Save the Children’s Health Program in Timor
Leste
Terms of Reference
Independent Consultant to conduct ‘end of program’ evaluation
Terms of Reference
Independent Consultant to conduct ‘end of program’ evaluation
This Terms of Reference (TOR) sets out the requirements to conduct the end of program evaluation of the Save the Children Health Program in Timor-Leste which is funded by AusAID. An independent consultant will be contracted on behalf of Save the Children to carry out the tasks described in this TOR.
1. Background
Country background: The 2009 Human Development Index (HDI) ranks Timor Leste 162 out of 182 countries and the low overall living standards are reflected in the average life expectancy of 59.7 years. Although there have been major developments in the country there are still major obstacles to overcome to improve health outcomes for the population, including children who are most vulnerable.
Improving the health situation of women and children is a priority for Timor Leste and the country is committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015. The key MDGs selected for the Save the Children (SC) Health Program are MDG 4, reducing child and infant mortality and MDG 5, reducing maternal mortality.
The rate of child mortality in Timor Leste is 64 deaths per 1000 live births; the country aims to reduce this to 53 deaths per 1000 live births by 2015 (MDG 4). For maternal mortality (MDG 5), the current estimate is 557 death per 100,000 live births, and the aim is to reduce this to 252 by 2015. Although there has been progress over the past seven years, there remains a gap between the trend demonstrated in current indicators and 2015 targets. SC’s Health Program aims to contribute to achieving these targets and permit women and their children their right to life, as per article 6 in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Overview of the Health Program of Save the Children in Timor Leste:
Save the Children’s vision is a world in which every child has a healthy and safe childhood, the opportunity to learn, and a voice to speak for them. Save the Children’s (SC) Health Program in Timor Leste aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality among East Timorese newborns and their mothers in alignment with their rights.
In so doing, SC is contributing to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) through reducing child and maternal mortality. Infants, young children and their mothers are the main focus of the Program. A primary health care approach focusing on maternal, newborn and child health is being implemented including behavior change communication (BCC), community mobilisation, and health systems strengthening. The program is in the implementation phase covering 8 sub districts of two rural and remote mountainous districts of Timor-Leste (Ainaro and Manufahi).
Implementation of the program is through partnerships with:
o local NGOs (Alola Foundation, Health Net and Sharis Haburas Comunidade (SHC)),
o the Government (Ainaro and Manufahi District Health Services) and
o Community Based Organizations (Mother Support Groups (MSG) and Children’s Clubs (CC))
This model provides an integrated approach to improving maternal and child health outcomes.
Program objectives are outlined below:
a) Improve the nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women, and children under 2 years (through improved breastfeeding and appropriate complimentary feeding strategies);
b) Increase level of knowledge and skills of target communities regarding aspects of healthy living (i.e. nutrition, hygiene, physical wellbeing, free from communicable diseases etc.);
c) Improve practices of birth preparedness of caregivers including strengthening referral mechanism for complicated pregnancies;
d) Strengthen the capacity of district health systems including community based health workers to provide quality primary health care services; and
e) Strengthen Village Health Committee members to enable them to monitor and advocate for quality health services delivery at the community level.
2. Purpose of Evaluation
This program requires the services of an independent consultant to undertake an end of program evaluation to assess the quality of implementation and outcomes, and make recommendations for future programming.
Save the Children will be withdrawing operations from Timor-Leste in September 2013 and the Health Program evaluation will be an important part of SC reflecting on success, challenges and lessons learned. SC will feed this learning into future SC health programming and into the Timor health sector analysis and programming.
This evaluation will also be intricately linked with an overall program learning review which will be contribute to a final three year learning publication.
This health evaluation is to be a learning process for SC and partner staff, with an emphasis on building the capacity of SC and partner staff regarding data collection, collation, analysis, and interpretation skills.
AusAID requires this evaluation as part of their ANCP performance reporting process – and during the in-country component, initial findings will be presented to AusAID and other relevant stakeholders in Dili, Timor-Leste.
3. Objectives and key evaluation questions
The evaluation is to achieve the following:
a) Assess the extent of achievements of program objectives (what was the outcome/ impact of the program);
b) Assess the quality of program implementation including evaluating partnership processes and the overall management of program activities; and
c) Provide lessons learned and recommendations for future programming for SC and the health sector.
Key evaluation questions will be developed with the team members, as part of the evaluation capacity building focus.
4. Scope of evaluation
The scope of the evaluation will include:
a) Desk review of the Health program design documents, M&E frameworks, financial budgets, annual plans, past reports by SC;
b) Developing an evaluation process plan that will effectively evaluate program outcomes and impact, program effectiveness, and quality of partnership and management.
c) Developing a plan for data collection and analysis with the methodology using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, and encouraging beneficiary & stakeholder participation (including field visits to program sites (Ainaro and Manufahi));
d) Providing a written evaluation report at the conclusion of the evaluation review outlining findings, learning and recommendations;
e) Presenting these initial findings with SC and other key stakeholders in Dili, Timor Leste.
5. Evaluation design and methodology
This evaluation should use both quantitative and qualitative methods consisting of structured questionnaires, observations, semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs) and any other relevant tools.
Subjects to be involved (e.g. interviewed, complete questionnaire) during the evaluation will include: SC health staff, local NGO implementing partner staff, government health staff, health volunteers (PSF), health committee (PDSS) members, direct beneficiaries of the health program, caregivers of children under-2, school children, community leaders (Chefe Sucos & Aldeia), and other stakeholders like INGOs, national NGOs and CBOs working in the sector and/ or in the geographical locations.
Where possible and appropriate, the evaluation tools (questionnaires etc.) should be finalised and translated into Tetun (with support from the evaluation team members).
6. Organisation, roles and responsibilities
| The evaluation team will be led by the
independent consultant and will comprise of SC and partner NGO team members.
Team members | ||
| Independent Consultant | TEAM LEADER | |
| Health Program Manager (SC) | Team member | |
| Health Program M&E Officer (SC) | Team member | |
| Senior Health Officer Ainaro (SC) | Team member | |
| Senior Health Officer Manufahi (SC) | Team member | |
| Health Program Community Development Officer (SC) | Team member | |
| Partner NGO representatives (Alola, Healthnet & SHC) | Team member | |
| Child Rights & Governance Program Manager (SC) | Team member overall program | |
| Senior Coordinator Child Rights & Governance (SC)
| Team member overall program | |
| Program Director (SC) | Team member overall program
|
The evaluation team and other program staff will travel with the independent consultant to the field. There may be some overlapping themes and questions etc. with target groups being interviewed. I.e. it is envisaged that there will be some interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions etc. that are conducted to collect data for both evaluations (health and the broader overall program one) – but the health evaluation will be of a deeper nature and have a stand-alone analysis and report. The independence of the health evaluation and consultant will be respected, but the consultant should be aware that the health evaluation is part of a larger reviewing process.
The team will undertake the following tasks:
a) A desk review of program design documents, reports, budgets, M&E framework, Demographic health survey, and other relevant documents;
b) Developing an evaluation process plan that outlines and summarizes the data collection, collation and analysis methodology including reporting and presentation;
c) Travelling to the district field to visit program locations;
d) Conducting the actual review/ evaluation questions and other identified tools
e) Provide final evaluation report and presentation to key stakeholders and including recommendations for future programming.
Defining the differential roles
Specific roles of the independent consultant:· Desk review of the relevant project documents
· Develop evaluation plan and questionnaires etc. with evaluation team members
· Facilitate training for the data collectors
· Facilitate stakeholder workshops as relevant (Dili and district based)
· Guide and supervise the data collectors to carry out their respective activities
· Conduct data analysis with the team members, identifying key issues, trends, outcomes and learning
· Take the lead in drafting the summary report on the evaluation
· Present the study purpose, methodology, findings, and recommendations to Save the Children and other stakeholders (including AusAID) at the national level
· Finalise the evaluation report, incorporating stakeholder feedback
The specific roles of the team members:· Accompany the independent consultant and participate fully in the evaluation
· Provide insight into the SC health program
· Participate in tasks and assessment as required by the independent consultant
· Provide inputs into the evaluation planning and implementation
7. Deliverables
The Evaluation team led by the Independent Consultant must provide the following:
a) Evaluation Plan and MethodologyThe evaluation plan must address program logic (log frame and objectives etc.); key evaluations questions and outline the proposed methodology. The methodology must be culturally appropriate for the target audience.
b) Final Report The independent consultant must provide a detailed final report to SC and key stakeholders and include the following information:
o Executive Summary
o Program Description
- Program background and rationale
- Program goal, objectives and outputs (logical framework)
- Cross cutting themes
- Key stakeholders
o Program relevance analysis
o Output and Activity analysis
o Outcome and Impact analysis
o Program management analysis (partnership and program management)
o Sustainability
o Budget and expenditure variance report
o Case study compilation
o Lessons Learned
o Recommendations
o Conclusion
c) PresentationPresent final report to SC, AusAID and other key stakeholders
8. Timeline
The in-country component of the health evaluation will be for a period of 24 days (to be completed within 30 days) from the date of arrival in Dili, Timor-Leste. Evaluation needs to start on 8 July, 2013.
| Days | Activity | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days | In-country desk review of all relevant documents, develop evaluation plan in
collaboration with Save the Children staff. | |
| 1 day | Meet with stakeholders in Dili (partners and Ministries) to conduct
workshop/ FGD about overall program activities, outputs, outcomes.
| |
| 1 day | Travel to field (Dili to Manufahi) if the plane is available then travel
will be one hour instead on one day | |
| 3 days | Manufahi Visit project sites, collect data through consultation/ focus
group discussions with district stakeholders (including partners/ district
health services/ beneficiaries). | |
| 1 day | Travel in field (Manufahi to Ainaro) about three hours
| |
| 3 days | Ainaro Visit project sites, collect data through consultation/ focus group
discussions with district stakeholders (including partners/ district health
services/ beneficiaries). | |
| 1 day | Travel from field (Ainaro to Dili) if the plane is available then travel
will be one hour instead on one day | |
| 2 days | Analysis workshop in collaboration with Save the Children staff and
representative from partners. | |
| 3 days | Write up report. | |
| 1 day | Presentation of briefings to ministries, partners and other key
stakeholders. | |
| 3 days | Finalisation of report
|
9. Budget/Resources
Total budget for this evaluation is US$ 14,000 which will include independent consultant fee, his/her accommodation, and any per diem and travel costs.
10. Plan for dissemination and learning
The evaluation report will be disseminated among key stakeholders including community members, partner NGOs, nutrition working group, Government departments (national and district level) and other stakeholders working in the Health sector.
The Health Program Evaluation report will be a component of a larger review of all SC programs and activities in Timor-Leste; so the main points from this health program evaluation will be captured in the final overall SC program review publication.
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Competency and expertise required: We are interested in person with strong field-based research skills (both quantitative & qualitative data collection, analysis and reporting) and experience conducting research and evaluation in the health sector, especially in the areas of Nutrition and Maternal & Child Health (MCH) care. The consultant must be committed to working with national staff as this evaluation will be a capacity development experience for some of the staff. Proficiency in Tetun is preferred.
Day to day liaison:
Joydip Ghosh, Health program Manager, Save the Children in Timor Leste
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Interested candidates are requested to apply for this position with their CVs, capability statements, list of research work and publications, and references. Applications must be submitted by 31 March, 2013. Please send all correspondence and supporting documents by email to Joydip Ghosh: joydip.ghosh@savethechildren.
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