Call for Tender: Evaluation of the School Leadership and Management (SLaM) Programme At Save the Children

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Call for Tender: Evaluation of the School Leadership and Management (SLaM) Programme

Nepal (Sustainability Assessment) and Somalia (Localisation & Contextualisation Study)

Intro

Save the Children Norway’s Evidence & Learning Unit is commissioning an independent evaluation of the School Leadership and Management (SLaM) Programme, a school improvement model developed in Nepal and now being adapted in other contexts. The SLaM model strengthens school leadership, governance, and community engagement to improve transparency, accountability, participation, and ultimately children’s learning and well-being.

Originally developed and tested in Nepal between 2019 and 2022 using a Developmental Evaluation approach, SLaM is currently being implemented in all Save the Children-supported schools in Karnali Province and has recently been adapted for implementation in Somalia.

This evaluation will generate evidence on the effectiveness, sustainability, localisation, and future scalability of the SLaM approach by examining two distinct implementation contexts:

  • Nepal: assessing the sustainability and institutionalisation of SLaM after several years of implementation.
  • Somalia: assessing how SLaM is being adapted, contextualised, and implemented within a fragile education system.

Purpose and Key Tasks

Purpose

The evaluation aims to:

  • Assess the effectiveness of the SLaM model in strengthening school leadership, governance, participation, transparency, and accountability.
  • Examine the sustainability of SLaM practices and structures in Nepal.
  • Assess the localisation and contextualisation of the model in Somalia.
  • Test and refine the SLaM Theory of Change.
  • Generate actionable recommendations for future adaptation, scale-up, and revision of the SLaM Toolpack.

Key Tasks

The consultant/team will be responsible for:

  • Designing and implementing a mixed-methods evaluation framework.
    • Including support to developing country-level documentation frameworks.
  • Conducting qualitative fieldwork in Nepal and Somalia.
  • Analysing programme monitoring and outcome data provided by Save the Children.
  • Assessing sustainability, effectiveness, localisation, and contextualisation of the SLaM approach.
  • Conducting comparative analysis across countries and implementation stages.
  • Producing key deliverables including:
    • Inception Report
    • Nepal Sustainability Assessment Report
    • Somalia Localisation and Contextualisation Report
    • Cross-Country Synthesis Report
    • Validation workshops and presentations
    • Final evaluation report and supporting annexes.

The consultant will work closely with Save the Children Norway’s Evidence & Learning team and relevant education colleagues, with support from country offices for access to data, stakeholders, and logistics.

Timeline and Methodology

Timeline

  • Start date: September 2026
  • End date: December 2028
  • Key milestones:
    • Inception and design phase
    • Country-level documentation and fieldwork
    • Nepal sustainability assessment
    • Somalia localisation assessment
    • Cross-country synthesis
    • Final reporting and dissemination.

Scope and Level of Effort

  • Estimated consultancy budget: up to NOK 800,000 (inclusive of VAT).
  • Budget should cover evaluation design, fieldwork, analysis, reporting, and participation in learning workshops.
  • Additional funding has been allocated to support evaluation related activities undertaken by Save the Children Country Offices and Partners

Geographic Scope

Nepal

  • Former pilot schools (2019-2022)
  • Sahayatra II rollout schools
  • Sahayatra III schools where relevant

Somalia

  • Eight pilot/rollout schools
  • Relevant district, regional, and education authorities.

Methodology

The assignment will apply a mixed-methods, theory-informed approach.

Methods may include:

  • Document and literature review
  • Key informant interviews
  • Focus group discussions
  • School observations
  • Comparative case studies
  • Analysis of monitoring and outcome data
  • Theory of Change validation
  • Cross-country comparative analysis
  • Participatory validation workshops.

The final methodology should be proposed by the consultant and elaborated in the Inception Report.

Qualifications

We are looking for a research institution, consultancy firm, or consortium with the following competencies:

  1. Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in education, social sciences, development studies, public policy, or related disciplines.
  2. Demonstrated experience conducting complex evaluations within the education sector.
  3. Strong expertise in mixed-methods research and evaluation.
  4. Experience assessing programme sustainability, institutionalisation, or systems strengthening.
  5. Experience working in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
  6. Knowledge of school leadership, governance, education systems, or education reform programmes.
  7. Strong qualitative research and analytical skills.
  8. Ability to mobilise and manage local researchers and data collectors.
  9. Excellent written and spoken English.
  10. Experience working in South Asia and/or the Horn of Africa is considered an advantage.
  11. Formal affiliation with a recognised research institution in the countries of interest is an advantage.

The consultant(s) must certify in their cover letter that they have a legally registered consultancy or organisation and the necessary permits to operate in the proposed locations.

Important: All applicants must demonstrate compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements and Save the Children’s safeguarding and ethical research standards.

Call for Proposals

We welcome applications from organisations, institutions, or consultant teams possessing the required combination of skills and expertise.

Applicants should submit:

  1. A brief Expression of Interest (maximum 3 pages) outlining:
    • Understanding of the assignment
    • Proposed methodology and approach
    • Team composition and roles
    • Estimated level of effort and timeline
  2. Up to 3 CVs (if submitting as a team), clearly identifying the Team Leader.
  3. Up to 3 examples of relevant previous consultancy assignments, evaluations, or research studies.
  4. A financial proposal including consultant fees, travel, fieldwork, and any additional costs.
  5. Contact details for at least two references from comparable assignments.

Important: Applications received by email will not be considered. For more information a detailed Terms of Reference for the project can be shared on request.

How to apply

All applications must be received through our application portal:

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