Expression of Interest (EOI) for Individual Evaluators/Consulting Firms Interested in Participacting in the End of Project Evaluation of the SIDA-funded MSZ program in Zambia at Marie Stopes Zambia

MSZ/005/2022:

Terms of Reference for the End of Project Evaluation of the Sida-funded MSZ program in Zambia

1. Evaluation object and scope

The evaluation is intended for the project ‘Scaling up Access to Comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for Women and Girls in Zambia.’

Scaling up Access to Comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for Women and Girls in Zambia 2018-2022

Marie Stopes Zambia is implementing a project titled Scaling up Access to Comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for Women and Girls in Zambia. The project’s Goal is to increase the opportunities for women and young people to exercise their sexual and reproductive health rights.

The project aligns with Strategy Area 2 on Improved Health and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights of the Strategy for Sweden’s Development Cooperation with Zambia 2018-2022. The project also contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 5, specifically;

• Goal 3: Indicators 3.1 and 3.7
• Goal 5: Indicator 5.6

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The project also aligns with Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy, 2015-2018 which had six objectives in relation to the global SDGs. This project addresses the objectives of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and human rights for all women and girls.

The project is being implemented across four provinces in Zambia: Eastern, Northern, Copperbelt, and Lusaka provinces, and focused on reaching:

1. Underserved rural communities at scale with quality contraceptive care services through mobile outreach

2. Poor urban and peri-urban communities, with a wide range of SRH services, including, contraception, safe abortion (SA), and post-abortion family planning (PAFP), through; outreach, MS Ladies, MSZ Family Health Clinic and Public Sector Strengthening (PSS).

2. Evaluation rationale

The evaluation is an agreement condition between MSI Reproductive Choices and Sida. The principal reason behind the evaluation was for MSZ and Sida to understand the contribution that the project has made towards reducing; unplanned/unintended pregnancies, illegal unsafe abortion, and maternal mortality in Zambia.

3. Evaluation purpose: Intended use and intended users

The purpose of the evaluation is to identify performance levels, achievements and lessons learned on the project in order for the Swedish Embassy in Zambia to make evidence-based decisions relating to future SRHR interventions.

The intended users of the evaluation are MSZ, Sida, the Ministry of Health, MSI Reproductive Choices, and the line ministries of the Government of the Republic of Zambia. The evaluation could also be helpful for other SRH service providers in the country as well.

4. Evaluation Criteria and questions

The objective of the evaluation is to evaluate the project’s relevance, coherence, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability using the OECD criteria and formulate recommendations as input to upcoming discussions in preparation for potential ongoing support for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

5. Evaluation approach and methods for data collection and analysis

It is expected that the evaluators describe and justify an appropriate evaluation approach/methodology and methods for data collection in the tender. The evaluation design, methodology, and methods for data collection and analysis are expected to be fully developed and presented in the inception report. The evaluation team should use innovative approaches, especially in relation to abortion care and the participation of project beneficiaries under the age of 18 years. A clear distinction is to be made between the evaluation approach/methodology and methods. A gender-responsive approach/methodology, methods, tools, and data analysis techniques should be used[1].

6. Organisation of evaluation management

This evaluation is commissioned by MSZ.  The intended users of the evaluation are MSZ, Sida, the Ministry of Health Zambia, and MSI Reproductive Choices. Sida, MSZ, MSI Reproductive Choices and Ministry of Health representatives will form a steering group that has contributed to and agreed on the ToR for this evaluation. The steering group will review and approve the inception report and the final report of the evaluation. Part of the steering group will participate in the start-up meeting of the evaluation, as well as in the debriefing/validation workshop where preliminary findings and conclusions will be discussed.

7. Evaluation quality

The evaluation shall conform to OECD/DAC’s Quality Standards for Development Evaluation[2]. The evaluators shall use the OECD/DAC Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation[3] and the OECD/DAC Better Criteria for Better Evaluation[4]. The evaluators shall specify how quality assurance will be handled by them during the evaluation process. The evaluation team will also work closely with the MSZ and MSI Reproductive Choice Research Monitoring and Evaluation teams, especially in reviewing secondary routine data.

8.  Time schedule and deliverables

It is expected that a timeline schedule and work plan are presented by the Evaluators in the tender and further detailed in the inception report. The evaluation shall be carried out between 1st November 2022 and 23rd January 2023. The timing of any field visits, surveys, and interviews needs to be settled by the evaluator in dialogue with MSZ. A final Evaluation Report will be expected no later than 15th February 2023.

9. Evaluation Team Qualification

MSZ is looking for an independent Evaluator to lead the evaluation. The Evaluators must comprise two team leaders, one who is an evaluation methodology expert and the other an FP expert in addition to any other team members. The FP expert must demonstrate knowledge of Zambia’s national SRH policies and regulations and experience working with SRH programmes in Zambia. It would be most advantageous to include women and young people as part of the evaluation team. The essential and desired competencies of the two team leaders are as follows:

Essential competencies:

• An advanced degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Social Sciences, Health Care Management, or other relevant disciplines of study
• Previous experience (at least 8 to 10 years) in conducting public health evaluations in developing countries (particularly in Zambia) using rigorous evaluation methodologies
• Knowledge and experience in the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods of research
• Demonstrated knowledge of national evaluation policies and procedures.
• At least 8-10 years of experience in project management
• Pro-choice

Desirable competencies:

• Demonstrated knowledge of Zambia’s national evaluation policies and procedures.
• At least 8 years of experience in International Public Health in the field of family planning
• Expertise in SRHR content and evaluation of SRHR projects.
• Previous experience in OECD/DAC Evaluation approach will be a strong added advantage
• Knowledge of Zambia: knowledge of the situation for women in girls and women, rural traditional societies in the country, and the challenges in providing contraceptive and safe abortion services in the country.

The evaluator/agency must be able to complete the evaluation in the stipulated period mentioned above. It is also important that the team includes national evaluators, both male and female. They should also have local language fluency to reduce the risk of miscommunication.  Please note that in the tender, the tenderers must propose a team leader that takes part in the evaluation by at least 30% of the total evaluation team time including core team members, specialists, and all support functions, but excluding time for the quality assurance expert.

10. Resources

The maximum budget amount available for the evaluation is 23,000 USD.

Invoicing and payment shall be managed according to the following: The evaluator may invoice a maximum of 40 % of the total amount after approval of the Inception Report and a maximum of 60% after approval by MSZ of the Final Report and when the assignment is completed.

11.  Bids Submission

To apply, interested individual Evaluators/consulting firms must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their suitability for the assignment:

• Up-to-date Resume for each of the expert (s) proposed to work on this assignment including experience in similar projects and 3 (three) references.
• Technical Proposal presenting methodology of work and approach to be used for the project (not more than 4 pages).
• Financial proposal with a summarized budget. Transport and fuel requirements should be clearly indicated.
• Any example of the past evaluation (preferably SRHR and using the OECD/DAC Evaluation approach) that the Evaluator has done and can be shared.

ONLY shortlisted Evaluators will be contacted.

Submission Procedure

All bids should be submitted to MSZ at the following email address: procurement@mariestopes.org.zm and copied to jobs@mariestopes.org.zm by the 10th November 2022. Alternatively, hard copies can be submitted at the below-stated address, also by the 10th of November 2022 before 17hrs. Please also send emails to the above addresses for copies of the full Terms of Reference.

Address:

The Procurement Committee – Marie Stopes Zambia

Plot 120 Kudu Road Kabulonga

P.O Box 33739

Lusaka, Zambia

[1] See for example UNEG United Nations Evaluation Group (2014) Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluations http://uneval.org/document/detail/1616

[2] OECD/DAC (2010) Quality Standards for Development Evaluation.

[3] Sida OECD/DAC (2014) Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management.

[4] OECD/DAC (2019) Better Criteria for Better Evaluation: Revised Evaluation Criteria Definitions and Principles for Use.