TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) Assignment Title: External Evaluation of the School Development Fund project in Mandera County. The project is titled Improving enrolment and retention in primary schools in Mandera County through climate change adaptation and mitigation approaches. Islamic Relief-Kenya is inviting applicants from qualified national consultants to assess the impact of School Development Fund (SDF) Education project in Mandera County. Details are shared below. 1. Background Islamic Relief Kenya (IRK) started operations in Kenya in 1993 with one-to-one orphans sponsorship programme through a local CBO in Mandera District, Northern Kenya. The organization opened its fully fledged office in March 2006 at the height of drought in the Horn of Africa. Since then IRK has been implementing humanitarian, recovery and development programmes targeting vulnerable communities in the north eastern region. IRK has its country office in Nairobi and three field offices in Wajir, Mandera and Garissa/Dadaab Counties. Currently our major interventions include Health and Nutrition, Water and Sanitation, Secure Livelihoods, Child Welfare, Education, Disaster Risk Reduction, Emergency Response, and various Seasonal Activities. The School Development Fund (SDF) project is a 1 year Project, funded by DFID through Adam Smith International and covers selected schools in ASAL and informal settlements. The project is titled Improving primary education by enhancing access and retention through climate change adaptation and mitigation in Mandera County. It aims to contribute to the overall goal of the Kenya Essential Education Programme and ultimately contribute towards achieving education for all and millennium development goals (MDGs) initiatives among others in Mandera County. The project is being implemented in 5 counties of Marsabit, Samburu, Mandera, Tana River and Wajir by several organizations and in selected informal settlements/urban slums of Nairobi and Mombasa Counties. The project is riding on achievements and lessons leant from the initial phase (of the project), which started in 2014 but implemented by a few partners including AKF, IIRR, RACIDA, Cordaid. The goal of the project is to contribute to the achievement of universal primary education by improving enrolment and retention in primary schools in Mandera County. At the end of the project, a minimum total of 30,404 pupils (Girls 11,004, Boys 19,400) from 50 schools will benefit from this project through improved learning environment. The project is funded for one year (April 2015 to March 2016) and focuses on climate change mitigation and adaptation in relation to education, targeting significant improvements in enrolment, attendance and retention. IRK and RACIDA are separately implementing the project in Mandera County targeting 100 selected primary schools (50-IRK and 50-RACIDA) fairly covering the six sub-counties. The activities of the project are well indicated in the joint proposal and the grant agreement which were approved by DFID and the KEEP Management Team and signed on 28 th April 2015. One of the key activities of the project is the installation of Solar lighting equipment in a total of 36 1
schools (18 schools by IRK and 18 Schools by RACIDA); with aim of supporting the schools to adopt green energy for lighting up primary schools. A baseline was done (jointly by RACIDA and IRK) at the onset of the project to identify the most deserving schools to be fitted with the most viable solution for solar lighting. 2. Purpose of Assignment IRK is commissioning an evaluation of the SDF project in order to assess the performance of the program (in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, sustainability and outcome/impact) the perception of stakeholders and beneficiaries, to document lessons learned and to provide practical recommendations for follow-up action or future programming. The evaluation report will be used to guide planning, implementation and management of similar projects or programmes in the region or similar contexts. The evaluation should include the indicators of the projects and should aim to provide information on the following areas (but not limited to): a. Assess the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, sustainability and impact of the program and its implemented activities; b. Measure the extent to which the implementation works have been accountable to the local needs and the level of participation of stakeholders into the program; c. Examine how the program has mainstreamed cross-cutting issues such as, gender, environment, children's rights, disability, value for money and government engagement. d. Identify key successes (and develop case studies/stories) and lessons learned and other lessons learned from the program. e. Provide concrete recommendations and suggestions for future program interventions. Given the various components of the SDF Project, the proposed evaluation will need to look at the program as a whole in order to assess how the various parts have contributed to each other and real impact for school children. It is expected that the evaluation team will conduct consultations and meetings with representatives of the following institutions/actors: i. IRK project teams ii. School Management Boards iii. Children and ( where applicable) parents iv. Teachers v. County/Sub-County Education Officers 3. Methodology The Evaluation consultant will work in close consultation of the IRK s Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Unit and project staff. The consultant will develop the plan, finalize design of the necessary tools and checklist for the evaluation design, the evaluation methodology, data collection, data analysis, reporting and drawing final conclusions. Responsibilities of the consultant 2
o The consultant holds the overall management responsibility of the evaluation assignment, including designing and carrying out the evaluation, writing the final report and debriefing the project team and key stakeholders. o The consultant will liaise with IRK MEAL Unit and project staff throughout the process, providing regular updates and seeking their inputs and advice where necessary. o The consultant will develop an inception report, detailing the methodology-stakeholders to be interviewed, tools to be developed, time frame for the evaluation which will be shared with IRK. o The consultant will develop checklists and tools for field interviews and data collection. The tools will be reviewed by IRK (MEAL Unit) before finalization. o The consultant will lead the data collection and analysis process. o Present the draft evaluation results to IRK team. o Integrate IRK s feedback into the final version of the document as appropriate and present the finalized document to IRK. o The consultant will adhere to the timelines of the consultancy. o The consultant will ensure adherence to IRK s ethical policies and guidelines. Responsibilities of Islamic Relief o Provide all required background materials to the consultant in a timely manner. o Oversee the service provider by managing the consultancy contract; monitor adherence to specified deadlines; facilitating access to required information. o Provide guidance throughout all phases of execution, approving all deliverables, and facilitating access to any documentation (or any person) deemed relevant to the evaluation process. o Perform quality control as required of all deliverables. o Provide all required logistical and coordination services at the country and field levels. 4. Duty/project Location: The project is located in Mandera County- Mandera West (Takaba), Mandera South (Elwak) Lafey and Banisa Sub Counties. IRK has established a satellite office at Takaba town. 5. Indicative Assignment dates/duration: March April 2016. The Assignment will take at most 21 days. 6. Supervisor: IRK MEAL Unit, with support (Coordination and Logistics) from project team. 7. Budget: Interested parties should submit an outline budget in Kenya Shillings with the Technical proposal which includes total days required to complete the evaluation, fees, any logistical support and travel costs to be incurred and all other associated costs. 8. IR s Child Protection Policy: As a condition of entering into a consultancy agreement the evaluator must sign IR Child Protection Policy and abide by the terms and conditions thereof. 9. Deliverables The evaluation work is expected to take place during March April, 2016. Actual work days should not exceed 21 days. The main outputs of the evaluation will be: 3
i. Detailed action plan for the evaluation with related timeframe and deadlines. ii. Review of the project documents, relevant studies, statistics and official reports. iii. Evaluation design, including data collection methods and tools. iv. Field work and data collection. v. Interviews with the targeted pupils, school management boards, parents/caregivers, key stakeholders such as teachers, education officers and project staff. vi. Conduct data analysis. vii. Draft report for comments and input from the project team. viii. Presentation at Country Office where the consultant will present the findings of the evaluation and facilitate discussion on the recommendations within IRK. ix. Submit final report and recommendations. 10. Qualifications or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required The consultant must have a demonstrated ability to conceptualize the overall approach to work assignments, and to plan, manage, and implement complex evaluations. He/she is able to develop appropriate evaluation tools/methods, to ensure the accuracy, adequacy and reliability of the evaluation findings, to make relevant recommendations, to produce analytical reports, and to recommend appropriate action. The consultant should possess the following expertise and skills as a minimum: o Extensive experience in conducting evaluations, including designing and employing both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and tools which are participatory and sensitive to the target informants. o Solid experience with Results-Based Management and Evaluation Guidelines. o At least 5 years experience of engagement with rights holders (i.e. children) preferably on issues of education (access, quality, enrollment and development.) o Familiarity with the Kenya primary and secondary education system. o Fluent in English. o Relevant experience in North Eastern Kenya region is an added advantage. o Be available to conduct the fieldwork of the evaluation during the month of March/April, 2016. 11. Submission of Application: All applications to submit Technical and Budget Proposals in Hard Copy to the following address: Islamic Relief Kenya Kirichwa Road, Off Ngong Road, P.O Box 417-00202 KNH, Nairobi Email: procurement.irk@islamicrelief.or.ke NB: (Please ensure that the subject on the envelop states Proposal Evaluation of SDF Project. ) 4
The Proposals submitted must include the following: o Proposed approach and outline design of the evaluation. o Work plan reflecting the key outputs/deliverables, proposed timeframes and potential for meeting the final deadline. o CV and References. o Outline budget in Kenya Shillings only. o Where possible, candidates should submit written evidence (e.g. evaluation reports) of previous work meeting the requirements laid out in this Terms of Reference with their application. o A statement of availability and commitment to undertake and complete the consultancy assignment. Selection of the consultant(s) will be based on: o How well the proposal meets the requirements set out in the Terms of Reference. o Relevant skills and experience. o Value for money. The consultant should clearly demonstrate technical capacity to successfully complete the stated objectives with minimal supervision from IRK. The evaluator should clearly demonstrate the ability to present data in an objective, concise, precise and easy to understand manner. 5