International Consultants to conduct final evaluation, and develop guidance of the intervention models of the Ending Violence Against Children in and At Save the Children

LOCATION: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Preah Vihear

Number of Positions: 1 (a team of national and international consultants)

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 2: either the role holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work; or they will be working in a ‘regulated’ position (accountant, barrister, solicitor, legal executive); therefore, a police check will be required (at ‘standard’ level in the UK or equivalent in other countries).

Consultancy Role: The objective of the consultancy is to carry out final evaluation of the Ending Violence Against Children in and around Schools in Cambodia (END VAC) – Safe to Learn project, and develop guidance of the intervention models based on the best practices and lessons learnt from the interventions as identified from the final evaluation and endline survey.

Introduction

Save the Children (SC) is the world’s largest independent child rights organization, working in more than 120 countries, including Cambodia. Save the Children in Cambodia implements its programmes in partnership with the Government, civil society and relevant research organizations. We work with communities, local NGO’s and community based organizations to deliver projects that help ensure children are protected, health and educated. We work with the Royal Government of Cambodia at National and Sub-National levels and also with civil society to ensure that our development efforts are sustainable. Save the Children in Cambodia work in the whole spectrum of child development through 5 programmes: Education, Child Protection, Child Right Government, Health & Nutrition, and Child Poverty. Save the Children works in both development and emergency contexts, ensuring that cross-cutting areas such as gender, disability, resiliency, and remoteness are key considerations to achieve immediate and lasting change for the most marginalized and most disadvantaged.

Project Background

Safe to Learn project has helped to build a child-safe learning culture among all education stakeholders in Cambodia, free from all forms of violence. The project aimed to reduce violence against children (VAC) in and through schools through the provision of evidence-based tools and approaches. **

The project has established a consortium of INGO partners convened by Save the Children International (SCI), including World Vision (WV) and Plan International (Plan), leveraging existing VAC collaborations and school based partnerships for implementation, with consistent leadership and engagement from MoEYS and the technical committee (TC) and Leading & Coordinating Committee (L&CC) to support the roll out of the Implementation Operational Manual on Child Protection in Schools (OMCPS).

The project will test evidence-based tools and approaches to reduce VAC in schools by: (1) strengthening the Cambodian CP policy framework through the development, endorsement and dissemination of the OMCPS, (2) supporting MoEYS in the piloting of the OMCPS in target primary schools, through the establishment of functioning school based child protection mechanism (SBCPM) and ensuring its coordination with the community based child protection mechanism (CBCPM); 3) supporting target schools in developing a data monitoring system for VAC, as well as safeguarding codes of conduct; 4) empowering girls, boys, non-binary students, children with disabilities and community based child protection actors to speak up and take positive action against violence and abuse in schools; and 5) producing evidence and learning for costed options for implementation scale-up on child protection models, approaches and strategies, including quasi-experimental studies.

Our theory of change is founded on socio-ecological and collective impact approaches. The first recognizes social, economic, gender and cultural factors promoting and preventing violence, and suggests intervention at individual, relationship, institutional and societal levels addressing adults and children. The second encourages structuring our efforts for impact at scale and sustainability around shared aims, indicators and measurements, mutually reinforcing activities, constant communication, and well-resourced facilitation.

Our long-term goal is to create and maintain a child-safe culture where all boys and girls (including those with disabilities and non-binary), can learn safely from all forms of violence; and those who experienced violence in and through schools, received greater and more responsive access to care, support, and justice to ensure physical, psychological and social well-being. Multi-stakeholder committees led by MoEYS has focus on operationalizing the national child protection policy in target primary schools through evidence-based action.

Outputs have focused on development of OMCPS, action and implementation tools to socialize and clarify roles and responsibilities in SBCPM and CBCPM, as well as ensure data reporting and safeguarding, using four INSPIRE strategies: Implementation and enforcement of laws, safe-environments, norms and values, and parent and caregiver support. We will compare and pilot evidence-based costed models for sustainable implementation at scale to address:

· Reduction, identification, reporting, and responding to offline (on-site/face-to-face) and online child-safeguarding violations, by education sector staff and volunteers, peers, and services within the sphere of influence of MoEYS;

· Identification, reporting and referral of child protection violations outside this sphere of influence.

It is important however to note that original design of the project focused on the intervention at schools and mainly based on face-to-face interaction approach, and supposed that children were learning at schools. But all schools have been closed out since February 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Children have been learning at homes, in the communities, and/or through distance learning platforms. Thus, the impact indicator regarding the reduction of violence against children in schools might not be well relevant. As part of the contingency and redesign plans, the project has been adapted to pandemic context, extending its focus on the reduction of violence against children while learning at homes and in the communities as well as through distance learning platforms during school closure. The most of intervention activities have been conducted in small groups and/or through online platforms. The interventions have been channelled through schools and communities. The OMCPS still stands as the guiding principles for the implementations, but it has been adapted for the intervention at the ground during school closure.

The brief description of the project is illustrated below.

Outcome: Reduction of violence against children (VAC) in and through schools through the provision of evidence-based tools and approaches in Cambodia.

Call to Action 1: Implement policy and legislation

· Output 1.1 Implementation the Operational Manual on Child Protection in School (OMCPS)

· developed, endorsed and disseminated

· Output 1.2 The MoEYS (teachers and school support committees but also DoE, PoE,) engaged and mobilized at all levels to support the implementation of the project as a pilot of the roll out of the OMCPS

· Output 1.3 Evidence and Learning for costed options to scale-up implementation of child protection models, approaches and strategies to prevent and response to violence in and through schools provided to Education and Child Protection (CP) authorities and other stakeholders (Call for Action 5)

Call to Action 2: Strengthen prevention and response at the school level

· Output 2.1 Training program for primary school management, teachers, DoE and PoE developed and delivered to support the roll out of the OMCPS, particularly identifying, reporting and responding to VAC in and through schools

· Output 2.2 Students councils participate actively to better identify, address and refer VAC, and promote a positive school climate.

· Output 2.3 Existing Community Based Child Protection Mechanisms (CBCPM) are better coordinated with the school child protection mechanism (SBCPM) to identify, address and refer child protection cases in and through primary schools as per the OMCPS

· Output 2.4 Target schools pilot a monitoring system to collect and report on data on VAC cases

· Output 2.5 Target schools have child safeguarding code of conducts in place

Call to Action 3: Shift social norms and behaviour change

· Output 3.1. Girls and boys, non-binary students and students with disabilities speak up and take positive action 3.1. Girls and boys , non-binary students and students with disabilities speak up and take positive action against violence that they or their peers experience in and through schools

· Output 3.2 Community Based Child Protection actors (CCWC, etc.) speak up and take positive action against violence that they or their peers experience in and through schools

Geographical Coverage: Chey Saen, Chhaeb, and Sangkum Thmey districts of Preah Vihear province (42 schools and 15 communes, 45 villages), and Angkor Thom and Banteay Srei districts of Siem Reap province (10 schools, 10 commune and 66 villages)

Duration of Project: October 2020 – December 2021 (extended to 30 June 2022)

Purpose of the Assignment

1. To carry out final evaluation using qualitative assessment method (OECD DAC evaluation criteria) and cost allocation analysis.
2. To develop guidance of the intervention models based on the best practices and lessons learnt from the interventions as identified from the final evaluation and endline survey

Methodology

Qualitative assessment including focus groups and key informant interviews using OECD DAC Evaluation Criteria (including coherence and replicability) will be used in addition to document review the project progress reports and monitoring activities as well as policy frameworks.

In order to generate evidence to inform programming and policy options to scale up the intervention model, it is necessary to integrate costing study in this evaluation. The basic method of costing study, Cost Allocation Method, will be employed to provide costs to Safe to Learn project implementation for stakeholders particularly government at national and sub-national levels for policy and planning options regarding the OMCPS. The main purpose of this cost analysis is to determine actual cost variability among different child protection mechanisms implementation using a standardized costing approach. More specifically, the analysis will:

o Estimate the cost to implement OMCPS.

o Determine the total project costs and unit costs (costs per school).

o Describes different costs of OMCPS implementation across the different levels/mechanisms.

o Estimate the cost of the project spent at different levels including direct costs at schools and indirect costs (costs at INGOs).

o Examine implementation strategies for sustainability as a secondary outcome and provides recommendations around the emerging findings to implement OMCPS.

This evaluation will identify what could be learned during the implementation of the project. Lessons learnt and best practices of the intervention models, approaches and strategies to prevent and response to violence in schools for scaled-implementation by sub-national education authorities will be identified in this evaluation.

Guidance of the intervention models will be developed based on findings from this evaluation and endline survey (quantitative impact evaluation). This guidance report will be used to improve the piloted OMCPS reflecting the best practices and lessons from this Safe to Learn project. The current OMCPS will be served as the principles to guide the process of this guidance development. The components in this OMCPS could be used to consult with participants as part of the qualitative assessment data collection.

The final report, brief, and guidance report as well as presentation will be shared to larger audience and stakeholders at the National Evidence and Learning Summit which will be organized at the end of the project.

The consultancy period: May – June 2022

Reports to: the consultant(s) will report to Save the Children Cambodia’s Head of Evidence and Learning, with close coordination with MEAL Manager and Evidence and Learning Coordinator as well as project managers and officers of the three organizations in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Preah Vihear.

Deliverables:

The consultant will deliver on the following:

A. Evaluation plan (including method, tools, analytical framework, and schedule)

B. Final evaluation report in standard English, and Evidence to Actions Brief (max. 8 pages in English (including compelling photos, figures, and tables), and translated into Khmer)

C. Guidance report of the intervention models in standard English

D. PowerPoint presentations in English and Khmer

E. Present results in a national dissemination workshop

Roles and Responsibilities:

· Consultant (team) will:

1. Develop a detailed evaluation plan including method, tools, analytical framework, and schedule in consultation with SCI, World Vision International, and Plan International in Cambodia. The evaluation plan shall include procedures and tools to estimate the costs for the cost allocation analysis.
2. Conduct document review.
3. Carry out data collection from relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries using appropriate methods such as FGD, KII, and/or field observation.
4. Take photos and select compelling photos to integrate in the report.
5. Carry out qualitative assessment using OECD DAC evaluation criteria.
6. Collect costing data for the cost allocation analysis.
7. Carry out debriefing session with SCI, WV and Plan before writing the full evaluation report and guidance report.
8. Prepare final evaluation report and guidance report in Standard English.
9. Based on the evaluation findings, prepare Policy Brief in the form of SCI Evidence to Actions Brief English (max 8 pages with compelling photos, figures, and tables), and translated into Khmer.
10. Prepare PowerPoint presentations in English and Khmer
11. Present results (report and guidance) in a dissemination workshop.

· Save the Children, Plan International, and World Vision will:

1. Provide project orientation to the consultant to understand the project background.
2. Provide relevant documents to support literature review.
3. Coordinate arrangements with respondents.
4. Review and provide feedback to the draft report and guidance.

Minimum Qualifications

· Internationally recognized doctoral degrees in relevant field for the two international consultants.

· At least Master degrees from the internationally recognized universities in relevant field for the two national consultants.

· Strong academic and/or professional training backgrounds in research/evaluation, particularly qualitative methodology.

· Strong professional training backgrounds education research/evaluation.

· Good understanding of basic education development in Cambodia.

· Extensive experience in carrying education research/assessment in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

· Extensive experience in carrying research/assessment education.

· At least 15 years of experience in conducting research and evaluation.

· Excellent knowledge and extensive experience in using OECD DAC evaluation criteria.

· Experience in conducting cost allocation analysis including developing procedures and tools to capture costing data.

· High level of professional writing in research/evaluation.

· Demonstrated ability to work cross culturally, and with a range of stakeholders, including government.

· The national consultant must be excellent in Khmer, both speaking and writing, and with extensive experience in data collection from education stakeholders in Cambodia at the national and sub-national level including teachers, students and caregivers.

Selection Criteria

These are criteria which bidders must meet in order to be successful and progress to the next round of evaluation. If a bidder does not meet any of the Essential Criteria, they will be excluded from the tender process. This criteria is scored as Pass or Fail and will not be evaluated against capability and commercial criteria.

A. Capability Evaluation=65%

1. Doctoral degrees from relevant field of social science. 10%
2. Excellent knowledge, skills and experience in qualitative assessment. 10%
3. Good understanding of basic education development in Cambodia and experience in carrying research/assessment of education program in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. 10%
4. At least 15 years of experience in conducting research and evaluation. 10%
5. Excellent knowledge and extensive experience in using OECD DAC evaluation criteria and child participatory research/assessment methods. 15%
6. High level of professional writing in research/evaluation and Project Documentation and Best Practices and Lessons Learnt reports. 10%

B. Commercial Evaluation=30%

C. Sustainability evaluation= 5%

Criteria used to evaluate the impact a supplier has on the environment, local economy and community. Bids will be evaluated against the same pre-agreed Criteria.

The detail of ToR can be requested to Sothy.rim@savethechildren.org