Terms of Reference to undertake an endline assessment for the project entitled “Building Teacher’s Capacity on Literacy Boost for supporting primary school children in Sidama, South Ethiopia and Central Ethiopia Regional states” Re-advertised

Background about Save the Children

Save the Children is the leading global independent organisation for children. Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.

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We are committed to ensuring our resources are used as efficiently as possible, in order to focus them on achieving maximum impact for children.

Background information/context of literacy boost project

In Ethiopia access to primary education has considerably been improved in the last decades, as many schools were constructed, reducing the distance children are traveling to reach schools. According to the Education Statistic Abstract for 2019/2020, the Net enrolment rate to primary education nationally is 95.3%. Yet, achieving education quality remains challenging. Different assessments on reading skills among children indicated that a significant proportion could not read fluently in their mother tongue after completing grade 2 and 3. Sidama, Southern Ethiopia and Central Ethiopia regional states are among the regions in Ethiopia where children demonstrated the lowest reading skills.

Save the Children has been implementing Literacy Boost (LB) common approach in Sidama, Southern Ethiopia and Central Ethiopia regional states through this project funded by Save the Children Italy. The goal of the project was to promote the integration of LB approach into the official  curriculum of English and local languages, to build teachers’ capacity on the methodology and, ultimately to improve the reading skills of school-age children.

This overall goal was expected to be achieved through a series of inter-connected activities addressed to teachers, children, and district, regional, and national education bureaus. The goal was expected to be achieved through 1) Training 38 master trainers (34 education experts from national, and regional education bureaus and district education offices, and four SCI Education Specialists)  on the LB approach; 2) Training 1,500 mother tongue and English teachers from 750 lower primary schools (grades 1-4) using those who were trained as master trainers; 3) providing training to teachers, 66 education experts (2 from MOE, 8 from Sidama, Southern Ethiopia and Central Ethiopia regional states (3 zones), 6 from districts  on coaching and mentoring services. and 4) Strengthening the integration and implementation of the Literacy Boost approach into the primary grade curriculum.

In addition, schools have the potential to expose children at risk of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Violence in school can reduce school attendance, lower academic performance, and increase drop-out rates. Children who are subjected to violence may experience physical injury, sexually transmitted infections, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal thoughts. They may also begin to exhibit risky, aggressive, and anti-social behaviour. Children who grow up around violence have a greater chance of replicating it for a new generation of victims.

This has devastating consequences for the success and prosperity of children, their families, and entire communities. In this regard, it is pertinent to develop and implement life skills and social and emotional learning programmes to build the resilience and protective capacity of children and youth.

Therefore, along with building the capacity of teachers and the school community on literacy boost for primary school children, it is believed important for schools to provide quality, inclusive and safe education, children can learn, build friendships, and gain the critical skills they need to navigate social situations. This will be granted whenever schools are free from violence and other child protection issues.

As a result, endline assessments and evaluations are scheduled to be carried out in order to produce proof of the effects of the Literacy Boost approach as well as a few important child protection indicators that are focused on schools.  The endline assessment is anticipated to guide our upcoming programming and assist SCI in utilising the lessons learned and difficulties encountered during the project's execution. Additionally, it will help in identifying the best lessons to be documented. It will primarily encourage gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive classroom instruction, which will further support the project's major goals. In this process, the end-line assessment will also be supportive to identify key child protection concerns ( such as child marriage, child abuse, exploitation, neglect, violence, trafficking, etc) in the school and community surroundings. Brief summary of the project is provided below:

Project General objectives - the overall objective of the project was to Strengthen the integration of Literacy Boost Approach into the official curriculum and improve reading skills of children in primary schools (grades 1-4) of Sidama, Southern and Central Ethiopia regional states through building teachers’ capacity on Literacy Boost approach.

Specific Objective(s) - To demonstrate the effectiveness of the LB on the literacy level of grades 1-4 children in selected schools of SNNPR and Sidama regions for it to be integrated in the official curriculum in mother tongues and English language.

Member / Donor - Save the Children Italy

Project duration - July1, 2021 - December 31, 2022 (18 months)

Thematic areas – Education

Target groups- 187,500 Children (93,750 Females) age 7-10 years old in  Grades 1-4:, 1500 (750 F) Primary school mother tongue and English teachers: and 122 Education experts:

Implementing partners – District education offices in Sidama and SNNPR

Implementation areas (regions, woredas, schools, etc.) – South Ethiopia, Central Ethiopia, and Sidama Regional states.

Objective of the consultancy assignment

This end-of-project survey aims to gather data regarding the project's effectiveness across three regions: Sidama, Central, and South Ethiopia. Additionally, its goal is to monitor how the project has impacted students' reading abilities and teachers' ability to teach. Furthermore, the evaluation is anticipated to identify important child protection-related interventions (e.g., school clubs, psycho-social support programmes, reporting protection risks and compliant handling mechanisms, teacher capacity on CP fundamentals, etc.) and evaluate the ways in which protection issues are recognised, handled, and evaluated in relation to academic achievement and literacy gains.

The results and suggestions will be utilised to track advancement towards the project's goals and objectives and to close any gaps found during the implementation of the project's next phase. The project's final report will be distributed to various education stakeholders so they may draw lessons from it.

The evidence will serve to establish benchmark for the Education and child protection integrated project, which is under implementation. In other words, the finding (s) will provide information on strengths and area of improvement to gear the current project implementation.

More specifically, the end-line assessment will have the following key objectives.

• To review project goal, objectives, and activities using DAC criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability)
• Analyse reading skills of early grade learners against key project indicators in program operational sites along project key indicators;
• To assess teachers’ skills and their perception of literacy boost as well as recommend possible solutions for the future considerations;
• To analyse the relevance and effectiveness of project direction and strategy pursued to implement the project supported by the same donor.
• To assess the situation of child protection concerns, systems, and mechanisms in and around schools.

Location (s) and  travel involved

Data should be collected from Sidama, central and South Ethiopia regions and districts of project intervention. The consultant is expected to train and deploy data collectors in sample of 750 schools in three regions mentioned above and ten intervention districts.

Services the Supplier will provide

The consultancy firm is expected to describe methodology to be followed for collecting data to achieve assessment objective related to literacy skills of children and stakeholders involved in education of children. This will include scientific sampling method to be pursued (with 95% Confidence Level and 5% margin of error) , tools to be used in line with target population of the study, namely, children and adults.

Data collection tools should be drafted and submitted for SCI for review and feedback. number and qualification of data collectors should be indicate per data collection location, including language skill and the mechanisms to consolidate and analyse the data collected.  Consolidated data should be provided to SCI along the report for reference and cross checking. The consultancy firm should be willing to be engaged in Pre- consultancy offer consultation session about the methodology, its team composition (number of data collectors and language skill), cost breakdown and deadline for submission of the report. The firm should be able to organize a validation workshop to receive feedback from SCI and update the report based on the feedback.

Estimated Commencement Date: April , 2024

Estimated End Date: May 22, 2024

The Supplier shall provide the below status updates for the duration of the services:

• Bi-weekly progress update to SCI
• Monthly progress update SCI

Acceptance

When deliverables are acceptable by SCI then this will be communicated through supply chain, by e-mail or phone as appropriate.

General assumptions and dependencies

The consultant selected for the assignment shall:

• Attend SCI’s briefing session about the project and on how to develop an inception report.
• Conduct literature review as part of inception report and final report.
• Develop data collection tools and submit to SCI for review and feedback
• Work out and agree with SCI team on the sample size for each target group, based on scientific sample size calculator
• Be responsible for the collection, entry, cleaning, and analysis of the endline survey data and all costs associated with this.
• Prepare and submit an inception report (as per SCI guidance and ToR) along with Quantitative and qualitative tools. The survey tools should address all the project indicators.
• Prepare a detailed work plan to achieve the assignment.
• Deploy pertinent qualified and experienced team members for the assignment.
• Work on and submit a draft endline assessment report to Save the Children
• Present survey/assessment findings and recommendations to a validation workshop (using PowerPoint and possibly via virtual meeting).
•  Produce the final endline assessment report as per the inputs of the validation workshop.
• Prepare two pages of synthesis/ synopsis of the whole end-line assessment as per SC’s template.
• Maintain professional integrity and adherence to SCI’s procedures.

Save the Children shall:

• Consolidate both the technical and financial evaluations submitted by consulting firms.
• Held a briefing session with the ideal consulting team (based on the evaluation outcome) before the inception report. The organization (SCI) may also discontinue/ cancel the procedure and may not grant the award to the consulting firm if the overall understanding of the assignment and the designed methods are  found not convincing to the technical team.
• provide orientation on the preparation of an inception report (after the initial briefing).
• Provide all relevant background documents and data to the consultant.
• Provide feedback on inception report and data collection tools.
• Monitor the data collection process and analysis to ensure quality.
• Review and provide feedback on draft and final reports.
• Arrange/ facilitate meetings as required.
• Effect payments based on the agreement signed with the consultant.

Payment information 

Payment will be  made on a milestone basis, on specific dates or all on satisfactory completion of the work, as indicated below:

• 10% of the total cost payable within 10 days of satisfactory completion of deliverable 1,2 and 3
• 30% of the total cost payable within 15 days of satisfactory completion of deliverable 4,5,6
• 60% of the total cost payable within 45 days of satisfactory completion of deliverable 7,8 and 9

The Fees are inclusive of all costs, overheads and expenses, including travel, subsistence and accommodation (no additional cost or financial support to be extended outside the ToR).

Other important information

Sub-contracting to translation of tools to local language can be done by the consultant but deliverable should be finalized within the consultancy period and will be the responsibility of the consultant.

Technical proposal evaluation criteria

Terms and Conditions of the Consultancy

Code of conduct: Because Save the Children's work is based on deeply held values and principles, our commitment to children's rights must be supported and demonstrated by all staff members of the consultancy firm. Save the Children's Code of Conduct (COC) sets out the standards that the consultant will also be expected to adhere to. Consultants must sign the child-safeguarding policy of Save the Children before departing to the field and ensure compliance with the code while on duty.

Logistics: The consultancy firm will cover the costs of accommodation, per diem, air tickets, and travel including vehicles for its staff and service fee of enumerators during data collection.

Tax and insurance: The consultancy firm will be responsible for paying taxation and other related government fees.  

Contract: a contract will be signed between the consultancy firm and SCI upon the commencement of the endline assessment detailing additional terms and conditions of service. 

Experience and skill set required

Bidder should indicate  the proposed number of resources, along with the competencies, qualifications and experience of each resource in their application.. Bidders will be able to attach the CV and other documentation supporting their relevant experience of proposed individual/team when responding.

• Advanced University Degree (Master) in education, curriculum, development, social studies, development studies, economics, or any other social science relevant degree or  related discipline, including monitoring and evaluation, from a recognized university
• A minimum of 5 years' experience in conducting project monitoring and evaluation studies, including education and child protection initiatives or programs and experience
• Must possess solid methodological and research skills demonstrated through recognized research pieces and evaluations by different organizations. 
• Must have good knowledge and understanding of issues around access to and quality of education at the primary level (Grades 1-4) and the challenges faced by marginalized groups, including People Living with Disability in accessing quality education.
• Must have in-depth knowledge of the socio-cultural, economic, and political context of Child protection and migration. 
• Demonstrated experience of providing similar services in country and in INGO context (Previous work experience with similar activities on Child protection (school-focused), community services, migration, and livelihood especially in the development context)
• Previous work experience with marginalized groups, including women, low-income youth, and persons with disabilities, will be an asset.
• Ability to produce high-quality work under tight timeframe.
• The ability to work collaboratively with multiple individuals and groups as well as research projects with international and local organizations (references with sample copies of the title of research work conducted with local and international organizations) will be an added advantage.
• An excellent command of the English languages – both written and oral
• Ability to produce quality work within deadline and under pressure
• Working experience in sidama, central Ethiopia and South Ethiopia languages

Expected Deliverables

The consultancy firm is expected to deliver the below services as part of consultancy undertaking: