Objectives

RPP program model aims to:

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

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of the baseline evaluation is to determine the current status of community support structures and government officers understanding of nurturing care, establish caregivers’ knowledge, attitude and practice on nurturing care and the protection needs for infants an young children, identify existing ECD services/ resources available for infants and young children (0-5) and their caregivers.

Evaluation Questions

Sub-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?

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?

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 group facilitators knowledge in nurturing care and caregiver wellbeing?
• Does the model increase mentors’ and group facilitators knowledge in facilitation parenting session planning, and reflective supervision?

Scope of Work

• The evaluation will cover Mbirikani, Kuku and Naretoi in Mt Kilimanjaro Child Development Program, Kajiado South Sub County in Kajiado county.

Evaluation Outputs and Deliverables

• Co-facilitate with the technical staff, the training of enumerators on research methodology, field procedures.
• Supervise enumerators through field spot checks during the data collection exercise
• Conduct Data Cleaning and Analysis of the raw data collected from the field
• Produce Baseline Report guided by the prescribed template
• A power point presentation to validate & disseminate the results of the evaluation to the implementing partner and other stakeholders for cross learning & accountability. NB: Please note that the consultant will not be needed to develop new data collection tools as they are already in existence. The successful applicant will be expected to engage with the country office team to review the existing RPP MEL Plan, Data Analysis Procedures and Tools before undertaking the assignment.

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.

Management and Coordination

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

Work plan & Timelines

• The evaluation is expected to take place from the 23rd October 2023 to 10th November 2023. Specific timelines applicable to this evaluation will be discussed during the inception meeting but will fall within 21-man days i.e.
• 23rd-25th October 2023: Training of field enumerators on data collection tools, ethics and research protocol
• 26thOctober 2023: Pretesting of the caregivers questionnaire
• 27th October 2023: Logistics and team planning for data collection
• 28th October – 1st November 2023: Data collection of Caregivers survey
• 1st- 3rd November 2023: Data collection of Knowledge Attitude and Practice survey for identified group parenting facilitators.
• 1st – 3rd November 2023: Data collection of Key Informant Interviews for Sub County Government Officials
• 4th-10th November 2023: Data cleaning, aggregation and analysis and report writing based on the prescribed templates.

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