Consultant:Final Evaluation of Oxfam’s Promoting Women’s Economic Leadership in Nepal (PWEL) (Pr

Terms of Reference for

Final Evaluation of Oxfam’s Promoting Women’s Economic Leadership in Nepal (PWEL) (Project Direct)

Introduction of the project:

Project Direct (PD) is a 3 year project of Oxfam started from March 2012.  The overall project objective is to increase livelihood status of rural families by enhancing women’s economic leadership in mid and far western regions of Nepal.

Oxfam Nepal has been implementing the project “Promoting Women’s Economic Leadership in Nepal (PWEL)’ since April 2013 with the objective to increase livelihood status of rural families by enhancing women’s economic leadership in mid and far western regions of Nepal’. The project is being implemented by three partner NGOs viz. IDeS, SuDECC and EDS in 10 VDCs in Dadeldhura, Dailekh and Surkhet respectively. This project has been supporting for economic leadership development by;

• Developing women-led groups and cooperatives
• Improving farming and business development services
• Empowering women to campaign for greater government support in their communities

Organising women into farmers groups, women empowerment centres and cooperatives and building their capacity to access the agriculture resources and services from government is one of the key strategies of the project. Besides this, the project has developed linkage and coronation of groups and cooperatives with local governments, markets and financial institutions for the economic empowerment of women. Project has also involved for advocacy and influencing in favour of targeted women for their rights, landownership, access to public services and to decrease the gender based violence of rural women through the women empowerment centres. All these efforts have empowered and developed the economic leaderships of women farmers in all three project districts.

Geographic areas and coverage of the project

Rationale and objective of the evaluation

The final evaluation is a requirement for the project as part of the Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability and Learning requirements. The main aim of the evaluation is find out the actual achievement on the results and key indicators against the baseline. The project has its own monitoring matrix. Based on the monitoring matrix the project conducted a baseline at the start and now the evaluation will find out the actual achievement of the project during three years period.

The evaluation will capture the status of following results through quantitative and qualitative indicators set out by the project’s monitoring matrix.

Result 1: Increased capacity of the women farmers and their institutions to upgrade their role in value chain and access business development services

Output 2: Empowered women to ensure their rights and entitlements and created enabling policy environment for responsive service mechanism 

Besides the results the evaluation also focuses;

• To assess the capacity, work approaches and effectiveness of the implementing partners
• To identify key lessons and recommendations relevant for Oxfam work as well as making strategic choices/directions for future programming.

4. Key evaluation Questions

The consultant is suggested to follow the framework set out in Table 1 which outlines seven (7) key categories of analysis: Impact & Outcomes, Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Gender, Implementing partner’s capacity and added value, Lessons & Recommendations.

Table 1: Synthesis framework

1. Methodology

The following basic principles are expected to guide the further development of the methodology:

• Participation: Allow for the meaningful participation of Oxfam staff, partners and women farmers in the evaluation process
• Gender Equality: The proposed approach should sufficiently consider the different ways in which women and men  farmers have been involved in and responded to the programme in two ways:

1) The evaluation should consider to what extent women farmers were meaningfully included in programme activities and processes. This should include, among others: numbers women and men farmers involved in activities; number of women in economic leaderships; improvement in skills and confidence among women farmers to participate in the project activities, influence stakeholders, and raise awareness among their peers and other actors; analysis of blocking and enabling factors to young women’s  involvement; inclusion of girls’ and women’s rights issues in awareness-raising and advocacy initiatives.

2)  The evaluation methodology should ensure the meaningful participation and inclusion of women farmers in the evaluation process (e.g. sex-segregated focus group discussions, creation of safe spaces, careful monitoring of gender dynamics in mixed spaces, gender specific evaluation tools)

• Data triangulation: The evaluators will gather information through different complimentary sources (outcome harvesting, but also direct observations of FSG activities, key informant interviews, small survey data...)
• Desk Review:

1. Document review of Oxfam documents, project proposal, baseline survey, mid -term evaluation reports, final evaluation reports and the annual reports as well as other project-related publications.

Field Methodology:

• Key informants interviews and focus group discussions with direct beneficiaries and local community members in general in all three project districts such as interaction with target women farmers, women farmers groups, resource persons, VDC level agriculture cooperatives, farmers support centres, women empowerment centres.
• Consultation with partner project staff and board members of partner organisations, key stakeholders including DADO, DLSO, DDC/VDC, Women Development Office, key staff of public service providers such as Agriculture Service Canters, Livestock service Canters, etc. in all districts and national level.
• Observation and analysis of support and services received by women farmers due to their participation and influence in the local structures (VDC/ DDC, DADO, DLSO, service centres, users groups, women farmers groups, farmers support centres and cooperatives).
• Evaluation questions will be further fine-tuned throughout the process to ensure they respond to the specific information needs of our key stakeholders. Issues of gender equality should be taken into account when answering the evaluation questions. Particular consideration should be given to the different ways in which young women and men have been involved in and responded to the programme.

2.   Deliverable

The expected deliverable of the evaluation are as below:

• Inception report with along with the detailed timeline and methodology
• Finalized data collection tools
• Draft report

A clear and concise final evaluation report, not exceeding 50 pages including executive summary, details of methodologies, findings from document review and field visit, comprehensive recommendations, quotes of participants and concerned stakeholders, photos and case studies as and where needed to support the findings, conclusions and appendices with inception report with final work plan, list of participants, interviewees, locations visited, documents reviewed interview notes, data worksheets etc.)

A consolidated project report not exceeding 20 pages on agreed format (of three countries) after desk study of evaluation reports and country reports from all the three project countries

QUALIFICATION/SKILLS REQUIRED

We are looking for a national team of two people experienced evaluators with the following qualifications:

• At least  5 years of proven experience in the field of social research and evaluation research
• Proven experience of leading review studies, analytical skill and high quality report writing.
• Proven experience of conducting community level research and data gathering using participatory technique
• Good understanding and knowledge of agricultural, livelihood, food security and small holder farmer’s rights in Nepal. 
• Sound knowledge of existing legislative and institutional arrangements and service/subsidies/insurance regarding food security and agriculture services.
• Good knowledge of local/national level NGOs, social movements and the role of civil society in realization of right to food
• Proven experience of evaluating stand alone advocacy project
• Proven professional analytical and writing skills
• Excellent communication, writing and presentation skills in both English and Nepali
• Knowledge of the work of Oxfam or other international NGOs desirable

3.   Timeline

• The assignment is expected to take approximately 21 working days to complete the evaluation including 15 days field and 7 days report writing.
• Desk review is planned to take place from 25th January 2016 to 31st January, 2016
• Field visit should take place between 1 to 15 Feb 2016.
• Draft report should be submitted by 21st February 2016 and the final evaluation report based on comments and recommendations from Oxfam should be submitted by 29th February 2016.

4.   Basic documents required for the submission of proposal

• In order to consider for this assignment by Oxfam, following basic documents need to be submitted:
• Bio-data of key persons involving in this initiative
• Copy of documents/materials with evidence of engagement in and successful completion of similar initiatives in the past
• Copy of VAT registration certificate
• Latest tax clearance certificate
• Detailed contact address including telephone, mobile, fax, street and postal address, email etc.
• Copy of firm registration with updated renewal, details of founder members, copy of Article of Association & Memorandum and any other relevant documents

5.   Team composition and responsibility

The survey team will include one Team Leader and one assistant. Oxfam and partner organisations staffs will be mobilised for the coordination support as necessary.

Responsibilities of the consultant:

• Share the overall study design including process, methods and questionnaires with project team in Oxfam, collect feedback and finalize the study design
• Ensure the adequate methodology so as to produce a valid document.
• Finalize survey tools and methodology, questionnaire etc.
• Coordinate/arrange to orient survey team on survey methods and survey tools
• Mobilize team for supervising data collection, data tabulation and coding process
• Ensure the quality of information collected from fields, cross check with the validity of information collected and verify/revise where needed
• Collect other necessary information, synthesize/analyze data
• Prepare and present draft review report with district-dis aggregated results
• Finalize and submit the final report as per the requirements of Oxfam after incorporating the suggestion and feedback of the project team

Responsibilities of Oxfam:

• Remaining within the policies and practices of Oxfam Country Office, its primary responsibility is to help consultant to achieve objective of this ToR. Specifically, Oxfam is responsible to:
• Prepare ToR and hire consultant in coordination with partner NGOs
• Give inputs to finalise the study design and process
•  Monitor, provide feedback and ensure effectiveness of study
• Give inputs to draft and final reports
• Release the budget as per agreed budget disbursement schedule

Responsibilities of partner organization:

All partner NGOs will be involved from the beginning of the study. They will be responsible to support and coordinate for collecting field level data/information. Specifically partner NGOs will

• Mobilize project staffs in consultation with the consultant and Oxfam
• Facilitate to arrange meetings with target groups and stakeholders at local and districts.
• Give inputs to draft and final reports 

7.   Confidentiality

• During the performance of the assignment or at any time after expiry or termination of this Agreement, the Consultant shall not disclose to any person or otherwise make use of any confidential information which s/he has obtained or may in the course of this agreement relating to partner organization/Oxfam, the respondents or otherwise.

8.   Copyright

• Copyright of the documents produced by the Consultant under this agreement belongs to Oxfam.

Interested consultant/firms are requested to send their proposal clearly mentioning the title of assignment in their email subject line by 13 January 2016 via mail to recruitment_nepal@oxfam.org.uk