TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR AN AGENCY FOR PROVIDING MONITORING AND EVALUATION SERVICES

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR AN AGENCY FOR PROVIDING MONITORING AND EVALUATION SERVICES

 

 

Engagement location:	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Durationof assignment	1 year
Implementing organisation	Save the Children in North West Balkans

 

1.        Introduction

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the North-West Balkans and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met, and their voices are heard.  We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Save the Children (SC) is the world’s leading independent organization for children. SC vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. SC’s mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

 

In the North West Balkans Region, SC strives to improve child rights situation in general and especially in the areas of education, child rights governance, protection of children from all forms of violence and emergencies. In all of the mentioned areas SC aims at providing professional and financial support to partners. Since 2000, SC in the North West Balkans (SCNWB), based in Sarajevo, has programming in the Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Serbia and in Montenegro and it supports implementation of regional initiatives in the region of South East Europe.

 

2.        Background and Rationale

 

The engaged agency plays a key role in supporting Save the Children North West Balkans team to assure programme quality management within Save the Children. It will support the overall MEAL system by providing MEAL services for two projects and new business development initiatives.

 

3.        Objective

SCI seeks to engage an external agency to enhance project implementation by providing Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) services. The primary role of the selected agency will be to develop comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plans along with the necessary tools to ensure the quality of our programs. This assignment also includes capacity building for field staff in routine data collection, preparation of monitoring reports, creation of Power BI interactive reports, and other services detailed in the scope of work and expected outcomes section.

 

The engagement will comprise three distinct packages of services.

 

PACKAGE 1: PROTECTION OF CHILDREN ON THE MOVE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

 

Information about the project: With this intervention, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Save the Children will support refugee and migrant children at critical spots along the route – out of reception centres and in the Reception Center Blažuj, where we are focused on early identification and protection services. Additionally, refugee and migrant boys and girls accommodated in the reception center close to Belgrade, Serbia, will access quality and comprehensive services through case management (MHPSS activities, SGBV response and legal aid for the most vulnerable children, including victims of trafficking and violence). The reception and care capacity will be strengthened to include a strong focus on child protection and child-centered processes, including the availability of longer-term adequate solutions for UASC, access to adequate child-friendly procedures. Furthermore, unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children on the Balkans migration route will get improved visibility and access to appropriate targeted protection services and their basic human rights are respected.

 

Services required:

·        Develop a comprehensive MEAL Plan for the project.

·        Create data collection tools aligned with SCI inputs and existing requirements, ensuring data disaggregation by age, gender, country of origin, and other relevant factors, capturing information on services provided to children and families.

·        Prepare semi-annual monitoring reports to track project performance and impact.

·        Review and implement a methodology to reduce double-counting in data collection.

·        Develop interactive and real-time reports using Power BI for enhanced data visualization and analysis.

·        Quarterly update of the project MEAL plan.

·        Provide support for developing quarterly trend monitoring reports to identify emerging patterns and areas for improvement.

 

PACKAGE 2: BRIDGES – BUILDING RESILIENCE, INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, GROWING ENGAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

 

Information about the project: The BRIDGES project aims to further solidify the position of 6 drop-in centers for street-involved children and children at risk in their communities by providing quality services to children and families. Particular focus will be on strengthening DiC capacities for exploring and engaging in new fundraising modalities that aim to contribute to their financial sustainability. High-level intensity of advocacy and campaign activities, including meaningful participation and engagement of children, will continue to be strongly supported. The service delivery is carried out by 6 partners located in Mostar, Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Brcko, Nikšić, and Podgorica.

 

Services required:

·        Develop a comprehensive MEAL Plan tailored to the specific needs and objectives of the project.

·        Review and update the MEAL Plan and data collection tools for six partner organizations, ensuring consistency and alignment across all partners who are implementing similar activities.

·        Conduct one training session for Save the Children International and partner staff responsible for data collection.

·        Develop data collection tools for three training sessions and oversee data analysis to extract valuable insights.

·        Semi-annually update the MEAL Plan to reflect any changes in project goals, activities, or indicators.

·        Prepare an Annual Monitoring Report summarizing project achievements over the course of the year.

 

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

 

Services required:

·        Develop up to 5 LogFrames for new project proposals throughout the year

·        Development of 1 project impact brief: a positioning paper (2 pages)

 

 

4.        SCOPE OF WORK

 

A consultant is expected to carry out the following activities:

 

·              Hold an initial meeting with Save the Children to create the work plan agreement.

·              Implement activities described in the Objective 3.

 

5.  TIMEFRAME AND METHODOLOGY

In order to complete the above-specified tasks, the Consultant will be engaged from April 20, 2024 to April 19, 2025.

The Consultant will develop and implement the work plan in consultations and with the support of SC-designated staff. The engaged agency will be tasked with developing a detailed plan and implementing agreed activities, in collaboration with SC staff.

 

   6. Funding and logistical support and organisations

SC will provide funding in North West Balkans.

The agency will design and implement the task in accordance with this ToR and consultation and support from relevant SC staff.

 

  7.Qualifications and Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required 

The consultant should possess the following expertise and skills as a minimum:

 

·        Thorough understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation processes and methodologies

·        Significant experience of undertaking a MEAL related role in both development and humanitarian contexts

·        Experience of, and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability

·        Experience working with Partners and a participatory approach.

·        Ability to write clear and well-argued assessments and project reports

·        Excellent communication skills

·        Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy

·        Previous experience of managing a team and of project management

·        Experience in Training and capacity building of staff.

·        Experience of representation and ability to represent SC effectively in external forums.

·        Fluent in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian

·        A high level of written and spoken English.

 

8. Budget

The Consultant should indicate the amounts of fees and costs of the services it expects in the engagement, with currency. All budget items should be clearly described, explaining how they fit into the proposed work plan. The fee per session needs to be clearly indicated as the number of sessions may vary throughout the engagement. It is mandatory to indicate the names of budget items as well as specific budget lines within the proposed budget.

 

Note* - Travel, food and accommodation, and all other expenses related to their tasks should be added as separate budget lines.

 

9. Selection criteria

The third-party Consultant will:

·              Be financially and legally separate from Save the Children, its staff and partner organizations

·              Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and experience in conducting MEAL activities

·              Be able to deliver all materials both in English and local languages (Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian)

 

Provide:

·              Budget/Request for Quotation (signed, stamped and scanned)

·              Curriculum Vitae with a detailed summary of the consultancy/projects conducted previously. If the consultancy was done for a company/organization, please include a profile of such company/organization (free template)

·              Minimum of two letters of reference from organizations with which it/s/he has conducted previous work

 

Save the Children will make the award to the Bidder whose proposal provides the best value, considering both technical and cost factors. Technical and cost factors will be evaluated relative to each other, as described herein. The technical evaluation factors, taken as a whole, are of greater importance than cost or price in determining the best value.

 

Bidders should note these criteria:

(1) serve as the standard against which all proposals will be evaluated, and

(2) serve to identify the significant matters which Bidders should address in their proposals.

 

The proposal submitted will be the primary document upon which each Bidder will be evaluated. 

Save the Children reserves the right to waive any minor or technical defects or irregularities and reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

 

Save the Children emphasizes that all the accompanying costs of the process of evaluation and implementation of the engagement (travel costs, accommodation, etc.) should be included in the offer as separate budget lines.

 

Agences interested in the engagement should send their bids to Procurement.NWB@savethechildren.org no later than April 3, 2024. Only short-listed agencies will be contacted.

Please find link with application documents:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/142f_p3DmCzPKzG3ZHJyI25SCDu_nKzxd?usp=drive_link

 

Special requirement:

No person working on any task for or on behalf of Save the Children may in no way whatsoever be involved or related to child abuse or exploitation as defined in Save the Children's Child Safeguarding Policy.

The contracting authority also requires that the personal data of all evaluation participants must be protected and stored in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation - (EU) 2016/679 and the national law on personal data protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH Law on Personal Data Protection, Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 49/06)