ENDLINE SURVEY COORDINATOR - TOR

Call for consultants - Bangladesh
Local evaluators for final evaluation

Growing Together! Project
TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. BACKGROUND

1.1 About the contract

This position is to support the collection of data for an external evaluation of a Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International) project in Cox’s Bazar. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the selected evaluation team is unable to travel to Bangladesh, and is looking for support in collecting data using pre-developed methodology and tools. The contract will be with the international evaluation team, not HI. The international evaluation team will provide remote training and support prior to and during the data collection process. The international evaluation team consists of two experienced evaluators with considerable experience in the field of disability.

1.2 About Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International)

Handicap International runs its program under the operating name Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is an independent and impartial international aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, its action and testimony are focused on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions and promoting respect for their dignity and their fundamental rights. HI is currently implementing projects in more than 50 countries worldwide, including Pakistan.

1.3 Context in which the project takes place

Growing Together! (GT) project is implemented in refugee camps and internal displacement settings in Bangladesh, Thailand and Pakistan. The project is directly implemented by country teams in each location and in addition counts with a regional coordination unit based in Thailand.

Project Goal: Enable children with disabilities or chronic illnesses, children at risk of developmental delays and psychological distress (0-12 years old), to develop their full potential on an equal basis with other children and acquire fundamental educational and social skills through games, sport, cultural arts, early years’ education and complementary learning in displacement settings in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Thailand.

The project started in June 2016. The implementation of activities will take place until July 31st 2020 and the phase-out stage will take place from June to November 2020. Currently activities are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but individual remote support for children and parents is continuing.

1.3.1 The project in Bangladesh

1.4 Justification for calling upon a Consultant

Approaching the end of the project’s implementation period, the project is looking to conduct a final evaluation to examine the project’s overall performance and effectiveness, identify intended and unintended impacts generated, consider the sustainability of the benefits produced to the population, and to identify best practices and lessons learned for future initiatives. As well, the project is looking to have recommendations based on the findings, aiming to support possible adjustments of the project’s approaches and interventions for replicability in other displacement contexts.

In February a team of international evaluation consultants was selected by HI to conduct the final evaluation. In the framework of the current COVID-19 pandemic, due to international travel restrictions, the consultants may not be able to travel to the project locations as originally planned. In this scenario, the evaluation team is seeking to identify national evaluators or data collection specialists who can conduct focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews, within the evaluation framework designed by the evaluation team. This consultancy will focus only on the project implemented in Bangladesh, but the results will be combined with similar exercises in Pakistan and Thailand to produce the final evaluation findings. Ideally the consultants should already be in Cox’s Bazar District where the project evaluation will take place to avoid setbacks due to national COVID related restrictions.

Therefore, this Terms of Reference (ToR) has been prepared to hire highly competent evaluation or data collection specialists will conduct high quality KIIs and FGDs with the remote guidance of the evaluation team.

2. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY OF THE ENDLINE

2.1 Objectives

The objective of the final evaluation of GT! project is to measure the project’s impact in the life of beneficiaries, the achievement and sustainability of outcomes and objectives against the project’s performance indicators, to assess program effectiveness by comparing end-line results to qualitative and quantitative data collected at the program’s baseline and mid-term evaluation, as well as to analyze aspects of the project according to HI’s project quality framework, with a practical emphasis on a quality analysis of the results achieved and the expected and unexpected changes produced.

2.2 Methodology

The methodology of the evaluation has been developed by the evaluation team. It mainly focuses on qualitative methods, with some quantitative information being gathered through questions during the FGDs and KIIs. The evaluation intends to use participatory techniques, and in particular the gathering of stories of most significant change. Narrative stories describing the most significant change the project has led to will be collected from parents, community workers and other key stakeholders. Children will be asked to either narrate a story or draw the changes that have occurred. The consultants will facilitate selection workshops with representative committees from the project participant population at the end of the data collection period to short-list the most representative stories.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

The consultants will be responsible for conducting a series of KIIs and FGDs, and gathering stories of change from evaluation participants. They will provide interviews notes to the evaluation team and participate in regular Skype briefings to update on progress of the data collection.

2.3 Key responsibilities and tasks

The consultant is expected to:

• Attend the remote orientation training provided by the evaluation team;
• Review key project documents and interview and FGD guides;
• Conduct KIIs and FGDs according to the guides developed by the evaluation team;
• Ensure note keeping of the KIIs and FGDs, and provide coherent notes back to the evaluation team;
• Gather stories of most significant change from evaluation participants;
• Facilitate selection workshops for representative samples of project participants to shortlist the stories;
• Participate in regular Skype calls at the end of the day to brief the evaluation team on the progress of the data collection;
• Timely feedback the evaluation team on the performance of the evaluation tools and troubles encountered/solved;
• Be available for any other activity which will prove necessary to successfully carry out the survey.

3.2       Deliverables

• Conduct KIIs and FGDs as per the evaluation timetable;
• Daily reports to the endline team leader on data collection activity;
• Full transcripts of the notes in English of the KIIs and FGDs.
• Stories of change collected from evaluation participants (either narrative or scans of drawings with explanations)

3.3       Timeline

The consultancy is expected to require for a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 10 working days, in late August / early September 2020. The logistic of the evaluation will be planned in accordance with the evaluation team and locally with the project team (HI and partners), dependent on activities planned for the proposed timeframe.

3.4       Responsibilities of the International Evaluation Team

• All contracting will be done by the international evaluation team and not HI.
• The team will provide the selected consultant with relevant project documentation
• Provide training prior to the data collection period on the methodology and tools
• Review and provide ongoing daily feedback during the data collection period
• Liaise with HI Bangladesh on all logistics arrangements necessary for the consultant
• Ensure timely payment of consultant fees. An initial lump sum to cover all logistics costs will be made, with the final payment made on satisfactory delivery of all interview notes and completion of other requirements of the consultancy.

3. PROFILE OF THE CONSULTANT.

The expert should combine the following skills, experience and knowledge:

4. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.

Applicants should send a cover letter and updated CV to gtfinalevaluation@gmail.com with the subject line “Consultant-Growing Together Evaluation Bangladesh” by Sunday August 16th.

Due to the urgent nature of the recruitment, the GT Evaluation team will review applications on a rolling basis. This position was originally posted in June but recruitment delayed due to the COVID-19 situation. Previous applicants are still under consideration and do not need to apply again.

The cover letter must include an explanation of why the applicant’s skills are relevant for the consultancy and a proposed daily rate. A list of similar consultancies should be included either at the end of the cover letter of be clear in the CV. The consultant should indicate where they are currently based and if travel to Cox’s Bazar District will be necessary. The application should provide a statement confirming they have the necessary tax registration in Bangladesh. The consultant will be responsible for ensuring they declare the income from the consultancy to the relevant authorities.

Please note the methodology and sampling has already been developed by the evaluation and proposals for such do not need to be included in the application.

Please note contracting will be between the evaluation team and the selected consultants. Queries on the TOR should be directed to the email address above and not to HI.