Consultant - GIZ Assess Project Final Evaluation at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Requisition ID: req17489
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Education
Employment Category: Consultant
Employment Type: Part-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Background

• The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
• The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014, the IRC moved into Adamawa State in Northeast Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected populations. IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri, Monguno and Gwoza of Borno state and Damatru of Yobe State.
• The IRC is responding at scale to the humanitarian situation across sectors including Education, Child Protection, Health, Nutrition, Women Protection and Empowerment, Environmental Health, Economic Recovery and Development, Protection and Rule of Law, and Governance.

Adamawa State School-Base Education System Strengthening (ASSESS) Project:

• Since 2009, the conflict between the non-state Armed Oppositions Groups (AOGs) and the Government of Nigeria has had a destructive impact on the already weak education system in the Northeast.
• In Adamawa, teachers were expected to manage overcrowded classrooms of traumatized children who have specific needs while they receive only limited support. Professional development opportunities for teachers were almost non-existent.
• While both boys and girls in Adamawa State are educationally disadvantaged in comparison to children in other areas of Nigeria, girls often face even larger barriers. Girls are not being encouraged to pursue educational goals, and those who go to school often drop out before finishing primary school. School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) which are a critical link between the government, the schools and their communities have had limitations to play their roles.
• In response to these needs, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), with funding support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) has been implementing the Adamawa State School-Based Education System Strengthening (ASSESS) project since April 2019.
• The project intends to ensure 50 primary schools in Mubi North, Mubi South, Maiha, Gombi and Hong LGAs are safe, functional, and responsive and that they provide quality education to pupils by;
• Working with 50 School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) who would ensure that schools are responsive to the needs of parents and children and that there is an effective link between communities and schools.
• Supporting 1,000 teachers to develop subject knowledge and appropriate pedagogical practices via a continuous and context-specific professional development package that consist of face-to-face training, teacher learning circles, and ongoing coaching.
• Since its inception in April 2019, the ASSESS project, together with 42 government Education Managers (Mentors) and 25 Master Trainers, has been building capacities of 986 teachers and 984 SBMC members from 50 primary schools in Mubi North, Mubi South, Maiha, Gombi and Hong LGAs of Adamawa State.  IRC has been closely working with GIZ team, the State of Universal Education Board (SUBEB), and Local Government Education Authorities to ensure effective implementation of the Project – which is coming to end by 30 September 2021.

The Purpose of Final Evaluation

• The purpose of this evaluation is therefore to assess the overall performance of the ASSESS Project throughout the full project cycle and the project’s scalability and sustainability.
• The final evaluation report will help the IRC and GIZ to also improve their future projects through lessons learned and best practices generated from the system strengthening project – ASSESS.

The scope of the final evaluation:

• The final evaluation process will be structured around themes with suggested evaluation questions as below. However, the consultant shall be encouraged to review the project documents and modify evaluation questions to provide detailed synthesis of the project performance.
• This assessment will include Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) which would assess the learning outcomes of learners who participated in the baseline and midline assessments.  
• Relevance: Does the project align with domestic education policies related to child education? How relevant was the project to target groups, needs and priorities?
• Impact: What difference has the project made to the lives of targeted beneficiaries? To what extent did this project achieve the intended outcomes? Are there any unplanned outcomes because of this project?
•  Effectiveness: Were the planned objectives and outcomes in the project achieved as planned? Were the monitoring mechanisms effective in providing timely data to inform management decisions? To what extent did the project meet its targets and deliver outputs?
• Efficiency: What evidence is available on cost efficiency and/or effectiveness of the interventions? How do intervention costs compare with other modalities in similar context, including other educational programs implemented by government actors or non-government actors? Were outputs delivered in a timely fashion?
• Sustainability: To what extent did the project utilise established institutions/mechanisms to ensure sustainability at the end of project? To what extent are project results (impact if any, and outcomes) likely to continue after the project? Are there elements of exit strategy to ensure sustainability?
• Implementation challenges: What are critical challenges reported by project participants including children, teachers, mentors, master trainers, SBMCs members, and other community members? What are strategies and solutions implemented and/or suggested by the project participants to address these challenges?

Methodology:

• The IRC recommends a desk review of project outputs, and the use of qualitative research approaches that can systematically synthesize quantitative and qualitative project achievements in the past two years and six months. These approaches need to be also adequate to delve into the scalability and sustainability of the intervention perceived by system-level actors including education officers at local and state ministries of education. Consultant is advised to recommend the most appropriate approach for the assignment.

Data collection and management:

• The IRC expects a balanced use of both quantitative and qualitative techniques to collect and/or analyse different types of data in addressing research needs identified above. Secondary qualitative data may be provided if needed.
• Additional qualitative data for different stakeholders and specially from system-level actors will be collected by the consultant through remote and/or in-person interviews. All data should be carefully analysed to provide recommendations for strengthening effectiveness, efficiency, impact, implementation, and sustainability of ASSESS Project. Both direct and indirect beneficiary perspectives should be considered, examining any positive and/or negative spill-over effects.

Qualifications
Profile of Consultant

• The Consultant should have good level of understanding on education programmes, teacher education, and community-based child support; and experiences in project evaluation with a background in humanitarian aid, research methods, child education and development, or other related fields. The lead consultant should possess:
  • Master's Degree or higher in Child Education, Development, Humanitarian Work, Social Work, or International Relations.
  • Extensive experience in conducting evaluations along OECD evaluation criteria, ideally leading an evaluation team and experience of designing evaluation methodology / tools and data anal-ysis.
  • Experiences in designing and conducting EGRA and EGMA
  • A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible work experience in research and or evaluations in education settings.
  • Experience in conducting studies and writing reports that are gender and inclusion sensitive.
  • Experience of working in or evaluating projects in insecure humanitarian environment and/or Northeast Nigeria.
  • Excellent analytical, presentation and writing skills in English
  • Fluency in Hausa is desirable

Working Environment and Conditions

• The consultant will be based in Mubi, staying in IRC guesthouse or a hotel (IRC will cover cost), with field trips to project LGAs. While at the field, the consultant will be required to abide by IRC security protocols and guidelines. While in the field, consultant will be provided with security briefings by field security focal person.
• Terms of payment will be negotiated upon acceptance of the consultancy. The total budget for the consultancy will include VAT as/ and if required by national regulations. Final payment of consultant will be remitted upon satisfactory submission of agreed deliverables.
• The consultant will report to the ASSESS Education Manager in Mubi.

Proposal details and submission time frame:

• This consultancy assignment is anticipated to start on 2 August 2021 and end on 31 August 2021. The deadline for submission of the technical and financial proposals and accompanying documents is 5:30pm 2 July 2021.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Applications to:
Senior HR/Admin Manager,
The International Rescue Committee, Nigeria Country Program,
Plot 902, Olu Awotesu Street, Jabi,
Abuja.
Or
Sent to: Joan Wuya Joan.Wuya@rescue.org

Click here for more information

Expression of interest applications should include:

• Technical proposal (65%) with clear understanding and interpretation of the ToR, including de-tailed tasks, recommended methodology summary and proposed schedule, relevant experience, how you meet the profile required and details of time required (maximum 5 pages)
• Financial proposal (35%), including daily professional fee and any other associated costs for the assignment. The consultant should itemize all costs in Naira for the duration of assignment. IRC will only cover field related costs during the assignment period, and costs related to data collectors/enumerators. All costs need to be clearly stated in the bid sub-mission. Please note that payment will be made in Naira.
• CV of prospective consultant, preferably including CV of one research assistant.

Note: Applications lacking any of the above requirements will not be considered.

For more information, please contact Adukwu Godwin Adukwu.Godwin@rescue.org and Yilkal Chalachew: Yilkal.Chalachew@rescue.org