Save the Children Impact Evaluation to Ensure Protection and Adequate Care of Children in Dadaab Refugee Camps and Host Community

Mar 13, 2016

Save the Children 

Terms of Reference
 

Impact Evaluation: Ensuring Protection and Adequate Care of Children in Dadaab Refugee Camps and Host Community. 

Location: Dadaab
 

Duration: 25 Days
 

1.0 Introduction
 

Save the Children has been providing child protection services in Dadaab for over seven years and has a well-established operating platform within the camps in Dadaab. 

The project has been partly supported by BPRM (Bureau of Population, Refugee and Migration) to cover implementation across four camps in the refugee population till December 2015, when exit from Hagadera, reduced this scope to 3 camps: Ifo main, Ifo 2 and Dagahaley. 

 

The project’s goal has been focussed on increasing the protective environment of children in the refugee and host community through provision of comprehensive child protection services to vulnerable children and their families. 

2.0 Project Background
 

Save the Children with funding support from BPRM has since 2012 been implementing an annually funded child protection project in Dadaab refugee camps and the host communities. 

The overall goal of the child protection project is to protect children in the target areas from abuse, exploitation, violence, and neglect through strengthening the formal and community-based child protection mechanisms.  

To achieve this outcome, the project has three specific objectives focused on strengthening the capacity and effectiveness of formal and community-based structures, and ensuring that children have the skills and psychosocial support needed to foster their active participation.
 

In the period that the project has been operational, Save the Children has continued to build upon the work achieved each year to expand access to services, improve the quality of those services and improve the capacity of local NGOs, government stakeholders and the communities to assume the responsibility of protecting children in Dadaab. 

The project has been guided by the following three objectives: 

Project Objectives:
 

Objective 1: Strengthen the capacity and increase effectiveness of humanitarian actors and government structures to prevent and respond to child abuse, exploitation, violence, and neglect.
 

Objective 2: Build and strengthen community-based approaches, and structures (Camp based, Protection partners and Government) to prevent and respond to child abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect
 

Objective 3: Promote children’s healthy growth and development through psychosocial support and enabling children’s participation.
 

SC has been targeting both children and adults to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices on CP and child rights using a comprehensive approach involving:

• Direct child protection service provision through a case management approach.


• Strengthening the capacity of government authorities (DCO, the Kenya Police, Department of Refugee Affairs (DRA), and the Area Advisory Councils (AACs))


• Enhanced coordination and referral mechanisms involving service agencies amongst them members of the CPWG (Child Protection Working Group), the BID (Best Interest Determination) Panel and other Interagency Coordination forums both at camp and Dadaab level.


• Community based structures engaged through capacity building and in awareness raising activities.


• Empowering children through child to child approaches, child resilience and child participation in the Child Education and Welfare Centers (CEWC) in a strategy known as Desert Flower Strategy.


• Capacity building of staff including community workers in child protection and all approaches of project implementation.

3.0 Purpose and Scope of the Evaluation
 

Save the Children, Kenya Country Office, seeks to procure the services of a consultant to conduct a comprehensive impact evaluation to demonstrate the key project outcomes and document changes for children and families as a result of the activities implemented by Save the Children. 
 

The importance of this evaluation is to provide an analysis of the quality of services provided via the project; the appropriateness, relevance and effectiveness of the strategies being employed to implement activities while also identifying outcomes clearly attributable to the project. 

The scope of data collection, analysis and reporting will be guided by the details and provided in projects’ documents which shall be provided. 

The consultant will work in close consultation with the campaigns and advocacy team especially in ensuring case studies and success stories are properly captured and documented. 

The evaluation will be undertaken in Hagadera, Ifo main, Ifo2 and Dagahaley camps, as well as in the host community of Dadaab Sub County.
 

As mentioned, the focus of this impact evaluation is demonstrating change for children as a result of the CP interventions that have been provided to date.  

The following focus areas are important in understanding the scope of the assignment to develop the evaluation framework. 

• Evaluate the appropriateness, relevance and effectiveness of the implementation approaches/strategies used in addressing issues affecting children in Dadaab refugee camps. In addition, provide evidence of what is working well, what may not be working as intended, and provide relevant suggestions for improvement.


• Identify and document success stories from the project interventions incorporating a variety of different categories of the project beneficiaries targeted; e.g. Children and adolescents under the various vulnerability/description categories-unaccompanied and separated children, children living in foster care, children living with their biological parents and those living in the host community.


• Identify key lessons and good practices from the project that could inform ongoing and future child protection programming in Dadaab or could be used for learning in other emergency contexts.


• Critically assess the sustainability strategies envisioned in the project design and provide recommendations for strengthening this aspect further.

4.0 Conducting the Assignment
 

The consultant will work closely with the project team in planning and executing the task. Save the Children expects that consultant will 

• Develop a detailed evaluation framework with clear assessment methods and tools and include a detailed work in executing the various activities expected in the assignment’s scope.


• Employ clear and sound scientific research methods to carry out the exercises in the stated project location.


• Ensure a child focused approach in collecting information required for the assignment. 


• Train research assistants on all aspects required in supporting the assignment; mobilization strategies, field tests, data collection, proper recording and storage of information and any other appropriate aspect of the assignment.  


• Undertake the assignment while providing supervisory oversight to all aspects of the assignment. 


• Conduct analysis of the information obtained to draft a preliminary report.


• Present preliminary findings at SC country office in Nairobi to an audience incorporating SC country and regional office staff.


• Facilitate an interactive learning workshop for Dadaab field office staff to disseminate the evaluation findings through a learning forum to ensure outcomes inform ongoing and future programming.   


• Compile and submit the final evaluation report.

The consultant will develop and share a proposed evaluation framework and work plan as part of the bid submission. The proposal should incorporate a suggested layout of the final report.

5.0 Deliverables

1. A detailed evaluation report which demonstrates the scope of work as clearly stipulated and incorporating case studies that showcase stories from targeted beneficiaries. 


2. A half day presentation of the evaluation findings at the Country office in Nairobi


3. An interactive learning forum that will disseminate the findings in a learning approach to inform current and future programming.

6.0 Timeline
 

This evaluation is expected to take a maximum of 20 days. The final report incorporating feedback from Save the Children will be submitted 3 days after dissemination of the findings. 

The consultant is expected to submit a work plan indicating timelines of each activity to be discussed and agreed with the SC project team. 

7.0  Qualifications

• The lead consultant must have an advanced degree in any of the following, or related disciplines: Humanitarian Studies, Development Studies, Community Development, Child Protection, Community Managed Disaster Risk reduction (CMDRR), and should have demonstrated experience working in an emergency setting.


• Over 5 years’ experience in undertaking monitoring and evaluations related to child protection, livelihoods and resilience building programming.


• Demonstrated experience in use of child friendly and participatory methods of conducting research and evaluations. 


• Have proven knowledge and practical experience in quantitative and qualitative research. 


• Excellent analytical, organizational, facilitating, presentation and communication skills.


• Excellent report writing and presentation skills.


• Previous experience in working or providing project evaluation services in the ASALs, Refugee camps or emergency contexts will be an added advantage.

8.0 Conditions of Work
 

The consultant shall submit to Save the Children a technical and financial proposal through the email address provided. 

There will be administrative and logistic support provided by Save the Children regarding transport costs from Nairobi to field, accommodation and meals during the period the stay in Dadaab as well as costs related to training research assistants.

The consultant may propose the consultancy fee payment plan but final fees will be paid only after the assignment deliverables have been assessed and approved by the Save the Children.   

All interested Individuals/firms are requested to express interest following the EOI format ONLY (Click HERE to download) by email to: Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org with a copy to by 18th March 2016 caleb.odhiambo@savethechildren.org  indicating the Assignment Title on the subject line.