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Scope of Work
Project Title: Protecting Human Rights (PHR)
Consultancy/Services Title: Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Specialist, Evaluator
Consultancy Mode: National International
Type of contract: Consultant; Institution
Mode of Selection: Competitive
Period From: September 20, 2016 To: November 22, 2016
Duration of contract: 39 days
Location: Remote and with travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh
Reporting to: Pamela Young
Deadline to apply: 24 August 2016
Background and Context
The USAID-supported Protecting Human Rights (PHR) Program is a five-year project which is focused on addressing human rights issues including the high rates of child marriage and domestic violence in Bangladesh. PHR is implemented by Plan International in partnership with the Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) and 11 local partner NGOs in 102 unions and eight upazilas of six districts — Barguna, Bogra, Chittagong, Dinajpur, Jessore, and Sylhet. The project started in 2011 and will end in March 2017.
The goal of the Protecting Human Rights (PHR) Program is to reduce the high prevalence of domestic violence and other related human rights abuses in targeted areas of Bangladesh. “Other related human rights violations” are inclusive, but not limited to child marriage, anti-stalking (this term is defined by the Honourable High Court of Bangladesh), dowry, physical humiliation, trafficking, rape and child abduction. The intermediate results of the program include:
· IR1: Key DV and HR legislation and policies enforced,
· IR2: Increased use of Formal and Informal Justice Systems by HR Survivors,
· IR 3: Increased Support Services to HR Abuse Survivors, and
· IR 4: Public Awareness on HR Issues Improved.
A key program strategy under IR 4: Public Awareness on HR Issues Improved is a school-based awareness raising program. In Year 2, PHR commenced a pilot GBV education activity in 10 secondary schools. Building on the success of the pilot project through a teacher Train-the-Trainer methodology, PHR expanded its outreach to 70 new schools in its eight upazilas in the first quarter of Year 3. From Year 4, PHR worked with 101 (48 new and 53 old) schools. In Year 5 PHR reached all students (grade IV – IX) of 142 high schools and four (equivalent) madrasas. Trained teachers organized monthly debates, discussion forums and other events at schools designed to raise girls’ and boys’ awareness about their rights, encourage reflection on gender roles, and reduce tolerance levels of all forms of violence. Peer educators were being trained as well to ensure project sustainability.
Prior to the implementation of school based activities, PHR developed a program strategy, logical framework and carried out formative research in secondary schools to understand the attitudes of students towards gender based violence, norms and stereotypes. The study was conducted in 10 schools in Dinajpur and Chittagong. The results of the study confirmed that patriarchal values had a role to play in instilling gender biases and inequality at a very young age and that these values were reinforced in the daily school lives. Existing school programs in Bangladesh and other locations were found to not be specifically designed to fit the needs of 11-14 school-going age groups in the context of forming their understanding of gender, nor preventing gender based violence in school settings. This formative research recommended that the school programing component be designed with the following goal and outcomes:
Goal: To promote gender equitable perceptions, attitudes and behavior among girls & boys of ages 11-14 years in schools as well as in their surrounding community.
Objectives
Reduce gender based violence and risky behavior in the school setting
Enhance the capacity of schools as institutions to manage gender and Violence against Girls (VAG) issues
Create changes in societal perceptions, attitudes and practices that support the reduction of domestic violence and discrimination towards girls and women.
Purpose and Scope
The project would like to conduct a performance evaluation of the schools component after more than three years of implementation. Prior to the start of the project component a concept note and logical framework was developed. This framework included short term and intermediate outcomes for this work. It also set forth a monitoring and evaluation strategy. The strategy was designed to measure the effectiveness of the group education and campaign components for male and female students and for teachers and parents involved in the project in raising awareness of and changing attitudes towards gender equity.
As such, the objectives for the evaluation include:
· Better understand the effectiveness, relevance, efficiency and challenges of the model in order to learn, document and share practices. This would include assessing the effectiveness of activities such as (but not limited to) forming the committee and setting the sexual harassment prevention box in the school. It is expected that the consultant will use DAC criteria or another appropriate model for program effectiveness evaluation.
· Measure (to the extent possible) key changes related to the implementation of the schools component. This may include:
o Assess behavioral changes of the teachers, school management committee members and students of schools on gender issues with a primary focus on child marriage, sexual harassment and domestic violence.
o Explore the effects of gender equality programming in the PHR schools on school management committees, teachers, peer educators, and students. This study will seek to determine if the program activities focused on increasing knowledge about gender equality and dangers associated with child marriage, sexual harassment and domestic violence have resulted in individual changes in attitudes, behaviors and practices inside and outside of the school environment.
The evaluation will focus on a sample of the target schools with a particular focus on: students, teachers and school management committees.
Specific Activities
In consultation with designated staff of Plan International, the selected consultant(s) will undertake the following activities:
· Review of schools program materials and documentation
· Develop the evaluation design (including methodology, sample size, school selection, and evaluation timeline) and data collection tools
· Oversee the data collection process (including data collector training, data collection supervision and quality control)
· Conduct data analysis and report writing
· Dissemination and learning activities with Plan staff and partners
Methodology
The methodology for this performance evaluation will be set forth in a proposal from the consultant(s), to be approved by Plan International before work begins. It is anticipated that this evaluation will include both qualitative and quantitative data collection, from both primary and secondary sources:
Deliverables and Timing
Duration of the assignment will be for a total of 39 working days in the period of September 20, 2016 to November 22, 2016. The final timeline will be mutually agreed upon by Plan and the Consultant(s). The following deliverables will be submitted according to the following illustrative timeline:
Task/Estimated time-due date
- Document review/3 days
- Plan’s Approval of component design
- Inception Report including methodology and timeline/5 days
- Plan’s Approval of Inception report
- Development of data collection tools and protocols; translation of instruments into local language/3 days
- Plan’s Approval of data collection tools
- Training of data collectors/2 days
- Data collection/12 days
- Outline of draft report/September 22, 2016
- Analysis and Report Writing/10 Days
- Draft Report integrate comments/2 days
- Integrate Comments into Draft Report/2 Days
October 15, 2016:
- Final Report Submitted
- Cleaned raw data (qualitative and quantitative)
- Appropriate informed consent forms
Summary presentation which will be presented upon completion and submitted as a deliverable
Learning events (dissemination workshop, presentation, etc)/TBD
The final written report shall be approximately 20 to 30 pages in length excluding annexes with the report sections determined in collaboration with Plan. The draft and final reports shall be delivered in English in both hard copy and digital copy. The final report will be fully edited by the consultant.
Qualifications
· Master’s degree required (PhD preferred) with a focus on gender-based violence issues or gender and education in South Asia.
· Experience in Bangladesh strongly preferred.
· Demonstrated experience in designing evaluations and/or assessments for human rights, gender-based violence, gender, or education.
· Experience as a project evaluation lead, managing survey teams and overseeing data collection processes.
· Experience measuring behavior change evaluations and/or assessments (i.e. KAP surveys, other behavior change frameworks).
· Proven track record in carrying out evaluations and/or assessments using qualitative and quantitative methods.
· Knowledge of empirical data analysis techniques and software.
· Excellent writing skills in English.
· Knowledge of Bangla preferred.
Management Arrangements
The consultant will report to Pamela Young, the PHR Project Director at Plan International USA. While in country, the consultant will report to the DCOP.
A steering committee for the evaluation will include:
· Director, Education & Protection, USNO: Oversight of the process.
· Program Associate, Education & Protection, USNO: Administrative/logistical management from USNO
· M&E Advisor, USNO: Technical management and oversight of deliverables (with technical check-ins with Director and DCOP).
· DCOP, PHR: Oversight and Technical management in country.
· PIM and M&E, PHR: Technical counterpart in country; facilitates hiring local data collection team, provides support to process.
Security
It is expected that the consultant while in Bangladesh will adhere to the Plan International Bangladesh security advisory and protocols.
Ownership and Branding
Plan International will be the sole owner of the written report and any publication produced. The report and publication will follow the project branding requirements under USAID and Plan International.
Child Protection Policy
Plan International’s Child Protection Policy will be applicable to the evaluation process and all related work and products of the consultant(s).
Application
CV, Application and sample of similar work should be submitted directly via: Performance Evaluation of School Program Protecting Human Rights (PHR) Project
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