Final Evaluation for FHI 360’s ISHI-NE-II project

Submit Questions and Proposal to: CrisisResponse@fhi360.org; Elwiza@fhi360.org

Date Proposal Due: May 7, 2024

Approximate Timeframe Consultant Agreement Issued to Successful Candidate(s): Late May 2024

Method of Submittal:

Respond via e-mail with attached document in MS Word / pdf format. Pricing should be provided in Excel format unless otherwise specified.

Quote Validity:

The Consultant agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 days from the date specified for the receipt of offers unless another time is specified in the addendum of the RFP.

Background

FHI 360 is responding to the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions of Ethiopia by implementing an integrated health, nutrition, protection, and WASH program. In June 2023, the Integrated Services for Humanitarian Implementation – Northern Ethiopia (ISHI-NE-II) project received second round funding for a 12-month program from the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), for implementation period June 23, 2023 to June 22, 2024. The main objective of ISHI-NE – II is to improve the well-being of conflict-affected and displaced populations through an integrated, multi-sectoral response. To achieve this goal, FHI 360 is providing an integrated package of emergency response services consisting of primary health care through static and mobile support, emergency nutrition support to pregnant and lactating women and children under five years of age, improvements to water supply and adequate means of sanitation at the community and facility level, and protection support for children, women, and vulnerable populations. Since the start of the project, the ISHI-NE-II project has actively engaged with relevant stakeholders, such as the host government, other partner organizations, the United Nations, regional clusters, and community leaders and members to ensure the project effectively delivers project activities through collaborative and sustainable methods. In doing so, FHI 360 has successfully accessed hard-to-reach areas and provided life-saving provisions to the most impacted IDPs, host communities, and returnees.

Scope of Work

FHI 360 is seeking a consultant to lead a final evaluation for the ISHI-NE-II project to assess how effective the program was at meeting its overall objective in Tigray, Amhara and Afar. The consultant will oversee all data collection and analysis activities, train data enumerators, perform checks on collected data, coordinate the data analysis process, lead the report writing, manage the evaluation process, and facilitate a reflection workshop on the evaluation findings and lessons learned.

Specifically, the evaluation will seek to answer the following questions:

• Did ISHI-NE-II reach the appropriate target groups and individuals within the target areas?
• How were the different needs of conflict-affected communities integrated into the design?
• How were the different needs of conflict-affected communities integrated into the implementation of the project?
• Did ISHI-NE-II adapt appropriately and promptly to changing contexts and needs?
• What changes took place in the project implementation that differed from the original design?
• What major achievements has the ISHI-NE-II project achieved concerning the initially planned outcomes and stated objectives?
• What were the main factors for success or failure that impacted FHI 360’s achievement of project activities?
• Which aspects of project sector integration were the strongest or weakest?
• Based on ISHI-NE’s project implementation strategies regarding integration and
• coordination, what recommendations does the project have in the future?
• Is there a need to change strategies laid out in the theory of change? If yes, what are the suggested changes based on the lessons learned from project implementation?
• What are the major challenges and setbacks the ISHI-NE-II project faced? What strategies did the ISHI-NE-II project execute to address the significant challenges?

The objective of the final evaluation is to assess the overall implementation and achievement of the ISHI-NE-II project against its stated objectives and outcomes. This evaluation intends to provide information on the project’s relevance, effectiveness, integration, and lessons learned in Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions.

Specific objectives of final evaluation include:

• To assess the project’s performance against the expected outputs and outcomes.
• To compare the results of the endline indicators to the baseline results.
• To identify key strengths, gaps, and lessons learned in the project design and implementation.
• To generate recommendations to strengthen future program activities based on lessons learned and successes from the ISHI-NE-II project.

The evaluation should furthermore contribute to learning by understanding what have been the factors that made possible or created obstacles to the achievement of results (their focus is therefore on why, not only on what); and by identifying any key lessons that would lead to improved future interventions in the country/region/sector of operation and/or elsewhere.

Deliverables

The consultant/firm will lead the final evaluation data collection, analysis, and reporting for the Project. The consultant will undertake field travel to Selected woredas of Eastern and Central Tigray, Waghimra and North Wollo Zones of Amhara region and Zone 2 of Afar Region. The Endline survey will be conducted in seven sampled woredas (Tigray 04, Amhara 02, Afar 01) and four IDP (Tigray 03, Amhara 01) sites. The selection of the Woredas followed purposive sampling techniques considering the location and similar context of woredas, number of targeted woredas by zone, level of sectoral integration and security/accessibility to woredas.

The consultant is responsible for the planning, implementing, and overall coordination of the assessment, including survey logistics and timeliness, training data collectors and supervisors, monitoring progress and supervising fieldwork. The consultant is expected to deliver the following major assignments in the consultancy period:

• A robust and sound technical proposal. The technical proposal shall include: –
• a list of previous evaluations conducted
• a list and credentials of staff/specialists that will be implementing the evaluation.
• The assessment instruments and digital data collection software and devices.
• Getting of ethical and research clearance or approval from relevant authority and submit the approved document to FHI 360 before starting the data collection.
• Recruitment and training plan of data enumerators and conduct pilot testing to all tools.
• Cleaned data files in CSV or Excel format with data correctly organized, variables named and labelled.
• Endline values for the ISHI-NE-II indicators (mostly outcome indicators)
• A slide deck that highlights the key findings of the final evaluation

Overall, following are the major deliverables from the consultant.

• Finalization of Tools and Survey Plan with inception report
• First Draft of Report
• Second draft report
• Final report
• Short supplementary report (as described above)
• All raw datasets, analysis, notes, delivered.

In addition to the Final Report, the consultant(s) will provide a short supplementary paper to show the work carried out, including a list of people interviewed or met, the summary records and dates of the meetings held, a soft copy of all the raw data, photographs, and the consultants’ observations and recommendations. The final report and the supplementary report shall be submitted to FHI 360 at the same time, not later than five working days after the final review of the draft report. Each of the above documents shall be submitted in electronic form. The final document will be submitted both in electronic and also hard copy.

Evaluation Methodology:

The consultant(s) should design a robust, logical, and practical methodology that well addressed the evaluation questions and describing the data collection methods, sampling methods, quality control, data analysis and reporting and ethical consideration. The data collection should be conducted using digital data collection system where possible.

As indicated above the location of the final evaluation will take place in project targeted woredas of Eastern and Central Zones of Tigray regional state, Waghimira and North Wollo zones of Amhara Regional State and selected woredas of Zone 2 in Afar Regional State. As summarized below:

IDP sites proposed for sampling:

• Mekelle: Mossobo
• Axum: Axum Preparatory School
• Adigrat: Commission IDP
• North Wollo: Jara IDP

Woreda proposed for sampling for the endline.

Tigray

• Central: Rama, Axum
• Eastern: Adigrat, Hawuzen

Amhara

• North Wollo: Raya Alamata, Waldia
• Waghemra: Aberegele, Sekota

Afar

• Zone 2: Berahle, Abaala

The study population targets approximately 1,173,505 people (directly and indirectly) in both regions. These includes host communities, returnees and IDPs affected by the conflict in these woredas. It is expected that the data collected will allow for analysis that compares baseline results to endline results. In addition, the design should sufficiently address how the methods used would answer the key questions of the evaluation.

Location of Work: Project-targeted woredas of Eastern and Central Zones of Tigray regional state, Waghimira and North Wollo zones of Amhara Regional State and selected woredas of Zone 2 in Afar Regional State.

Travel: Consultant(s)/Firm will travel to the locations stated above. Ideally, the travel will start after May 16 and continue for about one month.

Qualifications

• Robust experience and be conversant in conducting final evaluation and endline evaluation in Ethiopia or other countries in the health, nutrition, protection, and WASH sectors, ideally funded by USAID-BHA.
• Ability to demonstrate sound skills and experience in using qualitative and quantitative research approaches, statistical data collection and analysis systems, exceptional report writing skills, digital data collection methods, and statistical software.
• A strong protection background with experience conducting protection client satisfaction surveys.
• At least 5-8 years of relevant experience in public health, nutrition, social studies, WASH engineering, statistical disciplines, and conducting evaluations and assessments in emergency settings.
• Sound understanding of development challenges, humanitarian needs, and humanitarian architecture functioning in Ethiopia, with preferably some experience in the geographical areas where the evaluation will be conducted.
• Extensive experience in conducting evaluations along Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) evaluation criteria, ideally leading an evaluation team, and experience in designing evaluation methodology/tools, data analysis, etc.
• Previous relevant experiences with FHI 360 USAID/BHA-funded projects, and work experience with other INGOs will be seen as an asset.
• Excellent analytical and writing in English skills. Knowledge of the local language.
• Strong analytical/conceptual skills and effective communication skills is essential.
• The consultant/firm should be legally registered in Ethiopia with a renewed license, and proof of access to targeted areas.
• Ethiopian national

Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

• Deliver Terms: Refers to Bidder providing the most advantageous delivery schedule.15%
• Payment terms: Refers to the Bidder providing the most favorable terms of payment. The Purchaser payment terms are to pay within 30 calendar days of acceptance of goods/services and receipt of invoice. 5%
• Availability: Refers to availability for immediate commencement of activities after being contracted or goods in stock demonstrated from a physical visit by FHI staff members/ Tender committee.10%
• Warranty: Bidder provides the most favorable warranty terms for the goods/services supplied. (where applicable) 5%
• Staff capacity: Refers to the experience of individuals who is assigned to the delivery of goods/service. 10%
• Experience: Refers to Bidder’s ability to demonstrate relevant experience and technical knowledge of the services required, experience working with FHI and or other INGOs. 20%
• Financial proposal: Offer as per TOR. 35%
• Eligibility: Refers to Bidder’s ability to demonstrate that they have valid business registration, tax certificate/registration as required by local law. Pass

FHI 360 Disclaimers

• FHI 360 may cancel the solicitation and not award
• FHI 360 may reject any or all responses received
• Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment by FHI 360
• FHI 360 reserves the right to disqualify any offer based on failure of the offeror to follow solicitation instructions
• FHI 360 will not compensate any offeror for responding to solicitation
• FHI 360 reserves the right to issue award based on initial evaluation of offers without further discussion
• FHI 360 may choose to award only part of the activities in the solicitation, or issue multiple awards based on the solicitation activities
• FHI 360 reserves the right to waive minor proposal deficiencies that can be corrected prior to award determination to promote competition
• FHI 360’s supplier terms and conditions can be found here while our consultant terms and conditions can be found here

How to apply

Timetable and Address for Submission

Candidates must submit their applications by 5 pm EST on Friday, May 7th. The candidate(s) should email: crisisresponse@fhi360.org and Elwiza@fhi360.org prior to the submission date. Please reach out to the same contacts if you need further information on the solicited assignment and guidance on the expected quality of the required documentation listed below.

FHI 360 may cancel this invitation at any time during the process and without bearing the obligations to disclose the reasons thereof.

Required Documentation: Proposals to conduct the evaluation must include the following components:

1. Expression of Interest (EOI) – specifying whether applicants are applying as individual or consulting company.
2. A detailed technical proposal that includes the survey field protocol detailing how the firm/consultant is going to undertake all the activities highlighted in this TOR.
3. Detail description of the proposed assessment methodologies, sampling techniques, data collection and analysis methods, quality control and others
4. A brief outline of at least three previously completed engagements of a similar nature, showing how the assignments were identical to this one and what the outcomes were. Include one contact person for reference for each project.
5. Cover Letter and updated Resume/CV for leading consultants or consultants’ firm.
6. Financial proposal: The consultant(s) should submit the cost of the assignment. This includes the cost of Consultancy/ Professional Fees, VAT and taxes, consultant fee, equipment, transport, accommodation, lodging, vehicles rent/transportation, meals and incidentals, training and payment of enumerators, printing etc. The consultant will itself manage all travels or flights to Tigray, Amhara and Afar and to selected woredas and kebeles. A detail cost breakdown (item description, units, proposed quantities, unit rates and total prices) is required for the application to be considered.
7. Professional License, legal registration with a renewed license, and proof of access to targeted areas.
8. Timetable to commence of the deliverable starting from 16th May 2024
   • FHI 360 may perform a background check on any selected Consultant candidates.