TERMS OF REFERENCE : Feasibility Study and Participatory Needs Assessment in Baragadhi and Parwanipur Rural Municipalities, Madhesh Province, Nepal

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Feasibility Study and Participatory Needs Assessment

Advancing Gender-Equitable Education for Girls in Baragadhi and Parwanipur Rural Municipalities, Madhesh Province, Nepal

1. About Childaid Network

Childaid Network is a German-based foundation established in 2007 with the mission of improving educational opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people in South Asia, particularly in Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The organization focuses on quality education, child development, and vocational pathways, working through strong and long-term partnerships with local organizations.

Since its official registration as an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) in Nepal in 2021, Childaid Network has steadily expanded its programme portfolio across several districts. The Nepal programme is implemented in close coordination with Childaid Network’s headquarters in Germany and in partnership with carefully selected local NGOs, ensuring contextual relevance, sustainability and measurable impact.

The Nepal team currently consists of a small but highly committed national team combining strong local expertise with a collaborative and learning-oriented working culture.

2. Background

In Baragadhi and Parwanipur Rural Municipalities in Madhesh Province, approximately 9,000 girls aged 9–18 face barriers to education linked to restrictive gender norms, early marriage and limited educational aspirations.

Childaid Network is exploring a three-year project that combines community-based social norm change, girls’ empowerment, strengthened local government engagement and more gender-responsive schools. The project seeks to improve educational participation and retention while strengthening local systems that support girls’ education.

To support final project design and proposal development, Childaid Network seeks an independent consultant or consulting team to conduct a feasibility study and participatory needs assessment.

3. Purpose of the Study

The study shall:

• Assess the feasibility of the proposed intervention approach.
• Identify the most significant barriers affecting girls’ education.
• Assess school readiness to become more gender-responsive learning environments.
• Assess capacity needs of schools, local governments and community stakeholders.
• Explore opportunities for social norm change and positive role model approaches.
• Validate proposed interventions with communities and key stakeholders.
• Generate practical recommendations for final project design.

4. Scope of Work

The consultant shall focus on information that cannot be sufficiently obtained through desk review.

The study should include: 

a) Desk Review

Review of:
• Relevant policies and strategies
• Municipal plans
• Existing studies
• Project concept note

b) Key Informant Interviews

With:
• Municipal representatives
• Education officials
• School leaders
• Teachers
• Community leaders
• Women's groups

• Religious leaders

 c) Focus Group Discussions

With:
• Adolescent girls
• Adolescent boys
• Parents
• Mothers
• Female role models

d) School Assessments

Review of:

• WASH facilities
• Menstrual hygiene facilities
• School safety
• Student participation mechanisms
• Existing gender-responsive practices

e) Capacity Needs Assessment

For:
• Teachers
• Headteachers
• Local governments
• School management committees
• Parents

f) Validation Workshop

Presentation and validation of findings with stakeholders.

g) Facilitating planning process

Presenting the preliminary findings and facilitate the planning workshop if needed.

5. Key Questions

Relevance
• Are the proposed interventions addressing the most important barriers to girls’ education?

Gender Norms
• Which social norms most strongly influence girls’ educational participation?

·   Are norms and standards of the approach compatible with those of the target groups?

·   Are the proposed interventions designed in a conflict- sensitive way?

Schools
• What changes are most needed to create girl-friendly learning environments?

Local Government
• What support is needed to strengthen local ownership and financing?

Capacity Development
• Which stakeholder groups require the greatest capacity support?

• What are the highest-priority capacity gaps among key stakeholders?

 Sustainability

• Which approaches are most likely to continue beyond project funding?

·        Deliverables

·        Inception Note

·        Draft Feasibility Study Report

·        Validation Workshop Presentation

6. Final Report including:

• Executive summary
• OECD DAC assessment
• Gender barrier analysis
• Capacity needs assessment
• School improvement priorities
• Do No Harm analysis
• Disability inclusion considerations
• Recommendations for outcomes, outputs and activities

7. Timeline

Application deadline: 30 June 2026

Selection and contracting: July 2026

Fieldwork: July–August 2026

Draft report submission: 31 August 2026

Validation workshop: September 2026

Final report submission: 15 September 2026

8. Consultant Qualifications

• Proven experience designing or assessing girls’ education, gender equality or adolescent development programmes.
• Demonstrated expertise in gender-transformative approaches and social norm change.
• Experience conducting participatory research with adolescents and communities.
• Strong understanding of the education sector and local governance structures in Nepal.
• Experience translating assessment findings into donor-funded project designs.
• Knowledge of OECD DAC criteria.
• Familiarity with disability inclusion and safeguarding approaches.

9. Application Requirements

Interested consultants should submit:

• Technical proposal (maximum 5 pages)
• Financial proposal
• CV(s)
• Two examples of comparable assignments

The consultants or the consulting firm should be registered under VAT.

Applications should be submitted to:

info.nepal@childaid.net

Please note that the final contract award is subject to the pending approval of project funding by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).