Consultancy to Conduct the Endline Evaluation of The Tujukumike Child Protection Project 36 views0 applications

1.About ChildFund

ChildFund is an international child-centred development organization. We are a member of the ChildFund Alliance; a global network of 12 organizations that assists more than 15 million children in 58 countries worldwide. ChildFund Kenya works through 13 local partners (LPs) comprised of 38 community organizations in 26 counties. The thematic areas that we focus on are Child Protection, Household Economic Strengthening, Early Childhood Development, Education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Emergency Response, Health and Nutrition. Our three-fold mission is to support children living in deprivation, exclusion and vulnerabilities to improve their lives and become adults who bring positive changes to their communities: to promote societies that value, protect and advance the worth and rights of children: and to enrich supporters’ lives through their support of our cause.

2. Background and Context

Children in Kenya form approximately 52% (23.1 million) of the total population (47 million). They face diverse challenges requiring guided actions to safeguard their rights and welfare. Child Protection Information Management System ( CPIMS) data indicates that in the year 2017-2018, the most rampant cases of child abuse included; Neglect (56,688), Custody (18,958), Abandoned Children (4,921), Orphaned Children (3,076) and Child Truancy (2,372). These diverse situational cases need a standardized and harmonized approach to ensure the well-being of all children in Kenya. The increasing use of the internet and digital technologies has exposed children to new and complex online risks, such as cyberbullying, grooming, and exposure to inappropriate content. Combating Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) and strengthening victim support requires comprehensive and sustained actions from everyone who is responsible for tackling this growing problem, including government duty-bearers, law enforcement agencies, justice and social support service professionals, internet providers, the tech industry, communities, teachers, and caregivers. Gender-based violence (GBV) affects most of the families in Kenya and this hurts children. The major types of GBV reported are domestic violence, sexual abuse and harmful cultural practices such as child marriage.

3.About Tujukumike Project
This project aims to improve protection outcomes for children and their families through supporting the establishment of a safe and secure environment free from gender-based violence (GBV) and online child sexual exploitation and abuse in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. These will be achieved through several equally reinforcing and interdependent strategies that include:

• Enhancing awareness raising and sensitization about the role of different stakeholders in the protection of children
• Educating community members, parents, teachers, and children themselves on recognizing signs of abuse, reporting incidents, and promoting a culture of respect.
• Advocacy and policy influence, with particular focus on coordination of child protection issues and actors at various levels (family, community, Sub-County, County and National levels). The focus will be on strengthening child protection systems, enhancing education and awareness and empowering families and communities to ensure the safety, well-being, and rights of all children in the county.

Project Goal: Improved protection for children through strengthening the formal and informal child protection systems in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya.

Project Outcomes

• Increased responsiveness of the formal and informal child protection systems
• Increased participation of children in their own protection

Project Outputs
•School-based Child Protection Champions trained on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, School Based Violence Prevention and Gender Based Violence Prevention
•School Board of Management members trained on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, School Based Violence Prevention and Gender Based Violence Prevention
•Children sensitized and supported on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, School Based Violence Prevention and Gender Based Violence Prevention
•Community Based child Protection Resource Persons trained on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, School Based Violence Prevention and Gender Based Violence Prevention.
•Children Advisory Committee (CAC) members trained and supported on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, School Based Violence Prevention and Gender Based Violence Prevention
•Child protection actors trained on Case Management
•Charitable Children institution members trained on Child Protection Management Information System (CPIMS)
•Child-Friendly spaces established
•Police from Child Protection and Gender Desk trained
•Children’s leaders’ forums convened
•Children events supported

4. Purpose of the study
The purpose of the proposed endline evaluation study is to provide an independent and rigorous assessment to establish the extent to which the project has contributed to the identified changes against its intended outcomes in the Monitoring and Evaluation matrix.

5. Specific Objectives

• Assess the overall relevance, coherence, impact, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the project.
• Identify good practices and lessons learnt related to the project’s operational contexts, actors engaged, strategies applied in the implementation, and changes observed.
• Analyze the challenges and critical risks that the project may have encountered, and how these challenges and risks may have impacted the project.
• Provide recommendations that will improve similar future projects in Kenya based on evaluation findings.

6. Scope of evaluation

The scope of the Endline evaluation should be comprehensive enough to provide clear evidence of the project’s results while offering actionable recommendations for improvement in future projects. The evaluation process should involve a combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods; (1) Surveys using the same tools as the baseline (2) FGDs with teachers and Board of Management members using guides from the baseline and (3) KIIs with Sub County Children Officers, Children Advisory Committee members, County Government Departments (Education, Gender and Social Development Services), Headteachers and CSO members.

6.1.1. Quantitative Data Collection

Surveys

Indicator 1:% of children whose cases have been reported and addressed

Respondents: Children

Tool: Semi-structured Questionnaire

Methodology: Survey (440 sample/10500 population)

Numerator: Number of children who reported cases of various forms of abuse to authorities both formally and informally and these cases have been addressed

Denominator: Total number of children who reported abuse cases formally or informally from the sampled 440 children.

Indicator 2: % of children in need of protection accessing services

Respondents: Children

Tool: Semi-structured Questionnaire

Methodology: Survey (440 sample/10500 population)

Numerator: Number of children in need of protection in community or school who receive help/necessary support

Denominator: Number of children in need of protection in community or school

Indicator 3: % increase in children’s participation in their own protection

Respondents: Children

Tool: Semi-structured Questionnaire

Methodology: Survey (440 sample/10500 population

Numerator: Number of children who report being actively empowered to speak out about exploitation abuse, neglect and violence in their lives and able to participate in decisions affecting them (particularly regarding their care or restoration)

Denominator: Total number of children sampled in the survey

The survey is to identify the quantitative values of project outcome indicators. The data collection and analysis methods will be the same as the one used in the baseline study.

6.1.2. Qualitative Data Collection

Focus Group Discussions
Data to be collected: Assess the overall relevance, coherence, impact, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the project. Identify good practices and lessons learnt related to the project operational contexts, actors engaged, strategies applied in the implementation, and changes observed. Analyze the challenges and critical risks that the project may have encountered, and how these challenges and risks may have impacted the project. Provide recommendations that will improve similar future projects in Kenya based on evaluation findings

Respondents: Board of Management Members and Teachers from sampled schools

Tool: Focus Group Discussions Guide

Methodology: Focus Group Discussions

Two FGDs with teachers and BOM members respectively will be conducted in each sub-county (Chiakariga and Igambangombe respectively). Therefore, the total number of FGDs with teachers and BOM members will be four (2 groups *2 regions). The FGDs should involve a minimum of (8) selected participants from primary school teachers and BOM randomly sampled from the wards in each sub-county like the baseline study. If possible, it is recommended to interview the same respondents who were interviewed in the baseline study. The FGD questionnaires will be revised from the baseline tools to be able to meet the purpose of this Endline evaluation. The revised FGD tools should be provided with the inception report (work plan) to be reviewed and finalized before field data collection.

Key Informant Interviews

Data to be collected: Assess the overall relevance, coherence, impact, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the project. Identify good practices and lessons learnt related to the project operational contexts, actors engaged, strategies applied in the implementation, and changes observed.Analyze the challenges and critical risks that the project may have encountered, and how these challenges and risks may have impacted the project. Provide recommendations that will improve similar future projects in Kenya based on evaluation findings.

Respondents: Headteachers, Children Advisory Committee members, Sub County Education Officer, Sub County Gender officer, CSO representatives, Deputy County Commissioner

Tool: Key Informant Interview Guide

Methodology: Interviews

Five interviews with headteachers from randomly selected primary schools will be conducted in each sub-county (Chiakariga and Igambangombe respectively). A representative from Children’s Advisory Council members at the county level. If not available, a member from the sub-county CAC in each area will be reached. A similar process will be applied for the sub-county government officials of education and gender as well as CSO members. The interview guides will be revised from the baseline tools to be able to meet the purpose of this Endline evaluation. The revised tools should be provided with the inception report (work plan) to be reviewed and finalized before field data collection.

In-depth interviews

Data to be collected: Assess the overall relevance, coherence, impact, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the project. Identify good practices and lessons learnt related to the project operational contexts, actors engaged, strategies applied in the implementation, and changes observed.Analyze the challenges and critical risks that the project may have encountered, and how these challenges and risks may have impacted the project. Provide recommendations that will improve similar future projects in Kenya based on evaluation findings.

Respondents: Community elders and Area Managers

Tool/Means of Verification: In-depth Interview Guide

Methodology: Interviews

Two interviews with community leaders from selected villages/locations will be conducted in each sub-county (Chiakariga and Igambangombe respectively).

7. Evaluation outputs and deliverables

• A 20-page inception report detailing the evaluation methodology, for the assignment (including activities, dates/timelines, expected products, data e.tc.) and draft data collection tools.
• Submission of Draft Evaluation Report, including analysis of data against required metrics
  Virtual Validation Workshop of evaluation findings with project stakeholders.
• Final Evaluation report detailing the achievements, milestones of the project indicators as well as qualitative nuances in activities such as advocacy and policy influencing.
• Other documents/materials such as raw data files, quantitative data files, transcripts of FGDs, photographs taken and outcomes matrix.

8. Ownership

All documents, project designs, and other information shall remain the property of ChildFund and shall be always treated as confidential by the consultant(s). They shall not be made available to any third party whatsoever, in any form, without the prior written approval of a properly authorized employee of ChildFund. The utilization of all proposals plans and reports and other information provided by the facilitators to ChildFund’s Tujukumike project and the use thereof is solely at the discretion of ChildFund. All documents and other papers, whether in soft or hard copy and whether containing data or other information, provided by ChildFund shall be returned complete to ChildFund upon completion of the assignment. All documentation and reports written during and/or because of this training, or otherwise related to it in any way, shall remain the property of ChildFund and no part shall be reproduced or quoted, or otherwise used in any way except with the prior, express and specific written permission of a properly authorized employee of ChildFund.

9. Safeguarding Policy

All facilitators(s) shall read, and sign the ChildFund Safeguarding Policy as fully understood and in agreement to in all respects and shall follow this in all and every respect during the term of the facilitation.

10. Team requirements

• The consultant/ consulting firm must have an advanced degree in any of the following, or related disciplines: Development Studies, Community Development.
• Strong expertise in child protection, education, Mental Health Psychosocial Support Services and Gender programming.
• Experience with participatory research methods, particularly child-friendly approaches.
• Over 5 years experience in undertaking development evaluations such as baselines, midline, endline, short studies and research related to child protection and gender-based violence.
• Demonstrated experience in the use of child-friendly and participatory methodologies.
• Data collection and analysis skills, including quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, facilitating and communication skills.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.
• Adherence to ethical standards in research, especially when working with children.
• Must be registered with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, as Data Processor/Controller.

11. Evaluation Criteria

• Consultant Experience: The consultant/ consulting firm must have an advanced degree in any of the following, or related disciplines: Development Studies, Community Development. Demonstrated experience working with children in rural settings – 20%.
• Technical Performance: Over 5 years of experience in undertaking development evaluations such as baselines, midline, endline, short studies and research related to child protection and gender-based violence. Demonstrated experience in the use of child-friendly and participatory methodologies. Have proven knowledge and practical experience in quantitative and qualitative research. Excellent analytical, organizational, facilitating and communication skills. Excellent writing and presentation skills – 50%
• Detailed implementation Schedule: Realistic Timelines with clear milestones on how steps will be sequenced, corresponding targets for each step, and when each step will be achieved. (The Gant Chart will be enough)– 30%

12. Management and coordination
Childrise Development Program CEO and the Project Officer will be primary contact points for the consultant during the day-to-day data collection period whereas the Child Protection and Advocacy Manager and M&E Manager, overseeing the daily work of the consultant.

13. Evaluation work plan
Evaluation of the proposals will be made by ChildFund Kenya who may engage in an interactive process with the would-be consultant to further specify the scope and methodology to be used as well as budget, deliverables and deadlines. The target date for the contract award is 11th April 2025. Tentative timeframes applicable to this evaluation are as proposed in the table below. The specific timeline and work plan will be specified in the agreement with 25th May 2025 as the target deadline for submission of the final report.

13.1.Timelines

• Call for proposals/expressions of interest from bidders: 21st March – 4th April 2025
• Award to the successful bidder as per the TOR – technical and budget: 11th April 2025
• Inception report and preparation including fieldwork schedule: 18th April 2025
• Training enumerators and piloting data collection instruments: 21st -23rd April 2025
• Data collection from sampled project respondents: 24th -30th April 2025
• Data Cleaning, Analysis and Synthesis and report writing: 1st -13th May 2025
• Submission of first draft endline evaluation report: 16th May 2025
• Review and feedback of the first draft by the project team: 21st May 2025
• Validation meeting on the findings to the stakeholders: 23rd May 2025
• Submission of final report: 25th May 2025

Payment schedule

• Payment upon submission and acceptance of the Inception Report to ChildFund Kenya: 40%
• Payment upon submission and acceptance of the Final Evaluation report by ChildFund Kenya: 60%

NB: The Consultant’s compensation shall be paid NET, within 30 days from receipt of a proper invoice unless otherwise specified. Payment will be made by cheque unless otherwise specified. The payment shall be subjected to 5% withholding tax and 16% VAT as required by the Law at the time of payment.