Terms of Reference- French Speaking MEAL Advisor for Sponsorship Program

BACKGROUND

The global Program Quality Impact Sponsorship team requires short-term French speaking Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) support for a period of up to 3 months to provide technical assistance to 3 county offices (Mali, Niger, Haiti) on some critical deliverables.

While Country Office teams are responsible for ensuring MEAL is carried out and for initial data collection and analysis, this role acts as a project lead and quality assurance. The MEAL Technical Advisor will be required to coordinate with Save the Children Program Development and Quality, Sponsorship teams in country and Program Quality Impact Sponsorship team within Save the Children US.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The French Speaking MEAL Advisor for Sponsorship Program  contributes to ensure that the Save the Children Sponsorship international program- operating in 20 countries - has a robust system in place to generate high quality reporting about program results for children, and evidence of impact for accountability to stakeholders.

As part of the international Sponsorship MEAL team, and reporting to the Director of Evidence and Learning, S/he will provide support to a specified number of country programs currently operating Sponsorship programming by:

• Supporting the design and implementation performance evaluations under the supervision of the MEAL Advisor and through collaboration with learning partners and internal teams.
• Ensuring country office MEAL systems are well integrated into SCI MEAL systems, working closely with country teams to review and improve monitoring systems.
• Applying the Sponsorship Program Design Guidelines and SCI MEAL Operational Standards to provide technical support on program cycle steps (situational analyses, performance evaluations, assessments) and in developing costed MEAL plans.

The position ensures alignment with Save the Children International MEAL process and priorities, and specifically the preparation for Project Management Methodology (PMM) and PRIME roll out in Sponsorship Offices.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT REQUEST: PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON MEAL TO ASSIGNED COUNTRY PROGRAMS (INCLUDING 3 FRENCH SPEAKING COUNTRY PROGRAMS, NIGER, HAITI, MALI)

S/he will provide support to a specified number of country programs currently operating Sponsorship programming by:

• DELIVERABLE 1: Working closely with country teams to review and improve their monitoring systems by analysing data from a completed capacity self-assessment. Working jointly with CO team to develop and implement remedial to address identified gaps including action tracking.

• DELIVERABLES 2, 3: Support backstop country offices to design and carry out situation analysis (Mali), impact assessment (Niger);
  • Situational Analysis: This SitAn is being conducted by a private consultant. Once completed, it will be followed by the development of program design, MEAL Plan, baseline evaluation and target setting and BuP program design. Outstanding actions are to ensure MEAL staff address comments SCUS shared on Ethical approval platform on their documents submitted while applying for ERC approval.

• Support Niger to complete the design of, and carry out impact assessments in Education Literacy Boost program, and Parents Workshop Impact Assessment

• DELIVERABLE 4:Support backstop Haiti country offices to generate learnings and adapt from final stages of program cycle: phase over.

Haiti are transitioning to a new program design and different implementing area. This role will require the consultant to support Haiti Country Office document lessons, understand data storage needs and MEAL requirements for their Program phase over. Expected output of this will be a guidance note developed on MEAL needs for program phase over which can be used in Haiti and other countries at this final stage of the program cycle.

• Applying the Sponsorship Programming Guidance and SCI MEAL Operational Standards to provide technical support on program cycle steps (situational analyses, performance evaluations, assessments) and in developing costed MEAL plans.

• Supporting the design and implementation performance evaluations under the supervision of the Director of Evidence and Learning and through collaboration with learning partners and internal teams.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Interested consultants will be required to submit an Expression of Interest in line with the provided template, which should demonstrate adherence to the following requirements.

UNDERSTANDING OF REQUIREMENTS AND EXPERIENCE

To be considered, the consultant must have demonstrated skills, expertise and experience in:

• French language- fluency

• Designing and conducting outcome evaluations using quasi-experimental design
• Track record delivering participatory learning and coaching to build capacity of country office colleagues

• Proven abilities in strategic thinking and planning, and to independently manage multiple work plans and evaluate progress.

• Advanced qualitative and quantitative research skills, including but not limited to study design, survey instrument design and use, establishing and measuring health and education indicators, sampling, data analysis plans, data cleaning, and statistical analysis.

• Sound program cycle management experience and ability to work in a complex organization structure.

• Leading socio-economic research, evaluations or consultancy work in Development contexts that are is sensitive to the local context and culture, particularly child rights, gender equality, ethnicity, religion and minority groups and/or other factors
• Applying for ethical approval of research studies or assessments
• Conducting ethical and inclusive studies involving children and child participatory techniques
• Conducting ethical and inclusive studies involving marginalised, deprived and/or vulnerable groups in culturally appropriate and sensitive ways
• Sound and proven experience in conducting evaluations based on OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, particularly utilisation and learning focused evaluations
• Extensive experience of theories of change and how they can be used to carry out evaluations
• Strong written and verbal skills in communicating technical and/ or complex findings to non-specialist audiences (especially report writing and presentation skills)
• A track record of open, collaborative working with clients

There is a high expectation that:

• The consultant has a track record of previously working together or in similar large scale NGO
• The consultant will have experience in conducting studies in the field of Education
• The consultant has the seniority and experience in leading complex study projects, and proven ability to lead a team toward a common goal.
• The consultant has a strong track record of working flexibly to accommodate changes as the project is implemented.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

Save the Children seeks value for money in its work. This does not necessarily mean "lowest cost", but quality of the service and reasonableness of the proposed costs. Proposals shall include personnel allocation (role / number of days / daily rates / taxes), as well as any other applicable costs.

SCHEDULE OF PAYMENT

The following payments will be made to the consultant using and agreed mode of

• Upon approval of Deliverables 1 : [10%]
• Upon submission of Deliverables 2 and 3: [70%]
• Upon approval of Deliverable 4: [20%]