Terms of Reference (ToR)
Rapid Baseline Assessment
People to People Health Foundation (PPHF) is hiring an individual consultant or an agency to conduct a Rapid Baseline Assessment for the project titled “Identifying Gaps in Early Identification and Management of High-Risk Pregnancies”
Section A
About Us
PPHF, a public health non-profit organization, works towards transforming lives for improved health and wellbeing through locally- driven solutions. PPHF work closely with communities and key actors on sustainable solutions for public health challenges.
Background
The urban poor in India represent the most vulnerable section of the population in terms of the health outcomes. They experience significant disparities in access to quality healthcare, including immunization, antenatal care, skilled deliveries, and newborn care. Rapid urbanization has led to an increase in informal settlements, where healthcare access is limited and awareness is low.
According to NFHS-5, the prevalence of High-Risk Pregnancies (HRP) in Karnataka is 46.5%, signaling an urgent need to strengthen systems for early identification, referral, and management of HRPs to prevent adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.
In this context, PPHF, in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Bangalore and the ESIC administration, is implementing a project to support the government’s efforts to improve timely and effective care for high-risk pregnant women. The initiative seeks to leverage existing government schemes such as NHM, ESIC, and Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) to enhance maternal health outcomes among the urban poor.
The project will be implemented in Anandapuram Urban Slum, located in KR Market Ward, Bangalore Central.
Project Goal: To enhance the tracking of high-risk pregnancies (HRP) for the early identification of potential complications, facilitating timely interventions and specialized care for improved maternal and newborn health outcomes in Anandapuram (a Bangalore slum)
Section B
About Rapid Need Assessment
The Rapid Baseline Assessment aims to identify the gaps in the early identification, referral, and management of high-risk pregnancies among the urban poor population of Anandapuram. It will assess system readiness, service delivery mechanisms, and barriers to treatment adherence, while identifying opportunities to strengthen government and community linkages.
Objectives of the Assessment
1. Identify Gaps in the early identification of high-risk pregnancies at the community and facility levels.
2. Assess System Capacity to provide timely and adequate treatment for HRPs through NHM and ESIC frameworks.
3. Examine Dropouts and Non-Adherence: Understand the socio-cultural, behavioral, and system-related factors leading to discontinuation of antenatal care.
4. Map Government and Partner Schemes: Identify existing state and national maternal health schemes and referral pathways to explore convergence opportunities.
5. Recommend Strategies for improving HRP tracking, referral efficiency, and treatment adherence.
Scope of Work
The selected consultant or agency will be responsible for the following tasks:
1) Desk Review
· Review state and national-level policies and guidelines on maternal health and HRP management (NHM, ESIC, PMSMA).
· Analyze secondary data sources such as NFHS, HMIS, and local facility-level records.
· Review referral mechanisms and data management systems currently in use.
2) Field Assessment
· Conduct Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with:
o Municipal Health Officials (BBMP, NHM, ESIC)
o Medical officers, ANMs, ASHAs, and community health workers
o Pregnant women, family members, and dropout cases
· Assess facility-level capacities (infrastructure, HR, diagnostics, referral systems).
· Document challenges and enablers in service delivery and referral mechanisms.
3) Data Analysis and Reporting
· Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify gaps and bottlenecks.
· Develop a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations to improve HRP identification, follow-up, and treatment adherence.
· Present findings in a validation workshop with key stakeholders.
Timelines: Approximately 6–8 weeks from the date of contract signing.
Deliverables:
· Detailed study protocol including data collectors training, field supervision plan and data
· Data Collection tools
· Draft report
· Final report
· Summary report
· PPT on the summary report
Qualifications and Experience
For Individual Consultant:
· Postgraduate degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, or Health Management.
· Minimum 5-7 years of experience in conducting health systems or maternal health assessments.
· Experience in qualitative research and community-based data collection, fluency in Kannada language.
For Consulting Firm:
· The Agency should be a registered body (proprietary, partnership firm, company/ society/ trust) NGO and academic institute.
· Proven experience in conducting baseline or impact assessments in maternal or urban health.
· A multidisciplinary team with expertise in public health research, data analysis, and field operations.
· Demonstrated experience working with government health departments or development partners in Karnataka or similar contexts.
Application Procedure
Interested individual consultants or firms are invited to submit:
1. Technical Proposal: detailing understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, work plan, and team composition.
2. Financial Proposal: inclusive of professional fees, travel, and taxes. The financial proposal shall cover the itemized/ day wise cost and the total cost based on the ToR. Payments will be made in instalments based on deliverables as specified in this ToR.
3. Profile/CVs of key personnel or individual consultant.
4. Samples of similar assignments conducted in the last three years.
PPHF point of contact: Dr Nalini Kaushik, Technical Advisor
Send your application to procurement@pphfglobal.org wth the subject
line:
“EOI – Rapid Baseline Assessment on High-Risk Pregnancy – Anandapuram,
Bangalore” by 10