Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Endline Evaluation for the Holistic Action Project for Young Adolescents – DSW Kenya

Introduction

DSW Kenya is a locally registered representative country office of DSW (Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung), an international development and advocacy organization with headquarters in Hannover, Germany that seeks to empower young people and communities in low and middle-income countries by addressing issues of population dynamics and health as a key to sustainable development. It is committed to creating demand for and access to health information, services and supplies and economic empowerment for youth. We achieve this by engaging in advocacy, capacity development, and reproductive health initiatives, so that young people are empowered to lead healthy and self-determined lives. DSW envisions a world where all youth – especially girls and young women – live free from disease and make independent and informed choices over their sexual and reproductive lives with full access to sexuality education, health services and modern contraceptives.

The Project Background

Young adolescents (YA) and youth between 10 and 19 years comprise 23.7 percent of Kenya’s population (Kenya Population and Housing Census 2019). In absolute numbers, that referred to over 12.7 million Kenyan adolescents. A young adolescent is a person aged between 10 and 14 years who is in the process of developing from childhood to adulthood. Young adolescents (YA) are in a period of dramatic intellectual, physical, psychological and social transformation. This age group represents a unique sub-group of adolescents undergoing rapid physical, cognitive and emotional changes related to puberty. It is also at this age that many young adolescents first engage in sexual activity. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and services are therefore crucial for this age cohort. Many young adolescents lack knowledge about the physical changes happening in their bodies and need reassurance and support to deal with them. However, their parents/guardians and other adults are usually unprepared to deal with such changes. In most African societies, topics on sexuality are considered a taboo and parents lack the skills or time to communicate effectively about them with their children. In schools, teachers who should provide SRHR education are constrained in terms of skills and time, and typically focus on those subjects that are examinable. Consequently, young adolescents often do not have adequate support from their social surroundings, appropriate information, access to youth-friendly health services, protection, and decision-making power or the life skills that are needed to handle SRHR issues.

Despite the government introducing sexuality education into the curriculum, poor SRHR outcomes are widespread and evident through high rates of unintended pregnancies among teenagers. According to statistics, in Kilifi and West Pokot, teenage pregnancies amongst girls aged 15-19 stand at 13 and 36 percent respectively (Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022). Adolescent pregnancy puts girls and young women at heightened risk of contracting HIV, STIs and cervical cancers and makes them susceptible to other health challenges. Contributing factors include: (i) inadequate knowledge about SRHR and poor access to SRH services, (ii) lack of community support and harmful practices and social norms, (iii) economic vulnerability, (iv) lack of political good will and (v) weak voice and agency. Unintended pregnancies often lead to school-drop outs. While primary school enrolment is at 84% and 85%, transition rates to secondary school are at 26% and 19% in Kilifi and West Pokot respectively (Basic Education Statistical Booklet 2014). Against this background, DSW Kenya implemented the Holistic Action Project for Young Adolescents (HAPA) in Kilifi and West Pokot Counties, aiming to increase access to youth-friendly SRHR services and information, create a supportive school and community environment, ensure that young adolescents participate in leadership and decision-making processes, and engage decision makers at the community, county and national level.

Project Objectives and Outputs

Overall, HAPA envisages that young adolescent boys and girls aged 10-14 in Kenya take conscious and informed decisions about leading a healthy and self-determined life.

Project outcome: 7,000 boys and girls aged 10-14 in Kilifi and West Pokot counties have improved Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) by 2022.

The project aimed to achieve the following five key outputs throughout the implementation period:

1. Targeted young adolescents have increased access to age appropriate SRHR information.
2. A supportive school and community environment is created, promoting young adolescents’ SRHR and access to SRH services, with a focus on tackling gender inequalities.
3. Targeted young adolescents have increased advocacy and leadership skills to participate in leadership and decision-making processes at the community, county and national level.
4. Decision makers prioritize and support young adolescents’ SRHR at the community, county and national level.
5. DSW Kenya is strengthened as an institution for enhanced programme delivery and organizational management.

Project areas and location: Specifically, the project intended to improve SRHR and protection of young adolescents in (and around) nine primary schools in Kaloleni Sub countyinKilifi county and five primary schools in North Pokot Sub county in West Pokot county, Kenya.

Target group: 7,000 young adolescents aged 10 to 14 in 14 primary schools.

Direct beneficiaries included 630 in-school youth club members who are organized in 14 in-school youth clubs, 56 peer educators, 6,300 in-school boys and girls, 28 YA champions, 28 contact teachers, 3 Youth Empowerment Centers (YEC), 12 youth mentors and 28 mentor parents. Cooperation partners include county officials and community leaders, 5 Community Action Committees (CACs), School Management Committees (SMCs), 10 journalists, 5 Paralegal Officers, 28 Law Enforcement Officers and 28 health service providers.

Many project activities targeted pupils, teachers, parents and community members in and around fourteen (14) primary schools. In addition, DSW Kenya is to be strengthened as an institution for enhanced programme delivery. DSW Kenya’s staff are to be trained in results-based management (RBM), monitoring and evaluation (M&E), gender responsive programming (GRP) and financial management. Further, the operational procedures and processes including policies and strategies and the effectiveness of the Board of Directors is to be strengthened. HAPA is co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Purpose and Objectives of the Endline Evaluation

The End of project evaluation will be conducted at the end of the project, involving the target group and relevant stakeholders. Guided by the Logical Framework and using the baseline and target values established at the start of the project, the objective of the evaluation is to assess, measure, and determine the impact of the project interventions.

Broad study areas include:

1. Young adolescents’ knowledge about SRHR and access to SRH services in primary schools.
2. Level of community awareness and support for young adolescents SRHR, prevalence of harmful practices and social norms hindering improved young adolescents SRH.
3. Level of economic vulnerability among target households.
4. Level of awareness of relevant decision makers on young adolescent’s policies, guidelines and budgets supporting their SRHR and Protection.
5. Level of young adolescents’ advocacy and leadership skills in engaging with decision makers.

Specific study objectives based on project indicators:

• Determine the number of girls aged 10 to 19 in project schools who have dropped out of school due to pregnancy related causes.
• Determine the number of young adolescents in project schools who have dropped out of school as a result of causes other than pregnancy.
• Determine the level of existing knowledge on SRHR among young adolescents in project schools.
• Assess the types, availability and content of IEC material accessed by young adolescents in project schools.
• Determine the level of comprehensive knowledge of in-school youth club members on menstrual health.
• Assess the accessibility of sanitary towels and menstrual hygiene information for young adolescent girls in project schools.
• Determine the level of knowledge and information on children’s rights among young adolescents in project schools.
• Assess the access to SRH services at health facilities for young adolescents from project schools.
• Assess the capacity of DSW mentors to deliver the project objectives.
• Assess the organizational capacity of Youth Empowerment Centres (YECs) in the provision of SRH information and services as well as acting as safe spaces for young adolescents.
• Determine quality, quantity and type of activities related to SRH and youth empowerment offered by Youth Empowerment Centres.
• Assess collaboration of targeted YECs with surrounding health centres.
• Determine the types of youth-friendly SRHR teaching methodologies applied by teachers.
• Assess the coverage and content of SRHR topics taught in project schools.
• Assess the level of engagement of school management committee members on young adolescents’ SRH as well as any policy arrangements.
• Assess community structures around project schools involved in supporting SRHR and relevant issues of young adolescents.
• Assess the level of open communication between parents and young adolescents on SRHR.
• Assess parents’ knowledge and information on children’s rights.
• Assess the project area households’ economic vulnerability.
• Assess the level of awareness among key decision makers on prioritizing adolescents’ SRH and protection from relevant authorities.
• Determine number and content of county plans and county budgets addressing YA SRH and related concerns.
• Assess knowledge level about Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Policy and National Child Protection Policy among targeted representatives of county administration.
• Assess DSW Kenya Governance and project management practices and policies.
• Assess the interventions’ design and its inclusion of gender sensitive approaches.
• Assess DSW Kenya Board’s capacity related to its governing and oversight role.
• Assess the project M&E plan with the purpose of identifying gaps and suggest areas of improvement including recommendations for any further actions.
• Assess the potential positive and negative impacts of the intervention on beneficiaries and beyond, which were not accounted for by the project (to reduce negative impacts and maximize positive impacts).

The endline evaluation study will also be evaluated within the context of the criteria formulated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Development Assistance Committee (DAC); and these are namely impact, relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability.

Methodology

DSW will select a local consultant to conduct the Endline evaluation. The selected consultant will be required to prepare a detailed research methodology in partnership with DSW project team. The Endline survey will be proposed to apply both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods.

The target areas of this evaluation are Kaloleni Sub countyinKilifi county and North Pokot Sub county in West Pokot county, Kenya.

Key methods will be face to face interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews with sample groups and individuals from the target group and project stakeholders.

Moreover, the consultant team is invited to suggest other groups to be interviewed based on information needs.

Research tools, such as questionnaires for young adolescents, teachers, parents, government representatives, and other project stakeholders shall be carefully designed and be discussed with DSW project team.

Tasks and Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to undertake the following tasks;

• To follow the evaluation schedule (please see table below)
• To follow the Endline report structure provided by DSW
• Get full understanding of the project proposal, target groups and project’s outcomes.
• Design the survey methodology, and develop comprehensive research tools for data collection – taking into consideration the different target groups.
• Engage in feedback and briefing meetings with DSW project staff.
• In consultation with DSW project staff, recruit, train data collectors and supervise the field data collection exercise.
• Identify various stakeholders at sub-county and county level for key informant interviews.
• Organize adequate supervision and coordination of the survey teams in the field.
• Present preliminary findings to the project team, County Health Management Teams and the county education stakeholders.
• Identify and fill endline indicator values based on the target and baseline values given in the Logical Framework.
• Prepare and submit final survey report.

Endline Evaluation schedule: Tasks and Deliverables

Date / by when

Project documents shared and desk review conducted – 17th February 2023

Design and methods of the endline finalized – 21st February 2023

Develop inception report detailing the methodology and research tools and present it to DSW KEN CO CD & Project Staff and HAPA focal person at DSW GER – 24th February, 2023

Recruitment of field data collectors and training conducted – 1st March 2023

Field data collection: school-relevant data – 7th March 2023

Field data collection: out-of-school data – 10th March 2023

Field data collection report prepared – 17th March 2023

Discussion on data report Preliminary Findings – 21st March 2023

Team feedback incorporated and draft 2 submitted

Final report & power point submitted to DSW KEN CO CD, project staff and DSW Germany for final approval – 24th March 2023

Supporting Documents

DSW will provide supporting documents related to the program design, which will include;

• Logical framework and project concept
• Project Baseline report
• Feasibility study report
• Endline report structure
• Any other relevant documents and reports

Skills and Experience

The consultant is expected to have the following skills and experience:

• Proven 10 years of experience of conducting research and/or studies on SRHR.
• Theoretical and practical knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research tool development and data collection methods (including focus group discussions).
• Experience in conducting studies in school environments, especially in Kenya.
• Experience in working with/interviewing young people.
• In-depth knowledge of child rights, youth empowerment, gender sensitive programming, WASH, and related sectors, notably in Kenya, desired.
• Very good written and verbal communication skills in English.

Payment and Terms of Payment

The consultant will be paid the consultancy fee in three instalments of 30%, 30% and 40% as follows:

• 1st tranche on approval of inception report and assessment tools.
• 2nd tranche on presentation of preliminary results and draft report.
• Final tranche upon approval of the final report by DSW KEN and DSW GER.

Work Plan and Submission

The assignment is expected to start by 17th February, the first draft report findings to be shared and discussed with staff by 17th March 2023 and the final report submitted by 24th March 2023.

Your application should include the following:

• A detailed resume highlighting the work that the Consultant has undertaken, which is relevant to this assignment and supported by recommendation letter for similar tasks;
• Minimum of two (2) samples of reports developed by the Consultant addressing similar issues;
• A detailed work plan and timeframe, which must be costed (in the local currency) at each stage;
• Technical Proposal: Consultant’s understanding and interpretation of the ToRs, detailed methodology to be used in undertaking the assignment and the tools to be used in data collection as well as data analysis framework and plan and the task to be accomplished.
• Financial Proposal: The financial proposal should provide cost estimates for services rendered including daily consultancy fees, training costs, accommodation; transport cost; stationeries, and supplies needed for training and administrative costs related to the participants during the exercise.

How to Apply