TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY TO CONDUCT A NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE GENERAL NEEDS OF ADOLESCENTS AS SCHOOLS RE-OPEN AND ASSESS BARRIERS PREV

Background and Rationale

CARE is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which has since 1968 been working to enhance social justice and alleviate poverty in Kenya. In Kenya, CARE targets approximately 2 million people per year, focusing on empowering women and girls to be self-reliant, have a sustainable, high quality of life and their rights are fully realized; while engaging institutions for enabling policy and accountability and with communities for transformational practices that enhance women and girls access to and control over productive assets and benefits – as well as engaging men and boys. It does this by collaborating with national and county governments, communities and development partners to implement programs that highly impact women and girls while targeting relevant stakeholders. Its programs focus on Emergency and Humanitarian Assistance, women and girls economic empowerment, Food Nutrition security and Climate Change, Health and Water Sanitation and Hygiene.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in Kenya, the closure of institutions has not only affected learners and teachers but it has also exacerbated numerous economic and social issues, including interrupted and loss of learning, education exclusion, homelessness, nutrition and economic crisis, childcare challenges and increase in teenage pregnancy cases, financial cost implication to households, and sexual exploitation among others. The effects have been more severe for the underprivileged children and their households from the urban poor communities. Due to parents’ loss of livelihoods, some children have been forced into income-generating activities to support their families’ survival. The longer children stay out of school, the greater the risk of them not returning to schools; and children facing the risk of child marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM), violence, and child labour.

The Care Kenya Innovative Elimu ya Vijana Tuendeleze Project aims at ensuring adolescents in Nairobi’s informal settlements and Kajiado County return to schools; and support adolescents who have had to drop out of school transition back into school or gain vocational and economic empowerment skills.

Purpose of the Consultancy:

The purpose of the consultancy is to understand the various factors and barriers that hinder adolescents during this Covid-19 pandemic period from returning to school and document them by conducting a direct needs assessment. It will also look at challenges faced by schools that may prevent adolescents from returning to school in the informal settlements of Nairobi County; and Kajiado County. It will also identify opportunities how community and County government level can support adolescents having challenges in returning to school and supporting those who may not return to school.

Specific objectives of the Assignment:

1. Assess adolescents who have returned to school and number of those who have not returned to school.

2. To identify the needs and barriers of adolescent boys and girls to returning back to school during this Covid 19 pandemic period.

3. School requirements that may prevent adolescents from returning back to school.

4. Identify opportunities in the communities for adolescents, who have had to drop out of school, to enable them gain economic empowerment skills and mentorship/ apprenticeship.

5. To identify organizations that are providing this type of support to the targeted adolescents?

The consultancy will try and answer the following questions:

Ø How many public and private schools (primary and secondary) are in the Informal settlements of Nairobi County & Kajiado County?

Ø How many adolescents have returned and how many adolescents have not returned to school and what reasons have been cited for not returning back to school? Number of adolescents who were out of school before the Covid pandemic, and those out of school after Covid.

Ø Adolescent girls who have gotten pregnant after school closures in 2020 and those who gotten married.

Ø If the 2 regions have community schools (accelerated/community-based/complimentary education programs), where adolescents and adults who dropped out of school would attend for remedial education.

Ø What mental health and psychosocial needs have arisen post Covid 19 for these communities?

Ø Do the Schools have Covid 19 prevention protocols in place (hand washing facilities and face masks) and are they being implemented?

Ø School level needs: Number of qualified teachers in school; Number of Schools not provided with food for feeding programs, and sanitary towels by the Ministry of Education; PPE and WASH requirements; fees requirement by learners;

Ø Are there Vocational institutions in the area and are they open/fully functional?

Ø What Networks and organizations addressing child abuse and GBV cases in the community exist in these two areas, what safeguarding mechanisms are in place, and what support are they currently providing? Existence of youth friendly health facilities

Ø What Adolescents economic empowerment opportunities exist within schools and community, e.g. VSLA/ YSLA, and TVET?

Ø What opportunities/support structures are in-place from the government and what are the gaps?

Approach and Methodology.

It is expected that the chosen consultant(s) will utilize safe, child-friendly and do no harm methods. In the course of the direct needs assessment, the research team will conduct a quant survey, Focus Group Interview (FGI) and individual interviews with various stakeholders, including:

· Adolescents in school and out of school,

· Teachers and School Heads,

· Parents,

· County Education officials.

Quantitative data collected from the surveys will be triangulated with qualitative data.

The direct assessment is expected to result to specific needs and deficiencies of adolescents in the project sites. The consultant is expected to rely on primary data as well as secondary data for the exercise. Selection of a desired sample size from the sample frame should be statistically sound and significantly reduce sampling error.

The consultant should have a data management plan that details collection, preparation, analysis and presentation of data while maintaining data security measures.

It is paramount that the needs assessment provides quantitative as well as qualitative evidence, triangulated, and well-analyzed, and results interpreted before formulating (a) findings, (b) conclusions, and (c) recommendations, each of which should show how they relate to each other.

COVID-19 adaptations:

The field work must follow the stipulated Ministry of Health (MoH) measures to prevent spread and contraction of COVID 19. This entails wearing of face masks, and ensuring social distancing is maintained at all times.

The selected consultant is expected to outline how COVID-19 safety measures, including the response measures, will be implemented in the course of the task. These measures will need to complement each other with CARE COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Expected Outcome/ Deliverables:

At the end of the consultancy, the consulting firm will be required to deliver the following:

1. An inception report, including a work plan, agreed upon methodology

2. A comprehensive draft assessment report on Adolescents’ return to school during Covid 19 pandemic in Nairobi’s informal settlements and Kajiado County

3. Transcription of interviews and focus group discussions held by the consultant

4. Power Point presentation of draft report for review and comment

5. Finalized Needs Assessment report based on inputs from Power Point presentation and draft assessment report.

Duration and Timeline:

The Assessment is expected for a period of 30 days beginning after signing of the consulting service contract.

Deliverables

Time frame

Preparation: (e.g. reference documents, desk review, preliminary analysis, interview and survey questionnaires, mission planning etc.)

18^th – 20^th January, 2021

Inception report: – outlining how consultant will conduct the tasks including methodology for review/assessment and data collection; schedule of tasks and delivery timeframe based on the meeting with the project team

22^nd January, 2021

Field work for data collection in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties

25^th – 30^th January, 2021

Data analysis and submission of 1^st needs assessment report

• Briefing materials

1^st – 6^th February, 2021

· Final needs assessment report and recommendations according to results of assessment

· Power Point presentation- short brief to show the findings of the report.

11^th February, 2021

Structure of Final Report

The Final report should include:

1. An executive summary

2. Recommendation: making reference to evidence. The recommendations should consider actions needed and potential areas for CARE Kenya intervention in the project.

3. Report of Findings

Consultant Profile

· Advanced degree in Education, and with strong research and analysis component

· At least 5-7 years of proven knowledge and experience in conducting and writing needs assessment studies and use of participatory research methodologies

· Proven experience in conducting needs assessments to feed into programming

· Demonstrated ability to critically analyze primary and secondary data sources and to present information in a concise form.

· At least 3 clearly stated references for similar assignments previously successfully performed.

Submission of proposal:

Consultants that can perform the task as per this Terms of Reference should submit their proposal (not more than 10 pages) including methodology, example of needs assessments as proof of previous work. The proposal should take the following aspects into consideration:

• Consultant profile and curriculum vitae(s);

• Relevance to Terms of Reference (TOR)

• Methodology

• Budget breakdown on professional fees and logistical expenses

• Professional, academic qualifications, and contact details for three references

• Experience of needs assessment studies and 2 copies of previous similar studies submitted

Application Procedure

Applicants should submit a soft copy of Expression of Interest by 8^th January, 2021 at 5:00pm to [email protected] for the attention of Abraham Serem.

The subject line should read “Needs Assessment to Determine Needs and Barriers for Adolescents Reopening School”.

Please note that emails and attachments should not exceed the 10mbs in one mail. If above 10mbs please send different emails and name them accordingly.

Please note that applications that are incomplete and/or received past the deadline will not be considered. Only shortlisted, qualified candidates will be contacted.