TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR INSTITUTIONAL CONTRACT       Purpose To conduct the implementation research on childhood onset NCD in two piloted district Location Kishoreganj District and Bagerhat District Estimated Duration 12 months Technical Supervisor of the assignment Health Specialist (Newborn and Child health)   Background and Context   Implementation research (IR) is an innovative approach to health systems strengthening in which research is made integral to decision-making. IR a) positions research within existing health programmes, b) involves meaningful engagement and leadership roles for decision-makers and implementers within research, and c) aligns research activities with programme implementation cycles. By addressing research questions of direct relevance to programmes getting implementers and policy makers buy-in through direct engagement, IR increases the likelihood of evidence‐informed policies and programs[1]. Research projects are typically delivered on a limited budget (cost-effective) within a restricted timeframe (to be responsive to immediate needs) and can be made to fit within monitoring and evaluation cycles in country programmes. To enable fast response local (national) research organizations collaborate with implementers and programme decision-makers to identify and prioritize implementation problems for exploration and analysis quickly and effectively. Working with local and global partners, UNICEF has successfully used implementation research in a number of settings throughout the world to generate actionable evidence and inform programmes[2]. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh represent a major public health challenge, contributing to 73.2% of all deaths. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause, responsible for 36.1% of deaths, followed by cancers, respiratory diseases, and diabetes[3]. There is a concerning increase in NCD prevalence among children and adolescents, heightening future health risks[4]. 35% of these NCDs start from the childhood age. Adult risk factors exacerbate the NCD burden, with widespread tobacco use (59.6% of men and 28.3% of women), low physical activity (12.3% do not meet activity recommendations), and high obesity rates (25.9% of adults have a BMI of 25 or higher). Women are particularly affected by obesity and increased waist circumference, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. The scoping reviews by ICDDR,B revealed paediatric NCD burden is highlighted by significant health concerns such as congenital heart disease (2.5% incidence in children) and high rates of respiratory conditions like asthma (11%). Type 1 diabetes shows variable prevalence, and mental health issues are prominent, affecting a large portion of the child population. Cancer types like leukaemia and lymphomas also emerge with distinct demographic profiles. Analysis of healthcare data from 877,437 paediatric cases between 2019 and 2023 highlights renal diseases, thalassemia, and cardiovascular conditions as leading causes for hospital admissions, revealing gaps in service provision and resource availability for complex conditions in primary care facilities. Bangladesh's healthcare policy landscape shows gaps in chronic care for children, with existing guidelines broadly addressing all ages but missing specific paediatric protocols. Conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and asthma require updated paediatric-focused management approaches. Palliative care and epilepsy management also lack comprehensive integration into national strategies, indicating the need for policies that cater specifically to children's health needs. Coordination through a paediatric Technical Working Group and six Scientific Working Groups under the Non-communicable Disease Control Program seeks to bridge these gaps by developing protocols, training materials, and strategies for effective community engagement. Service delivery for NCDs evidences a tiered healthcare approach, with primary care facilities providing basic services but lacking in paediatric NCD management. District and medical college hospitals offer broader services but show disparity in resource availability, particularly for cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and mental disorders. UNICEF's initiative to develop a comprehensive paediatric NCD service delivery model aims to enhance primary care capabilities using the PEN-PLUS framework, prioritizing six domains of paediatric NCDs and currently piloting in Bagerhat and Kishoreganj Districts. Supply chain systems highlight disparities in essential medicine availability, with medical college hospitals better equipped than district and upazila facilities. The Operational Plan of DGHS covers procurement, but budget constraints lead to frequent stockouts of essential drugs for paediatric NCD patients. Consequently, enhancing supply chain efficiency is critical for consistent treatment delivery. Health workforce capacity reveals significant shortages of specialists, with medical college hospitals lacking sanctioned posts for paediatric endocrinologists and orthopaedic surgeons. Most paediatric NCD cases are referred to higher centres, underscoring the need to strengthen services at the primary healthcare level. Developing general doctors' and paramedics' capacity for protocol-based management of NCDs is crucial in overcoming resource constraints. Despite robust Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) usage, NCDs are not fully integrated, especially for paediatric populations. UNICEF's support to develop an HMIS for paediatric NCDs, incorporating platforms like DHIS2, aims to address this gap, fostering comprehensive data collection and patient monitoring. Financial challenges further compound the NCD burden, with high treatment costs forcing patients into financial distress, emphasizing the urgent need for affordable healthcare options and policy interventions to mitigate the economic impact of NCDs in Bangladesh.     Rationale / Purpose of the evidence activity   WHO’s Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions, called PEN, put forward a primary care model for NCDs in low- and middle- income countries. PEN focuses on chronic conditions that can be managed with basic intervention at primary level, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and asthma. PEN-Plus builds on this model of care, putting forward the staffing, training, interventions, and commodities needed at district-level hospitals, which includes more specialized care for type 1 diabetes and rheumatic heart disease, which can be an approach for filling the critical gap in availability and quality of services of NCDs that Bangladesh is facing. Planning and scale-up of this PEN-Plus or childhood onset NCD management in Bangladesh is essential to address the growing burden of pediatric NCDs in the country, and therefore PEN-Plus intervention was developed to guide scale-up and identify practical ways to implement pediatric NCD management across the country. To date, Bangladesh has 22 PEN-PLUS sites across two districts (Kishoreganj and Bagerhat) supported by UNICEF with funding from Eli Lilly. Focus on children and adolescents is a key commitment of PEN-PLUS interventions as NCDs are often neglected in children, and healthy lifestyle interventions are meaningful if started early in life at childhood and adolescence stage. The IR approach offers opportunities to investigate particular barriers to effective implementation paediatric NCD programmes to do course correction in real time. The literature showed that IR can contribute to tackle implementation challenges through health systems improving at national, district, and local levels. In order to address current evidence gaps and to tackle existing implementation challenges of the PEN-Plus or pediatric NCDs interventions, UNICEF Bangladesh is seeking a research institution / agency to conduct implementation research focusing priority research questions for Bangladesh. The selected institution will be a formal contractor to UNICEF, responsible for planning, coordinating with involved partners, facilitating necessary approval from Bangladesh Ministry of Health (MoH) for conducting the IR studies, analysing data, dissemination and producing quality reports. 3. Objectives   UNICEF’s Bangladesh Country Office, Southeast Asian Regional Office (ROSA) and UNICEF HQ in collaboration with Bangladesh’s Ministry of Health (MoH) and partners, are going to support technical support to this proposed IR initiative to focusing on NCDs among children and adolescents to understand and explore challenges and enablers to the operationalization/implementation of these interventions in the two selected districts within the broader primary health care system. The objectives are to: Conduct implementation research focusing on priority topics related to PEN-Plus interventions or pediatric NCD in Bangladesh.   Generate concrete evidence and actionable recommendations with clear strategies to scale-up PEN-Plus/pediatric NCD in Bangladesh. Support packaging and dissemination of findings to key NCDs stakeholders for utilization of the IR findings. Specific objectives: Support IR projects based on the priority learning/research questions to tackle the evidence gaps, identify potential solutions, and ensure their utilization to better implementation of NCDs programmes in Bangladesh through engagement of decision-makers.   Support IR projects based on the priority questions identified focusing on implementation challenges for NCDs among children and adolescents, particularly, related to PEN-Plus interventions.   Support better packaging of evidence generated from IR projects tailored to users and disseminate (including manuscript for publications) with relevant stakeholders to ensure timely and rigorous use of the evidence for NCDs programmes and policies in the country.   4. Scope   The proposed IR initiative will take place in Kishoreganj District and Bagerhat District of Bangladesh and focus on the implementation of NCDs interventions for children and adolescents. The research team will be led by a local (national) national research agency that has considerable experience in delivering implementation research.   The agency will ensure the active involvement of key stakeholders (e.g. NCDs program implementers and policymakers at the district and national level) from government and other stakeholders as co-investigators or associated research team members. It is important to note that the questions which will be identified during the priority setting workshop may need further refinement by the applicant research agency, who will tailor the necessary processes accordingly. Since this is key to proposal development, applicants must thoroughly review and adjust the questions with justifications, ensuring no major changes to the core concepts. A well-presented revision will reflect the applicants' technical capabilities. The following will be the overall scope of the works of this research consultancy. The proposed IR will take place in Bangladesh. Review existing knowledge and data on the NCDs programmes including childhood NCDs interventions and organize an IR priority setting workshop to identify at least three broad IR topics focusing on childhood NCDs Develop detailed research protocols and data collection tools. Obtain ethical approval from the relevant Ethics Committees in Bangladesh. Conduct data collection and analysis. Develop reports, policy briefs, and presentations on findings. Organize an in-country dissemination event/seminar to share IR findings with relevant stakeholders. Develop implementation plans for the recommendations. Develop at least two manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.       During the inception phase, the recruited research agency will conduct an in-depth desk review of the progress reports, programme documents, any other documentation and grey literature relating to the NCDs and PEN-Plus programs in Bangladesh and identify key implementation challenges and knowledge gaps. The desk review will be followed by a research priority setting workshop with relevant stakeholders including MoH, CSOs and others working for responding NCDs programmes in Bangladesh. The objective of the desk review and priority setting workshop is to specify detailed implementation challenges of NCDs programmes including PEN-Plus and identify key implementation research questions. Following specification of research question(s), the Agency will map existing data sources (HMIS as well as other sources) and establish where there are gaps in knowledge and understanding. Potential key implementation research questions include (but is not limited to): Table 1: Potential IR priority areas Final list of implementation research questions will be identified and finalized (at least three broad questions) after the desk review and priority setting workshop. However, we anticipate few potential IR areas as follows: To identify the gaps of existing strategies for the detection, treatment, care, and support of children with NCDs, and develop evidence-based recommendations for optimal strategies To explore feasibility, fidelity and impact of different community engagement strategies aimed at increasing demand for NCD services among children To assess detailed cost analysis of the integration of PEN-Plus services into primary health care, including cost-effectiveness and budget impact assessments To develop and test of national and subnational health strategies that incorporate NCD prevention and management, using implementation science frameworks to guide the planning and evaluation processes To identify strategies to strengthen supply and cold chain management for NCD drugs, commodities and products at national and subnational levels, including the development and validation of forecasting tools To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of establishing a national public-private partnership platform improve access to NCD services, drugs, commodities, and products for children and adolescents   6. Methodology Based on the identified research questions/topics, research agency will develop protocols (including appropriate sample size, methods, data collection tools, analysis plan, etc) for each study topics separately, with combining only the possible aspects/components. All studies will be implemented simultaneously. The geographic areas for the research will be determined/concluded in consultation with the relevant officials from MoH, UNICEF and other stakeholders though vendors need to present in general their sample size along with geographic locations with justification. Any slight change in latter will not have significant cost implications.   The detailed research plan (e.g., research teams, methodology) must be presented to the UNICEF and relevant MoH colleagues for clearance prior to field work (through an inception report). The tool (s) and other data collection instruments for desk and document review, relevant mapping and primary data collection shall be shared with the steering committee for technical inputs and clearance prior to their application. These will be in addition to mentioning them in the proposals. Desk review/situation analysis Selected research agency will conduct systematic desk review of key documents (e.g., existing evaluations, programme documents, published articles etc. including quantitative and qualitative study findings, etc.) to identify current implementation challenges of the paediatric NCDs interventions and outline evidence gaps. The agency will also organize an IR priority setting workshop to identify priority IR questions and refine research questions as needed to conduct IR studies. Research protocol Selected research agency will be responsible to develop research protocols based on the questions identified. The research protocols should clearly frame the research questions, present the sampling framework that will be used for deciding on the methodology (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed- method) and data collection efforts. The data collection should keep in mind the context and avoid collecting data that other sectoral/intersectoral partners have already collected.  The inception report should justify the need for any primary data collection based on research questions. Sampling size and assumptions need to be included in the protocols. The research agency will be expected to obtain ethical approval as required. All data will be owned by the UNICEF. All the deliverables below, will be steered/guided by the in country steering committee formed under the leadership of MoH to define the scope, design and lead the research. Data collection It is expected that applicants submit their data collection plan based on the questions and methodology proposed. Below a list of potential sources for primary and secondary data and data collection methods and provided. Primary Data Collection Based on the methodology, surveys or interviews with relevant stakeholders will be conducted. Direct observation of facilities and community-based health services (if required). Interviews and/or focus groups with relevant health workers, health service providers, at different facility levels.   Secondary Analysis of Existing Data Use of community/health facility admin data registers (paper-based or digital). Local population-based surveys. Use of project-wise M&E data of partner CSOs.   Data analysis The research agency will develop and will carry out data analysis based on an agreed analysis plan. Preliminary findings will be presented to the steering committee consisting of UNICEF and MoH for review and feedback. Project report A final project report for each project should be developed by the research agency. Project reports should include the documentation of the implementation research results and recommendations (research questions, choice of methodology, data collection, data analysis, conclusions and actionable recommendations). Research agency will be responsible to develop policy briefs and relevant power point presentations highlighting the key results and recommendations for each IR project. At least one manuscript per research project will be developed by the research agency. Frequent meetings between the research agency and UNICEF and the steering committee will be required to agree on each of the milestones in the process. Expected limitations: At this stage no specific limitation is anticipated. However, UNICEF along with partners will address any issue that will be arisen during the course of study implementation. Ethical consideration: Approval from relevant Ethics Committees in Bangladesh will be required, and the institutional contractor will be responsible for attaining the necessary approval before starting the field work. Specific condition: The principal investigator or co-principal investigator should have an advanced degree in public health, social science, or statistics (Ph.D. recommended). He/She also have expertise and proven substantial experience of at least 15 years in research, including documented knowledge of maternal, newborn, child and/or adolescent health and immunization and NCDs programming health systems and implementation research. Should have at least more than 20 publications on health, implementation and health systems research, social science, or related fields in peer-reviewed journals. The principal investigator must be familiar with the ethical review process in the country and be able to lead the process to obtain ethical approval of the proposed implementation research projects/topics.  7.  Ethical Considerations  The research agency is expected to follow the ethical principles and considerations outlined in the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation and the UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation and Data Collection and Analysis. In addition, the UNEG norms and standards will be observed. As per UNICEF standards for ethical research, the evaluation/research agency must give special attention to ethical considerations and should put in place adequate measures for ethical oversight throughout the study/evaluation period. All researchers and field investigators involved in primary data collection should have undergone basic ethics training, which at a minimum includes completing UNICEF’s AGORA course on Ethics in Evidence Generation or its equivalent. In conducting the study, the research agency must ensure informed consent, respecting people’s right to provide information in confidence and making study participants aware of the scope and limits of confidentiality. Furthermore, the agency is responsible for ensuring that sensitive information cannot be traced to its source so that the relevant individuals are protected from reprisals.  Data storage and security must be ensured at all stages of the study. Only select personnel from the research agency should have access to de-identified data, and only anonymised data should be shared externally, and with UNICEF (unless stated otherwise).” Ethical clearance is mandatory to obtain the approval from Independent Review Board (IRB) for this research, given it involves data collection with vulnerable populations. The research agency will be responsible for getting necessary IRB approvals for the protocol and other relevant components of the study/evaluation and should factor in the IRB process, from both financial and timeline perspectives.  The proposal and implementation should be informed and guided by UNICEF’s Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation, Data Collection and Analysis.   Ethical issues and considerations are described and guided by the UNEG ethical standards for evaluation. As such, the evaluation report should include: - Explicit reference to the obligations of evaluators (independence, impartiality, credibility, conflicts of interest, accountability) - Description of ethical safeguards for participants appropriate for the issues described (respect for dignity and diversity, right to self-determination, fair representation, compliance with codes for vulnerable groups, confidentiality, and avoidance of harm) - ONLY FOR THOSE CASES WHERE THE EVALUATION INVOLVES INTERVIEWING CHILDREN: explicit reference is made to the UNICEF procedures for Ethical Research Involving Children   8. Use of Findings   The research agency should develop actionable recommendations based on the IR findings and propose an implementation plan for the recommendations. The agency should also describe plan for the utilization of the research findings including communications and dissemination products, and channels would be appropriate for evidence-informed NCDs programmes and policies in Bangladesh.   9. Publication Plan   General Conditions of Contracts for Services: UNICEF entitled to all property rights regarding material created by the Contractor. UNICEF owns all rights in the publication and in the underlying data/research. In the process of undergoing external academic publication by a UNICEF institutional contractor, then the review and approval process stipulated in the contract will apply. This should normally include a quality assurance review in accordance with the UNICEF Procedure for Quality Assurance in Research The contract stipulates that UNICEF owns all the intellectual property in the research collected or generated as part of the contract and does not give the contractor any right to use the research materials. In such cases, the Contractor can only issue an external academic publication with the prior written consent of UNICEF. (This consent would be from the Head of the relevant office/division, based on the advice of the relevant programme manager). UNICEF can veto the publication if it determines that it is appropriate to do so In some cases, UNICEF may have given the contractor the right to use the research generated as part of the contract for non-commercial academic or educational purposes. In such cases, UNICEF generally requires that the contractor share the proposed draft with UNICEF at least thirty days before sharing it with the third-party publisher to allow UNICEF (a) to ensure that no confidential information is included and (b) to provide comments. (This review would be done by the relevant programme manager, who should also notify the Head of the relevant office/division of the imminent publication). In the interests of transparency, the following items should ideally be prominently disclosed in all external academic publications: (a) the author’s role and relationship with UNICEF; (b) any actual or potential conflict of interest by the researchers; (c) all funding sources for the research. Appropriate attribution of the source of the research data should be included.   10.  Schedule of Tasks & Timeline   # Activities Deliverables Payment schedule Timeline 1 Conduct desk review and organize research priority setting workshop Development/finalization of protocols and tools. Ethical clearance obtained from approving body. Inception report. Desk review and workshop report with final list of IR questions Protocols and tools (questionnaires) are developed and finalized based on the priority research questions and methods agreed upon. Protocols submitted for ethical body and approval obtained. Inception report submitted and finalized. End deliverables in this activity Inception report Protocols and tools (questionnaires) developed, finalized and endorsed IRB approval All documents require UNICEF and government endorsement 20% Within 45 days after signing of contract 2 Data collection Data collection completed. End deliverable in this activity Provide the data collection completion report All documents require UNICEF and government endorsement 30% Within 180 days after signing of contract 3 Data analysis and final reports Data analysed; narrative reports, policy briefs and relevant PPTs finalized submitted; and clean dataset handed over. End deliverables in this activity Provide the Final narrative report with full data analysis PPT for presentation to stakeholders One policy brief on IR All documents require UNICEF and government endorsement 20% Within 240 days after signing of contract 4 Organization of a national level dissemination workshop/seminar and Development of implementation plan for recommendations and National level dissemination workshop organized to present the IR results with key stakeholders   Implementation plan developed and submitted. End deliverables in this activity Provide the dissemination workshop report with recommendations from workshop Provide further scale up plan for implementation All documents require UNICEF and government endorsement   20% Within 300 days after signing of contract 5 Journal articles developed  Manuscript submitted to peer reviewed journal(s). End deliverables in this activity Proof of manuscript submission to peer reviewed journal   10% Within 365 days after signing of contract     11.  Estimated duration of contract:  12 months from 15 May 2025 to 30 April 2026. The research plan to start from 15 May 2025 and aim to complete by 30th Apri,2026. The exact time and date can be flexible depending on contract signing. However, the total duration will be within 12 months.   12. Deliverables The deliverables are same as mentioned in the above table (Section 10: Schedule of tasks and timeline) Sample Table of Contents for an Inception Report (no more than 30 pages, plus annexes) Title page Table of contents Acronyms List of tables and figures Executive summary       INTRODUCTION* Objective of the implementation research  Background and context Scope of the work METHODOLOGY* Research criteria and questions Conceptual framework Sampling Data collection methods Analytical approaches Risks and potential limitations Ethics and UNEG Standards PROGRAMME OF WORK* Phases of work Team composition and responsibilities Management and logistic support Calendar of work ANNEXES Terms of reference of the IR*  Stakeholder map* Tentative outline of the main report* Interview checklists/protocols* Draft Study Tools* Theory of change / outcome model* Detailed work plan*  Detailed responsibilities of IR team members  Reference documents  Document map  Project list  Project mapping   Sample Table of Contents for an Final Report (not more than 60 pages, plus annexes) Title page Table of contents Acronyms List of tables and figures Executive summary        (with the purpose of the IR, brief methodology, key findings, conclusions and recommendations in priority order) 1. INTRODUCTION* 1.1. Background and context of the IR 1.2. Literature review 1.3. Objective of the IR 1.4. Scope of the IR 2. METHODOLOGY* 2.1. IR criteria and questions 2.2. Conceptual framework: Theory of change (if any) 2.3. IR design 2.4. Sampling design 2.5. Data collection methods 2.6. Analytical approaches 2.7. Risks and potential limitations 2.8. Ethics and UNEG Standards 3. FINDINGS* 3.1. Findings by criteria 3.2. Mixed method analysis (quantitative & qualitative) 4. POLICY IMPLICATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS* 4.1. Recommendations, it will be explicitly linked to the findings and with the target audience identified. 4.2. Lessons learned. 5. ANNEXES 1. Terms of reference of the IR* 2. List of meetings attended* 3. List of persons interviewed* 4. List of documents reviewed* 5. Interview checklists/protocols 6. Study Tools 7. Any other relevant materials   *The structure of inception reports may be adjusted depending on the scope of the work. Chapters and sections with an asterisk should be included by default. It is advisable to outline the proposed structure of the inception and final report at this early stage, so that expectations are set accordingly. For the inception report, emphasize that draft study protocol and/or data collection tools are expected to be delivered. For evaluations, a note should be added that the length, structure and content of the final report will be as per UNICEF Evaluation Report Standards (GEROS), and that an Executive Summary is mandatory, which will be approved by an internal steering committee before the report can be finalized.   13. Team composition, Qualifications & Experience required: This assignment will be undertaken by an agency primarily engaged in research studies, with extensive experience in conducting surveys and qualitative research, specifically related to childhood onset noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the country. The selected agency should have a successful track record of conducting high-quality literature reviews, as well as designing, implementing, and analysing both quantitative and qualitative surveys, with relevant activities in health development and significant experience within the government system, particularly regarding childhood NCDs at the community and facility levels. The organization must possess a robust research infrastructure to support field-based data collection, ensure electronic archiving of the data, and maintain the highest level of confidentiality for research subjects while guaranteeing the validity of responses. Agencies are encouraged to form collaborations for this assignment to enable simultaneous sub-studies; it should be clearly stated which agency is managing each sub-study and the responsibilities assigned to the lead agency. Agencies involved in sub-studies should ensure there are no potential conflicts of interest. Senior team members should: Hold a post-graduate degree in public health or a PhD in health, social sciences, or a related field, with specialized knowledge and experience in childhood NCDs. Familiarity with child rights and gender equality is an added benefit. Have a clear understanding of the government health structure, processes, and systems, particularly focused on the management of childhood health issues. Be knowledgeable about the broader health system, including but not limited to hospital service management, upazila health care, primary health care, procurement, supply chain management, quality of care, reporting and accountability, health financing, social protection, private sector engagement, public-private partnerships, and relevant health programs addressing childhood NCDs. Have a minimum of 10 years of experience, with at least five years specifically focused on maternal and child health, especially concerning childhood NCDs. Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Bengali. Exhibit strong analytical, report writing, and presentation skills. Be proficient in computer software including Windows 8, MS Office, Internet searches, and statistical data analysis software such as Stata or R.   Suggested composition of the expert team: The Principal  investigator (team leader) with at least 15 years of experience leading projects in the childhood health field, including operational research specific to NCDs, with a strong track record of relevant research and scientific publications, and at least 15 years of project/program management and leadership experience. Strong personal and team skills, experience with quantitative data packages, and good working knowledge of Bengali and English are essential. A background in childhood NCD programs is preferred. Senior health experts (statistician and qualitative experts) with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in quantitative research, including interdisciplinary work related to childhood NCDs. The candidate should have a solid track record of research and scientific publications, demonstrated research management and leadership experience, strong personal and team skills, and proficiency with quantitative data packages. Fluency in Bengali and English is required, with previous experience in childhood health programs being advantageous. A senior research field manager with at least 5 years’ experience leading field studies in social sciences, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative research focused on childhood health. Strong personal and team skills, experience with quantitative data packages, and good working knowledge of Bengali and English are essential. Enumerators must effectively interview respondents and collect data in English, Bengali, and other local languages, as well as translate research materials. They should have at least two years of experience in fieldwork, be fluent in the necessary local languages, and hold at least a high school diploma. 14.  Duty Station : Dhaka, Kishoreganj and Bagerhat. 15. Management and Supervision The contracted research or evaluation agency will play a critical role in executing the activity with a clear set of responsibilities and expected standards. Primarily, the agency will be responsible for designing the study, implementation through government facilities, collecting data, and analysing the results. They will ensure rigorous adherence to quality assurance measures, such as the meticulous recording and reporting of any suspected adverse events. Further, the agency will monitor clinical services by government service providers, implement robust data handling and record-keeping protocols with quality check to maintain data integrity and confidentiality. Quality control will be integral to their processes, with regular audits and validations to ensure accuracy and reliability of the data collected. The agency will also be required to provide comprehensive, transparent reports and updates to keep all stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the study period. This combination of roles and responsibilities, along with stringent quality measures, will ensure that the research is conducted to the highest standards and yields actionable insights.   UNICEF: UNICEF will provide overall technical management for this research. The contracted agency will operate under the supervision of a health specialist, who will report to the health manager and, ultimately, to the Chief of Health. All materials, including reports, questionnaires, and other documents, must be certified by the health specialist before being finalized. The selected agency is required to share drafts of all materials and present them to government counterparts after receiving endorsement from UNICEF. 16.  Official Travel: All travel related cost needs to include in the financial proposal. In line with UN procedure for contracted partner, only economy class travel is applicable, regardless of length of travel. 17.  Payment Schedule 1st payment (20%): upon acceptance of, IRB approval letter, onboarding of team member, priority setting workshop, finalized inception report (Deliverable-1) 2nd payment (30%):  upon finalization of data collection completion report and acceptance, as agreed with UNICEF (Deliverable-2) 3rd payment (20%): upon submission and acceptance of the Final narrative report with full data analysis, PPT for presentation to stakeholders, one policy brief on IR, and policy brief, as agreed with UNICEF (Deliverable-3) 4th payment (20%): upon submission and acceptance of dissemination workshop and acceptance of dissemination workshop report with recommendations from workshop, further scale up plan for implementation, as agreed with UNICEF (Deliverable-4) 5th payment (10%): upon submission and acceptance of proof of manuscript submission to peer reviewed journal, as agreed with UNICEF (Deliverable-5)     18. Technical Evaluation Criteria   CATEGORY MAX. POINTS MIN. POINTS SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE OF THE FIRM RELEVANT TO THE ASSIGNMENT Professional expertise, knowledge and experience with similar projects, contracts, clients and consulting assignments 10   METHODOLOGY How effective is the proposed approach and methodology; is it sufficiently detailed/elaborated to meet the objectives of the terms of reference; any innovative techniques; 10   How is the quality of proposed implementation plan, i.e. how the bidder will undertake each task, is/are person/s assigned for each task and is the team composition balanced with appropriates skills mix and appropriate number of input days, quality assurance mechanisms for the assignment, and time-schedules for implementation 25   Risk assessment and mitigation measures- recognition of the risks/peripheral problems and methods to prevent and manage risks/peripheral problems. 5         PROPOSED TEAM Team leader: Relevant experience, skills 4   Team members - Relevant experience, skills 4   Retention of key staff and procedures for handling unavoidable team changes 3   Gender balance of the team 4    MARKS FOR TECHNICAL COMPONENT (A) 65 45 Presentation: Technically compliant bidders required to present their methodology, implementation plan and composition of team upon shortlisting (face to face or online modality) (B) 5 4 TOTAL MARKS FOR TECHNICAL COMPONENT (A + B) 70 49 FINANCIAL PROPOSAL – PRICE 30 points is allocated to the lowest priced proposal. The financial scores of the other proposals will be in inverse proportion to the lowest price. 30     100 N/A For this RFP, the Technical Proposal has a total score of 70 points. Bidders must score a minimum of 49 points, in which the bidder should get at least 4 points in the presentation to be considered technically compliant and in order, for the Financial Proposals to be opened. Financial proposal has a total score of 30 points.   The final selection of the bidder will be based on a quality and cost basis as specified in the RFP.   19. [FOR INTERNAL USE] PIDB code   Please select one of the following Generic Intervention Codes:     331: Analysis, research, and studies     330: Data, databases, surveys, and statistics     332: Evaluations   20. [FOR INTERNAL USE] IDENTIFICATION OF RISKS FOR THE CONSULTANCY AND PLAN FOR MITIGATION Risks may be related to: Environmental risk - the political environment, market environment or delivery infrastructure environment, among others. Programme risk - the complexity associated with the nature of the service to be acquired, among others. Implementation risk - risk associated with the capacity of the implementation unit/team.   Risk Identified Mitigation measures Environment Risk- The political environment- The country is undergoing rapid changes, potentially leading to unrest such as roadblocks, protests, and civil disturbances during the implementation period. UNICEF will collaborate closely with national and local security teams to safeguard the staff's safety and well-being involved in this initiative. The selected organization will be responsible for the safety of its staff when traveling outside Dhaka and must promptly report any delays to UNICEF. Program risk – the need to secure approval from the country's Ethical Board for the implementation research (IR). The selected organization will be tasked with obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for this research. During the selection process, the organization's capacity to conduct IR and secure IRB clearance will be thoroughly evaluated. Implementation Risk – Challenges in securing government endorsement for the initiation of IR, its reports, and policy briefs. UNICEF will support relevant programs to host multiple workshops at national and sub-national levels. Key stakeholders, including ADG, LD, PM, and technical experts in newborn health, will participate in these workshops to discuss methodology, timelines, and data collection of IR. This approach aims to gain government buy-in from the onset, facilitating the endorsement process.    21. [FOR INTERNAL USE] PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:   Frequency of Performance Reviews:   Feedback will be provided after reviewing each deliverable to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with project objectives. On field monitoring during field visit and regular performance evaluations will be conducted to assess ongoing progress, resolve issues, and provide constructive feedback.   End-of-Assignment Evaluation:  A comprehensive performance evaluation of the supplier will be conducted at the end of the assignment. This final review will summarize the overall performance, highlight strengths and areas for improvement, and include feedback on how well deliverables met expectations.   Evaluation During Contract Amendments:   Whenever a contract amendment is sought, a thorough performance review will be conducted. This will assess the supplier's ability to adapt to changes, manage additional requirements, and ensure continuity of high-quality service. Each of these reviews aims to drive continuous improvement, maintain high standards, and ensure that all deliverables are met effectively.     [1] Theobald S, Brandes N, Gyapong M, El-Saharty S, Proctor E, Diaz T, Wanji S, Elloker S, Raven J, Elsey H, Bharal S, Pelletier D, Peters DH. Implementation research: new imperatives and opportunities in global health. Lancet. 2018 Nov 17;392(10160):2214-2228. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32205-0. Epub 2018 Oct 9. PMID: 30314860. [2] Jackson D, Shahabuddin ASM, Sharkey AB, Källander K, Muñiz M, Mwamba R, Nyankesha E, Scherpbier RW, Hasman A, Balarajan Y, Albright K, Idele P, Peterson SS. Closing the know-do gap for child health: UNICEF's experiences from embedding implementation research in child health and nutrition programming. Implement Sci Commun. 2021 Sep 29;2(1):112. doi: 10.1186/s43058-021-00207-9. PMID: 34588002; PMCID: PMC8479889. [3] Chowdhury SR, Islam MN, Sheekha TA, Kader SB, Hossain A. Prevalence and determinants of non-communicable diseases risk factors among reproductive-aged women: Findings from a nationwide survey in Bangladesh. PLoS One. 2023 Jun 9;18(6):e0273128. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273128. PMID: 37294806; PMCID: PMC10256164. [4] Biswas, T., Azzopardi, P., Anwar, S.N. et al. Assuring Bangladesh’s future: non-communicable disease risk factors among the adolescents and the existing policy responses. J Health Popul Nutr 41, 22 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41043-022-00294-x