HEALTH SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING, GOVERNANCE & FINANCE – HIRING OF RESEARCH FIRM 

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The HSS Project is a 5-year USAID/Mali Project aimed at expanding access to high-quality health services and increase Malians’ ability to plan, finance and manage their health system and their own health at the community, district, regional levels within the regions of Sikasso, Segou, and Mopti, and at the national level. The HSS activity will work with Malians and their public, private and civic institutions and systems to strengthen competencies in areas such as management and leadership, workforce development, system management functioning, quality of care, supervision, data for decision-making, and health governance and financing. This Project will also collaborate with other USAID non-health activities that are working in areas such as governance and finance that are relevant to the health system. Additionally, this Project, in collaboration will strengthen citizen participation in, and social accountability for, quality health services and efficiently-managed health systems. The availability of high-quality health services will be increased through increased availability of competent health personnel and ensuring that health centers and health workers provide a complete package of services. It will also require the availability of outreach health services for remote, insecure, and hard-to-reach areas, and appropriate lab services at the community level.

The HSS Project is in the process of conducting a baseline survey and will need the support of a local Research Firm to organize and coordinate logistics for the study.

Baseline Study Purpose

The purpose of this study is to collect high-quality data that will help Palladium and its partners establish a point of reference by which change will be measured through performance indicators included in the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (AMELP). In addition, findings from the baseline study will be useful to various stakeholders at different stages of the Activity implementation. Stakeholders to benefit from this study include the HSS Activity, USAID Mali, Government of Mali (GOM) partners, and key developmental partners.

Data Collection Method

Scope of Work

The Research Firm will be responsible for the following logistical arrangement:

1. Contracting of 30 Research Assistants for data collection. Each research assistant to be hired by the research firm must meet the HSS Project’s requirements and must be approved by the HSS MERL team before contracted.
2. Organizing smart phones (tablets) for data collection. The research firms will be required to provide or rent 30 smart phones that would be used for the data collection. These smartphones will be used for the training, pre-testing and the main data collection exercise. The smartphones are expected to be used for a total of 40 days (6 days per week).
3. Organize logistics for the training of Research Assistants. The Research firms will be required to handle the payment of research assistants fees, and transport during the 6 days of training (which includes pre-testing and finalization of data collection tools). Meals, training materials and conference hall will be organized by the HSS Project. HSS Project will also organize transport for the pre-testing of data collection tools, which will take place in and around Bamako.
4. Organize transportation during field work: The Firm will be responsible for organizing transportation for research assistants and supervisors during the field data collection in the region of Mopti, Sikasso and Ségou. As explained in the Survey Protocol attached, the research team shall be divided into 3 groups, with each team composing of 10 research assistants and 1 supervisor. Each team will need between 3 to 5 vehicles per day, depending on where they will be conducting the data collection exercise. The data collection is expected to last not more than 30 days.
5. Security Information and Guidance: The firm will be required to provide security information and guidance to the research team while in the field. This will include linking up with various ASACOs, and CSCOMs as well as their agents and informants to know the security situation of the places to be visited by the research team and the root the be used by the research, and to provide such information to the research team to guide their movement and ensure incident free research.

Eligibility Criteria 

The minimum requirement expected of the research firm are as follows:

1. The firms should have been incorporated in accordance with the laws of Mali, and mandated to conduct research in the regions of Mopti, Segou, Sikasso, Koulikoro and Kayes.
2. The firm should have conducted a minimum of 3 data collection, qualitative, quantitative and/or mix method research in the last five years. It should have experience working in at least two of the five regions including Mopti.
3. The firm must have a verifiable office location in Bamako, purposely for data collection and research related activities. A firm having an additional office in the regions (particularly in Mopti) will be an added advantage.

Survey timelines

Deliverable Schedule

Mode of Application

Each prospective bidder is expected to present the following documents to request for the baseline protocol and detailed job description. Applicants who do not meet the criteria may not be contacted:

1. Evidence of company’s registration and/or authorization to work in Mali
2. Brief background of the Research Firm addressing the requirements stated above, including summary of 3 data collection or research works conducted in any two of the five regions including Mopti region, in the past five years. (Not more than 3 pages)

Request should be addressed to oumou.cisse@thepalladiumgroup.com and copied Joseph.Limange@thepalladiumgroup.com and yvonne.usanase@thepalladiumgroup.com by close of Business November 6^th 2020.