TOR for conducting baseline evaluation of Together for Sustainable Future (T4SF) project in Yabelo.

Description of Programme Location and Context

SOS Children’s Village Arba Minch Programme is the newest program under SOS CVE Ethiopia, established on August 19, 2025, to help realize the strategic objectives for 2030. We act for children as an independent, non-governmental social development organization. Currently, six projects are being implemented by the Programme Location (PL), categorized under three major areas: alternative childcare, family strengthening and humanitarian action programs. The projects include Arbaminch FCS. Under humanitarian projects, Yabelo Triple Nexus, Yabello HRP, and Geze Gofa rehabilitation projects are actively implemented in the South Ethiopia Regional State and Oromia Regional State.

Rationale and overall objective of terminal evaluation:

There are a lot of vulnerable children in Yabelo district. According to the need assessment findings in the intervention areas of Yabelo, many children and young people are growing up without receiving the required care and protection because they are separated from their families, abandoned, neglected, or made to live in abusive environments. There are also several single mothers whose husbands are left for unknown reasons related to business and others. Vulnerable young women, including young women at risk or survivors of GBV (Gender Based Violence) lack skills for generating sustainable income. As a result, girls and boys are at risk of losing parental care.

Widows who earn income as domestic workers make the most of those single adult caregivers. Moreover, different vulnerability factors including socioeconomic problems, lack of access to quality services, and problem of enforcement of laws are major ones severely affecting the proper development of vulnerable children and young people in the study areas. Furthermore, there are no sustainable alternative green livelihoods and sustainable income generating activities (IGAs) in Yabelo district that specifically address the needs of disadvantaged program participants

Although most stakeholders, including duty bearers and NGOs have positive attitudes and interest in addressing the community needs in the intervention areas, they lack the required power, functional and financial capacity to address the identified needs.

Objectives of the Baseline evaluation:

Overall objective:

The overall objective of the baseline study is to measure the baseline situation or information of the indicators in the result framework, set baseline values and set targets for indicators before the start of the project interventions in Yabelo district, Oromia region.

The Specific objective are:

• To know the status of selected indicators before the project implementation and set achievable and realistic targets for the indicators in the project’s Results Framework and develop M&E Pla
• To set achievable and realistic targets for the expected results that have been defined in the results chain.
• To assess the situations of the communities, families and their children and young people in the target locations and recommend the appropriate support based on their needs.
• To assess access to inclusive and protective education services, dropout rates, resource availability, and teacher capacity
• To assess structural capacity and governance of stakeholders such as Community organizations, associations, community forums, and family-based structures.

Project outcomes and outputs:

The T4SF project has the following ultimate outcome, outcomes, and outputs.

Ultimate Outcome: Contribute to improved quality of life and gender equity of vulnerable communities in through strengthened care and protection, education, health, and community systems, in Oromia/Yabelo community.

Intermediate outcomes, and outputs.

Outcome 1. Targeted schools in Oromia/yabelo provide inclusive, quality, and sustainable education through improved teaching, leadership, infrastructure, community participation, and institutional collaboration.

Output 1.1. Students from partner schools benefit from well-equipped, safe and inclusive learning environments.

Output 1.2. Teachers and school administrators from 9 schools demonstrate improved capacity in teaching and school management.

Output 1.3. Schools manage their resources more sustainably and independently

Output 1.4. Local communities actively participate in school development through inclusive planning, resource mobilization, and support programmes.

Outcome 2. Targeted health facilities in Oromia/Yabelo deliver quality, inclusive, and sustainable healthcare services, with focus on women and children, through improved infrastructure, governance, community outreach, and institutional collaboration.

Output 2.1. Community-based health services, including nutrition, WASH, and outreach programmes, are expanded.

Output 2.2. Families are mentally and emotionally stable

Outcome 3: Families, and local communities, with a particular focus on women and youth, improve their socio-economic resilience through strengthen financial inclusion, livelihood skills and community-based savings structures.

Output 3.1. Target families, with a particular focus on women and youth, have increased access to financial services.

Output 3.2. Skills training & entrepreneurship for women & youth

Output 3.3. Improved awareness of gender equality and inclusion

Outcome 4. Strengthen organizational structures for sustainable local development.

Output 4.1. Strengthened CBOs

Output 4.2. Strengthened government structures

Outcome 5: Children and young people are cared and protected

Output 5.1. Children and young people are capacitated to protect themselves from abuse and violence

Output 5.2. Children and young people are engaged in decisions that affect their development

Output 5.3. Caregivers have improved parental knowledge, skills and the capacity to care and protect their children and young people

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 in Arba Minch programme location of South regional state, specifically in Yabelo woreda, Oromia. The project will be implemented in kebeles of Yabelo district.

The project implementation will cover the period from January 1,2026, to December 31,2029.

The Project has the following direct participants/beneficiaries.

Project direct Beneficiaries for SOS CVE Ethiopia			Allocated Budget=
Female caregivers (Including youth)	300 (100 youth)	Direct Family Empowerment (DFE)
Male caregivers (Including youth)	300(100 youth)
Boys	1250
Girls	1250
Female	4955	CFE
Male	4847
Boys	3647
Girls	3885
SACCos, CBOs, Schools

Baseline study 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 Arba Minch programme location project intervention and the national office MEAL and Core 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 by specific project objectives
• 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 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.

Report criteria

The reporting criteria for CORE 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.

1. 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 carried 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, relevant staff in SOS Children’s Village of the four program locations 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) 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