Consultancy for External Evaluation of Family Strengthening Programme

TERM OF REFERENCE

External evaluation of Family Strengthening programme

1. Introduction

SOS Children’s Villages International is the global federation of 136 national SOS Children’s Villages associations (MAs), working in more than 2000 program locations worldwide.  We work together with a single mission: to ensure that every child grows with love, security and respect.

Uniquely, we provide long-term, family [1]- [1]like care [1](FLC) for children who have lost parental care and we work with vulnerable families and communities to help strengtheni [2]ng them and prevent child abandonment (family strengthening program unit, FS).  The FLC units are usually organized in the form of a cluster of SOS families, where a SOS caregiver cares for small groups of children.

SOS Children’s Villages Vietnam (SOS Vietnam) is a member association of the SOS

Children’s Village International Federation that provides Family-like care, community support and educational programs across Vietnam. Currently, SOS Vietnam supports 17 children villages, 15 SOS youth facilities, 12 Hermann Gmeiner schools, 16 kindergartens, 01 vocational training school in Viet Tri, 06 Family strengthening programs in 7 provinces.

Our Vision: Every child belongs to a family and grows with love, respect and security.

Our Mission: We build families for children in need. We help them shape their own futures and we share in the development of their communities.

Family Strengthening Programme

The Strategy 2030 of SOS Children’s Villages International sets the goal “many more children have a loving home and equal chance to succeed in life”, to which Family Strengthening is one of 7 strategies with focus on preventing family separation and on emergency response.

Family Strengthening Programme of SOS Children’s Villages Viet Nam, dated from 2005, has been developing and being implemented in 7 provinces/cities: Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Lam Dong, Nghe An, Thai Binh. Since 2018, the programme has design of 4 services: (i) Support of finance, materials and living conditions, (ii) Empowering caregivers, children and community, (iii) Support to livelihood development, (iv) Support to health care.

As of 31/12/2020, the programme has been reaching 3,799 children from 3,509 families, departing 1,992 children thanks to their family’s self-reliance or their completeness of general education. There are now active 1807 children from 1,672 families.

Need for an external evaluation consultant:

SOS Vietnam is seeking a national consultant to evaluate efficiency, effectiveness, and impacts of Family Strengthening and suggest recommendations for improvement of programme’s service quality as well as from maintenance/reduction/enlargement against the scope of programme.

2. Objective of the Assessment:

The objective of study is to evaluate efficiency, effectiveness, impacts of Family Strengthening Programme in 7 provinces/cities, i.e. Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Lam Dong, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Thai Binh, Nghe An; develop lessons and recommendation for improvement/adjustment/complement of services and resources required for enlarging effectiveness and impacts of the programme, as well for maintenance, reduction or enlargement or replication of the programme.

3. Scope of work

• Desk review of available data and documents
• Work with stakeholders to gather information, data in field study in 2 locations (Lam Dong and Nghe An).
• Take evaluation of efficiency, effectiveness and impacts of the programme within the period of 2010 - 2020, and also the sustainability of programme in each location. Cross cutting evaluation of gender and child protection issues is required to be incorporated
• Conduct training need assessment among the programme staff and volunteers
• To develop recommendations for improvement/adjustment/complement of services and resources to improve efficiency, effectiveness and impacts of the programme, and also for sustainability of programme in each location.
• To develop recommendations for maintenance/reduction/enlargement or replication of the programme based on findings and evidences.
• Be involved in workshop for roll out of the study outcome to stakeholder (if requested).
• Conduct need assessment among target group in existing FSP locations and two new locations (Thanh Hoa province and Binh Dinh province). This requires a separate assessment report

4.    Research questions

This evaluation is expected to answer these questions:

1. What are outcomes of the programme?
2. How have available resources utilized? Is it relevant with achievements of the programme?
3. What are impacts of the programme (with incorporation of gender and child protection perspective) to the target group in particular and the community in general from 2010-2020?
4. What are needs of the target group in existing FSP locations? How much have the programme been meeting needs of the target group? List key findings and suggestions to the programme?
5. What are training needs among staff and volunteers for better managing and implementing the programme?
6. What are recommendations for improvement/adjustment/complement of services (including gender and child protection perspective) and resources to improve efficiency, effectiveness, impacts and sustainability of the programme?
7. What are recommendations for maintenance/reduction/enlargement or replication of the programme based on findings and evidences?

-       What are the need among target group in Thanh Hoa and Binh Dinh? (This requires a saperate assessment report).

5. Methodology and tools of study.

To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the consultants are expected to propose an action plan which includes detailed information on literature review, strategic outline report, methodology and tools including questionnaires, data analysis plan, timeline and consultation meetings/interviews with relevant stakeholders and supports needed

6. Expected Activities and outcomes:

7. Time Frame and Budget

• The consultant is expected to perform the work from 1st September 2021 to 5^th October 2021 and related final reports are required to be submitted to SOS Viet Nam by 5^th October 2021.
• Budget:
  
  • Total budget of the work as well as consultation fee shall be discussed among SOS Viet Nam and the selected consultant.

8. Responsibilities of SOS  Viet Nam to the consultant and the work

• The consultant shall report directly to the focal person of programme on the evaluation progress
• SOS Viet Nam shall provide the consultant with necessary documents.
• SOS Viet Nam shall be responsible for the coordination of meetings and workshop among relevant stakeholders if needed.
• SOS Viet Nam shall provide feedback to draft evaluation reports.

All documents must be in English and Vietnamese.

9. Skills and Competencies:

• Qualification    
  
  • Candidate must have at least Bachelor degree in a relevant majors including but not limited to social work, social policy, sociology, community development, project management, etc.

• Skills and experience
  
  • Minimum 10 years’ working experience in research/study of evaluation against development projects:
  • Evidences of completed researches/studies are required.
  • Experience in networking with government departments, such as Department of Children’s Affairs, Department of Social Protection of MOLISA.
  • Skilled in working with diverse groups of officials in the government, NGOs and different agencies and with children and community members.
  • Skilled in conducting Participatory Research.
  • Objective oriented workshop planning and facilitation skills.
  • Excellence in report writing in English is mandatory.
  • Experience in assessment of child related projects/programme will be an advantage.
  • Good command of spoken and written English.
  • Comprehensive understanding of core areas of work of SOS Children’s Villages (alternative care, family strengthening, and advocacy) is preferred.

10. Application process:

Interested candidates should submit your applications that include the following:

• Detailed Curriculum Vitae;
• Technical and financial Proposal for implementing the assignment including work plan & timeframe (details of dates for submission of first draft and final report). The document written in English language.
• An application letter including contact information for three work- related referees.
• The application should be submitted latest by 5PM, 28^th August 2021 in soft copy to the email address: [email protected] [3] and [email protected] [4] stating “Consultancy service for external evaluation of Family Strengthening Programme for 2010 - 2020” in the email subject line.

Only short listed applicants/consultants shall be contacted. SOS Vietnam reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and is not bound to any legal claim in this regard.