Terms of Reference for Conducting a Feasibility Study at Kindernothilfe e.V. (KNH)

1.  Background information

Kindernothilfe e.V. (KNH) is a Non-Governmental Organisation founded in 1959. KNH works with local non- governmental organizations and their networks in 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe to realize and protect children’s rights. In Germany, KNH engages in awareness raising, education, and advocacy relating to development policies and particularly to the implementation of the Child Rights Convention. In Zambia, KNH has been supporting the work of local partner organizations for more than 23 years.

KNH intends to support our local partner organization, Zambia Civic Education Association (ZCEA), in implementing a project focusing on strengthening child-led reporting and advocacy of their Rights to Charter and Treaty Human Rights Bodies in Zambia. The aim is to promote child-friendly platforms for them to communicate their views on deprived or violated Rights, seeking solution from the duty bearers on community, district, provincial and national level and monitoring the solution delivery. This project will receive funding from KNH and from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Zambia Civic Education Association (ZCEA) is a registered Human Rights non-governmental, not for profit organisation founded and registered in 1993 under the Registrar of Societies Act in Zambia. Since 2002, ZCEA has been promoting children’s rights in line with the principles and standards contained in both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) through awareness raising, development of civic education curriculum, advocacy, participatory monitoring and reporting to Charter and Treaty human rights bodies at national, African and UN bodies.

The overarching goal of ZCEA is improved children’s well-being in Zambia through strengthened respect and accountability for Child Rights by immediate and primary duty bearers. The Mission of ZCEA is “promoting and protecting children’s rights through advocacy and civic education for their well-being” and with the Vision of “a society in which all people enjoy fundamental human rights, justice and human dignity prevails”.

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2. Purpose of the feasibility study

The study is a prerequisite for funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The purpose of the feasibility study is to provide a sound basis for further developing the project strategies into a project proposal by identifying project prerequisites, opportunities, and risks.

The specific objectives of the feasibility study are:

I. Analysis of the political and socio-economic situation in Zambia with regard to the Child Participation, in particular to child-led reporting and advocacy of their Rights to Charter and Treaty Human Rights Bodies.

II. Critical review of the theory of change and planned project strategies and an assessment with regard to relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.

III. Recommendations for the project strategies and project measures and provision of alternatives to the strategies, where applicable.

IV. Assessment of the capacity of Zambia Civic Education Association (ZCEA) in view of the planned intervention with suggestion – where necessary – of measures to strengthen the capacity of the organization.

3. Methodology

The consultant is requested to use at least the methods listed below. Further suggestions are welcome. There should be an opportunity to choose a methodology that is considered most suitable for this study.

• Document review of evaluations from predecessor projects implemented by Zambia Civic Education Association (ZCEA), evaluations and studies of the local NGO networks ZCEA is member of or other NGOs with a focus on the promotion of CR, in particular of Child Participation in reporting and monitoring of the CR in the country.
• Interviews and/or FGD with (a) members of the NGO networks ZCEA is member of, (b) representatives of Human Rights Commission (HRC), (c) relevant governmental stakeholders on district and national level, (d) community members that are members of relevant committees (e) girls and boys, among them differently abled children and out of school children in school going age groups, (f) ZCEA staff.
• Mapping of CSOs.

A project idea and a theory of change is available on request.

4. Areas of research and expected results:

Expected results:

The analysis should provide information and answers to the following questions:

1.1) What are the three major causes that Children are deprived of their Right to participation?

1.2) What major problem has been identified at district, provincial and national government level that hinders children to be heard and to be listened to? What is the specific need to address this problem at the government level?

1.3) What major problem has been identified at community level that prevents children from being heard and listened to? What is the specific need to address this problem at community level?

1.4) What major problem has been identified for the children that prevents them from speaking up and claim their Rights? What is the specific need to encounter this problem?

1.5)What government policies and laws exist in Zambia to promote child participation?

Area no. 2: Analysis of the governmental duty bearers at all levels and the community duty bearers

Expected results:

This section should answer at least the following questions:

2.1) What do the relevant government duty bearers and the community duty bearers know about the Child Rights, in particular the Right to Participation. What is their understanding of Child Participation?

2.2) What is the relevant government duty bearers’ commitment and power to promote Child Participation?

2.3) What are the relevant government duty bearers’ and the community duty bearers’ ability to contribute and buy in into the delivery and the sustainability of the project intervention?

2.4) What are both duty bearers’ needs to meaningfully contribute and buy in?

Area no. 3: Analysis of the right holders – the children

Expected results:

This section should answer at least the following questions:

3.1) What child participation platforms for children are currently existing and functional at community / school, district, province, and national level(s)?

3.2) What strategies and methods would children in Zambia use for advocating for their Rights to Provision, Protection and Participation? When do the children wish to hand over the issue to adults and for what reasons? What issues would the children wish to hand over to adults?

3.3)What are the secondary data on the number of girls and boys within the age group 10-18 years in all 116 districts in Zambia?

3.4) What are best three selection criteria for the districts to be chosen for the implementation of the project for rural and for urban settings?

3.5) What strategies, methods, and tools should be added to enable girls and boys aged 10-18 years old to engage in advocacy and reporting that is led by themselves and only facilitated by adults?

Area no. 4: Capacity assessment of ZCEA and other CSOs to implement this project

Expected results:

This section should answer at least the following questions:

4.1) What technical capacity and staffing does ZCEA have to implement the envisioned project strategies?

4.2) What are the capacity and competency gaps of ZCEA for successfully implementing the project strategies? How can the gaps be narrowed?

4.3) What formal or informal CSOs of the networks ZCEA is member of have the capacity to implement Child Rights Programming and reporting to Charter and Treaty bodies?

The mapping should bring out the (a) CSO’s location and reach, (b) key focus and number of target groups, (c) extend of implementation or engagement, and (d) number of years involved.

Area no. 5: Analysis of the project and its strategies against the DAC-criteria

Expected results:

5.1) How relevant is the project to the needs of the target groups (rights holders and duty bearers)?

5.2) How much does the project complement the planned strategies and plans of the government duty bearers?

5.3) How effective are the proposed strategies (a) to receive a conducive environment for children that allows meaningful participation and advocacy for their rights (b) to be heard by the duty bearers

5.4) How possible will it be to achieve the desired change after 2 years of this pilot project to rollout the model to the remaining districts in a follow-up project?

5.6) Which potential synergies with interventions supported by other donors are possible?

5.5) Which structural and personal resources are needed for effective and efficient project implementation?

5.8) How can participatory monitoring include target group(s) and governmental duty bearers in indicator setting, monitoring planning, data collection, and data interpretation best be ensured?

5.9) To what extent does the planned project offer a multi-level approach (micro-, meso-, macro-level) to increase significance and effectiveness?

5.10) To what extent does the objectives of the project consider gender aspects?

5.11) What are the roles and responsibilities of government and/or NGOs and/or other civic actors with regards to the sustainability of the outcome, from the start of the project onwards?

5.12) What negative consequences and impacts might result from the implementation of the project? If applicable – how will it be possible to address these risks in the project?

5.13) What risks need to be taken into consideration and what measures can be built into the project strategy to mitigate the risks.

5.  Deliverables

A. Inception report to be discussed with KNH and ZCEA.

B. Presentation of the results of feasibility study in virtual meeting.

C. The report on the feasibility study must be no longer than 30 pages exclusive of annexes. It must contain:

1. Summary of the finding and recommendations (max. 2-3 pages)

2. Introduction with presentation of purpose and objective of the study, a short CV of the consultant, the services provided, information on methodology and study participants (max. 2-3 pages)

3. One section that is divided into the research areas 1-4 for presenting the main data collected, its analysis, and the answers to the raised questions in a structured manner (max. 10-12 pages)

4. One section as the final evaluation of the research area 5 (max. 5-6 pages), according to the OECD DAC criteria (Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Significance, and Sustainability)

5. Final recommendation section providing at-length recommendations for the project strategies/concept and project measures, and alternatives to the strategies, where applicable (min. 5 pages)

6. Time frame

The study should start as soon as possible, preferably on 01/10/2022. The (draft) report should be available by 28/11/2022.

The final report should be available not later than 08/12/2022.

7.  The applicant

• At least a University Degree in Social Sciences and other relevant fields.
• Proven expertise in the field of Child Participation.
• Knowledge of the political and socio-economic context of Zambia.
• Knowledge of Legal Human Rights Framework at regional and UN level.
• Expert level knowledge on participatory project planning and Child Rights Approaches.
• Experience of conducting similar feasibility studies.
• Should have at least five years’ experience with the aforementioned topics.
• Experience with participatory monitoring approaches, tools and reporting.
• Ability to communicate fluently in English and at least three of the local languages spoken in Zambia.

8. Proposals and contract

Further information about ZCEA and the project overview can be received by contacting the Executive Director at: info@zamcivic.com.zm or nzila.siabalima@zambiacivic.onmicrosoft.com

Where necessary, ZCEA will support the consultant’s research and will be available for discussions and the capacity assessment.

The contract will be made with Kindernothilfe.

(National) consultants or agencies interested in conducting this assignment are requested to submit their proposals including the following:

A technical proposal:

• Letter of Interest presenting the understanding of the TOR with references on similar assignments already conducted.
• Updated CVs of key persons involved in the study
• One sample of a similar study conducted.

A detailed financial proposal with a breakdown of costs for professional fees, travel, per diems, taxes and other related costs. The financial proposal has to be set up in EUR. Other currencies are not acceptable.

The applicant is asked to upload in one pdf file the letter of interest, CVs, the technical and financial proposal, and sample(s) of similar studie(s) using the below link. The title of the pdf file should include the name of the applicant and the words “feasibility study 61567”.

https://cloud.kindernothilfe.net/s/KGSF9ACmkx4PQGa

Only in the event of technical problems you may seek assistance by contacting uta.dierking@knh.de

Note that documents submitted to the above e-mail address without prior approval cannot be taken into consideration and will be deleted.

Note that incomplete applications cannot be taken into consideration and will be deleted.

You will receive an acknowledgement e-mail a few working days after you have uploaded your file.