TERMS OF REFERENCE : Feasibility Study and Participatory Needs Assessment in Ghyanglek Rural Municipality, Sindhuli District, Nepal

Childaid Network Foundation

Details / requirements:

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Feasibility Study and Participatory Needs Assessment

Strengthening Quality Education and Community Engagement in Ghyanglek Rural Municipality, Sindhuli District, 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

Ghyanglek Rural Municipality in Sindhuli District is one of the least economically developed municipalities in Nepal. The municipality is characterized by difficult terrain, disaster risks, long travel distances and limited access to educational services. Approximately 3,000 children attend 36 schools across the municipality.

Poverty, seasonal migration and long walking distances following school mergers continue to affect attendance and completion rates. In many predominantly Tamang communities, education is often not perceived as a viable pathway to improved livelihoods, partly due to limited local economic opportunities.

Childaid Network is exploring a three-year project that aims to improve educational outcomes through strengthened school leadership, improved teaching quality, enhanced school governance and increased parental engagement. The project will also assess options for improving access to education, including potential residential support solutions for children facing extreme travel distances.

Before finalizing the project design, 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 provide practical recommendations for the final project design and BMZ proposal development.

Specifically, the study shall:

• Assess the feasibility of the proposed project approach using the OECD DAC criteria.
• Identify the most critical barriers to quality education and school completion.
• Assess priority infrastructure needs in participating schools.
• Assess capacity development needs of headteachers, teachers, SMCs, PTAs, municipal officials and parents.
• Explore feasible solutions for children facing extreme travel distances to school.
• Validate priorities and proposed interventions with communities and local stakeholders.
• Identify key risks, assumptions and sustainability factors.
• Provide recommendations that can directly inform project outcomes, outputs and activities.


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 education policies
• Municipal education plans
• Existing assessments and reports
• Project concept note

b) Stakeholder Consultations

Key Informant Interviews with:
• Rural Municipality representatives
• Education officials
• School principals
• Teachers
• SMC and PTA representatives
• Community leaders

c) Community Consultations

Focus Group Discussions with:
• Parents
• Mothers’ groups
• Students
• Marginalized Tamang communities

d) School Visits

Assessment of:
• Learning environment
• WASH facilities
• Accessibility
• Safety concerns
• Priority infrastructure gaps

e) Capacity Assessment

Assessment of training and support needs for:
• Headteachers
• Teachers
• SMCs/PTAs
• Parents
• Municipal stakeholders

f) Community Validation Workshop

Presentation and validation of preliminary findings with key 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 educational barriers?

·   To what extend do the intervention objectives and design adequately consider the specific needs of the target groups and structural obstacles in the project region, partner/institution, policy programmes?

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

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

 Effectiveness

• Which interventions are most likely to improve attendance, retention and learning outcomes?

Efficiency • Which activities offer the highest potential impact within available resources?

Sustainability • How can local ownership and municipal engagement be strengthened?

Access • What are the most feasible solutions for children facing long travel distances?

Capacity Development


6. Deliverables

Inception Note (maximum 5 pages)

Draft Feasibility Study Report (maximum 25 pages excluding annexes)

Validation Workshop Presentation

Final Report including:

• Executive summary

• OECD DAC assessment
• Capacity needs assessment
• Infrastructure prioritization matrix
• 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 conducting feasibility studies or project design studies for education programmes funded by institutional donors.
• Strong understanding of Nepal’s education sector and local government structures.
• Demonstrated experience in participatory assessments and stakeholder consultations.
• Experience assessing school governance, teacher development and community engagement systems.
• Experience translating assessment findings into project designs, logframes or donor proposals.
• Knowledge of OECD DAC criteria.
• Familiarity with disability inclusion and Do No Harm approaches


9. Application Requirements

Interested consultants should submit:

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

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).

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Posted Date 22 Jun, 2026
Apply Before 30 Jun, 2026
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