Uganda: Supporting Transition and Early Preparation to School’ (STEPS) Project Final Evaluation

Terms of Reference for Final Evaluation

1. Background

1.1. Background to Build Africa

Build Africa (BA) is an International NGO that believes in the power of education to help end poverty. We work to give children the education they need and fight the inequalities that stand in their way. We partner with remote and rural communities where children are leaving school without vital basic skills. Our unique approach then helps parents and teachers to create sustainable, effective schools and to nurture their children's learning. For over 20 years we have ensured vulnerable children in Africa get the right infrastructure, teaching and family support so they can get the most from their time at school and go on to lead productive, healthy and happy lives. Every child deserves a good education.

Build Africa currently works in 13 districts in Uganda with its field programs coordinated through two Area offices located in Kumi and Masindi.

1.2. Project context

The impact of good quality learning in a child’s early years is undeniable; studies demonstrate that early years education does not only facilitate the progression of children through the education system but it also strengthens their position on the labour market; their productivity and their income generation capacity[1]. Children who are well supported with early years’ learning continue to outperform their peers at school with the benefits of this support seen well into adulthood. However, across Uganda many young children do not receive the support they need in these early years. Teachers and parents struggle to meet young children’s needs, preventing them from reaching their potential. This lack of early years’ support has a detrimental effect on children’s health, nutrition, academic achievement and well-being.

1.3. Project Description

STEPS worked with children, parents and teachers in 10 schools to ensure P1 to P3 school children in rural West Uganda have the fundamental skills that they need for future learning and achievement.

Outcome 1

Young girls and boys receive both academic and social support for their learning, in and out of school, ensuring that they acquire the fundamental skills they need in order to achieve a good level of educational attainment.

Outcome 2

Teachers are skilled and inspired, which ensures they provide child friendly and good quality teaching, improving children’s engagement in class.

Outcome 3

Older children are empowered to mentor younger children, becoming an additional source of help to younger children resulting in improved learning and emotional support for those younger children at school.

Outcome 4

Parents are equipped to champion their children’s education, ensuring children are prepared for school and their learning is nurtured resulting in a positive learning culture for children at home.

1. Evaluation purpose and scope

This evaluation is being undertaken to provide credible and useful findings on the performance and challenges of the project, in addition to the development of lessons and recommendations that could inform future interventions.

The key audience for the end of project evaluation is Build Africa (in the UK and in Uganda). Primarily, the evaluation will be used by the Programmes and fundraising teams to inform future decision-making regarding project design and implementation. The evaluation findings and recommendations will also be summarised and feed back to the schools and community members involved in the project and evaluation by means of discussions between interested parties and Build Africa Uganda staff.

It will be important for community members to feed into and understand (from the evaluation findings) whether this project met its objectives, how and why. It will also be important for this audience to understand how their roles have contributed to the successes and challenges identified by the evaluation.

The evaluation will be framed broadly by the question: "To what extent have the project activities achieved the outputs and outcomes intended?"

Four Key Evaluation Questions

The evaluation will assess the extent to which the project’s outputs and outcomes followed the expected causal pathway (i.e. Theory of Change) as designed during project development. It will help identify what have been the key barriers and facilitators to achieving the expected changes and how effectively the project reached its intended beneficiary groups. In particular, the evaluation will generate responses on:-

1. The extent to which the buddy clubs supported children’s integration and socialization in school. Was the training content appropriate and relevant? Was the training impactful? What evidence is there to show that the clubs ran effectively across all 10 schools? What challenges were faced in getting the clubs and extra learning sessions up and running and the children’s resource packs completed and how can these challenges be mitigated in the future?

2. What contribution did parent’s packs and parental engagement make to ensure that children’s learning was better supported at home. Was the training content appropriate and relevant? Were the trainings impactful? What factors contributed to the success or barriers to achieving against this outcome?

3. Did the teacher development initiatives (teacher packs, training, mentorship interventions) make a difference in their performance? Can these changes be correlated with better pupil performance? What challenges were faced in setting up and running the coaching and mentoring component and the teacher recognition events and how can these challenges be mitigated in the future?

4. How supported did children feel by their parents and their teachers?

Data collection, analysis and development of findings and recommendations will be guided by the above questions. The review should be structured around the above questions and the measurement of the outcome and output indicators identified in the logframe, and the OECD-DAC criteria of Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, Relevance and Sustainability.

1. Methodology

The Evaluation will take a mixed methods approach, as the project logframe includes both quantitative and qualitative indicators.

All data – both quantitative and qualitative – collected by the evaluation must be disaggregated by sex, beneficiary group and age group (for children only); i.e., data records should include whether each response was provided by a male or female respondent and whether that person is a child in the first three years of primary school, an upper primary school child, a parent, or teacher.

The evaluation will include the following research methods:

a) Quantitative

· Literacy and numeracy assessments for children in the first three years of primary school

· Participatory sessions with young children, resulting in statistically reliable quantitative data

· Participatory sessions with older primary school children, resulting in statistically reliable quantitative data

· Questionnaires for parents, particularly on knowledge, attitudes and practice with regard to supporting young children’s development of literacy and numeracy skills

· Observing a statistically significant sample of teachers’ lessons and classroom environment

· Questionnaires for teachers, regarding their use of teaching and learning materials and the availability of such materials

· Life skills and wellbeing questionnaires with young children

b) Qualitative

· Participatory sessions with young children, exploring sensitive subjects

· Participatory sessions with older primary school children, exploring sensitive subjects

c) Secondary

· Reviewing school records to extract data on pupil registration and teacher attendance

Data analysis will be guided by the indicator definitions in the project logframe. Quantitative data analysis will require statistical calculations. Qualitative data analysis will require a rigorous approach, likely a thematic network analysis.

It will be necessary for the selected consultant to calculate scientifically valid sample sizes for key direct beneficiary groups, such as parents and young children.

1. Tasks, deliverables and suggested timeframe

The required consultancy deliverables are:

· A detailed inception report, including a detailed workplan, detailed methodology for both data collection and analysis, sample size calculations, all data collection tools, and outline of the evaluation report.

· Development of (and/or modification of existing) data collection and analysis tools

· Training of data collectors

· A draft evaluation report, including accurately analysed data against each of the project indicators, evidence-based findings regarding the usefulness of indicators and data collection tools, lessons learned and recommendations.

· All typed data sets from both quantitative and qualitative data collection.

The consultant will also be responsible for:

· Holding an inception meeting with BAU staff and reviewing any relevant documentation to gather background information

· Drafting an inception report (as above)

· Incorporating feedback on inception report into planned approach and activities

· Organising the logistics for field travel

· Developing data collection and analysis tools

· Recruiting and training data collectors who will collect high quality data

· Supervising field data collection and entry, assuring the quality of these activities

· Conducting participatory data collection in sampled schools

· Providing the typed raw data to BAU and BA-UK contact staff (as above)

· Analysing and synthesising both qualitative and quantitative data and preparing report and/or hiring assistants to do the same

· Submitting draft report, with accompanying data analysis to BAU and BA-UK contact staff for feedback

· Incorporating feedback and submitting a final report that responds to the key objectives of the evaluation and provides clear measures against the indicators and evidence-based findings, as well as robust recommendations which can be directly applied to Build Africa’s programming

Build Africa UK and Build Africa Uganda will be jointly responsible for:

· Preparing relevant project-related documentation and making it available to the consultant

· Supporting the identification of key informants

· Reviewing the inception report and data collection and analysis tools and providing the consultant with specific and timely feedback

· Providing support to the recruitment of data collectors if necessary

· Reviewing the draft evaluation report and providing the consultant with specific and timely feedback

· Managing and supporting the consultant throughout the evaluation

1. Budget

Please submit a full budget including professional fees for all team members including data collectors and all related logistical costs (travel, food and accommodation) for the full exercise.

It is expected that the duration of the evaluation including all preparation, completing an inception report with data tools, all data collection and report writing will not exceed 25 days.

The evaluator(s) will be selected based on their relevant experience and expertise, rigour of their design, availability and value for money.

1. Skills and qualifications of consultants

The consultancy team should consist of one or more consultants who meet the following requirements:

· Over 5 years’ experience of working in senior management roles in education projects in similar contexts (essential);

· Masters’ degree in a relevant Social Science discipline coupled with advanced skills in Research Methodologies (preferred);

· Demonstrable experience of leading multiple evaluations (essential); Significant skills and experience in quantitative data collection and analysis (essential);

· Excellent communication skills including report writing (essential);

· Experience of collecting, analysing and synthesising qualitative data using a rigorous approach (essential);

· Experience of overseeing and training data collectors, including providing a quality assurance function (essential);

· Experience of working with children, facilitating participatory approaches to data collection (essential);

· Able to reliably access the Internet, as well as relevant national policy/planning documents and surveys (essential);

· Experience of working in Uganda or East Africa (preferred);

· Fluent English in both writing and speaking (essential);

· Willingness to familiarise self with, and sign up to abiding by, Build Africa’s Child Protection Policy (essential).

[1] UNICEF, 2013, Early Childhood Development: A Solid Investment in Uganda’s Future – Research Brief

Interested consultants must submit the following documents:

a. Cover Letter

b. CV including reference details of previous clients

c. Sample of previous work in similar consultancy work (assessment/survey/evaluation

assessment), with contact details for commissioning client.

d. Technical proposal including:

i. Outline of methodology and data collection tools to be used, including how the consultant will work safely and appropriately with children;

ii. Proposed sampling strategy within 10 schools;

iii. A timeline of consultant workplan (guided by Section 5 of this document)

1. If an applicant intends to work in a team, they should indicate all team members and attach

their CVs. Clearly highlight the Team leader (whose minimum qualification should be

Masters’ level).

All documents must be submitted no later than 22nd June 2018 at 9:00am via email to procurement@build-africauganda.org