Consultancy Job Opening at Child Fund International

Consultancy jobs, ICT jobs, Project Management jobs, 

Consultancy to Conduct Baseline Evaluation of the Elimu Kidijitali Project

In line with the ChildFund’s strategy which seeks to ensure that children achieve optimum development and grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe, this program intends to;

• Provide digital learning content and devices to 10 schools located in Nairobi, Kiambu and Murang’a Counties. Students will be equipped with tablets while their teachers will be provided with laptops, whiteboards and projectors for displaying learning content.
• The project will facilitate gender-balanced participation and access to digital learning through a responsive and inclusive gender mentorship and role modelling teaching lessons for increased digital learning programs for all learners.
• Provide comprehensive classroom management software that will enhance the overall learning experience.
• Provide internet connectivity that further enriches the learning environment by providing access to a vast range of online educational resources will be provided.
• Train parents/caregivers, teachers and students drawn from the 10 targeted schools on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) and Online Safety so as to improve children’s self-protection skills and parent’s/ caregivers’ knowledge attitudes, practices on OCSEA and online safety.
• The project will equitably engage parents/caregivers, teachers and students throughout the project cycle, as agents of positive change in their communities. Trainings for parents and caregivers will target both male and female without bias. The project will ensure equitable and & inclusive enrolment of boys and girls.
• The project will endeavor to ensure that informational, environmental, physical, and attitudinal barriers do not inhibit learners with disabilities from participating in education. Training content for teachers will incorporate components that will equip all teachers to appropriately respond to diversity in the classroom and disability inclusion. Children with disabilities and their caregivers in the selected target areas will be mapped and prioritized for targeted special support.
• The project will facilitate continued community involvement to promote ownership and sustained commitment. Overall implementation of this digital literacy project in these two counties (Nairobi and Tharaka Nithi) will ensure that children facing vulnerabilities and especially access to digital learning materials, training as well as infrastructure are supported to access quality digital education.

Baseline Target Audience

• The baseline is intended for project team, community people and stakeholders (government, non-government, etc) to understand the current situation and gaps for improving digital landscape environment and opportunities for 8,300 children to explore, learn and connect safely free from exploitation and harm. The groups and individuals with a major interest in the baseline survey:

Partner Name

• Ministry of Education: Managing and funding primary schools. `Coordinates implementation of education curriculum for all education levels. Formulation of education policies.
• Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development: Agency in Kenya responsible for developing and revising the country’s curriculum for Pre-primary, primary, secondary, and teacher education levels. It operates under the Ministry of Education and plays a critical role in shaping the educational content and standards in the Kenyan education system.
• Community: Provision of infrastructure in schools
• School board of management: Management of education institution on behalf of the community and the Ministry of Education

Purpose and Objectives

• A baseline assessment will be completed at the start of the project, with local stakeholders, to measure the status of all indicators and to understand the starting point of key elements of the work against which later progress will be measured. This will enable project indicators at output and goal/outcome level to be measured and tracked.
• The objective of the baseline survey is described to assess the digital landscape environment and opportunities for 8,300 children to explore, learn and connect safely free from exploitation and harm. The baseline report is to be used for monitoring benchmark and evaluating the project implementation.

Several objectives are determined to see the results into below mentioned areas;

• School communities have improved digital learning environments.
• Learners have increased access to quality digital learning education services.
• Improved legal and policy environments in favor of digital learning.

All objectives will be answered by the baseline survey findings and reported to project team and Local responsible partners.

Methodology

• ChildFund Kenya will select a local research consultant to conduct the baseline survey. The selected research consultant will be required to prepare detailed research methodology. The study will adopt a cross sectional research design that will use mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches. The consultant will be expected to use- tools and techniques for data collection, which may include but not be limited to Indepth interviews, Key informant interviews, Household Surveys, Focus group discussions among others. The methods of sampling, data collection and analysis will be proposed by the consultants and discussed further with the ChildFund Kenya project management team during inception meeting. The approach should have a strong focus on the application of participatory approaches and proven methodology that fits well in the context of local communities and stakeholders.

Quantitative data collection methods

• The Project team intends to have baseline data at outcome level. Detailed data source and methods, and full questionnaires are required from consultant team. Survey questionnaires are based on indicators of outcomes which are shown in table 1. Consultant team should be able to submit draft questionnaires when they provide the technical proposal to ChildFund Kenya for tender selection process.

Project Goal

• Improved digital landscape environment and opportunities for 8300 children to explore, learn and connect safely free from exploitation and harm by December 2025.

Project Outcomes

Outcome 1: School communities have improved digital learning environments.

• Proportion of schools which have established digital learning environments.

Outcome 2: Learners have increased access to quality digital learning education services and online safety.

• Proportion of children (male/female) with increased knowledge, attitude, and Practices regarding digital learning, OCSEA and online child safety.
• Percentage of teachers (male/female) applying digital-based pedagogy in the classroom.

Outcome 3: Improved legal and policy environments in favor of digital learning

• Number of digital learning policies developed

Qualitative data collection methods

• Key methods will be focus group discussions and key informant interviews with partners. Key partners include in the part of project audiences. Moreover, a consultant team is possible to suggest other partners to be interviewed based on information needs. All suggested tools will be discussed with ChildFund Kenya to finalize.

Document Review

• The baseline team will use project documents. Once selected, the project team provides the documents such as the project proposal. Also, secondary data sources/information, not limited to outcome 3, from local institutions or organizations as deemed appropriate will be used for further data analysis.

Data analysis and interpretation

• Primary data and data analysis process will be disaggregated by the sex and target locations. Collected data will be processed using statistical data analysis software. Draft findings will be presented with project team and key partners to validate.

Authority and Responsibility

ChildFund Kenya Project Team

• Make project introduction meeting with the consultant
• Submit project documents to external research team
• Link the external research team with Ministry of Education to support visit targeted schools.
• Organize meetings with Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, School board members and local administration.

Consultant

• Develop baseline methodology/questionnaire.
• Test and adjust survey tools.
• Train field data enumerators in collaboration with the project team
• Fully facilitate the data collection
• Fully responsible for data quality assurance
• Present and validate data to the project team
• Prepare draft report in English.
• Discussion with ChildFund Kenya on findings and reflect thefeedback in the finalreport.
• Final report submission

Consultant & ChildFund Kenya Project Team

• Participate in discussion meeting and provide feedback

ChildFund Kenya Project Team

• Provide feedback on baseline report

Timeline and Products

• Presumably, from inception, 25 working days would be required for the task, which can also be decided based on the discussions between both parties.It is expected that the whole task should be completed by 1st February2024.

DATE

Nov 29th -30th

• Baseline TOR developed by project teamand submitted to MEKML.
• Baseline TORwas reviewed by MEKML.
• TOR submitted to Procurement.
• TOR finalized
• Product 1: Baseline TOR

Dec 11th – 15th

• Conduct hiring selection process of bids submitted.
• Conduct the final selection of available candidate
• Interview notes and final agreement by panel committee

Jan 3rd – 4th

• Inception meeting withselected team
• Workshop forbaseline planning
• Finalize thebaseline design/methods.
• Prepare field schedule
• Product 2: Baseline tools/Questionnaires
• Product 3: field datacollection schedule

Jan 5th – 19th

• Field data collection by external baseline team.
• Raw data from Partners, children, parents, and FGD
• KII notes with partners

Jan 22nd – 25th

• Data validation meeting with project team
• Submit the draft baseline report.
• Product 4: Draft report submitted to ChildFund Kenya.
• Draft baseline findings’ presentation

Feb 1st

• Final report submitted to ChildFund Kenya
• Product 5: Finalreport submitted to ChildFund Kenya

Note: The consultant should prepare summaries of the report, infographics, and a dissemination plan for the different audiences

Expected Deliverables

An inception report: 

• An inception meeting will be held between the consultant, project implementation team and ChildFund staff. The inception meeting will provide ChildFund Kenya the opportunity to verify that they share the same understanding about the Terms of Reference with the consultant. An inception report shall be compiled outlining the key scope of the work and intended work plan. The report should therefore detail the consultant’s understanding and interpretation of the TOR, methodology, implementation schedule, and data collection – encompassing structuring of study; review of documents; quantitative/qualitative data collection; and data collection instruments design, sample size, field work planning and implementation, data collection plan, data entry and analysis plan, and budget forecast. The inception report will be discussed and agreed upon with ChildFund Kenya and project partners.

Draft comprehensive endline report incorporating feedback from ChildFund review and validation with other stakeholders that will culminate in the final report. The report shall be produced within 25 days after approval of the consultancy.

**The final report:**This will be presented 5 days after the validation workshop and receiving comments on the draft report. The content and structure of the final report shall include but not necessarily limited to executive summary, introduction, findings, recommendations, updated M&E matrix/plan.

MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION

• Overall, the consultant will report to the Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Manager at the Country Office. The management of the day-to-day activities in the field will be supported by Project Officers, Field Coordinator and M&E Assistant at Nairobi Metropolitan Program.

ETHICAL GUIDELINES

It’s expected that the consultant will adhere to the following ethical guidelines and principles:

• Informed consent: All participants are expected to provide informed consent following standards and pre-agreed upon consent protocols i.e., if project beneficiaries are minor’s parents/guardian’s consent should be sought.
• Compliance to ChildFund Kenya values including Child Safeguarding Policies.
• Systematic inquiry: The consultant conducts systematic data-based inquiries.
• Integrity/honesty: Evaluator display honesty and integrity in their own behavior and attempt to ensure the honesty and integrity of the entire evaluation process.
• Respect for people: The consultant respects the security, dignity, and self-worth of respondents, program participants and other stakeholders. It’s expected that the evaluator receives informed consent of the participants to ensure that they can decide in a conscious, deliberate way whether they want to participate; avoid exposing children to harm because of the response.
• Responsibilities for general and public welfare: The consultant should evaluate and consider the diversity of different stakeholders.

COMPETENCE REQUIRED

• ChildFund Kenya seeks to engage the services of qualified and experienced consultant with adequate experience in research and appraisal of development programmes to undertake the assignment.

Desired Qualifications & Experience

The Consultant(s) must have the following qualifications and experience: –

• An Advanced Degree (Master’s and above) in Computer Science, Information Technology, Communication/Journalism, Education, Development studies or Social sciences, M&E, sociology or related studies.
• A minimum of five (5) years working experience in information technology and community development work is highly desired.
• Demonstrated practical and recent working experience on a similar scope will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated and extensive knowledge and understanding of Kenyan Education Sector reforms and systems.
• Ability to prepare factual and well-articulated evaluation reports. Sample report of 2 previous assignments related to this assignment need to be attached in the Expression of Interest (EoI).
• Excellent written communication skills in English
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili.

BUDGET, LOGISTICS AND PAYMENT

The consultant shall submit a comprehensive financial proposal in Kenya shillings with broken down costs and justification for professional fees, all the logistical costs for the assignment and taxes itemized clearly.

Payment of the consultant will be in three installments as follows:

• First instalment: 20% of the total agreed consultancy amount upon submission and acceptance of an inception report
• Second installment: 40% paid upon submission and acceptance of draft baseline evaluation report.
• Third installment: 40% will be paid upon submission and acceptance of the final endline report by the consultant.

Method of Application

Interested Firms/Individuals who meet the above qualifications should send their applications to kenyaprocurement@childfund.org by 8th December 2023 at 1700HRS East Africa Time.