Consultancy Opportunity: Terms of Reference for NairoBits Trust Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant

BACKGROUND

NairoBits is a non-profit organization that uses ICT to deliver socio-economic transformation for communities in under-resourced areas. Since its inception in 1999, NairoBits Trust has been committed to bridging the poverty gap for disadvantaged youth through the provision of digital skills training and promoting innovation for access to high-impact careers for these young people. Since its inception, the organization has impacted the lives of over 100,000 individuals and continues to make tech accessible as a life-changing and solution-building tool in the lives of vulnerable people.

In 2021, NairoBits launched its new Strategic Plan (2021-2025) which re-affirms the enduring vision and ambition of empowering and transforming the lives of young people through tech-based learning experiences and opportunities. The plan re-articulates the theory of change to better answer the call for deeper partnerships and response to advancing the methodology of creating change for youth. The Strategy is anchored on 3 thematic areas; Youth Capacity; Youth Opportunity and Institutional Capacity Strengthening as critical areas of focus in our growth to reinvigorate the organization, expand programs, and deepen our impact.

Monitoring, reporting, evaluation, and learning form a critical component for the successful implementation of this Strategic Plan and NairoBits future growth. It is therefore essential that the organization has an effective M&E process that will provide proper accountability and elaborate means of communicating our achievements and guide to making informed decisions.

NairoBits is seeking to improve its M&E system to ensure that it achieves its set mission and goals in addition to the following specific targets;

• Ensuring that strategic interventions and activities are kept within the set targets of the agreed objectives and strategies
• Ensuring that strategic interventions and activities are consistent with NairoBits vision, mission, and core values
• Adjustments to the internal and external changes which may require a review of the NairoBits strategy or affect its ability to achieve its goals
• Ensuring improved competence in organization-wide reporting and documentation by NairoBits

SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of work will need to include the following outputs:

1.The MEAL system

• Review of the existing M&E Framework and development of a new one**.** With input from the NairoBits team, this should work to establish existing operations and each program and training individual outputs.
• The development of data collection tools and activities that account for various reporting levels: Output, Outcome and impact, as well as the use of progressive tools such as outcome harvesting. This should be participatory, involving relevant staff to improve inhouse capacity.
• Recommendation and implementation of a centralized database for relevant data and findings to be stored. NairoBits need useful, relevant, and internally operated systems. This will work to ensure the easy dissemination of relevant facts and figures across the organization and to various stakeholders and partners.

2.Capacity building of staff

• Support in the general understanding of the basic and essential principles of MEAL; Targeting staff at different levels, provide basic skills and knowledge in the use of various necessary tools for data collection and reporting
• It is of the utmost importance that the developed framework, tools, and study are understood, utilized, and kept up to date when handed over to NairoBits. This exercise will need to ensure the sustainability in the practice of NairoBits overarching M&E with clarity on how to maintain best-practice and who is responsible.
• Activities in the capacity building should work to cultivate nodes of support among staff in order to build an organizational culture that values M&E.

SPECIFIC INPUTS BY NAIROBITS

Each deliverable will need to be cross-checked and approved by NairoBits Executive Director. This should occur in succession to ensure each deliverable is understood and suitable. Workshops involving the consultant and relevant staff members at the completion of each stage will ensure that all of NairoBits relevant outputs are addressed.

CRITERIA FOR CONSULTANT

• Must have minimum 5 years experience working with organizations on the development of M&E frameworks, guidelines, and training
• Must have experience working in the non-profit sector
• Must understand the basics of the ICT space
• Desirable if they have experience working within Kenya or more broadly East Africa
• Must be fluent in English and in Swahili