Republic of Zambia

Ministry of Community Development and Social Services

Request for Expression of Interest
(Impact Evaluation for The Zambia Social Cash Program)

Country: Zambia

Name of Project: Girls Educations Women's Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) - Social Cash Transfer (SCT)

Loan No. /Credit No. /Grant No.: 65690

Assignment Title: Impact Evaluation for the Zambia Social Cash Transfer Program

Reference No.: MCDSS/SCT/023/21

The Government of the Republic of Zambia has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Girls Education, Women's Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) Project - Social Cash Transfer (SCT), and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services

The Project supports the expansion and potential reform of ongoing Government interventions through the following components:

1) Component 1- Supporting Women's Livelihoods (SWL): Launch a new initiative that builds on the Government's existing structures and programs supporting livelihood productivity and economic empowerment;
2) Component 2a - Keeping Girls in School (KGS): Provide support to girls in households benefitting from the Social Cash Transfer Scheme (SCTS) to attend secondary school:
3) Component 2b - Social Cash Transfer (SCT): Extend support to the KGS by providing cash incentives to cover costs not included in KGS, which is school and boarding fees, but affect the learning progress of girls, and
4) Component 3 - Institutional Strengthening: Provide institutional support to improve capacity for policy management, program coordination, systems building for effective and efficient implementation and M&E on women's and social protection programming

The SCT has undergone significant evolution since its inception in 2003 and is now a national program operational in all 116 districts. Since 2014, the SCT has expanded coverage substantially, reaching approx. 19 percent of the population by 2019. In 2014, the program received an eight-fold increase in the Government budget allocation (from approximately USD3.5 million to USD30 million) and was scaled-up from 19 to 78 districts, reaching national coverage by 2017. The total number of beneficiary households increased from 145,698 to 632,327 households between 2014 and 2019, eventually covering about 19 percent of the population.

Having secured funding from the World Bank and Cooperating Partners (SIDA, UNICEF, IRISH AID and FCDO) under the Girls Education and Women's Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) Project, the Government of the Republic of Zambia plans to stabilize SCT transfers to the existing beneficiary caseload, and gradually scale-up to a further 378,000 beneficiary households, reaching 994,000 households in total or 28 percent of the total population.

The key objective of the proposed impact evaluation is to understand the impact of the scaled-up SCT program on household consumption, resilience, human capital, and productive outcomes. The impact evaluation will also be expected to assess the cost effectiveness of the program, the urban component and various design tweaks.

The consulting services ("the Services") include: (i) conceptualizing the impact evaluation (key research questions and identification strategy). (it) implementing the baseline and midline/ endline for the evaluation questionnaire design, programming and pre-test, sampling, recruitment of survey firm, assess field procedure plans, obtain Institutional Review Board approvals, and data collection), and (iii) analyzing and reporting results (PPT and working paper at midline endline).

The duration of the assignment is expected to be approximately 18 months, and will cover the baseline, midline/ endline stages of the evaluation

The Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) now invites eligible consulting firms ("Consultants") to indicate their interest in providing the Services Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are:

1) At least 10 years’ experience in formulating and implementing impact evaluations in the social protection sector, and specifically, of cash transfer programs:
2) In-house capacity to implement the evaluation, i.e., own a survey firm and data collection
3) Adequate experience in experimental and non-experimental evaluation methods; and
4) Previous experience in undertaking impact evaluations or research studies in Zambia or Africa in generally will be an added advantage.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 3.17 of the World Bank's Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers for November 2020 (Fourth Edition)

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a subconsultancy to enhance their qualifications.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the World Bank's Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers for November 2020 (Fourth Edition).

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours: 08:00 hours to 17:00 hour's local time. A copy of Terms of References (TORs) can be obtained from the following ministry website: https://www.mcdss.gov.zm/ under tenders or by sending an email to chibuyengs@gmail.com

Submission Procedure

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by e-mail) by Friday, 16th July 2021 at 17:00 hour's local time.

Purchasing and Supplies Unit
Attn: Chibuye N. Ngosa - Procurement Specialist – SWL/SCT
Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, Community House, Sadzu Road, Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: +260 977709246
E-mail: chibuyengs@gmail.com