Monitoring systems of 2 projects At Caritas France – Secours Catholique

1. Summary executive

Organization’s order : Secours Catholique Caritas France

Subject : Support to 2 projects monitoring systems : “Toward empowerment: Working with Rural Women and adolescent Girls” – PI220014 – AAINA ; “Initiative to realize rights of Indigenous Girls” –PI220015 – Institute for Social Development (ISD)

Overall period of the assignment: 28/05/2022 – 30/09/2022 (approx. 25 days for the first assignment in the month of June, approx. 8 days for the follow-up visit in the month of August)

Proposal deadline: 09/07/2022 (first assignment); 31/08/2022 (follow-up visit).

Location of the assignment: Bhubaneswar, Odisha (India)

The consultant will have to find a common date with the partners. In the current context of the health crisis (Covid-19), the start of the assignment will be fixed by mutual agreement between the partners and the consultant while respecting the rules / constraints of the government of the country where the assignment will be carried out and where the partners and the consultant are based. Consequently, SCCF may grant a deadline agreed between the parties in order to carry out the assignment assignment.

2. Presentation of the organizations

Secours Catholique – Caritas France (SCCF) is a French association governed by 1901 Law, registered at the Paris Police Prefecture under No. 9092 on October 1, 1946 (published in the Official Journal on October 29, 1946), whose public usefulness was acknowledged by a September 25, 1962 decree (published in the Official Journal on September 29, 1962), company I.D. (SIREN) No. 775 666 696, with headquarters at 106 rue du Bac, Paris, 75007, France.

It technically and financially supports Aaina and ISD in the frame of the above-mentioned projects. Following the recommendations from the final evaluation done on the last project, both partners would like to build their staff capacities on Monitoring and evaluation processes and tools and to strengthen their projects Management Information Systems.

AAINA is a not for profit organization registered on 15 January 1999, at Bhubaneswar, under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, having its headquarters in 70/3530 Jaydev Vihar, Bhubaneswar -13, Odisha, India.

Aaina envisages an inclusive society where each person has an identity, independence and exercises his/her rights with dignity and equality especially persons with disability, women, children, elderly, ultra-poor and other socially excluded groups.

Institute for Social Development (ISD), is a not for profit organization registered on 17 January 1997, at Bhubaneswar, under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, having its headquarters in 95, Phase II, Kanan Vihar, Po – Patia, Bhubaneswar, 751031, Odisha, India.

ISD vision is a violence-free gender sensitive social development with participation of the poorest of poor women in decision-making process. ISD strategic priorities are the following: adressing gender-based violence, women’s empowerment, promotion of livelihood at household level, participation of women in decision making.

3. Presentation of the projects

Titles

Project implemented by Aaina: Towards Empowerment; Working with Rural Women and adolescent Girls in Ganjam. Odisha

Project implemented by ISD: Initiative to Realise Rights of Indigenous Girls

Objectives

Project implemented by Aaina:

• Main objective: Women and girls of 10 villages of Surada block of Ganjam district in Odisha are able to realise their rights
• Specific objectives:

SO1: To socially and economically empower women workers of the 10 operational villages, including leaders to be able to take decisions on issues concerning them and other fellow women in Union.

SO2: To socially empower young adolescent girls of the 10 operational villages to be able to access health services and other facilities, to be aware of health hygiene, to make informed choices while child protection mechanisms are strengthened.

Project implemented by ISD:

• Main objective: To ensure that indigenous girls studying in the Residential Ashram Schools of Khordha district are able to realise their rights to education and health.
• Specific objectives:

SO1: To ensure that indigenous girl students are aware of and analytical about social, environmental and health issues and actively pursue their educational goals.

SO2: To engage all the project stakeholders with the indigenous girl students’ rights to education and health to increase the sustainability of the project’s ef-fects.

Participants

Project implemented by Aaina:

• Direct beneficiaries: 1110 women workers and union members, including 90 women leaders, and 200 adolescent and young girls from the 10 focus village.
• Indirect beneficiaries: Households: 1000 – The direct beneficiaries’ households; 40 – Those who have been contacted by the women leaders for the linkages and income generation activities. Individuals:200 – Panchayata Raj Institution(PRI) members, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) workers, Gram Rojgar Saathi (GRS), Accredited social health activist(ASHA) workers and Block officials from lines department.

Project implemented by ISD:

• Direct beneficiaries: 454 Girl Students staying in hostels from 6 schools and 863 number of mothers from surrounding villages
• Indirect beneficiaries: Households: 863 Household from 6 Communities; Individuals: 50 teachers, matrons, school authorities and members of School Management Committee.

Project Location

Project implemented by Aaina: 10 focused villages, in 5 Gram Panchayat, Surada block, Ganjam district, Odisha State, India.

Project implemented by ISD: 6 Ashram schools and 6 surrounding villages, Khordha District, Odisha State, India.

Timeframe

Starting date: 01.03.2022

Ending date:28.02.2023

4. Context of the assignment

In the evaluation of the previous project, several points were raised in terms of monitoring and evaluation:

AAINA: Get trained in analysis of database; Design of data base needs to be improved to accommodate much larger number of schemes, dis-aggregation between ST/SC/OBC/SEBC; Database better be on google drive; Collect and maintain data on income (to measure the improvement in the beneficiaries economic wellbeing).

ISD: Develop a formal written monitoring system / visit report after each visit to the Ashram School for documentation and follow up purposes; Develop pre and post assessments to measure the progress in terms of girls’ capacities. Focused, structured and formal effort is required to measure aptitude and natural talent; Conduct aptitude tests for senior girls; Improve feedback mechanisms for Learning Facilitators and Matrons. Not only a positive feedback but also feedback on areas for improvement need to be provided. In addition, a formal written feedback will help. A simple tabular template can be developed for this purpose. In absence of a formal feedback, follow up is difficult. ISD can keep that document with them, to follow up; Document ice breaking sessions and the session plans on how to conduct sessions. It is critically important for learning facilitators not just to understand about the learning activities but also what one is ultimately trying to achieve through that activity, and this should be part of the session plans; Not only focus on learning process, but also document if there are positive learning outcomes since both process and outcome need to be given equal importance. This will help as reference documents for advocating to the government for replication

In the framework of the two new projects, capacity building of both partners’ staff as well as the preparation of a simple and effective monitoring system is necessary.

5. Objectives and expected results of the assignment

The main objective of the assignment is: To provide a methodological support to the partners to improve the system and implementation of the monitoring processes for the two new projects.

The specific objectives are: OS1: To build the 2 partners capacities on monitoring and evaluation, management information system and data collection and analysis; OS2: To support the partners in establishing operational monitoring and evaluation plan and tools.

The expected results are: OS1. R1: Partners staff are able to monitor and analyse efficiently their projects achievements, results and impacts; OS2. R1: Monitoring and evaluation plan and tools serves as guiding instruments for data collection and analysis ; OS2. R2: The monitoring systems of both projects are more inclusive, responsive and result oriented; OS2. R3: Management Information Systems and databases are in place for the projects management and monitoring.

6. Reference documents

• Project proposals, including the logical frameworks
• Project contracts signed by SCCF and the partner organizations
• Previous project progress reports, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, plans and tools
• Previous project assignment report
• Any useful supporting documents and materials used for the implementation of the previous and current projects (budgets, documentation on indicators, studies, etc.)
• Documentation on the other monitoring and evaluation processes or tools used within the organizations (if any)

7. Proposed Methodology to conduct the Assignment

The exact methodology is to be determined by the consultant. However, the following are suggested for consideration:

• Review of the partners and project documents.
• 2 online briefing meetings with the SCCF (one with Aaina and one with ISD)
• Inception report and preparatory work (revision of the methodology, preparation of a work plan, preparation of the trainings and workshops modules, etc.).
• 1 field mission, divided in two periods of approximately 10 days (one for each partner), including:

o Face-to-face training for the stakeholders involved in the monitoring processes

o Workshops to build the monitoring plans and tools

o Debriefing meeting with the stakeholders involved in the monitoring processes and recommendations for the rest of the project

Specifications for each partner:

AAINA: Training on Monitoring and evaluation, Management Information System and data management; Development of Management Information System and baseline

ISD: Training on proposal development ; Training on data collection and analysis, monitoring and evaluation; Development of a plan and tools for the monitoring and documentation processes

• 1 mission report to be sent to the SCCF
• 1 online debriefing meeting with SCCF
• 1 follow-up field visit, divided in two periods of approximately 3 days (one for each partner), including:

o Follow-up of the appropriation and use of the plans and tools

o Refresher training, if needed

o Support for their revision, if needed

• 1 mission report to be sent to the SCCF
• 1 online debriefing meeting with SCCF

The consultant will propose a methodology that takes into account not only a participatory approach (including also other stakeholders in a view to make the project sustainable), but also each partner specificities, the local constraints (difficult access to Internet, long travel, limited human and financial resources, etc.), as well as the constraints related to the global health context.

8. Outputs

The consultant(s) will prepare comprehensive documents in English:

• An inception report with a work plan
• Trainings and workshops modules for each partner
• 2 reports including some recommendations for the rest of the projects duration and annexes (plans and tools developed during the assignment)

9. Requirements

Requested profile of the consultant(s)

It is possible to send the application of a team of 2 consultants, if justified and relevant.

Ideally, the consultant fulfills the following requirements:

• Postgraduate degree in development project management
• Strong expertise in project design, monitoring and evaluation
• Successful experiences in supporting civil society organizations capacity building (monitoring, capacity building, workshop facilitation, etc)
• Understanding of the local context (ideally with a previous experience of work in India)
• Good knowledge and evidence of substantial work on women and indigenous rights and/or rural livelihood projects
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to write clear and relevant reports
• Proficiency in English

Provisional Timetable of the Assessment

The first assignment will be completed within a period of 25 working days, including preparatory work, field mission, reporting work and debriefing session. The assignment is to be carried preferably in the month of June 2022.

The follow-up visit will be completed within a period of 8 working days, including field mission, reporting work and debriefing session. The assignment is to be carried preferably in the month of August 2022.

Criteria of selection

The selection will be based on the following criteria:

• The presentation of the issue and understanding of the assignment/outlines of the assignment
• The methodological approach proposed
• Qualifications, experiences and skills of the candidate
• Experiences in the region and regarding the partners and projects specific issues
• Budget proposal with detailed breakdown
• Timetable for the implementation