Terms of Reference for Consultancy – Final external evaluation TAMKEEN III (2022-2025) / Plan International Egypt

1. Description of the commissioning office and of the programme

   Background Information on Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. However, this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Read more about Plan International’s Global Strategy: 200 million Reasons at https://plan-international.org/strategy.

About the commissioning office

This task is commissioned by Plan International Egypt (PIE).

Only consultancies / individual registered in Egypt will be considered for this assignment or those having a partner in Egypt.

Project context

Prevalence of youth unemployment in Egypt in 2021 has been estimated at 19.7% among youth aged 20-24, compared to an overall rate of 7.4% for those aged 15-64. In addition to poverty and skills inadequacy, other hindrances to access and retention of youth in the job market (both in wage employment and self-employment streams) include lack of networking opportunities to penetrate the business environment, lack of training in specific technical areas where jobs exist and the mismatch between youth aspirations and the available opportunities. It affects young women more severely since the unemployment rate in 2021 for female youth aged 15-29 is much higher than that of male youth, at 35.9% and 10.8%, respectively of the total unemployed population. This is notably due to social norms which restrict women to domestic work and childcare or which add conditions (e.g., proximity to residence or limited working hours), thus limiting the quantity or quality of job opportunities available to women[1].

Summary of the project

The project, currently in its third phase, aims to enhance the socio-economic participation of young women (70%) and men (30%) aged 18-35, from marginalized areas of Cairo, Alexandria and Assiut in Egypt, and promote equal economic opportunities and decision-making for young women. If youth are able to strengthen relevant technical and innovative skills to access either wage or self-employment opportunities; and key stakeholders have the capacity to promote gender supportive work and business environment, then those youth will earn income and develop confidence, improving their long-term capabilities and economic status. At the design phase of Tamkeen I, PIE decided to have a differentiated approach to the vulnerability of participants depending on the project’s locations and contexts, as the market needs are different in Cairo and Alexandria compared to Assiut (in Upper Egypt). It relies on the partnership with CDAs (Community Development Associations) in the 3 main locations.

Evaluations of phases I and II insisted on tackling the important need for more gender inclusion training for government and private sector stakeholders, complementing the existing physical spaces with digital content, widening the targeted areas within the same governorates, diversifying the base of youth participants to include more young women and formalizing a network between youth (Tamkeen Clubs) to share their experience so that there is a beneficial effect on their socio-economic participation[2]. Efforts were also made to strengthen the entrepreneurship training pathway and widen access to funding and scaling opportunities (through incubators for instance) for young entrepreneurs.

Plan International has designed the current Tamkeen III project as a continuous work with phases I and II with the objective to sustain and phase the project over by reinforcing young women and men’s socio-economic participation and enhancing their employability through youth-led structures in an increasingly enabling environment for young women. According to the project documents, this will be achieved through:

• improving their access to economic opportunities by increasing their skills and prospects for decent employment or starting small businesses;
• strengthening ‘Tamkeen Clubs’ capacities to create a gender-supportive and enabling environment for better youth employability through capacity-building, networking and advocacy. The structure of the Tamkeen clubs is based on utilizing the capacities of Tamkeen II alumni who are also responsible for skill transfer.

The two-pronged approach will build on and develop young people, especially young women’s, skills for better and decent wage or self-employment opportunities. On another front, Tamkeen clubs, which are alumni clubs aiming to support the project’s youth by passing on their knowledge and experience, will be capacitated to support young people in a gender-sensitive way to lead the increasingly autonomous clubs, thus strengthening their ability to act collectively mobilizing key stakeholders.

Targeted local and national stakeholders will also have their awareness increased and capacities built to promote youth economic participation in a gender-supportive environment nurturing the sustainability of Tamkeen Clubs. This phase is implemented through the existing partner CDAs while expanding on the geographical outreach to sustain the impact and use the CDAs networks, resources and premises as a springboard.

Overall objective of the project

To reinforce young women and men (18-35 years old) in marginalized areas of Egypt (Cairo, Alexandria and Assiut) for socio-economic participation by enhancing their employability through youth-led structures in an increasingly enabling environment for young women.

Specific objective(s):

• Specific Objective 1: To improve access to economic opportunities for young men and women by increasing the skills and prospects for decent employment and starting small businesses.
• Specific Objective 2: To strengthen ‘Tamkeen Clubs’ capacities to create a gender-supportive and enabling environment for better youth employability through capacity building, networking and advocacy.

Target Group(s):

Direct beneficiaries: 2000 females (70%) and males (30%) aged 18-35 years. 1500 in Cairo and Alexandria & 500 in Assiut.

Indirect beneficiaries: 12,000 family members of the 2,000 beneficiaries. Inhabitants of informal settlements of Cairo, Alexandria and Assiut targeted by the project. 15 000 community members (7000 in Cairo, 4000 in Alexandria and 4000 in Assiut) benefiting from awareness-raising.

Project partners

Implementation partners:

1. New Fostat CDA in Cairo.
2. Al Reyada CDA in Alexandria.
3. Egyptian Society of Scientific Researchers (ESSR) CDA in Assiut.

Locations of the project:

Greater Cairo area: Giza: Dokki, Bohous, Cairo University, Imbab, El Monib, Faisal and El Haram.
Alexandria governorate: Borg El Arab, El Agami, Al Montazah, Middle and East of Alexandria
Assiut: Assiut District, including Assiut city and urban periphery.

2. Description of the final evaluation

Objectives and scope of the assignment

As envisaged in the project documents, an independent final evaluation of the Tamkeen III project will take place in the final months prior to the end of the project. The overall monitoring efforts during project implementation focused on output and outcome level. However, it is crucial for PIE, as well as for the CDAs, to measure long-term impact and the sustainability of their work. This is also in line with the recommendations of the second phase evaluation stating that the Tamkeen project should develop a more ‘impact-oriented’ M&E system. Therefore, and in line with the DAC evaluation criteria of the OECD, the objective of the final evaluation will be to particularly assess the impact and sustainability of the project. Although the focus of the final evaluation will be on the third phase of the project, considerations of the three phases will be integrated (via the review of previous evaluations and involvement of participants from previous phases). In addition to a review of the impact and sustainability of the project, the study will also need to focus on determining whether the project has had any sort of unexpected effects, including both positive and negative, on project stakeholders and beneficiaries. Finally, innovation and scale up will be questioned.

The scope of work for this consultancy will include, but may not be limited to:

• Impact:

  The positive and negative changes produced by the Tamkeen III project, directly or indirectly, intended or unintended. The main effects resulting from the project on the local, social, economic, environmental and other development indicators.

• What is the Tamkeen III project’s likely contribution to the overall objective? More specifically, what could have been done differently to improve implementation and maximize impact at an acceptable cost?

• Did impact vary for different targeted groups (household vulnerability, beneficiary’s gender, educational situation, other exclusion factors)? If so, how and why?

• What needs to be done differently to achieve and maximise a positive impact on youth’s lives and the fulfilment of their rights?

• What can be learned about the changes produced by the Tamkeen III project and those that were not expected?

• To what extent has the Tamkeen III project contributed to gender equality and empowerment, as outlined in project documents, and in particular how young men have promoted gender equality and inspired other men to take action for gender equality?

• Can young women equally benefit from decent work and social protection, access markets and have control over resources? Do women have an increased voice, and meaningful participation in economic decisions? Are young women able to have access to financial institutions under the same conditions and equal to men? Do families show support for young women in an enabling environment to pursue the career of their choice?

• Sustainability:

• Are there signs of lasting influence of the work of Tamkeen III with stakeholders especially on women socio-economic participation?

• Has the work of Tamkeen III strengthened the capacities of national/state/municipal public and private institutions, employers’ and workers’ organisations, and civil society regarding socio-economic participation improvement in a sustainable way especially for young women? Which current institutions and organizations have the necessary capacities?

• How has the work of Tamkeen III influenced current attitudes towards socio-economic participation, as captured by the national dialogue (media, movements, support for civil society, etc.)?

• How have external factors beyond the control of Tamkeen III played a significant role?

• What synergies have been generated within Tamkeen III interventions and between Tamkeen and other agencies? What can be learned about the hindrances to sustainability?

• Scale up and innovation

• Were any innovative aspects of the project identified during the evaluation, particularly with regard to the socio-economic participation of young women?

• What is the level of innovation, replicability and potential for scaling up? How have changes been integrated at different levels? (processes in place to follow-up change)

Intended users of the final evaluation and key stakeholders involved

The intended users of the evaluation will be those directly involved in and/or managing the project. The evaluation will support Plan International Egypt, Plan International France and the project partners to learn from the implementation of the project and inform future programming, project design, and advocacy efforts. The evaluation report will also be used to document the progress of the project to the donor and extract key achievements for communication purposes. The evaluation will feed into the monitoring of the progress of Plan International Egypt’s programming towards the strategic outcomes for the thematic area laid out in its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and further detailed in Plan Egypt’s CSP Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.

The recommendations derived from this study will also contribute to the methods applied in the implementation of other similar programmes, as they are based on project development through multiple phases, and to ensure sustainability and efficiency.

The evaluation will involve representatives of all key stakeholder groups of the project, including youth women and men, partners, local and national government and Plan staff. Special attention will be paid to making sure that the views of girls and of other relevant vulnerable groups are captured.

NOTE: During data collection and field visits, the evaluator must ensure diverse and voluntary participation of all target groups and that participants are informed of the reasons for the study and the next steps in the research process, including how the findings will be shared with them.

Geographical scope

The assignment will be conducted at local community, district and governorate level. A number of focus group discussions and key informant interviews (and other relevant methods, see section 2.4. Approach and methodology) will be carried out with CSO, governmental and other relevant partners.

The assignment will take into account the different locations of the project, namely the Cairo, Alexandria and Assiut governorates.

Level : , Alexandria and Assiut (Key Informant Interviews)

District : Discussions, Key Informant Interviews (and / or other relevant methods), (Different districts in 3 governorates Survey, Focus Group)

Approach and methodology

At the beginning of the process, the consultant and relevant Plan staff will conduct a meeting to further discuss and agree on the scope, approach and methodology proposed by the consultant in his/her proposal. The meeting will cover the following elements:

• The overall strategy/approach, sampling methods, targeted locations, required logistics and the coordination and implementation plan of the study.
• Review of the tools proposed to ensure a gender transformative approach on targeting and appropriate safeguarding processes within the tools and methodology applied but also during the training of data collectors.
• Identification of the key internal and external stakeholders to be involved at different stages including the process of youth and community participation; and opportunities to discuss and respond to emerging findings as relevant.
• A time plan including milestones and reporting schedule.
• Use and dissemination plan for the study including reporting formats or events, audiences and main responsibilities.
• How data will be handed over to relevant Plan International offices at the end of the process.
• The consultant should sign PIE’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy, Gender Equality Policy, and include ethical considerations throughout the implementation of the study.

The proposed methodology should follow a participatory mixed methods approach that draws on both existing and new quantitative and qualitative data to answer the evaluation questions which emphasize on impact with unexpected changes, sustainability, and potential for innovation and scale up. Plan International will focus on the following participatory methods: Most Significant Change[3] or Outcome Harvesting[4] which contribute to identify changes in behaviour and relationships as a result of the project interventions and the significance of those changes in the short- and long-term.

Either method should be described with further details in the expressions of interest, clearly outlining how it will be used during the evaluation process. Plan International will review the tools proposed to ensure an equal participation between young women and young men and safeguarding.

Data collection methods will include, but will not necessarily be limited to:

● Desk review and content analysis of key project documents (i.e., project design documents, logical framework, interim and final project reports, activity reports, financial reports, previous evaluation reports etc.);

● Quantitative survey with participants reached through Tamkeen 2 and 3;

● Key Informant interviews with relevant stakeholders (i.e. program implementation staff, local authorities, etc.);

● Focus Group Discussions with selected stakeholders;

● Stories of Changes based on outcomes or Most Significant Change (MSC) stories to provide valuable responses to the key ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions that could not be satisfactorily answered through surveys or desk review;

● Observations (visits to selected project implementation areas).

Sampling

The consultant will pre-identify the outreach tools of the sample of the target group and will provide the suggested sampling methodology, with details on the sampling size and profile of targeted participants. Plan International will review and decide whether to approve it or if any further modifications or changes are needed.

Analysis, validation and reporting

It is critical that findings are validated by a representation of all stakeholder groups involved in the evaluation. For this reason, after the data analysis and the first draft of the evaluation report (also incorporating the desk review), the evaluator will conduct a validation activity for the project evaluation. The consultant will consider the validation activity in his/her proposal and financial offer. Plan International Egypt, Plan International France and the consultant will agree on the exact scope, level and time of this validation process while refining the detailed implementation plan. The feedback from the validation activity will be reflected in the evaluation report submitted to Plan International for further feedback and comments.

Evaluation outputs

The expected outputs are the following :

• An inception report, including the final methodology and tools, a clear matrix of roles and responsibilities, a detailed work plan and timeline, the detailed financial breakdown, the explanation on the process for obtaining the participants’ consent and any necessary government permission;
• Submission of a quantitative survey;
• Organization of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs);
• Organization of Outcome Harvesting or Most Significant Change (MSC) workshop(s);
• A draft evaluation report produced for Plan International and partner CDAs’ review;
• A validation workshop gathering PIE staff, partner CDAs and key stakeholders to share findings and recommendations and receive feedback;
• A final evaluation report, incorporating Plan International, CDAs and project participants’ feedback;
• At least two stories of change based on outcomes (maximum two pages each) included in the annexes or case studies, or Most Significant Change stories.

Formats of data collection tools and reports

The final FGD questions, interview questions, survey form and other tools which will be used with target groups will be shared by the consultant in English and Arabic prior to the data collection process and after the tools have been tested and adapted.

In terms of reports,the elements indicated below are the minimum standards for Plan International Egypt. Please add or modify as per additional project requirements, e.g. child-friendly version, summary report, etc.

Draft evaluation report: a full report with the main text of maximum 30 pages excluding cover page, basic document information page, table of contents, table of abbreviations and acronyms, executive summary, and annexes. The draft report should be delivered in a soft copy in English. References should be fully cited after all important facts and figures. The analytical reports of the findings should be presented in a qualitative format supported by quantitative charts and tables. The report should contain:

• Front page with the title of the evaluation, date, and authors of the report.
• Table of basic document information
• Table of abbreviations and acronyms
• Executive summary (3-4 pages) that presents the key points of the different sections.
• Objectives and the intended use of the evaluation.
• Methodology and limitations of the evaluation.
• Description of the project.
• Findings, including a table presenting the progress of the project outcomes and indicators against the baseline data.
• Conclusions and recommendations.
• Relevant annexes, which as a minimum must include:
• Summary assessment format of standard questions (format will be provided by Plan).
• Consent form format .
• List of people interviewed or consulted.
• Bibliography of the documents reviewed.
• Terms of Reference for the evaluation.

Implementation and suggested timeframe

Expected timeframe and Activities

1 day – Debrief on methodology and preparation with Plan International

5 days – Desk review of existing programme documentation (including project proposal documents, interim and final reports, baseline, midline and end-line reports, partner reports, donor reports)

9 days – Inception report and provided tools

Up to 4-6 weeks Until approval is obtained from Plan International based on the provided inception report and tools – Request for ethical approval from Plan International (response from Plan International federation can take up to 6 weeks)

2-3 days – Kobo design – safeguarding/accountability training / Tools training

2-5 days (depending on the sample) – Data collection/field visits to project locations to conduct FGDs and KIIs with project participants, project team (including partners).

1 day – Introduction of Outcome Harvesting and/or Most Significant Change methods to Plan International Egypt, CDA partners and youth

1-2 days – Participation in a change workshop to design domains of MSC and/or the OH

10 days including data processing – Developing draft final evaluation report (including case studies) for review/feedback from Plan International, CDAs, project’s participants

1 day – Validation workshop with Plan International and CDA partners, projects’ participants to discuss the findings

5 days – Incorporation of feedback from Plan International and CDA partners, project’s participants and production the final evaluation report

1 day – Debrief and feedback meeting with Plan International and CDA partners

Ownership

Raw data will be delivered to Plan International Egypt and Plan International France at the end of the study:

• All original study instruments with their recorded field data.
  • Copies of all Excel files / databases used for data analysis (English and Arabic versions, for Plan Egypt to validate the analyses).
  • All materials, reports and other documents produced by the consultant under this task will be the sole property of Plan International Egypt.
  • For any use of the produced materials/reports/documents, other than for the purpose of the project and Plan International Egypt, the consultant must receive a formal approval from Plan International in writing.

Expected qualifications of consultant

• Advanced degree in social sciences, socioeconomic, employment and entrepreneurship development studies, or relevant fields;
• Significant experience in designing and leading evaluations and/or reviews based on Outcome Harvesting or Most Significant Change, including a demonstrable understanding of qualitative and participatory approaches;
• Strong experience and communication skills to facilitate interviews, with a range of actors;
• Knowledge of youth economic empowerment, micro-finance, capacity-building, safeguarding, and development;
• Experience in gender analysis. Having applied knowledge and experience with gender transformative approaches in youth economic empowerment projects is an asset;
• Knowledge of the rights-based approach, gender equality, and experience in research on programmes with vulnerable groups.
• Excellent writing and speaking skills in both English and Arabic.
• Excellent reporting skills in both English and Arabic.

Evaluation of offers
Shortlisted suppliers may be invited to discuss their proposals in further details at Plan’s discretion. Part of the evaluation process may include a presentation from the supplier.
Plan International, at its sole discretion, will select the successful supplier.
Plan international shall be free to:
• Accept the whole, or part only, of any submission
• Accept none of the proposals
• Republish this Request for Quotations
Plan International reserves the right to keep confidential the circumstances that have been considered for the selection of the offers.
Value for money is very important to Plan International, as every additional £ saved is money that we can use on our humanitarian and development work throughout the world.
Plan International may award multiple contracts and all contracts will be non-exclusive.

Evaluation Criteria:

Technical Proposal

Expertise and Experience: the consultant’s technical expertise and relevant experience in similar projects or domains. (Scoring weight : 20%)

Methodology and Approach: the proposed methodology and approach for addressing the project’s objectives and requirements. (scoring weight : 30%)

Innovation and Creativity: the consultant’s ability to offer innovative and creative solutions to challenges that may arise during the project. (scoring weight 10%)

Gender Responsiveness (scoring weight 5%)

Supplier meet any of the criteria below:

•If headed up by a woman

•If supplier is a women-owned business: A legal entity in any field that is more than 51% owned, managed, and controlled by one or more women.

•If the % of women in management positions is over 35%

•If % of women workers is 55% or above

•If robust gender equality initiatives are in place and active. E.g. WEPs (Women Empowerment Principles) signed, gender equality procurement policy, any additional gender-sensitive program implemented.

Cost Reasonableness: the reasonableness and competitiveness of the consultant’s financial proposal in relation to the expected scope of work and industry standards.

Financial (scoring weight 35%)

Value for Money: the consultant’s proposed pricing in relation to the anticipated value and benefits they bring to the project.

Cost Breakdown: Review the consultant’s detailed cost breakdown, ensuring transparency and clarity regarding the allocation of costs for different study activities and deliverables.

A separate financial offer that includes all fees or expenditures in a table such as the one below. Extra rows can be added if needed.
Note: the data collection will take place in Cairo, Alexandria and Assiut. Consultant shall pay for their accommodation and transport.
The below items are just for guidance, consultants can still add any relevant cost item.

• Daily fees for implementing evaluation tools with officials in Alex
• Fees for writing the final report “6 days”
• Fees for validation workshop “1 day”
• Translation cost
• Any other relevant cost
• Only (Total amount including VAT)
  Please include at footer of the table for proposal
  “All the tax determined by law will be deducted by Plan.”

Contract & Payment terms
Please note that, if successful, Plan International’s standard terms of payment are 30 days after the end of the month of receipt of invoice, or after acceptance of the Goods/Services/Works, if later.
Payment will be made through several installments:
• The first installment 25% upon submitting inception report.
• The second installment is 50% upon the submission of draft evaluation report.
• The third instalment is 25% upon the submission and satisfaction of:
– Validation workshop activity to include stakeholders and present key findings.
– Final evaluation report in English and Arabic.
– PowerPoint presentation with the main findings of the study in English and Arabic.
– Data collection tools and related materials.
– All raw data and databases from primary data collection.

Plan International’s policies and standards
Plan International’s Ethical & Environmental Statement
The supplier should establish environmental standards and good practices that follow the principles of ISO 14001
Environmental Management Systems, and in particular to ensure compliance with environmental legislation.

Consent Forms
The study will be conducted within regular monitoring and evaluation activities for the project. The consultant should ensure that all participants are informed about their rights during data collection and document their approvals through PIE consent forms templates.

Data Privacy policies at Plan International
The consultants should adhere to Plan International data privacy policy which sets out minimum standards in relation to the collection and use of personal data by Plan International or other commissioned parties. An orientation on participants’ data privacy policies at PIE will be conducted by relevant PIE staff to ensure the data collection maintain privacy and confidentiality of participants.

Clarifications
The onus is on the invited individual/companies to ensure that its offer is complete and meets Plan International’srequirements. Failure to comply may lead to the offer being rejected. Please therefore ensure that you read this document carefully and answer fully all questions asked.

If you have any queries in relation to your submission, or to any requirements of this RFP, please email:
Egyptco.Procurement@plan-international.org
Thank you for your proposal

[1]https://www.unicef.org/egypt/media/10841/file/Youth%20Unemployment%20in%20Egypt%20(English).pdf

[2] The Tamkeen club has emerged as a space for exchange of knowledge and experience of paramount importance to the youth. In the last few years, Tamkeen clubs have served as a coordination space for community-based COVID-19 response. Acknowledging their importance, Tamkeen III will work on transferring the leadership of these spaces to youth as a main pillar of its sustainability plan.

[3]https://www.intrac.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Most-significant-change.pdf

[4]https://www.intrac.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Outcome-harvesting.pdf

How to apply

Response to the Request for Proposal (RFP)
Only consultancies / individual registered in Egypt will be considered for this assignment or those having a partner in Egypt.

List of documents to be submitted with the Request for Proposal (RFP)
– Detailed technical offer
– Ethics and youth safeguarding approaches, including any identified risks and associated mitigation strategies
– Proposed timeline
– CVs
– Example of previous work
– Reference “if possible”
– Detailed budget, including daily fee rates, expenses, etc.

Note: with the detailed budget, please attach a lump sum budget indicating that “All taxes will be deducted as per the Egyptian law”
– “Statement of integrity, Eligibility and Environmental and Social Responsibility” duly signed when submitting your proposal (Appendix 1 of the guidelines https://www.afd.fr/sites/afd/files/2024-11-04-13-28/AFD-R0097%20-%20Directives%20PM%20-%202024-v2_va.pdf )
All consultants/applicant are required to agree and adhere to Plan International’s Non-Staff Code of Conduct.
Depending on the nature of the consultancy you may need to include an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) Clause.

Submission of offers
Please send your application to Plan International to: Egyptco.Procurement@plan-international.org no later than 6th of January 2025 referencing “Final external evaluation study – Tamkeen III Project ” in the subject line and including support documents as outlined.

Clarifications

If you have any queries in relation to your submission, or to any requirements of this RFP, please email:
Egyptco.Procurement@plan-international.org
Thank you for your proposal