Terms of Reference (ToR) to undertake an end-line evaluation in Addis Ababa and Diredawa .

Job Description

1.      Background

Save the Children is the leading global independent organisation for children. Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.

We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our vision: A world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.

Our mission: To inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

Our values: Accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity and integrity.

We are committed to ensuring our resources are used as efficiently as possible, in order to focus them on achieving maximum impact for children.

2.      Background information/context

The project funded by Italian cooperation for development agency entitled “emergency initiative to promote protection, economic reintegration and access to basic services for potential migrants, returnees and internal IDPs in Ethiopia”. The project seeks to contribute to reducing the vulnerability of returnees, IDPs and migrants through improving access to livelihood services such as health, livelihood, and protection in a manner that is inclusive of the needs gender for returnees, Addis Ababa and Diredawa.

The objective of the project is to contribute to reducing the vulnerability of returnees, IDPs and migrants. Adolescent migrants, returnees, and displaced families in vulnerable situations will be supported in accessing economic empowerment services. The project will provide business skills trainings geared towards the market for identified migrants, returnees, and displaced families in vulnerable situations. The families trained will be helped to form IGA groups and will receive seed capital to engage in a viable business. Migrants who are not interested in starting businesses will be helped to access employment opportunities based on wages.

As part of the activities in this project, SC has planned to undertake an end-line evaluation to understand what works well and what hasn’t worked, and possibly use the findings in future project/ program designing. Therefore, this term of reference (ToR) is prepared to guide the consultancy assignment in undertaking the end-line evaluation.  The end-line evaluation is expected to apply relevant tools for data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

The end-line assessment will also compare its findings with the findings of the baseline evaluation results of the project and highlight changes and progresses as well as gaps. It will also identify the lessons learnt that will help to inform policy and future programs.

3.      Objective

The overall objective of the end-line evaluation is to assess the progress made by the project in fulfilling its agreed objectives through the planned activities; to evaluate the relevance of the project to the implementation areas; and to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the project activities and resources to generate results and achieve the AICS project objectives in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. 

3.1 Specific Objectives

• To assess the extent to which the project has delivered its set objectives and expected results across all the interventions.

• To assess the relevance, efficiency, appropriateness and effectiveness of the interventions and services as well as, the sustainability of the results.

• To assess and document the gender dimensions of the programme to see the extent to which the response intervention has an impact on men, women, girls, and boys.

• To highlight lessons learned from the project and make practical recommendations for future strategies.

4.      Location of the survey.

The endline study will take place in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa administrative cities, from October 1 to October 31, 2023.

5.      Services the Supplier will provide.

An interested consulting firm with the required expertise are encouraged to apply.  The consulting firm to be contracted is expected to bring together a balanced level of national expertise relevant for the research. Team members should have proven expertise on child protection, mixed migration and displacement, and excellent understanding of livelihood projects. The evaluation will be transparent, inclusive, and participatory as well as gender and human rights responsive and the evaluation team will propose a provisional methodological design in the inception report.

6.      Methodology

6.1 Study area and period the endline study will take place in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa administrative cities, from October 1 to October 31, 2023.

6.2 Study participants: Men, women, migrants, and returnees (children and youth) in the project areas will be the study participants. key government offices from Woman children and social affairs, Health bureau, Ethiopian disaster risk reduction bureau the project areas will also be considered for the study.

6.3 Data collection instruments: Quantitative data will be collected using standard interview-guided questionnaire and qualitative data will be collected using Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guide and semi-structured KII questionnaire.  For document review and secondary data, a full set of available documents including baseline study, annual reports, thematic papers, and related evidence will be shared during the inception phase. In addition, evaluators will be responsible for identifying and researching further information (both qualitative and quantitative) at global, regional, and country levels. Note that the consultant is expected to come up with a feasible data collection tool, which must be described in the inception report.

6.4 Study design: The end-line evaluation is expected to apply and utilize appropriate mixed qualitative and quantitative study design to address the objectives of the end-line study. Consequently, the consulting firm should clearly outline the proposed methodology and/or approach expected to be employed including the use of primary data or review and analysis of relevant secondary data sources. Considering the above, the consultant is expected to propose suitable design, rich methodology and work plan to effectively undertake the assignment. Technical proposals shall include at a minimum, evaluation design, sample frame, sampling methods and sample, field procedures and quality assurance mechanisms.

6.5 Ethical Consideration:  The evaluation will follow Ethical Guidelines and Code of Conduct and any other relevant ethical codes. During this assessment, precautionary measures will be taken to respect the privacy of respondents. Verbal informed consent should be obtained from each eligible respondent after explaining the purpose of the survey. The respondents will be assured that participation is voluntary, the information they provide is completely anonymous and confidential, and they are free to abstain from participating and free to withdraw their consent at any moment during the interview process. The interviewers read out all parts of the information sheet and the informed consent form to all respondents. Save the Children International believes that child participation at any stage of the project/program is key and the consultant is expected to ensure that the technical proposal meets the requirements for meaningful and safe participation of children and young people.

1.      Role and responsibility

1.1  Save the Children will:

• SC technical and operation team will provide a briefing about the project to the awarded consultancy firm.
• MEAL and CPU nits will provide orientation on the preparation of an inception report.
• Provide all relevant background documents and data to the awarded firm.
• Provide feedback on the inception report and data collection tools.
• Check-out the SCI child safeguarding policy, protocols, and SOP are put in place by the consultant.
• Facilitate ethical clearance and written consent from local government officials.
• Closely monitor and supervise the process of data collection and analysis to ensure quality.
• Review and provide feedback on the draft report during the consultancy period.
• Arrange/ facilitate validation meetings on the end-line assessment report.
• Effect payments pursuant to the agreement signed off with the consultancy firm.
• Fully in charge to disseminate the end-line assessment report in-line with donor’s guidance.

1.2  The consultancy firm will:

• Attend SCI’s briefing session about the project and on how to develop an inception report.
• Prepare and submit an inception report (as per SCI guidance) along with the tools.
• Deploy pertinent qualified and experienced team members for the assignment.
• Provides updates on the end-line assessment progress on regular basis
• Be responsible for the collection, entry, and analysis of evaluation data and all costs associated to this.
• Work on and submit a draft evaluation report to Save the Children
• Present evaluation findings and recommendations to a validation workshop.
• Produce final evaluation report as per the inputs from the validation workshop and in consultation with SC-CO team.
• Prepare two pages of evaluation synthesis/synopsis as per SC’s template.

2.      Technical Evaluation Criteria

9.1 Understanding of the Assignment (TOR) (5)

This criterion will cover the consultant’s understanding and reflection on the terms of reference. It considers how deep the consultant understood the work including the scope? How such understanding is explained and linked with the subsequent criteria (e.g., with the approach/methodology, team composition, etc.).  How consistent is the understanding of the ToR reflected in the various sections of the technical proposal?

9.2 Capability and Experience of the firm in related work (15)

This captures the experiences of the consultant in terms of having specific and hands-on experience on undertaking and applying the assessment tools, conducting similar livelihood and employment opportunities mapping, analysing the labour demand and supply patterns, assessing institutions of private, public and CSOs and their interface, factors influencing the job market, experience on value chain trends and market opportunities etc…  

9.3 Professional team composition and qualifications (10)

The consultancy assignment requires qualified team members who possess Minimum master’s degree in development economics/economics, business management, development studies and related fields, from a recognized institution and has a team composition of similar backgrounds and related experiences with particular focus on migrant/people with high risk of migration and displaced people is highly desirable. Qualification without proper experience and team composition will result rejection of the technical proposal or very low score.

9.4 Technical Design and Methodology (20)

The consultancy firm should clearly describe its choice of approach for the various objectives and scope of works, and with good justification for the choice of methods/tools or design to exactly meet the objectives in clear and coherent way.  The consultant would do generic presentation of the assessment methodology tools and techniques expected to apply to deliver the results expected.

NB: proposing approaches without linking with the objectives and scope of work will result in very low scores. Hence, the technical proposal shall be reviewed with distinct and relevant approaches as per each of the objectives.

      9.5 Time frame/Work plan (10)

• The assumption is to come up with feasible and cost-effective approach as per the time frame suggested in this Tor.  The consultant is encouraged to follow on the proposed timeframe though it is open for feedback.
• Financial application weights 40%
• The technical benchmark for those who could pass to the next level of screening (financial bid) shall be 45% out of 60%.

3.      Expected Deliverables

4.      Timeline

The consultant is expected to deliver the assignment within a period of 30 days after signing of the agreement. The technical proposal submitted to Save the Children needs to include a work plan in compliance with the duration of the assignment.

5.      Payment information 

The consultancy firm is expected to submit details of the total cost based on unit costs and disaggregated by line items in a separate sealed envelope. The total cost needs to be inclusive of VAT.

The consultancy firm shall be responsible for covering its staff insurance and all taxes arising from fees paid under the agreement.            The payment will be affected in three rounds:

▪           First payment: 30- signing off the agreement and submission of the inception report

▪           Second payment: 30% upon receipt of the acceptable first draft report

▪           Third payment- 40% up on submission of the final report, and all other deliverables indicated on of these guides. All payments shall be subject to appropriate taxation. 

Job Requirement

1.      Experience and skill set required.

All interested consulting firms with the required expertise are encouraged to apply.  The consulting firm is expected to bring together a balanced level of national expertise relevant for the research. Team members should have proven expertise on mixed migration and displacement, and excellent understanding of livelihood projects.

The consultant should have the following minimum qualifications.

• Minimum of a master’s degree qualification from a recognized university in monitoring and evaluation, education, social studies, development studies, economics, or any other relevant degree

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in conducting project monitoring and evaluation studies, including child protection, Migration and livelihood, projects.

• Must have good knowledge and understanding of issues around access to and quality of child protection, migration, and livelihood services provision. Solid experience on community based programs/ interventions would be an asset.

Must possess solid methodological and research skills demonstrated through several research pieces and evaluations.

• Must possess excellent report writing, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills.

• In-depth knowledge of the socio-cultural, economic, and political context of child protection, migration and livelihood. 

• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple individuals and groups and funded projects will be an added advantage.

• Ability to produce high-quality work under tight timeframes.

• Must be available within the period of the assessment.

• Previous work experience with similar activities on child protection, migration and livelihood including children, women, and humanitarian response the context will be an asset.

• Proficient in the English language.