Mid-Term Review Consultant At Tearfund

1. INTRODUCTION

   1. About Tearfund

Tearfund (TF) is a Christian charity which partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty and injustice through sustainable development, by responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible.

Tearfund wishes to engage the services of mid-term evaluation firm for the purpose of evaluating the project: “Consolidating Peace in Lobaye through WASH, social cohesion and livelihoods resilience interventions Programme”, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ): Structural transitional aid.

1.2. About the Project

The project has a goal to strengthen the resilience of people and structures in targeted areas in Lobaye to cope with and manage the impact and consequences of crises. This is a multi-theme intervention that has begun in December 2022 and will end in November 2025. The intervention location is in the Lobaye Prefecture of Central African Republic in five sub-prefectures – Boganangone, Boganda, Boda, Mbaiki and Mogoumba and 13 communes. The donor for this project is the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), approached by Tearfund Germany. The venture has targeted 10,000 households as direct beneficiaries. The expected project outcomes are:

1. Equitable access to safe water and prevention of waterborne diseases ensured;
2. Reduced incidence of social unrest or conflicts in targeted areas; and
3. Target households’ livelihoods improved and livelihood sources diversified.

With a view to achieving the expected outcomes, the following deliverables/outputs are identified:

• Hygiene promotion undertaken;
• Target communities access safe water supply and sustainable water services through rehabilitated water sources and structures;
• Increased awareness of conflict resolution and reconciliation techniques;
• Local and indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms technically and financially supported to improve access to justice and prevent identity conflicts;
• Women’s groups and youths clubs established to strengthen social cohesion in communities;
• Vulnerable households and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) supported to meet acceptable Food Consumption Score;
• Local businesses support capacity building, material inputs and market infrastructure improvements; and
• Access to financial services ensured, especially for women and vulnerable groups.

The project target groups include households, women and girls, youth and elders, women and youth groups, Christians and Muslims, people living with disabilities, children, minorities, pastoralists and farmers, pygmies, members drawn from different divides within local communities, members of IDPs and host communities as appropriate. In total, the project has targeted 10,000 beneficiaries accessing water.

1.3. Scope of the study

1.3.1. General Scope

The mid-term review will be conducted in the project’s operational locations in the Lobaye prefecture in five sub-prefectures of Boganangone, Boganda, Boda, Mbaiki and Mogoumba and 13 communes. In terms of thematic scope, all the three themes of WASH, peacebuilding and livelihoods will be the focus of the mid-term review. This mid-term review will cover the implementation of the project from December 2022 to April 2024, for 16 months.

1.3.2. Project Results and Activities to be Reviewed

Given the confirmed logical linkage among the results at various levels – goal, outcome and output, and the direct contribution of activities to outputs, the mid-term review will explore the extent to which activities have been yielding to the outputs and outputs to the outcomes. Below is the list of the activities and results of the intervention.

Expected Impact: Strengthened resilience of people and structures in targeted areas in Lobaye to the impact and consequences of crises

Outcome 1: Equitable access to safe water and prevention of waterborne diseases ensured

Output 1.1. Hygiene promotion undertaken

• Activity 1.1.1. Awareness campaigns on key public health risks related to water, sanitation and hygiene, and measures individual, household and community can take to reduce the risk
• Activity 1.1.2. Support households with soap/detergents for hand washing
• Activity 1.1.3. Support with menstrual hygiene materials for women and girls
• Activity 1.1.4. Community-initiated construction of pits for waste disposal through cash for work
• Activity 1.1 5. Construction of community latrines through cash for work
• Activity 1.1.6. Formation of gender- and disability-inclusive project committees to manage the use of public latrines.

Output 1.2. Target communities access safe water supply and sustainable water services through rehabilitated water sources and structures

• Activity 1.2.1. Rehabilitate in targeted areas gender- and disability-inclusive community consultations on which water points are needed
• Activity 1.2.2. ANEA undertakes technical assessment of the selected water points for rehabilitation and makes recommendations on standards to be applied
• Activity 1.2.3. Rehabilitate non-functional and sub-functional water points
• Activity 1.2.4. Formation of gender- and disability-inclusive community water committees for the effective use of water points
• Activity 1.2.5. Formation of gender- and disability- inclusive peace committees (with members drawn from the project committees) for conflict mitigation and dispute resolution by AEC

Output 1.3. Increased niche business opportunities around WASH services (collection of water users’ fees, preemptive maintenance, etc.)

• Activity 1.3.1. LERSA undertakes assessment of possible niche activities around the water points
• Activity 1.3.2. Community owns and operationalizes some of the niche activities around water points
• Activity 1.3.3. LERSA undertakes annual review of the business plans and conflict analysis for water points

Outcome 2: Reduced incidence of social unrest or conflicts in targeted areas

Output 2.1. Increased awareness of conflict resolution and reconciliation techniques

• Activity 2.1.1. Train key stakeholders on conflict resolution and reconciliation techniques
• Activity 2.1.2. Train key stakeholders on nonviolent conflict transformation
• Activity 2.1.3. Use media for peace interventions

Output 2.2. Local and indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms (local authorities, elders, faith leaders, peace committees, gender champions) technically and financially supported to improve access to justice and prevent identity conflicts

• Activity 2.2.1. identify and support relevant indigenous dispute resolution initiatives
• Activity 2.2.2. Provide dialogue processes to manage disputes and conflict between communities

Output 2.3. Women’s groups and youth clubs established to strengthen social cohesion in communities

• Activity 2.3.1. Sensitize communities on gender awareness, gender-based violence and harmful social gender norms
• Activity 2.3.2. Form and operationalize youth and women clubs and secure spaces for their social cohesion activities
• Activity 2.3.3. Support rehabilitation of community centers to facilitate recreation, meetings and interactions of community members and groups
• Activity 2.3.4. Establish listening centers to provide first aid to survivors of gender based violence and refer them to relevant services
• Activity 2.3.5. Facilitate training of communities on positive masculinities, gender equality, and consider feasible exchange visits on the same

Outcome 3: Target households’ livelihoods improved and livelihood sources diversified

Output 3.1. Vulnerable households and IDPs supported to meet acceptable food consumption score

• Activity 3.1.1. Conducting community consultations to identify vulnerable households for multipurpose cash transfers to meet basic needs
• Activity 3.1.2. Provide cash for NFI/shelter construction items to returnees as early rehabilitation support to identified households

Output 3.2. Local businesses supported with capacity, material inputs and market infrastructure improvements

• Activity 3.2.1. LERSA conducts market assessments and identify small businesses for support in targeted areas
• Activity 3.2.2. Provide training to small business owners and improve some market infrastructure
• Activity 3.2.3. Conduct business skills training for youth small business owners

Output 3.3. Access to financial services ensured, especially for women and other vulnerable groups

• Activity 3.3.1. Conduct basic adult literacy and numeracy training including financial literacy to VSLAs of women and vulnerable groups
• Activity 3.3.2. Provide business enhancement training and grants support to disadvantaged business groups to strengthen their income status
• Activity 3.3.3. Provide top-up or financial support to village savings and loan scheme for women in targeted area

1. 2. MID-TERM REVIEW PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

   1. Primary Purpose

The mid-term review has an overarching objective of systematically understanding the hitherto effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, early impact and early sustainability signals of the project and devising mechanisms of learning and improvement in the remaining period of the intervention. In the mid-term review, the achievements and changes seen so far will be measured against the plans in the project design.

1. Specific objectives:

This exercise specifically aims to:

1. Measure the extent to which the expected project results are delivered;
2. Identify what basic differences the intervention is bringing about on the lives of target households and individuals;
3. Draw the most important contributing factors for what went well so far in the project course;
4. Understand factors that have been impeding the project progress and results-achievements; and
5. Synthesise action-oriented lessons that help Tearfund and its implementing partner build on what went well and work on the gaps for the remaining period of the measure

6. MID-TERM REVIEW METHODOLOGY

   1. Review Approaches and Methods

Provided the need to comprehensively understand the multi-theme action, the mid-term review will apply both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data acquisition. Numeric data gathered widely from project participants, project documents and other sources will be enhanced by qualitatively obtained facts mainly from key stakeholders.

1. Quantitative Methods of Data Collection

The mid-term review consultant will use structured household survey questionnaires through which closed-ended questions will be administered to sampled household heads or representatives. The closed-ended questions will be administered by the data enumerators under the supervision of the lead consultant and/or his/her co-leads. Questions will be designed using KoboToolbox online. Prior to designing an online questionnaire, the questions will be drafted on Google Doc or MS Word for

review, refinement and validation by Tearfund. The online survey tool will be uploaded to Kobo Collect installed on the mobile devices, preferably survey mobile phones to make them ready for electronic data collection.

1. Qualitative Methods of Data Collection

Qualitatively, focus group discussions with various project participant groups such as members of Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs), women’s and youth groups, water users, water points committees,peace/gender champions, religious groups, etc. will be held to capture their views and perspectives. Additionally, the mid-term review team will conduct key informants interviews, focusing information sources as persons with disabilities, leaders of women’s groups, local/religious authorities, program staff of Tearfund and implementing partners, ANEA, professionals from academia – Bangui University, etc. The tool for the collection of data both for the focus group discussions and key informant interviews will be topical guides or guiding questions. The focus group discussions and key informant interviews will be facilitated and interviewed by persons equipped with discussion facilitation and interview skills within the evaluation team.

3.2. Sources of Data

Data for the midterm review will come from both secondary and primary sources. Approved project documents will be the key sources for the secondary data, likely to be supplemented by recent external assessment findings. As for the primary data, the mid-term review team will collect this from the field through direct contact with direct beneficiaries and participants from other stakeholders.

3.3. Data Analysis

Quantitatively gathered data will be presented and visualised through charts using basic programmes such as MS-Excel or Google Sheet or Looker Studio. The analysis will be carried out along with the presentation and visualisation of data. Triangulation of findings through both methods of data gathering – quantitative and qualitative and both sources of data – primary and secondary, will be followed for the analysis to ensure the data obtained are effectively used to inform what we want to have from the study.

3.4. Sampling and MTR Targets Selection

The team responsible for the review will use the commonest sampling techniques for the survey. The recommended steps will be first using the sampling frame of the list of direct beneficiaries in all the five sub-prefectures, followed by using an appropriate formula for sample size determination, after which simple random sampling will be applied. Theoretically, in each sub-prefecture, beneficiaries from all thematic areas – WASH, livelihoods and peacebuilding – will have an equal opportunity of being selected. Despite this, if there are some biases in selecting the participants for the survey, the team needs to sit and consider alternatives in determining the sample size and who else important or mandatory to be included is not included.

As for the selection of focus groups, basically some groups (not all) will exclusively be men’s groups and others women’s. Furthermore, the groups will be formed based on thematic areas, their participation in community groups, and their social status in the communities. Key informants will mainly be individuals representing religious groups, local authorities, the implementing partner, and other members of stakeholders in and out of the target communities.

1. MID-TERM REVIEW CONTRACTOR’S/REVIEW TEAM’S RESPONSIBILITIES

4.1. Deliverables from the Mid-term Review Consultant/Team

Below is the list of deliverables from the mid-term review, in the following order:

1. Inception Report – The review team will prepare and present an inception report which includes a clear roadmap of conducting the exercise so that the evaluation owner – Tearfund and other key partakers would be aware of how the process looks like, but provide their feedback and inputs.

2. Mid-term Review Tools – Part of the Inception Report, but a key deliverable is a set of review tools, both quantitative and qualitative. While the Inception Report will incorporate such detailed plans of the methods, tools, cost, human resource and others, the validity and suitability of the MTR tools will be significant to the mid-term review owner and hence the tools are considered as a separate deliverable.

3. Draft Mid-term Review report: Upon completion of data collection and analysis, the review team will produce a draft report, which will be subject to joint validation and review. After the necessary feedback and inputs received from key stakeholders, the review team will address comments and concerns on the draft report and incorporate the inputs provided.

4. Final Mid-term Review Report: The final version of the draft report, after addressing the comments and invaluable ingredients from stakeholders, will be the final mid-term review report to be received by Tearfund.

The mid-term review team is required to furnish electronic and printed, signed copies of the report. The outline of the report should include at least background of the MTR, background of the project, Executive Summary, that summarises key findings and recommendations of the MTR, methodology, main presentation of the findings/status of activities against indicator matrix, key challenges encountered and the mechanisms used to penetrate them during the data gathering course, lessons learnt from hitherto implementation, conclusions and recommendations. The report needs to have an annex part that exhibits review tools used, reference to secondary materials used, pictures taken before, during and after data collection, but a few.

After the completion of the midterm review, the review team shall hold a closing meeting with the persons responsible for the project/program (directors) and the staff responsible for programming. The meeting shall address the results of the review, discuss major weaknesses in the project, and propose recommendations to improve the project management.

4.2. Time Frame and Interim Submission

The consultant should determine the ideal data collection period to align with the Tearfund program’s agreed schedule. This will allow Tearfund to estimate the financial resources required for the MTR. The duration of the review must consider the number of team members engaged in data collection, analysis, and report writing, along with the accessibility of intervention sites. .

It is imperative that the bulk of primary data collection be completed by July 5, 2024. While there exists some flexibility in the timing of milestones between the receipt of secondary data on a specific date and the submission of the draft report on another specific date, logistical factors and team size may play a role in the extent of this leniency.

8. PAYMENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Payment will be effected as follows: first instalment 45% at the signature upon submission of an updated work plan; 45% after presentation of draft report approved by the Tearfund/donor; final payment 10% upon completion and approval of the final report by the Tearfund/donor. Additional information on payment terms and conditions will be included in the contract.

NOTE: “Tearfund CAR shall withhold tax of 15% as per CAR Taxation Policy”CF00018312

9. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Consultants shall be required to sign and abide by Tearfund’s Safeguarding Policy, particularly expected behavior protocols when undertaking work with Tearfund.
• Consultants shall abide by BMZ beneficiary data management policies