Terms of reference (TOR) for conducting baseline evaluation of Building Beyond Conflict (BBC)

Description of Programme Location and Context

SOSCVE Bahir Dar program location was established in the year 2000 G.C and is mainly working on an alternative care program supporting children to grow up in alternative families in established villages by providing comprehensive care and essential services for their holistic development. Furthermore, SOSCVE Bahir Dar Program manages and implements various facilities and programs, including Alternative Care (AC), the Family and Community Strengthening Program (FCSP), a kindergarten, and the HGS (Hermann Gmeiner School (which includes both primary and secondary schools) and recently started to implement emergency projects. The AC, and FCSP programs and recently started to implement emergency projects, are the organization’s core interventions, providing comprehensive care and support to children who are without adequate parental care. Likewise, Bahir Dar programme location maintains full operational capacity, currently implementing both development and emergency response projects through integrated food security/nutrition support, child protection, MHPSS, multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA), and Education in Emergencies (EiE) programming. It has previously implemented emergency project successfully in the northern Wollo zone two woredas. Emergency response project would be one of core programs that focuses and has been implemented projects in Sekota town, Gazgibla, Ziquala, Lasta and Bugna woredas of Waghimera and North Wollo zones of the Amhara region.

Rationale and overall objective of terminal evaluation:

SOS Children`s Villages in Ethiopia has planned to implement “Building Beyond Conflict (BBC) ‘’ in Waghimra zone (Sekota town, Gazgibla, Ziquala) and North Wollo Zone (Lasta and Bugna woredas) of the Amhara region.

Building Beyond Conflict (BBC) project is designed to support the national strategic effort to enhance the resilience and well-being of communities and individuals affected by conflict in the North Wollo and Waghimera zones of Amhara region, with a particular focus on children, youth, and women.

The primary focus area of the project will be enhancing the safety of children, youth, and women through effective child protection systems and gender-based violence (GBV) response services. The second focus area of the project is to restore access to inclusive and protective education services, enabling continuous learning and psychosocial recovery for vulnerable and conflict-affected children and women. The third focus area of the project is to improve and demonstrate the psychosocial well-being of children and caregivers in crisis-affected areas through school and community-based mental health support, as well as strengthened family coping mechanisms. The fourth focus area of the project is to stabilize the incomes of vulnerable households by promoting diversified, climate-resilient livelihoods and reducing reliance on harmful coping strategies. To achieve this focus area, the project will provide agricultural inputs and emergency food assistance.

To achieve this project, the Bahir Dar program location and the project site offices will collaborate closely with key implementing partners and stakeholders, including the Bureau of Finance (BoF), the Bureau of Women, Children’s & Social Affairs (BWCSA), Bureau of agriculture, Bureau of livestock, Bureau of health, DRM and the Bureau of Education (BoE), as well as at all levels of government structure. Likewise, partnerships will be formed with Community Care and Support Coalitions (CCSCs), VSLA (Village Saving and Loan Association) and local project schools.

Objectives of the Baseline evaluation:

Overall objective:

The overall objective of the baseline evaluation is intended to assess the baseline values for selected indicators in the project result framework and establish baseline values in five integrated woredas (Sekota town, Ziquala, and Gazgibla in Waghmira zone) as well as Lasta and Bugna woredas of North Wollo zones) of the Amhara region.

The Specific objective are:

• To establish baseline indicator values for all indicators in the results framework which help the project team set targets of the project and develop M&E Plan
• To assess households’ vulnerability to disasters, their coping strategies during food shortages, and their current food security levels based on household food consumption.
• To assess the livelihood of households, considering factors such as income, employment, assets, and access to essential services.
• To assess child protection systems and gender-based violence (GBV) response services, assess the psychosocial well-being (MHPSS) of children and caregivers in crisis-affected areas
• To assess access to inclusive and protective education services, dropout rates, resource availability, and teacher capacity

Project outcomes and outputs:

The project has the following goal, outcomes and outputs.

Goal/Impact: To contribute to the national strategic effort to enhance the resilience and well-being of conflict-affected communities and individuals in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, with a particular emphasis on children, youth, and women.

Outcomes and Outputs

Outcome 1: By 2027, children, youth and women in communities of 5 Woredas of North Wollo and Waghimira zones experience enhanced safety through functional child protection systems and GBV response services.

Output 1.1: Community-based protection systems and referral pathways are strengthened

Output 1.2: Safe spaces and child protection services are accessible to at-risk children

Output 1.3: Schools and community members challenge harmful norms and promote child protection

Outcome 2: By 2027, vulnerable and conflict-affected children and women in 5 Woredas of North Wollo and Waghimra zones have restored access to inclusive and protective, education services, enabling learning continuity and psychosocial recovery.

Output 2.1: Crisis-affected schools are equipped to provide learning

Output 2.2: Teachers and learners are supported through inclusive, accelerated learning

Output 2.3: Girls’ education and participation are supported

Outcome 3: By 2027, children and caregivers in crisis-affected areas demonstrate improved psychosocial well-being through school and community-based mental health support and strengthened family coping mechanisms.

Output 3.1: Community members and parents are trained to provide emotional support and referrals

Output 3.2: Caregivers build coping skills and resilience

Output 3.3: School-based facilitators provide structured psychosocial support

Outcome 4: By 2027, vulnerable households in 5 Woredas of North Wollo and Waghimra zones stabilize their incomes through diversified, climate-resilient livelihoods, reducing reliance on harmful coping strategies.

Output 4.1: Emergency food and agricultural inputs are provided

Output 4.2: Youth and women are supported with market-relevant skills and capital

Major evaluation /research questions:

The commissioned consultant should list relevant and possible baseline evaluation questions by referring to the project document and the project result framework and show the baseline evaluation questions and tools during the inception report presentation.

Scope and project targets:

Geographically, the baseline evaluation is limited to the project participants women, girls, boys and families, the communities and key implementation partners (CBOs) in Bahir Dar programme location of Amhara regional state, especially in Sekota town, Ziquala and Gazgibla woredas of Waghimera zone and Lasta and Bugna woredas of North Wollo zones. The project will be implemented in 13 kebeles of Waghimera and North Wollo zones.

Overall, SOS Bahir Dar program location and Nexus Ethiopia will implement BBC project in collaboration with Community Care and support coalition (CCSCs), Village Saving & Loan Association (VSLA), project schools, and government structures. These structures mainly include the Women, Children’s and Social Affairs Office (WCSA), Finance Office, Education Office, Agriculture Office, Disaster and Risk Management (DRM), Health, Livestock and Fishery development and other relevant organizations. The project implementation will cover the period from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2027.

North Wollo and Waghimra zone BBC project woredas will have the following direct project participants

Project Target participants by Woredas
No.	Woreda	Participants by gender
		Male	Female	Total
1	Sekota town	2143	2598	4741
2	Ziquala	2663	2738	5401
3	Gazgibla	3919	3767	7685
	Sub Total	8725	9102	17827
4	Lasta	3541	3601	7142
5	Bugna	2384	2359	4743
	Sub Total	5925	5960	11885
	Grant Total	14650	15062	29712

 

Baseline evaluation methodology:

The consultant is expected to develop appropriate and standard quantitative and qualitative methodologies that can generate the highest quality and most credible evidence. The commissioned consultant should use a mixed method approaches (quantitative and qualitative methods) to answer the baseline study questions. The methodologies must be sensitive to the local context and ensure that all respondents, regardless of their background, have an equal opportunity to participate in the baseline study. The baseline study should be designed to provide safe and inclusive spaces that encourage all participants to respond freely, irrespective of gender, age, disability, origin, or religious beliefs. As far as possible, the consultant should disaggregate data by sex, age, and disability while collecting and analysing data. Furthermore, the consultant should also clearly explain which questions will be answered using which methods. The Consultant should also ensure that the survey and qualitative methods (such as focus group discussion (FGD), key informant interview (KII) and group discussion) with participants are representative of the project’s target groups and key stakeholders (Community members, women, girls, boys and children.)

Sampling

The consultant is required to propose statistically sound sampling strategies to ensure representativeness. He/she is required to clearly state the sample size and the acceptable margin of error. The consultant will develop a detailed data analysis plan, outlining the statistical methods to be used for the quantitative data and the thematic analysis approach for the qualitative data. All data collection activities should be conducted following the highest ethical standards, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and the safety of all participants.

Work plan and expected deliverables

Work plan/timetable

The baseline evaluation task is expected to be finalized within 45 days after the contractual agreement is signed. The consultant is expected to develop her/his detailed work plan based on the following table.

Activities	Dates	Time frame	Location

Deliverables:

The commissioned external consultant must deliver the baseline evaluation findings within 45 days of the contract signed. Based on the work plan, SOS Children’s Villages Bahir Dar programme location and Nexus Ethiopia project intervention and the national office MEAL and BBC project teams expect the following deliverables:

• An inception report of 8 pages on the baseline evaluation design, methodology, sampling frame, sampling technique, sample size, assessment tools and work plan
• Draft baseline study report.
• The consultant is expected to analyse the data and present findings (for both draft and final findings) by intervention areas separately (for Waghimera and North Wollo zones and by project woredas)
• Final report – The findings of the baseline evaluation report, including an executive summary and data collection tools in both electronic and hardcopy formats should be submitted.
• Raw data, which has been cleaned (both qualitative and quantitative, including original field notes for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and recorded audio material), should be submitted with the report. SOS CVE and Nexus Ethiopia will have sole ownership of all final data, and any findings shall only be shared or reproduced with the permission of SOS Children’s Village Ethiopia and Nexus Ethiopia.
• The reporting criteria for BBC project baseline study shall be in line with the SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia result-based management (RBM) toolkit and should be shared with the winner consultant along with the data review process and/or for the preparation of the inception report.

Report criteria

The reporting criteria for BBC project baseline study shall be in line with the SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia result-based management (RBM) toolkit and should be shared with the winner consultant along with the data review process and/or for the preparation of the inception report.

Child safeguarding and ethical issues.

SOS Children’s Villages is committed to ensuring that all research, evaluation and data collection processes (i.e. evidence-generating activities) undertaken by SOS Children’s Villages and its partners are ethical and respect child safeguarding policy and procedure.

The consultant must respect the rights, dignity and protection of children and other vulnerable population groups and should ensure special protection for children and other vulnerable groups during any data-generating activities to minimize any potential risks. Any research, evaluation and data collection SOS Children’s Villages is directly carrying out or is involved in as a partner.

Ethical practices need to be ensured in the following circumstances:

• Any research, baseline, midterm or final evaluations and data collection SOS Children’s Villages has commissioned for ethical oversight of these processes.
• Any research, evaluation and data collection carried out by researchers/consultants on SOS Children’s Villages programmes and participants.

Hence, the BBC project coordinator and location MEAL coordinator in Bahir Dar programme location and Nexus Ethiopia will ensure that any researchers, evaluators and data collectors should receive awareness training on, sign and adhere to SOS Children’s Villages core policies:

Obtaining consent from research participants is central to the research relationship and signals respect for the research participant’s dignity, their capability to express their views and their right to have these heard in matters that affect them. Informed consent is an explicit agreement which requires participants to be informed about and understand the research/assessment. This must be given voluntarily and be renegotiable, so that participants may withdraw at any stage of the research process.

Logistical arrangements:

The awarded consultant shall show feasible logistical arrangements for the assignment as part of the technical proposal. National or location-level staff (SOS CVE) and Nexus Ethiopia will be available to help organize the interviews including contacting SOS CVE, announcing and local preparation of evaluation, and linking to community duty bearers and national authorities if required.

Duration of the contract and terms of payment

Payment will be made only upon SOS Children’s Villages’ acceptance of the work performed in accordance with the above-described deliverables. Payment will be effected by bank transfer in the currency of birr.

Funding and Payment: The consultancy firm will be paid by SOS Children’s Villages as follows:

• 30% on the submission and approval of the inception report/Technical Proposal.
• 30% on completion of the draft report.
• 40% on completion of the final report.

Duration of contract: the contract is effective from the moment it was signed until the acceptance of work by the SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia management team.

Notice of delay

Shall the successful bidder encounter a delay in the performance of the contract which may be excusable under unavoidable circumstances; the contractor shall notify SOS Children’s Villages in writing about the causes of any such delays within one (1) week from the beginning of the delay.

After receipt of the Contractor’s notice of delay, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia shall analyze the facts and extent of the delay and extend the time for performance when in its judgment the facts justify such an extension.

Copyright and other proprietary rights:

SOS Children’s Villages shall be entitled to all intellectual property and other proprietary rights including, but not limited to, copyrights, and trademarks, with regard to products, processes, inventions, ideas, know-how, or documents and other materials which the Contractor has developed for SOS Children’s Villages under the Contract and which bear a direct relation to or are produced or prepared or collected in consequence of, or during the course of, the performance of the Contract. The Contractor acknowledges and agrees that such products, documents, and other materials constitute works made for hire for SOS Children’s Villages.

All materials: interviews, reports, recommendations, and all other data compiled by or received by the Contractor under the Contract shall be the property of SOS Children’s Villages and shall be treated as confidential and shall be delivered only to SOS Children’s Villages authorized officials on completion of work under the Contract. The external consultant is obliged to hand over all raw data collected during the assessment to SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia.

Termination:

The termination of the service agreement for the assignment will be in accordance with the contractual agreement to be included at the formal agreement’s actual signing.

Qualification of the Researcher/Research Team

• The applicant consultancy firm team leader shall have at least a master’s degree in a relevant field of study such Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, development studies, Economics, Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation and other related fields per the required assignment
• At least 5 years’ work experience & proven competency in assessments, monitoring, research, terminal evaluations, baseline assessments or organizational/program evaluation (baseline, midterm, and final evaluations). The applicant consultancy firm shall attach at least one sample final evaluation report produced on a similar topic.
• A good understanding of the current core humanitarian standards sphere and other humanitarian principles.
• A good understanding of and exposure of northern Ethiopia culture and context including, Amhara region.
• proven experience in working with conceptual frameworks and data collection methods (including age-appropriate data collection methods)
• Proven experience in participatory processes and data collection methods
• Strong skills in coordination, good facilitation, organizational, and interpersonal skills
• Proven experience in participatory processes
• Strong skills in coordinating teamwork
• analytical and conceptual skills on market and livelihood assessment
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English.
• Ability to transfer complex concepts and ideas into practical and simple language.
• Experience in organizing research processes with SOS Children’s Villages or similar child focused organizations.
• Experience and credibility in providing humanitarian response program evaluation in the context of the conflict.
• Experience in managing baselines, final evaluations and livelihood assignments in respect of the participating communities’ culture, social norms, values, and behaviour; and maintain appropriate relationships with participants of this evaluation.
• Legally registered firms with renewed license, VAT registration and TIN number

Required Skills

• Quantitative and Qualitative research skills