Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Final Evaluation of theProject:

Terms of Reference (ToR) for

the Final Evaluation of the project:

“Supporting Collective Voice and Action against Caste Based Discrimination in Nepal-SAJHAAAWAJ" Project” EIDHR/2017/388-524

Funded by the European Commission

1.   Brief introduction of the project

SAJHAAAWAJ is a consortium project of Nepal National Dalit Social Welfare Organization(NNDSWO), FinnChurchAid(FCA) and Media Advocacy Group(MAG) with the main financial support from European Commission (EC)and co-finance by FCA. The project aimed to combat caste-based discrimination(CBD) and promote humanrights by creating an enabling environment for CBD affected people to restore their dignity and enjoy rights to non-discrimination, effective participation and access to services and justice. The project intended to build solidarity of wider communities against CBD, strengthen implementation of legal frameworks related to equality and non-discrimination.It also expected to contribute to build capacity of democratic institutions to implement legal frameworks related to equality and non-discrimination and promote partnership at local level for economic empowerment of the target groups.

The three years project was initiated on November 2017 and will end on April 2021 including six months extension. Main target group of the project are people affected from caste-based discrimination (i.e.Dalits). However, it has equally involved non-Dalits community and engaged wider society in awareness raising campaigns as well as in the dialogues for promoting human rights, non-discrimination and inclusive and accountable governance at local level increasing their know-how, awareness and capacity of actively participating in social and public life. The action aimed to benefit a total of around 192,396 catchment population including 42,033 Dalits in five districts of Nepal.

2. Summary of the action:

3. Purpose of the Evaluation

The main purpose of this assignment is to assess the efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the project. It should determine the relevance and fulfillment of objectives, and accumulate information that is credible and useful, enabling to provide lessons for any future similar projects. The assignment should undertake endline survey as a part of final Evaluation to produce all the necessary data against the logical framework indicators and baseline study.  

Principles underpinning the approach to the evaluation are:

• Impartiality and independence of the evaluation process from the programming and implementation functions;
• Credibility of the evaluation, through use of appropriately skilled and independent experts and the transparency of the evaluation process, including wide dissemination of results;
• Participation of stakeholders in the evaluation process, to ensure different perspectives and views are taken into account; and
• Usefulness of the evaluation findings and recommendations, through timely presentation of relevant, clear and concise information to decision makers.

4. Focus of the Evaluation

The scope of the assignment includes all the necessary actions required to obtain information that will exhibit the achievements (results and impacts) of the project. The scope of the final evaluation should meet the following requirements:

• Effectiveness: To which degree did the activities meet the objectives and results set out in the project (as outlined in the logical framework)?
• Relevance: Was the project designed in a way that is relevant to reach its goals?
• Efficiency: Was the project run in an efficient way?
• Sustainability: Are the results achieved so far sustainable?
• Value for money: Has the project achieved its intended objectives at reasonable cost?
• Internal coherence: Were the result indicators and their means of verification adequate? What possible adjustments would the consultants recommend?
• Gender mainstreaming: To which extent did the project succeed in including a gender perspective?
• Impact and spillover: Where there any unforeseen positive/negative effects of the activities and unintended results?
• Synergies: to which extent were synergies achieved with other activities, as well as with local/international policies and donor policies?
• Identify lessons learned and provide recommendations

5. Evaluation Criteria

6. Stakeholders’ Involvement

The evaluator/s are expected to engage with stakeholders and partners not only to collect information and insights, but also to make a (collective) sense of that in order to understand the following:

• Their engagement in the process, how it has been promoted and how it fits with their own work/aims
• The difficulties they have endured to engage in the project (internal and external)
• Their perspectives on the issues
• The capacity, awareness, relationships and resources developed during their engagement with the project and what they have been able to do with that

While engaging stakeholder and partners throughout the process of the evaluation, consultant should adhere guideline of Government of Nepal to ensure safety of all in the COVID-19 context.

7. Methodology of the Evaluation

The consultancy should be carried on the basis of a desk study and a field visit. The desk study should cover the following documents:

• Project contractual documents and further amendments;
• Evidence of impact collected by the project, including mid-term reports
• Minutes of the meetings and other events relevant to the project implementation
• Interim Reports
• Financial reports
• Visibility material
• Other documents produced throughout the project

Furthermore, the evaluation should be built on interviews with:

• Beneficiaries as well as participants
• Consortium partner Staffs
• Other stakeholders such as municipal office, ward office, police office, human rights advocacy alliance, community based institutions, political leaders and other actors (to be defined)

The consultancy should adopt an evaluation methodology coherent with the participatory approach of the project. The consultant/s is expected to conduct a participatory evaluation providing for meaningful involvement by the project partner, its beneficiaries and other interested parties. Stakeholder participation is to be an integral component of the evaluation design and planning, data gathering, drafting of findings, evaluation reporting and results dissemination. The consultancy should develop detailed methodology for the evaluation and the endline survey that should be approved by the evaluation management team before its implementation. 

The evaluation should therefore focus not only on quantifiable results but also analyse processes and dynamics generated by the project, their scope (in terms of people and other actors involved) and their sustainability. This implies moving away from a mere technical approach in order to understand the support provided by the project to relevant authority to strengthen implementation of legal frameworks related to equality, non-discrimination and promotion of human rights. The evaluation should examine to what extent the project has strengthened the capacities of rights holders to make their claims and of duty bearers to meet their obligations.

The proposed framework of the evaluation can be subject to change based on the agreement with the consortium led by NNDSWO, which approves the work plan, and the external evaluator/s.

8. Deliverables

All deliverables are to be submitted to evaluation committee in English, electronically and in hardcopy format(3copies).Deliverables include:

• Draft evaluation report with endline findings against project indicators (data should be annexed)
• A final report to be submitted at the end of the evaluation with a maximum extension of 30 pages excluding annexs.

The final evaluation report will be structured as follows:

0. Executive summary

1.   Main section:

Introduction:

i.  Project description

ii.   Evaluation objectives and methodology

Analysis of the findings according to the evaluation criteria

Analysis of the findings of the endline survey against baseline

2.  Conclusionsandrecommendations

3.  Lessons learned

4. Annexes:

To REvaluation

• Names of the evaluators
• Logical framework of the project
• Map of the project area
• List of actors consulted
• Literature and documentation consulted
• Tools of evaluation and endline survey
• Qualitative and quantitative data of evaluation and endline survey
• Other technical annexes

9.   IndicativeTimetable

The consultancy will last 8 weeks and it is expected to be carried out during 10 Feb 2021 to 10 April 2021. The tentative schedule is as follows:

Weeks 1 and 2: Desk review of core documents; initial meetings with evaluation committee; drafting and validation of the inception report (to be submitted by the end of week1).

Weeks 3 4 5 and 6: Field visits to project sites; interviews with consortium staff (NNDSWO, FCA and MAG), beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders (Rural municipalities, and others); meetings with management staff.

Week 7 and 8: Drafting off in al report (final version to be submitted no later than 10 April 2021); debriefing to NNDSWO, FCA and relevant stakeholders.

10.   Evaluation team

The Evaluation Team is expected to:

• Be composed of a team leader with documented extensive experience on similar evaluations, especially on EC funded projects
• Have extensive experience in conducting external evaluations in the context of non-discrimination and human rights, and a proven record delivering professional results
• Have sound knowledge of evaluation and data-collection methods
• Be able to communicate effectively in Nepali and English
• Have previous proven working experience in province no.2and Karnali province
• Have process management skills, such as facilitation skills

11.   How to apply

Interested candidates and consultancy firm are requested to submit an electronic copy of their expression of interest/proposal by 25 Jan 2021 with the subject Final Evaluation Sajha Aawaj Project to ed@nndswo.org.np, bhabindra@nndswo.org.np, nationalpresident@nndswo.org.np,  adminfinance@nndswo.org.np.

Candidates must forward:

• 5pages(max)letter of motivation indicating
  • Understanding of the ToR,
  • The consultants’ suitability for the assignment and match with previous work experience, qualifications etc.
  • How the team will be composed and the division of work between team members
  • Discussion of the work methodology it will use
  • Draft work plan and suggested time table
  • Economic offer and budget breakdown.
  • Provisional availability to fulfill the consultancy as per the time frames indicated in these Terms of Reference.
• Professional profile of the evaluating team/company (CVs of al individuals included in the consultancy team)

The shortlisted applicants should submit an inception report explaining the methodology, work programme and time table for the evaluation and the endline survey. Based on which final candidate/firm will be selected for the assignment and called for an inception meeting.

Enquiries regarding the expression of interest/proposal process may be directed to ed@nndswo.org.np.