ThaiNGO

Plan International

Terms of Reference for

Light Midline Learning and Adjustment Exercise Consultant

1. Introduction

Plan International is an international child and youth development organisation dedicated to promoting the realisation of children and young people’s rights, especially girls’ rights, in both development and humanitarian settings. We strive to advance children’s rights and girls' equality worldwide. As an independent development and humanitarian organisation, we work alongside children, young people, our supporters and partners to tackle the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge. For over 80 years, we have been building powerful partnerships for children, and we are active in over 75 countries.

2. Project Background 

GIRLS without Fears, funded by the European Union, collaborated under partnership with Internet Foundation for the Development of Thailand, has the Overall Objective (OO) to promote the fulfilment of Thai children and youth’s digital rights in inclusive, safe and gender/age-responsive online spaces in line with the UN Child Rights Convention. The specific objective is to strengthen systems and frameworks that promote safe and equitable engagement of Thai children and youth in online spaces in 5 provinces in Thailand, namely Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Bangkok, Ratchaburi, and Phuket. This objective takes a systemic and human rights-based approach by bringing together rights holders and duty bearers to address a common goal that impacts society and the future of Thailand’s new generation. It supports Thailand’s governance and development process, respecting human rights and democratic principles, with a view to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At the current stage of implementation, the project has rolled out key interventions, including capacity strengthening for teachers and youth, and the establishment of multi-stakeholder Provincial Working Groups. As the project reaches its midpoint, there is a need to conduct a light Midterm Learning and Adjustment Exercise to assess implementation progress, capture emerging evidence of change, identify key challenges, and generate practical recommendations. The review will support adaptive management and help ensure that the project remains responsive, effective, and aligned with its intended outcomes for the remaining implementation period.

3. Objective of the TOR

The objective of this consultancy is to collect data for a midterm learning review study of the GIRLS Without Fear Project. The main purpose is to generate practical evidence on implementation progress, emerging changes, challenges, enabling factors, and lessons learned. The review will use selected project indicators as guiding areas of inquiry, while recognising that findings will be qualitative, contextual, and not statistically representative. Plan International, and Why I Why Foundation are the main users of the midline finding to inform adaptive planning, implementation strategies, and outcome target review for the remaining project period.

The consultant is required to confirm and propose a methodology (including validation and analysis method) and tailored data collection tools for each respondent group (e.g., Provincial Working Groups: PWGs, teachers, and youth), and group-specific probes, with integration of gender-responsive and inclusive questions.

4. Purpose:

The purpose of the light midterm learning and adjustment exercise is:

• Assess how the project is functioning (what is going well, what is not going well?), not the final impact
• Generate practical recommendations for adjustment
• Support decision-making for the remaining period

5.  Scope of Work (what to assess)

What to assess, key themes/interventions:

• Capacity building through ToT (teachers and youth) 
• Curriculum development and piloting
• Provincial coordination and system strengthening
• CSO engagement and EU support utilisation
• Children and youth trained on digital literacy
• Advocacy and awareness raising  

Key learning themes questions:

1. Implementation progress  

1.1  Are key activities happening/progressing as planned?

1.2  What is delayed and blocking (challenges) and what should be done to mitigate these challenges?

2. Quality and effectiveness of key interventions

2.1  Are trainings actually building capacity?

2.2  Are PWGs functioning as coordination bodies?

2.3  Gender and safeguarding considerations      

3. Early outcome (signals not impact) use existing evidence:

3.1  What early changes are visible?

3.2  Are stakeholders applying what they have learned?

4. Systems change signals (this one is crucial)

a. Are structures becoming self-sustaining?

b. Is the project strengthening systems or just delivering activities?

5. adaptive needs, what we should change in the coming period.

a. What should be scaled/dropped/redesigned

b. Lessons Learned  

6. Methodology

The consultant is required to submit an Inception Note for approval, outlining the proposed methodology (including validation and analysis methods), and to develop tailored data collection tools for each respondent group (e.g., provincial working groups, teachers, and youth), with group‑specific probes and the integration of gender‑responsive and inclusive questions.

1. Desk review: narrative reports, training data, learning reports, monitoring data. Output: map progress vs logframe, identify gaps and trends.

2. 8-10 short semi-structured KIIs with 2 teachers, 2 youth leaders, 1-2 PWG members, 2-3 duty bearers (social workers/parents) and 2 project staff. The scope of the interview will be around practical experiences, what changed, what is not working, to capture system-level insights, coordination mechanisms, and policy influence (if applicable at this stage), and understand implementation challenges and enabling factors

3. One quick reflection workshop with project staff and partners

3.1  Invite the project team and selected partners

3.2  [2-3] hours facilitated session by the consultant on what worked, what didn’t, lessons learned, and what we should change.

4. Validate with the team and cross-check the interview results with desk finding

5.  Data analysis approach:

5.1 Relevance

• • Are activities aligned with needs?

5.2  Effectiveness (early stage)

• • Are outputs leading to expected early changes?
  • Evidence of change

5.3  Efficiency

• • What activities could be reduced without affecting results?

5.4  Sustainability (early signals)

• • Are systems being strengthened?

5.5  Cross-cutting: good practices, challenges, gender and safeguarding considerations.

7.  Sampling Strategy and Coverage

The sample strategy will be purposive sampling, where the criteria for beneficiaries could be:

• active participants
• different provinces, if possible
• mix of roles

8. Data Collection Methods

The consultant is required to develop separate data-collection tools for each respondent group, comprising core standardised questions and tailored probes. The tools must incorporate gender‑responsive and inclusive questioning approaches to ensure equitable representation of experiences and perspectives.

1. Interview guide KII (example)

• What has changed for you?
• What worked well?
• What challenges remain?
• What would you change?

2. Simple scoring methodology

Use quick scoring (1-5) for:

• usefulness of training
• applicability
• coordination effectiveness

3. Case stories

Collect 2-3 short examples like:

• teacher adapting practices
• youth-led activity
• PWG coordination response

The consultant may conduct data collection through online platforms (e.g., Zoom or other virtual meeting tools), as appropriate and agreed with Plan International Thailand

9. Report Development

The consultant should produce a short learning report as the final deliverable on:

• Purpose and methodology
• Progress overview
• Key findings
• What is working
• What is not working
• Recommendations
• Next steps and action plan

10. Deliverables/output and Schedule

The timeline of this consultancy is 6 weeks after the signing of the contract. The consultant will submit the following as outputs

11. Supervision and Support

The consultant will report to Plan International Thailand’s MERL Manager, GIRLS Without Fear Project Manager, and will work in collaboration with the implementing partner (Why I Why Foundation). 

12. Ethical and Safeguarding

The consultant must conduct the Midterm Learning Review in line with ethical research standards and Plan International’s Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct, with particular attention to adolescents and young people.

Participation must be voluntary, with informed consent obtained from all participants, and parental/guardian consent and youth assent required for those under 18. The consultant must apply age-appropriate, gender-sensitive, and youth-friendly approaches throughout.

Prior to data collection, the consultant must submit:

• Participant information sheets and consent/assent forms
• A protocol for managing sensitive disclosures or participant distress

The consultant must ensure confidentiality, secure data handling, and a ‘do no harm’ approach, and report any safeguarding concerns through Plan International Thailand’s mechanisms.

13. Quality Assurance

The consultant must apply a clear and robust methodology, using appropriate data collection tools, and ensuring consistency across all stages of the review.

All outputs will be subject to review and feedback from Plan International Thailand, and the consultant is required to revise deliverables accordingly. Data triangulation across different sources should be applied to strengthen the validity of findings.

The final report should be evidence-based, clearly structured, and provide practical, actionable recommendations aligned with the project’s objectives.

14. Qualifications

The applicant should have the following qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Population Research, Development Studies, Gender, Population Studies, Monitoring and Evaluation or any other relevant degrees 
• Knowledge and expertise in young people’s health or NCD risk factors is an advantage
• At least 3 years’ experience with baseline, midline and final evaluations
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of Thailand’s health system and policy environment
• Does not affiliate with any government bodies
• Research experience in the health sector and preferably proven experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection 
• Experience in research involving marginalised or vulnerable children, young people and communities (desirable)
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to children’s rights, gender equality and development issues
• Experience in working across multiple sectors, including with INGOs. Knowledge of Plan International and its work locally (desirable)
• Fluent in the local language and proficient in the use of English

15. Respondents are asked to provide

We invite interested consultants to submit the following application documents: 

• A letter of intent expressing the consultant’s or firm’s capabilities and qualifications
• Consultant or agency profile outlining areas of expertise with samples of select works
• Current list of recent and relevant clients
• Any direct or relevant past experience of undertaking similar assignments
• Names and CVs of the professionals who will be the lead and associated with the assignment, and how the assignment will be managed
• Detailed technical proposal on the understanding of the TOR and the scope of the work, outlining the approach and plan to accomplish the assignment
• A proposed timeline indicating activities/sub-activities to be undertaken and the corresponding outputs, including gender and safeguarding considerations
• A financial proposal containing an itemised, all-inclusive budget. Plan International will not meet any other costs related to the assignment
• Evidence of acceptance of the payment schedule of 30% being paid upon submission of an acceptable inception note and 70% upon submission of an acceptable complete final report 

All applications received by the submission date will be reviewed by a selection committee, based on predetermined objective criteria. Upon selection, the consultant/agency will be invited for a discussion and requested to submit a detailed inception note (described in section 10 of this TOR) prior to the start of the assignment. 

The application can be sent electronically through the email: Thailand.procurement@plan-international.org with the subject “Light Midline Learning and Adjustment Exercise Consultant” within 13 July 2026.

Only applicants with complete documents, including samples of previous works, will go through the selection process.