Terms Of Reference for Endline Evaluation for SIDA_CSO Project tender at Save the Children

1. INTRODUCTION

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Rwanda have made significant progress in advancing children’s rights through improved institutional and technical capacity. These gains have enabled more effective advocacy, service delivery, and collaboration with government institutions. Efforts to promote children’s agencies have led to the formation of child-led groups and platforms that elevate children's voices in both community and policy spaces.

Save the Children has played a pivotal role in supporting CSOs across Rwanda by strengthening their technical and organizational capacities, enhancing coordination, and supporting rights-based advocacy. This includes empowering children and youth through formal and informal structures and promoting meaningful child participation in decision-making processes. Additionally, Save the Children has contributed to expanding civic space by equipping CSOs to work effectively within regulatory frameworks and to hold duty bearers accountable, particularly in relation to the rights of vulnerable and marginalized children.

The programme has been enriched by partnerships with technical organizations such as Nature Rwanda (for climate change) and Haguruka (for gender equality), as well as through core support partnerships with three leading child-focused CSOs: UWEZO Youth Empowerment, Children’s Voice Today (CVT), and Coalition Umwana ku Isonga (CUI).

2. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Since 2022, with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Save the Children has been implementing the SIDA Civil Society Strengthening Programme for Children’s Rights in Rwanda. The programme aims to create a strong, well coordinated CSOs that, supports   the Government of Rwanda (GoR) to account for the realisation of children’s rights by fulfilling its commitments made to children and their families. The programme has been strengthening the capacity of child of child-focused civil society organisations (CSOs) and formal and informal children’s groups in Rwanda to promote, defend and influence the implementation of children’s rights

The programme supports:

• Capacity development of CSOs;
• Strengthening of children’s participation mechanisms,
• Promotion and protection of children’s rights,
• Expansion and safeguarding of civic space for child rights advocacy.

The programme is structured around four key outcomes:

1. CSO Capacity Strengthening
2. Children’s Agency
3. Promotion of Children’s Rights
4. Enhanced Civic Space

The programme also focuses on 5 mandator quality perspectives including:

• Child Rights Programming
• Gender Equality
• Most marginalised and deprived children
• Climate Change and Environment
• Conflict sensitivity

3. JUSTIFICATION OF THE ENDLINE SURVEY

As the programme approaches its conclusion, an Endline Evaluation will be conducted to :

• Assess the programme’s overall performance and effectiveness,
• Understand the programme’s impact and sustainability,
• Document lessons learned and best practices,
• Generate evidence for informing future child rights programming, partnerships, and advocacy in Rwanda.

4. Purpose of the Endline Evaluation

The purpose of the Endline Evaluation is to:

• Assess the programme’s effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, impact, and sustainability,
• Document key achievements, challenges, and lessons learned,
• Evaluate the programme’s contribution to civil society strengthening, child rights advocacy, and government accountability,
• Generate evidence-based recommendations to inform future programming and strategic direction.

5. OBJECTIVE OF THE ENDLINE EVALUATION

The Endline Evaluation seeks to:

• Assess the extent to which the programme achieved its intended outcomes, through assessing all outcome indicators in the project logframe),
• Examine the effectiveness of efforts to strengthen CSOs and children’s groups in promoting child rights,
• Evaluate the relevance and quality of partnerships with CSOs and key stakeholders,
• Determine the programme’s contribution to systemic changes in civil society and governance,
• Identify key challenges, good practices, and innovations,
• Provide actionable recommendations for sustainability and potential scale-up.

6. SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant will:

• Review all relevant secondary data and programme documents,
• Prepare an Inception Report detailing the methodology, work plan, ethical considerations, and survey tools,
• Develop and translate data collection tools,
• Conduct field data collection using inclusive and participatory approaches,
• Analyse data and compile findings,
• Present a Draft Evaluation Report for stakeholder for review and feedback,
• Facilitate a validation workshop (prepare PPP for presentation in the workshop)
• Finalize the Evaluation Report, by incorporating feedback,
• Present the Final Report for Endline Evaluation
• Prepare a fact sheet of Endline Evaluation
• Deliver supporting products, including datasets, tools, consents forms and knowledge materials.

7. DELIVERABLES

The consultant is expected to deliver the following:

• Inception Report with methodology, tools, and workplan
• Validated data collection tools (with translations)
• Completed data collection and raw dataset
• Draft Endline Evaluation Report
• Final Endline Evaluation Report
• PowerPoint presentation summarizing findings
• Fact Sheet of Key Findings
• Case studies or success stories (if applicable)
• Completed consent forms (including for children and caregivers)
• Ethical approval (where required)
• Validation Workshop facilitation

8. METHODOLOGY

The evaluation will use a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods. The design must be:

• Gender-sensitive, child-friendly, and disability-inclusive,
• Aligned with Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy,
• Clearly documented in the Inception Report, including:
  • Sampling strategy and size determination,
  • Data collection tools and procedures,
  • Data analysis plan,
  • Quality assurance and data validation measures,
  • Ethical considerations and risk mitigation.

9. TIMEFRAME AND DURATION

10. MANDATORY REQUIREMENT AND APPLICATION SPECIFICATION

The consultant company or consultancy team must possess:

• A master’s degree in social sciences, Statistics, Development Studies, Sociology, Environmental Studies, Economics or related fields,
• Proven experience in conducting evaluations (Baseline, Midline, Endline), with civil society or child rights programmes
• Strong skills in qualitative and quantitative research, including tool development and data analysis, and reporting
• Expertise in child participation and gender-sensitive research (for cross-cutting components),
• Familiarity with child protection and participation approaches in the Rwandan context,
• Demonstrated understanding of civic space dynamics and CSO engagement in Rwanda,
• Fluency in English; knowledge of Kinyarwanda is an asset,
• Valid company registration (attach certificate),
• Strong report writing and presentation skills.

The consultant will work closely with Save the Children MEAL officer, in collaboration with the project Coordinator and under the overall supervision of the HEAD of MEAL &Research,

Support of Save the Children

Save the Children will provide the consultant with available information about organization’s interventions relevant to this research. The organization will keep all survey data and transcripts.

Child Safeguarding Policy

Any employee, consultant, contractor or the supplier undertaking an activity on behalf of Save the Children International's must sign [The Child Safeguarding - Declaration of Acceptance Form] and comply with the Save the Children International Child Safeguarding Policy, which is a statement of Save the Children International commitment to preventing abuse and protecting children with whom it comes into contact. This extends not only to children with whom Save the Children International and its partners work directly but also includes children whom the staff are responsible for. Save the Children International believes that the situation of children must be improved through the promotion of their rights, supported and demonstrated by all members of staff. Save the Children International's Code of Conduct sets out the standards, which all staff members must adhere to Save the Children, is zero tolerance to fraud.

Disclosure of Information

It is understood and agreed that the Consultant(s) shall, during and after the effective period of the contract, treat as confidential and not divulge, unless authorized in writing by Save the Children, any information obtained during the performance of the Contract. Information will be made available for the consultants on a need-to-know basis.

Intellectual property

All background intellectual property rights in all material (including but not limited to reports data and designs whether electronically stored) produced by Save the Children or its personnel, members or representatives prior to undertaking this project will be the property of Save the Children. All intellectual property rights in all material (including but not limited to reports, tools, data and designs whether electronically stored) produced by either the consultant or SC or its personnel, members or representatives during the assignment of this project will be the property of Save the Children.

HOW TO APPLY

• The prospective consultant(s) shall present a detailed CV along with a technical proposal that will include the understanding of the assignment.
•  Financial proposal should be prepared in Rwandan francs inclusive of all required taxes.
• The applicant shall present together with the above, copies of Work Certificate of related accomplished consultancy work in the past.

Interested consultant (s) should submit their applications to rwanda.bid@savethechildren.org  with the mention FOR ENDLINE EVALUATION for SIDA_CSO Project not later than 24th August 2025 at 17:00 PM. No hard copies will be accepted.