Terms of Reference

Evaluation Consultant for an Innovation Project (Pilot 1)

Name of Project / Connect.Teaching in South Sudan
Project Locations / Eastern Equatoria, South Sudan
Location for the Evaluation / As above
Purpose of Evaluation / To understand the strengths and weaknesses and identify project results from Pilot 1, and offer recommendations for Pilot 2 (which commences in Sept 2013).
Tentative Start and end dates / Field work to be conducted during period 22 July – 03 August
Report Submission schedule / Preliminary Findings Workshop prior to departure from South Sudan in Juba and Torit
Final written and media report to WCH within 4 weeks of completion of field-work.
Reporting to / Laina Henderson, Programme Development Manager, War Child Holland

Background

War Child Holland (WCH) is an independent and impartial international non-governmental organization investing in a peaceful future for children and young people affected by armed conflict. We strive to empower children and young people while enabling adults to bring about positive and lasting change in the lives of conflict affected children and young people.

The challenges facing development actors in (post-) conflict areas require new initiatives by new actors: to increase outreach to former unreached, to hear the former unheard, and to optimise existing efforts to support children and young people affected by conflict. War Child’s programme joins together the expertise of its partners to support children in Burundi, Colombia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda to enjoy their right to education, protection and psychosocial well-being by using innovative Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Media. ICT and Media have already proven to impact on children around the world. ICT tools will help increase the number of beneficiaries that can be reached, to improve accessibility and overall quality of our humanitarian services, increase replication and scalability of current (direct and indirect) interventions and therefore, make our work more cost-efficient.

Connect.Teaching

The quality of learning in conflict-affected classrooms in many countries is often poor. Rote teaching (repetition) methodology remains the dominant teaching approach. This leaves high numbers of children struggling to learn. The consequence of this, according to the World Bank’s Global Education Strategy 2020, is that in some countries a quarter to a half of all youth who have graduated from primary school cannot read a single sentence[1]. The Brooking Institute study ‘A Global Compact on Learning’ describes the situation in developing countries as ‘… nothing short of a global learning crisis’.[2]

Connect.Teaching is a Teacher Professional Development (TPD) approach which combines ICT, Open Educational Resources, In-school support, and Classroom Monitoring. It aims to improve children’s learning in the new state of South Sudan through a focus on the quality of classroom teaching. Teachers are provided with a TPD programme which includes group workshops, school-based support from teacher-trainers, and an off-line database of 500 curriculum-linked educational resources (national curriculum, lesson plans, teaching tips, model-teaching videos, images etc.) through a personal tablet computer. The project works in partnership with the South Sudan Ministry of Education and brings together a broad range of education stakeholders in South Sudan and beyond. The project is conceived through a collaboration involving War Child and TNO (Netherlands research institute) within the Connect.Now programme, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands. Additional seed funding comes through IEEE-Advancing Technology for Humanity. Connect.Teaching was launched in 11 schools during the period June-September 2012 with 25 teachers receiving tablet computers containing the database and App.

Available documentation

Data has been collected throughout the 12-month pilot. These documents will be made available to the successful applicant.

Document / Evidence / Date
Baseline Assessment Report (External) / Interviews, Focus Groups, classroom observations / July 2012
Educational Materials for the database – supporting documentation (External) / Field visit, meeting with Education resource providers / Oct 2013
Early Implementation Report / Workshops with teachers, Baseline Assessment, database usage reports / Nov 2012
Database Usage Report / Data from tablets on teacher usage / TBC
Innovation Review (2-page document) / Early implementation Report / March 2013

Purpose of the Evaluation

To understand the strengths and weaknesses and identify project results from Pilot 1, and offer recommendations for Pilot 2 (which commences in Sept 2013).

Specific Objectives

1.To determine the extent to whichthe project results have been achieved

2.To identify Lesson learned

  • Factors and activities leading to successful project results (including identification of innovative program components and their special characteristics)
  • Factors and activities constraining project results
  • Any unexpected outcomes or consequences of activities (including positive and harmful)

3.Draw conclusions and make recommendations for Pilot 2 concerning:

  • Effectiveness of the Pilot 1 model
  • Recommendations for adaptation of the Pilot 2 model
  • Research and evaluation processes

Evaluation Team

The evaluation will be conducted by one lead externalconsultant. A War Child or TNOpeer evaluator will be added to the evaluation team to maximize learning. Additional national level research assistants will be available to the lead evaluator, and these should be included in the proposed budget.

Deliverables

  1. An Executive Summary in English
  2. Two (Juba and Torit) preliminary findings workshop (2-3 Hours) with the project team at the end of the field visit. This is to include recommendations for Pilot 2
  3. A short media-based presentation of findings and recommendations (e.g. prezi.com, a poster, or a 3-min i-movie) to enable all stakeholders to access and understand the evaluation findings
  4. A comprehensive and clearly structured report in English (submitted in softcopy), covering all elements as outlined in the ToR

Consultant’s Roles and Responsibilities

  • Based on the approved protocol, lead the study and provide evidence on the basis of quantitative and qualitative data collected
  • Ensure study is completed in line with WCH Child Safety Policy
  • Ensure that all relevant actors have provided views and input into the process
  • Submit a first draft of written report and media report to WCH for input within 2 weeks of completing of field work
  • Submit final media report and written report within 4 weeks. This needs to be accompanied by a folder containing hard copies of completed interviews or any raw data obtained (sent to Amsterdam office - postage and printing to be covered by consultant).

Authority and Responsibility

The consultant will report to the Programme Development Manager, based in South Sudan. All work in Eastern Equatoria will be supported by the Field Location manager and Senior Project officer based at the field locations.

War Child will:

  • Review and approve the study tools and methods, and act as a key partner throughout the study
  • Provide relevant project documents / reports
  • Provide logistical support to ensure work is done in a timely manner and in compliance with set standards (including accommodation, international return flight, visa, transportation, office working space, a local sim-card, and 25-euros/day per diem in local currency on arrival)
  • Provide in-country security and personal safety information
  • Provide local language translation services where required
  • Provide payment on completion of assignment and acceptance by WCH (100% fee paid on completion).

Time frame

The evaluation is expected to take a maximum of 15 days(field workto be conducted within period 15-July to 09-Aug2013).

  • Travel and preparation(design of the evaluation, anddocument review)- 3 days
  • Field work and data analysis - 6 days
  • Presenting the preliminary findings in Juba - 1 day
  • Report writing and media presentation- 4 days(remote)
  • Final report production including incorporating changes after feedback -1 day (remote)

Methodology

The consultant will employ both quantitative and qualitative methods in data collection and analysis taking the perspectives of different stakeholders. Methods used should be participatory and sensitive to the group that the project focuses on. Methods should also be informed by tools used within the baseline Assessment and Early implementation Review.

Profile required

  • Minimum of Masters in social studies: education, development, economics
  • Strong interest and understanding of using ICT within the education sector
  • Extensive experience in the design and implementation of education-based evaluations
  • Understanding of innovation cycles and the process of rigorous piloting to inform project development
  • Experience in working in post conflict settings
  • Understanding of participatory research methodologies
  • Highly proficient in written English

Submission of proposals

To apply please provide:

  • A proposal (500 words maximum) detailing how you will respond to the assignment, including (1) data collection; (2) analysis of findings; (3) dissemination
  • CV
  • Budget for the consultancy. Please note that international travel costs, and costs when in the South Sudan for travel, accommodation, and a per diem of 25-euros per day are covered by War Child and therefore do not need to be included in the budget. The cost of Research Assistant(s) should be included at the guide rate of $150/day. This will be paid locally and recruited in collaboration with War Child.

Deadline for proposals is10 June, 2013 and be submitted by email to: Please state reference ‘Connect.Teaching Evaluation’ in the subject line.

The proposal will be evaluated based on the consultants/organizations experience and capacity in carrying out evaluations in post conflict contexts, the approach in responding to the ToR, and the competitiveness from a financial perspective

Annex A: Report structure

  1. The report shall contain, at a minimum the following elements;
  2. Title page, table of contents, and list of terms
  3. Acknowledgements
  4. Executive summary and recommendations (not more than 2 pages)
  5. Methodology
  6. Description of findings (qualitative and quantitative)
  7. Conclusions
  8. Recommendations for Pilot 2
  9. Bibliography
  10. Annexes (sample data collection tools e.g. questionnaires and discussion guides, community maps, among others as may be relevant)

All sources of data used in the preparation of the report shall be clearly identified and appropriately referenced. Where assumptions were made, these should be made explicit. The report should include a list of interviewed groups.

[1]World Bank, Group Education Strategy-2020, 2011

[2] Brooking Institute A Global Compact on Learning, 2011