PROJ10091 Evaluation Quality Assurance and Learning Services (EQuALS 2)

Tender description

This service, Evaluation Quality Assurance and Learning Service 2 (EQUALS 2), will provide support and assurance in a range of sectoral and methodological areas, with the responsiveness and quick turn-around times that countries and teams require. It will build on our experience of the current EQUALS (Evaluation Quality Assurances and Learning Service) which is due to end in March 2022. The main objective of the programme is to contribute to the ongoing improvement of evaluative activities and products and their use across FCDO and Other Government Departments (OGD's). The programme will enable FCDO evaluations to continue to be high quality, where high quality is defined as: strategic, used for learning and improvement; independent and objective, with a robust methodology and the right expertise; following transparent processes; safe and ethical; and delivered in partnership with stakeholders. Better evaluation management, together with a more joined up approach, will allow for better synthesis and learning from the evaluation portfolio. FCDO evaluation evidence will continue to be a trusted source that can be used confidently in decision making. EQUALS2 will retain the core functions of the current programme. It will: • Establish a panel of evaluation consultants with expertise covering the range of ODA and non-ODA thematic areas and evaluation methodologies. • Manage an online helpdesk that provides an overarching administrative function for the programme, and through which staff submit their requests for support. • Ensure there is a strong relationship between the management of the service and evaluation structures in the FCDO; enabling the service to be strongly aligned to FCDO’s changing needs, to contribute to and support data collection and use of evaluation and monitoring management information and to the ongoing improvement of evaluative skills and capabilities in FCDO. Through the Panel, EQUALS2 will provide the three core services of short term (a) technical advice, (b) quality assurance, and (c) evaluation insights. Lot 1: FCDO is seeking a supplier to deliver an 38-month contract of up to 3915000 GBP exclusive of UK VAT from February 2022 until 31 March 2025 for the Evaluation Quality Assurance and Learning Service 2 (EQUALS 2) programme. There is provision to scale up by up to an additional 1665000 GBP exclusive of UK VAT in cases where the programme has demonstrated a strong impact and has the potential to yield additional results. The estimated value includes all applicable local government taxes. Please note that the estimated total value of 5580000 GBP represents a maximum, including scale up options, and FCDO expects competitive tenders based on the full Terms of Reference (Volume 3 of the ITT Pack) within the original budget of 3915000 GBP exclusive of UK VAT. The main recipients of the services will be FCDO and Other Government Departments who can commission up to £208,000 exclusive of UK VAT of the 3915000 GBP contract budget. EQUALS2 will retain the core functions of the current programme. It will: • Establish a panel of evaluation consultants with expertise covering the range of ODA and non-ODA thematic areas and evaluation methodologies. • Manage an online helpdesk that provides an overarching administrative function for the programme, and through which staff submit their requests for support. • Ensure there is a strong relationship between the management of the service and evaluation structures in the FCDO; enabling the service to be strongly aligned to FCDO’s changing needs, to contribute to and support data collection and use of evaluation and monitoring management information and to the ongoing improvement of evaluative skills and capabilities in FCDO. Through the Panel, EQUALS2 will provide the three core services of short term (a) technical advice, (b) quality assurance, (c) evaluation insights. These activities are outlined in detail in ITT Volume 3 Terms of Reference. As EQUALS2 is designed to be a flexible and responsive service, the supplier should be prepared that these core services may evolve within the objective of improving and assuring the FCDO’s evaluative capabilities and products. A hybrid payment by results model will be used for effective implementation of the EQUALS2 Contract and will link achievement of agreed KPI's and milestones to an agreed payment schedule. An FCDO standard service contract will be awarded. Scale up/down is provided for in ITT Volume 3 Terms of Reference and contract clauses to allow flexibility to respond to emerging needs.