ToR – Feasibility Study

Terms of Reference (TOR) – Feasibility Study

Project Title: Safe Nutrition – Strong for Life: Strengthening Human Capital in the First 1,000 Days through Integrated Nutrition and Responsive Caregiving

Country: India

Commissioned by: Childaid Network (Germany), in cooperation with Vikramshila Education Resource Society (India)

Project Area: Chirang and Bongaigaon Districts, Assam

Proposed Project Duration: 2027–2031

Funding Partner: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

1. Background

Malnutrition, anaemia and developmental delays among young children remain widespread in Assam. In Chirang and Bongaigaon, many families have limited access to practical guidance on maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, responsive caregiving and early stimulation during the first 1,000 days of life. The proposed five-year project aims to improve the nutrition and early development of pregnant women, mothers, caregivers, and children under two by working through the existing Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and linked health structures. Approximately 19,000 mothers, caregivers, and young children are expected to benefit from integrated nutrition counselling, early stimulation, and age-appropriate complementary feeding based on locally available foods. Anganwadi Workers, ASHAs, ANMs, supervisors, and government authorities will be strengthened through training, mentoring, and supportive supervision. The intervention is expected to combine intensive demonstration centres with broader system strengthening and gradual scale-up. The feasibility study will review the proposed approach and provide practical recommendations for the detailed project design and BMZ proposal.

2. Purpose and Scope

Purpose:

The feasibility study will assess the relevance, viability and sustainability of the proposed initiative. It will identify key needs, opportunities, risks and necessary adaptations and provide evidence-based recommendations for the project’s objectives, activities, implementation structure, monitoring system, budget and sustainability strategy.

Scope:

The project districts of Chirang and Bongaigaon have already been identified, agreed upon, and submitted to BMZ. Consequently, the selection of these districts falls outside the scope of this study. However, the study may provide recommendations on the selection of appropriate blocks and Anganwadi Centres, target-group segmentation, implementation intensity, and the phasing of project interventions within the two designated districts. The study will apply the OECD DAC criteria to the proposed intervention strategy:

• Relevance: To what extent does the proposed project respond to the priority nutrition, caregiving and early-development needs of pregnant women, caregivers and children under two?
• Coherence: How well does the project complement ICDS, health services, government policies and the work of other actors, and where are coordination or duplication risks?
• Effectiveness: Are the proposed activities and delivery mechanisms likely to achieve the intended changes within the available timeframe and operational conditions?
• Efficiency: Are the proposed implementation model, staffing, training, mentoring, monitoring and resource allocations realistic and cost-effective?
• Impact: What broader and longer-term improvements in maternal and child nutrition, caregiving practices, child development and public-service quality could the project contribute to?
• Sustainability: To what extent can government systems, frontline workers, supervisors and communities maintain and further develop the approach after external funding ends?

3. Expected Deliverables

The consultant(s) shall produce a feasibility study report of no more than 20 pages, excluding annexes. The report should contain:

• Context and Problem Analysis: Key nutrition, caregiving, service-delivery and systemic challenges at household, community and institutional levels.
• Description of Methodology: Methods, stakeholder participation, sampling approach and limitations.
• Stakeholder and Institutional Analysis: Roles, capacities, interests, coordination and ownership of ICDS, health actors, communities and the implementing organisations.
• Target-Group Needs and Perspectives: Needs, practices, barriers, capacities and inclusion of particularly vulnerable groups.
• Assessment of the Proposed Approach: Review of the intervention logic, target groups, delivery channels, frontline-worker support, supervision, scaling approach and implementation feasibility.
• Risk, Opportunity and Do-No-Harm Analysis: Key contextual, operational, institutional, safeguarding and sustainability risks with mitigation measures.
• Assessment using OECD DAC Criteria: Relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability.
• Recommendations for Project Design: Clear and practical recommendations on priorities, adaptations, objectives, activities, indicators, staffing, phasing, budget assumptions and sustainability.

Annexes should include the data-collection tools, stakeholder overview, risk matrix and any supporting evidence required to understand the conclusions.

4. Methodology

The study will follow a participatory, inclusive and gender-sensitive approach. Suggested methods include:

• Desk review of the concept note, relevant government policies and schemes, available district and ICDS/health data, project documents and relevant research.
• Key Informant Interviews with ICDS and health authorities, CDPOs, supervisors, Anganwadi Workers, ASHAs, ANMs, community representatives and other relevant actors.
• Focus Group Discussions with pregnant women, mothers, caregivers, fathers and other influential family members.
• Field visits to selected Anganwadi Centres and communities in Chirang and Bongaigaon, including areas with different levels of accessibility and vulnerability.
• Observation of selected counselling, growth-monitoring, home-visit or community-session practices, where feasible.
• Participatory validation of preliminary findings and discussion of their implications for the project design.
• The study is intended to guide project design and is not expected to constitute a full representative baseline. The consultant may propose a proportionate mix of qualitative and quantitative methods.

5. Timeframe and Milestones

• Publication of TOR: 17th August, 2026
• End Date of submission of application: 7th September, 2026
• Shortlisting & Signing of Agreement: 17th September, 2026
• Kick-off meeting: 23rd September, 2026
• Inception note and data-collection tools: 29th September, 2026
• Desk review and field/data collection: 13th October, 2026
• Preliminary findings and participation in the project-design workshop: 27th October, 2026
• Draft report submission: 2nd November, 2026
• Final report submission: 9th November, 2026

6. Requirements for Applicants

• Advanced degree in nutrition, public health, maternal and child health, early childhood development, social sciences, development studies or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in feasibility studies, programme design, or evaluations in rural India; experience in Assam or Northeast India is an advantage.
• Technical knowledge of maternal nutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding, responsive caregiving and early childhood development.
• Familiarity with ICDS, public health structures, frontline worker systems, and relevant government nutrition initiatives.
• Experience with participatory, inclusive, gender-sensitive and do-no-harm approaches.
• Experience with BMZ/bengo-funded projects or feasibility studies is an advantage.
• Excellent English report-writing skills; Assamese, Bodo, Bengali or other relevant local-language capacity is an advantage.

7. Application Requirements

Applications should include:

Technical proposal of no more than six pages, including the proposed methodology, stakeholder engagement, work plan and team composition. Financial proposal, including professional fees, travel, fieldwork and other relevant costs. CVs of all proposed team members, including their roles and availability. Two references or examples of comparable assignments. Please submit applications at [contact details removed] by 7th September, 2026.

Annex: Guiding Questions for the Feasibility Study

A. Context and Problem Analysis

• What are the most critical barriers to adequate maternal and child nutrition, appropriate feeding, responsive caregiving and early development at household, community and institutional levels?
• Which groups are least reached by existing services, and which government, community or NGO initiatives could support or overlap with the project?

B. Stakeholder and Institutional Analysis

• Who are the key stakeholders, and what are their roles, interests, capacities and level of ownership?
• How well do Anganwadi Workers, ASHAs, ANMs, supervisors, CDPOs and health authorities coordinate services, supervision, referrals and the use of data?

C. Target-Group Needs and Capacities

• Which maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, diet-diversity, responsive feeding and early-stimulation practices should be prioritised, and what prevents their adoption?
• How should vulnerable groups, fathers, grandparents and community structures be engaged in the project?

D. Feasibility and Implementation Strategy

• Are the proposed interventions realistic in relation to personnel, government capacity, time, cost and accessibility?
• Which components require intensive support, which can be integrated into routine services, and how should the demonstration, consolidation and system-scale approach be phased within Chirang and Bongaigaon?
• What are the principal operational, institutional, social and safeguarding risks, and how should they be mitigated?

E. Recommendations for Project Design

• Which project components should be prioritised, adapted, added or removed?
• What should the project’s Theory of Change, objectives, outcomes, outputs, core activities and monitoring indicators look like?
• What partnerships, government commitments and transition arrangements are required for sustainability and possible scale-up?

Job Email ID: application.india(at)childaid.net

Organisation: Childaid Network

Listed on the SAMS-STC social-sector RFP board.