REQUEST FOR CONSULTANTS TO CONDUCT END OF PROJECT EVALUATION

  • Location:
  • Salary:
    negotiable
  • Job type:
    Contract
  • Posted:
    9 months ago
  • Category:
    Project Manager
  • Deadline:
    28/12/2022

REQUEST FOR CONSULTANTS TO CONDUCT END OF PROJECT EVALUATION

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is a global humanitarian organization with a mission to work with people in poverty and distress to create just and positive change. ADRA Somalia belongs to the worldwide network, comprised of more than 130 supporting and implementing country offices. ADRA Somalia is seeking to recruit a consultant to conduct End of Project Evaluation in Banadir, Jubbaland, Southwest, Hirshabelle and Galmudug states of Somalia for the EU Project “STRENGTHENING EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN SOMALIA” (SETS EA) Project.

1. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE OF THE CONSULTANCY

These Terms of Reference are for the End of Project Evaluation for the Strengthening Education and Training in Somalia Expanded Action (SETS EA) Project. The overall purpose of the evaluation is to assess the level of attainment of targets, results, and objectives. The evaluation will contribute to shared learning and provide accountability to partners, beneficiaries, and donors. The evaluation will come up with findings, lessons learnt and recommendations which will be shared with key stakeholders of the project and used by the implementing agencies to guide and inform future similar projects and programs.

The evaluation will assess the performance of the project against key parameters including the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, timelines of activity implementation, and its strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges during implementation will be analyzed with a view to extract lessons and best practices for the future.

2. Objectives of the Evaluation

The final evaluation will provide the decision-makers in the Government, the European Union and the wider public with sufficient information to:

  1. Make an overall independent assessment about the past performance of the project/programme, paying particularly attention to the impact of the project actions against its objectives.
  2. Identify key lessons and to propose practical recommendations for follow-up actions.

The evaluation will be based on the five evaluation criteria endorsed by the OECD-DAC (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact), and to the EC-specific evaluation criteria (EC added value and coherence). The evaluation will also assess the integration and impact of cross cutting issues in the project. The consultants are required to use their professional judgment and experience to review all relevant factors and to bring these to the attention of the Government and European Commission.

The key parameters to be assessed by the evaluation are:

  1. Relevance: describes how well a project addresses a real problem of the beneficiaries and how well it matches the development policies and strategic objectives of the country/region.
  2. Efficiency: stands for how well the inputs are transformed into output and outcomes.
  3. Effectiveness: measures the degree to which the project’s outputs have provided benefits and contributed to the project purpose.
  4. Impact: describes how and to which degree the project has contributed to the solution of the problem and to the achievement of the overall objective. While actual impact can only be measured ex post, the evaluation should nevertheless scrutinize the impact prospects, i.e. the project’s likely contribution to the project’s overall objective.
  5. Sustainability: introduces a time dimension into the monitoring. It measures to the likelihood of a continuation in the stream of benefits produced by the project after the period of external support has ended.
  6. Inclusion: Assess the extent to which marginalized groups have been reached by the project, in particular girls, IDPs, returnees, refugees, people living with disabilities and those from minority clans among other marginalised groups.
  7. Role of federal member states: The roles played by the states of Galmudug, Jubbaland, Hir-Shabelle, South West State and Banadir Regional Administration during the project implementation period, including successes, lessons learnt and gaps identified per State. The support provided to each state also needs to be evaluated.
  8. Mutual reinforcement (coherence): assesses the extent to which activities undertaken allow the European Union to achieve its development policy objectives without internal contradiction or without contradiction with other Community policies, i.e. the extent to which they complement partner country’s policies and other donors’ interventions.
  9. EU value added: reviews the connection to the interventions of other programs supported by the European Union, and the extent to which the intervention is creating actual synergy (or duplication) with the intervention of other EU supported programmes/projects.

3. Scope of the evaluation

The evaluation will cover the accomplishment of all the expected results as outlined in the project document and detailed in the annual work plans during the period of implementation All the project result areas, outcomes and activities stated in the logical framework matrix of the project will be assessed.

The evaluation team will select sample districts, schools, and communities from the project regions in consultation with relevant stakeholders and using statistically acceptable parameters, and ensure that the sample selected is representative of the geographical coverage of the project as well as the target beneficiaries.

Specific Tasks: The specific tasks of the evaluator will be to:

  1. Develop evaluation framework and methodology and refine these with the project team.
  2. Develop a sampling frame that will be discussed and adopted by the evaluation team
  3. Develop the evaluation plan
  4. Undertake extensive document review to familiarize with the project
  5. Assess the capacity development interventions the project has undertaken with the MoECHE, State level MoEs and targeted schools
  6. Critically assess and evaluate the 10 schools constructed by the project, looking at the key parameters of: achievement of targets, outcomes and lessons learned.
  7. Review the progress in enrolment of learners in the 10 new schools in the target regions.
  8. Assess the contribution to pedagogical methods for young learners and adult learners as a result of the project.
  9. Conduct field visits, focus group discussions and interviews with relevant beneficiaries, partners and project team members to collect information on various parameters of the evaluation.
  10. Prepare the evaluation draft report and present the findings in workshops in Mogadishu, Somalia, for key national and international agencies operating in these locations;
  11. Prepare and submit final report to the Lead Agency – ADRA in three hard copies (bounded) and CD-ROM.
  12. Present the findings of the evaluation to the Education Sector Committee Members in Mogadishu, Somalia.
  13. Evaluation Approach and Methodology

The evaluation approach should be developed and implemented in three main phases: An Inception Phase, a Field Investigation Phase and a Synthesis and Feedback Phase.

3.1 Inception Phase

This phase will involve a thorough and systematic review of the relevant programming documents related to the SETS project, as well as documents shaping the wider strategy/policy framework. This will provide the development context of the project. The consultant will then analyze the logical framework in order to come up withissues or evaluation questions relevant to the project. This stage will also involve the preparation of the workplan for the evaluation complete with a time schedule. Other tasks to be undertaken during the inception phase will include:

  • Present the indicative methodology to the overall assessment of the project/programme.
  • Interview the project management and European Union Program Managers (if relevant)
  • Present each evaluation question stating the information already gathered and provide a first partial answer to the question, identify the issues still to be covered and the assumptions still to be tested, and describe a full method to answer the question.
  • Identify and present the list of tools to be applied in the Field Phase;
  • Prepare and submit a detailed work plan with an indicative list of people to be interviewed, surveys to be undertaken, dates of visit, itinerary, and name of team members in charge.
  • Define issues and gaps requiring further analysis;
  • Prepare and share inception report of not more than 10 pages; and
  • List all preparatory steps already taken for the Field Phase.

3.2 Field Investigation Phase

The Field Phase should start upon approval of the inception Report by the evaluation managers (Program Director, Project Manager and M&E focal point). The consultant will:

  • Undertake field mission applying the plan developed during the Inception Phase. This plan has to be applied in a way that is flexible enough to accommodate any last-minute difficulties in the field. If any significant deviation from the agreed work plan or schedule is perceived as creating a risk for the quality of the evaluation, these should be immediately discussed with the evaluation managers.
  • Hold a briefing meeting with project management team in the first days of the field phase.
  • Undertake school visits and stakeholder interviews including relevant education authorities.
  • Ensure adequate contact and consultation with, and involvement of, the different stakeholders; working closely with the relevant government authorities and agencies during their entire assignment. Use the most reliable and appropriate sources of information and will harmonize data from different sources to allow ready interpretation.
  • Summarize its field works at the end of the field phase, discuss the reliability and coverage of data collection, and present its preliminary findings in a meeting with the project management team and relevant MoE administrations.

3.3 Synthesis and Feedback Phase

This phase is mainly devoted to the preparation of the draft final report. The consultant will make sure that:

  • Their assessment is objective and balanced, affirmations accurate and verifiable, and recommendations realistic.
  • When drafting the report, they will acknowledge clearly where changes in the desired direction are known to be already taking place, in order to avoid misleading readers and causing unnecessary irritation or offence.

The consultant will submit the draft evaluation report to ADRA for review. On the basis of comments expressed by ADRA and consortium members & relevant education authorities, the consultant will amend and revise the draft report. The 2nd draft report will be presented to ADRA management, while a summary of the key findings of the evaluation will be presented to a group of stakeholders in Mogadishu under the auspices of the Education Sector Committee for their synthesis and discussion. On the basis of comments made by participants, the consultant will prepare the final version of the report.

4. Expertise Required

The following are the qualification requirements for the evaluation consultant:

  • Advanced University Degree in Education or related field.
  • A minimum ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in the areas of basic/primary education, teacher development, capacity building of education administrations, education economics and in the definition and implementation of sectoral policies in the economic sector;
  • Experience in the evaluation of technical assistance project, preferably, particularly those under the education portfolio;
  • Fully conversant with the principles and working methods of project cycle management, EC aid delivery methods. knowledge of the activities of multilateral development donors will be an added advantage;
  • Solid knowledge of, and practical experience with gender analysis and planning;
  • Full working knowledge of English and excellent report writing skills
  • Competence and adequate experience in the use of qualitative and/or quantitative methods of data collection and analysis including: sampling, desegregation of data, structured and semi-structured interviewing, focus group discussions, and observation and triangulation research methods.
  • Ability to interpret and analyse complex qualitative and quantitative data, and to present findings and recommendations in a clear and concise way.
  • Excellent inter-personal communication skills including experience of facilitation and presentation.
  • Ability to work equally well with communities and international organisations.
  • Knowledge and sensitivity to political and social contexts of Somalia.

5. Time Frame

The evaluation will be carried out in January 2023. The consultant will be required to submit a technical proposal indicating the number of days and rate for the consultancy work with a realistic action plan.

6. Supervision and Management

The overall supervision of the evaluators will rest with ADRA. The consultant will report to the Programmes Director (or a designated manager). The consultant will be expected to work closely with, and interact closely with the implementing agency and MoECHE. The ADRA education project manager based in Somalia will provide day-to-day supervision and support to the consultant.

7. Terms and Conditions

Logistics: The consultant’s travel from base to the field and back after the end of the contract (including airport tax) will be covered by ADRA.

Professional fee: The consultant will propose the professional fee as part of their financial proposal.

Tax and insurance: The consultants shall be responsible for their income tax and/or insurance during the assignment.

Code of conduct: The consultant is bound by the principles and conditions of ADRA’s Code of Conduct.

A contract will be signed by the consultant/evaluator upon commencement of the evaluation which will detail additional terms and conditions of service, aspects on inputs and deliverables.

8. Application Requirements

All expressions of interest should include:

Cover letter: A short (maximum three pages) letter addressing the evaluation criteria.

A detailed curriculum vitae

Technical Proposal (maximum eight pages) interpreting the understanding of the TOR, detailed methodology of executing the task, as well as draft evaluation framework and plan.

Financial Proposal: The financial proposal should provide cost estimates for services rendered including daily consultancy fees excluding: accommodation and living costs; transport cost; stationeries, and supplies needed for data collection; costs related to persons that will take part from consortium partners and government authorities during evaluation process, enrichment workshop.

How to apply

The financial proposal should also provide cost estimates for services rendered including daily consultancy fees related to the consultant and/or associate consultant who will take part in the final evaluation of the project. For full Terms of Reference (TOR) please visit ADRA website www.adrasom.org. Applications for this consultancy should be emailed to the Human Resource Manager using the email hr@adrasom.org not later than 28th December 2022 with “Expression of Interest End of Project Evaluation in the subject line.

This job has expired.