ThaiNGO

Plan International Thailand

Terms of Reference for

Consultant(s)/ evaluation team on three Sida Bilateral projects

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I.          Introduction

Plan International Thailand have implemented three Sida Bilateral projects since 2015 which will end in June 2019. These three projects are:

1. THA101189 “Making Educational Institutions Safe to Young LGBT Students” (LGBT project): This project started in 2015 and is currently implemented in Phayao province. It aims to reduce school-related violence on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) through working with student peer leaders, school staff, parents, and a network of government bodies and civil society organisations (CSOs).
2. THA101190 SRHR: “Migrant Adolescent and Youth Voices and Actions: Claiming their Rights to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)” implemented since 2015 in three districts: Mae Sot, Prob Pra, and Maeramad in Tak province. The project targets on migrant adolescents aged 10-19 years, and migrant youths aged 20-25 years in communities with an aim to provide access to information and advice on SRHR, health care, and other services.
3. THA101192 CSO: “Building Strong Civil Society Organization and Networking for Sustainable Development” The project’s objective is to support civil society for the better realization of children’s rights in Thailand as enshrined in the Child Right Coalition (CRC) and its Optional Protocols. The project targeted to build the capacity of civil society organizations, and supporting their coordinated and sustained efforts to work together on data collection, information and resource sharing, reporting and advocacy for a common long-term agenda for all children in Thailand full potential, especially for most at-risk populations, along with capacity building for Plan International’s current implementing partners and meaningful participations of children and youth in child’s rights promotion and protection processes.

II.          Background

These three projects are supported by Sida CIVSAM Framework through Plan International Sweden (or Sweden National Office: SNO).  The present year of these three projects (July 2018 – June 2019) builds on the work from previous 3.5 years in terms of building on the implementation with local CSOs, and the collaboration with Thai government offices who are not sub-granted to assure sustainability aspect.  The individual project evaluations of the three projects were conducted by external consultants covering the 3.5 years implementation period from January 2015 – June 2018.  Plan International Thailand has received grant fund supports of the three projects for another year as an extension/phase out period (July 2018 – June 2019). 

An evaluation at the end of the extension/phase out period is planned for the three bi-lateral SIDA CIVSAM projects including THA101189, THA101190 and THA101192.

Finally, the THA101189 LGBT and THA101192 CSO projects will be phased out end of June 2019 while Plan International Thailand submitted a proposal for Sida CIVSAM Phase 2 to SNO to extend the SRHR project as a sub-regional project with Plan International Myanmar for the next five years (2019 – 2024).  It’s still under process of approval and expect to get the result in May 2019.

• Objective of the TOR

This TOR aims to recruit an external consultant or a team of consultants to conduct the final evaluation of three projects mentioned above.

The evaluation should measure the success and draw lessons learnt of Plan International Thailand’s intervention/value-added through the three projects on CSO strengthening in Thailand in particular on Child Protection, SRHR and school-related SOGIESC-based violence. 

The evaluation will focus on Sida Civsam global proposal strategy for civil society strengthening with the following Overall goal – “Together with civil society organisations, children and youth claim their rights from duty bearers, who actively commit to respect, protect and fulfil these rights”. The consultant(s) will use “Strategy for support via Swedish Civil Society Organisations for the period 2016-2022” and final evaluations Civsam 2015-18 projects as its background documents.

Specific objectives are:

1. To evaluate the overall SRHR services from local CBOs including local government and non-government as duty bearers offering to adolescent and youth migrants and being suitable to their rights on SRHR.
2. To identify key factors for successful civil society network strengthening including motivations for CSOs to work altogether as a coalition and to actively promote child rights in the country, model(s) for sustainability of CRCCT, and good practices on working with stakeholders especially government partners for improving national legislations/laws/policies.
3. To assess how the capacity of CSOs have been strengthened through the project (THA101189) in terms of addressing SOGIESC-based violence and children’s rights as well as assessing the capacity of CSO network in developing provincial-level mechanism that addresses SOCIESC-based violence including identifying needs and ways forward.

Additionally, it is important to look at Management Capacity of the partners after 4.5 years implementation of Civsam Framework, according to P&IQP and Building Better Partnership approaches (including delivery of influencing outcomes, capacity to deliver according to work plan, capacity to manage according to the budget, and increased management capacity against the baseline) as well as Networking capacity assessment that includes capacities to network, and participation of the members.

Evaluation criteria

For this evaluation, it is relied on the general criteria adopted by the OECD/DAC which are acknowledged by the international development community. The criteria applicable for the evaluation are:

• Effectiveness – this criterion focuses on assessing the achievements of the expected outcomes indicated in the project framework and results matrix, and ultimately the contribution to the realisation of the overarching goal of the framework (i.e. strengthening civil society to ensure respect, protection and fulfillment of children's rights).
• Relevance – this criterion focuses on the relevance of the partnership approach and working methods applied in the implementation of the projects, as well as the relevance of the support provided for strengthening the role of civil society as promoter of the rights of children.
• Sustainability – this criterion focuses on how the results achieved and has contributed to long term change and sustainable solutions for children's rights.
• Efficiency – this criterion focuses on the assessment of implementation of the projects from the perspective of cost efficiency.

Though the evaluation will address all the criteria above, emphasis will be given to the criteria Effectiveness, Relevance and Sustainability.

1. Methodology

Consultant(s) have to follow Plan’s Research Ethics, and Evaluation Standards Requirements which are attached for information.

The methodology of this evaluation will be mixed between qualitative and quantitative. It should include questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus-group discussions, as well as literature or desk review of documents and previous years’ evaluation. The information sources include implementing partners, students, school staff, parents/community members, CSOs, youth leaders and youth advisory committee, migrant adolescents and youth, learning centers, CRC Coalition Thailand, relevant government bodies (e.g. Secondary Education Service Area Office 36, Department of Children and Youth, and government health providers).

1. The Key Questions to Evaluation

Key questions have been identified to be addressed by the evaluation team under each of the criteria listed in the previous section.

Relevance

Partnership approaches

• How has the partnership approaches applied in the implementation of the projects complied with the formal requirements of Sida as well as with the internal requirements of Plan International?
• What is the perception by the partner organisations on Plan International as a partner?
• How do the partner organisations perceive that the partnership approaches applied in the implementation of the projects have strengthened and/or hindered them both in short-term and long-term?
• How does the partnership with Plan International support implementation of the local partners' own agendas and priorities?

Civil society strengthening

• How relevant is the support provided by Plan International for strengthening civil society to fulfill its role in the society?
• How relevant is the work to strengthen civil society in different contexts and cross different projects, i.e. adaptability of the support to the contextual situation of civil society in Thailand and South East Asia / ASIAN region?
• What are the changes in the external and internal environment for civil society participating and/or implementinghow have these changes positively or negatively affected the partner’ strengthening?

Effectiveness

• What are the results of the projects’ initiatives aiming for civil society strengthening (What dimensions of civil society has been strengthened, e.g. organisational development, building of expertise, service delivery, advocacy and influencing, accountability of duty bearers, acting as drivers of change)?
• Is there available evidence that support from Plan International targeting civil society is contributing to the expected outcomes of the projects and ultimately the realization of the overarching goal of the Sida CIVSAM framework[1] to enhance the respect, protection and fulfillment of the rights of children?
• What are the contributions made by the projects for the realisation of the overarching goal of the Sida CIVSAM framework?

Sustainability 

• How are the results achieved likely to contribute to long term change and sustainable solutions for children's rights?

Efficiency

• Has the approach applied by Plan International strengthened civil society in a cost efficient way?

The questions and dimensions listed in this section are subject for further specification in dialogue between Plan International and the successful candidate(s) during the inception phase.

1. Ethical and child protection considerations
2. To be ensure that the rights of those participating in data collection or analysis are respected and protected, in accordance with Ethical Guidelines. This means, amongst other things, ensuring:

• Informed, documented and voluntary consent of the participant, and in addition, where the participant is under 18 years of age, the consent of their parent/guardian
• Confidentiality and anonymity is guaranteed for participants, with the exception that in some cases an adult participant can consent to their identity being disclosed

Appropriate support is offered to participants of data collection, particularly if safeguarding issues may arise or if sensitive issues are being discussed.

2. To conduct an assessment of potential risks to participants before starting. Appropriate actions must be taken to mitigate those risks.
3. Prior to data collection commencing, evaluation initiatives apply for ethical approval from a research/evaluation ethics committee/institutional review board within the country of research/evaluation as appropriate, and/or from the Plan International Research Ethics Committee.

4. To be ensure that evaluator/collecting data staff understand and explore gender attitudes and power dynamics, including why they exist and how they change.

5. To use participatory tools and methodologies wherever possible in order to meaningfully involve target populations, including girls, women, and other marginalized groups in design, data collection, and analysis processes.

• Deliverables/output:

• This Terms of Reference is subject to further operationalization in an inception report which is drafted and presented by the successful candidate(s). In the inception report, the evaluation questions are refined and supported by a detailed methodology and tools including sampling approach and work plan.
• A debriefing is required for each of the phases stipulated under the schedule section below.
• The draft evaluation report is submitted on 1 July 2019 and a final report is submitted on 15 July 2019. The comments by Plan International on the draft report have to be addressed in the final report.

One evaluation report for the three projects covering the above mentioned deliverables according to agreed evaluation methods of each project by stated in Schedule VI.

• Schedule

1. Qualifications

The selection criteria of consultant(s) will emphasis on “method of study,” and “background/experience” of consultant(s).

The minimum qualifications and experiences required for the consultants are:

• Demonstrated experience of conducting evaluations of similar focus and scope
• Demonstrated experience of conducting evaluations in development contexts
• Extensive experience of developing and applying methodological approaches including quantitative and qualitative elements
• Proven research background in area of civil society strengthening, enabling civil society , and gender/inclusion
• Familiarity with conducting research on migrant issue /civil society context related to migrant populations will be advantage
• Broader understanding and knowledge on child right issue in Thailand and UNCRC mechanism is an advantage.
• Proven understanding of management structures and strengthening of civil society, and/or CSO coalitions and networks is required.
• Excellent documentation and qualitative data analysis skills
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and able to demonstrate respect for people with diverse ethnicities and genders, different socio-economic backgrounds and beliefs.
• Previous experience working with Plan International is an advantage
• Ability to deliver on tight time frames and meet deadlines within agreed budgets

1. How to apply?

Candidates should submit the following documents:

• A curriculum vitae with contact details
• 2-3 samples of previous works (unpublished or published document)
• Evaluation details, evaluation schedule, and expected cost of the evaluation.

All the above mentioned documents must be sent by e-mail to krisda.tuprung@plan-international.org and supornchai.nawataweeporn@plan-international.org by 31 March 2019 at the latest