Vacancy for Consultant at AGA KHAN FOUNDATION INDIA | New Delhi | Architecture | (Last Date: 09 Feb. 2023)

Job description:

Consultant – Contract for the Design and Development of an Early Stimulation Corner in a Healthcare facility under the Parent Coaching

Aga Khan Foundation (India)

Terms of Reference

Consultancy contract for the design and development of an Early Stimulation Corner in a healthcare facility under the Parent coaching in first 1000 days Project About the Aga Khan Foundation

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) brings together human, financial and technical resources to address some of the challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalized communities in the world.  Special emphasis is placed on investing in human potential, expanding opportunity and improving the overall quality of life, especially for women and girls.  The Foundation primarily works across seven thematic areas – agriculture and food security, climate resilience, early childhood development, education, health and nutrition, work and enterprise, and the strengthening of community institutions to lead development interventions. AKF is a member of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of 11 development agencies addressing the needs of poor and marginalized communities in more than thirty countries where it operates. AKF started its operations in India in 1978, and today implements programs in both rural and urban areas across six states (Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Delhi).

About the Project 

The Aga Khan Foundation (India), in partnership with the Bernard van Leer Foundation, is implementing a pilot programme on ‘Parent coaching for the first 1000 days’ which combines parent coaching and improved service delivery for childcare, health and nutrition for both the mother and the child. The design of the programme is aligned with the mission of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), emphasizing responsive care and focusing interventions on the first 1000 days.  

Purpose of ToR 

The purpose of this Terms of Reference (“ToR”) is to engage the Consultant (Architect) for the following programme activities:

1. Design and development  of an Early Stimulation Corner in the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in East Delhi   

The activity will be conducted at the LBS Hospital in East Delhi, and specifically in the paediatric OPD and ward.  The Consultant will work under the guidance and supervision of the District Coordinator, Parent Coaching in the first 1000 days programme, Aga Khan Foundation. The Consultant is also expected to work closely with key stakeholders at the hospital. The LBS Hospital is a functioning hospital with a high footfall. The consultant is expected to organise his/ her work to ensure that there is no disturbance to the functioning of the hospital. 

Scope of work- 

AKF is seeking an enthusiastic and committed design architect to design and develop an Early Stimulation corner in the hospital.  The assignment is part of the Parent coaching in the first 1000 days project for holistic development of children. It aims at developing the cognitive, motor and sensory skills of children in the age group of 0-5 years who visit the hospital along with their caregivers. 

Through the Early Stimulation corner, the following 2 components would be aimed to be strengthened in children and caregivers: 

1. Sensory development
2. Motor skill development

• The consultant will be responsible for building the Early stimulation corner in the hospital including both the pediatric OPD area and the pediatric ward. Interventions should focus on developing sensory, motor, gross motor skills and cognitive development for children in the age group of 0-5 years.  The area of work involves

1-Intervention in the Paediatric OPD room
2-Intervention in the Breastfeeding room
3-Intervention in the child immunization room
4-Intervention in the waiting area  

• The consultant will conduct a pre assessment of the healthcare facility on the basis of an assessment tool developed by AKF with the team comprising of the District Coordinator (Early Childhood Development), District Project Assistant (Early Childhood Development), Sub-divisional coordinators and Technical Specialist- Urban Planning for developing an effective plan.
• The consultant would undertake all the activities required for the design and implementation of Early Stimulation Corner. These activities are, but not limited to, the measurement and mapping of the existing site, design and presentation/ rendering  drawings such as plan, elevation, sections, views, necessary working drawings, preparation of Bill of Quantities (BOQ), engagement of contractor and vendors, material research and procurement, and supervision during implementation.  

Deliverables
AKF will be responsible for:

• Providing all readings for research on ECD and Early Childhood Stimulation.
• Connecting with Technical experts from ECD and with  team members. The team will comprise of the District Coordinator (Early Childhood Development), District Project Assistant (Early Childhood Development), Sub-divisional coordinators and Technical Specialist- Urban Planning
• Providing of the concept and expectation of Early Stimulation Corner.
• Providing the format of the Assessment of HealthCare Facilities toolkit.
• Facilitating and enabling the required permissions for work at the hospital.

Consultant (Architect) will be responsible for:

• Technical support in conducting an assessment of the healthcare facilities in the format prescribed by AKF.
• Design the interventions at the paediatrics OPD, paediatrics ward, breastfeeding room, immunization room and caregivers waiting area.
• Support the identification of the contractor and supervise implementation of the work
• The consultant is expected to support in the implementation of the Early Stimulation Corner including:
• Measure the site in detail, and document and map all the existing elements/ infrastructure in the selected sites.
• Research on the concept of stimulation in early childhood development and documenting similar cases in different geographies.
• Designing of the Early Stimulation Corner (at the paediatric ward, OPD, breastfeeding room, child immunization room and waiting area) .
• Preparation of drawings, graphics, presentations, reports, etc.
• Preparation of PPT for stakeholders. Revising the design based on feedback from stakeholders.
• Drafting of BOQ and getting quotes from different vendors.
• Engagement with the contractor for implementation of the Early Stimulation Corner at the different locations mentioned above
• Supervision of the implementation work. (The design should ensure robustness of material etc. for sustainability and long-term use)

Duration of Contract:
One Month (15^th February 2023 to 15^th March 2023)Experience and qualifications required

• Bachelor’s in architecture; Master in Architecture (preferable)
• 2-5 years of experience in Architectural design projects with a focus on research, tactical urbanism, healthcare facilities, public space design, placemaking, urban renewal projects, capacity building and advocacy as well as competence in urban sector issues. Wide knowledge and experience in implementing retrofitting projects.
• Knowledge of Byelaws and National Building Code (NBC)
• Proficiency in design software’s such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, Photoshop, etc. is necessary
• Vast knowledge of materials and their fixtures will be an added advantage.

Concept note for Early Stimulation Corner
Background 
Over the last three decades, scientific findings from a range of disciplines have confirmed that the most critical elements of child, adolescent and adult health, well-being and productivity take shape in the early years (Shonkoff et al., 2012). The period from conception to around a child’s third birthday is foundational in this regard, including the first 1000 days of life. This is when the brain develops most rapidly and massive numbers of neural connections are made in response to stimulation, affection and comfort from caregivers (Lagercrantz, 2016). Importantly, though, brain development does not stop at the end of these early years and therefore a life-course and inter-generational approach is important. The health of young people before pregnancy influences foetal development, and optimal early childhood development has a positive impact on adolescents and young adults and, in turn, their own children. A growing body of research shows that parents and other caregivers’ well-being is an essential part of babies’ and toddlers’ healthy development. The way mothers, fathers and other caregivers nurture and support babies and toddlers in their early years is among the most decisive factors for healthy child development. But many caregivers across the globe need additional resources or support to be able to consistently provide young children with the types of early environments that foster healthy development. For economically disadvantaged parents and caregivers, efforts to stretch their money and care for young children can take an extra toll on their own well-being. 

Why Early Stimulation corner?
As BvLF and partners have continued to elaborate the Urban95 concept, there has been an increasing focus on behaviours. As a result, starting in 2020, Urban95 programmes have begun incorporating the 1+1+1 concept, which requires that they select a minimum of 1 caregiver behaviour in the home; 1 caregiver behaviour in public spaces; and 1 municipal service provider behaviour which will be targeted (it is possible to select more than 1 behaviour in each category)     Babies and toddlers visit PHC to avail vaccination services. This is an opportunity to engage them in a playful environment which also stimulates their senses. This is a place where the caregivers can learn how their behaviours can be enhanced. Early Stimulation corner in a PHC / Maternity hospital is a solution to demonstrate how service providers and caregiver’s ECD behaviours can be influenced. This corner will serve as a guideline for equipping public spaces for children. It will also guide positive parenting behaviours through messaging.                      

Defining an early stimulation corner: 
A secondary research on ‘early stimulation centres’ has revealed that there are various early childhood ‘sensory intervention’ centres for children with developmental delay issues but almost no early stimulation centres. In India, District Early Intervention Centres (DEIC) operational guidelines are published by MoHFW, GoI and RBSK. The DEICs are set up in District hospitals across India with the facilities to diagnose developmental delays in children, its treatment including stimulation rooms, referral support, etc. However, an Early Stimulation Centre under Urban95’s Parents + programme would not be a ‘sensory integration’ centre but an Architectural intervention at primary health care centres by creating a stimulating environment. As there are little to no pre-defined ‘early stimulation corners’ in India and around the world, the definition is derived from case studies, best practices, and expert knowledge with backgrounds from ECD and the physical environment. The definition below is a working definition:   
An Early Stimulation Centre is an Architectural intervention to build a stimulating environment through the mindful designing of primary health care facilities intended to act as a demonstration of stimulating techniques and bring about positive behavioural change in caregivers which then can be replicated at home.   
Through the ECD centre, the following 4 components would be aimed to be strengthened in children and caregivers:

• Sensory development
• Motor skill development
• Language sensory
• Parenting messages

Sensory development components and its importance in early years
From the time a child is born, they enter a world in which their senses are ignited, and they begin to process new information. Therefore, senses enable children to investigate, explore and make sense of the world around them. Every child is unique, and develops in their own way, by interacting within their environment using their senses. Therefore, the relationship between how a child interacts with their environment is vital, as positive sensory stimulation builds nerve connections or neural pathways, which supports a child’s ability to complete increasingly complex tasks. As a child exercises their senses, various parts of the brain are stimulated. For example, the parietal lobe (mid-brain) assists a child to acknowledge and interpret touch, the occipital lobe (back of brain) is associated with the development of vision, the temporal lobe is associated with the sense of smell, and the cerebellum is associated with balance and physical movement (Hines 2021: Fisher 2018). 
Early childhood is the Play Age in the human lifespan. The sensory explorations require a variety of experiences to form sensory perceptions. Engaging children in sensory play is the best way to provide these experiences. Play is central to child development. Playful interactions with the environment are necessary as they are stress-free and engaging. 
When children below 6 years visit public spaces like the health centre especially in lower socioeconomic zones of the city, they need to wait for a longer time span for their turn to get immunized or treated. If these spaces have sensory play areas integrated within the centre, children have an advantage of getting these opportunities. Sensory play opportunities can include the following things in an  Early Stimulation Corner :

• Variety of tactile experiences: items to touch, hold, press, roll, pat, walk
• Visual stimulus: colours, patterns, representation of nature, shadows,
• Auditory stimulus: musical instruments, toys with sound

Play components in motor development and its importance in early years:
Gross motor opportunities: variety in levels on the ground for  balancing, crawling, climbing. Tunnels, walking paths, mazes, and pulling-pushing toys can enhance gross motor skills.Fine motor opportunities: holding and moving items with pincer grip, stringing beads, buttoning, zipping, tying etc. 

Language skill development components and its importance in early years: 
young children are learning to communicate with the world. Listening is an important input to learn any language. When adults interact with babies, babies can make sense of the world better. Responding to the cooing, and babbling sounds babies make gives them a sense of trust and the brain acquires language structures. The frequency and quality of interactions will determine the language understanding and processing of these by children. In their early years children’s brain is equipped to learn many languages. Looking at the direction a child is pointing and talking about it, describing children’s actions, singing to them, naming the objects around them are common language activities.

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