Terms Of Reference for Midterm Project Evaluation Tender at Chance for Childhood

Summary

1. About Chance for Childhood

 We are a centred international non-governmental organization supporting children and young people in Africa who face inequalities such as lack of access to education and safe spaces, providing them with the tools and skills they need to build their own futures.  We don’t work alone. Together with partners, supporters, children, and their communities, we protect, educate, and create lasting change for every child threatened by violence, neglect, and conflict.  We believe that no child should have to fight for a safe, happy childhood. We exist to ensure that every child in Africa can thrive from their early years to adulthood. Our interventions in Africa are currently focused on Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

2. About the Project

In 2022, UNICEF estimated that more than 800,000 children aged 3-17 who were displaced in North Kivu, had experienced interrupted education (UNICEF, June 2022), mostly due to the resurgence of regional violence and natural disasters, leading to future developmental and behavioural problems.

As a response to this alarming call, in March 2024, Chance for Childhood initiated a 3-year project entitled “Education-Rights for every   child” to provide quality, inclusive education to the out-of-school children affected by the war and conflict in North Kivu. This project is being implemented in partnership with the Children’s Voice, a local NGO based in Goma. The project operates in 15 school centres (primary schools and catch-up centres) in Goma and Nyiragongo, North Kivu, Eastern DRC, in partnership with Children’s Voice, the local implementing partner NGO based in Goma. The project targets Conflict-affected school children aged 6 to 16 years.

The foundation of the project lies in four project outcomes:

• Outcome 2: Improved inclusive learning environment for 5,000 children, including girls and those with disabilities in 15 project schools via the recruitment and training of LSAs and the training of teachers already in situ in the principles of child protection, safeguarding and inclusive education. 
• Outcome 3: Increased incomes for 200 vulnerable families, including families of children with disabilities/SEN
• Outcome 4: Improved attitudes amongst parents and community members regarding education, especially for girls and children with disabilities/SEN

Each of the outcomes has a set of performance indicators, totalling 13 performance indicators for the entire project. These indicators will be subject to mid-term evaluation to track their progress towards the targets.

3. About the Assignment

3.1 Project Midterm Evaluation

In order to learn from the experience, CfC is looking for a consultant to evaluate the project and produce a 15-page (maximum) report.  The evaluation will take place in both Goma city and Kibati territory in the North Kivu province, DRC, for a maximum of 15 days, between 1^st and 23^rd of December 2025. The consultant is expected to evaluate how the project has performed against the pre-defined performance indicators dispatched across the 4 project outputs.

3.2. Aim and objectives of the Evaluation

This mid-term evaluation aims to generate evidence and insights that will support learning, accountability, and adaptive management. The evaluation will help assess whether the project is on track, how it is being implemented, and what improvements can be made to maximize its outcomes before completion in March 2027.

Objectives

The Mid-Term Evaluation will:

• Measure progress toward intended outcomes
  Assess the extent to which the project has achieved its planned outcomes so far, based on the logframe, indicators, and baseline data.
• Identify key successes and best practices
  Highlight what is working well in the project implementation, including innovative approaches, effective partnerships, or successful strategies that could be scaled or replicated.
• Examine challenges and limitations
  Analyze the obstacles encountered during implementation, including internal and external factors that may have hindered progress or affected the quality of outcomes.
• Provide actionable recommendations
  Offer practical, evidence-based suggestions to improve project delivery, resource allocation, stakeholder engagement, or monitoring practices during the remaining project period.

3.3.   Evaluation Questions

3.4.   Evaluation Methodology

The Mid-Term Evaluation will adopt a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. This approach will ensure a comprehensive understanding of project progress, effectiveness, and areas for improvement. The methodology will be participatory and inclusive, ensuring that the opinions of children and families supported by the project, Teachers, Learning Support Assistants, and community members are meaningfully represented. The consultant will be expected to use the following key methods:

3.4.1 Documents Review:

A thorough review of existing project documentation will form the foundation of the evaluation. Key documents will include the original project proposal, logical framework (logframe), baseline report, quarterly and annual progress reports, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools, beneficiary data, and relevant national education policy documents. This desk review will allow the evaluator to understand the project’s intended outcomes, implementation strategy, targets, and progress to date. It will also help in refining evaluation questions and identifying any gaps in existing data.

3.4.2. Key Informant Interviews (KIIs):

Interviews will be conducted with a range of stakeholders who are directly or indirectly involved in the project. These will include project staff from Children’s Voice, children supported by the project and their parents, LSAs, teachers and head teachers in 15 collaborating schools, and community members. These interviews will explore project stakeholders' perceptions regarding the change in their lives and challenges faced during the implementation. KIIs will provide valuable insights into the strategic and operational aspects of the project that may not be captured through documentation or quantitative tools.

3.4.3. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs):

FGDs will be conducted with key beneficiary groups, including children (segregated by age, disability, residence, and gender), parents through their VSLAs, teachers, and members of the community. These discussions will explore community-level perceptions of the project’s relevance, inclusivity, impact on children’s learning, and the extent to which the project has addressed existing barriers to inclusive education in North Kivu.

3.4.4. Surveys

Quantitative surveys may be administered to a sample of beneficiaries, including children, parents, LSAs, teachers, and head teachers, to gather measurable data on indicators such as school attendance, inclusion of children with disabilities, change in Household income, and change in attitudes. Surveys will complement qualitative findings and enable the evaluator to track changes towards the projected target.

3.4.5. Site Visits:

The site visits will include visits to each of 15 partner schools to collect data. During these visits, the consultant will assess the condition of the inclusive practices of trained teachers, class attendance of enrolled out-of-school children, as well as their retention in the school. Furthermore, site visits may target the income-generating project initiated by supported parents to provide tangible evidence of the project’s progress towards the desired outcomes.

4. Deliverables and payment scheduling 

5.  Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Education, Child Rights, Development Studies, or related fields
• A demonstrated experience conducting project evaluations in education, child protection, or parents' empowerment, preferably in fragile/conflict-affected settings.
• A demonstrated understanding of disability Inclusive development concepts, both in DRC and globally
• Clear understanding of national and international disability related instruments and commitments
• Experience working in the eastern DRC or a similar context is a strong asset.
• Fluency in both English and French. Knowledge of Swahili or other local languages preferred.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Availability during the time of consultancy

6. Ethical Considerations

All evaluation activities must adhere to international evaluation ethics, including:

• Informed consent and assent, especially for minors
• Child safeguarding protocols aligned with Chance for Childhood’s
• Confidentiality, privacy, and data protection
• Do No Harm principles.

The evaluator(s) will be required to sign and adhere to Chance for Childhood’s Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

7. How to Apply:

Interested individuals or firms are requested to submit their application via the email: apply@chanceforchildhood.org with subject line “Midterm evaluation: Education-The Rights for every single child”, with a copy to: christine@children-voice.org and Joseph.Munyandamutsa@chanceforchildhood.org not later than the 21^st  November 2025 at 10:00 am Rwandan time.   An eligible application file must be composed of the following documents:

• A motivation letter addressed to the Country Director of Chance for Childhood, Rwanda
• A detailed CV of consultant (s)
• Technical proposal, highlighting how the consultant is planning to deliver the assignment’s deliverables, and experience in similar assignments
• Sample of the previous related work with two contact people as reference
• Financial proposal in USD with detailed budget breakdown

Note:

• Except for a sample of the previous work, all other documents must be sent in one PDF file and must not exceed the 10MB limit. Failure to comply with this requirement might lead to automatic rejection of the application.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted due to the anticipated high volume of applications.

8. Safeguarding

Chance for Childhood promotes and upholds the principles of equal opportunities and its policies. Chance for Childhood has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or a child by any of our staff, representatives, or partners. Recruitment to all jobs at Chance for Childhood includes criminal record checks/police background checks and the collection of relevant references. Safeguarding our beneficiaries is our top priority in everything we do.

The successful candidate will therefore need to review, agree, and sign Chance for Childhood’s Global Safeguarding Policy (CPP) before starting the post.

9. Prevention from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

The construction company and its employees, staff and/or subcontractors shall not be involved in any sexual exploitation or abuse. The construction company shall ensure that its employees, agents, contractors, and sub-contractors comply with the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct. Any incident of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse shall be reported to Chance for Childhood. Any failure by Construction company to take preventive measures against sexual exploitation or abuse, or to investigate allegations or take corrective action, shall constitute grounds for termination of the Agreement.

For the purposes hereof, the following definitions shall be used:

Sexual exploitation means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.

Sexual abuse means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.