TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENDLINE EVALUATION REPORT FOR A TRANSNATIONAL ADVOCACY PROJECT ON EDUCATION (GEAR) IN THE SADC REGION – Saywhat

Vacancy

Background and context.

Girls Education Advocacy in the Region (GEAR) project sought to ensure inclusive and equitable education systems for girls and young women in rural and farming communities of Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe through transnational education advocacy. The project was implemented across the 3 countries from November 2021 to April 2024.

The broad approach employed by the project was to strengthen regional advocacy on the right to education by CSOs that directly work with adolescent girls and young women in rural and farming communities of the 3 countries. The project was expected to resultantly lead to CSOs and communities holding their national governments accountable to global and regional frameworks on education such as SDG 4. Consequently, this would contribute towards addressing the challenges being faced by girls and young women in the rural and farming communities of the 3 countries.

The GEAR project was designed to contribute to the operating component 3 of the Global Partnership for Education that seeks to create a stronger global and transnational enabling environment for national civil society advocacy and transparency efforts. By design the GEAR project had a significant representation of indigenous young people of Sothern Africa in the core members of the GEAR alliance and this represents a unique opportunity to amplify youth voices in transnational education advocacy by SADC CSOs.

The targeted results will be achieved through the following initiatives;

Strengthening the capacities of CSOs from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe to utilize and review processes on binding transnational frameworks on the right to education
Supporting in-country collaborations by CSOs to demand government accountability on the right to education using their commitment to progressive education frameworks
Supporting participation by CSOs in the review cycles of progressive educational frameworks
Supporting CSOs linking and learning on transnational education advocacy
Purpose of the assignment
The consultant is expected to analyze data and develop an endline report for the GEAR project which was implemented in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe with support from the SAYWHAT monitoring and evaluation department.

Scope of the assignment 1. Executive Summary:

• Provide a concise overview of the evaluation report, summarizing the key findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

2. Introduction:

Introduce the evaluation report, including its purpose, scope, and objectives.
Provide background information on the transnational advocacy project in education implemented in Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.
3. Evaluation Objectives and Questions:

• Clearly state the evaluation objectives and the specific questions that guided the assessment process.

4. Methodology:

Describe the evaluation framework, approach, and methodology used in the endline evaluation.
Explain the sampling strategy employed for participant selection in each country.
Discuss the data collection methods utilized, such as surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, document reviews, and observation.
Highlight any ethical considerations and steps taken to ensure informed consent and data confidentiality.
5. Evaluation Findings:

Present the key findings of the endline evaluation, organized according to the evaluation components (e.g., impact on education outcomes, advocacy effectiveness, stakeholder perceptions, sustainability, and scalability).
Use both qualitative and quantitative data to support the findings, presenting them in a clear and structured manner.
Include relevant quotes or excerpts from interviews, focus groups, or other data sources to illustrate the findings.
6. Evaluation Conclusions:

Summarize the main conclusions drawn from the evaluation findings.
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the transnational advocacy project in education based on the evaluation results.
Highlight any unexpected or unintended outcomes or impacts observed during the evaluation.
7. Recommendations:

Provide actionable and evidence-based recommendations to improve the project’s effectiveness, sustainability, and impact.
Tailor the recommendations to specific stakeholders, such as project implementers, partner organizations, policymakers, or funders.
Prioritize the recommendations based on their potential for creating positive change and addressing identified weaknesses or challenges.
8. Lessons Learned:

Share valuable lessons learned during the implementation of the transnational advocacy project in education.
Discuss best practices, strategies, or approaches that proved successful and could be replicated or scaled up in similar contexts.
Reflect on any limitations or challenges encountered during the project and provide insights for future initiatives.
9. Conclusion:

Summarize the main points of the evaluation report, emphasizing the significance of the findings and recommendations.
Reinforce the importance of ongoing monitoring and evaluation for effective transnational advocacy projects in the education sector.
10. Annexes:

• Include any supplementary information that supports the evaluation report, such as survey questionnaires, interview protocols, data analysis details, or additional data tables.

Methodology
The consultant is expected to use the appropriate methodology to analyze data and develop the evaluation report.

Expected Deliverables
Concept Note and Data collection tools: The concept note shall detail the scope of work, methodology, data analysis methods, risk management, staffing, and ethical considerations in conducting the study. This must be submitted within a maximum of 7 days after the inception meeting.

First draft report: Expected on the date to be agreed. This shall be done either virtually or face to face during a meeting facilitated by the consultant to discuss preliminary findings.

Final Report: Expected on the date to be agreed. The layout of the report shall be as follows;

Executive Summary
Programme description
Purpose and objectives of the baseline
Methodology
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations
Annexes (including the list of stakeholders consulted during the baseline, key documents and websites consulted, terms of reference, etc.
A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the contents of the final report will be submitted to SAYWHAT on the date to be agreed.
The table below shows the implementation calendar for the baseline

Description of task Deliverable Timeline
Briefing with SAYWHAT on the assignment Concept note, Data collection Tools Day 7
Data Analysis, and compilation of first draft report First Draft Report (Format stated in the deliverables section) Day 14
Validation of the report (Workshop with SAYWHAT, GEAR Alliance members, Key Stakeholders). 3 Day 21
sessions with the lead partner and each CSO.
Revising the draft report to incorporate comments shared and feedback from the validation workshop. Final Report PowerPoint Presentation summarizing the findings Day 28
Duration of the baseline study

The baseline study is estimated to take 28 days.

Required Expertise Firm/Entity

Mandatory
Mandatory for Firm/Entity to have a minimum 5 years of regional or international experience in research,
Mandatory for Firm/Entity to be registered in Africa, or have affiliation with an Africabased Firm/Entity with presence in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe,
Proven experience in designing and implementing baseline studies within the education sector and in East and Southern Africa, supported by a minimum of three (3) references,
Demonstrable evidence of similar work undertaken previously, supported by one work sample which is no more than 5 years old.
Desirable

Previous experience working with the UN on other assignments.
Team Leader

Mandatory
Master’s Degree in any of the following fields: Education, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Public Health, Evaluation, or other related studies; a PhD will be an added advantage,
At least 10 years of relevant experience in conducting research at the national or regional level,
Proven experience in conducting baseline studies within the education sector, supported by at least two (2) references,
Proven experience in data collection, analysis and reporting, supported by at least two (2) references.
Desirable
Previous experience working with the UN on other assignments,
Failure to meet any of the mandatory criteria will result in disqualification of the submission.
Evaluation of proposals
All interested Consultants are required to submit a Technical and Financial proposal separately via email. The technical proposal should be no more than 10 pages, and will be assessed on the following:
Approach to assignment that demonstrates extent to which the Consultant understands the requirements as set out in TOR
Feasible and technically sound methodology, appropriate for fulfilling the overall purpose of the baseline study
Realistic work plan with specific treatment of key deliverables and priorities
Expertise and experience of the Firm/Entity; expertise, experience and qualifications of the Team leader
The financial proposal should be no more than 4 pages and should detail the following;
An appropriate Price Schedule which includes, as a minimum, the consultancy rate per day, and number of workdays per main activity in order to assist the Contracting Department to determine, which items may be negotiated, if applicable, or which items can be modified as per the budget. All prices shall be quoted in US dollars.
Management
The Consultant will report to SAYWHAT Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning lead.
The Consultant will be responsible for own overheads and logistical requirements such as office space, administrative and secretarial support, telecommunications, and printing of documentation.
All deliverables will be prepared in English.
Submission of proposal