Plan international is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners. We work globally at the grassroots to advance these rights. We conduct long-term development work in more than 50 countries and raise money in more than 20 countries. Plan International is religiously independent, politically neutral, and has worked for children since 1937.
The Girls Get Equal Programme is a five-year framework agreement (2020-2024) between Plan International Norway and Norad (The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) of a total value of NOK 246,4 million. The Programme aims to reduce the prevalence of Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) in selected target areas in six countries: Bangladesh, Malawi, Nepal, Niger, Tanzania and Uganda through five integrated outcome areas:
• Outcome 1: Retention of girls in school;
• Outcome 2: Knowledge of SRHR among adolescents;
• Outcome 3: Economical opportunities for girls and families at high risk of CEFM;
• Outcome 4: Communities embrace norms that value the girls and support girls and boys to delay marriage;
• Outcome 5: Responsiveness of duty bearers at national, district and sub-district levels to prevent and respond to child rights violations, particularly CEFM.
The aim of the programme is to benefit more than 317,000 children, adolescents and youth, 544 schools and 741 communities, and inclusion of children and youth with disabilities will be mainstreamed. As the programme is coming to an end this year, an impact assessment will be undertaken to assess the programme’s effect on society.
The impact assessment will have two overall objectives:
• Firstly, it will assess the programme’s effects on society and how the programme has contributed to reduced levels of child, early and forced marriage in the programme areas.
• Secondly, it will also assess how the GGE programme has affected the conditions of adolescent girls, boys and their families in the programming areas.
Further to the overall objectives, the impact assessment should more specifically also assess:
• The progress made against intended outcomes, and the reasons for their specific levels of progress.
• Whether the programme has contributed to an overall improvement/change in the communities in which the programme is implemented. For example, this may be done by
analysing programme results against externally substantiated data which point to wider and higher-level contextual/social changes in policies, attitudes and development indicators during the implementation period.
• The extent to which the programme has been gender transformative in its implementation sites.
• Assess the sustainability of the achieved impacts of the programme. It should also judge whether the high-level achievements of the programme will outlast the programme.
In addition to the abovementioned points, the assessment should ideally also:
• Assess the extent to which the programme has meaningfully engaged youth and met their needs, and how this may be strengthened and/or improved in the future.
• Point to changes which would make the programme and its theory of change more effective in a new implementation phase. This should be done in light of the results and any contextual changes seen in the implementation areas.
The impact assessment will assess the period from project start in 2020 until 2024. The impact assessment should be conducted in all six countries of the programme: Bangladesh, Malawi, Nepal, Niger, Tanzania and Uganda.
3. Desired approach and methodology
The following approaches and methodologies are expected:
• The use of mixed methods. The assessment design should include qualitative and quantitative methods, in addition to the use of baseline and monitoring data collected during the programme.
• Innovative methods beyond focus group discussions, key informant interviews and key performance indicators are required.
• Age- and gender- responsive research methodologies are encouraged.
• The assessment should to the extent possible aim to be participatory in terms of involving those who have attended the programme and making sure their voices are heard.
Further elaboration of methods must be outlined in the inception report and be agreed upon before the assessment commences.
4. Deliverables and timeline
March 2024: Review Proposals and select team. Contract signed.
April 2024: Inception report and data collection tools developed. In-country teams set up.
✓ The inception report will include a fully elaborated proposal, including a detailed timeline, proposed methods, and related data collection tools. The proposed data analysis methods and a schedule of activities should be included here.
May to June 2024: Data collection in all six countries.
31st July 2024: Submit draft report to Plan Norway.
✓ Plan Norway need the key findings and the draft report to inform the design of the next framework agreement proposal.
✓ After this, obtain feedback from stakeholders on the draft report.
15th October 2024: Submit final report.
October 2024: Conduct dissemination workshops.
5. Ethics and Child Safeguarding
Plan International is committed to ensuring that the rights of those participating in data collection or analysis are respected and protected, in accordance with our Ethical MERL Framework and our Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy. All applicants should include details in their proposal on how they will ensure ethics and child protection in the data collection process. Specifically, the consultant(s) shall explain how appropriate, safe, non-discriminatory participation of all stakeholders will be ensured and how special attention will be paid to the needs of children and other vulnerable groups. The consultant(s) shall also explain how confidentiality and anonymity of participants will be guaranteed.
6. Desired qualifications of candidate
The consultant(s) should be qualified and experienced individual or consulting firm. The consultant profile should include:
• A research specialist with a minimum of five years’ experience in relevant academic research and/or programme/project reviews in an international development context;
• PhD or other higher academic qualifications in a social science or another relevant field;
• Relevant experience and knowledge in the thematic areas of gender equality and inclusion; CEFM, including social norm change; sexual and reproductive health and rights; and youth economic empowerment;
• Experience with multi-method research or evaluation; both quantitative and qualitative
• Extensive experience in multi-country evaluations or research;
• Ability to independently plan, design and conduct the assessment;
• Experience with collaboration with researchers from the global south
• Established contacts with research capacities, such as universities or research institutes, in the six programme countries.
Potential consultant(s) shall disclose any conflict of interest with ongoing project activities of the organisation.
How to apply
Proposal process
Interested candidates should submit proposals by 15:00 CET 4 March 2024. The proposals must include the following:
a) Brief application letter (max 1 page);
b) Updated CVs/profiles clearly showing the qualification and experience of the lead consultant and his/her team, the CVs must have three references;
c) The proposal must also include information about partners and in-country researchers, as well as a plan for who to use as enumerator, for instance “Students at X faculty/university”
d) A narrative/technical proposal which should include the evaluator(s) very clear understanding and interpretation of the terms of reference, a thorough assessment methodology, and a detailed plan for the assessment;
e) A financial proposal indicating the number of working days, fees for the consultancy and incidentals;
f) Technical proposal content should not exceed 7 pages (Arial font 11). Only proposal-specific information should be included. The financial proposal should not exceed 2 pages.
g) References, with copies or online links, to at least two comparable reviews/evaluations carried out by the bidding consultants.
h) References for already established contact with relevant research institutes or other contacts in the six relevant countries.
8. Further information
The theory of change of the programme and the results framework can be shared upon request. For further information please contact Erik.eriksen@plan-norge.no with guro.nesbakken@plan-norge.no in copy