REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL -US2102 II-CHANGING THE WAY WE CARE (CTWWC) YEAR 3 REVIEW)

Terms of Reference Activities (Link below for complete TOR)

https://www.crs.org/sites/default/files/rfp_us2102_ii_changing_the_way_w…

CTWWC Year 3 Review

Background of Changing the Way We Care

Changing The Way We Care^SM (CTWWC) is an initiative designed to promote safe, nurturing family care for children: those reunifying from institutions or those risk of child-family separation. This includes strengthening families and reforming national systems of care for children, including family reunification and reintegration, development of alternative family-based care (in keeping with the United Nations Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children). CTWWC is a consortium of Catholic Relief Services and Maestral International, and key partners like Better Care Network and others, joined, through a Global Development Alliance, by three donors (McArthur Foundation, USAID and GHR Foundation). CTWWC is operating in a context of growing interest in care reform, and as a result of a growing global understanding that institutional care of children is a significant problem that will be best addressed through collaboration between national, regional and global stakeholders to develop alternative care systems supportive of family care. Grounded in the work of demonstration countries (currently Guatemala, Kenya and Moldova), as well as regional and global engagement, CTWWC intends to help advance government and non-government care systems, civil society initiatives, and public attitudes and behaviors focus on keeping children in safe and nurturing families.

A key part of the CTWWC theory of change is the flow of learning from the demonstration work out to the wider country, region and internationally. CTWWC is committed to building evidence in key areas related to care reform, including around systems strengthening at the national and subnational level and outcomes for children and families, which is currently lacking in relation to family-based care and prevention of separation, especially in low resource settings. In addition, understanding sector collaboration and the support of regional and global actors, is essential in achieving a shift of resources to prioritize family-based care and family strengthening efforts.

CTWWC is now in its third year of operations (FY21) and is therefore undertaking a Year 3 review which presents an opportunity for more in-depth data collection, analysis and reflection.

Purpose of Year 3 Review

The aim of the Year 3 review is to:

· Build evidence on outcomes that are experienced and observed as a result of CTWWC’s activities – in relation to children and families’ experiences of care and support, care system strengthening and advocacy and influencing

· Feed results into the CTWWC design-build process, allowing the CTWWC team to review the

initiative’s Theory of Change and to plan ahead for future implementation and fundraising.

This focus makes the review an ‘outcome evaluation’, rather than a ‘process evaluation’.¹ This is important to contribute to CTWWC’s aim to build evidence to the care reform sector. However, by exploring outcomes the intention is to also learn about the quality and relevance of the interventions. The review will be used for formative purposes – to inform CTWWC’s design-build process and put evidence in the hands of key care reform stakeholders. Whilst this is unusual² it is in keeping with how CTWWC has been conceived as an initiative with a longer-term vision, rather than as a traditional project. CTWWC teams and senior management undertake regular reflection activities to inform adjustments to strategies and plans. This happens informally on an ongoing basis and in a more structured fashion at two key points in the operating year – the mid-point of the financial year (April) to inform the remainder of the year and planning for the following year, and at the opening of a new financial year (October) to review and adjust the plan for the year ahead. This Year 3 Review is designed to feed into this process at the opening of financial year 2022. This will be both with the implementing teams in the demonstration countries and for influence, learning and engagement (operating regionally and globally) as well as with the senior management team and governing board.

Format and scope of the review

It is important to CTWWC that the Year 3 review is as participatory as possible, especially around the inclusion of people with lived experiences of care and those living with disabilities. Children, caregivers and care providers should be included not only as informants, but also in the design of the review itself and the tools to be used and in the process of interpreting results and drawing conclusions and recommendations.

The review should combine primary data collection as well as building on the monitoring results (as planned for in CTWWC’s PMP). CTWWC has invested in the design and implementation of several key assessments to provide key information for care reform stakeholders to use. Interviews with these stakeholders should be planned to understand better the assessments methodologies, results and use.

Although CTWWC is implementing demonstration work in several countries, the focus of the Year 3 review in regard to demonstration work will be on Kenya and Guatemala where implementation is in the third year. Other countries have begun implementation more recently and will be reviewed in their third year of implementation in a similar manner. The broader influence, learning and engagement work at regional and global levels will be included in the review.

Components of the review

The Year 3 review (and other subsequent evaluations) will combine several approaches, including using internal monitoring data, to look at the different elements within the initiative. The Year 3 review will include three major components: (Table is on the Link)

The first part will be undertaken through an existing contract with a Boston College School of Social Work professor and his team. The key findings from the household survey should be included in the Year 3 review report and inform the overall conclusions and recommendations of the review. It is expected that there will be close collaboration with the Household Survey team. Further details of the household survey with is related to strategic objective 2 (see annex 1) will be provided.

Outcome Harvesting Substantiation

The second part will use information gathered through CTWWC’s use of Outcome Harvesting as part of ongoing monitoring, looking at changes in behavior of “social actors”³ and whether/how CTWWC’s advocacy and influencing work at national, regional and global levels (covering both work under strategic objective 1 and 3, see annex 1) relate to it? The review provides an opportunity for independent substantiation and deeper analysis (see Outcome Harvesting process in Annex 2).

Key research questions

1. What are the demonstrated behaviors that have changed among the social actors CTWWC is working with and/or aims to influence?

2. How has CTWWC contributed to these outcomes? Who else has contributed?

3. How do the observed changes demonstrate CTWWC’s success in reaching its objectives?

4. How might CTWWC shift our theory of change, strategy, and/or activities based on the observed outcomes?

Overview of initiative

The third part provides an opportunity to look across the CTWWC initiative at the local provision of care and support, national system development and sector collaboration and policy, practice and funding shifts as a result of CTWWC’s work. Data will be gathered through interviews and group discussions with key stakeholders (e.g. residential care providers, community leaders, religious leaders, local and national government, regional actors, key sector players etc.). This will allow for a deeper investigation into reported outcomes from part 1 and 2. Additional data should be brought in from the care system assessments, funding flow analyses, situational analyses, opinion studies and KAP surveys which have been undertaken as part of ongoing monitoring.

Key research questions

· How has the support for and provision of care and family-strengthening changed over the last 3 years? (within demonstration countries – locally and nationally – and at regional and global levels)

· How have the national contexts and impact of COVID-19 affected care reform efforts?

· How are government and civil society in demonstration countries planning and acting to scale up care reform efforts in their country?

· How are sector coordination/collaboration, financial commitments, policy commitments, other public commitments (e.g. declarations) nationally, regionally and globally changing? What has been CTWWC’s contribution?

· Who are the key actors contributing to these changes? What has been CTWWC’s contribution?

· What key lessons have been learned about care and family strengthening that have significantly impacted (positive and negative) the reform process?

· Considering CTWWC’s theory of change and current thinking on scaling of care reform, what

should CTWWC consider in future implementation plans, strategies and approaches?

We are also interested in understanding the “value for money,” or “cost effectiveness” of CTWWC’s contributions and are looking for suggestions on a suitable approach that could fit within the Year 3 Review.

Terms of Reference

Activities

The main activities for this SOW will include:

· Planning and preparation for review through meetings with CTWWC staff and partners and desk review of key documents

· Outcome Harvesting

o Review of data gathered through Outcome Harvesting, Year 2 analysis and interpretation

o Development of substantiation plan and tools in collaboration with Outcome Harvesting experts (contracted to CTWWC)

o Substantiation of outcome data through interviews with stakeholders

o Analysis of outcome data

o Workshops with CTWWC teams

· Overview

o Development of plan to evaluate overall initiative, building on Outcome Harvesting results, household survey results and monitoring data

o Review of monitoring data and assessment reports

o Review of household survey findings

o Development of interview methodology and tools

o Interviews and discussions with stakeholders

o Analysis of interview and discussions

o Workshops with CTWWC teams

· Report drafting and presentation of key findings

Travel to Kenya and Guatemala (one trip to each) was anticipated for workshops and interviews. However, this is currently looking unlikely given the COVID-19 restrictions on travel and meetings. This will be reviewed closer to the time of in-country activities. Plans should be made initially for all activities to be undertaken virtually.

Deliverables

· Review protocols (methodology, tools, workplan etc.)

· Interview and discussion plans (selected participants and timelines)

· Workshop plans (selected participants and agendas)

· Draft report

· Presentation of findings

· Final report

Required qualifications

The firm, company, consultant/team lead must demonstrate the following abilities:

· Master’s Degree required in public health, sociology or, a related field (Law or PhD. preferred)

· A proven record of leading evaluations and undertaking data collection through semi- structured qualitative interviews and participatory workshops

· Experience with child protection, and care reform

· Concrete record demonstrating bidder’s following of research ethics procedures, including informed consent and maintaining confidentiality

· Experience of evaluating advocacy initiatives preferred

· Experience of using value for money approaches preferred

· Strong English language skills (written and oral), Spanish language skills preferred

Submission requirements and process

Applicant(s) must submit the following documents:

· Expression of Interest and Cover Page with signature:

o Name of the company or organization

o Company address, telephone

o Company website

o Point of contact email for follow up on the proposal

o Type of legal entity; jurisdiction of legal entity

· Capability statement: Description of previous experience conducting evaluations including of complex or advocacy initiatives, CVs of the personnel who will take part in the consultancy, and, if a team or firm is applying, structure for the assignment role each team member will play. No more than five (5) pages.

· Technical Proposal: The consultant’s understanding and interpretation of the Terms of Reference (TOR), description of how deliverables and milestones will be achieved. The technical proposal should not exceed six (6) pages.

· Financial proposal: The Financial proposal should be a separate document from the technical proposal. Itemized budget proposal with a clear breakdown of the consultancy fees and operational costs as per delivery table sections.

· References: Names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of three organizations that you have conducted similar assignment for within the last three years, that will act as professional references.

· Relationship disclosure: Describe any current or past relationships your organization may have with CRS, and if it is a potential conflict of interest. If there is a potential conflict of interest, please explain how this risk will be mitigated.

Describe any personal or familial relationships any employee of the Contractor has with any employee of CRS. If there is a relationship, please explain how any conflict of interest risk will be mitigated. Disclosure does not automatically disqualify offerer.

All team members will be required to provide to CRS a signed statement attesting no conflict of interest or describing an existing conflict of interest relative to the project or activity being evaluated (i.e. a conflict of interest form).