ThaiNGO

Mid-term Review Consultant for EU NDICI Project

1. Project:

EU NDICI Project - Building Capacity of Civil Society Organizations on Supporting Marginalized Populations to Access Public Services and Respond to Global Warming

2. Background:

ActionAid is an international social justice organization striving for a world free from poverty and injustice with presence in 75 countries. With the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA), ActionAid aims to strengthen the capacity of people living in poverty and exclusion to assert their rights. We believe in the power of people to bring about change for themselves, their communities, and entire societies. ActionAid has been working in Thailand since 2001 and was registered as ActionAid International (Thailand) Foundation (AAIT) in 2011 as a local non-profit organization. ActionAid works throughout Thailand with communities, civil society organizations, small school networks, government entities, academia, and the media to support changing the lives of the poorest and the most disadvantaged.

Thailand has witnessed a significant economic and social transition since the 1980s. However, development benefits have not been evenly distributed. Those who are most marginalized in society are not adequately accessing state services and natural resources, especially healthcare, social welfare, and social protections, which is a major hindrance to their sustainable development. This includes many stateless people, small-scale farmers, sea gypsies (Chao Lay), and highland ethnic minorities. Supported by the European Union (EU), ActionAid International (Thailand) Foundation (AAIT), Chumchonthai Foundation (CTF), and Northern Development Foundation (NDF) are implementing the project “Building Capacity of Civil Society Organizations on Supporting Marginalized Populations to Access Public Services and Respond to Global Warming” (2024-2027) to strengthen CSO and local networks’ capacity to support marginalized populations to access public services and respond to the impacts of climate change, increase their participation and influence in policy design and implementation, and promote and scale community-led projects that focus on inclusive socio-economic development and natural resource management. The project targets 54 communities (totaling 4,200 households or 14,000 marginalized individuals) in Mae Hong Son, Phang Nga, Ranong, Satun, Pathum Thani, and Bangkok. In addition, policy adjustments are expected to benefit an addition of 470,000 stateless people, 11,000 sea gypsies, 226,773 residents of Mae Hong Son, and 7,000 poor women and youth in the target areas.

The mid-term review will reflect and analyze the project’s progress and provide key findings, opportunities, and recommendations to move forward for the project’s success. 

3. Objectives of the mid-term review:

• To assess the overall progress of the project and review the extent to which the project has achieved its objectives during the first two years of implementation.
• To encourage reflection and analysis of project performance, achievements, challenges, and key factors affecting implementation.
• To identify lessons learned, good practices, and areas requiring additional technical support or financial assistance.
• To provide an opportunity to re-assess project strategies, priorities, and approaches and recommend any necessary adjustments to improve effectiveness and maximize impact during the remaining project period.

4. Scope of assessment:

The project is implemented by ActionAid International (Thailand) Foundation (AAIT), Chumchonthai Foundation (CTF), and Northern Development Foundation (NDF), along with three subgrantee organizations in six provinces – Mae Hong Son, Phang Nga, Ranong, Satun, Pathum Thani, and Bangkok. The target groups include ethnic minorities (sea gypsies and highland indigenous groups), small-scale farmers, women, and youth, who are expected to directly benefit from the project'sintervention.

• Target Group 1: 14,000 marginalized populations (4,200 households, 54 targeted villages).
• Target Group 2: CSOs and local organizations: CTF, NDF, Big Trees Foundation, Mae Hong Son Youth Group, Phang Nga Youth Group, and ten local CSOs. 
• Target Group 3: Government departments at national, provincial, and district levels responsible for the delivery of state services, namely, offices of health, education, social development, human security, water management, environmental conservation, and climate adaptation.  
• Final beneficiaries: 470,000 stateless people, 11,000 sea gypsies, Mae Hong Son’s population of 226,773, and 7,000 women and youth living in poverty in the target provinces.

The project outcomes and outputs are described as:

• Estimated Outcomes: Improved collaboration between local authorities, civil society organizations, and vulnerable communities in the design and implementation of inclusive policies to address poverty, inequality, and the impacts of climate change in the provinces of Mae Hong Son, Ranong, Satun, Phang Nga, Pathum Thani, and Bangkok.
• Estimated Output 1: CSOs and marginalized communities have increased capacity in policy analysis, advocacy, and public services at the local level.
• Estimated Output 2: Marginalized communities have reached and increased awareness of the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA), participation, and influence in state policy and practical implementation. 
• Estimated Output 3: Increased opportunities for multistakeholder dialogue around the implementation and scaling of community-led programs for socio-economic inclusion and natural resource protection.

5. Design and methodology: 

The mid-term review design should comprise both qualitative and quantitative data. Secondary and primary sources of data will be gathered, presenting sex, age, and inclusive representation of marginalized people. The methodology will include desk research, an evaluation framework, data collection, data analysis, key findings presentation, and formulating recommendations. Data must be obtained from CSOs, stakeholders, marginalized populations, and local authorities. It is not necessary to cover all six target provinces (Mae Hong Son, Ranong, Satun, Phang Nga, Pathum Thani, and Bangkok); however, the target group sampling plan should involve all stakeholders from the same province.

The consultant must ensure that key aspects according to the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria – relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, and cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, youth, and environment – are being considered and presented. The study design should be guided by the following questions:

Key questions related to collaboration with government authorities

• How effectively are CSOs and marginalized groups collaborating with government stakeholders at local and national levels?
• What channels are available for CSOs and marginalized groups to raise concerns and make policy recommendations?
• What are the main issues, policy priorities, state programs, or services identified for stronger advocacy efforts?

Key questions related to cooperation platform strengthening

• What is the current situation and what mechanisms are in place to ensure regular communication, coordination, and follow-up among stakeholders?
• How can the cooperation platform with government agencies be strengthened to collect and address the requests and demands of local communities and marginalized populations?
• What additional support is needed to strengthen the cooperation platform effectively and sustainability?
• To what extent have the target groups been able to access health and social services provided by the government?

Key questions related to model communities

• What progress has been made in each model community, and what actions are needed during the remaining project period to strengthen the model and prepare it for replication?
• How can successful models be used to inform policy recommendations?

Key questions related to CSOs’ capacity building

• What skills and expertise do targeted CSOs have to support marginalized groups in accessing public services and responding to climate change?
• What additional learning topics do CSOs need to further strengthen their capacity during the remaining project period?

Key questions related to female leadership roles and community leaders

• What leadership roles have the trained female leaders and community leaders been taking in their communities and organizations in relation to the project?
• What additional support is needed to strengthen their effectiveness?

6. Expected approach to the mid-term review:

The consultant should ensure that the methodologies used in this assessment are designed to encourage participation from the target audiences as well as incorporate a gender perspective. ActionAid International (Thailand) Foundation (AAIT) is committed to ensuring all aspects of the mid-term review process are included as listed below:  

Reporting back: The consultant should commit to feeding key findings and recommendations back to the communities involved in the process.

Transparency and ethical standards: The consultant should clearly explain to the communities involved the purpose of the exercise and that their information will be used. It should follow ActionAid’s ethical standards for research and data collection and include a risk assessment covering security risks to the communities.

Community voices: It is essential that the evaluation reflects the voices of affected communities. People should be consulted as part of the survey and their voices should be included in the report as direct quotes and case studies. In line with ActionAid’s mandate, the survey should prioritize people living in poverty and marginalized people, especially women and youth.

Women’s participation: It is essential that women’s voices be clearly heard in the mid-term review. As a guide, at least 50% of the people consulted should be women. The timing and location of assessment activities, as well as the composition of the evaluation team, should be designed to maximize women’s ability to participate in the survey.

Participatory approaches: AAIT expects the assessment to be as participatory as possible. A participatory evaluation approach should be used, engaging partner organizations and communities’ representatives in the assessment process.

Transparency about methodology: The mid-term review should include detailed and transparent discussion of the methodology used and key decisions made in designing and implementing the mid-term review. This should cover information about the sampling approach (including the number of people and communities covered and the extent of its representativeness), the tools used and the reasons for their selection, and methodological limitations and gaps in the survey.

Disaggregated data: Data must be disaggregated in as much detail as possible. At a minimum, this means disaggregation by age, sex, ethnicities, and/or group of populations.

Responding to urgent issues: Any information identified that requires urgent action should be immediately highlighted to AAIT without waiting for the submission of the formal mid-term review report.

7. Intended users:

ActionAid International (Thailand) Foundation (AAIT) and partner organizations will examine and utilize the key findings from the mid-term review report. Recommendations from the consultant will be proposed to the project stakeholders. It is expected that a draft of the report will be submitted to the Project Management Team (PMT) of the EU NDICI project at an agreed time before the final submission date to allow for review and comments before the report is finalized. Furthermore, the findings should be made available for application in future interventions.

8. Roles and responsibilities:

The consultant will be working closely with the Project Manager and partner organizations of the project. The activity will be overseen by the Project Management Team (PMT), and project staff will provide support in contacting the target groups, key stakeholders, and beneficiaries, as well as support during field visits. In case of emergencies or concerns related to field visits and data collection, the consultant is required to contact the Project Manager. During the conduct of the mid-term review, expenses related to logistics, accommodation, fees, food and beverages, paperwork, data analysis, documentation, and arrangements for key informants for interviews and surveys shall be covered by the hired consultant.

9. Expected deliverables:

The outputs of the final mid-term report are:

• Final report of no more than 30 pages (excluding annexes) in both English and Thai, including:
  • Cover page (title of mid-term report, date, name of consultant, photos)
  • Table of contents
  • Executive summary of no more than 2 pages outlining the key purpose of the mid-term review, main points of analysis, key findings, conclusions, and recommendations
  • Purpose and objectives of mid-term review
  • Methodology and approach, project objectives and indicators used, and limitations of the mid-term review
  • Major findings (data analysis, including gender analysis, and lessons learned)
  • Recommendations
• Annexes: details of data collection tools, schedule of field visits and meetings, list of participants interviewed and the approach used, bibliography of key documents consulted, photos, and related documents.
• The consultant is required to make a presentation of key findings and recommendations to the Project Management Team (PMT), project staff, and key stakeholders under the project.
• A PowerPoint presentation summarizing key findings and recommendations that can be used to disseminate findings within ActionAid International (Thailand) Foundation and with stakeholders.
• The raw data (all transcripts, quantitative and qualitative data, data collection tools, photos, etc.) must be handed over to AAIT together with the final report.

10. Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social sciences, monitoring and evaluation, international development studies, human rights, and related fields.
• At least 5 years of experience in conducting and managing evaluations, assessments, audits, research, or reviews of development projects and programs.
• Extensive knowledge of monitoring and evaluation in project development, as well as approaches and methodologies in monitoring and evaluation, especially the Theory of Change and the Logical Framework Approach, is preferred.
• Proven record in conducting research, surveys, baselines, and endlines, including monitoring and evaluation of project development funded by international donors.
• Proven experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning of project development in the development sector is preferred.
• Fluency in English and Thai.
• Good understanding of Thai civil society, policy advocacy, state services, social protection, human rights, marginalized populations, poverty, global warming, sustainable agriculture, and natural resources. Knowledge in inclusive socio-economic development is an asset.
• Good presentation skills and ability to produce high-quality reports.
• Strong commitment to social justice, gender equality, and human dignity.
• Excellent attention to detail and evidence.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are requested to submit an electronic copy of a CV, mid-term review proposal, budget proposal, and detailed plan and timeline of the process by May 15, 2026, with the subject “Mid-term Review of EU NDICI Project” to jobs.thailand@actionaid.org.