17/09/09

UNHCR project: assistance to Iraqi refuges in north-

east of Syria

SYRIA

PLEASE, SEND YOUR TECNICAL AND ECONOMIC OFFERS AND CONSULTANT’S CV BEFORE 28/09/09
12.00 a.m. (Madrid time) TO MARIA ESTECHA: mestecha@achesp.org AND ELISA DOMINGUEZ:
edominguez@achesp.org
 Terms of reference
UNHCR project: assistance to Iraqi refuges in north-east
of Syria
Project: Support to the Iraqi refugees to meet their basic health needs
through a malnutrition prevention approach in the North Eastern
Governorates of Syria
Location: North East Governorates of Syria – Hassakeh, Der Ezzor
Duration: 1 February 2009 – 31 December 2009
Key partners: Syrian Arab Red Crescent - SARC
Reporting to: Head of Mission

1. Background
As all international NGOs present in Syria, ACF received the approval by the
Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work in Syria, on 2 July 2008, to implement
programmes on nutrition, food security and water and sanitation and signed a
MoU with its partner, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. Currently, ACF is
implementing a project on the prevention of malnutrition targeting the Iraqi
refugees in the North East of Syria with its partner, the Syrian Arab Red
Crescent.

ACF first intervention in Syria towards the Iraqi refugees is focused on the
prevention of malnutrition. When the conditions of food insecurity and chronic
malnourishment are resulting from the depletion of coping mechanisms, long
term micronutrient deficiencies and prevalence of anaemia, they must be
addressed through preventive actions such as young infant child feeding,
breastfeeding awareness promotion, capacity building of the local medical staff
and establishment of nutrition surveillance systems integrating a food security
component. Last but not least, an assessment to determinate the causes of
malnutrition is alongside the previous actions the main activity for ACF-E to
improve its knowledge on the causes of malnutrition of the Iraqi population living
in North-east governorates of Syria. This will allow ACF to tackle malnutrition and
food security in a concerted and integrated manner, once reliable data on the
extent and magnitude of the Iraqis vulnerability will be collected and analyzed.
The methodology adopted will therefore target the needs of the vulnerable Iraqi
children and women as well as the medical staff capacity to detect and monitor
malnutrition cases.

This nutritional anthropometric survey is aimed at identifying and evaluating the

nutritional status of the Iraqi population, namely children until 5 years of age
alongside its variables: mortality rate, anaemia and diarrhoea prevalence, child
feeding practices.

Results of this technical nutritional survey will be helpful to direct next ACF
strategic interventions in the area to cope with malnutrition as problem of public
health among the Iraqi population.
2. Objective of the consultancy and scope of work
- To review relevant and existing documents pertaining to the implementation
of the ongoing project
- Coordinate and consult with SARC, UNHCR and other institutions if necessary
To coordinate and supervise the identification of underlying causes of
malnutrition: food security at household level, social groups, access to food,
social environment, social status of women, public health and hygiene, access
to safe drinking water and sanitation, access to health, etc. that will be
conduct by a local consultant.
- To conduct an SMART anthropometric nutritional, anaemia and
mortality survey:

To evaluate the nutritional status of children aged 6 to 59 months.

To estimate the crude mortality rate through a retrospective survey.

To evaluate the anemia prevalence of children aged 6 to 59 months
- To design a work plan, organize and implement the survey with ACF staff and
SARC volunteers (teams composition)
- Analysis of collected data
- To write the nutrition survey report
- To supervise activities carried out in the first phase of the project
(January-September 2009: set up of nut surveillance) and send to HQ
monthly APR (activity project report)
- To prepare the final project report to UNHCR.
- Eventually, to write a new proposal if extension is decided within the mission.

Target Population
- Iraqi Children aged 6 to 59 months
- Staff in 5 clinics

Target Area
- Hassakeh and Der Ezzor Governorates (North East of Syria)

Methodology of SMART survey

A simple random sampling methodology will be used using the listed Iraqi
refugee Households that UNHCR uses for food distribution1 according to the
SMART methodology.

The households from the list will be selected at random (using random tables
generated by ENA software) having each household and child in the total
population exactly equal chance of being selected into the sample. Therefore, the
sample chosen will be representative of the whole population. Families will be
contacted by phone to identify location and organise the team visit. All the
children in the randomly selected household between the ages of 6 and 59
months will be included in the survey.

1
UNHCR July 2009
After calculation, a total number of households will be visited, a sample size of
children under five will be included in the anthropometric survey and a
determined number of children will be taken for the determination of levels of
haemoglobin in blood.

Each child will be measured (weight, height, MUAC) and a capillary blood sample
will be taken. The blood will be analyzed immediately using a Haemoglobin
analyser “HemoCue” to determine haemoglobin in blood. The caretaker will sign
a previous authorization for the sample collection.

A retrospective mortality survey over of 90 days period before the survey will be
undertaken alongside the anthropometric survey.

A focus group discussion will be done with head of villages and notables
regarding nutrition and food security situation in their villages

Nutritional and mortality data will be treated and analysed using ENA software.

Food Security and other health data (anaemia, vaccination) will be treated and
analysed using EXCEL

Calendar proposed to the consultant

ACTIVITIES NB weeks
October/November/December
Training and organizing survey team; First and Second week of October
conduct pilot visits
Information, sensibilisation of the First and Second week of October
population and authorization obtained
from the necessary local authorities
and community leaders
Field Survey Implementation Third and last week of October
Treatment of data collected (data Third and last week of October
entry and analysis)
Restitution & final report November

Supervision of nut surveillance monthly

system in clinics
Preparation of monthly APR First week of every month

Final report 1-15th December

Write proposal for 2010 if required 15-30th December

TOTAL 3 months (October-December 2009)

Profiled researched

Nutritionist, Nurse or Medical Doctor and experience in Public Health and
related fields

Experience in SMART surveys and assessments

Familiar with causal analysis of malnutrition

Good analytical skills

Good communication and diplomacy skills

Ability to deal with local partners

Fluent English language skills (report should be written in English)

Experience with international NGOs

Experience in Syria or a Middle Eastern context is an asset.

Transport and accommodation

Accommodation – The consultant will share ACF guesthouse in the intervention
area where other expatriates are living; when the consultant will travel and work
in the field target area ACF will take charge of the hotel costs; when the
consultant will be outside of the intervention area and not for working purposes,
it is totally under the consultant personal charges as this does not fall under the
ToR; the consultant will have the possibility of doing daily meals at ACF
guesthouse and for that the consultant will receive a monthly allowance of
26,385 Syrian pounds; while working in the field, the consultant is in charge of
the food costs as the monthly allowance provided is considered sufficient
according to the country living conditions;

Transport – The consultant will share ACF rented cars in the intervention area for
working purposes as well as other transport mean (bus, train or plane) as long
as these are to be used solely for working purposes;
Other – The consultant must follow the security/safety regulations in the mission
as followed by the other expatriates.

Applications
All people interested should present an application as follows:
1. A Technical proposal with:
- Technical reference of previous similar works
- Methodological note with a proposition regarding organisation of survey,
planning, etc.
- A financial proposition with a detailed budget.
2. Conditions
Service contract between ACF-E and the Consultant;
Duty station in Hassakeh (not necessarily everyday but according to the
consultant planning), ACF-E base location, Hassakeh and Der Ezzor governorates
Budget to be proposed by the Consultant.

Outputs
Final SMART and causal study reports in English:

10 lines resume

Introduction and justification

Methodology

Results

Propositions on strategy for an intervention based on results found

A concept note for such intervention

Annexes

Bibliography