Terms of reference for a consultant to carry out an Endline Evaluation for the DEAL “Developing Entrepreneurship and Literacy in Rwanda” Project

1. Background

CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. We seek a world of hope, inclusion and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. CARE International aims to be a global force and a partner of choice within a worldwide movement dedicated to ending

Since 1984, the main value added of CARE’s programs in Rwanda has been to innovate learning by doing approaches/methodologies that enable poor and vulnerable populations, especially women and girls, to get out of poverty through social economic transformation interventions. One of the flagship programs has been the Village Saving and Loan (VSL) methodology which has now been recognized as an economic development driver in the National Financial Education Strategy. A VSL group is a self-selected, voluntary group of approximately 20 to 30 members (75% female) that meet weekly to save through regular member contributions to a central fund. With the approval of their peers, members borrow from the group fund to invest in small enterprises then repay loans with interest, which grows their savings.

While these saving groups have transformed lives of many people in Rwanda, it was found out that between 30% and 40% of their members do not know how to read and write, leaving around 200,000 women and girls unable to use the available opportunities to improve/increase their households living conditions. Before the start of the project, a total of 98,256 men and women have had graduated from previous adult functional literacy frameworks that were funded by the GRIEG Foundation.

Building on the experience with the ‘Literacy and Numeracy for Empowerment’ project, CARE Rwanda and CARE Norway secured more funding from Grieg Foundation for a continuation of the successful approach to literacy and numeracy by adding on an innovative component to create better employment and entrepreneurship opportunities using digital platforms. Developing Entrepreneurship and Literacy in Rwanda (DEAL) is a three year project ” project that was designed to “enable poor and vulnerable people, especially women and girls members of the VSL groups and other high potential women entrepreneurs in the Districts of Nyanza, Huye, Gisagara and Nyamagabe, to enjoy their right to a dignified life through increased literacy and numeracy skills, promotion of entrepreneurship and improved household living conditions” from August 2021 to December 2024.

2. Project impact group

17,000 poor and vulnerable women and girls aged 15-59 who are illiterate members of the newly created VSL groups and high-level potential women entrepreneurs from mature Village Saving and Loan (VSL) groups.

3. Project objectives

The goal of this project is to enable 9500 poor and vulnerable people, especially women and girls’ members of the VSL groups and other high potential women entrepreneurs in the Districts of Nyanza, Huye, Gisagara and Nyamagabe, to enjoy their right to a dignified life through increased literacy and numeracy skills, promotion of entrepreneurship and improved household living conditions.

Objective 1: Increased access to quality and equitable literacy services for 7500 needy adult people in the Southern Province of Rwanda

Outcome 1.1:Increased awareness and willingness of 7500 illiterate people, especially women and girls, to attend adult education centres.

Outcome 1.2:Improved literacy and numeracy skills of 7500 among VSLA members, including youth

Objective 2: Increased and sustained livelihoods for 2,000 entrepreneurs through entrepreneurship development and employment creation

Outcome 2.1:Increased capacity to develop, grow and expand competitive and profitable enterprises among 1,500 VSL members and 500 other high potential entrepreneurs

Outcome 2.2:Improved digital financial literacy and linkage to formal financial institutions among 2,000 high potential women and girl entrepreneurs

Outcome 2.3:Digitalized access/linkage to markets for 2,000 high potential women and girl entrepreneurs.

4. Project activities

The project was built on CARE and partners’ work in establishing and building capacity of VSL in Nyanza, Huye, Gisagara and Nyamagabe districts.

Objective 1: Increased access to quality and equitable literacy and numeracy services for 7500 poor and vulnerable adult people in the Southern Province of Rwanda

Literacy and numeracy trainings: Students who were members of VSLA groups established under the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Program(GEWEPIII) participated in an estimated 72 classes (learning sessions) over a 9-month period before completing an exam and graduating. The teaching was carried out at village level by skilled teachers. Individual evaluations were conducted quarterly to assess progress and ensure appropriate measures are taken if needed.

Increase teaching quality: Community teachers received training in teaching methodology and gained access to quality learning material.

 
Objective 2: Increased and sustained livelihoods for 2,000 entrepreneurs through entrepreneurship development and employment creation.

The project was designed to challenge the existing interpersonal entrepreneurship development model by using digital platforms and engaging private companies experienced in creating business opportunities that transform communities.

Digitalise entrepreneurship trainings: The project used digital platforms that increase the reach and networking aspect of the trainings. CARE and partners conducted a joint mapping and profiling of high potential entrepreneurs. Already existing VSLAs provided the project with a network in the communities and platform for selecting entrepreneurs. Selected entrepreneurs were clustered according to their respective business sectors to receive specialised trainings.

Developing and implementing business plans: Furthermore, the business ideas of the entrepreneurs were reviewed through a creative design thinking process. The goal was to develop roadmaps for their growth and expansion. A mapping tool was jointly developed focusing on prioritized sectors with high entrepreneurship opportunities. Both individual and collective viable businesses with potential to create employment were considered. Typical selection criteria for the entrepreneurs were profitability, scalability, age, gender, and current business value.

Business mentorship: Experienced entrepreneurs mentored aspiring entrepreneurs through a digital platform. Moving it to a digital platform allowed for increased and sustained interaction using a blended approach. It also allowed for mentor and mentee to be located physically far from each other.

Business leadership training: the project supported the development and delivery of business leadership training to selected high potential entrepreneurs.

Linking to digital market platforms: The entrepreneurs were trained on existing market platforms and the project supported market linkage activities including linking buyer and sellers of products.

5. Scope of the assignment

CARE Rwanda is looking for a consultant to conduct an endline evaluation for its DEAL project that was implemented in all Sectors of Nyanza, Huye, Gisagara and Nyamagabe Districts of the Southern Province. It is expected that the evaluation will begin in early November 2024 and be completed within 35-calendar days. The consultant will lead the whole endline evaluation process and will be required to work in close collaboration with the CARE Quality Assurance Specialist.

 The following are the tasks to be led and performed by the consultant:

• Develop detailed action plan and timeframe for the
• Design the endline survey tools (data collection and FGD/KIIs tools) and methodologies.
• Hire and provide training to data collectors/enumerators.
• Collect, enter, clean and analyze data.
• Produce the endline survey report in English.
• Organize a workshop for CARE and partners to share and reflect on key findings
• Set project endline values for all the project outcome indicators
• Finalize and submit the report to CARE Rwanda.

6. Key areas of investigation

The key areas of investigation are linked to the main indicators to be verified during the endline evaluation. The indicators to be measuredare the following:

7. Key activities

The evaluation has different activities to be implemented in phases: the inception phase, the data collection phase and the analysis and reporting phase.

8. Deliverables

The following are the expected deliverables from the consultancy:

• An inception report outlining the approach/methodology and the work plan. The report shall be submitted for review and approval by CARE 3 days after the signature of the contract and before commencement of the assignment.
• Detailed documentation of the methodology used (data collection and analysis framework).
• Final endline survey tools including survey questionnaires, format for focus group discussions, and key informant interviews upon necessary consultations with the relevant stakeholders.
• Provision of electronic endline survey raw dataset as collected by the data collection tools.
• Dataentry and analysis in SPSS or any other statistical package deemed appropriate
• An endline draft report (in English) and recommendations.
• Presentation of the key findings to accommodate the views of CARE and stakeholders’ suggestions or recommendations.
• A final report (in English) after incorporating stakeholders’ inputs

The consultant is liable (upon approval of the report by CARE) to submit an electronic report by the agreed deadline.

9.  Methodology and approach

Basing on the objectives of the evaluation above, the endline survey will require an experimental design comprising both quantitative and qualitative methods. Primary data collection will be critical for the assessment to provide the endline values and to constitute a basis for the measurement of the progress in the course of the project implementation. The consultant will adapt tools used in baseline (to be provided by CARE Rwanda) and conduct survey interviews, focus group discussions and Key informant interviews. The sample will be drawn from 7500 project participants that graduated from literacy classes and from 2,000 potential entrepreneurs that were supported by the project to undertake small and medium enterprises and create employment. The survey will also involve literature review to understand the context of the project implementation context and approaches. Additionally, other project stakeholders at district levels working on/supporting in adult literacy and numeracy as well as those involved in business development will be considered. It is worth noting that most of the project entrepreneurship activities were focusing on equipping women entrepreneurs with digital skills allowing them to digitally access financial services and markets.

10. Responsibility and accountability

Consultant

• The consultant will be liable to secure any prior approvals that might be required to conduct the evaluation
• The consultant shall be liable for ethical procedures including getting informed consent from respondents
• All documents and data collected will be treated as confidential and used solely to facilitate analysis. All data should be stored and transferred securely.
• The production of the end of project evaluation report will be the liability of the consultant covering all the aspects as outlined in these ToRs.
• All training administrative and logistics cost for the enumerators including transport, per diems and data collection materials during data collection will be covered by the consultant.

CARE:

• Assume all the responsibilities pertaining to the consultant hiring process
• Ensure that all necessary documentation is availed to the consultant
• Facilitate initial connections of the consultant with different stakeholders including local authorities and respondents
• Overall data quality control and technical review of the report and final signing off (including participation in the consultation sessionwith the consultant about the draft research findings)
• Provide any other technical or operational support to the consultant as needed for example participating in the selection and training of enumerators

11. Consultant requirements

CARE is looking for qualified individuals or institutions/ houses with proven combined capacity and experience in conducting evaluations of women empowerment programs that focus on economic development and adult literacy and numeracy, particularly with vulnerable women. Core competencies should be in: Quantitative and qualitative evaluation design, implementation, and analysis.

The Consultant shall be selected based on the following criteria:

• Have an advanced degree in one of the following areas: enterprise development, economics, business management, social studies
• Five years of experience in using research methodologies, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
• Five-year experience working in the areas of Monitoring and Evaluation
• Experience in economic development mainstreaming enterprise development programs evaluations
• Have experience in conducting adults’ literacy programs
• Have facilitation skills and ability to use participatory approach for evaluation processes and research.
• Proven experience in similar assignments; having worked with Care is an advantage
• English proficiency (written and spoken) required;)

12.  Application procedures

Interested candidates or consultancy firms are requested to submit electronically their application files not later than 15 October 2024, with subject: “Endline Evaluation for DEAL Project” to the following e-mail address: RWA.Procurement@care.org

The application file should contain the following documents:

• A detailed Curriculum Vitae of the individual(s) or firms who are proposing to carry out the work (if a team is envisaged, ensure the repartition of roles is clearly explained);
• A capacity statement demonstrating why the consultants are capable of doing the job based on academic qualifications and relevant past professional experience (See selection criteria above);
• A technical offer, a proposal with a clear timeframe and a description of the proposed methodology for each specific objective of these TORs, and detailing how the deliverables will be achieved;
• A financial offer detailing the various costs associated with the delivery of the above services, in PDF format and must be a separate document from the technical.
• Evidence of the consultant’s experience in the similar assignment (at least 3 references with contact or address of referees);
• Copies of similar assignments (with evidence for good completion of the previous similar assignments);
• Company profile; VAT registration certificate; RRA tax clearance certificate; RSSB tax clearance certificate (when applicable)

13. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

The technical and financial proposal will be assessed using the below criteria: