Terms of Reference for Final Evaluation of Rural Emergency and Trauma System Strengthening (RETSS) Project

NRCS: RETSS project is a unique project not only for the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) but also in the country of Nepal which was implemented in full-fledged status in the unique context of recovery phase of Nepal earthquake 2015. This project has brought together the multiple key agencies at different levels including Government agencies and medical universities (Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital (DHKUH) and Centre for Global Surgery-McGill University Health Centre (CGS-MUHC)) in the implementation. There is not any structured/ established emergency and trauma management system in Nepal including the prehospital care services. In this backdrop it is very crucial to know the actual outcome/impact of the project and the value addition of engaging multiple agencies in the project so that similar activities/modalities can be replicated in the country. The findings of the evaluation can support in advocating to establish/strengthen the emergency and trauma management system in Nepal. The findings can also be used as a tool for fundraising to replicate similar activities in other countries or other parts of Nepal. Further, the evaluation findings will help NRCS and CRC to identify the relevancy of such projects in the context like Nepal.

CRC: This evaluation serves both learning and accountability purposes. However, the emphasis is on learning. The main purpose of the final evaluation of RETSS project is to document the project outputs and assess the level of achievement of the immediate and intermediate outcomes. To assess the extent of the project’s achievements in terms of their contribution to improvements to the health and wellbeing of emergency and trauma patients in the target districts. The evaluation outcomes and recommendations will highlight the key lessons learned from this unique project and inform future planning and implementation modalities

Lessons learned about closing the gaps on services for people of diverse genders and exclusion, such as generally between men and women in different age groups, lower castes women and men, disabled and elderly. The focus, from a PGIE perspective, must be the access to services by different groups (women, lower castes, disabled, elderly) through community engagement, and protection and child protection policies (PSEA, CoC, CP) in place, implemented through socialization, awareness of implications and referral pathways, etc.