Consultancy- Endline Assessment of the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP)

The Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) was designed to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for young women and adolescent girls ages 16-30 from marginalized households in communities in the BARMM by setting them up as trained entrepreneurs for last-mile distribution of solar energy, and provision of solar electrician services. As the project reaches completion, an endline assessment is needed to measure the outcome against the set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) at outcome, output, and activity levels.

2. Purpose of the Endline Assessment

The assessment aims to evaluate the project’s overall impact, effectiveness, and sustainability. Specifically, it will:

• Measure progress toward project’s outcome against its original goals and objectives
• Identify best practices, lessons learned, and any challenges encountered
• Provide insights for future interventions and recommendations to improve similar empowerment initiatives.

3. Objectives of the Assessment

1. Outcome Level Objectives:
   • Assess the extent to which YEP has successfully created sustainable livelihood opportunities for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in Talayan and neighboring areas, with a target achievement rate of 60%.
   • Measure the increase in the availability of electrician services and access to lighting products within the participating communities, aiming for a 60% improvement.
2. Output Level Objectives:
   • Determine the number of market studies conducted as baseline data for youth and skills project piloting.
   • Verify the number of participants selected, trained, and transitioned to employment (disaggregated by type of employment).
   • Assess income generation outcomes for lighting and electrical technicians (target: 7,500 PHP/month).
   • Measure household reach and community satisfaction with services provided by trained AGYW (targets: 70% household reach and 70% community satisfaction).
3. Activity Level Objectives:
   • Review all preparation and coordination activities, including partnership building and participant selection.
   • Assess the effectiveness of training in technical and entrepreneurial skills.
   • Evaluate the establishment and functionality of youth-led solar hubs (Lighting Hubs) in the target locations.
   • Review Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) activities and outputs to validate project data and reporting accuracy.

Geographical area – 2 municipalities (Upi and Talayan)

4. Scope of work

Below is an outline of our requirements and we anticipate the consultant to consult with the BRAC Philippines focal for any revision. The primary audience for this endline are direct participants, selected stakeholder, partners and local government unit from 2 municipalities.

A. Elements to be assessed

• Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities: Impact of skills training on participants’ income levels, employment status, and livelihood sustainability.
• Community Impact: Level of electrician services available post-project, household reach, and community satisfaction with AGYW-provided services.
• Training and Capacity Building: Efficacy of TESD-provided NCII solar technician training and entrepreneurship/financial literacy training.
• Hub Establishment and Operation: Status and operational feasibility of youth-led solar enterprise hubs.
• M&E Processes: Completeness and accuracy of data collected throughout the project’s lifespan.

B. Covered for review and assessment: Activities, Inputs, Outcomes

1. Activities
   • Review all preparation and coordination activities, including partnership building and participant selection.
   • Assess the effectiveness of training in technical and entrepreneurial skills.
   • Evaluate the establishment and functionality of youth-led solar hubs (Lighting Hubs) in the target locations.
   • Review Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) activities and outputs to validate project data and reporting accuracy.
2. Output
   • Determine the number of market studies conducted as baseline data for youth and skills project piloting.
   • Verify the number of participants selected, trained, and transitioned to employment (disaggregated by type of employment).
   • Assess income generation outcomes for lighting and electrical technicians (target: 7,500 PHP/month).
   • Measure household reach and community satisfaction with services provided by trained AGYW (targets: 70% household reach and 70% community satisfaction).
3. Outcome
   • Assess the extent to which YEP has created sustainable livelihood opportunities for AGYW in Talayan and surrounding areas (target: 60%).
   • Evaluate the increase in the availability of electrician services and lighting products in the communities involved (target: 60%).

C. Methodology

a. Mixed-Methods Approach

• Document Review: Review project documents, reports, monitoring data, and other relevant documentation.
• Qualitative Data: FGDs and KIIs with participants, community members, project staff, and local leaders, government stakeholder to capture perceptions of impact, relevance, and project quality.

b. Data Collection Tools

• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Engage with AGYW, community members, and stakeholders to understand project effectiveness.
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): Conduct with project implementers, TESD trainers, local leaders, and government representatives.

c. Sampling Strategy

• Participant Sampling: Considering that this will be a qualitative study, the assessment will cover 16 of the 50 participants (32% of the population). 8 participants each from Upi and Talayan shall be selected, considering their level of participation, availability and willingness to participate on this assessment.
• Community Sampling: Partner from LGU & Regional Governments offices, and community members reached by AGYW-provided services in Talayan and Upi.

5. Timeline

The project is expected to start from 3rd January and is expected to last for 23 days excluding holidays and weekends.

Phase

Activities

Timeline

(23 days; excluding weekends and holidays)

Preparation

Document review, tool design, and stakeholder coordination

Days 1-5

(5 days)

Data Collection

Conduct of the following collection activities:

• KII among 8 training participants each from Upi and Talayan
• FGDs with 4 training participants & 4 community members,
• KIIs with project implementors, trainers, local leaders, government representatives

Days 6 – 15

(10 days)

Data Analysis

Analyze quantitative and qualitative data, synthesize findings

Days 16 – 19

(4 days)

Reporting

Draft endline report, stakeholder presentation, incorporate two rounds of feedback after BRAC’s review and finalize report

Days 20-23

(4 days)

Key Indicators

Outcome Indicators

• Percentage of AGYW with sustainable livelihood opportunities (target: 60%).
• Increase in the supply of electrician services and lighting products in working districts (target: 60%).

Output Indicators

• Market studies conducted for baseline data: Target of 1.
• Number of AGYW selected and enrolled in skills training: Target of 50.
• Transition rate of AGYW to employment, by employment type: Target of 50.
• Monthly income level of AGYW from lighting/electrical work (target: 7,500 PHP).
• Household reach and community satisfaction (targets: 70% reach, 70% satisfaction).

Activity Indicators

• Completion of market assessment, inception workshop, and partnership coordination.
• Execution of participant selection and community engagement sessions.
• Implementation of technical training, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurial training.
• Establishment of lighting hubs and finalization of business plans.

9. Data Analysis

Quantitative Analysis

• Descriptive Statistics: Assess changes in skill acquisition, employment, and income levels.
• Comparative Analysis: Measure pre- and post-assessment indicators to gauge project impact.

Qualitative Analysis

• Thematic Analysis: Identify patterns from FGDs and KIIs related to project impact and AGYW empowerment.

Ethical Considerations

• Informed Consent: Obtain consent from all participants, explaining the purpose and methods of assessment.
• Confidentiality: Ensure that all data collected is anonymized and stored securely.
• Participant Safety: Conduct discussions sensitively, respecting privacy and cultural norms.

6. Deliverables

The consultant selected to conduct the endline survey will be responsible for delivering the following:

Output 1

• Inception Report: Outlining the assessment methodology, tools, timeline, and sampling strategy
• Data Collection Tools: final data collection instruments

Output 2

• Draft Report: Initial findings, analysis, and draft recommendations for review and feedback by BRAC team
• Endline Report: Comprehensive analysis of findings, aligned with project KPIs, including recommendations for future programming.
• Stakeholder Presentation: Presentation of key findings to stakeholders, with visual aids for clarity.

Output 3

• Data Summary: Summary of raw data collected, anonymized as needed.
• Packaging and submission of end line reports as identified with BRAC UK

7.. Utilization of Findings

The findings of this assessment will be utilized to:

• Gauge the success of the YEP in delivering livelihood opportunities for AGYW.
• Inform the design of future youth empowerment initiatives and validate effective strategies.
• Provide stakeholders with actionable recommendations for sustaining project outcomes in BARMM.

8. Payment

BRAC shall pay the consultant, as full consideration for the specific service performed by the agency under this Terms of Reference. Payments will be made in installments based upon key outputs, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. BRAC Philippines shall pay the consultation fees, upon certification that the services have been satisfactorily performed.

BRAC may or may not avail any services from the list above, if it wishes to. And, depending on the service availed by BRAC, following payment procedure will be followed:

Output 1 (30%)

• Inception Report: Outlining the assessment methodology, tools, timeline, and sampling strategy
• Data Collection Tools: final data collection instruments

Output 2 (20%)

• Draft Report: Initial findings, analysis, and draft recommendations for review and feedback by BRAC team
• Endline Report: Comprehensive analysis of findings, aligned with project KPIs, including recommendations for future programming.
• Stakeholder Presentation: Presentation of key findings to stakeholders, with visual aids for clarity.

Output 3 (50%)

• Data Summary: Summary of raw data collected, anonymized as needed.
• Packaging and submission of end line reports as identified with BRAC UK