Consultant for Landscape Assessment and Political Economy Analysis (PEA): Gombe and Borno States. Consultancy

Duration of Consultancy: 7 weeks (approximately 35 working days)

This scope of work (SOW) sets forth the services to be provided by the Consultant for Landscape Assessment and Political Economy Analysis (PEA): Gombe and Borno States, for Technical Advice Connect LTD/GTE (TAConnect), a non-profit organization registered and based in Nigeria to bring innovative solutions to the provision of Technical Assistance (TA) services to states in Nigeria.

Background: Nigeria continues to experience unacceptably high maternal and newborn mortality rates, particularly in the Northeast. In Borno and Gombe States, fragile health systems, weak referral linkages, and inadequate infrastructure contribute to poor reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) outcomes.

The proposed Maternal and Newborn Health System Strengthening Project seeks to operationalize a hub-and-spoke model that integrates primary healthcare (PHC) and secondary-level care. The intervention focuses on:

• Upgrading health infrastructure (maternity wards, theatres, laboratories, power, water, and waste systems).
• Strengthening health workforce capacity for EmONC and BEmONC service delivery.
• Enhancing referral and communication linkages between PHC and secondary facilities
• Promoting community engagement and accountability; and
• Building sustainability through state ownership and coordination.

To guide programme design and implementation, a comprehensive landscape assessment and political economy analysis (PEA) is needed to map existing actors, institutional dynamics, financing flows, digitization and contextual enablers/barriers across both states.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a landscape assessment and political economy analysis of the maternal and newborn health system in Borno and Gombe States to inform program strategy, partnership engagement, and implementation planning for the hub-and-spoke MNCH model.

Specific Objectives

Landscape Assessment

• Conduct a comprehensive analysis of key health indicators, including deliveries, maternal deaths, and emergency obstetric cases, across all secondary and primary health facilities in the state. This should also assess the availability/number of skilled birth attendants (SBAs), BHCPF designation status, 24/7 service functionality, facility catchment populations, referral linkages, and the distance to referral sites.
• Map the current MNCH service delivery landscape (facility distribution, capacity, service readiness, and referral patterns). This should include facility and service readiness for implementing maternal and newborn health innovations such as PPH bundles (calibrated drapes, HSC), multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), skilled birth bundle of care (SBBC) and emergency obstetric and newborn care.
• Map existing MNH policies and programs in the State to identify areas of alignment, synergy, and partnership for impact.
• Examine the existing health workforce profile, training, and deployment in CEmONC and BEmONC services.
• Assess the level of security of MNH commodities and the functionality of the supply chain management system of the State.
• Assess the status of emergency transport services at all levels from the community to primary and secondary health facilities.
• Data Management and Quality improvement systems (data use, supervision, accountability)
• Assess the availability and functionality of community systems to facilitate community level interventions
• Assess the functionality of the DRF system in the state
• Access the M&E system (beyond data collection and reporting) and mechanism

Political Economy Analysis

• Analyze governance structures and decision-making processes in the state health sector (formal and informal power relations, incentives, and accountability mechanisms) including policy formulation and implementation.
• Identify political, institutional, and financial factors influencing health resource allocation and infrastructure investments.
• Map key stakeholders (government, development partners, religious/traditional institutions, civil society, and private sector) and assess their influence, interests, and alignment with the project objectives.
• Explore opportunities for leveraging social finance mechanisms and state-level health financing reforms.
• Explore the scope of digital transformation efforts in state in the context of economic, political and social context, and the level of digital connectivity, skills.

Recommendations and Strategic Implications

• Identify barriers and entry points for strengthening PHC–secondary linkages within the hub-and-spoke model.
• Provide practical recommendations for engagement, sequencing, and risk mitigation.
• Suggest strategies for political buy-in, state ownership, and sustainability.

Scope of Work and Key Tasks

The consultant/firm will:

• Conduct desk review of existing policies, strategic plans, health facility assessments, and donor reports.
• Design and apply qualitative and quantitative tools for field data collection in selected LGAs across Borno and Gombe.
• Conduct key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with stakeholders, including:

1. SMoH, SPHCDA, Hospital Management Boards, Local Government Health Authorities.
2. Facility managers, frontline providers, community representatives.
3. Development partners and faith-based/CSO actors.

• Conduct infrastructure spot assessments (select PHCs and secondary facilities).
• Analyse data to produce:

1. MNCH system landscape report.
2. Political economy analysis summary.
3. Integrated findings and recommendations.

• Produce a summary of findings in PowerPoint for dissemination

Deliverables

Deliverable – Description – Timeline

Inception Report – Workplan, tools, and methodology – Week 1-2

Preliminary Findings Brief – Emerging insights from fieldwork – Week 3

Draft Report – Integrated landscape & PEA report – Week 5

Validation Workshop – Develop a PowerPoint summary of findings, Presentation to stakeholders – Week 6

Final Report – Revised report and presentation with recommendations – Week 7

Duration and Level of Effort

The consultancy is expected to last 7 weeks (approximately 35 working days), commencing upon contract signing.

Reporting and Supervision

The consultant/firm will report to the Project Technical Director, working closely with the State Project Coordinators (Gombe and Borno) and the MERL Director. The team will provide guidance, facilitate stakeholder access, and review deliverables.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Individual Consultant
• Advanced degree in public health, Health Systems (landscape), political science, Development Studies, or related field.
• At least 10 years’ experience in health systems assessment, PEA, or policy analysis in Nigeria or similar contexts.
• Demonstrated expertise in maternal and newborn health, health infrastructure, or service delivery systems.
• Strong understanding of governance, institutional dynamics, and political economy in northern Nigeria.
• Experience working in Gombe and Borno States
• Excellent analytical, writing, and facilitation skills.
• Ability to deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines.

  Firm

• Minimum 10 years’ experience conducting health systems assessments, landscape studies, and/or political economy analyses in Nigeria or similar contexts.
• Proven expertise in MNCH, PHC systems strengthening, referral linkages, and service delivery analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to apply political economy frameworks and conduct governance, institutional, and stakeholder analyses.
• Strong experience working in northern Nigeria, preferably with prior engagements in Gombe and Borno States.
• Capacity to conduct mixed-methods research, including KIIs, FGDs, facility assessments, and document reviews.
• Skilled multidisciplinary team including a health systems expert, PEA/governance analyst, data analyst, and experienced field researchers.
• Experience operating in fragile or hard-to-reach contexts with robust risk-management and field-coordination capacity.
• Proficiency in analysing health data systems (e.g., DHIS2), supply chain systems, and service readiness information.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and communication skills with a track record of producing high-quality technical reports and presentations.
• Demonstrated adherence to ethical standards, cultural sensitivity, and responsible stakeholder engagement practices.

Expected Outputs and Format

The final report (max 40 pages) should include:

• Executive summary
• MNCH system overview
• Health infrastructure mapping summary
• Political economy findings
• Stakeholder analysis matrix
• Opportunities, risks, and recommendations
• Annexes: tools, respondent lists, facility profiles, references

Logistics and Support

The project will facilitate access to stakeholders, provide letters of introduction, and support field coordination. The consultant will be responsible for travel logistics, equipment, and data collection costs (included in the fee proposal).

Ethical Considerations

The consultant must ensure adherence to ethical standards, including informed consent, confidentiality, and cultural sensitivity in all interactions, particularly when engaging community respondents or health workers.

Tagged as: Nigeria, TAConnect LTD/GTE