Terms of Reference for External Evaluators/Consulting firm

           Mid-Term Evaluation for the Inclusive Education Project in Baglung (SIKAI Project)

1. Context and Background  

With funding from Hempel for a better, inclusive and resilient education in Nepal, VSO has begun the implementation of project, Inclusive Education Project in Baglung (SIKAI Project). This project focuses on the learning need and transition of school children from Grade 5 to Grade 6 of basic level. VSO is currently looking for an external evaluator/consulting firm to carry out the mid-term evaluation of SIKAI project. 

SIKAI Project envisions a world where severely marginalized learners are empowered through education for successful transition from Grade 5 to 6 even in COVID-19 context. It takes the peer mentoring approach (Big Sisters model) and uses it to support the marginalized learners. In partnership with BYC Baglung, the project (March 2021 – February 2025) targets 7,200 students. This project works in two municipalities: Jaimini Municipality and Kathekhola Rural Municipality of Baglung district which includes 60 schools, and BYC is responsible for carrying out the project interventions.

Strengthening formal education is the major intervention area of the project, many more learners will also indirectly be benefitted from an improved environment and increased capacity for inclusive education through the interventions of the project. Importantly, Inclusive Education Project in Baglung is designed to link its grassroots-level interventions with the Government of Nepal’s national-level policy implementation process.

Major project interventions of the project include parental awareness on the importance of children's education, teachers' SMC and PTAs capacity development, establishment of reading corners, strengthen local government’s engagement and capacity in inclusive education and advocacy/policy. Moreover, developing capacity among the teachers and parents with regard to gender responsive education, Child Protection and Child Safeguarding are other major focus areas of the project interventions.

The overall impact of the project is ‘Marginalized children have improved learning outcomes and successfully transitioned from grade 5 to grade 6 in school education’. This will be achieved through the following outcomes and respective outputs:    

Outcome 1: Parents/caregivers of marginalized girls and boys support children’s learning

Outcome 2: School children (girls and boys) have access to gender responsive and child-friendly teaching practices in a safer learning environment.

Outcome 3: Education service providers and duty bearers implement inclusive, child friendly and gender responsive policies.

See Annex 1 for Project Log-frame. 

2. Theory of Change (ToC)

The theory of change of the project posits that the socio-cultural and political barriers that marginalized girls and boys face in primary level education contributes to their low educational access, retention and attainment.  

At individual level, children lack a voice to advocate for their own education, and girls in particular are made to feel unsafe and unsupported in school.  

At family level, entrenched poverty makes it difficult for parents to prioritize their children’s education. At the same time, poor knowledge of educational rights, equity provisions (equal access to education, equal value to girls’ and boys’ education, equal time for literacy and learning at home etc.), and school management processes hinder the ability of parents to advocate for their children’s enrolment and learning.  

Within the community, social norms, harmful traditional practices such as early and forced child marriage, migration for labour, and expectations around gender roles keep marginalised children out of school and limit their aspirations for learning. 

At school level: Schools and school authorities struggle to materialize inclusive education policies and fail to develop teachers with child-centred, gender-responsive teaching skills. 

At government level: Policy makers lack evidence on how to implement inclusive education policies in the new federal system and where local and provincial units require guidance and capacity building to perform their roles. 

See Annex 2 for Project Theory of Change.

3. Scope of the work

These below are the principles underpinning the study:

• Results in learning that is useful not just for partners, Hempel and VSO but the education sector more broadly 
• Builds on the priority learning areas
• Solicits input at key points from all the stakeholders. 

For detail ToR please click here