Terms of Reference: Endline Evaluation for the Improved Access to Health Services for Women, Infants and Young Children (WASHIC) Project in Saravan and Oudomxay provinces
Plan International Laos invites proposals from qualified local consultants or firms to design and conduct the endline survey and final evaluation of the Improved Access to Health Services for Women, Infants and Young Children (WASHIC) Project. The assignment will include methodology design, data collection, data analysis, and report writing, covering project areas in Samoui District, Saravan Province, and Houn District, Oudomxay Province.
1. Introduction
Working in over 50 developing countries globally, Plan International strives for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan International has been working in Laos since 2007, and together with local partners, is delivering programs in 10 provinces in Laos, including Bokeo, Oudomxay, Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Saravan Provinces.
2. Background of the Project
The Improved Access to Health Service for Women Infants and Young Children (WASHIC) project, funded by BMZ and Plan International Germany, began in 2023 and is scheduled to end in December 2026. The project is implemented through partnerships with two local civil society organizations, the Promotion of Family Health Association (PFHA) and Community Health and Inclusion Association (CHIAs), with technical oversight from Plan International Laos (PIL).
The overall objective of the project is to improve the status of reproductive health and reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity, including malnutrition, in Lao PDR in line with the RMNCH Strategy 2016-2025.
3. Objective of the Evaluation
The main objective of the Endline Evaluation is to gain a meaningful understanding of the project’s results and impact on project beneficiaries, target groups and stakeholders in the two target districts: Houn District in Oudomxay Province and Samoui District in Saravan Province. The company or consultant(s) will collect and analyze data to measure the final results of the indicators identified in the project results framework at the overall objective, outcome and output levels.
4. Scope of the Consultancy
- Literature/document review of relevant project documents (project document, log-frame, M&E framework, baseline study, mid-term review, annual progress reports and other relevant research/publications).
- Develop and verify the evaluation methodology, including the data collection methods, review and revision of tools and sampling used during baseline and mid-term.
- Develop an evaluation matrix covering all evaluation questions and project indicators to be assessed.
- Test the data collection methods and tools.
- Design interview questionnaires and surveys for key target groups/beneficiaries.
- Outline the Endline Evaluation design in a succinct inception report.
- Conduct training for enumerators and supervise the data collection, including travel to and within the 2 project target areas.
- Review and analyze data, including statistical analysis of survey results.
- Consolidate, clean and deliver all data in a specific format (e.g. Excel, SPSS).
- Draft the report in English, including analysis of the project results and impact on beneficiaries, target groups and stakeholders.
- Facilitate an online workshop to present the initial key findings to the project team and partners.
- Finalize the report based on feedback from project partners.
- Produce summary presentations of the findings in English and Lao languages.
5. Methodology
A mixed-methods, cross-sectional design incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches is recommended for this project endline and final evaluation. To enable comparison with baseline and mid-term survey results, it is proposed that the same sample size is used for the household survey.
6. Ethics and Safeguarding
Plan International is committed to ensuring that the rights of those participating in data collection or analysis are respected and protected, in accordance with Ethical MERL Framework and our Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy. All applicants should include details in their proposal on how they will ensure ethics and child protection in the data collection process.