1.    Background

Zambia Open Community Schools (ZOCS) entered into a partnership with Hei verden in the year 2021 to implement the ‘Education Action for Marginalized Children Project’ in Zambia. The five-year (2021-2025) project is aimed at ensuring that vulnerable children in project schools have access to quality education in a safe and healthy learning environment. The project further seeks to improve enrolment and progression for learners especially girls and Children with Disabilities (CWD); build capacity of Project Schools and communities to provide inclusive equitable and quality education, increased Government support to Community schools; Improved access to Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) and other health Preventive and control mechanisms for Community Schools.

The project is being implemented in 60 Community Schools in Nkeyema, Mongu, Sesheke, and Mulobezi districts of Western province of Zambia.

The project is in its third year of implementation (2023) and according to the contractual obligations, ZOCS with the support of a consultant is expected to undertake a mid-term project evaluation.

2.    Purpose and use

The purpose of the evaluation is to provide evidence and learning on performance of the ‘Education Action for Marginalized Children Project’ in Zambia at mid-term of its implementation. It will help review progress towards the achievement of project results, specific objectives and overall objective, based on the logical framework of the project. Thus, the evaluation will provide an opportunity to make modifications to ensure the achievement of the set objectives are within the lifetime of the project. It will enable ZOCS and its partner to suggest what adjustments if any, would need to be made in the strategy and structure of the project for maximum impact and sustainability at district, school and community levels.

3.    Objectives and Evaluation Questions

Evaluation Objectives

Review performance of the project at mid-term with emphasis on the results at outcome levels and impact, if relevant, of all the implemented interventions from 2021 to 2023;
Review the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the project interventions in responding to the needs of the Orphans and Vulnerable Children and Children living with Disabilities (CWD);
Assess the effectiveness of the advocacy, capacity building, and service delivery interventions-enrolment campaigns, PCSC and volunteer teacher training, lobbying and policy influencing, bursaries, and water provision,
Provide key lessons learnt, best practices and recommendations for incorporation into the remaining period of implementation of the project.
Assess the extent to which the project incorporated gender, equity and inclusion and succeeded in: targeting   the most vulnerable learners transitioning from Community to Secondary Schools and hard to reach communities.

Evaluation Questions:

1. Relevance: To what extent has the project been relevant in its overall goal of improving children’s access to quality and equitable education in a safe and healthy learning environment

2. Equity and social inclusion: To what extent did the project address gender, equity and inclusion with regard to the dimensions of human rights, age, disability and location

3. Effectiveness: To what extent were the outcomes and objectives of the project achieved at mid-term?

4. Efficiency: To what extent were the project results achieved in relation to the available resources at mid-term?

5. Sustainability and impact: To what extent did the project increase access to education for vulnerable children?     Are the relevant stakeholders (school managers, community members, DEBS) involved in project implementation and are they willing and committed with the project?

4.    Scope

The Evaluation will cover all project activities for the period 2021 – 2023 and will target 30 out of the 60 project schools. The schools will be chosen by the Consultant using sampling methods and techniques that ensure that target schools equally include urban, peri-urban and rural characteristics defined by distance from DEBS office and that in each of the three categories schools have an equal chance of being selected.

The research questions and analysis will focus on the following expected results:

Increased number of out of school children enrolled in school and percentage of children progressing into secondary school.
Increased number of project schools being recognized and supported by Government
Enhanced capacity of volunteer teachers to deliver quality services
Number of children with disabilities enrolled and accessing education
Increased number of girls enrolled and accessing education
Enhanced capacity of Parent Community School Committee (PCSC) members to support Community Schools.
Increased number of vulnerable children supported with bursaries for secondary education

5.  Approach and Methodology

It is expected that the consultant shall design a detailed methodology suiting the nature of the evaluation. The mid-term evaluation process should be collaborative and participatory to utilize existing and new data and information that will respond to the aims and objectives of the evaluation. The consultant shall be expected to employ quantitative and qualitative methods with well-structured sampling design, data collection and data analysis framework that will assess the effectiveness of the project in achieving its outputs, outcomes, and desired impact.

Evaluation Target Groups:

School administration
Guidance and Counseling teachers
Volunteer teachers
Parents Community School Committee (PCSC) members
Community Action Groups (CAGs)
District Education Board Secretaries (DEBS)
Bursary beneficiaries
learners

6.  Quality Standards

As a way of employing quality standards, ZOCS will provide the existing code of conduct on Child Protection & Safeguarding, and the Code of conduct to help the consultant conduct themselves in an acceptable manner while interacting with relevant stakeholders on the project. The principle of anonymity will be guaranteed/upheld, as well as guaranteeing them that the information they offer will be dealt with in confidence.

Furthermore, as part of ethical expectations, the consultant will be expected to pay a level of attention on ethical conduct especially during the data collection activity.  The consultant will ensure that respondents are fully informed of what will be asked of them and how the data collected will be used.

7. Management of the review/evaluation

The consultant will work with the ZOCS (internal project staff) and the Ministry of Education officials during the evaluation.

ZOCS Management (Head of Program and Project Manager) and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) officers will receive the draft report, review and provide feedback to the consultant for consideration.

A final report will then be delivered by the consultant to management and MEAL officers who will then review and once satisfied, submit the report to the Executive Director for endorsement/approval.

Once approved, Management, and MEAL officers will then track progress so far and identify, if need be, areas needing adjustments.  A dissemination will then be undertaken with key stakeholders in the project namely, Ministry of Education (district level), PCSC members, CAG members, school managers.  During the dissemination, the way forward in terms of implementation will be provided

8. Qualifications and experience required for the consultants:

• At least Master’s degree in Education, Development Studies, Project management, Monitoring and Evaluation or a related field
• At least 5 years’ experience in working with development programs relating to education
• Demonstrated experience with quantitative and qualitative research, data base management and statistical data analysis
• Experience of working in Zambia or Southern Africa
• Proven record of communicating with beneficiaries.
• Relevant subject matter knowledge and experience regarding the thematic areas
• Ability to deal with hardship and remote area field work preferred
• Action-oriented and evidence-based approach and strong drive for results;

9. Time frame and Schedule

The duration for the evaluation including submission of the inception report shall be 30 days. The Consultant shall submit the inception report to ZOCS 05 days after the signing of the contract and the first draft report 20 days after the signing of the contract. The final report to ZOCS and dissemination of the findings to ZOCS Management will be done 30 days (after the signing of the contract).

10.  Deliverables / Reporting (and other dissemination)

Evaluation deliverables:

The outputs of the evaluation at mid-term shall include the following.

• An evaluation approach and design, sampling methods used and questions to be answered and provide a detailed work plan for the entire exercise which includes timelines and milestones. Draft questionnaires, interview guides and other data collection tools will be submitted to ZOCS for review and approval before commencement of data collection.
• As part of the annexes to the final report, the consultant shall prepare an evaluation summary to give a focused version of the report spelling out in short, the aims and objectives of the study and the effectiveness of the intervention while providing recommendations for project sustainability and learning points for consideration.
• Evaluation report: The consultant will submit a detailed final report outlining the evaluation methodology, findings (including indicators), lessons learned and recommendations. The report shall incorporate the most appropriate recommendations that will inform programming by ZOCS and partners.
• The final report should address the issues and questions raised in this ToR and correspond to the evaluation objectives set out above.

11. Budget

Budget: The consultants shall include, as part of their application, a detailed budget providing the estimated costs associated with executing the evaluation.

Submit a bid by emailing a cover letter, technical proposal, accompanying budget, and CV/s to zocs2008@gmail.com with “consultancy for EAMC Project” in the subject line. The CV/s must highlight the candidate’s technical strength and sufficient experience and Knowledge. All documents MUST be in one PDF document.

DEADLINE: 16th February 2024 by 17:00 hours