REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), as implementing agency for the THABAT Project, intends to apply part of World Bank financing toward the cost of consulting services for the design and implementation of a Baseline SMART Nutrition Survey in selected Darfur localities. The survey will provide independent, high-quality baseline data on nutrition, mortality, IYCF, child health, and WASH indicators for project management, accountability, and future evaluation.

The detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) for the assignment are attached to this Request for Expressions of Interest. Interested consulting firms are invited to submit expressions of interest demonstrating that they have the qualifications, relevant experience, and organizational capacity to perform the assignment.

1. Background

The THABAT Project – meaning “stability” in Arabic – is a World Bank-funded initiative implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to improve access to basic services and strengthen nutrition outcomes for vulnerable populations in conflict-affected areas of Sudan. The project primarily targets children under five years of age and pregnant and lactating women (PLW), groups who face heightened nutritional risk in contexts affected by displacement, disrupted services, market shocks, and weakened livelihood systems.

Across Darfur, years of conflict, recurrent displacement, climate shocks, disease outbreaks, and strained service delivery systems have contributed to persistent food insecurity and poor nutrition outcomes. In this context CRS will conduct a Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) survey to generate robust, population-level estimates of key nutrition, health, and WASH indicators, establish project baselines, validate routine monitoring data, and inform adaptive project management.

The approved assignment will be implemented in five priority localities identified through the Nutrition Cluster prioritization process: Mukjar and Um Dukhun in Central Darfur, Abu Jabra and Sharia in East Darfur, and Ag Geneina in West Darfur. The survey is expected to align fully with Sudan’s national standards for SMART surveys and the validation requirements of the Nutrition Information System Technical Working Group (NIS TWG).

Assignment Summary

2. Objective of the Assignment

The overall objective of the assignment is to generate high-quality, representative baseline data on the nutritional status of children and women, and on selected underlying determinants of malnutrition, in the target localities of Darfur using SMART methodology in accordance with Sudan’s national standards and global good practice.

More specifically, the assignment is expected to:

• Determine the prevalence of acute malnutrition among children 6–59 months, including Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM), Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), using weight-for-height z-scores and bilateral pitting oedema assessment.
• Measure chronic malnutrition (stunting) and underweight prevalence among children through height-for-age and weight-for-age indices.
• Assess the nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women using MUAC.
• Estimate retrospective mortality indicators, including the Crude Death Rate (CDR) and Under-Five Death Rate (U5DR), using standard SMART recall methods.
• Assess key Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) indicators, including breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices among children 0–23 months.
• Measure selected child health and service coverage indicators, including recent morbidity, measles vaccination, and deworming coverage.
• Assess household Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) conditions, including access to improved water, sanitation, and a functional handwashing facility with soap.
• Provide baseline values (survey-weighted estimates) required for the THABAT Results Framework and World Bank monitoring, and reporting needs.

3. Scope of Services

The consulting firm will be responsible for the complete end-to-end delivery of the assignment. The role is not limited to technical analysis; it includes survey design, field management, quality assurance, coordination with government and cluster structures, validation support, and final handover of all data and documentation.

The main responsibilities of the consulting firm will include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. Review the approved Scope of Work, relevant national SMART guidance, prior surveys, and available project documentation, and translate these into a practical implementation plan.
2. Develop the inception package, including refined methodology, sample size calculations, sampling assumptions, sample frame development approach, cluster selection procedure, questionnaires, work plan, and risk mitigation plan.
3. Prepare the draft survey protocol and all supporting tools and submit them, through CRS, for review and validation by the NIS TWG and relevant Ministry structures.
4. Develop digital data collection tools using ODK, KoBo Toolbox, or another agreed platform, including built-in skip logic, range checks, and validation rules.
5. Compile and validate the sampling frame in collaboration with CRS, state/local authorities, and technical stakeholders, and carry out cluster selection using an approved probability-based approach.
6. Recruit, contract, organize, and manage the field teams required for the assignment, including enumerators, measurers, supervisors, and data management personnel.
7. Plan and conduct enumerator and supervisor training, including anthropometric standardization tests, ethical training, safeguarding orientation, and pilot testing in a non-sampled area.
8. Lead field implementation across all survey locations, including logistics coordination, daily supervision, troubleshooting, and communication with CRS and relevant stakeholders.
1. Put in place and actively manage a quality assurance system that includes daily review of data, plausibility checks, feedback loops, spot checks, and corrective actions where needed.
10. Ensure all ethical and safeguarding requirements are met, including informed consent procedures, confidentiality, referral of severely malnourished cases, and appropriate conduct of field teams.
11. Clean, validate, and analyze all survey data using ENA for SMART and other appropriate analytical software such as R or Stata.
50. Prepare all required outputs, including a preliminary results package for NIS TWG review and validation, a final validated report, cleaned datasets, analysis files, codebooks, and dissemination materials.
1000. Support the NIS TWG validation process, revise outputs based on technical comments, and submit the final approved package to CRS.

Technical Expectations

4. Expected Deliverables

The consulting firm will be expected to deliver a complete technical package. The products listed below are the minimum expected outputs; firms may propose additional supporting outputs if they improve quality assurance, documentation, or usability of the survey results.

Indicative Work Plan

5. Reporting, Coordination, and Compliance Requirements

The consulting firm will work under the overall oversight of CRS and will be expected to coordinate closely with FMoH, State Ministries of Health, and the Nutrition Information System Technical Working Group (NIS TWG). This assignment requires strong technical leadership and disciplined communication, because protocol approval, field implementation, and final use of results depend on compliance with national processes.

• The firm shall report to the CRS THABAT Project MEAL Lead or another designated CRS focal point.
• The firm shall support CRS in preparing documents for protocol review and results validation through the NIS TWG.
• The firm shall ensure that field implementation does not begin until protocol validation is secured through the appropriate technical process.
• The firm shall maintain regular written or verbal progress updates to CRS and flag risks immediately, especially those related to access, quality, security, or timeline slippage.
• The firm shall support the organization and presentation of validation meetings and respond promptly to technical comments from CRS, FMoH/SMoH, and the NIS TWG.
• The firm shall maintain high standards of data protection, safeguarding, informed consent, and referral of severe cases throughout implementation.

Client support and responsibilities

CRS will provide overall contract management and facilitate coordination with project stakeholders. Depending on final arrangements, CRS may support or facilitate introduction letters, coordination with technical authorities, and certain logistics or access processes. However, bidders should assume full responsibility for proposing a feasible operational model, including staffing, travel planning, training, equipment, communication systems, and field management arrangements necessary to deliver the survey successfully.

6. Eligibility, Qualifications, and Shortlisting Criteria

CRS now invites eligible consulting firms to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested firms should provide information demonstrating that they have the qualifications and relevant experience required to perform the assignment. At the shortlisting stage, assessment will focus on the consulting firm’s corporate qualifications, core business, relevant experience, and technical and managerial capacity. Key experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

Minimum institutional qualifications

• At least seven (7) years of institutional experience in delivering nutrition surveys, public health surveys, or comparable field assessments.
• Demonstrated experience conducting SMART surveys or equivalent nutrition surveys in humanitarian, fragile, or conflict-affected contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in Sudan is strongly preferred; experience in Darfur is a major advantage.
• Evidence of successful completion of at least two similar assignments, preferably including assignments validated by national technical bodies, clusters, or major donors.
• Institutional capacity to recruit, train, deploy, supervise, and manage field teams in multiple locations within demanding operational environments.
• Demonstrated capacity in digital data collection, data quality assurance, ENA for SMART analysis, and production of high-quality technical reports and datasets.

Shortlisting criteria

Indicative team composition (for information only)

Although key experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage, interested firms should note that the assignment is expected to require, at a minimum, a strong survey leadership and field management team. Shortlisted firms should therefore be prepared to field an appropriate team that may include a National Team Leader / Lead Survey Manager, a National Survey Manager or Deputy, field supervisors, enumerators/measurers, and a data manager/analyst with strong ENA and survey analysis experience.

7. Content of the Expression of Interest

To be considered responsive at the shortlisting stage, interested firms should submit an Expression of Interest package containing sufficient information to allow CRS to assess corporate capability and relevant experience.

Important note: detailed CVs of key experts are not required for shortlisting and will not be used as the primary basis for shortlisting. However, firms may include a brief indicative staffing note if it helps demonstrate organizational capability.

8. Selection Method, Conflict of Interest, and Association

A consultant will be selected as per Qualification based selection (CQS) in accordance with  the World Bank Procurement Regulations and as specified in the approved procurement plan. The attention of interested consultants is drawn to the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest as set out in the applicable Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers.

• Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications. Such associations should clearly state whether they are proposed as a joint venture and/or sub-consultancy arrangement.
• In the case of a joint venture, all partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.
• Any potential conflict of interest relevant to the assignment should be disclosed in the EOI submission.

9. Practical Information for Interested Firms

10. Submission of Expressions of Interest

Expressions of interest must be delivered in written form by 4^th June, 2026 at 4:00pm Sudan Standard Time (GMT+2). Submissions may be accepted in person, by mail, or by e-mail, depending on the final procurement arrangements approved by CRS.

Further information can be obtained from the address below during official working hours:

Expressions of interest should be clearly marked: “Expression of Interest – Baseline SMART Nutrition Survey, THABAT Project.”