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Consultancy Advertisement Terms of Reference Baseline Survey for “Transforming Lives Through Nutrition” Project Position : Consultancy Department : Strategy and Innovation Unit Location : Copperbelt Province (Masaiti, Mpongwe, Luanshya, Lufwanyama), Central Province (Kapiri-Mposhi, Mumbwa, Chibombo and Chisamba), Northwestern Province (Solwezi, Mushindamo and Kalumbila). Reports to : Strategy and Innovation Director 1.    Introduction:  International Development Enterprises (iDE) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to combating poverty in the developing world.  iDE empowers rural households by providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to increase their income and improve their health and well-being. iDE’s vision is to catalyze the power of entrepreneurship, enabling millions of people to lift themselves out of poverty.   iDE Zambia’s Mission and Vision iDE’s mission is to create income and livelihood opportunities for poor rural households. while its vision is to harness the power of entrepreneurship to create lasting change, allowing individuals to achieve self-sufficiency and prosperity. The Back ground:   Globally, nutrition crises disproportionately affect women and children, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood leads to poor health outcomes, diminished well-being, and increased risk of mortality. Poor nutrition also contributes to low economic performance and limits the productive potential of affected households. Despite the availability of effective nutrition interventions, weaknesses in health and food systems, coupled with knowledge gaps in feeding practices, constrain the achievement of nutrition security, especially among the rural poor. This systemic failure has placed women and children at the forefront of an unprecedented global undernutrition crisis, with far-reaching consequences for families, communities, and entire nations, potentially hindering human potential for future generations.   In response to this crisis, the Transforming Lives Through Nutrition (TLTN) program was created to help government partners build the capacity of local health and food systems to deliver evidence-based and lifesaving nutrition interventions to pregnant women and children during the critical 1,000-day window of opportunity (from conception to age 2). The program will operate in 12 countries in Africa and Asia over 5 years and aims to reach an estimated 2.6 million pregnant women and 12 million children. Specifically, in Zambia, the target is 10,000 women of reproductive age (WRA) and 20,000 children over the entire period. TLTN is a partnership between Helen Keller Intl, Vitamin Angels, and iDE. Problem in the Context of Zambia  Zambia faces significant challenges in nutrition and food security, with high rates of stunting, wasting, and anemia among children and women. Weaknesses in health and food systems, coupled with the promotion of unhealthy foods, exacerbate these issues. Additionally, poor knowledge of good feeding practices, limited resources, poor infrastructure, and market inefficiencies hinder rural households’ ability to produce and access nutritious foods.   According to the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS), 35% of children under five are stunted, indicating chronic malnutrition. Furthermore, 4% of children suffer from wasting, a sign of acute malnutrition. The prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age is 46%, affecting their health and the health of their children.   The food system in Zambia faces significant challenges, including limited access to diverse and nutritious foods, wastage during seasons of abundance, poor infrastructure, and market inefficiencies. Smallholder farmers, who make up the majority of the agricultural sector, often lack the resources and su