Consultant at Plan International

Department & Location:

Field Offices of Plan International Nigeria in Maiduguri Borno State

Starting Date 6 th November 2017

Contract duration: 6th November 2017 – 24th November 2017 (Total of 15 working Days)

Reports to:(position)
Emergency Response Manager and M&E Manager

Purpose:
How does this post support Plan’s strategy and mission?

Plan International Nigeria is seeking an experienced Consultant to conduct final assessment for the SHO project funded by the people of Netherlands through Plan International Netherlands. The project responding to the Nutrition and food insecurity crisis as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast Nigeria. The Consultant will be responsible for designing and implementing a Community Level final
Assessment in the project areas.

Background: In 2009, the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram became active in the Lake Chad Basin. Boko Haram attacks in Cameroon’s Far North Region, Niger’s Diffa Region, and in Western Chad have killed over 20,000 people. The insurgency scaled up in 2010 when the group started suicide attacks as well as attacks on so-called soft targets in the North-East Region of Nigeria. Since then, more than 230,000 Nigerians have fled to neighboring countries and 2.2 million were internally displaced - around 1.2 million children in Nigeria were forced to leave their homes, 50% of these children under the age of 5. The far-reaching nature of violence and unrest caused by Boko Haram has led Plan International Nigeria to launch a response in the North Eastern states of Adamawa and Borno states. Plan International Nigeria is responding in three programming areas (in line with the Regional Lake Chad Strategy): 1) Education in Emergencies, 2) Child Protection in Emergencies, and 3) Youth Economic Empowerment as well as in Nutrition in Emergencies.

Plan International Nigeria through Plan International Netherlands received funds from the people of Netherlands to implement a 12-month project with the overall goal of Saving the lives of Under-five children and Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLWs), suffering from acute malnutrition through comprehensive Nutrition (CMAM & IYCF) and psychosocial support intervention. The sectors of intervention include Nutrition, Child protection and Cash Transfer programming

Purpose and Scope of the evaluation: Plan International Nigeria wishes to conduct final evaluation to assess the performance of the SHO project and ensure accountability towards the donor, it will also offer learning for all relevant stakeholders. Lessons learned and recommendations for project implementation and design should be part of the evaluation report
The Final Evaluation Consultant would assess the success and quality of the response. Success refers to whether and to what extent the goal of the programme have been achieved, considering any changes in context or needs over the life of the response, while ensuring quality through globally accepted paradigms for quality relief in humanitarian contexts, such as Sphere. The logical framework of the SHO project shows activities and output indicators for the project. The log frame is included in Annex 1 A. The evaluation will seek answers to the following questions:

Relevance – How well is the SHO project suited to the context of the target group and how consistent are the outputs with the project’s aims and objectives?
Effectiveness - An assessment of how far the project objectives were achieved, and what factors influenced the achievement or non-achievement of these set targets.
Efficiency - An assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the project, and whether the objectives were achieved on time and in an efficient manner, compared to any alternative approaches.
Impact – An assessment of the positive and negative changes of the project. This includes the number of people who have benefitted from the interventions, and what difference these interventions have made to the beneficiaries involved.
Sustainability - This measures whether the impact and benefits of the project have (or are likely
to) continue after the project is completed. In assessing sustainability, identify factors that have (or could) contribute to the sustainability (or non-sustainability) of this project.
Equality and Inclusion – Assess how the project was able to promote inclusion of marginalized groups (women, people living with disabilities, and other relevant individuals and groups)
What Key learning has come out of the project
B. EVALUATION DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

Methodology and the scope of work
This evaluation will use a mixed method approach. The evaluation will collect, analyze and interpret both quantitative and qualitative data (primary and secondary source) in order to answer the evaluation questions. A variety of methods including review of key and relevant documents; team planning meetings; in-depth interview with key informants; site visits; data analysis; cost effectiveness will be used.
Interested parties will be asked to prepare and submit a concise Proposal outlining the methodology they will employ for the Final Evaluation. A pre-award meeting with Plan International Nigeria may be scheduled to discuss the proposal and the Assignment (if deemed necessary by Plan International Nigeria).
The Proposal will include:

• Description of field research plan, methods of data collection, and specific approaches to be used including sample sizes, field schedule, etc.
• Data analysis procedures.
• Examples of Consultant’s previous work relevant to this assignment.
• At least 3 professional references.
• Timeline.
• Staffing (details of any research associates to be engaged)
• Budget.

The Evaluation itself should include the following actions, approaches and/or methods:

• Desk/literature review by the Consultant of all relevant project information (project documents to be provided by Plan International Nigeria; any needed background research to be carried out by Consultant).
• Field studies in the target area to research the project in light of the Evaluation Criteria outlined in the previous section.
• Preparation and submittal of a draft Evaluation Report
• Delivery, at the Plan International Nigeria office, of a concise presentation summarizing the key findings of the draft Evaluation Report.
• Response to Plan International Nigeria’s comments on the draft Evaluation Report,
• and carrying out needed revisions and amendments.
• Submittal of a Final Evaluation Report to Plan International Nigeria, along with all related evaluation materials, field survey forms, photos, recordings, field data, and other information.

C. Scope

• The evaluation will be in Mafa Local Government areas in Borno State where the project was implemented
• D. Key assignment deliverables shall include:
• Inception report (concise; approx. 10-12 pages max.)
• Draft Final Evaluation Report with visuals presenting the data in visual friendly manner not exceeding 20 pages excluding annexes
• Presentation (of evaluation findings to Plan International Nigeria at a meeting)
• Final Evaluation Report addressing any Plan International Nigeria’s comments
• Supporting files, data, and any other information generated for or during the Evaluation.
• Data Collection Tools (Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, Observation Checklist, Participatory Consultations with key Stakeholder, Mapping, etc.) adapted from

E. Reporting:
The evaluators must produce a final evaluation report that, as a minimum, includes

• A standard cover sheet
• executive summary
• description of objectives
• methods and limitations
• description of programme activities
• Discussion of key findings
• conclusions and recommendations
• Annexes