Final evaluation Consultant -REAL Project

Terms of Reference for Final REAL Project Implementation Completion and Results Report

March 2025

1. Project Summary

Type of Assignment

Final Completion Report

Name of the project

Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) Project

Project start and end dates

December 2020 – June 2025

Project duration

Four years

Project locations:

Yemen

Thematic areas

Education

Donor

World Bank Group (WB), Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and International Development Association (IDA)

Implementing Partners

Save the Children International (SCI), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and World Food Programme (WFP)

Estimated beneficiaries

Pupils (Grade 1 – 6), Parents/Caregivers, Teachers, Public Officials

Overall objective of the project

The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to maintain access to basic education, improve conditions for learning and strengthen education sector capacity in selected districts of the Republic of Yemen.

2. Introduction

This document provides Terms of Reference for completion of the REAL project’s final report.

Since 2021 SCI has been implementing a four years Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) project funded by the IDA/GPE and administered by the World Bank. The project is implemented through three implementing agencies SCI, UNICEF and WFP, in partnership with the Ministry of Education (MOE). The project’s primary objective is to maintain access to basic education, improve conditions for learning and strengthen education sector capacity in selected 14 districts and 7 governorates, namely AlHodeidah, Ibb, Saada, and Taiz (north & south), Abyan, Hadramawt and Marib, in Yemen targeting over 1207 schools. The project targets students from grade 1 – 6, the estimated totals are 435,378 students as the target for all of Yemen in school academic year, 120,739 students as the target for all of Yemen in remedial learning program, and 268,465 students as the target for south of Yemen in reading learning program.

The project is set to officially conclude by June 2025, and in line with the World Bank’s reporting requirements, SCI must submit a Completion Report that comprehensively documents the project’s implementation, achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations. Given the detailed and structured nature of the WB Completion Report, SCI seeks to hire an experienced international education consultant to lead the drafting and finalization of the report, ensuring it meets all donor requirements.

The project background, assignment scope, key questions, intended methodology, reporting and governance, key deliverables and timeframes for its implementation are provided in the sections that follow.

3. Background and Context

The Yemeni education system has been profoundly destabilized by the ongoing conflict, which began in 2014 and escalated in 2015, resulting in a severe deterioration of the nation’s economic and social fabric. Children, particularly girls, are disproportionately affected, facing a multitude of challenges including significant protection risks, a devastating nutrition crisis, and the widespread disruption of their schooling. Over two million children are currently out of school, while millions more require urgent assistance to ensure the continuation of their education. This humanitarian crisis creates a challenging environment for educational initiatives. Schools have been damaged or destroyed, and protection risks such as recruitment by armed groups, child marriage, and gender-based violence are heightened. The psychosocial trauma inflicted on children by the conflict further impedes their ability to learn and develop.

The Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) project aims to address these critical issues through a strategic school package approach, ensuring that essential learning inputs are available at the school level. This approach seeks to tackle the multi-faceted challenges facing the education sector and prioritizes learning outcomes, recognizing that mere access to education is insufficient. The project builds upon Save the Children’s extensive experience in Yemen, focusing on safe schools, alternative learning opportunities, psychosocial support, and national and local advocacy. It also aligns with the World Bank Group’s Gender Strategy, emphasizing girls’ access to education and women’s empowerment, particularly in rural areas. This project also takes into account the lessons learned from previous world bank projects. It will attempt to continue successful projects, and to improve upon the areas that were lacking.

Even before the conflict, Yemen’s education sector faced significant challenges, including gender disparities, quality concerns, and limited access, particularly in rural and marginalized communities. The conflict has amplified these issues, with girls facing even greater barriers due to security concerns, cultural factors, and a lack of female teachers. Operational schools suffer from overcrowding and shortages of essential resources. The conflict has also weakened the government’s capacity to manage and deliver education services. This project is not the World Bank’s first involvement in Yemen’s education sector. Previous investments have focused on infrastructure, girls’ education, teacher training, and capacity building within the Ministry of Education (MOE). Despite security challenges, past projects have demonstrated strong government ownership and achieved some sustained successes, such as the rural female teacher program. However, other crucial initiatives, like the Arabic curriculum framework, have been interrupted.

For the final report consultant, it is critical to understand the complex and dynamic conflict context and ensure that the report is conflict sensitive. The report should include a thorough gender analysis, highlighting the specific challenges faced by girls in the education sector. Acknowledging data limitations and using appropriate methodologies is essential. The consultant should assess the sustainability of the project’s interventions and provide recommendations for ensuring long-term impact. Highlighting government ownership, capacity building, and community engagement is also crucial. By considering these factors, the consultant will produce a more insightful and impactful final report, contributing to the broader goal of educational recovery in Yemen.

4. Scope of Assignment

4.1 Purpose, Objectives and Scope

This assignment is being conducted at the end of the restoring education and learning (REAL) project. It will build upon the review and synthesize of:

• Narrative Progress Reports,
• Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) reports or other studies previously conducted,
• World Bank specific requirements for the Implementation Completion and Results Reports.

Purpose: The main purpose of this consultancy is to develop a high-quality and comprehensive Completion Report for the REAL project, ensuring full alignment with the World Bank’s reporting structure and requirements. The final report will reflect a summative and overarching methodology. This final report will represent SCI completion documentation and does not cover the activities or outcomes of other implementing partners.

The consultant will:

• Draft, edit, and finalize the REAL Project Completion Report as per the structure and guidelines provided by SCI and WB, integrating feedback from SCI and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure the report presents a clear, evidence-based, and results-oriented analysis of the project.
• Incorporate an attribution and counterfactual analysis to assess the project in relation to alternative scenarios.
• Ensure the final report primarily relies on a desk-based synthesis of existing quantitative and qualitative data, such as ASER assessments, teachers’ improvement data, narrative progress reports, and previously conducted KIIs and FGDs.
• Where necessary and in coordination with the SCI team, the consultant may conduct a limited number of key informant interviews or FGDs for clarification or validation purposes only. These are not considered a core responsibility. This is to evaluate the project’s impact by comparing achieved results against hypothetical alternatives.
• This should include, where feasible and based on available data; the consultant will determine the most appropriate approach, Methods such as Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), Difference-in-Differences (DiD), and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) may be referenced only if applicable using secondary data to establish causality. Additionally, Contribution Analysis and Process Tracing may be to identify external influences, and Most Significant Change (MSC) to capture qualitative outcomes. However, given the operational and ethical constraints in Yemen, simpler qualitative attribution techniques based on secondary data are likely to be more feasible and appropriate,
• An analysis of efficacy, efficiency, quality of supervision, quality of theory of change, relevance, deriving lessons learned, outcome-mapping, and effectiveness of the REAL project’s design and implementation. The efficiency and effectiveness assessment should include a cost-benefit analysis (referring to SCUK Value for money approach and SCUK Yemen Costing Analysis report) conducted by a separately recruited consultant, resource allocation review, and project timeline assessment to evaluate whether results were achieved efficiently.

Objective: The final report main objectives will reflect the Project Development Objective (PDO) that is to maintain access to basic education, improve conditions for learning and strengthen education sector capacity in selected districts of the Republic of Yemen.

The consultant will be required to undertake consultation with the SCI REAL Project Director, Education Technical Advisor, and assigned SCI team working group at the commencement of the assignment in order to further refine the final report scope.

Scope: The scope of the final project report for the Yemen Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) Project (2021–2025) is defined as follows:

The report will comprehensively evaluate the entire project, focusing on its achievement of the Project Development Objective. The ICR will cover the full project lifecycle, from inception in 2021 to completion in 2025, ensuring a summative analysis of all activities, outputs, and outcomes.

Central to the report’s methodology will be the analysis of the project’s efficacy, defined as the extent to which the REAL project’s objectives were achieved and directly attributable to its supported activities. This will necessitate a thorough discussion of attribution and the counterfactual, exploring what would have transpired in the absence of the project. This analysis will include identifying and discussing external factors that may have influenced outcomes, tracing evidence along the causal chain, and examining trends in outcomes both within and outside project areas. The report will also assess the project’s efficiency, evaluating how economically resources and inputs were converted into results, and whether the costs involved were reasonable in comparison to the benefits and recognized norms. Nevertheless, this is out of scope for the ICR consultant; therefore, SCI will contract another consultant to carry out a cost benefit analysis.

Geographically, the report will focus on selected districts within Yemen where the REAL project was implemented. These districts represent both urban and remote areas, providing a diverse set of conditions for analysis. The geographical scope will be clearly defined to facilitate sampling and budgeting for data collection. The remoteness of some sites will be acknowledged as a factor influencing implementation challenges and results.

The target groups include students, teachers, education administrators, and other stakeholders directly or indirectly impacted by the project. Special attention will be given to vulnerable populations, such as girls and children from marginalized communities, to assess equity in access and benefits.

The report will not evaluate aspects outside the project’s direct scope or timeframe. For example, broader national education policies or unrelated external interventions will be excluded unless they directly influenced the project’s outcomes. This exclusion is necessary to maintain focus on the REAL project’s specific contributions.

4.2 Intended Audience and Use of the Report

The primary intended audience for this final completion report is the World Bank Group (WB), specifically the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the International Development Association (IDA), as the principal donors of the Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) Project.

The report will serve to fulfill their accountability requirements, demonstrating the project’s impact and effectiveness in maintaining access to basic education, improving learning conditions, and strengthening the education sector capacity in Yemen. Given the World Bank’s emphasis on evidence-based decision-making, the report will utilize a rigorous mixed-methods approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data already gathered throughout the lifespan of the REAL project, to provide a comprehensive and credible assessment.

The report will also be used by Save the Children International (SCI), as the lead implementing partner, to inform future education programming and to share lessons learned with other stakeholders. Additionally, the Yemen’s Ministry of Education and other relevant public officials will be considered as secondary audiences, as the report’s findings and recommendations will be relevant for informing national education policies and strategies. The methodology will be designed to provide clear, actionable insights that can be used to improve future interventions, including cost-effectiveness analysis, to potentially influence scale-up by government partners.

The consultant will be required to propose how the primary audience will be involved throughout the completion of the ICR process and how the report will be shared with each of the different stakeholders abovementioned.

Furthermore, SCI mandate is to report back to schools (i.e., communities, beneficiaries and children). The consultant will be required to particularly outlining how reporting back to communities, beneficiaries and children will be conducted in an accessible and child friendly manner.

4.3 Key Questions

• Efficacy:
• To what extent did the REAL project achieve its stated Project Development Objective (PDO) of maintaining access to basic education, improving conditions for learning, and strengthening education sector capacity in selected districts of Yemen?
• What were the specific outcomes and impacts of the project on beneficiaries (pupils, parents/caregivers, teachers, public officials)?
• To what degree can these outcomes be directly attributed to the project’s interventions?
• Relevance:
• To what extent did the project address the most pressing needs and priorities of the target population and the Yemeni education sector?
• How well did the project align with national education policies and strategies, as well as donor priorities?
• How effectively did the project respond to the specific needs of girls and women in the education sector?
• How did the project address challenges faced by marginalized communities in accessing education?
• Quality of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E):
• Was the project’s theory of change sound, and was it reflected in the results framework?
• Were the indicators used to measure progress and outcomes appropriate and effective?
• How effectively was the M&E system implemented, and were findings used to inform project implementation?
• World Bank Performance:
• How effective was the World Bank’s performance in terms of quality at entry and quality of supervision?
• Were the strategic, technical, financial, and social aspects of the project adequately addressed?
• How effectively did the World Banks integrate lessons learned from previous projects?
• Sustainability:
• To what extent are the project’s interventions likely to be sustained beyond project’s completion?
• What measures were taken to build local capacity and ensure long-term impact?
• How did the project contribute to the broader goal of strengthening Yemen’s education system?
• Lessons Learned:
• What are the key lessons learned from the REAL project that can inform future education interventions in Yemen and similar contexts?
• What recommendations can be made to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of future projects?
• Equity and equality:
• Did/does the intervention have an impact on inequality or marginalization?
• Is there evidence that the intervention reduces inequality and marginalization for specific groups?
• Accountability, Participation, and Safe Pro:
• How did the program approach accountability to children and the broader community?
• How were children meaningfully supported to participate throughout the project cycle?

Note: the study questions are preliminary and subject to refinement, The consultant will be responsible for reviewing and finalizing them in consultation with key stakeholders. Please note that this Implementation Completion Report covers only Save the Children`s components, each partner will prepare their own final report.

5. The Methodology

5.1 The Design

The methodology for this final report will employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data review and analysis to provide a comprehensive ICR of the REAL project’s impact. Given the complex operational environment in Yemen, the design will prioritize flexibility and adaptability.

Quantitative data will be primarily drawn from existing sources, including document reviews, or if the consultant would collect specific data (if so, this would be applicable to south of Yemen only). In terms of qualitative data, where critical gaps are identified, the consultant may conduct a limited number of additional KIIs or FGDs, but only for the purpose of clarifying or validating existing findings, and in close coordination with SCI. These methods will be used to explore the project’s implementation processes, contextual factors, and beneficiary experiences. Contribution Analysis and Process Tracing will be applied to understand external influences and trace the causal pathways from inputs to outcomes. The Most Significant Change (MSC) technique will be employed to capture stories of qualitative impacts and beneficiary perspectives.

Recognizing the complexities of the Yemeni context, the specific assignment design and will be developed by the consultant in consultation with SCI. These will be tailored to the realities on the ground and aligned with the final report’s objectives, scope, and available resources.

5.2 Ethical Considerations

Notably, if the consultant needs to do data collection of any means (coordinating closely with SCI to provide the necessary support), then this assignment is expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards and principles, especially when engaging with children and vulnerable populations. The following considerations must guide all report writing processes:

• Child participatory.
• Any additional data collection required with children should be child participatory where appropriate and safe.
• Opportunities for collaborative participation may include:
• Involving children in defining success criteria.
• Supporting children to collect data themselves (where safe and feasible)
• Engaging children in validation findings.
• All forms of children participation (consultative, collaborative, or child led) must align with Save the Children`s 9 Basic Requirements for meaningful and ethical child participation.
• Any additional data collection must be done in a way that is inclusive, ensuring participation from children across different ethnic, social, and religious backgrounds, including:
• Children with disabilities
• Children who may be marginalized or face discrimination in their communities.
• Core Ethical Principles:

The assignment must be guided by the following ethical principles should additional data collection be required:

• Safeguarding – Uphold the highest standards of behaviors towards children and adults at all times.
• Sensitive –demonstrate sensitivity to child rights, gender, inclusion and cultural contexts.
• Openness – Maintain transparency in the sharing of information with all involved parties.
• Confidentiality and data protection – Ensure robust measures are in place to protect the privacy of all participants, particularly where disclosure could cause harm[1]
• Public access – Share results publicly unless specific considerations advise doing so.
• Broad participation – Involve all relevant stakeholders wherever possible.
• Reliability and independence – Ensure that findings and conclusions are valid, unbiased, and trustworthy.

It is further expected that:

• Data collection methods will be age appropriate and gender- sensitive.
• A risk assessment will be conducted, covering risks related to children, young people, and adult’s participating in the ICR.
• A referral mechanism will be in place to respond to any child safeguarding or protection concerns that may arise.
• Informed consent will be obtained from all participants, where possible, in a language and manner appropriate to their age and understanding.

5.3 Known limitations

The consultant should be aware of several potential limitations inherent in this final report assignment. These limitations may affect the scope, depth, and methodology of the assignment:

• Data Availability and Reliability:
• The ongoing conflict in Yemen significantly limits access to reliable and consistent data
• Data collection in conflict-affected areas may be challenging, with existing data sources potentially incomplete, outdated, or inconsistence.
• Security constraints may have restricted access to certain project sites, impacting the comprehensiveness of data collection and analysis.
• Attribution Challenges:
• Isolating the specific impact of the REAL project from other contributing factors in Yemen`s complex humanitarian context is inherently difficult. External influences, such as the fluctuating security situation, economic instability, and parallel interventions of other humanitarian actors, may affect outcomes, and obscure causality.
• Methodological Constraints:
• Implementing rigorous quantitative methods like RCTs, DiD, or PSM in a conflict setting may be logistically and ethically infeasible.
• Limitations in historical data and the difficulty of establishing a reliable counterfactual may restrict the use of advanced evaluation techniques.
• Given these constrains, the consultant is encouraged to consider alternative quasi-experimental or qualitative methods, where appropriate AND should further data collection be required.
• Time and Resources Constrains:
• The limited timeframe available for completing the final report may constrain the depth of analysis and scope for any additional data collection to address any identified gaps. Financial resources may limit the ability to undertake certain types of data collection, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.
• Access to Stakeholders:
• Due to the dynamic security situation, access to key stakeholders including beneficiaries in remote areas for any additional data collection required, may be restricted.
• Logistical and safety concerns may limit opportunities for conducting inclusive and meaningful consultations with all relevant stakeholders.

The consultant shall expand this section upon the inception reporting and in the final report.

6. Expected Deliverables

The assignment deliverables and tentative timeline (subject to the commencement date of the assignment) are outlined below. Final milestone and deadlines will be agreed upon between the consultant and SCI REAL Project Director during the inception phase.

Deliverables and Tentative Timeline

Deliverable / Milestones

Timeline

Consultant is contracted and commences work

30April2025

Stakeholders workshop facilitated by the consultant to develop the inception report.

Purpose: initial consultation with SCI project technical and operations team, PDQ education advisor, MEAL team, and field staff to understand key expectations

02May2025

Submission of inception report including:

Understanding World Bank Requirements:

§ Review and align with the World Bank’s structured reporting template and SCI’s provided detailed assignment outline.

The Framework and Design:

§ Clearly articulate the final report’s objectives, scope, and key questions.

Identification of key gaps in existing data

§ Identifying key gaps in existing data and determining which of these gaps may be addressed through additional data collection within the limitations of this assignment

Provide a detailed description of the methodology for any additional data collection identified as being required, including:

§ Theory of Change and the design, Data collection methods (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods), sampling strategy, data collection instruments (if required), data sources, and study matrix aligning data collection with key questions.

Analysis and Reporting Plan:

§ Outline the data analysis plan, for both the existing quantitative data and for additional qualitative data, including software and techniques.

§ Present a detailed reporting plan, including report structure and content.

The Limitations and Risks:

§ Identify and discuss potential caveats and limitations of the assignment.

§ Develop a comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation plan.

Ethical Considerations and Stakeholder Engagement:

§ Detail ethical considerations, including informed consent procedures (for any additional data collection required).

§ Present a stakeholder and child communication and engagement plan.

Deliverables, Responsibilities, and Timelines:

§ Specify key deliverables, consultant responsibilities, and project timelines.

§ Outline resource requirements.

Initial Findings and Document Review:

§ Present a summary of interim findings, those from a desk review of project documents, which should include identified gaps in existing data:

§ Project Appraisal Document (PAD), progress narrative reports, ASER assessments, learning outcomes, teacher improvement data and monitoring data, etc.

Emerging Issues and Design Adjustments:

§ Report any emerging program issues or risks.

§ Document any necessary changes to the final report assignment design, with justification.

Lessons Learned and Best Practices:

§ Identify key lessons learned and best practices, highlighting achievements, challenges, and sustainability factors.

Impact Analysis (Counterfactual):

§ Present interim findings on the project’s impact through counterfactual analysis, examining the likely situation without the project’s interventions, and attributing results to project interventions.

Efficiency and Effectiveness:

§ Provide interim findings on the project’s efficiency, timeliness, equity, and equality.

Implementation Challenges:

§ Include a dedicated section on implementation challenges, identifying barriers and mitigation strategies.

Next Steps and Methodology Refinements:

§ Outline key tasks for the next stage of the assignment.

§ Propose any refinements or changes to the methodology, with justification.

Strategic Changes:

§ Establish a process for the Consultant to request approval for any changes in strategy or approach from the SCI REAL Project Director or designated focal points.

15May2025

Ethics submission (if additional data collection is required and if applicable):

If approval from a Human Research Ethics Committee including SCI Ethics Approval is required, the submission must include:

§ study protocols (participant recruitment, data security and storage, consent and confidentiality etc.)

§ considerations for consulting with children and other vulnerable groups (if applicable)

§ participant information statement and consent forms

15May2025

DraftFinal Report including below elements:

All reports are to use the Save the Children Final Study Report template. And Save the Children technical writing guide.

§ Executive summary

§ Project Background description of the Program and context and theory of change.

§ Comprehensive analysis of project achievements and results against established targets. This will include a narrative report detailing progress, supplemented by the project’s MEAL Result framework to visually demonstrate performance against specific indicators.

§ Key Findings per question, including attribution and counterfactual analysis, as well as any other subject of interest as highlighted in the interim report section.

§ Assignment limitations and categorized implementation challenges.

§ Conclusions and recommendation for future programming.

§ Annexes (Project Result Framework, Inception Report, Final Report schedule, List of contributors)

A consolidated set of feedback from key stakeholders will be provided by Save The Children within One week of the submission of the draft report.

05June2025

Final Report incorporating feedback and ensuring alignment with World Bank Structure and SCI technical standards.

25June2025

Submission of Data and analyses Outputs: including all encrypted raw data, cleaned datasets, and analysis files.

25June2025

Knowledge translation materials:

§ PowerPoint presentation of final report assignment findings

§ 2-4 pages Evaluation Brief using Save the Children template.

30June2025

Note: All documents are to be submitted in editable MS Word format via email to SCI REAL Project Director or assigned focal point. PowerPoint presentations must also be provided in editable digital format.

7. Reporting and Governance

The consultant will be responsible for providing regular reporting aligned with the agreed project deliverables. The following reporting and quality assurance mechanisms will be applied:

• Verbal updates: every 3 to 5 days to the SCI REAL Project Director, Education Advisor, MEAL Consultant, or other assigned focal point. These updates should summarize key progress achieved since the previous updates. Regular check in points will be agreed upon by SCI and the consultant.
• A written Progress Report (1-page) submitted via email every 5 working days to SCI REAL Project Director, these reports should outline:
• Progress against deliverables.
• Any emerging challenges or issues requiring attention.

Planned activities for the upcoming period. Additionally, the consultant is expected to be available for regular coordination meetings with Save the Children and relevant stakeholders to provide progress updates. The frequency and format of these meetings will be determined in consultation with all parties, based on projects’ needs.

8. The Consultancy Selection Criteria

Interested consultants are required to submit an Expression of Interest using the provided template. The EOI should clearly demonstrate how the consultant meets the following criteria:

• a minimum of 10-15 years of experience in education, humanitarian, or development programs, preferably with World Bank-funded education projects.
• Proven track record in use of extensive and comprehensive qualitative and quantitative data to develop high quality completion report, implementation completion report and writing high-quality donor reports, especially for WB, GPE, or similar donors.
• Proven experience in handling large datasets and extracting key insights is essential for this role, as you’ll be working with REAL’s rich learning outcome data, ensuring impactful findings, to directly inform our project’s success.
• Extensive knowledge of Theories of Change and demonstrate ability to apply them in evaluation design and analysis.
• Proven experience and track record in project impact evaluation, including counterfactual analysis and efficacy, efficiency and effectiveness assessment, is highly desirable.
• Proven experience and track record in conducting studies in the field of Education, Child Protection, and Education in emergencies and fragile humanitarian context, particularly in relation to early grade education.
• Proven experience and track record of leading early grade education – research, evaluations, assessments or other consultancy work in Yemen (or contextually similar to Syrai, Iraq, Jordan, Sudan, Egypt, etc. that is sensitive to the local context and culture.
• Proven experience and track record in conducting ethical, inclusive and participatory studies involving a) children and b) marginalised, deprived and/or vulnerable groups.
• Proven experience and track record in working remotely and engaging with multiple stakeholders. In-addition to managing and coordinating a range of government, non-government, and community groups stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal skills in communicating technical and/ or complex findings to non-specialist audiences (especially report writing and presentation skills)

Additional expectations:

• A qualified consultant should be appointed, possessing the seniority and experience required to lead a complex assignment, and the leadership skills to guide toward shared objectives.
• The consultant must demonstrate its availability, including adequate skilled resources, to fully commit to the project timeframe and deliverables. A proven ability to adapt and work flexibly, especially in response to contextual changes during project implementation, is highly valued.

9. Schedule of Payment

The whole assignment process from the desk review and inception phase to dissemination and presentation phase is expected to be completed in not more than 30 working days distributed over a maximum of two months of May 2025 and June 2025. A final timeline will be determined jointly with the SCI REAL Project Director and the consultant. Work progress equivalent to the schedule below is expected.

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

• Upon approval of inception report and tools: [20%]
• Upon submission of First Draft Final Completion Report: [30%]
• Upon approval of Final Completion Report: [50%]

10. HOW TO APPLY

If interested in applying for this consultancy, please refer to the Consultant EOI Form (annex 4). Upon completion of your application that includes:

• Expression of Interest (EOI), along with the reference highlighted.
• Detailed Resume (CV) with relevant experience
• Two comprehensively quality Final Reports – specifically if any WB report.

Send your application to xxxx@savethechildren.org before 20 April 2024

10.1 Application Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation of the consultant application will be on the basis of the following criteria:

Expression of Interest

40%

Experience & Qualifications

30%

Quality of Writing Samples

30%

11. Annexes

11.1 Annex 1: Final Report’s Table of Contact (ToC)

TABLE OF CONTENT……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

1. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES……………………………………………………….
2. CONTEXT AT APPRAISAL ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES DURING IMPLEMENTATION (IF APPLICABLE)………………………………..
4. OUTCOME…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. RELEVANCE OF PDOs………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6. ACHIEVEMENT OF PDOs (EFFICACY)………………………………………………………………………………………
7. EFFICIENCY………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. JUSTIFICATION OF OVERALL OUTCOME RATING…………………………………………………………………
9. OTHER OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS (IF ANY)…………………………………………………………………………..

III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME………………………………….

1. KEY FACTORS DURING PREPARATION……………………………………………………………………………………
2. KEY FACTORS DURING IMPLEMENTATION……………………………………………………………………………
3. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME….
4. QUALITY OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E)…………………………………………………………..
5. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND FIDUCIARY COMPLIANCE………………………………………………….
6. BANK PERFORMANCE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME…………………………………………………………………………………………
8. LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS………………………………………………………………………………………

ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS………………………………………………………………………

ANNEX 2. BANK LENDING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT/SUPERVISION……………………………….

ANNEX 3. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT (out of this TOR scope)……………………………………………………

ANNEX 4. EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS (out of this TOR scope)…………….……………………………………………………….

ANNEX 5. BORROWER, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS……….

ANNEX 6. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS………………………………………………………………………………………………….

ANNEX 7. MAPS OF PROJECT AREA……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

11.2 Annex 2: List of project documents to be consulted

• Guidelines for Reviewing World Bank Implementation Completion and Results Reports
• Programme- REAL Project Appraisal Document (PAD),
• Programme- Narrative Progress Reports,
• Programme- Standard Donor Financial Reporting
• Programme- Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) reports,
• Programme- Teacher Improvement data
• Programme Total reach data – Raw Monitoring Data, and
• Any other relevant as highlighted in the above sections

11.3 Annex 3: Project Result Framework

Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: PDO Indicators

Indicator Name

Definition/Description

Frequency

Datasource

Methodology for Data Collection

Responsibility for Data Collection

Transition rate from grade 3 to 4 in target schools, by gender (contributes to a key education indicator in TEP)

Number of students registered in grade 4, expressed as a percentage of the number of students enrolled in grade 3 the previous year. Data from target schools will be aggregated.

Annual

School data: class registers

School registration forms and final exams records

Save the Children

Number of schools that administer at least one grade-level learning assessment during an academic year

Number of target schools that administer at least one grade-level learning assessment during an academic year. It is counted as one school even if multiple learning assessments are conducted at multiple grade-levels in the same school. Data from target schools will be aggregated.

Biannually (Beginning and end of the academic year)

Learning Assessment reports

Learning Assessment database

Save the Children

Number of students enrolled in grades 1, 2 and 3 (combined), by gender

Total number of students enrolled in grades 1, 2 and 3 in target schools.

Annual

School data: class registers

School registration forms

Save the Children

Number of students benefitting from direct interventions to enhance learning (World Bank Corporate Results Indicator), by gender

Total number of: One time calculation of total students enrolled in target schools when they receive the first intervention from the project + annual addition of Grade 1 students of the same schools thereafter. The assumption is that all students will receive the benefit of the intervention and some intervention will continue the following years and also to avoid double counting.

Annual

School data

School registration forms

UNICEF

Number of schools reporting aggregate school-level indicators to district level

Number of schools that submit school-level indicators (e.g., number of students by grade and gender, number of teachers by gender) by a set deadline to the District Educational Offices.

Every six months

District data

Annual school data collection administered by District Education Offices

UNICEF

Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: Intermediate Results Indicators

Indicator Name

Definition/Description

Frequency

Datasource

Methodology for Data Collection

Responsibility for Data Collection

Number of teachers trained (CRI), by gender (contributes to a TEP indicator)

Number of teachers who receive at least one training under component 1. It is counted as one teacher trained even if s/he receives multiple training sessions. Training delivery agency should keep a record of teachers who receive all the training and should not double count.

Annual

Project record

Training registration or attendance sheets

Save the Children

Percentage of teachers demonstrating improvement in targeted competence areas, by gender (using Save the Children spot check assessments)

Percentage of teachers who score 60% and above on pedagogical practices in Save the Children Spot Check Assessment.

Quarterly

Spot check assessment reports

Spot check observations

Save the Children

Percentage of children age 10 in target schools, not able to read and understand a short, age-appropriate text, by gender [part of learning poverty indicator]

Percentage of children age 10 in target schools, not able to read and understand a short, age-appropriate text, by gender.

Annual

Learning assessment reports

Learning assessment – Level 4 and/or 5

Save the Children

Number of teachers who receive performance-based payments, by gender and urban/rural residence

Number of teachers who receive performance-based payments (teachers who are present at least 75% of the school days a month).

Every four months

Teacher attendance tracking data recorded through UNICEF-PMU MIS

UNICEF-PMU beneficiary verification data (including attendance verification), cash transfer records and third-party monitoring.

UNICEF

Number of rural female teachers who receive salary allowance

Number of rural female teachers who receive salary allowance.

Every 4 months

UNICEF -PMU MIS

UNICEF-PMU beneficiary verification data, cash transfer records and third party monitoring

UNICEF

Number of students in target schools reached with daily school meals or nutritious snacks (date bars/high energy biscuits), by gender (contributes to a TEP indicator)

Number of students who are enrolled in schools that receive daily school meals or nutritious snacks

Bi-Annually (by semester)

WFP M&E standard report

WFP’s data collection from school level via TPM’s and WFP field monitors. Data will be compiled and duly shared no later than 4 – 6 weeks after the conclusion of the reporting period.

WFP

Number of target schools with improved school infrastructure (contributes to a TEP indicator)

Number of target schools with at least one verified completed school infrastructure improvement. To be counted, school infrastructure should be qualified to be financed by the project (see below). It is counted as one school even if there are multiple infrastructure improvements.

Eligible school infrastructure improvements:

1. Repairing and restoring the doors and windows of classrooms

2. Repairing, restoring and maintaining WASH facilities (school bathrooms)

3. Simple repair and restoration of walls, floors and stairs

4. Painting classrooms

5. Procurement of school furniture such as chairs and tables, etc.

Every 4 months

School improvement reports

Implementing partner progress reports will include a summary of results achieved based on the school improvement reports; UNICEF will undertake end user monitoring to verify completion of rehabilitation activities

UNICEF

Share of community groups which confirm that they have been engaged in planning and monitoring of school infrastructure improvement (beneficiary feedback indicator) (contributes to a TEP indicator)

Percent of community groups (Mother and Father council or school community) related to schools that receive school infrastructure improvement intervention that confirmed that they had at least one community consultation meeting in the planning or monitoring of the school infrastructure improvement.

Every 4 months

School communities / Mother and Father council records, reports of community consultation meeting and/or a survey of community groups

UNICEF to collect council and community consultation records at regular intervals, through implementing partner progress reports, and/or a survey of community groups.

UNICEF

Number of students provided with learning materials, by gender (contributes to a TEP indicator)

Total number of learning materials delivered to schools.

Quarterly

School data

Save the Children: Supply section delivery records and end user monitoring reports.

Save the Children

Number of teachers provided with teaching materials in target schools (contributes to a TEP indicator)

Total number of teachers who work at schools that teaching materials are delivered to.

Quarterly

School data

Save the Children: Supply section delivery records and end user monitoring reports.

Save the Children

Number of students enrolled in grade 1 in target schools

Total number of students enrolled in grade 1 in target schools

Annual

School data: class registers

School registration

Save the Children

Number of students enrolled in grade 2 in target schools

Total number of students enrolled in grade 2 in target schools

Annual

School data: class registers

School registration forms

Save the Children

Number of students enrolled in grade 3 in target schools

Total number of students enrolled in grade 3 in target schools

Annual

School data: class registers

School registration forms

Save the Children

Number of students enrolled grade 4 in target schools

Total number of students enrolled in grade 4 in target schools

Annual

School data: class registers

School registration forms

Save the Children

Number of students with access to alternative learning, by gender (TEP indicator)

Number of students who have been provided with alternative learning options, by gender.

Quarterly

Save the Children record

Survey

Save the Children

Number of education officers benefitting from capacity building interventions (contributes to a TEP indicator)

Total number of education officers who complete at least one training under sub-component 2.2, at the central, governorate and district level. It is counted as one person trained even if s/he receive multiple training sessions.

Training delivery agency should keep a record of officers who receive all the training and should not double count.

Quarterly

Project record

Training registration or attendance sheets

UNICEF

Percentage of trained educational officers with enhanced skills in areas covered by capacity building interventions.

Percentage of trained officers who show improved scores between a pre-training and post-training Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) assessment.

Assessment to be done per training delivery and reported in aggregate quarterly

Project record

Pre and post training KAP assessments, administered to beneficiaries of training at the central, governorate and district levels.

UNICEF

Number of school principals and administrators benefitting from capacity building interventions (contributes to a TEP indicator)

Number of school principals and administrators who complete at least one training under sub-component 2.2. It is counted as one person trained even if s/he receive multiple training sessions.

Training delivery agency should keep a record of principals and administrators who receive all the training and should not double count.

Quarterly

Project record

Training registration or attendance sheets

Save the Children

Percentage of trained school principals and administrators with enhanced skills in areas covered by capacity building interventions

Percentage of trained school principals and administrators who show improved scores between a pre-training and post-training KAP assessment.

Assessment to be done per training and reported in aggregate quarterly

Observation reports

Pre and post training KAP assessments, administered to beneficiaries of training

Save the Children

Capacity assessment report produced

Capacity assessment reports are submitted to MOE in North and South.

At completion

UNICEF record

UNICEF submission

UNICEF

11.1 Annex 4: Expression of Interest

Expression of Interest for

Final REAL Project Implementation Completion and Results Report

Section A: General Information

First Name:

Last Name:

Contact Address:

Country:

Contact Phone: (+Area Code)

Email address (mandatory):

Applicant Status:

(Please tick one)

Private Individual (This consultancy is intended for individual applicants only)

If Private company or Other, Who will be main Lead for this call?

Section B: Proposal: Methodology and Approach

Demonstrate your understanding of the assignment requirements and provide your (1) expression of interest and (2) brief technical proposal for how you would approach the final report. Your proposal will be assessed on the following criteria:

• The proposal clearly articulates the objective(s) of the assignment.
• The proposed approach and methodology are robust, appropriate (actionable, sensitive, responsible) and indicates that it will achieve the requirements of the assignment. Explain the methodology you will adopt based on the intervention description and key questions from the ToR.

Section C: Project Management

In succinctbrief, demonstrate your understanding of the activities to be implemented, defined roles and responsibilities on tasks, a project plan with proposed days of effort and timeline (that would be relevant to the suggested one) for each major activity/deliverable, use of project management tools/practices and commitment to deliver on time.

Section D: Experience

• Demonstrate your experience and track record in conducting studies of a similar nature to that required for this assignment
• Demonstrate your experience and track record in conducting studies in the field of Education, Child Protection, and Education in emergencies and fragile humanitarian context, particularly in relation to early grade education.
• Demonstrate your experience and track record of leading early grade education – research, evaluations, assessments or other consultancy work in Yemen (or contextually similar to Syrai, Iraq, Jordan, Sudan, Egypt, etc. that is sensitive to the local context and culture.
• Indicate your leadership experience (experience of the consultant), along with the skillset of the capacities, including oral and written proficiency in English, and Arabic.
• Demonstrate your experience and track record in conducting ethical, inclusive and participatory studies involving a) children and b) marginalised, deprived and/or vulnerable groups

Please indicate below at least five recent studies you have undertaken in the last 3 years, explaining what type of services you provided (submit copies as well, if possible), as relevant to this TOR

Organisation to which services were provided

Country of work

Value of programme evaluated in US$

Year

Services offered e.g. Final Evaluation, etc.

References: provide three references from the recent and relevant assignments

#

Name of reference

Job title and Organization

Email Contact

1

2

3

Section E: Budget

Save the Children seeks value for money in our work. This does not necessarily mean "lowest cost", but also considers the quality of the service being provided. The proposal will be assessed against the coverage and reasonableness of personnel rates, along with overall cost elements. This means that personnel allocations and rates have comprehensive coverage of costing elements/units and adequacy of budgeting into specific costing elements. The allocated amounts, unit cost and number of required units should be reasonable to achieve the objectives of this assignment, and those amounts are necessary to achieve the objectives of the assignment effectively. Please note that this consultancy doesn’t require the consultant to travel to Yemen or allocate any other costs but the daily rate.

Personnel Allocations

• Proposals will be judged against reasonableness of the proposed costs.

Use and adapt the table below to outline how much time has been allocated to complete the required activities and deliverables.

Role / number of days / daily rates. If applicable, also includes other applicable costs.

Activity/ Deliverable

[Projectpersonnel]

Expected number of days

Daily Rate

Stage 1

e.g., sole consultancy

Sub Total

Stage 2

Sub Total

Stage 3

Sub Total

TOTAL

(All Stages)

How to Apply:

HOW TO APPLY

If interested in applying for this consultancy, please refer to the Consultant EOI Form (annex 4). Upon completion of your application that includes:

• Expression of Interest (EOI), along with the reference highlighted.
• Detailed Resume (CV) with relevant experience
• Two comprehensively quality Final Reports – specifically if any WB report.

Send your application to xxxx@savethechildren.org before 20 April 2024