Terms of reference (TOR)
Consultancy service to conduct a programme baseline assessment
UGANDA & KENYA
· Project: Integrated Community Nutrition Management Programme (ICNMP)
· Procuring Organisation: IsraAID
· Contract Type: Consultancy
· Contract Period: October 2026 to December 2026, 75 days (Phased implementation)
· Target Start Date: Tentatively 26/10/2026
· Application Deadline: 23/10/2026
· Submission Method: EMAIL – see 'how to apply'
BACKGROUND
IsraAID is an International Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Israel. It supports people and communities affected by humanitarian crises, combining rapid emergency response with longer-term recovery, resilience, and preparedness. Over the years, IsraAID has worked in more than 60 countries, responding to disasters, displacement, epidemics, and other crises. Its mission is centered on partnering closely with local communities to provide urgent assistance while helping them rebuild and strengthen their resilience to future shocks.
IsraAID is implementing a project titled Integrated Community Nutrition Management Programme (ICNMP) in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda and in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. The programme intends to improve health outcomes and reduce morbidity and mortality associated with malnutrition in vulnerable communities participating in the Program. ICNMP is designed as a regional initiative that responds to acute and chronic nutrition needs across East Africa, beginning its phase zero in Q2 of 2026, and actual implementation in September 2026. Although the immediate program launch focuses on Uganda and the emergency phase in Kenya, early 2027 will see Kenya incorporating the full package while the broader intention is to establish a model that can later expand to South Sudan as funding becomes available. The regional framing is essential, as the scale of displacement, vulnerability, and recurring shocks across these countries requires harmonized technical standards, shared learning, and coordinated supply chain approaches. The program will expand decentralized nutrition services by placing screening, early identification, and treatment within spaces that families already use daily, including schools, Child-Friendly Spaces, transit points, and primary health facilities. To be able to achieve the intended outcomes, IsraAID seeks services of a consultant to conduct a baseline upon which project progress and successes will be measured.
This Terms of Reference (ToR) sets out the background, purpose, objectives, scope of work, expected deliverables, and management arrangements for the baseline study, and invites eligible firms to submit technical and financial proposals for consideration.
PURPOSE
This assignment aims at establishing both quantitative and qualitative baseline information on access to integrated nutrition services, nutrition and food security practices and programme systems to ensure that these are addressed by programme interventions to realise the intended overall goal. The baseline will also establish baseline information on several learning areas under the OECD criteria and the IsraAID Community Resilience framework (CRF). The baseline therefore aims at obtaining verified, disaggregated benchmark values for the programme indicators, enabling precise measurement of outcomes and impacts at endline (Year 2, 2028).
OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The assignment will specifically
A. Assess the 3 programme outcome indicators
1\. Vulnerable communities — especially children under five and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) — access integrated, quality nutrition services delivered through a multi-tier workforce (community and formal system) and functional multi-sectoral pathways.
2\. Caregivers and community structures adopt improved nutritional and food security practices that prevent and protect against malnutrition.
3\. Programme systems — accountability, information, governance and supply chain, inventory management systems, logistics & distribution modalities — are functional and progressively integrated into and owned by national, district and community structures.
B. Provide baseline information on the specified Community Resilience Framework (CRF) and OECD learning questions.
SCOPE
The baseline survey will be conducted in programme’s area of implementation, covering Nakivale Refugee Settlement and its surrounding host communities in Western Uganda and Turkana West Sub-County specifically targeting Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kalobeyei settlement and its surrounding host communities in Kenya. There are several credible data sources that will benefit the project including, among others, District Information Health System (DHIS 2),
Food Security and Nutrition Assessment reports (FSNA), Demographic Health Surveys, and Population Census reports. Primary baseline information will be obtained from, among others, health facilities, schools, households, children-friendly spaces, community structures and partners engaged in nutrition interventions
METHODOLOGY
IsraAID anticipates a mixed-methods baseline design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, consistent with the evidence requirements set out in the MEAL Plan. The final design will be proposed by the Firm and refined collaboratively with IsraAID’s MEAL team.
The baseline study should be designed so that its instruments, sampling frame, and methodology can be replicated with fidelity at endline, enabling credible before and after comparison and contribution analysis.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The consultant will be expected to demonstrate how the assessment will be conducted in line with research ethics while protecting the human rights of the participants. It will also be the responsibility of the consultant to ensure strict adherence to IsraAID Safeguarding Policy. The consultant will also be responsible for ensuring that any persons hired, engaged, or consulted during the process are familiar with the policy and commit to abide by it during the delivery of the assignment.
EXPECTED DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE
This assignment will last approximately 75 days from the date of signing of the contract. The consultant will provide a detailed work plan with realistic timelines to the logical conclusion of the baseline survey. The following deliverables are expected from the consultant:
The baseline assessment will be undertaken by one consultant/firm. Fieldwork will be conducted sequentially, beginning in Uganda and subsequently moving to Kenya.
1\. Inception & Evaluation Design – Week 1
Key activities
· Desk review of programme proposal, Theory of Change, Logic Model and MEAL Plan.
· Inception meetings with IsraAID.
· Refine evaluation design, sampling strategy and evaluation matrix.
Deliverables
· Inception report.
· Refined methodology and sampling plan.
· Approved work plan and evaluation/indicator matrix.
2\. Tool Development, Piloting & Field Preparation – Weeks 2–3
Key activities
· Finalize quantitative and qualitative data collection tools aligned with Indicator Reference Sheets.
· Share tools with relevant teams and incorporate feedback.
· Pilot testing and tool refinement.
· Enumerator training/orientation and field preparation.
· Ethics/safeguarding clearance preparation.
Deliverables
· Approved final data collection tools and protocols.
· Pilot findings and revisions.
· Enumerator training/orientation completed.
· Ethics/safeguarding documentation.
3\. Data Collection – Uganda – Weeks 4–5
Key activities
· Deploy quantitative and qualitative surveys/interviews with agreed respondents in Uganda.
· Conduct ongoing field-level data quality assurance.
· Hold regular field debriefs with participating stakeholders.
· Complete Uganda fieldwork and initial data quality checks.
· Provide the IsraAID team with access to data on a rolling basis as it is collected.
Deliverables
· Uganda quantitative and qualitative data.
· Field notes/transcripts.
· Data quality assurance records.
· Cleaned Uganda dataset.
3\. Transition & Data Collection – Kenya – Weeks 5–7
Key activities
· Close out any outstanding Uganda data collection activities.
· Uganda findings first draft submission
· Transition/travel from Uganda to Kenya.
· Conduct quantitative and qualitative data collection in Kenya.
· Maintain ongoing data quality assurance and stakeholder debriefs.
· Provide the IsraAID team with access to data on a rolling basis as it is collected.
· Complete Kenya fieldwork and initial data checks.
Deliverables
· Uganda fieldwork close-out and initial findings draft shared.
· Kenya quantitative and qualitative data.
· Field notes/transcripts.
· Data quality assurance records.
· Cleaned Kenya dataset.
4\. Analysis & Validation – Weeks 7–9
Key activities
· Clean, code and analyze quantitative and qualitative data.
· Triangulate findings across methods and countries.
· Develop and populate indicator baseline values.
· Prepare and conduct validation workshop with IsraAID/programme stakeholders.
Deliverables
· Analyzed datasets.
· Populated indicator baseline table.
· Draft findings.
· Validation workshop summary.
5\. Reporting & Dissemination – Weeks 9–10
Key activities
· Incorporate feedback from IsraAID.
· Finalize evaluation/baseline report.
· Prepare executive summary/brief and presentation deck.
· Present findings to relevant stakeholders.
· Hand over final datasets, tools and supporting documentation.
Deliverables
· Final report in MS Word and PDF.
· Executive summary/brief.
· Presentation deck.
· Final clean datasets and tools.
Summary of Key Milestones
· Week 1: Inception phase completed
· Week 2 & 3: Tools finalised/piloted and field preparation completed
· Week 4 & 5: Uganda fieldwork completed
· Weeks 6 & 7: Kenya fieldwork completed and initial Uganda finding draft
· Weeks 8 & 9: Analysis and validation completed; draft report ready
· Week 10:...