Terms of Reference (ToR)
for
Conducting Endline Evaluation of Local Rights Programme

About ActionAid Bangladesh
ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB), an affiliate member of ActionAid Federation, has been working in Bangladesh for last 40 years in solidarity with the people living in poverty and exclusion to end poverty and injustice. AAB’s aims at facilitating people challenging poverty and exclusion through human, practical, politically intelligent, and open strategy underpinned by its Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA). AAB believes in a theory of change that requires purposeful individual and collective action, led by the people living in poverty and supported by solidarity, credible rights-based alternatives and campaigns that address the structural causes and consequences of poverty. AAB mobilizes and empowers the people living in poverty and exclusion to enable their collective analysis, identity, movements, and actions. In solidarity with citizens, partners and supporters, AAB fosters partnerships and networks for strengthening support, voice and actions to campaign and advocate with the state and non-state actors and institutions for influencing their policies and practices that safeguard the rights of the poor and excluded people.

Overview of the Projects
AAB implements Local Rights Programme (LRPs), under a long-term partnership with local NGOs. The LRPs usually span about 8-10 years or more. Every LRP is linked with the strategic objectives of AAB. Since 2016, AAB partners named Bright Bangladesh Forum (BBF) and Nagar Daridra Basteebashir Unnayan Sangstha (NDBUS) has been operating LRP-48 and LRP-49 respectively in urban slum communities of Chattogram and Mirpur, Dhaka to address extreme urban poverty, service exclusion and gender inequality. LRP-48 focused on adolescent girls' access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and menstrual health management, while LRP-49 (Reducing Urban Poverty through People’s Action - RUPA) aimed at improving education, food security, women’s participation, and access to public services.

Baseline data for both LRPs indicated severe challenges in living conditions, including inadequate sanitation, unsafe housing, child labor prevalence, gender-based violence, low literacy rates and lack of decision-making power among women. These realities informed the project design and targeted interventions.

As both projects will be phased out in December 2025, an end line evaluation will document changes achieved, analyze impact and sustainability, and offer recommendations for the future.

Major Interventions of Local Rights Programme

• Awareness raising on Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), menstrual hygiene, and mental health for adolescent girls, families, and community stakeholders.
  
• Establishment of SRHR and MHM service corners in schools and linkage with local health facilities.
  
• Door-to-door counselling and home visits by trained community volunteers to promote SRHR and safe hygiene practices.
  
• Engagement of school authorities, religious leaders, and local government officials to reduce stigma and support adolescent health.
  
• Advocacy with public service providers to improve access to clean water, sanitation, and electricity.
  
• Formation and strengthening of community-based organizations (CBOs), Reflection Action Circle (RACs), and Community Journalist Groups (CJGs).
  
• Support for school enrollment and retention of children, especially girls; addressing dropout and child labor issues.
  
• Leadership development and capacity building of youth groups on rights, governance, and civic activism.
  
• Empowerment of women through group formation, legal awareness, property rights advocacy, and increased participation in decision-making.
  
• Promotion of food security and small-scale livelihood activities to support ultra-poor families and reduce harmful coping mechanisms.
  
• Training communities on disaster preparedness, fire safety, and eviction risk mitigation.
  
• Mobilization of community voices in local governance processes, public hearings, and budget advocacy to demand accountability and inclusion.

Baseline Study
The baseline studies of LRP-48 (Chattogram) and LRP-49 (Dhaka slums) revealed a multidimensional crisis affecting slum residents. In LRP-48, 93% of families lived in rented homes, 89% of households were male-headed, and 97% of respondents were women, mostly married. Access to basic services was poor—only 31% had household latrines and 20% relied on supply water, while 71% did not use any water purification methods. Food insecurity persisted, with 23.8% reporting food shortages and 5.2% experiencing starvation in the past 30 days. Education data showed only 48.2% regular school attendance, with drop-out mainly due to poverty and child labor. In LRP-49, 78% of respondents reported sufficient food intake, yet 19% skipped meals multiple times a week. Most households (over 95%) lived in tin-roofed one-room dwellings averaging 4.4 people per household. Around 36.5% of children were engaged in labor, and girls frequently faced harassment. Only 28% of women received support in household chores, and over 64% had no role in decision-making or access to public services. Most respondents had never visited local government or NGO offices, and over 71% of women reported facing difficulties using communal toilets. Electricity access was informal and highly unreliable, especially in summer. These findings shaped targeted interventions under both LRPs, focusing on SRHR, WASH, women’s empowerment, youth participation, education access, and improved public service delivery through community-led mechanisms.

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Last date of Application July 12, 2025