End of Project Evaluation and Learning Consultant- East Africa

Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) consultant/team of consultants to support the end-of-project evaluation of the Accelerating Efforts to End Child Marriage project. This project will be implemented across Kenya and Tanzania to accelerate progress to end child marriage through strengthening the capacity of civil society and young leaders in Migori, Kenya and Tarime, Tanzania. The consultant/s will work closely with the Girls Not Brides team and our two implementing partner member organizations based in Kenya and Tanzania.

Project Background
With funding support from the UK People’s Post Code Lottery, Girls Not Brides is co-implementing with members in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, the accelerating progress to end child marriage project. This project was implemented in 2020 in Uganda and is currently being implemented in 2021 in Kenya and Tanzania. The project comprises of both national-level activities as well as sub-national-level activities in Migori County, Kenya and Tarime District in Tanzania.

This project ends in December 2021

Purpose of the end-line evaluation
The purpose for this evaluation is to:

1. Assess the performance of the project and capture project achievements, challenges and lessons learnt to inform future similar programming. The expectation is that the consultant will conduct a desk review and gather additional data from relevant stakeholders to respond to the key objectives and questions set out as part of this evaluation.
2. The consultant will also conduct a review of the accelerator project in East Africa, reviewing the implementation of the project in Uganda in 2020 as well as current project activities being carried out in 2021 in Kenya and Tanzania with the objective of documenting lessons from the project and best practice that can be adopted in other programs.

The evaluation will identify key lessons learned, challenges and the flexibility of the project to adapt and respond to various changes, including but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This consultancy will form as part of two phases:

• Phase 1) An end-line evaluation of the accelerator project currently being implemented in Migori, Kenya and Tarime, Tanzania in 2021.
• Phase 2) A broader evaluation of Girls Not Brides accelerator approach in East Africa in 2020 and 2021.

Roles and Responsibilities
The consultant is expected to work closely and collaboratively with the Girls Not Brides implementing partners in Kenya and Tanzania*, the Girls Not Brides Secretariat*, as well as any other national partnership deemed appropriate for phase 2 of this work throughout the period of implementation, The consultant may be required to travel (when COVID context allows) and is expected to be regularly in touch with the Girls Not Brides Project Officer on the engagement and processes.

Key Deliverables
The consultant is expected to lead, complete, and submit the following deliverables within the agreed timeframe and budget:

1. Conduct the inception phase and produce an inception report, including a desk review of secondary data sources gathered throughout the lifetime of the project, and an outline of the methodology the consultant will undertake and include a schedule of activities, including the sampling methodology and approach, quality assurance mechanisms, data and research ethics and quality assurance mechanisms. The inception report should also include clear time scales and travelling (timeline), with COVID-19 protection measures specified and a detailed budget;
2. Develop and validate/pilot the end line data collection tools (e.g. methodological guidelines, group interview questions);
3. Data collection with a representative group of stakeholders involved in the project in Kenya and Tanzania in 2021 and the broader Accelerator project in East Africa in 2020;
4. Raw data and also transcribed qualitative scripts (taking into account Girls Not Brides policies on data protection);
5. A draft end-line evaluation report of the accelerator project in Kenya and Tanzania (including an executive summary, findings, conclusion and recommendations). The draft will require enough time for feedback by the project team and Girls Not Brides.
6. A final end-line evaluation report (in MS Office and PDF) which should incorporate all feedback from Girls Not Brides. The report should also include annexes and be presented in English. (The report length and format will be agreed upon prior to the start of the evaluation);
7. A 10-page draft and final report presented in English assessing the implementation of the Girls Not Brides accelerating progress to end child marriage projects in East Africa.
8. A virtual learning event to disseminate lessons learned through a presentation facilitated by the consultant.

It is preferable to illustrate the results through innovative methods including, but not limited to, appropriate graphs, visuals, tables and/or a dashboard with an accompanied explanatory text. The report should include analysis and findings of the evaluation and anecdotal quotes and stories of change.

Consultant(s) Specification

• A highly proactive MEL professional or team of MEL professionals with over 7 years of experience in leading MEL for complex projects, preferably involving evaluating social norms change programs
• Strong qualitative and quantitative skills, including designing the data collection tools and understanding the value of anecdotal data and stories of change
• Excellent writing, interpersonal, communication skills
• Effective time and project management ability
• Substantial experience in conducting end of project evaluations
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including with people from diverse cultural and language backgrounds.
• Working knowledge of Kiswahili would be an added advantage.

Timeline and Budget
This is a consultancy to conduct both the end of project evaluation in Kenya and Tanzania and the assessment of the project in East Africa and is expected to start on 11th October 2021 with the final evaluation report submitted on or before 17th December 2021. The total number of days the consultancy is expected to take place is 28 days. A more detailed timeline will be developed with the consultant once recruited.

The total budget to complete both phases of this consultancy is GBP 12,600.

Safeguarding
At Girls Not Brides we are committed to the wellbeing, empowerment and rights of children, and to safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk from harm in all our activities. Girls Not Brides aims to promote an environment of trust and understanding where the welfare of children is paramount. The successful consultant must adhere to the Girls Not Brides Safeguarding Policy and its Code of Conduct and report any concerns relating to the safeguarding of children in accordance with agreed procedures.

Intellectual Property All information pertaining to this project (documentary, audio, project documents, etc.) which the consultant may come into contact within the performance of its duties under this consultancy shall remain as the property of Girls Not Brides who has exclusive rights over their use. Except for the purposes of this assignment, the information shall not be disclosed to the public nor be used without the written permission of Girls Not Brides. National and international copyright laws will be applicable.