Moderator

Moderator (Kogi) at Malaria Consortium (2 Openings)

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Oct 23, 2026, 12:08 PM

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Malaria Consortium (MC) is implementing an embedded implementation research study in selected local government areas (LGAs) of Kogi, Plateau and Sokoto States to assess approaches for linking routine immunization (RI) activities with Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) delivery. The approaches comprise: A, structured RI messaging during SMC contact; B, Approach A plus community engagement/social and behaviour change communication (SBCC); and C, Approach B plus immunization-status screening, referral and follow-up. A comparator arm receives standard SMC.

The qualitative component explores acceptability, feasibility, implementation burden, fidelity, perceived effectiveness, equity and scalability. MC seeks six state-based Research Assistants (RAs), two in each state, and other state-level data collection team members (Moderators, Notetakers and qualitative data transcribers) to support the approved qualitative fieldwork. The RAs will work under the day-to-day technical direction and supervision of the Lead Qualitative Research Consultant and within MC-approved study procedures.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Moderator

Location: Ibaji, Olamaboro - Kogi

Purpose and limits of the assignment

Moderators conduct FGDs/KIIs; All cadres work under the technical supervision of the Lead Qualitative Research Consultant and Malaria Consortium (MC) oversight.

Locations (Applicants residing in these LGAs are encouraged to apply)

To engage and deploy Qualitative Data Moderators, to undertake approved state-level qualitative fieldwork.

Duties are allocated by cadre and may overlap only when specifically assigned, personnel are trained and competent, and the Lead Consultant authorizes the arrangement.

This ToR covers field personnel only. No cadre is engaged to independently design or amend the protocol, approve sampling changes, lead the consultancy, undertake study-wide qualitative analysis, or prepare the final integrated research report.

Qualitative Study Participants and Planned Sample

No field cadre may independently change the sampling frame or respondent targets.

Moderators will support eligibility checks and consent within their training and assigned roles

The Lead Qualitative Research Consultant will operationalize the approved multi-stage sampling process with MC and government counterparts. State

Participant Identification and Recruitment

The Research Assistants will coordinate the identification, recruitment and scheduling of the relevant respondent groups in their respective states, including caregivers and community drug distributors (CDDs) from the selected qualitative cluster in each intervention LGA; health workers from model facilities serving the selected clusters; community/traditional leaders in the three Approach C LGAs; and programme stakeholders purposively selected based on their responsibilities for SMC, routine immunization (RI), primary healthcare (PHC) planning, implementation, supervision or oversight.

The Research Assistants will monitor recruitment against the approved state-level targets and data collection schedule, document recruitment challenges, ineligibility and non-response, and promptly communicate any proposed respondent replacements to the study lead and MC for review and approval. MC will retain final approval of the recruitment matrix and any replacement of a selected respondent.

The Research Assistants will coordinate with trained qualitative data collectors to ensure that prospective participants are approached appropriately, eligibility is verified, and recruitment and informed consent procedures comply with the approved study protocol and ethical requirements. Recruitment and consent will be undertaken by trained research personnel who are not directly responsible for providing services to prospective participants to minimize potential coercion and power imbalances.

The Research Assistants, based in Kogi, Plateau and Sokoto States, with the support of the moderators, Note takers and transcribers will coordinate participant identification and recruitment for qualitative data collection in their respective states, working closely with Malaria Consortium (MC), State Programme Managers and relevant state/LGA authorities to facilitate official introductions, access to selected clusters and model facilities, and participant mobilization through appropriate community and programme structures.

The Research Assistants with the support of the moderators, Note takers and transcribers will coordinate the implementation of the MC-approved sampling and recruitment plan, ensuring that approved recruitment lists and eligibility criteria are followed. They will oversee the screening process, maintain accurate screening and recruitment logs, monitor recruitment progress and support the selection of participants representing diverse roles, geographical locations and levels of intervention exposure.

Supervision and working relationships

Research Assistants submit consolidated state updates; Moderators submit session completion records and interview issues; Note Takers submit session notes and debrief records; and Transcribers submit transcripts and discrepancy logs. Each cadre must promptly report consent, safeguarding, confidentiality, security or quality concerns to the Lead Consultant, with escalation to MC under approved procedures.

RAs and other data collection team members do not independently approve protocol changes, substitute respondents, alter reimbursement arrangements or share research data outside authorized channels.

The Lead Qualitative Research Consultant provides direct technical supervision to all four field cadres, including orientation, daily task allocation, coaching, fieldwork review, transcription standards and approval of routine adjustments within the MC-approved plan. Research Assistants coordinate state-level scheduling and day-to-day communication, but do not replace the Lead Consultant as technical supervisor.

MC retains overall authority for protocol, ethics, safeguarding, data governance, participant reimbursement and material changes to sampling or field procedures. MC/state/LGA counterparts support official introductions, access and approved mobilization. No cadre may independently substitute participants, alter approved reimbursement or disclose study data.

Responsibilities of each Qualitative Data Moderator

The qualitative data collection moderator will be responsible for facilitating qualitative interviews and/or focus group discussions in accordance with the approved study protocol and discussion guide. The moderator will:

Explain the purpose of the session, confirm informed consent, and obtain permission for audio recording where applicable.

Establish rapport with participants and create a respectful, comfortable, and non-judgmental environment that encourages open and honest discussion.

Ensure that all key topics in the discussion guide are adequately covered without unnecessarily restricting participants' responses.

Manage the flow of discussions, ensuring that all participants have an opportunity to contribute, particularly during focus group discussions.

Ensure that audio recordings and other study materials are appropriately labelled, securely stored, and transferred according to the study's data management procedures.

Remain neutral and avoid expressing personal opinions, judgments, or reactions that could influence participants' responses.

Maintain confidentiality and protect participants' privacy throughout the data collection process.

Monitor participants for signs of discomfort or distress and respond appropriately in accordance with the study's ethical procedures.

Conduct interviews and focus group discussions using the approved semi-structured interview or discussion guide.

Participate in regular team debriefing sessions to review data quality, emerging findings, and the need for clarification or refinement of probing techniques.

Conduct debriefing sessions with the note taker after each session to clarify contextual issues, emerging themes, and observations relevant to interpretation of the data.

Ask questions in a clear, neutral, and non-leading manner, while using appropriate probes and follow-up questions to explore emerging issues in greater depth.

Document any deviations, challenges, or unusual circumstances encountered during data collection and report them to the qualitative research supervisor.

Expected deliverables by staff cadre

No.

Cadre-specific deliverable

Timing

1

Moderators: session guide/consent/audio checklist; Note Takers: expanded field notes and debrief record; Research Assistants: daily QA log

After each session / daily

2

Moderators/Note Takers: securely handed-over recordings and notes; Transcribers: verbatim transcripts, approved translations and discrepancy log; Research Assistants: handover tracker

Rolling handover during fieldwork

3

All cadres: final handover of assigned records and files, verified by Lead Consultant

By last day of engagement

Field Logistics and Responsibilities

Item

Responsibility/arrangement

Participant identification/mobilization

MC/state/LGA counterparts facilitate approved introductions; Research Assistants coordinate screening, recruitment and scheduling; Moderators verify eligibility/consent as assigned; Note Takers document session codes; Transcribers have no recruitment role.

Venues

MC/state teams support venue identification; Research Assistants coordinate booking and logistics; Moderators assess privacy and suitability; Note Takers prepare recording/notes materials.

Participant transport reimbursement

MC alone approves and administers reimbursement permitted by ethics documents; no Research Assistant, Moderator, Note Taker or Transcriber may introduce incentives or vary arrangements.

Government/state/LGA introductions

MC and government partners provide official introductions; Research Assistants coordinate field access under Lead Consultant direction.

Access to quantitative/programme data for triangulation

MC controls authorised programme data. Field cadres may access only the materials required for assigned tasks, through approved channels.

Qualifications and Selection Criteria for Moderator

Bachelor’s degree in public health, Social Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, or a closely related discipline, with formal training or demonstrated experience in qualitative research.

Resident in the state of assignment and available to travel to selected LGAs and study sites as required.

Proficiency in English and relevant local language(s) spoken in the assigned state.

Available throughout the agreed data collection period and committed to adhering to the approved study protocol, data collection procedures, and quality assurance requirements.

Demonstrated ability to establish rapport with participants and facilitate discussions in a neutral, respectful, inclusive, and non-judgmental manner without leading or influencing responses.

Familiarity with semi-structured interview and FGD guides, audio-recording procedures, field notes, and post-session debriefing.

Demonstrated proficiency in qualitative interviewing and facilitation, including effective probing, active listening, follow-up questioning, and exploration of participants’ experiences and perspectives.

Demonstrated understanding and practical application of informed consent, confidentiality, safeguarding, ethical research conduct, and secure handling of qualitative research data.

At least three years of relevant experience in qualitative public health research, with demonstrated experience moderating Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs).

Excellent communication, interpersonal, listening, facilitation, and organisational skills.

Experience managing FGD dynamics, including encouraging participation, managing dominant or reluctant participants, maintaining discussion focus, and ensuring adequate coverage of the discussion guide.

Knowledge or experience in SMC, routine immunisation, primary health care, community health services, or related public health programmes is desirable.

Ethics, quality assurance and data protection

All four cadres must comply with the approved protocol, ethics approvals, participant information sheets and consent forms. Research Assistants coordinate ethical recruitment and scheduling; Moderators verify and document consent, including separate audio-recording permission; Note Takers protect identities in field notes; and Transcribers process only authorised recordings and redact identifiers. Participation is voluntary and no field staff member may promise incentives. Any permitted transport reimbursement is determined and administered by MC.

Every cadre must use approved study IDs, safeguard identifiable information, use authorised devices and secure transfer channels, and promptly report breaches, distress, deviations or missing records to the Lead Consultant and MC as appropriate. Recordings, notes and transcripts must be handed over securely, and local copies retained or deleted only as instructed by MC.

Quality Assurance Requirements

Moderators and Note Takers must participate in post-session debriefs; Research Assistants maintain session QA and corrective-action logs; Transcribers must flag inaudible segments, inconsistencies and translation uncertainties.

Only personnel demonstrating adequate competence during training/practical exercises will be deployed.

All sessions must use the approved version of the relevant respondent-specific guide.

All four cadres document deviations and adaptations within their responsibilities; the Lead Consultant maintains the overall methodological and analysis audit trail.

Each cadre submits its assigned editable field records, notes, audio metadata, transcripts, translations and discrepancy logs in approved formats. Codebooks, coding matrices and analytical projects remain the Lead Consultant’s responsibility.

All editable datasets/files, transcripts, codebooks, matrices, coding outputs and analysis project files must be complete and submitted in agreed formats.

Transcribers will verify transcripts against audio and use agreed speaker codes; the Lead Consultant determines independent bilingual review and any subsequent analytical coding/double-coding.

Performance assessment and payment

Performance and payment will be assessed separately for each cadre against its assigned duties: Research Assistants—recruitment accuracy, schedules, trackers, QA and state handover; Moderators—ethical, complete and neutral FGDs/KIIs, probing and session documentation; Note Takers—accurate, timely field notes, metadata and debrief records; Transcribers—complete, accurate, de-identified and timely transcripts/approved translations. All cadres must comply with supervision, safeguarding and data-security requirements. Individual contracts will specify working days or output-based units, approved rates, acceptance criteria and payment milestones; no consultant-level analysis or final-report obligations apply.

Data Ownership, Management, Transfer, Retention and Deletion:

Identifying administrative information must be stored separately from study data. Unique study IDs must be used on research data.

Research Assistants, Moderators and Note Takers must transfer approved field records securely; Transcribers must return transcripts and any approved translations through MC-approved channels. The Lead Consultant verifies completeness and coordinates final handover to MC.

After confirmed handover and on MC’s written instruction, each staff member must securely delete unauthorised local copies and confirm completion; no fixed deletion deadline is imposed here unless specified by MC.

Malaria Consortium is the Data Controller and retains ownership and control of all study data and outputs generated by every field cadre, subject to contracts and applicable law.

No data may be reused, published, shared or transferred to third parties without prior written authorisation from MC and any required ethics/data-governance approval.

Audio, transcripts, codebooks, matrices and analysis projects must be stored only on password-protected/encrypted devices and MC-approved secure storage locations, with access limited to authorised personnel.

MC retains records according to organisational policy and applicable ethical/data-protection requirements; no field cadre may retain copies beyond the period expressly authorised by MC.

Reporting and Management Arrangements

All four cadres report technically to the Lead Qualitative Research Consultant. Research Assistants serve as state-level coordination focal points; Moderators and Note Takers coordinate session arrangements with the Research Assistants and report technical/session issues directly to the Lead Consultant; Transcribers receive authorised recordings and submit transcripts through the agreed secure workflow. MC retains overall oversight and approval authority. Each staff member must communicate progress, delays, data-quality issues and safeguarding/security concerns promptly.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should:

Click here to apply online

Note

Interested and qualified candidates who are passionate and willing to contribute towards the achievement of our goals should kindly fill in the application form below and submit their resume in PDF Format before 5:00PM Thursday, 4th November 2026.

Safeguarding Requirement:

Kindly note that applicants who do not follow this specification will be disqualified and only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Safeguarding: Malaria Consortium is committed to protecting children and vulnerable adults and ensuring that all staff, partners, and representatives uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct. Our Safeguarding Policy outlines our responsibility to prevent abuse, harassment, and exploitation in all areas of our work. We expect everyone working with us staff, consultants, volunteers, and partners to adhere to this policy and our Code of Conduct. By following these standards, we help create safe environments and reduce any risk of harm in the communities we serve.

Kindly note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and as a result, the process may conclude before the advertised deadline. Therefore, early applications are highly encouraged.

Candidates must complete the Malaria Consortium Safeguarding Course on Kaya using this link

Log in to the site |

Kaya

as you will be mandated to submit the certificate at the point engagement. Only candidates who provide a valid certificate will proceed with the engagement process.

Malaria Consortium does not accept or ask for payment during recruitment. We also would not accept hardcopy CVs; all applications should be sent through the above link.

Application Deadline:

4th November, 2026.

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