Final Evaluation and Endline Survey | CRP | CDM Nepal

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Final Evaluation and Endline Survey

Community Resilience Programme Phase III (CRP-III)

Centre for Development and Disaster Management 
CDM-Nepal, Bhairahawa, Rupandehi

Background

CDM-Nepal is a leading national non-governmental development and humanitarian organisation with its headquarters in Butwal, Lumbini Province, Nepal. Established in 2000 in Rupandehi, CDM-Nepal has worked in disaster risk reduction, climate action, water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion, livelihoods, and gender equity and social inclusion, including addressing gender-based violence. CDM’s target beneficiaries include marginalized women, children, youth and vulnerable communities. CDM worked in Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu, Arghakhachi, Gulmi, Palpa, Okhaldhunga, Doti, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Kathmandu and Achham Districts.

CDM-Nepal was registered with the District Administration Office of Rupandehi in 16 May 2000 with registration number 466-057/058. It was affiliated with the Social Welfare Council of the Government of Nepal in 2000, with registration number 11639/057. Since its establishment, it has become a member of the NGO Federation Nepal, a member of the National Disaster Preparedness Network (DPNet) Nepal since 2008, and a founding member of the National Network of Community Disaster and Climate Risk Management Committee (NCDMC). The District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) of Rupandehi District has selected CDM-Nepal as the current District Lead Support Agency (DLSA) for Rupandehi District. Since 2017, CDM-Nepal has been providing technical and other support to the Lumbini Provincial Government as the Province Lead Support Agency (PLSA).

The Community Resilience Programme – Third Phase (CRP-III)

In Nepal, communities throughout Lumbini Province are facing increasing challenges from climate change and recurring disasters. Unpredictable rainfall, prolonged droughts, and frequent floods are severely impacting agriculture, water availability, and rural livelihoods, particularly in the highly exposed, flood-prone districts of Rupandehi and Nawalparasi. Here, marginalized groups, including the poor, women, and youth, are the first to suffer the consequences of environmental degradation but possess the fewest resources to cope.

To tackle this vulnerability, Center for Development and Disaster Management (CDM-Nepal), with support from MISEREOR, initiated the Community Resilience Programme – Third Phase (CRP-III), running from December 26, 2022, to December 31, 2025. The program is strategically focused on Nice Municipalities: Siyari, Sammarimai, Suddhodhan, Marchawari, Gaidahawa and Kotahimai Rural Municipalities Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality in Rupandehi District, Pratappur Rural Municipality in Nawalparasi District and Tokha Municipality in Kathmandu District, which are the areas that are highly susceptible to climate-induced shocks. The fundamental goal of CRP-III is to mainstream Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation into local development planning, thereby reducing poverty and vulnerability among women, children, and socially excluded families. Adopting a multi-dimensional, locally-led, and community-driven approach, the program ensures that communities and local governments acquire the necessary knowledge, tools, and confidence to take climate and disaster action independently.

The core of the program is a coordinated strategy that builds resilience by addressing both the causes and effects of climate change through three interconnected objectives. First, it focuses on enhancing local capacities for climate action by strengthening the technical and institutional skills of municipalities and communities to design and implement Locally-Led Adaptation (LLA) and Water Use Management Plans (WUMPs) that secure the sustainable use of natural resources. Simultaneously, it focuses on reducing disaster risks in flood-prone areas by strengthening local mechanisms for anticipatory action, early warning, and shock-responsive social protection, thereby ensuring timely preparedness and an effective response to inevitable shocks. Ultimately, the program fosters long-term economic and environmental sustainability by promoting green and climate-resilient livelihoods, empowering women and youth leaders to establish and sustain green enterprises that generate income while actively promoting ecological stewardship.

Purpose of the Evaluation

The final evaluation aims to assess the outcome of the project covering six major components: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, inclusiveness (equity) and sustainability of Community Resilience Programme - Phase III (CRP-III). It will assess the performance of the project based on project expected results and indicators as stated in the proposal. It also identifies lessons learned, and provide strategic recommendations for future programming.

The result statement and associated indicators are included in the following table:

Evaluation Objectives 

·       To assess achievements of the project against project objectives, indicators, and expected results (overall objective, specific objectives and expected results) 

·       To evaluate effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, and sustainability of the project

·       To examine contributions to gender equality, and social inclusion youth empowerment, environment conservation, disaster risk reduction endeavors

·       To highlight the major innovations, good practices and approaches, and lessons learnt for replication 

·       To explore and assess which areas of the project went well and which areas needed to be improved, and identify what could have been done (strategies, approaches) to achieve better project results.

Scope of the Evaluation 

The evaluation will cover all 9 CRP-III municipalities. It will focus on climate adaptation, DRR, green livelihoods, youth and women’s empowerment, and local governance. 

Evaluation criteria and questions

The evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria. However, the assessment methodology and questionnaires will be developed by the consultant based on the below suggested framework through the inception phase/reporting. 

Relevance (Is the project doing the right thing?):

       To what extent does the project objectives and design respond to beneficiaries, government and organizational (partner NGO) needs, policies and priorities, and continue to do so if circumstances change 

      Coherence (How well does the intervention fit?): 

       To what extent are the interventions within the same project and projects within the same organizations aligned? 

        To what extent does the project complement/coordinate/harmonize with other organization’s project, including government’s plans and programs?

     Effectiveness (Is the intervention achieving its objectives?):

       To what extent does the project achieved or is expected to achieve, its objectives, and its results, including any different results across the groups? 

       To what extent does the project achieved or is expected to achieve relevant and sustainable impacts, efficiently and coherently?

 Efficiency (How well are resources being used?): 

       To what extent does the project deliver, or is likely to deliver, results in an economic and timely way? 

 Impact (What difference does the intervention make?): 

        To what extent does the project generated or expected to generate significant positive or negative, intended, or unintended, higher-level effects at household, community, institution and government level?

 Sustainability (Will the benefit last?):

       To what extent does the project impact last or are likely to continue? What measures are in place to ensure that the project can continue without CDM Nepal’s support?

Methodology and approach

The evaluation will be carried out transparently, ensuring that all relevant stakeholders participate as appropriate. The evaluation team should design a proper methodology that demonstrates all key evaluation components, i.e., context, impact, effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, inclusion, and sustainability. 

Final evaluation is expected to adopt a mixed-method research methodology, i.e., use of quantitative and qualitative research tools. 

Quantitative:

Primary Data Survey: Use of a questionnaire to collect primary data from sampled households (HHs) out of 1000 project-intervened HHs. 

Qualitative:

       Desk review of relevant documents, including project documents, periodic progress reports, best practice documents, published articles, and GESI-related plans and policies and other data from secondary sources (if relevant) 

        Key Informant Interviews (KII) and focus group discussions (FGD) with stakeholders, local government representatives, women representatives, youth networks, school representatives, project participants, etc. 

       Prepare a learning document (at least 4-pager) for each of the specific objectives including stories (success/failure/change/impact) 

       At the end of the data collection phase, a debrief with CDM Nepal and implementing target municipalities is expected.

Note: The selected methodology, sample size, and data collection tools were chosen for the final evaluation and other information on methodology shall be detailed by the consultant in the technical proposal on the Request for Proposal notice.

Data Collection and Source of Data

The following steps are suggested to adopt during data collection: 

       Reviewed proposal, log frame, baseline report/annual survey report, and other project-related documents. 

       Household interviews with beneficiaries using questionnaires and record data/information on social, economic, demographic, climate change, food security, coping strategies, and accountability. 

       Focus group discussion with direct beneficiaries. 

       Key informant interviews with local level stakeholders, LG government entities, CSOs, school teachers, and gather qualitative data/information aligned to the logical framework and triangulate with the household questionnaire. 

       Field visit and field observation for gaining a first-hand understanding of the situation, phenomenon, or process which might not be visible in a report, such as how people interact with their environment or how a process actually operates in practice.

Evaluation deliverables

The evaluation is expected to produce, in addition to the key findings in the assessment, clear and practical recommendations for both implementation and future.

     An inception report, including: 

       A detailed methodology based on this ToR, including a rationale for the choice of methods and how they will be used to highlight different elements of the programme. 

       A detailed evaluation timeline 

       Evaluation matrix (main questions, sub-questions, sources of data, method). 

        Initial findings based on review of the programme documentation, existing data and secondary data. 

       Suggested areas for investigation not covered by this ToR and any suggested additions/alterations.

     One electronic copy of (a clean version of) qualitative data collected. 

     Final Evaluation Report (both electronic and hard copy) after incorporating the feedback and comments from CDM and Municipal team

     PowerPoint presentation containing findings and recommendations that needs to be shared with municipal team by the end of December 2025

     At least a 4-pager learning document covering each of the specific objectives separately (12 pager in total) including stories (success/failure/change/impact) 

     2-page standalone summary sheet of evaluation 

     2-page Executive Summary and Learning document covering objectives and major project approaches

Standard Report format (example)

       Table of Contents 

       Executive Summary (with summary of key findings and recommendations) 

       Introduction/context 

       Objective of Evaluation 

       Methodologies and Approach 

       Limitations 

       Presentation of findings and analysis addressing the objectives and key evaluation questions in the ToR (disaggregation required based on project location and ethnicity, wherever possible)  

       Learnings and Alternative strategies adopted/could be adopted 

       Conclusions 

       Recommendations with clear guidelines on how this can be redesigned in the remaining phase or for other projects 

       Annexes - photos, maps, list of documents reviewed, itinerary for field visits, data collection tools, list of personnel/groups visited and other relevant annexes 

       Report should be in Noto Sans font with font size 11. 

Note: All deliverables will be reviewed and validated by CDM-Nepal. 

Duration and Schedule

The consultant needs to submit the final report within 35-45 days of the agreement period.  The final report is due by the 3^rd week of December 2025. 

Ethical Considerations

It is expected that the consultant will adhere to all the policies of CDM-Nepal on safeguarding and protection, as the following ethical guidelines and principles: 

       Informed Consent: All participants are expected to provide informed consent following standards and pre-agreed-upon consent protocols. 

       Confidentiality: Utmost confidentiality must be exercised in respect of the identities of participants. 

       Integrity/honesty: Consultant to display honesty and integrity in their own behavior and attempt to ensure the honesty and integrity of the entire evaluation process. 

       Respect for people: The Consultants respect the security, dignity and self-worth of respondents, program participants and other stakeholders. It’s expected that the Consultants will receive informed consent from the participants to ensure that they can decide in a conscious, deliberate way whether they want to participate or not. The Consultants will avoid exposing respondents to further harm as a result of the response. 

       Responsibilities for general and public welfare: The Consultant should take into account and be sensitive of the social, cultural and religious dynamics of the population. Consultants should take proactive steps to create safe spaces for participants and vulnerable groups, particularly women, where they can share information freely and safely without fear of judgment, shame, or risk of harm. 

       Do no harm: The Consultants should take great care not to cause emotional/ psychological harm during data collection, as questions may relate to highly sensitive information. Issues of sensitivity may vary across different communities, genders, and other demographics. 

       Data Protection: Compliance with CDM Nepal’s values and ethical standards, including child protection and adult safeguarding, PSEAH, Gender, Environment Protection, and others. During and after data collection, a standard data protection system must be implemented.

Team Composition and Competency 

This evaluation requires a team, and applications will not be considered from single consultants. Between the proposed team members, the following criteria should be met:

       Have advanced skills and knowledge in monitoring, evaluation and learning methods and approaches, conducting community-based assessment, and project sustainability mechanisms and processes.

        Considerable technical knowledge and experience in evaluating thematic areas such as livelihood, gender equality and social inclusion, and enterprise development. 

       Follow and agree to abide by CDM’s rules and policies, including safeguarding/ child protection policy, child protection code of conduct, anti-corruption and fraud policy. 

       Familiarity with the theory of change approach and methodology. 

       Extensive experience; 3-5 years with at least two examples of evaluating projects 

       Ability to produce high-quality, accessible reports/outputs. 

       Fluency in written and spoken English and Nepali. 

       Strong coordination and facilitation skills, including the ability to work in different cultures and contexts. 

       Capable of working and travelling within rural areas. 

       Commitment to accomplish work within given deadlines. 

Evaluation Criteria for Selection

The procurement committee including advisors/invited experts will evaluate the proposals submitted to CDM Nepal by national consultant/s based on a predetermined criterion using a weighted scoring method. Technical and Financial Criteria will be provided with the following weightage.

Technical Criteria: 70%
Financial Criteria:30%

Application Procedure

       CDM-Nepal will select applications from consultancy firms or teams. 

       Approaches that incorporate creative methodologies to draw out and document learning are welcomed. 

        Applications must include: 

                Curriculum Vitae (CV) for all proposed team members 

              Organizational document (registration, VAT/PAN, profile, audited Financial Statement and Report) 

             Cover letter outlining how the consultant/s meet the person specification, confirmation of availability in the timeframe indicated, and contact details for three professional referees 

             Technical and financial proposal; Technical proposal – outlining methodologies and plan for evaluation with timeframe and an outline of the roles and responsibilities of each member of the consultancy team, financial proposal – including daily rate and all costs in relation to travel, accommodation and other expenses related to evaluation

               A sample of a similar piece of work previously conducted in the related field. 

The consulting organizations are to follow the proposal submission requirements. Proposal will be selected under a Quality Cost based selection procedures.

Interested parties should submit their applications at info@cdmnepal.org by 20th November 2025, 5:00 PM with email subject line “Final Evaluation of CRP-CDM_"Firm Name"”

CDM-Nepal reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal and to annual the selection process and reject all proposals at any time to prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to affected consulting organizations.

Note: Telephonic inquiries are not entertained as all the required information is provided in the ToR document itself.

Centre for Development and Disaster Management 
CDM-Nepal | Bhairahawa
Siddharthanagar-8, Annapurna Tol, Rupandehi, Lumbini Province, Nepal
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