«««TERMS OF REFERENCE»»»

(1)  BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
Since the civil war ended in Sierra Leone about two decades ago, the government, with the help of foreign donors, has made some progress in resuscitating the economy and stabilizing peace and democracy as the country has recorded successful transitions of power to successive governments after democratic elections. However, the country still remains among the world’s poorest, ranking 182 out of 189 in the Global Human Development Index (2021); 101 out of 107 in the Global Hunger Index (2020). Poverty is widespread, with more than 60% of the population living on less than US$ 1.25 a day; unemployment and illiteracy levels remain high, particularly among youths and women. About 70 % of the youth are unemployed or underemployed due to lack of proper education and skills know-how, according to UNDP.

In their quest to complement the efforts of the government of Sierra Leone in fighting the above problems, FT and its Sierra Leonean partner, Youth in Action for Development (YAD), have worked over the years in collaboration with and support of diverse donors prominent among which is the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).  BMZ has co-funded diverse projects implemented by FT since the year 2012.  Scope of the projects ranged from smaller groups based in a single village, medium sizes consisting of several villages, and large sizes consisting of whole chiefdom (s).

Considering the geographical location of some of the villages and the rugged nature of the roads leading to them, it is difficult to give an exact distance from one project site to another. But it is estimated that from YAD headquarters in Kenema city to Levuma village which is the last village in Niawa Chiefdom, for example, is about 120 km (to/fro); from YAD headquarters in Kenema city to Yebeima which is the last village in Langurama Chiefdom, is about 108 km (to/fro); and from YAD headquarters in Kenema city to Ngiehun Konjo in Malegohun Chiefdom is about 150 km (to/fro).

This ex-post evaluation, therefore, focuses mainly on projects implemented with co-financing from BMZ under the title “Private executing agencies”, reaching a large number of beneficiaries in the Chiefdoms of Niawa, Langurama, Nongowa, Small Bo, and Malegohun in Kenema District in eastern Sierra Leone. In total, there are seven (7) projects to be evaluated. Project numbers 1 to 5 in the list below shall be fully evaluated, while project numbers 6 and 7 (P4945 and P4995) may not be fully completed by the time this evaluation is conducted. However, an inventory of achievements to date, challenges, potential outcomes, recommendations, etc. should be included in the evaluation report.

(2) PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES AND USE OF THE EVALUATION

1. Assess how projects implemented by Fambul Tik and YAD with BMZ co-funding have promoted sustainable development in Sierra Leone.
2. First-hand assessment of ongoing projects to determine their likelihood of success and replicability, and adapt evaluation reports to guide successful implementation.
3. Assess results/impacts of such projects and formulate concrete recommendations that can guide ongoing and future projects implemented by Fambul Tik and YAD in Sierra Leone with BMZ co-funding

(3) SCOPE OF WORK

The following projects are to be evaluated:

1) Matakan Community Primary School in Matakan village, Niawa Chiefdom, Kenema district
2) Niawa Chiefdom Secondary School, Gandorhun town, Niawa Chiefdom, Kenema District.
3) Multi-purpose Youth Resource Centre (Phase – I) in Kenema city
4) Multipurpose Youth Resource Centre (Phase – II) in Kenema city
5) Konjo Community Market and Social Mobilization Centre, Ngiehun Konjo town, Malegohun chiefdom, Kenema district
6)Campaign against Open Defection in Niawa and Langurama Chiefdoms, Kenema district
7) Niawa Initiative against Hunger and Poverty in Sendumei, Bandawor, Matakan, Golahun Vaama, Nyadehun und Kurankoh in Niawa chiefdom, Kenema district.

In order to ensure a successful evaluation of the above projects, the following standard criteria must be integrated into all questionnaires or methods used by the consultant:

EVALUATION CRITERIA	STANDARD EVALUATION QUESTIONS
RELEVANCE	1) Was this project a felt need of the community? 2) How did the project design fit with the critical problems of the beneficiaries? 3) Does the beneficiary community see this project as an answer to their problems? 4) Was the project design suitable for the identified target group (direct or indirect beneficiaries)? 5) Does the beneficiary community have a sense of ownership after implementation? 6) Does the project contribute to the institutional objective of the implementing partners?
COHERENCE	7) How does the project comply with international norms and standards? 8) Did the project apply to synergy with other development partners? 9) Does the project contribute to or duplicate the efforts of other partners?
EFFECTIVENESS	10) To what extent were the selected target groups reached? 11) How was the participation of the target groups in the implementation? 12) To what extent were women involved in the processes? 13) How did the proposed project activities contribute to achieving the project objectives (outcomes)? 14) What difficulties occurred during project implementation and how were they dealt with? 15) What positive (or negative) changes did this project bring about in the targeted community, especially among young people, women and people with disabilities? 16) Does the implementing agency own a permanent office?
EFFICIENCY	17) Were the activities carried out cost-effectively? 18) How many people (especially young people, women and people with disabilities) have benefited directly from the project? 19) How many people benefited indirectly from the project? 20) How does the project collate with the costs and the number of beneficiaries? 21) Do the project costs speak to the results/outputs? 22) Were the project objectives achieved on time? 23) Are there other efficient ways and means, which could have achieved better results (outputs and outcomes) with the available inputs?
OVERARCHING DEVELOPMENTAL IMPACT	24) Does the relevant department of the central government recognize these projects? 25) Do the projects complement the government’s national development priorities?  26) To which sustainable development goal (SDG) do these projects contribute? 27) Does the implementing partner collaborate with a government agency or other relevant partners during or after implementation? 28) What are the unintended consequences of the project activities? 29Are there significant changes in context as a result of the project intervention?
SUSTAINABILITY	30) Is the project socially acceptable in the target community? 31) How effective were the exit strategies and approaches to phasing out support provided by the project 32) What are the key factors/areas that require additional support/attention to improve the prospects for sustainability of project outcomes and the potential for replication of this approach? 33) Are there management committees or CBOs managing the project facilities for future sustainability? 34) Does the project have income-generating activities at the community level?

In order to ensure that the specific objectives and impact indicators of each project are captured in detail, the selected consultant, in consultation with FT and bengo, will develop a specific set of questions to be used based on the above criteria.

(4)  PROCESS

To ensure successful implementation of this ex-post evaluation, numerous activities will be carried out which include the selection of a consultant, opening meeting and document review, questionnaire formulation/administration, site visits, focus group discussions, survey, compilation of data/report, presentation/final meeting. The process will be participatory and inclusive as all stakeholders and beneficiaries will actively participate. The actual methodology to be used shall be determined by the selected consultant.

(5)  OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES

The evaluation report will cover the five (5) completed and two (2) ongoing projects. The consultant is expected to submit a detailed ex-post evaluation report in English and to conduct a final workshop for the project executing agencies to discuss in detail the results of the evaluation – particularly the recommended practices and negative findings.

(6)  CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

– Conclusions must be written in clearly understandable terms so that they can be understood and followed by all project stakeholders.
– The recommendations must be comprehensively integrated into the evaluation report annexes.
– These include all documents relevant to the evaluation process

(7)  PROFESSIONAL PROFILE OF THE EVALUATION TEAM

Interested consultant (s) must fulfil the following minimum prerequisites:

1. At least 10 years of evaluation experience in BMZ-funded development projects or projects implemented by other bilateral partners comparable to BMZ.
2. In-depth knowledge and experience in designing and implementing large-scale community development projects implemented by national governments or major donors in African countries with transitional economies. Experience in the West African region – Sierra Leone is desirable.
3. In-depth knowledge of NGO and donor partner operations and their collaboration with central governments in the African context, ideally in West Africa – Sierra Leone is desirable.
4. Knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals and their application to national strategic development plans in post-conflict settings in the African context, ideally in West Africa – Sierra Leone is desirable.
5. In-depth knowledge of Sierra Leone`s socio-economic, political, cultural and traditional contexts.
6. The team should consist of individuals who speak at least one of the main local dialects spoken in the project region, such as Krio or Mende. If the consultant (s) cannot speak the local languages, it is possible to hire an independent interpreter(s) or simply include a local translator in the team.
7. The consultant (s) and all team members must be independent of YAD and FT.
8. Fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory. Knowledge of German language can be an added advantage but not mandatory.
9. Team members should not be current applicants or beneficiaries of any BMZ funding.

(8)  TENTATIVE TIMETABLE

ACTIVITIES	MAY	JUNE	JULY	AUG
Tender notice for consultant	X
Pre-selection of suitably qualified applicants	X
Selection of the consultant(s) on the basis of the content/financial offer	X
Preliminary discussions/negotiations with consultant ( FT/ consultant/ bengo)		X
Finalizing contract with the consultant (s)		X
Preparation of the field phase (detailing questionnaires, methodology, instruments)		X
Field phase / on-site survey			X
Presentation/submission of the final report				X

(9)  MANAGEMENT OF THE EVALUATION

The evaluation team is responsible for its own logistics. YAD will provide the team with instructions on the geographic locations of the projects, including names of villages, communities, key agencies, etc. YAD may provide the evaluation team, where necessary, with transport to the various project sites during the evaluation process.  The data collected will be processed by the evaluation team in their own office/premises and may only use YAD’s facilities when/where there is no other means.  However, exchange and interaction between YAD staff and the evaluation team is possible when needed. Evaluation team members may seek clarification from YAD staff when and as necessary.

The final report will be presented transparently at a final meeting with the YAD and FT.  FT may participate in this meeting via webcam, Skype or WhatsApp if a representative cannot attend in person.  The consultant will then present, at least, 4 copies of the report, which will then be distributed to FT and YAD. An electronic copy in high-quality PDF format must be submitted to FT for onward delivery to BMZ/bengo.

(10) QUANTITY STRUCTURE

The publication of tender notice for consultants will begin in early May 2022. The review of applications and selection of consultants will be completed by the end of May 2022. The evaluation process will start in June and end on July 30, 2022. While the consultant is allowed to determine the actual evaluation methodology and quantity structure to be used, the following steps is  recommended in order to complete the task within the expected timeframe:  

ACTIVITIES	LOCATION	NUMBER OF DAYS
Initial preparation, elaborating on evaluation instruments, desk study etc.	Office of the Consultants	3
Conduct ex-post evaluation, including kick-off meeting with YAD	Kenema city/project communities	12
Follow-up, including final report	Office of the Consultants	5
Workshop with YAD staff on evaluation results	Kenema city	1
Submission of the final report to FT	YAD office/to FT online	1
Arrival and departure	To /fro YAD-office	2
	Total days	24

(11) ATTACHMENTS

– Relevant project documents (project applications, forwarding contracts, interim reports, acquittal reports, change requests and corresponding change contracts)
– Photos of the project
– List of interviewees
– References