comments provided by the Plan International team into the final qualitative Excel-coded sheet.4. Specific scope of the AssignmentThe consultancy will provide technical support for OMBEA-based qualitative and Quantitative data collection as part of the ASPIRE Project in Sokoto and Bauchi States. The consultant will initially support the agreed sample size of community Groups to be determined by the project team.Beyond this initial assignment, the consultancy will provide routine, need-based support for OMBEA-based quantitative data collection through Pre-and Post-test sessions and related FGDs, including facilitation guidance and data quality oversight. Specific target allocation and scheduling will be discussed and agreed upon during a planning meeting with the project team upon engagement.5. Deliverables and time frameThe consultancy will provide OMBEA-based qualitative data collection support on a long-term, need-based basis, with the total period and daily allocation agreed with the ASPIRE MERL team. The Consultant will lead all activities, including: induction, facilitator mobilisation, field supervision, data collection, transcription, entry into Plan templates, and review for quality assurance. OMBEA facilitators will be engaged for a flexible number of days, including training, data collection, and transcription. Their daily rates will follow Plan’s approved ad-hoc policy limits, while the lead consultant will be engaged at a standard daily consultancy rate. The consultant will provide a work plan with timelines and sequencing for Sokoto and Bauchi States, and may adjust daily allocation as needed without compromising quality, safeguarding, or compliance. All activities must be completed within agreed deadlines and reviewed by the MERL team.6. Supervision and Reporting1. The Consultant will work under the supervision of the Aspire MERL Team, with day-to-day coordination.2. All Data collected, Transcripts, audio files, and consent forms drafted on behalf of Plan International Nigeria shall remain its intellectual property.7. Ethics and Child ProtectionPlan is committed to actively safeguarding children from harm and ensuring children’s rights to protection are fully realised. Plan takes seriously the commitment to promote child safe practices and protect children from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation in any form. In addition, we will take positive action to prevent child abusers from becoming involved with Plan in any way and take stringent measures against any Plan Staff and/or Associate who abuses a child. Our decisions and actions in response to child protection concerns will be guided by the principle of ‘the best interests of the child’.As such, the activity must ensure appropriate, safe, non-discriminatory participation; a process of free and uncoerced consent and withdrawal; confidentiality and anonymity of participants. Consultants are required to provide a statement within their proposal on how they will ensure ethics and child protection in the development process. This must also include consideration of any risks related to the activity and how these will be mitigated.8. Disclosure of Information/Child ProtectionIt is understood and agreed that the Consultant(s) shall, during and after the effective period of the contract, treat as confidential and not divulge, unless authorised in writing by Plan, any information obtained in the course of the performance of the Contract. Information will be made available for the consultants on a need-to-know basis. Any necessary field visits must be budgeted for in your proposal. Plan staff under the coordination of the National Program Manager will support the consultant in facilitating all necessary engagements required by the Consultant. The selected consultant will commit to respect Plan’s Child Protection Policy to prevent any harm from participating children and youth.About Plan International NigeriaPlan International is an independent child-centred international development organisation committed to advancing the rights of children and fighting against poverty. Plan has no religious, political, or government affiliation. For over 78 years, we have supported girls and boys and their communities around the world to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights, free themselves from poverty and live positive, fulfilling lives. Plan International currently works in 70 countries, including Nigeria.Plan International officially started operations in Nigeria in 2014 and works to strengthen and promote the rights of children. Our programme is currently focused on basic education; improving community health services, youth and citizens’ participation in governance and creating economic opportunities and livelihoods for the poor, building resilient communities through our emergency and humanitarian response. Plan International Nigeria works with communities, civil society organisations, development partners, governments at all levels and the private sector.More details regarding this Consultancy, including all relevant annexes can be found via this link - https://tinyurl.com/522t5yyrHOW TO APPLYSubmission of offersAll offers must be submitted to – [email protected] offers must be received no later than 20th February 2026Females are strongly advised to apply.