- Justification
The Government of The Gambia and UNICEF plan to undertake the In-depth Review (IDR) of the Country Programme in 2014. As part of the IDR an outcome evaluation of CEP programme in the country, to assess the achievement of the CEP programme, outcomes, the sustainability of the results, effectiveness of the organized Diffusion Strategy as well as the lessons learnt from CEP programme implementation and to identify, if and what, adjustments to the current strategy and programme design need to be introduced to improve performance and guarantee sustainability.
Currently, the CEP programme collects baseline data on new communities and routine monitoring of interventions. However, the questions are not adequate for evaluative purposes. A process evaluation was done in 2009 which provided recommendations on the implementation of the project.
The findings of this evaluation will be used by UNICEF, Government of the Gambia and Tostan to determine the contribution of the Tostan programme in the reduction of FGM/C, early marriage and violence of children and assess the achievements of the outcomes as well as the sustainability and effectiveness of its approach/methodology for the context of Gambia. As well as determine what adjustments are necessary to improve programme design and implementation.
2. Objectives of the Evaluation
- To assess the attainment of programme outcomes (the reduction of and/or changes in attitudes toward the continuation of FGM/C, child marriages and violence against children in first 40 Mandinka and 40 Fulla villages,) and the contribution of the TOSTAN intervention since inception in 2006.
- To assess the effectiveness of Tostan CEP (i.e. determine whether the TOSTAN intervention’s is the right way (cost-effective, culturally appropriate) to achieve results in FGM/C i.e. attitudinal changes toward FGM/C and child marriages; and the final elimination of the practice. E.g. could the same results be achieved with less resources and time by using alternative strategies and approaches?
- To assess the sustainability of the intervention
- To document the challenges, opportunities and lessons learnt and unintended consequences, both positive and negative ones.
- To make recommendations for the CEP programme on the adjustments needed to attain its outcome
3. Deliverables
- Inception Report which will elaborate further on the methodology, the tools that will be used, the sampling method, how each question will be answered and the outline of the final Evaluation Report.
- 1st draft of the evaluation report
- Final Evaluation report in Hardcopy and Soft Copy MSWord Format.
- PowerPoint Presentation which summarizes the Evaluation Report with slide(s) of Key findings and recommendations.
- Raw data in electronic medium, data collection instruments in electronic medium, FGD transcripts in electronic medium, completed data sets, etc.
4. Qualifications & Experience required
An International Consultancy Firm working with a local Consultant is required with team members having the following profiles: .
- Advanced university degree in the relevant fields such as sociology, social anthropology, social science research.
- More than five years’ experience in programme evaluation and must have completed at least three high quality programme/project evaluation in that period, one of which must be a FGM/C programme/project evaluation.
- Must be familiar with the international literature and issues related to FGM/C and global eradication efforts.
- Good writing and communication skills in English
- Good work experience in rural communities of West Africa, preferably The Gambia.
- Good IT Skills including a good knowledge of MS Word, Power Point and Excel
- Good knowledge of UNICEF work, the CRC and the CEDAW
- Good knowledge of results-based programme management
Familiarity with the socio-cultural context of the Gambia and the cultural and religious sensitivity surrounding FGM/C.
How to apply:
UNICEF accepts applications from institutional contractors. The Selection Committee, comprising of UNICEF and the Steering Committee under the auspices of Women’s Bureau will review applications and make a final decision of a successful application.
All applications should contain the following documents:
I. Technical Project Proposal, which would include at least:
- Statement of the research problem
- Conceptual framework and research methodology
- Consultant’s profile/portfolio
- Proposed timeframes (days or weeks)
- Names and contact details of reference persons.
- List of publications or analytical reports (if applicable)
- Any other additional information to support the application (optional).
II. Financial Proposal:
- Detailed budget breakdown (in US Dollars).
Please send your application in a sealed envelope (technical and financial project proposals should be submitted separately, but in one envelope) to the following address with copy to banjul@unicef.org
Attn.: Ms. Aissatou betts-Loum, OIC Senior HR/Admin Assistant, Operations Section
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Gambia
5 Kofi Anna Street, Cape Point
Private Mail Box 85
Banjul, The Gambia
