Call for tenders: Evaluation of Africa Educational Trust’s Speak Up II in South Sudan
Closing date for applications: 6th May 2019. To apply please send a CV, a brief proposal on how you will address the Terms of Reference, costing and a copy of a similar evaluation report you have undertaken previously to [email protected]
Africa Educational Trust (AET) is seeking bids from experienced consultants to deliver a high-quality evaluation of our Speak Up II programme in South Sudan.
Background:
Speak Up II is a four year project (August 2015 – July 2019) aiming to improve literacy, numeracy and English language skills among excluded groups in three states of South Sudan, enhancing their opportunities for education and employment, and enabling them to engage in joint action for community development through REFLECT. The project is working towards the following outcomes:
Improved literacy, numeracy and English language skills for 7,500 out-of-school youth and adult learners from excluded groups in 75 communities
Enhanced capacity of facilitators to deliver literacy and numeracy training using participatory approaches.
Enhanced capacity of ROLE staff and local MoEST to deliver and monitor literacy and numeracy training using participatory approaches.
Communities define and lead their own development through the REFLECT groups
Improved access to quality English language lessons through radio broadcasts
Purpose of the Final Evaluation:
The purpose of the Final Evaluation is to assess the extent to which the delivery of the FHH project has achieved its planned objectives, and to identify lessons for future projects. Full details can be found in the attached Terms of Reference.
Required skills and competencies of the evaluator:
- Strong background in non-formal education and development
- Strong background in utilising qualitative and quantitative research methods
- Experience of working with vulnerable groups
- Experience of using participatory methods, and experience with REFLECT desirable
- Experience of conducting evaluations or research in Africa
Application notes:
Closing date for applications: 6th May 2019. To apply please send a CV, a brief proposal on how you will address the Terms of Reference, costing and a copy of a similar evaluation report you have undertaken previously to [email protected]
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE SPEAK UP II PROJECT
Speak Up II is a four year project (August 2015 – July 2019) aiming to improve literacy, numeracy and English language skills among excluded groups in three states of South Sudan, enhancing their opportunities for education and employment, and enabling them to engage in joint action for community development. The project is being delivered by Africa Educational Trust (AET) in partnership with Resource and Open Learning (ROLE) centres in the former states of Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria and Lakes.
Speak Up was developed in response to the South Sudan’s alarming rates of illiteracy, which are one of the highest globally, at 77% of adults (84% female). Speak Up 2 introduces a 2-level English learning programme to reach non-literate adults, using a 12 month development orientated REFLECT course, followed by a 6 month course of Speak Up English Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) based on social issues.
Purpose of the Final Evaluation
The purpose of the Final Evaluation is to assess the extent to which the delivery of Speak Up II has achieved its planned objectives, and to identify lessons for future projects.
Scope of work
At the project level
The objectives are to:
- Assess the relevance of the original objectives in terms of whether they were achievable and whether they met the needs and priorities of the target group.
- Assess whether the project activities generated the planned outputs and were they delivered on time? Did the project activities represent good value for money?
- Assess the achievement of project outputs and outcomes and the overall impact on the lives of beneficiaries and local communities
- How have participants benefitted from improved English language skills and how are they using them in their everyday lives?
- How effective was REFLECT at building basic literacy and numeracy skills?
- To what extent were facilitators able to use participatory methods to develop English language skills?
- How effective was the mentoring support provided by ROLE and the MoE
- To what extent did communities implement practical actions as a result of REFLECT classes (with or without microgrants)?
- To what extent was the project able to reach the most vulnerable, including women, returnees and people with disabilities?
- To what extend was the project able to reach those with no English language skills?
- Review significant achievements the project has brought about. Which approaches worked particularly well and why and which less well and why? Any unexpected or unintended outcomes – both positive and negative?
- Establish if there were any changes during the lifetime of the project in the project design or delivery and how and why these changes came about.
- Gather feedback about the project from people affected by the activities and provide an opportunity for them to participate in analyzing project achievements
Assess the extent to which the benefits received by the target group are having a wider overall effect on larger numbers of people in the communities or regions as a whole.
Assess whether the positive outcomes of the project are likely to continue after the end of the project.
Make recommendations for future interventions and projects. How could the project model be scaled up or replicated?
The evaluator should focus on the outcomes and sustainability of the project.
At organization level
Assess the extent to which the project’s structure has enabled it to meet its objectives and the needs of the target groups
Assess the effectiveness of the monitoring, evaluation and learning system and tools used to measure success
On partnerships
Assess the level of effectiveness of partnerships at all levels of the project e.g. local communities, ROLE Centres, AET, South Sudan Government etc.
In addition, we would like the evaluation to consider the following:
What was the usefulness and quality of the 2 level English approach? Were the approaches complimentary? Were the approaches suitable for the context?
The relevance of Speak Up materials in the context
Recommendations for the use/revision/adaptation/development of speak up materials beyond the project
It is important that the Final Evaluation is a transparent examination of activities against the planned results, so that lessons for future projects can be learned. It is recognised that there will be some unexpected outcomes, both positive and negative.
The Final Evaluation Process
The Final Evaluation will take place during the final months of the project between May and July 2019 as agreed between AET and the evaluator. This is likely to include 3 days prep, 14 days field visit and 5 days report writing with an estimated delivery time for final report being end of July 2019. This will be agreed later between the Project Manager and consultant.
The evaluation will be conducted by a regional/international consultant in conjunction with AET and ROLE Centre staff. The consultant will undertake a visit to South Sudan to conduct field work in at least two (Lakes and Western Equatoria and possibly Central Equatoria) locations as agreed by AET and the consultant.
The evaluation process should include the following activities:
A desk review of project information provided by AET
Interviews with staff from AET to collect information on achievements and impact and difficulties faced during implementation, including management, monitoring and reporting
Focus Group Discussions and Interviews with key project stakeholders and beneficiaries in the field.
Interviews with officials from Ministry of Education.
The consultant will present a preliminary overview of their findings to AET before preparing their report by end of 30th June 2019.
The consultant should submit the draft report to AET for written comments before finalising the report, to minimise the chance of inaccuracies and to maximise ownership of the findings
The following documents should be examined as part of the Final Evaluation:
The approved project proposal document
The project MEL framework
Year 1, 2 and 3 Annual Report and Year 4 6-month report
Speak Up II Mid-term review
Speak Up (2011 – 2013) Final evaluation
Data on beneficiary numbers
Radio broadcasts (especially interactive lessons), teaching and learning materials
Any other relevant documentation, as requested by the consultants
The following stakeholders and beneficiaries should be consulted:
AET and ROLE staff
AES MoE staff at national, state and county levels
Speak Up Facilitators
Direct Speak Up beneficiaries from first and second cohorts
Indirect Speak Up beneficiaries that listened to the radio broadcasts
Participating radio station staff
Community representatives and opinion leaders e.g. School Mothers or local chiefs and Youth groups
Comic Relief Programme Manager (in person or by phone).
The scope of this evaluation is limited. It is not feasible for it to be an exhaustive review covering all of the work undertaken and all participants in detail. Instead, a sample of approximately 5% of participating communities from the three regions will be involved in the Final Evaluation.
Outputs of the Final Evaluation
The Final Evaluation should result in a report of no more than 30 pages for the main body, including an Executive Summary. The report should address the areas listed in this TOR. The report should include a good level of critical analysis and the report’s authors should support their analysis of a project’s achievements with relevant quantitative and qualitative data and state how this has been sourced. Recommendations should also include details as to how they might be implemented
Roles and Responsibilities
The roles and responsibilities for the Final Evaluation are set out below:
Evaluator:
Undertaking a desk review of key project documents
Designing the interviews and focus group questions/ approach
Visiting the three states to gather data for the evaluation (including holding interviews and focus groups)
Presenting the preliminary findings to AET
Producing a draft report and a final version in response to comments from AET
Africa Educational Trust
Co-ordinating the Final Evaluation and agreeing the budget
Commissioning and supervising the evaluator
Liaising with ROLE on the logistics and schedule for the field visit
Taking a final decision on the interpretation of these Terms of Reference, should any dispute or confusion arise
Agreeing the format for the evaluation report
Providing feedback on the preliminary findings and draft report, and agreeing the final report
Submitting the final evaluation report to Comic Relief and responding to any feedback or queries from Comic Relief
Providing logistical support including vehicle, driver, fuel, airtime and accommodation in the field
Working with the consultant to identify a suitable sample of stakeholders and beneficiaries and set up the focus groups and interviews
Scheduling meetings
Providing translation support for focus groups and interviews with beneficiaries (as needed)
Providing feedback on the preliminary findings and draft report
Accommodation costs will be covered by the consultants’ DSA but AET should book the rooms.
Closing date for applications: 6th May 2019. To apply please send a CV, a brief proposal on how you will address the Terms of Reference, costing and a copy of a similar evaluation report you have undertaken previously to [email protected]