Final external evaluation - MD27 (Caritas Czech Republic)



Terms of Reference

Project title

“Improvement of medico-social care services for people with long-term care needs on both sides of the Nistru River”

Implementing organization

Caritas Czech Republic (CCR)

Place of implementation

Republic of Moldova

Donor

Czech Development Cooperation

Type of contract

Service contract

Type of assignment

Final external evaluation

Application deadline

9th of November 2022

 

Organizational Context

 
       

The Department of Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation (DHADC) has been a part of Caritas Czech Republic (CCR) since 2004, the latter being the biggest nongovernmental provider of social and health services in the Czech Republic. Through DHADC, CCR is engaged in development cooperation and humanitarian aid, its core target countries being Georgia, Iraq, Moldova, Mongolia, Ukraine and Zambia. The extent of development and humanitarian aid activities places CCR on the second position among Czech NGOs in this regard. CCR is committed to fighting poverty and social exclusion, as well as promoting sustainable human development, social justice and sustainable social systems in the Czech Republic and throughout the world.

For more info: https://svet.charita.cz/en/about-us/

Project information

Project Period

January 2020 – December 2022

Target groups

  • Health centers’ managers, doctors, nurses, public health specialists, social assistants and social workers in Moldova, especially in the Transnistrian region;
  • Health institutions in Moldova, especially in the Transnistrian region in particular primary social services;
  • Health and social central and local authorities in the Transnistrian region.

Final beneficiaries

  • Beneficiaries (elderly and people with disabilities) of homecare services provided in the TN region;
  • Representatives of TN central authorities and Grigoriopol local authorities selected for the development of homecare services;
  • Professionals working with vulnerable people who provide homecare services;
  • Overal popopulation who will benefit of change in the legal and normative framework related to the homecare field.

Institutions involved:

  • De-facto Ministry of Health of the TN region;
  • De-facto Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the TN region;
  • Grigoriopol Directorate of Social Assistance and Family Protection;
  • Grigoriopol General District Hospital.

Project summary

The project is funded by the Czech Development Agency, under the general EU Confidence Building Measures Programme V (CBM V) - Health sector modernization, financed by the European Union. The implementation of the Project is ensured by CCR, in partnership with Pro-Development, Homecare and Association Health and Sport NGOs.

The project is aimed at increasing confidence in the region, modernization of the primary health care services and provision of relevant and sustainable services to patients on both sides of the Nistru River. At the same time, it is aimed at ensuring the cohesion of two public sectors involved in the process: the health care sector and the social protection sector.

There is a significant gap in medico-social service delivery available to the population on the different banks of the Nistru River. The project aims at narrowing this gap by addressing discrepancies with a three-dimensional approach:

  • alignment of processes and procedures through actual service provision (opening of a pilot day care center) for patients from both sides of the Nistru River;
  • bringing the capacities of professionals dealing with homecare at all levels and from both banks closer together;
  • alignment of the TN health sector, relevant legal and regulatory framework, service design and patient pathway in the TN region.

The overall objective of the project is confidence building through the coordination of primary health care services on both sides of the Nistru River while limiting the development gap between both banks.

The specific objective of the project is health sector is pioneering in developing technical direct and sustainable cooperation between both banks.

SCOPE AND FOCUS OF EVALUATION

Final external evaluation of a development project “Improvement of medico-social care services for people with long-term care needs on both sides of the Nistru River”, funded by the Czech Development Agency and implemented by the leading partner CCR along with Pro-Development, Homecare and Association Health and Sport NGOs.

Expected duration of assignment

November – December 2022

Purpose of the evaluation

The final evaluation findings are expected to:

  • Evaluate achievement of specific objectives, indicators and project results;
  • Analyze progress, cost effectiveness, project management and organization, impact, and sustainability of the project activities in relation to the de facto circumstances in Moldova;
  • Identify the supporting factors and constraints that have led to achievement or lack of achievement;

Evaluation criteria

The evaluation utilizes the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC) evaluation criteria as defined below:

  • Coherence: the extent to which other interventions support or undermine the intervention, and vice versa. This includes internal coherence and external coherence, in particular, synergies and fit with national initiatives and with other donor-supported projects and project visibility (with a specific focus on evaluating the consistency of the implemented project activities with relevant international norms (right to health, to equality and non-discrimination) and standards (implementation of Confidence-building measures between both banks of Nistru river) to which the institution/government adheres;
  • Impact - the extent to which the project causes higher-level effects (such as changes in norms or systems, whether this intervention benefited equally al target groups, including the most disadvantaged and vulnerable; the extent to which the project led to other changes, including “scalable” or “replicable” results.
  • Effectiveness - the extent to which the project can be said to have contributed to the development objectives and the immediate objectives and more concretely whether the stated outputs have been produced satisfactorily;
  • Efficiency - the extent to which project activities were delivered within the intended timeframe, or a timeframe reasonably adjusted to the demands of the evolving context, and operational efficiency assessment (how well the intervention was managed).;
  • Sustainability – the extent to which the results of the implemented activities, aimed at addressing discrepancies with the above-mentined three-dimensional approach, are likely to be maintained beyond project completion.

METHODOLOGY for EVALUATION

The evaluation methodology is expected to use a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, to be defined and approved as part of the evaluation inception report. The methodology should clearly state the limitations of the chosen evaluation methods, including those related to representation of specific group of stakeholders. Envisaged steps include the following:

  1. Inception meeting with the project team. The objective of the consultation is to reach a common understanding regarding the status of the project, the priority assessment questions, available data sources and data collection instruments and an outline of the final evaluation report. The following topics will be covered: project background and materials, key evaluation questions and priorities, list of stakeholders, outline of the inception and final report;
  2. Submission of the Work Plan and short Inception Report (2-5 pages) which will indicate the steps/phases and dates of the process in which the Evaluation will take place;
  3. Desk review: Review of project and its components materials, data, among others prior or in parallel to the evaluation interviews as required by the proposed methodology;
  4. Evaluation interviews (individual or collective) with stakeholders;
  5. Debriefing with the CCR team after submission of the draft final report.

Timeline and deliverables

Activity

Deliverable

Time allocated

Inception meeting with the project team

Inception report and work plan

2 days

Work Plan and short Inception Report development

Field visits

Draft report

25 days

Data analysis, debriefing and presentation of draft Evaluation Report

Validation

Finalization of Evaluation report incorporating additions and comments provided by all stakeholders

Final Report

2 days

Deliverables description

Inception report: The Evaluator will prepare an inception report which details her/his understanding of the evaluation and how the evaluation questions will be addressed. This is to ensure that the evaluator and the stakeholders have a shared understanding of the evaluation. The inception report will include the evaluation matrix summarizing the evaluation design, methodology, evaluation questions, data sources and collection analysis tool for each data source and the measure by which each question will be evaluated. The report will include the scope of work, work plan, time frame, analysis. The inception report should include a proposed schedule of tasks; activities and deliverables, with clear responsibilities for each task.

Draft Evaluation report: The Evaluator will prepare a draft Evaluation Report, cognizant of the proposed format of the report and checklist used for the assessment of valuation. Comments from the stakeholders will be provided within 5 days after its reception. The report will be reviewed to ensure that the evaluation meets the required quality criteria. The report will be produced in English.

The final report (25 to 50 pages): Will be submitted not latter that 7 days after receiving comments from Caritas Czech Republic project team.

The content and the structure of the final analytical report with finding, recommendations and lessons learnt covering the scope of the evaluation should meet the requirements of the Caritas Czech Republic and should include the following tentative components:  

  • Executive summary
  • Introduction
  • Description of the evaluation methodology
  • Situational analysis with regard to the outcome, outputs and partnership strategy
  • Analysis of opportunities to provide guidance for future programming
  • Key findings, including best practices and lessons learned
  • Conclusion and recommendations
  • Appendices: charts, terms of reference, field visits, people interviewed, documents reviewed.

TIME FRAME OF ASSIGNMENT

Deadline for applications: 9 November 2022

Start of work:  14 November 2022 (preparatory work, field data collection, report drafting)

Submission of draft evaluation report: 17 December 2022

Feedback from CCR on the draft evaluation report: 21 December 2022

Submission of final evaluation report: 23 December 2022

REQUIREMENTS and SELECTION

Expertise and qualification

Necessary:

  • University degree in areas of overseas development/humanitarian action/economics or social science or areas relevant for the assignment (e.g. public administration, public maangement, secutiry studies, etc.);
  • Extensive expertise, knowledge, and experience in the field of evaluation of development programmes
  • At least 5 years of experience in working with international organizations and donors;
  • Experience of programme formulation, monitoring and evaluation; Fluency in written and spoken English
  • Knowledge and experience of using participatory approaches and innovative facilitation techniques
  • Demonstrated excellent analytical skills (evidence required)
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and comfortable working across cultures
  • Demonstrated understanding of development sector in the field of health care (verifiable information on relevant experience required)

Recommended:

  • Expertise in inclusion field or social protection sector, prevention programs, educational programs in health sector
  • Experience in working in Moldova

Selection of supplier

Contractor’s performance will be evaluated against such criteria as: description of experience and expertise (copies of documents proving the expertise and experience shall be attached), timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy.

The description of experience and expertise has to include:

  • contacts to persons / institutions that can provide reference, and / or
  • copies of official documents proving the experience and expertise stated

The selection criteria will be as follows:

  • Offered price (40%)
  • Proven expertise and experience (60%)

TERMS OF ASSIGNMENT

Selected consultant / group of consultants/ company will be subcontracted by CCR to produce the deliverables specified above. The price agreed on will cover consultant´s remuneration, all costs incurred by the consultant related to the assignment and all taxes and fees required by law. The price will be final and cannot be increased under any circumstances. CCR will provide the consultant with all information and documents it has at its disposal needed to conduct the evaluation.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should send their offers in English with clearly indicated Name and Surname to the following address martina.stehnova@charita.cz by 9 November 2022 with the subject line “MD27 final evaluation”

Candidates should apply by presenting the following documents:

  1. CV(s) for each team member indicating all past experience from similar assignments, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate(s) and at least three (3) professional references;
  2. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs;
  3. Copies of documents proving the expertise (links).

Incomplete offers and offers received after the deadline will not be considered. CCR reserves the right to cancel the tender at any time.