SSA_2023_Malawi_Consultancy Services to Lead the Monitoring and Evaluation of the ZANTCHITO- Skills for Jobs Project in Malawi.

Tender description

Evaluation Objectives<br /><br />The tender aims to secure the technical and professional services of an evaluation consultant. The appointed consultant (individual or firm) will lead the monitoring, evaluation and learning required for the Skills Component of the Zantchito programme. The aim of the evaluation process is to facilitate adaptive management by making the necessary adjustments to maximise results and impact and the evaluation is to ensure effective delivery has taken place and any remedial action is taken throughout the process. The selected consultant will work closely with the Evaluation Advisor for British Council in Sub Saharan Africa, and the Zantchito M&E Manager. <br />The monitoring, evaluation and learning planned is to assess the programme’s delivery of it’s Theory of Change and the facilitation of skills development through TEVET as a component of enhancing national employment and competitiveness, especially the achievement of the programme’s specific objective and achievement of intended results. MEL activities are to produce actionable and strategically targeted information which, in turn, will effectively inform the performance of projects’ implementation and management against agreed objectives and results.<br /><br />The programme’s specific objectives are to:<br />• Improve co-ordination of the national TEVET system to realise governance that supports the improved quality and inclusiveness of outcomes <br />• Facilitate further development of TEVET delivery and outcomes that meet sector, local economic and social needs<br />There are two core result areas and expected results are:<br />• Result area 1.1 - Improved co-ordination of institutions, better clarity on responsibilities and greater use of inclusive and evidence-based decision-making that supports the development and implementation of policies and strategy for an effective TEVET system.<br />• Result area 1.2 - Enhanced participation of private partners in the TEVET ecosystem contributing to higher quality, relevant and inclusive TEVET outcomes.<br />• Result area 2.1 - A sectoral approach to skills development is piloted in four Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE).<br />• Result area 2.2 TEVET development, regulation and delivery is better able to respond to sector, local economic and social needs.<br />Within the MEL framework, special attention will be paid to indicators related to inclusion, particularly related to disaggregation by sex and disability, including disaggregated Global Europe Results Framework (GERF).<br /><br /> Specifications of the consultancy, key activities are to:<br />• Review the theory of change and the results framework and set evaluation questions that would guide this study in partnership with the project implementation team.<br />• Identify the mixed methodology and MEL tools for data collection (inception) <br />• Develop a MEL framework stipulating roles and responsibilities for all MEL functions within the programme team <br />• Identify capacity-building needs of the programme team in the use of data collection tools and support the team with capacity building such that they can use the data collection tools.<br />• Establish baseline<br />• Support relevant national stakeholders (including collaboration with Higher Education institutions) to embed the developed data collection tools and analytical framework to be used during and beyond the project for sustainability <br />• Quarterly monitoring data collection and analysis to produce progress reports for dissemination of results and impact to stakeholders<br />• Mid-term review to identify lessons taken away and successes to be disseminated<br />• Final evaluation and production of a report to be disseminated at closing events and shared with key stakeholders.<br />The lead evaluator would be responsible for co-ordinating, in cooperation with the M&E Manager the activities highlighted above and for ensuring that the quality standards and timelines for MEL activities are met. The successful bidder will provide the overall framework for the evaluation, including the tools to be used and in addition, direct, co-ordinate and quality review the work before submission to the British Council.<br /><br />Outputs<br />Outputs will include: <br />1. an inception report in MS Word Format detailing finalised agreements with the Zantchito team, the MEL plan, including data collection tools and training slides on how to use the data collection tools, as part of a range of innovative approaches to <br /> empower team members with the knowledge and skills required to gather evidence<br />2. Finalised project reporting templates for quarterly reports, policy briefs and insight pieces<br />3. Project Reports and policy briefs in MS Word Format with an accompanying interactive PowerPoint slide deck summarising the detailed report:<br />o Baseline Report<br />o 5 quarterly reports<br />o Mid-term review<br />o Endline report<br />o Completion of British Council’s Executive Summary template required of all our evaluation reports.<br />4. Design and delivery of a learning and dissemination strategy and facilitate learning workshops to share lessons learned for internal and external audiences.<br />