Consultant to conduct End-line Survey

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

“End-line Survey”

1. Background.

Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) has been implementing the Sustainable and Inclusive WASH project in Okhaldhunga, Ramechhap and Sindhuli districts from September 2021. The project is financially and technically support by the local municipalities, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the British Red Cross and the Finnish Red Cross. The project has adopted demand driven, participatory and sustainable approach that has tailored to specific vulnerabilities and context as well engaged with local authorities principally at district and ward level, enabling key government agencies participation in the entire project cycle while building further upon the capacity of NRCS at volunteer, branch and headquarters level to effectively support WASH programmes. The intended impact of the project was for individuals and communities to motivate and enable to address their sanitation, hygiene and water related challenges improving health, wellbeing, productivity and dignity.

The project targeted to reached out to 6,183 population with its hardware (construction) and software (such as orientations, training) activities. In Ramechhap and Sindhuli districts, the project is completed in August 2023 and in Okhaldhunga district it will be completed in December 2023. Key achievements of the project are identified as below:

• As of August 2023, eight (8) rehabilitated improved water schemes completed and 10 water users committee (WUC) have taken over the management responsibilities with the provision of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) fund. Each scheme has a minimum of 20 percent co-funding from the local authorities. Two (2) water schemes are under construction. 4,414 people have been reached through eight (8) completed schemes.  
• A total of 106 household latrines re/constructed as of July 2023. The households received cash support for the re/construction of the household latrine. 
• Behaviour change campaigns, sanitation campaigns and demonstration of hand washing practices were major interventions which continued from the initiation of the project. Additionally, awareness session of Climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) were also carried out in the community. Local radio FM stations also aired jingles on health, hygiene and sanitation key messages to raise awareness among public.
• Consultation meeting with local authorities (municipal and ward level) conducted for the smooth operation and well as ensuring co-funding from the local authorities.
• DRR/CCA assessment for WASH carried out with the objective to guide the project in sectors of DRR/CCA integration into the project. 
• A project steering committee was formed in the NRCS Headquarter to oversee the project implementation process and provide key support wherever it is deemed. The steering committee consisted of the representatives of the IFRC, NRCS WASH division, British Red Cross and Finnish Red Cross.

The project extends its WASH service to 4731 households in total (381 in Sindhuli, 2651 in Ramechhap and 1699 in Okhaldhunga). The detailed breakdown per communities will be provided to the consultant during inception period.

2. Purpose and Scope

2.1. Purpose: The purpose of the survey is to measure and critically assess changes that project has brought out in two years of implementation mainly in its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. Also, the survey will look upon the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the people from the community. 

2.2. Scope

The scope of this survey is to evaluate the benchmark progress and result against the finding of the baseline survey conducted in late 2021. Also, the survey will take a reference of key documents of projects such as log frame and M&E plan developed in the initial phase of the project while measuring the results. 

• The time period: The survey will be carried out between September and October 2023. During this period, the consultant will conduct the desk study, quantitative and qualitative survey based upon the sampling and draw conclusions that based on the WASH KAP among community people which will be linked with the climate change and disaster risk reduction. 
• The Geographical coverage:  The field visit will be focused on three districts namely: Okhaldunga, Ramechhhap and Sindhuli. 
• The unit of analysis: This will cover NRCS headquarters, District Chapters, local communities, local authorities, IFRC Country Delegation Nepal, the British Red Cross and the Finnish Red Cross offices in Nepal.

3. Objectives and Criteria

3.1. Specific objectives 

• To access the level of knowledge, attitude and practices of the community people which are interlinked between i) water, sanitation and hygiene and ii) climate change adaptation and disaster risk management. 
• To measure actions taken by the people from the communities that shown the interlinkages (mention in the above point) and generate recommendations for future use.

3.2. Criteria:

The survey will be guided by following criteria:

• The relevance of the project particularly in delivering the identified targets based upon the needs and context of the project areas. 
• Effectiveness of the management and coordination resulted in the effective delivery of the WASH interventions.
• Efficiency of the intervention in delivering quality services with minimum resources including adhering the accountability
• Sustainability of the intervention in enhancing the inclusiveness of the most vulnerable in accessing it. 

4. Methodology. 

The methodology will adhere to the IFRC Framework for Evaluation with particular focus on the planning for the survey, conducting the survey, managing the survey, etc.

It is expected that the consultant will propose a detail methodology for the survey in close consultation and agreement with the survey management team, commissioner and other relevant stakeholders. The general methods includes:

• Desktop review of the project document, beneficiary data, water user committee data, and other relevant document of IFRC and NRCS. 
• Conduct consultation process/meetings with programme team at NRCS and IFRC lead by the survey management team.
• Field visit/observation in the project communities of Okhaldunga, Ramechhap and Sindhuli Districts. 
• Conduct key informant interviews as applicable.
• Conduct focus group discussion as applicable
• Conduct household survey to capture end line value of key indicators against baseline value.

For the interviews, it is expected that the consultant will visit to the district and will conduct the face-to-face interviews. The focus group discussion and key informant interviews will be conducted by the consultant itself. For the household survey, the consultant will coordinate with the NRCS PMER who will support the consultant to hire volunteers who are not directly involved in the programme in coordination with respective District Chapters. 

The detailed survey design will be defined by the external consultant; however, the following should be considered:

• Sampling method to be decided by the external consultant and should include NRCS and IFRC (and its members) informants involved in the programme implementation since the beginning. 
• Data collection methods and pace are to be decided by the consultant in consultation and agreement with the NRCS and IFRC Country Delegation focal. Kobo tool will be used for data collection at household level. 
• The assessment team should visit a representative number of beneficiaries in the selected communities.

The consultant will lead the overall study process providing an independent perspective on the overall objective of the project identified in the section 3. In addition, two colleagues from the NRCS Disaster Management Department and GESI department will support to incorporate the DRR and inclusion prospective throughout the process. The consultant will be hired through a transparent recruitment process following the IFRC procurement process based on the professional experience, competence, ethics and integrity for the study. 

Enumerator/volunteers will be selected and hired by the NRCS in each district based on the requirement. The consultant will train and orient them on the data collection methodology and process. NRCS HQs in coordination with District Chapters will select the volunteers. The volunteers will be hired in gender balanced way.

5. Deliverables

5.1. Inception report: The inception report should include the proposed methodologies, a data collection and reporting plan, draft data collection tools such as interview guidelines, questionnaire, sampling method, a timeframe with firm dates for deliverables and travel and logistical arrangement. 

5.2. Debriefing: The Consultant will be conducting a debriefing after data collection. It is to update the process and initial findings with recommendations of the survey

5.3. Initial finding presentation: The consultant will share its initial findings with the NRCs, IFRC and its members.

5.4. Draft report: A draft report identifying key findings based on facts, conclusions, and recommendations will be provided by the consultant. 

5.5. Final report: The final report will contain a short executive summary (no more than 1,000 words) and a main body of the report (no more than 10,000 words) covering the background of the intervention reviewed, a description of the review methods and limitations, findings, conclusions, and clear recommendations. Recommendations should be specific and feasible for future references. The report should also contain appropriate appendices, including copy of the ToR, cited resources, a list of those interviewed and any other relevant materials.

The findings and all products arising from this study will be jointly owned IFRC secretariat. The consultant will not be allowed, without prior authorization in writing, to present any of the analytical results as his/her own work or to make use of the review results for private publication purposes.

The original content, data set, pictures etc. should be submitted to IFRC to ensure scientific accountability and data protection of the study.

6. Proposed Timeline (or Schedule)

The study duration will be of 45-day time with estimated 30 working days. Tentative allocation of the time is given below:

7. Evaluation Quality and Ethical Standards. 

The evaluators should take all reasonable steps to ensure that the evaluation is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of people and the communities of which they are members, and to ensure that the evaluation is technically accurate, reliable, and legitimate, conducted in a transparent and impartial manner, and contributes to organizational learning and accountability. Therefore, the evaluation team should adhere to the evaluation standards and specific, applicable practices outlined in the IFRC Evaluation Framework accompanying this TOR. The IFRC Evaluation Standards are: 

1. Utility: Evaluations must be useful and used. 
2. Feasibility: Evaluations must be realistic, diplomatic, and managed in a sensible, cost effective manner. 
3. Ethics & Legality: Evaluations must be conducted in an ethical and legal manner, with particular regard for the welfare of those involved in and affected by the evaluation.
4. Impartiality & Independence; Evaluations should be impartial, providing a comprehensive and unbiased assessment that takes into account the views of all stakeholders.
5. Transparency: Evaluation activities should reflect an attitude of openness and transparency. 
6. Accuracy: Evaluations should be technical accurate, providing sufficient information about the data collection, analysis, and interpretation methods so that its worth or merit can be determined.
7. Participation: Stakeholders should be consulted and meaningfully involved in the evaluation process when feasible and appropriate.
8. Collaboration: Collaboration between key operating partners in the evaluation process improves the legitimacy and utility of the evaluation. 

It is also expected that the survey will respect the seven Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: 1) humanity, 2) impartiality, 3) neutrality, 4) independence, 5) voluntary service, 6) unity, and 7) universality. 

Further information can be obtained about these principles at: www.ifrc.org/what/values/principles/index.asp

8. Survey Team and Qualifications. 

The survey management team will consist of four members: 2 members from NRCS and 2 members from IFRC1. The team will be responsible for overseeing logistic and contractual arrangement of the survey, managing and delegating responsibilities, securing approval of the key deliverables according to the end-line survey contract/time frame and ensuring adequate quality control throughout survey period.

The survey management team will be contact focal for the team leader in order to make necessary arrangements for field visits and other assessment study process. The consultant will coordinate directly with the survey management team and IFRC Country Delegation.

9. Application Procedures. 

Interested applicants should submit their expression of interest to the email: Aliza.baidya@ifrc.org by 17 September 2023. In the subject line, please state the consultancy you are applying for, your company name or last name and first name. (SUBJECT: Endline survey study of Sustainable and Inclusive WASH project - Last Name, First Name). 

Application materials should include:

1. Curriculum Vitae (CVs) of consultant/s
2. Cover letter clearly summarizing your experience as it pertains to this study, daily consultancy fees (in NPR) and three professional references. 
3. Applicants will be required to provide two sample reports where the consultant/team leader has contributed as a team leader of the studies/evaluation review methodology and a sample of previous written report most similar to that described in this TOR.
4. Financial proposal: It is expected from the consultant to submit the financial bid including daily rate. 

Application materials are non-returnable, and we thank you in advance for understanding that only short-listed candidate will be contacted.

Note: The consultant will be paid as per the IFRC rules and regulation for the consultant within the country. He/she will be responsible to manage basic equipment like laptop and other required for the consultancy with their own.

1 (WASH Programme Coordinator and PMER Coordinator from NRCS and Programme Manager and the Senior PMER and Comms Officer from the IFRC Nepal Country Delegation).