Consultancy Service for Programme Final Evaluation

Terms of Reference

Southeast Asia Programme final evaluation – Country specific: Vietnam

Programme Tittle: Economic Empowerment & Social Inclusion for Farmers and Agriculture Producers, especially Women and Ethnic Minorities in Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.

1. Background

We Effect was founded in 1958 to support the development of democratic organisations and societies, working together with partner organisations to build capacity to articulate the rights and needs of their members. Our vision is a sustainable and just world free of poverty. We Effect’s global strategy, “Equality First”, emphasises the importance of gender equality to reach our results in 13 Programmes spread over 24 countries in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Southern and Eastern Africa.

We Effect’s Southeast Asia programme (SEA programme) has being implemented in three countries of Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, which stretches a decade back. It supports member-based organisations to fight poverty and injustice in rural areas, including agriculture cooperatives, self-help groups (SHGs), village savings and loans association (VSLAs), producer groups, community forest groups, and those groups members. SEA programme for the period of 2018 – 2022 aims that “small-holder farmers and agriculture producers in poverty are economically empowered and socially included to reach equitable growth and equal rights”. To achieve this, the programme works towards six main outcomes: [1] Promoted sustainable and climate resilient agriculture production; [2] Improved access to gender-sensitive and inclusive financial services; [3] Promoted Women entrepreneurship and gender equality; [4] Strengthened farmer organization in market linkage and representative member rights; [5] Farmer rights protected by an enabling policy environment; and [6] Local partner organizations strengthened to be active HRB actors and agents of change.

The programme consists of nine projects across three countries, in which three projects in Vietnam are as follows:

[1] “Cho Don Women’s Economic Collaboration for Development”, implemented by Center of Help for Indigenous value promotion And Sustainable Environment (CHIASE)

[2] “Promotion of market linkages, setting up value chains for agricultural products for mountainous ethnic minority communities in Lao Cai Province”, implemented by Lao Cai Provincial Cooperative Alliance (LC PCA)

[3] “Promotion of Agricultural Value Chain in Yen Bai province”, Yen Bai Provincial Cooperative Alliance (YB PCA)

As the programme will end its implementation in Vietnam by 30th June 2020 due to an early phase out decision, We Effect is looking for a consultant/ consultancy firm to conduct a final country-specific programme evaluation. The assignment is expected to take place during March – June 2020.

2. Purpose of the assignment 

The assignment aims at:

• To assess achievements of the partner projects and country-specific programme towards the SEA programme goal and objectives;
• To capture lessons learnt from the evaluated projects and provide recommendations for We Effect and stakeholders; and 
• To reflect potential effects of the phase out of We Effect programme in the country towards partner organizations and the target communities.

3. Key questions of the evaluation 

3.1 Programme/ project level results assessment 2018 – 2020

• What has worked well? How well the programme and projects promoted a right-based approach and gender equality? What are the lessons learnt? The consultant should not merely evaluate the LFA-level programme and project results, but seek to identify the processes of change that have led to positive and/ or negative effects for women and men.  
• How effectively the approaches/ methodologies have been applied in the Programme/ Projects to produce the expected results?
• How effectively the programme has strengthened the partner’s organizational capacity? How the programme has contributed to partner’s organization development?
• What elements of the pgorammes can maintain beyond the programme’s circle? What factors have driven this sustainability?
• How has the phase out effected the partner organization and target communities, both positively and negatively? In what aspects?

3.2 Continuity of the long-term We Effect’s SEA programme in the target countries

• How the success of the current programme/ project has been driven from the previous phase of We Effect’s SEA programme in Vietnam (in regards with Yen Bai project)?

3.3 Recommendations for learning

• Based on the findings, provide recommendations for lessons learnt. The recommendations should depart from the goals in the global strategy and be based on the added value that can be provided by We Effect. How is the programme/ project complementary to other organisations and initiatives? What are conditions that pave the ways towards sustainability after programme phase out. 

4. Methodology and scope of work 

The evaluation process should be participatory and involve all key stakeholders through direct and indirect consultations. A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches should be applied. The assignment will be carried out in close dialogue with relevant We Effect staffs. The assignment will focus on SEA programme and project phase out LFAs and results.

The tender should present an implementation proposal that includes, but is not necessarily limited to the following evaluation methods:

• Desk study: Relevant strategies and policies, programme and project documents, result reports, earlier evaluations and other relevant studies
• Interview/ survey with target beneficiaries
• Interview with key stakeholders, including: We Effect staff; direct and indirect consultations with partner organisations, representatives of like-minded organisations, representatives of donor agencies – current and potential
• Field visits: Visit evaluated partners and projects in the country
• Partner meetings: A joint evaluation workshop will be held with the partner organisations as part of the field work. A feedback partner meeting will be held once the final report has been delivered.

The tender should include a description of how the consultant will work with quality assurance of the evaluation process and final report. The tender should also describe how a right-based evaluation process will be assured.

5. Deliverables

• Inception report (including detailed evaluation plan, evaluation framework and detailed methodologies)
• Detailed evaluation tools
• Set of collected data/ information
• Validation workshop with the partners and relevant stakeholders
• Programme final evaluation report

6. Timetable 

The timeframe for the assignment is from February to June 2020.

Milestones and deliveries (preliminary dates):
Publication of call for proposals		12 Feb 2020
Deadlines for submission of tenders		28 Feb 2020
Notification to consultant/ contract finalisation		02 - 06 Mar 2020
Starting up meeting with We Effect and partners		16 Mar 2020
Inception phase, including desk review, elaboration of methodology and drafting of evaluation framework		17 Mar – 05 Apr 2020
Inception report deadline		05 Apr 2020
Field work and briefing after field work		05 – 29 Apr 2020
Draft report deadline		15 May 2020
Comments back from We Effect and partners		25 May 2020
Validation workshop with partners, relevant stakeholders & We Effect representatives		10 Jun 2020
Final report deadline		20 Jun 2020

7. Reporting 

The evaluation report will be no more than 30 pages, including an executive summary and excluding annexes. The report shall be written in English and local language. It should be written in such a way that it is easy to comprehend even without prior knowledge of We Effect or partner organisations work in South East Asia.

The proposed format and headings to be included in the evaluation report shall be suggested by the consultant as part of the inception report.

8. Consultant profile 

The consultant shall have the following qualifications:

• Documented comprehensive experience from rural development programmes (rural cooperatives and/ or farmers’ organisations), preferably in South East Asia;
• Documented comprehensive experience of evaluation of international development programmes, preferably of civil society;
• Documented experience from HRBA in evaluations;
• Documented comprehensive experience of gender programming;
• Proficiency in English;
• Knowledge of development cooperation strategies of Sweden;
• Preferably local nationality.

9. Tenders 

Tenders, including a technical and financial proposal, and CV, shall be submitted to We Effect office with the following mailing addresses not later than 28 Feb 2020: [email protected].

For further information, please contact SEA Programme and Finance Manager at [email protected]