Cosultancy Service for Final Evaluation of Enterprising for Development Project (EFD) in Vietnam

TERM OF REFERENCE
For the Final Evaluation of Enterprising for Development Project (EFD) in Vietnam

1.    Backgrounds

The EFD Project has been implementing in Vietnam since July 2015.  The Project aims to provide business development support, access to finance and networking opportunities to SMEs that are providing positive social impacts to small scale farmers, women and youth.  The overall goal is for small-scale farmers, women and youth directly benefitting from the project to have better access to employment, see their incomes increase, and have more access to relevant products and services to empower them. The first specific objective of this Project is to increase SMEs financial and social sustainability and impact. Secondly, the Project aims to influence the social and political environment to ensure a more enabling environment for future sustainable SME growth (particularly of social enterprises and inclusive businesses). The project expects to achieve indirect outcomes in different value chains the SMEs operate in, e.g. in terms of employment and compliance with social and environmental standards at supplier level.

The Project has three components that include Business Development Support (BDS), Access to Finance and Enabling environment for SMEs.  Within BDS, we provide training, intensive coaching, networking opportunities and experience sharing among SMEs. 

During the last three years, the Project has provided business development supports to 35 SMEs in Vietnam.  These 35 SMEs are creating more than 1200 direct jobs for employees and buying products from more than 10000 small scale households, mostly in the poor provinces and mountainous areas.  60% of these SMEs are led by women or having women in the Board of Directors.

The Project is being implemented with our local partner, the Centre for Social Initiative Promotion (CSIP).

The Project is expected to complete by the end of September 2018.  Accordingly, Oxfam is looking for a national consultant to conduct final evaluation for the EFD Project.

2.    Objectives and Audiences

The Final evaluation is to assess the progress towards effectiveness (results to specific objectives), and to understand the pathways to overall objective through testing the assumptions in the proposal that underpin this project. The evaluation must also identify unexpected or unplanned issues that may have hindered or facilitated the success of the project. Additionally, the evaluation is expected to outline the lessons learned, which is aimed at capturing key lessons to assess what worked well and not well during project implementation and providing recommendations for future projects.

The consultant will conduct the final evaluation of the project to:

• Assess the project progress, expected results, specific objectives, and its achievements towards overall objective after 3-year project implementation
• Identify the problems that have prevented the project from achieving its objectives and the opportunities to promote project’s positive impact
• Assess the possible sustainability of any results/objectives so far and impact of the project
• Provide lesson learnt to date with clear recommendations to inform future project.

Audience: The final evaluation will be shared to the donor, relevant stakeholders, partners, and SMEs who are beneficiaries of the project. The findings of this final evaluation also will be important inputs for Oxfam to design future projects.

3.    Evaluation aspects

Final Evaluation will conduct critical analysis of the following aspects:

4.    Methodologies and Scope of works

The consultant is expected to utilize a range of participatory evaluation methods, to test and explore causal relationships; inclusive of observational research designs, deploying a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods as appropriate. This may include, but are not limited to, field visits to program provinces; meetings with SMEs and partner, in addition to a desk review of program documents and reports. The Final Evaluation is an open, transparent learning process for all stakeholders/beneficiaries involved in the program. Specifically, the consultant will be responsible for completing but not limited to those following tasks:

• Document reviews and discussions:
  
  • Brief meeting with project team to get deeply understand on the project;
  • Reviewing available secondary information and data provided by project and project partners;
  • Agree workplan with Oxfam including detailed methodologies (qualitative/quantitative, number of working days, budget and plan etc.).

• Field visits, surveys and in – depth interviews with key stakeholders
  
  • Conduct the field visits at project sites for qualitative information;
  • Arrange necessary group and in – depth interviews with partner (implementing partners, trainers, communities, and SMEs);
  • Surveys/ questionnaire are included for quantitative and qualitative data collection if necessary.

• Information analysis and report writing
  
  • Analyzing data and reviewing related documents;
  • Write the draft final evaluation report;
  • Conduct meeting with project team and partner to brief on the key findings of the review and get comments/inputs for finalization;
  • Finalize the final evaluation reports (in English and Vietnamese) and submit to project.

5.    Expected deliverables with tentative timelines

6.    Requirement for consultant

The consultants must have:

• Qualifications in one of following majors: value chain, supply chain, aquaculture, environments, sociology, or economics. Higher education is preferred.
• Strong knowledge, skills with at least 7 years of experiences in project evaluation/M&E;
• A proven track-record in designing and managing M&E system for development is an advantage;
• Skills and experiences in conducting M&E/ project evaluation activities and familiar with private sector in Vietnam; 
• Knowledge about and experience in SME Development and inclusive businesses
• Be committed to and able to meet the deadline;
• Documentation skills and excellent Vietnamese and English writing skills.

7.    Logistic support and consultant fee

• Logistics for consultant will be made based on cost norms and regulations of Oxfam in Vietnam
• Consultant fee is negotiable based on Oxfam policies and the qualification of the consultant

The consultant or consultancy companies interested in this assignment should submit work proposal outlining time, frameworks, and detailed methodologies, expected consultant fee, logistic and others along with the individual consultant’s CVs to Oxfam before June 30, 2018.

Contact point:     Nguyen Thi Thu Ha
Project Manager, Enterprising for Development Project
E-mail: [email protected]

Only short-listed consultant will be contacted for interview and contract.