Terms of Reference for Consultancy to Conduct Baseline Evaluation of the Responsive and Protective Parenting Program Model

1.About ChildFund

ChildFund is a child-focused international development organization that works in 24 countries to connect children with the people, resources, and institutions they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe, no matter where they are. ChildFund Kenya works through 11 implementing partners (IP’s) to implements various development interventions across 26 counties. The thematic areas that we focus on are Child Protection, Household Economic Strengthening, Early Childhood Development (ECD), Education, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Emergency Response, Health and Nutrition.

2.Early Childhood Development

Under ECD, ChildFund Kenya works with parents, communities, and the government both at the national and county levels to support the improved health and well-being of infants and young children (IYC) through provision of integrated ECD services. Our aim is to strengthen the nurturing environment to promote protective and responsive parenting and supportive structures for early childhood development. To this end, ChildFund’s ECD program is aligned to the Nurturing Care Framework, with interventions cutting across the 5 components namely health, nutrition, safety and security, responsive caregiving, and early learning. Our projects target children, their caregiver, and the communities they live in.

3. Responsive and Protective Parenting Program Model

Goal: Infants and young children to have improved age-appropriate development and early learning outcomes, and to be protected at home and in their communities. To achieve this goal, the model has a three-pronged approach capacity strengthening of Local Partner & County government, Community stakeholders and caregivers. The model uses a cascading approach to capacity build the various stakeholders meaning that we strengthen knowledge and capacity of LP and govt, so THEY can strengthen the knowledge and capacity of community support services, so THEY can strengthen the knowledge and capacity of caregivers.

4.Objectives

• Strengthening multi-sectoral sub-national government and local partners’ capacity to support community stakeholders in ensuring protective and nurturing home and community environments for infant and young children.
• Strengthening community stakeholders’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices on the components of nurturing care, caregiver well-being, and community-based child protection to support caregivers in group and home parenting sessions.
• Enhancing parents/caregiver’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices across the components of nurturing care, caregiver well-being; and community-based child protection.

5.Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of the rapid assessment is to determine local partners, community support structures, government officers and caregivers’ knowledge attitude and practice about the protection and optimal development needs and resources available for their infants and young children (0-5) and care for their own’s wellbeing.

6.Assessment Questions

Stakeholder Questions

Community Support Structures

• Does the model increase communities’ support for establishing and maintaining a nurturing and protective environment for infants and young children?
• Does the model increase mentors’ and community support structures knowledge in nurturing care and caregiver wellbeing?
• Does the model increase mentors’ and community support structures knowledge in facilitation parenting session planning, and reflective supervision?

Parents/Caregivers

• Does the model lead caregivers to see their communities as safe places for their children?
• Does the model increase caregivers’ knowledge in nurturing care and protection of infants and young children?
• What nurturing care and protection practices (behavior) of caregivers are enhanced by the model?

County Government Officers

• Does the model increase local partners and sub national govt’s support for establishing and maintaining a nurturing and protective environment for infants and young children?
• Does the model increase sub national government and local partners’ knowledge in nurturing care and caregiver wellbeing?
• Does the model increase sub national government and local partners’ knowledge on reflective supervision?

6.Scope of Work

The evaluation will cover Mbirikani, Kuku and Naretoi sites in Mt Kilimanjaro Child Development Program area in Kajiado county.

7.Evaluation Outputs and Deliverables

• Training of enumerators on research methodology, data collection for caregivers survey, KAP facilitators
• Supervise enumerators through field spot checks during the data collection exercise
• Collect data with key informants from the county government and local partners
• Conduct Data Cleaning and Analysis of the raw data collected from the field
• Produce completed Caregiver Questionnaire excel tables and Stata do files
• Produce Baseline Report guided by the template
• A power point presentation to validate & disseminate the results of the evaluation to the implementing partner and other stakeholders for cross learning & accountability.

8.Qualifications of Consultant (s)

The successful firm/organization or individual will have the following competencies:

• Expertise in undertaking research studies, preferably in the Early Childhood Development.
• An Advanced degree in any of the following or related disciplines: Early Childhood Development, Education, Public Health, Sociology, Community Development Studies.
• Have proven knowledge and practical experience in quantitative and qualitative research.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, facilitating, presentation and communication skills.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili
• Must have extensive expertise and experience in project planning, project design, applying the logical framework, project implementation and monitoring.

9.Management and coordination

The key people that the consultant will be working closely with at ChildFund include the Early Childhood Development Officer, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager. The management of the day-to-day activities in the field will be supported by Program and Sponsorship -Coordinator and M&E Officer in Mt Kilimanjaro area.

10.Work plan & Timelines

The evaluation is expected to take place from the 26th of September to 24th October 2022. Specific timelines applicable to this evaluation will be discussed during the inception meeting.

11.Application Process

To apply the consultant(s) should submit an Expression of Interest. This should contain:

• The consultant’s understanding of the TOR;
• How the consultant(s) will undertake the evaluation
• How the consultant(s) meet the requirements of the evaluation;
• Proposed technical work plan and financial proposal quoted in Kenya Shillings for the whole assignment
• CV of the lead consultant and any other personnel to be involved in the assignment

12.Budget

The compensation for this assignment is KShs 1,425,000 inclusive of VAT tax. The consultant is expected to budget for their professional, administration, field perdiem and accommodation during the training and data collection days.They should also budget for enumerators costs including professional and transport fees. Transport will be provided from Nairobi to the field and back for the training period. The local partner will work with consultants to provide transportation during data collection.

13.Payment process

• Payment upon submission and acceptance of the inception report to ChildFund Kenya 30%
• Payment upon submission and acceptance of the draft report and excel table to ChildFund Kenya 30%
• Payment upon submission and acceptance of the final report to ChildFund Kenya and dissemination/validation of the findings during virtual meeting 40%

NB:

• The Consultant’s compensation shall be paid NET, within 30 days from receipt of a proper invoice unless otherwise specified.
• Payment will be made through direct bank transfer otherwise specified.
• The payment shall be subjected to 5% withholding tax as required by the Law at the time of payment.