Job Field: Sector in Consultancy

Project overview: The overall aim is to improve the physical, psychological, health and economic well-being of street children and girls living and working in the hidden sector and other vulnerable children, through children and family empowerment, influencing policy and advocacy at all levels in order to provide an opportunity for OVCs to live and work towards productive, healthy, dignified and meaningful lives.
Specific aims:
Delivering long-term re-integration of children and working with other stake holders to strengthen the economic circumstances of the vulnerable community and family members
To increase access to economic and business opportunities by families and foster families of street and working children leading to increased household income, purchasing power of families and meeting of the basic needs.
Strengthening protection of children in HOVIC’s programme and increasing awareness on the right of children in and outside the organization
Building children’s capacity to speak-up for themselves by intensifying life-skills and enabling them to self-advocate
Access to education at primary, secondary and vocational training levels.
Strengthen organisational capacity of HOVIC to become a viable, sustainable and effective organisation to meet the needs of street and vulnerable children.
Project Beneficiaries: Street boys living and working on the street. These are boys living in, on or from the streets. The project also targeted girls and girls in the hidden sector and the girls working in the hidden sector (include maids, casual workers, sex workers and beggars). Other targeted groups include parents and guardians of street children.
Objective of the evaluation The overall goal of the end term evaluation is to establish the extent to which the implementation of this grant achieved the intended outcomes. Specific objectives of the evaluation:
The following are the specific objectives of the end of project evaluation: To assess the extent to which rehabilitated children achieved
quality living standard focusing on access to health and health care services, nutrition and shelter
How far the reunification of children with families, foster parents and guardians was achieved and how sustainable the process was in preventing return to the streets of rehabilitated children
The extent to which the reintegration model has worked and whether this could be replicated and up scaled and establish what challenges there are to the success of this model
To assess the extent to which families of rehabilitated children have achieved increased incomes to provide for the social, economic and psychological needs of reintegrated children
To assess the extent to which the rights of children living on the street and in the hidden sector are respected and guaranteed by the authorities and communities focusing on the respective roles and responsibilities of Community leaders and elders, police and justice to protect street and vulnerable children and the provision of legal representation to redress abuse and injustice in the courts of law. To what extent has HOVIC’s advocacy strategy been
instrumental in accessing health and education services from the public institutions.
The extent to which HOVIC’s capacity has been strengthened and classified as being viable, sustainable and effective in supporting street children. The evaluation should focus on management’s competence and skills sets in relevant technical areas for an organisation working with vulnerable children and the capacity of the board to give strategic guidance and oversight on the operations of HOVIC. Scope
The evaluation is expected to ascertain whether or not the project has been relevant, efficient, effective, and sustainable and whether it had impact on the lives of beneficiaries; and review other key organisational systems as required (e.g. financial; HR policies and child protection systems). The End of Project Evaluation will respond to the following issues: What difference has the project made to beneficiaries’ lives (what, where, when and who)?
To what degree has project outcomes been achieved? Were there any unexpected outcomes?
Who benefited and in what ways?
Are those changes (outcomes) relevant to the street children’s needs? Has the project been able to adapt these outcomes to meet beneficiaries’ priorities?
Are they likely to be sustainable in the long term?
Have there been changes to policies, practice and attitudes of decision and policy makers to benefit the project’s target groups?
To what extent has the project contributed to the achievement of broader national and international policies, conventions, targets, etc in Kenya?
To what extent has the achievement of the changes/ outcomes been influenced by external context and other factors?
How has the programme made this difference? Activities and approaches used by the programme or implementing organisations:
What were the overall theories of change for HOVIC? Have they been effective in bringing about lasting change? Where there any gaps?
What have been the most effective methodologies and approaches HOVIC used to bring about changes to beneficiaries’ lives? What has worked well and what has not? What lessons have been learned? Who have they been shared with?
How have the vision and structure of the organisations and the relationships between partners throughout the relationship chain (looking at Comic Relief-WOI and WOI-HOVIC) helped or hindered the delivery of change/outcomes?
How effective have the project’s management, monitoring, learning and financial systems been? How have they helped or hindered the delivery of lasting change? How has the grant enabled HOVIC to reinforce their core
business and scale up their intervention? Has the project represented good value for money? Relationship with WOI: approaches used and added value
How has WOI’s approach to grant management (e.g. partnership approach, work with partner organisations, organisational development, learning activities and processes) helped or hindered the delivery of lasting change?
How effective has WOI’s support been to partner organisations to strengthen organisational capacity and effectiveness?
How effective has WOI been in facilitating learning of local partners throughout the grant?
Are there any aspects of WOI’s support that could have achieved greater impact if they had been done differently? What role should WOI play in strengthening partners’ work in a new phase of work?
Expected outcomes
The End of project Evaluation is expected to identify lessons learned from the project and formulate specific recommendations for HOVIC, WOI and Comic Relief on: Improving and maximising impact
Promoting best practice, innovation and learning
Sustaining growth and progress in community initiatives
Improving the partnership and relationship with WOI in any future work
Improving the partnership and relationship with Comic Relief in any future work
Methodology
In outlining the methodology, we expect the consultant to demonstrate their understanding of the TORs, their overall approach to carrying out the work and provide a detailed outline of the methodology and an indicative work plan for the evaluation. This would include the design and development of tools for use in carrying out the evaluation. The methodology will also include case studies to assess how the grant has benefited targeted street children. The consultants will specify how the information for case studies will be collected and used to contribute to the evidence base to demonstrate the impact of the project. The consultant will review documents and reports provided by Hope for Victoria Children and Widows and Orphans International and will produce an informed inception report on how the consultant will carry out the evaluation, details of instruments and tools to be used in collecting primary data, analysis and reporting. We expect the inception report to identify the issues that will be addressed during the evaluation and propose a detailed timeline of the key activities of the evaluation including field visits to HOVIC to meet with key staff and stakeholders and project beneficiaries.
The Consultant should assess and verify the quality of the information generated by the project by undertaking a quality assessment of: Project M&E and learning (MEL) systems (validity and reliability of data collection, storage and analysis; effectiveness of processes to use and share information)
We expect the consultant to interview the Comic Relief Grants Manager and WOI staff responsible for international programmes. The consultant will present initial findings to HOVIC management team, the board and invited key stakeholders. It is expected that the End of Grant Evaluation will be carried out in 26 days from 17th Oct,2016 and a final report submitted by 15th Nov,2016. Documents for reviewReview project proposal & start-up form. Annual Reports & Comic Relief report feedback. Other relevant project and programme documents & strategies
Deliverables Include the following:
An inception report outlining the methodology and detailed implementation plan
Preliminary findings after visit to HOVIC to collect data and visit projects in the field
Draft evaluation report
Final report in soft copy
Report specification Please be guided by the following:
Report structure will include: executive summary; table of contents; abbreviation table; main report broken down as follows: background and context; methodology; main findings; conclusions and recommendations
Font: type, Arial; size, 11
Language: simple and readable English, avoid jargon
Report size:
Evaluation report, max 30 pages including an executive summary and recommendations Technical details should be confined to appendices, which should also include a list of informants and the evaluation team’s work schedule.
Timeline In developing a detailed work plan, the consultant will be guided by the following timeframe for the review process from the call for proposals, selection of successful consultant, the review and producing the final report. Total days of consultancy -23
Management arrangements
The evaluation assignment will be managed by HOVIC with support from WOI. The roles of the team will include the following:
Lead the advertising, recruitment and selection process for a consultant to do the evaluation and select the consultant in consultation with Comic Relief
Review and approve the inception report and provide comments and recommendations for any improvements, if needed
Review the draft report jointly with WOI and provide comments on the report and recommend any improvements if needed
Skills required for the Consultant Jobs:
We are looking for consultants with a strong record in conducting evaluations within the vulnerable children sector. The successful consultant will have the following:
Significant experience in conducting evaluation assignments.
Good knowledge of development cooperation instruments, international development policies and processes
Good knowledge and experience of partnership approaches in the African context
Good knowledge and experience in advocacy and policy influencing
Excellent analytical, writing and synthesis skills
Familiarity with Comic Relief strategies and processes will be an advantage
Understanding of Street and Working Children & Young People programming
Proven knowledge and analysis in relation to rights-based approach
Experience and knowledge in working in partnership with organisations
Experience of participatory research methodologies
Demonstrable knowledge of issues of Children living and working in the streets and in the hidden sector.
Qualifications of the Consultants:
Post-graduate degree in social sciences or other relevant field
At least five years experience in conducting assessments, midterm reviews and evaluations of similar projects in Kenya
Excellent report writing, research and analytical skills
Have comprehensive understanding of Children rights and protection
Experience working with street and vulnerable children
Good working knowledge of Swahili would be an asset.