Requisition No.:	NAN054/62
Consultant:	Midterm Evaluation for Women Empowerment thought Functional Literacy Project
Issued date:	3 October 2019
Require for competitive bidding:	Yes
Submissions to include:	1) Qualifications & Experience (including CVs) 2) Approach to the Scope of Work 3) References from previous (similar) work 4) Writing Samples (2) 5) Cost proposal (including all incidental expenses)

Terms of Reference:

Midterm Evaluation of the Women Empowerment thought Functional Literacy Project   

 

Background:

Raks Thai Foundation, originally the CARE country office for Thailand evolved to become a local Thai non-profit entity in 1997 and became a member of CARE International in 2001. The Foundation works in areas same development and emergency fields as CARE. Related to the project, Raks Thai Foundation has been working for over 20 years with highland ethnic communities in northern Thailand and with youth development and leadership in all regions of the country. Raks Thai has a vast experience specifically working with ethnic women of the area skills development and empowerment increasing their voice within the home as well as public spaces. 

 

Women Empowerment thought Functional Literacy Project

Raks Thai Foundation is launching a new project in collaboration with the Lancôme Foundation the project begins with the setting that most girls and women who would enter the project have completed basic education, but are seeking higher skills that would open greater economic choices to them and that would increase their social status that is gender related within household, community and the broader society. The project aims to use tailored functional literacy programs to empower Lua, Hmong and other ethnic highland women and girls in Nan province aged 15 to 24 that will allow them to have better occupations, voice their opinions, and become agents of change for other women, their families and their communities.

 

 

Project Name	Women Empowerment Through Functional Literacy in Northern Thailand
Project Goal	To use tailored functional literacy programs to empower Lua, Hmong and other ethnic highland women and girls in Nan province aged 15 to 24 that will allow them to have better occupations, voice their opinions, and become agents of change for other women, their families and their communities.
Outcome	Increase participated in the functional literacy program have greater occupational choices and engage in community dialogue and decision-making. Increase synergy between key partners and stakeholders from various governmental and non-governmental agencies, harnessing agencies’ expertise to maximize effectiveness of program. Increase agencies, particularly in the field of adult education and gender equality, provide tangible support to the functional literacy program and are committed to supporting the continuation of activities, within the scope of their resources.
Target Geographies	The project will be implemented in five districts of Nan Province with including Bo Kluea, Chiang klang, Chaloem Phra Kiat, Thung Chang, Pua
Target Beneficiaries	Lua (also closely related is Htin) and Hmong women ages 15-24 from the selected sub districts at Nan province The direct beneficiaries will be an estimate of 1,000 women.  As women of higher ages have expressed their interest in building their skills an additional 200 women of hired ages will be allowed to participate. The total number of direct and indirect impact women is 2,400.
Full Project Timeline	January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2021
Midterm Evaluation Timeline	November 1, 2019 – December 25, 2019

 

As the project has now reached the half-way point, a mid-term evaluation is being commissioned to assess the project progress toward achieving its objectives. The study will identify lessons learnt and provide concrete recommendations for the refinement of the project approach, if necessary, and to inform subsequent implementation phases of the project.

 

Objectives and Evaluation Questions

The objective of the mid-term evaluation is to understand progress so far towards achieving project objectives and outcomes and draw out lessons for how project can be improved during the rest of its implementation for more positive impacts.

 

 

Specifically the mid-term evaluation will be assessing the following.

• Relevance: To what extent did the project address the Gender empowerment and education issues identified during the project design? These include: pressure from functional literacy activities, Mother tongue base learning activities, Gender empowerment activities and skills development activities.  
• Impact: What socio-economic and education changes have taken place among the beneficiary community as a result of the project, including both intended and unintended effects? This should specifically capture changes in overall household and community.
• Efficiency: Were the financial resources and other inputs used efficiently to achieve outputs? Are there opportunities to improve efficiency?
• Effectiveness: To what extent is the project on track to achieve its objective and outcomes? What progress has been made so far? What factors may be limiting the achievement of intended results?
• Sustainability: To what extent are the project’s positive actions likely to continue after the end of the project? In particular, what education, economic, gender role and responsibilities and institutional changes are likely to be sustained beyond the project lifetime?  What actions need to be taken to increase the learning of the project results being sustainable? To what extent will the target communities continue to education, socio-economics and health benefit from the results achieved through project interventions? The extent of continued institutional support by the community structures and government and the extent on how the target communities have attained and which support.

 

Key areas to cover:

1. Quality of project design:

As presently designed, is the intervention logic holding true?

• Does a log frame or similar tool exist? If yes, what is its present quality (does it clearly

Is the current design sufficiently supported by all stakeholders?

• Are coordination, management and financing arrangements clearly defined and do they support institutional strengthening and local ownership?
• Is the sustainability strategy (handing over strategy to partners) fully understood by the partners?
• Is the timescale and/or range of activities realistic with regard to the stakeholders' capacities?
• If applicable: How well has the project design been adapted to make it more relevant? Was it straightforward to do contractually?

 

2. Efficiency to date:

How well is the availability/usage of means/inputs managed?

How well is the implementation of activities managed?

• Is the log frame or similar tool used as a management tool? If not, why not?
• Is an activity schedule (or work plan) and resource schedule available and used by the project management and other relevant parties?
• To what extent are activities implemented as scheduled? If there are delays how can they be rectified?
• Are funds committed and spent in line with the implementation timescale? If not, why not?

How well activities are monitored by the project and are corrective measures taken if required?

• If appropriate, how flexible is the project in adapting to changing needs?
• If appropriate how does the project co-ordinate with other similar interventions to encourage synergy and avoid overlaps?  

How well are outputs achieved?

• Have all planned outputs been delivered to date? And in a logic sequence?
• What is the quality of outputs to date?
• Are the outputs achieved likely to contribute to the intended results?

How well is the Partner Contribution / Involvement working?

• Do the inter-institutional structures e.g. steering committees, monitoring systems, allow efficient project implementation?

3. Effectiveness to date:

How well is the project achieving its planned results?

• What is the quality of the results/services available?
• Have all planned target groups access to / using project results available so far?
• Are there any factors which prevent target groups accessing the results/services?
• To what extent has the project adapted or is able to adapt to changing external conditions (risks and assumptions) in order to ensure benefits for the target groups?

 

4. Impact Prospects:

What are the direct impact prospects of the project at Overall Objectives level?

• What, if any impacts are already apparent?
• What impacts appear likely?
• Are any external factors likely to jeopardize the project’s direct impact?
• Have there been/ will there be any unplanned positive impacts on the planned target groups or other non-targeted communities arising from the project? How did this affect the impact?

 

5. Potential sustainability:

Financial / economic viability?

• If the services/results have to be supported institutionally, are funds likely to be made available? If so, by whom?
• Is there a financial/ economic phase-out strategy? If so, how likely is it to be implemented?

What is the level of ownership of the project by target groups and will it continue after the end of external support?

• How far the project is embedded in local structures?  

What is the level of policy support provided and the degree of interaction between project and policy level?

• What support has been provided from the relevant national, sectorial and budgetary policies?
• Do changes in policies and priorities affect the project and how well is it adapting in terms of long-term needs for support?
• Is any public and private sector policy support likely to continue after the project has finished?

How well is the project contributing to institutional and management capacity?

• How far is the project embedded in institutional structures that are likely to survive beyond the life of the project?
• Are project partners being properly developed (technically, financially and managerially) for continuing to deliver the project’s benefits/services?

 

6. Cross-cutting issues:

Have practical and strategic gender interests been adequately considered in the project strategy?

• If so, how and to what effect? If not, why not? If n/a, explain.
• Please consider the following aspects of gender mainstreaming:
  • Has the project been planned on the basis of a gender-differentiated beneficiaries’ analysis?
  • To what extent will / could the gender sensitive approach lead to an improved impact of the project?
  • What is the likeliness of increased gender equality beyond project end?
  • According to the Care International Gender Policy Marker how would you classify this project?

Has (good) governance been mainstreamed in the project/programme (P/P)?

• If so, how? If not, why not? If n/a, explain.
  • Does it take into consideration the differential impact of poverty by disadvantaged groups?
  • Is the P/P designed in such a way that it takes into account potential conflict?
  • Is regular, transparent, financial reporting built into the P/P? Are its results widely circulated and understandable?

Does the project actively contribute to the promotion of Human Rights?

• If so, how? If not, why not? If n/a, explain.
  • Has there been an analysis of “winners and losers” regarding possible “discrimination” of target groups by the P/P?
  • Will the P/P help to ensure respect for any relevant human rights and not cause them to be reduced in any way?
  • Do any interested parties and observers raise Human Rights concerns?

Approach and methodology

The project implements a routine monitoring system based on a Log Frame developed at the beginning of the project and corresponding data collection plan to collect data against key outcome indicators.

The evaluation methodology is expected to review this data and, as far as possible, allow comparability taking into account any issues around data collection for the first half of the project the consultant is expected to employ a variety of data collection and analysis techniques for both quantitative and qualitative data to ensure a comprehensive evaluation exercise. This will likely include, at a minimum:

• Document and systems review: Review of existing documentations, including; project reports, project log frame and monitoring and evaluation data.
• Surveys: Application of structured survey questionnaires with a representative, random sample of target population to quantitatively assess outcomes. This will be in greater in scope, breadth and depth compared to standard routine project monitoring.
• Focus Group Discussions: With target groups and other stakeholders to assess implementation experiences and effectiveness, document successes, challenges and lessons learned, and develop recommendations for improvement.
• Key Informant Interviews: Consultations with key project stakeholders, including field staff and partners. Guidance on appropriate stakeholders will be provided by field Office staff.

Description of Target Beneficiaries

In total the project works with 42 villages in Boklor, Pua, ToongChang and Chiangklang district. The beneficiaries of this project are 900 people who live around and desire benefit from the project.

The direct beneficiaries of project include:

• Girls and women ethnic group age of 15-35 years

The indirect beneficiaries of project include:

• Women ethnic group age over 35 years
• Community learning Center teachers
• Community leaders
• Local government institutional staffs include Non formal education Center, Sub-district Administration Office, Skills development Center and Public Health Center

 

• Civil Society Organization
• Academic partners include Mahidol University, Sukhothai Open University and Nan Community collage

The consultation will expect to:

The objective of this consultancy is to developing a strong monitoring and evaluation framework. This will lay a critical foundation for measuring change, understanding the project’s contribution to achieving this change, and drawing lessons for future direction and project development. For this purpose, the project is currently seeking a consultant to design and implement the midterm evaluation of the Women Empowerment thought Functional Literacy Project. Specifically, the consultant will:

1. Preparing the approach/methodology to be employed in executing the assignment and a detailed plan.
2. Review relevant project documents, including but not limited to: project reports, project log frame, household survey reports and data and baseline surveys.
3. Collect and review relevant government policy/guideline document, relevant secondary data etc.

 

4. Develop, test and apply survey questionnaires. A representative random sample of the target population should be interviewed to assess outcomes and establish impact of the project interventions in line with log frame indicators. The project is putting a strong emphasis on the need to collect information’s on outcome indicators
5. Design and conduct focus group discussions with relevant community members, both male and female, to assess implementation experiences and effectiveness, document successes, challenges and lessons learned, and develop recommendations for improvement.
6. Carry out key informant interviews i.e. consultations with key project stakeholders, including field staff and partners. Guidance on appropriate stakeholders will be provided by project manager and filed Office staff.
7. Collate and analysis data.
8. Present findings to key stakeholders and staff and invite comments at a one day workshop
9. Draft report and submit for comments
10. Incorporate comments and produce final report

 

DURATION OF THE ROLE

The midterm evaluation survey will be conducted between November 1, 2019 to December 25, 2019. Specific level of effort for the consultant will be based on the agreed work plan that will be finalized with the contract.

KEY DELIVERABLES

Task/Output	Timeframe
Proposal Submission Deadline	October 25, 2019
Contract consultant	October 30, 2019
Inception Meeting	November 4, 2019
Submit Plan, Including Data Collection Tools and Methodologies	November 7, 2019
FGD Data, Collection in Communities	November 8-31, 2019
Analyst and report draft	December 1-10, 2019
Presentation on key findings	December 11, 2019
Submission of First Draft report	December 20, 2019
Submission of Final report	December 25,2019

 

LINES OF COMMUNICATION

The consultant will report directly to the Project Manager and Head of Technical Support Unit

 

QUALIFICATIONS OF CONSULTANT

• Demonstrated experience in monitoring and evaluation, research and baseline study design, including selecting methodology appropriate for the project’s-specific factors, sampling, applying a mixed methods approach, developing/revising participatory data collection tools, developing data quality protocols and training enumerators
• Demonstrated 5 years’ experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis
• Knowledge and experience with gender empowerment and education 
• Knowledge and experience developing and/or using participatory research tools that support engagement of women and young people in the research process is highly preferred
• Knowledge and experience working with ethic and/or highlands populations in Thailand (cultural appropriateness) is highly preferred
• Research experience working with women from vulnerable communities will be a strong advantage
• Research experience with knowledge mobilization in collaboration with community
• Fluency in English, Thai, Northern Thai and/or others language would be a very strong asset
• Ability to produce high quality work under tight timeframes

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications at email at Procurement & Administrative Unit Khun Naowarat Inthuprapha email: naowarat@raksthai.org, Raks Thai Foundation, Bangkok office by October23, 2019 before 16.00pm.

The result will announce on Raks Thai Foundation website on October 25, 2019. Any further questions please contact Khun Kannaporn Sornsomrit; Project Manager at email: kannaporn_na@raksthai.org and phone number 093-3946463

 

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Consultants/firms that meet the requirements should submit expression of interest, which should include the following:

• Cover letter including the consultant’s/firm’s suitability for the assignment and current contact information
• CV including contact details of 2 referees.  
• Include 1-2 samples of previous research and evaluation work.
• Detailed response to TOR, with specific focus addressing the purpose and objectives of the assignment, methodology to be used and key selection criteria (max. 2 pages)
• Detailed budget breakdown based on expected daily rates and initial work plan

Contact : kannaporn_na@raksthai.org / naowarat@raksthai.org

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