Background |
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Background: The Global Fund is an innovative financing mechanism that has been supporting programs in Zimbabwe, since 2003, for prevention, treatment, and care for people with HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria. The primary goal of the HIV grant (2018-2020) which supported the Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) program in Zimbabwe is to reduce the rate of HIV incidence i.e. to prevent new infections and reduce HIV related morbidity and mortality in Zimbabwe. The AGYW program which started under the NMF2 grant (2018-2020) is being scaled up under the NFM3 HIV grant (2021-2023). The GF HIV resources are being used to improve access to HIV counselling and testing services; support HIV prevention through behaviour change communication and comprehensive sexuality education; expand PMTCT services; strengthen provision of community-based HIV services (including GBV prevention); and achieve universal access to HIV treatment. UNDP is the Principal Recipient of the HIV Grant in Zimbabwe. The AGYW Programme 2018 – 2020: Prior to the grant period 2018-2020, there was an estimated 1.3 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe DHS 2015). Adult HIV prevalence had shown a steady declining trend from 18.1% in 2005 to 13.8% in 2015 (Zimbabwe DHS 2015). HIV prevalence among children (0-14) was estimated to be at 1.6%. While the epidemic had declined among both men and women (15-49), women continued to bear disproportionate burden with prevalence levels of 16.7% compared to 10.5% among men in 2015. The same gender disparity was true for new infections, where women had an HIV incidence of 0.67%, compared to 0.28% among men aged 15-49 (ZIMPHIA Fact Sheet 2016). Zimbabwe’s modes of transmission study of 2017 showed that the greatest number of new infections – more than 16,000 a year – occurred among never married women. Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in particular, experienced dramatically disproportionate burden and risk factors. Young women (20-24), for instance, had an HIV prevalence 2.78 times greater than their male peers. In addition, 17.1% of women aged 15-19 who had sex in the last year did so with a partner that was ten or more years older – up from 15.2% in 2010 and 7.5% in 2005 (WHO Epi Review 2016). In addition, 41% of girls reported sexual debut before 18 years as unwanted (ZIMSTAT) and rates of transactional sex were high and increasing (Epidemiological Review and Modes of Transmission Study 2017). The HIV prevalence among young women (18-24) with two or more transactional sex partners in the last six months was estimated at 32%, compared to 10% among those who had never had transactional sex (Zimbabwe National Sex Program – UNICEF). Upon this background, the AGYW program was designed as part of the critical interventions to address the social and structural factors that fuel intergenerational, forced and/or transactional sex – particularly gender inequality and sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) – for preventing HIV among AGYW. Given the fact that less than half of young people in Zimbabwe were observed to be knowledgeable about HIV prevention methods (46% among women and 47% among men in 2015), improved Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) was also prescribed as a critical intervention. The AGYW Programme started in 2018 under the 3-year NFM2 HIV grant (2018-2020). It is managed, coordinated and implemented under National AIDS Commission (NAC) working closely with Plan International, and the Zimbabwe Association of Church related Hospitals (ZACH) – the Grant Sub-Recipients. The AGYW programme focuses largely on four delivery approaches:
The AGYW program is delivered in partnership with existing community structures, such as youth groups and activity clubs, to ensure that the adolescent girls and young women are able to obtain and generate information on their sexual and reproductive health rights, freely and effectively express themselves, strengthen their life skills, as well as have unlimited access to legal aid and advice on their rights. National AIDS Council: NAC is an organization enacted through the Act of Parliament of 1999 to coordinate and facilitate the national multi-sectorial response to HIV and AIDS. Under the GF Program, NAC is the Sub recipient (SR) responsible for managing and coordinating the (i) Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and (ii) Key Populations (KP) programs.There are 4 Sub-Sub Recipients (SSRs) under NAC which include: Plan International and ZACH (AGYW); and CeSHHAR and UNFPA (KP). The Evaluation Context The overall objective of the End-Term Evaluation is to establish and document the effectiveness and programmatic reach of the AGYW program including activities, outputs and results since project inception in 2018 to completion in 2020. The evaluation will be guided by the 6 core Official Development Assistance (ODA) evaluation criteria: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impacts, and sustainability (but specifically the four OECD-DAC that are emphasized in UNDP guidelines – relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability). The AGYW program was rolled-out in 2018 under the 3-year GF HIV grant (2018-2020); and was followed by a baseline assessment in 2019. It should be noted that the baseline had some design gaps particularly in terms of reach whereby data were not adequately collected on some key indicators. The consultant will propose strategies to address these data gaps since the end-term evaluation compares progress made in achieving the underlying objectives of the project against the baseline results. The findings from the evaluation will be used by NAC and key stakeholders to inform the next cycle of grant implementation, but also to draw relevant lessons and appropriate recommendations for AGYW programs in Zimbabwe. It is important to note that the evaluation context takes into consideration the potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which may have caused disruptions to programme continuation resulting into slow implementation in the primary and secondary education system, thus attendance and keeping the girls in school. Evaluation Strategy The evaluation strategy that has been designed and adopted to guide the implementation of the program since its inception includes: a) baseline assessment which was conducted in 2019; b) monthly collection and reporting of routine data by NAC through the National HIV & AIDS Activity Report Form (NARF) reporting c) quarterly reports submitted to UNDP as the PR; d) program review meetings, including SR quarterly and semester review meetings e) documentation of best practices and lessons learnt; and f) the end-term evaluation scheduled for 2021 to measure the overall impact of implementing program interventions. The evaluation design as prescribed by the potential consultant(s) must comply with the OEDC DAC Evaluation Quality Standards and the UNDP Evaluation Guidelines. The evaluation principles that will guide the end-term evaluation and to which potential consultant(s) must adhere include: independence, transparency, participatory and gender responsiveness. Evaluation Scope The end-term evaluation will cover the period Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 and will take into consideration the project geographical areas and the relevant implementing partners. The evaluation will target (and be guided by) the various thematic/result areas of the AGYW project as stipulated by the NAC Strategic Documents including the ZNASP III and the National M&E Plan for the period. These key areas include: (i) Sista2Sista and Male Mobilization interventions; (ii) DREAMS programme (iii) SASA! and; (iv) One Stop Centres (OSC). The end-term evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the implementation strategy and the results. This will include the implementation modalities, roles and responsibilities, coordination, partnership arrangements, institutional strengthening, beneficiary participation, replication, and sustainability of the programme. The evaluation will address how the interventions under the AGYW programme sought to strengthen the application of the rights-based approach and mainstream gender in development efforts. In addition, the evaluation will also be used to collect data on any unintended outcomes of the AGYW program during the course of the 3-year implementation period. This will be discussed during the inception meeting when the consultant is selected. Evaluation questions The following key questions are proposed to guide the programme evaluation:
?2. Effectiveness – (Describe the management processes and their appropriateness in supporting delivery)
3. Efficiency – (of Programme Implementation)
4. Coherence – (Measuring the extent to which the intervention is compatible with other interventions within the country, the sector or institution). This involves assessing internal and external coherence to determine how other interventions, policies and programs support or undermine the AGYW program and vice versa.
5. Impact Measurement
6. Sustainability and Ownership
Evaluation Methodology A combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used for the end-term evaluation with various targeted groups / evaluation participants to obtain primary data on the key evaluation questions. A participatory approach will be adopted to appropriately gather the various perspectives of key stakeholders. Overall, the AGYW program is implemented in 30 districts (for S2S), in 6 districts for SASA! and 4 districts for DREAMS and OSC. The S2S program targets to reach 15,000 AGYWs annually. The selected consultant (or team of consultants) will be required to propose the details in terms of suitable methodology for the evaluation, and this should be well articulated in their technical proposal. Once selected and in consultation with UNDP, NAC and key stakeholders, the consultant(s) will revise the methodology and reflect this (including interview schedule, field visits and data to be used in the evaluation) in the Inception Report. After the methodology is agreed upon, the consultant(s) will develop relevant instruments to capture and analyse the data during the evaluation. The proposed methodology, tools and schedules should be gender and target group sensitive. The end-term evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the UNEG ‘Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation’. The consultant is required to safeguard the rights and confidentiality of information providers, interviewees and stakeholders through measures to ensure compliance with legal and other relevant codes governing collection of data and reporting on data. The consultant must also ensure security of collected information before and after the evaluation and protocols to ensure anonymity and confidentiality of sources of information where that is expected. The information knowledge and data gathered in the evaluation process must also be solely used for the evaluation and not for other uses with the express authorization of UNDP and partners.
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Duties and Responsibilities |
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Description of Responsibilities Specifically, during the process of carrying out the End-Term Evaluation the consultant (or team of consultants) shall:
Timeframe and deliverables Time frame 69 working days over a period of 04 months Key Deliverables
The following deliverables are expected. These should include: (a) evaluation inception report including a workplan and evaluation schedule; (b) draft evaluation report for comments; (c) an audit trail detailing how comments, questions and clarifications have been addressed; (d) final report (addressing comments, questions and clarifications); and (e) presentations and other knowledge products – including relevant de-briefings. [a] Inception report The Consultant (or team of consultants) will prepare an inception report which will show how the assignment will be accomplished. This is to ensure that the potential consultant(s) and the key stakeholders (the ZACH, Plan International, UN women, Ministry of Primary Education, Police, the UN Joint Team on AIDS and NAC) have a shared understanding of the assignment. The inception report will include the evaluation matrix summarizing the evaluation design, methodology, evaluation questions, data sources and collection analysis tool for each data source and the measure by which each question will be evaluated. In addition, the report will include the scope of work, work plan with clear timelines, proposed schedule of tasks; activities and deliverables, with clear responsibilities for each task or product. The inception report will provide details in terms of evaluation questions that the evaluation will answer, data sources, data collection, analysis tools or methods appropriate for each data source, and the standard or measure by which each question will be evaluated. It will also provide resource requirements tied to the evaluation activities and deliverables detailed in the workplan; as well as the evaluation matrix and an Outline of the draft/final report as per UNDP guidelines – as provided in the link below. http://web.undp.org/evaluation/guideline/ The inception report will be submitted 12 days after starting the assignment (inclusive of the inception meeting). The consultant(s) will thereafter develop data collection tools. The tools will be reviewed and validated by a technical group to ensure that the tools reflect the data that need to be collected/questions to be answered. [b] Draft report The Consultant (or team of consultants) will prepare a draft report, in the appropriate format to be agreed with NAC and UNDP. The draft report will be shared with NAC and UNDP for review and comments. NAC will arrange for the consultant(s) to present the draft findings at a AGYW stakeholder workshop where inputs would be sought to inform the revision of the report, and to ensure that the evaluation meets the required quality criteria. It is anticipated that there will be three drafts (the zero draft, first draft and Final Report). The consultant(s) will then consolidate the input within 5 working days after submission of the Draft Evaluation Report. The report will be produced in English. [c] Final Report The comprehensive final End Term Evaluation Report should be submitted to UNDP through NAC after addressing all comments from stakeholders emanating from the draft report within the last 5 days of the consultancy. NAC may request for the report to be improved on or accept the report with changes at its discretion. The content and the structure of the final analytical report with findings, recommendations and lessons learnt covering the scope of the evaluation should meet the requirements of the UNDP Monitoring and Evaluation Policy Guidelines http://web.undp.org/evaluation/guideline/ and should include the following: • Executive summary (1-2 pages) • Introduction (1 page) • Description of the evaluation methodology (6 pages) • Situational analysis about the outcome, outputs and partnership strategy • Analysis of opportunities to provide guidance for future programming • Key findings, including best practices and lessons learned (4-5 pages) • Conclusion and recommendations (4-5 pages) • Appendices: charts, terms of reference, tools and questionnaires, people interviewed, documents reviewed Note: The above number of pages are just indicative.
Duty Station The duty station of the work is Harare, Zimbabwe.
Management arrangements
UNDP will contract the consultant (or team of consultants) on behalf of NAC to undertake the End-term Evaluation. UNDP will hire and manage the contract to ensure that the assignment is delivered in line with UN values, whilst NAC, through the M&E Director’s office shall provide overall supervision in line with the core objective of the assignment. All contractual issues will be handled by UNDP. |
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Competencies |
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Competencies:
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Required Skills and Experience |
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Key Qualifications (Lead Consultant): Education: • Advanced University degree (Masters and Above) in Public Health, Epidemiology, Development Studies, or any of the relevant Social Sciences. Experience:
Please note that the end-term evaluation will require the evaluators’ independence from any organization(s) that have been involved in designing, executing or advising any aspect of the intervention that is the subject of the evaluation. Language:
Key Qualifications (Other Technical Expert – Statistician): Education:
Experience:
Language:
Other team members may include specialists in Gender, Education and Community Development. How to Apply: Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments The consultant (or team of consultants) shall be paid the consultancy fee upon completion of the following milestones.
Recommended Presentation of Offer Interested bidders must submit the following:
Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer Submissions will be evaluated in consideration of the Evaluation Criteria as stated below: The offer will be evaluated by using the Best value for money approach (combined scoring method). Technical proposal will be evaluated on 70% whereas the financial one will be evaluated on 30%. Below is the breakdown of technical proposal on 100% which will be brought to 70%: Criteria for Selection: Technical Proposal
Financial proposal 30% Total 100% ANNEXES: All relevant strategic documents and reference materials will be provided to the consultant(s) in soft copy upon signing of the contract. These will include, but not limited to: (a) Zimbabwe National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS – ZNASP III & IV (b) The National M&E Plan and the Results Framework 2015 – 2020 (c) ZIMPHIA Fact Sheet 2016 (d) Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey 2015 (e) Epidemiological Review and Modes of Transmission Study 2017 (f) National Baseline Survey on the Life Experiences of Adolescents (NBSLEA – ZimStat) (g) National AIDS Council Mini-M&E Plan 2018 – 2020 (h) The AGYW and KP M&E Plan 2021 – 2023 (i) Key stakeholders and partners as referenced in NAC Mini Plan and ZNASP III (j) Documents to be reviewed and consulted (k) Evaluation Matrix Template (l) Outline of the evaluation report format (m) Code of conduct forms
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