Term of Reference For Final Evaluation of EHF-UNOCHA funded SWAN

PROJECT SUMMARY
Project title	Multisectoral integrated response in WASH, Health, Nutrition and ES/NFI
Allocation Type	2024 4th Round Reserve Allocation
Donor	EHF-OCHA
Budget	4 million USD
Project duration	17th July 2024 to 16th September 2025
Fund code	CBPF-ETH-24-S-INGO-27732
Implementing Agency	SWAN (Save the Children, World Vision, Action Against Hunger, Norwegian Refugee Council), FIDO, OWS-DF
Sector	WASH, Shelter, Health, Nutrition, and Protection Mainstreaming
General Objectives	To contribute towards saving lives, reducing suffering and morbidity, and increasing human dignity through enhanced access to immediate multi-sectoral integrated WASH, ESNFI, Health, Nutrition, and protection mainstream assistance for the most vulnerable & crises affected people across the county
Target group	628,238 Individuals (534,006 internally displaced people and 94,232 host community members)
Implementation Area	7 Regions (Central Ethiopia, Southern Ethiopia, Amhara, Oromia, Gambella, Somali, Afar) for landslide, Flood, conflict, drought and Earthquake affected areas across the country.

 

1. BACKGROUND

Ethiopia is experiencing a combination of man-made and natural crises, including conflict, climate-driven disasters, and earthquakes. Recurring droughts, frequent flooding, seismic activity, and outbreaks of emerging diseases have significantly increased humanitarian needs in 2024. Over the past few years, the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance has grown substantially. According to the Ethiopia Humanitarian Response Plan, more than 21.4 million people across the country are in urgent need of aid, with an estimated funding requirement of US $3.24 billion to support affected populations in 2024. Many regions are severely impacted by drought and conflict, leading to widespread disruption of livelihoods. This has resulted in worsening malnutrition and reduced access to clean water, healthcare, protection, privacy, and safety necessitating immediate and lifesaving humanitarian assistance.

To address the identified gaps and priority needs, SWAN consortium partners, with support from the EHF-OCHA fund, have delivered lifesaving, integrated multi-sectoral assistance including WASH, NFIs and Emergency Shelter, Health, Nutrition, and Protection through the continued fourth-round reserve allocation of 2023.

SWAN is a consortium project that provides a flexible and rapid humanitarian response mechanism to communities across Ethiopia affected by drought, conflict, disease outbreaks, and other crises. Led by Save the Children, the consortium was established in 2019 by Save the Children, World Vision (WV), Action Against Hunger (AAH), and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), with implementation support from local partners Fayyaa Integrated Development Organization and OWS Development Fund. The consortium delivers rapid, integrated multisectoral responses in WASH, Health, Nutrition, Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items (ESNFI), and Protection. By conducting rapid needs assessments and developing immediate response plans, SWAN continues to provide timely and effective humanitarian support to communities affected by floods, disease outbreaks, earthquakes, landslides, droughts, and conflict tailoring responses to community needs and the capacities of consortium partners across the country.

With USD 4 million secured from the EHF-OCHA 2023 fourth -round reserve allocation, the SWAN consortium comprising Save the Children, World Vision, Action Against Hunger, and the Norwegian Refugee Council has been implementing the project titled “Multisectoral Integrated Response in WASH, Health, Nutrition, and ES/NFI.” The project runs from July 17, 2024, to September 16, 2025, and is being carried out in collaboration with local partners, national and regional clusters, and government agencies across seven regions of Ethiopia, Southern Ethiopia, Afar, Somali, Central Ethiopia, Amhara, Oromia, and Gambella. The overall objective is to deliver immediate, lifesaving assistance to 628,238 individuals (534,006 internally displaced persons and 94,232 host community members) affected by conflict, earthquakes, landslides, disease outbreaks, and drought.

Under the WASH sector, the project has increased access to safe drinking water and promoted improved hygiene practices through lifesaving interventions such as the rehabilitation and construction of water schemes, emergency latrine construction, and distribution of hygiene items targeting girls, boys, women, and men in conflict, earthquakes, landslides, disease outbreaks, and drought affected areas. In the Shelter and Non-Food Items (ES/NFI) sector, the project has provided emergency shelter kits and in-kind NFIs to improve physical protection, reduce overcrowding, and ensure privacy and safety for displaced populations. Through the Health sector, the project has enhanced access to basic preventive and curative health services by supplying essential medicines, medical equipment, infection prevention and control (IPC) materials, furniture, and delivering primary healthcare services in areas affected by conflict, drought, earthquakes, landslides, and disease outbreaks. In the Nutrition sector, the project has delivered immediate lifesaving nutrition interventions to crisis-affected populations across the country. As of April 2025, the SWAN consortium had reached 615,238 individuals with integrated support across the WASH, Health, Nutrition, and ES/NFI sectors.

The ongoing EHF-OCHA-funded SWAN Consortium project, which effective from July 17, 2024, and will come to an end on September 16, 2025. In accordance with the project agreement, a final external evaluation survey will be conducted in the project’s implementation areas. This evaluation aims to assess the results and outcomes of the project’s integrated multi-sectoral humanitarian response, in alignment with EHF’s strategic objectives, cluster priorities, and broader governance and management frameworks. It will also include a cost-benefit or value-for-money analysis, and examine cross-cutting issues such as gender, protection, and coordination with other response mechanisms. The findings from this final evaluation are expected to help consortium partners measure project outcomes and impact against established indicators, identify successes and areas for improvement, and draw lessons to enhance the delivery and coordination of timely, effective, and sustainable responses to the needs of affected IDPs, and host communities.

As the lead agency of the consortium, Save the Children (SCI) will oversee the final evaluation survey in close collaboration with consortium partners. The evaluation will be conducted by a qualified and experienced external consultant or firm, selected through a competitive process. The full evaluation process including consultant selection, contract awarding, inception reporting, team and field data collector organization, training, data collection, analysis, and reporting is scheduled to take place from the last week of June to the third week of August 2025. These Terms of Reference (ToR) have been developed to guide the final evaluation across all project implementation areas. A general overview of the project, along with key project documents such as the logical framework (including objectives, outcomes, outputs, and standard output indicators), is provided in the annex section.

2. PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION

This evaluation offers a valuable opportunity to capture lessons learned and best practices from the humanitarian response programs, with the aim of informing future emergency interventions and enabling potential replication or scaling. The findings will support the SWAN Consortium in strengthening its role as a rapid humanitarian response mechanism for ongoing and future crises in 2025/2026 and beyond.

The primary objective of the evaluation is to generate actionable insights and learning that can be utilized by SWAN consortium partners, relevant stakeholders, government entities, clusters, and EHF/OCHA to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian responses delivered through the three projects in Ethiopia. Specifically, the evaluation will assess the SWAN projects’ contribution to the timely and effective delivery of immediate, life-saving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs), host communities, and another vulnerable group. It will also help further prepare SWAN for a smooth transition toward a more predictive, localized, and accountable programming approach in Ethiopia’s humanitarian landscape.

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE EVALUATION

The overall objective of the evaluation is to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, coherence, and sustainability of the SWAN projects in delivering timely, coordinated, and principled humanitarian responses to crisis-affected communities. The evaluation also aims to generate evidence-based learning by identifying key lessons, documenting good practices, highlighting challenges, and establishing causal links to understand what has worked well and why. This will inform practical recommendations to further strengthen the design and implementation of SWAN’s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) projects, with the goal of enhancing the quality, coordination, and sustainability of future humanitarian responses.

3.1 specific objectives of the evaluation

• To evaluate the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, and impact of SWAN project interventions on the lives of crisis-affected communities.
• To assess the sustainability of the project’s activities and outcomes beyond the project period.
• To determine the extent to which the SWAN humanitarian response program has achieved its stated objectives and expected results across key intervention areas of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI), Health and Nutrition with an emphasis on protection mainstreaming.
• To identify key achievements, strengths, and challenges throughout the program cycle, and to extract actionable lessons that can inform the design and implementation of future programs, while improving the effectiveness and impact of SWAN projects.
• To enhance transparency and accountability among all stakeholders by evaluating the timeliness, coordination, and effectiveness of humanitarian assistance delivery, as well as the level of stakeholder engagement during various project phases, including intervention prioritization, monitoring, and evaluation.

4. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND QUESTIONS

The evaluation will be guided by the OECD/DAC standard evaluation criteria, relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, coherence, and sustainability to assess the performance of the SWAN project across its core thematic sectors: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items (ES/NFI), Health, Nutrition, and mainstream protection. A detailed evaluation matrix aligned with these criteria is included in the annex. The selected consultancy firm is expected to carefully review the provided template and ensure that all specified criteria are incorporated into the evaluation framework and corresponding questions.

5. SCOPE OF THE EVALUATION

The evaluation will focus on the SWAN Consortium project titled “Multisectoral Integrated Response in WASH, Health, Nutrition, and ES/NFIs”, covering the implementation period from July 17, 2024, to September 16, 2025.

• It will assess the humanitarian assistance delivered across the project’s core sectors: WASH, Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items (ES/NFI), Health, Nutrition, and protection mainstreaming.
• The evaluation will be conducted across SWAN’s operational areas in Seven regions of Ethiopia, Southern Ethiopia, Central Ethiopia, Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Gambella and Somali. However, due to potential security constraints, the specific areas for field data collection will be determined based on accessibility at the time of the evaluation.
• The evaluation will engage a diverse range of stakeholders and target groups, including:
• Primary beneficiaries: Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), host communities (both direct and indirect beneficiaries).
• Community-level structures: Targeting committees, WASH committees, Community Feedback Committees.
• Government stakeholders: Regional, zonal, and woreda offices of Water and Energy, Health, Disaster Risk Management and Food Security (DRMFS), Administration, and the Bureau of Women, Children, and Social Affairs.
• Humanitarian coordination bodies: National and regional clusters (Protection, WASH, ES/NFI, Health and Nutrition), UNOCHA/EHF coordination office in Addis Ababa.
• Technical and field teams: Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams (MHNT), Rapid Response Teams (RRT), and Technical Working Groups (Health, AWD/Cholera, etc.).
• Humanitarian actors: INGOs and local NGOs operating in SWAN’s implementation areas.
• Consortium members: SWAN consortium members and partner organizations including FIDO and OWS-DF, coordination teams, technical staff, and field teams across all levels (regional, zonal, woreda, kebele, and IDP sites).
• The evaluation will review a broad range of documents and resources, including but not limited to:
• Project proposals, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), operational manuals, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to SWAN governance, supply chain, Protection, WASH, ES/NFI, Health, Nutrition, and MEAL.
• Project implementation plans and progress reports (monthly, interim narrative, and financial).
• Project MEAL Framework
• Needs assessments, market feasibility studies, Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) surveys, response and distribution reports, research and evaluation reports, and relevant sectoral strategies and guidelines.
• A mixed-methods approach will be employed, combining both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. This will include:
• Secondary data review (e.g., facility-level health data)
• Desk reviews
• Field visits to a sample of SWAN project implementation sites
• The evaluation findings will be evidence-based and must include:
• Gender- and age-disaggregated data (men, women, boys, girls)
• Inclusion of persons with disabilities
• Supporting evidence such as case studies, success stories, direct quotes, and examples of good practices.

6. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

6.1 Evaluation Area and Period

The evaluation will be carried out across SWAN project implementation areas in seven regions of Ethiopia, Southern Ethiopia, Central Ethiopia, Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Gambella, and Somali. The evaluation period will be from July 1 to August 28, 2025, encompassing all key phases including submission of the inception report, field data collection, data analysis, and presentation of the final evaluation findings.

6.2 Evaluation Design/Approach

The evaluation will adopt a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods to ensure a comprehensive assessment of the SWAN consortium projects. It will be guided by a utilization-focused and participatory approach, emphasizing the practical value of both the evaluation process and its outputs for key stakeholders. The evaluation aims to facilitate learning, support evidence-based decision-making, and strengthen future humanitarian response strategies. To enhance credibility, reliability, and validity of findings, the evaluation will utilize various forms of triangulation comparing data collected from multiple sources and methods (methodological triangulation) to provide a nuanced, balanced, and rigorous analysis of the project’s performance. Primary and secondary data will be gathered using a range of tools tailored specifically to the evaluation of the SWAN consortium projects. These include:

• Household Surveys conducted in selected woredas to generate quantitative data aligned with key performance indicators at the objective, outcome, and output levels. Surveys will be administered digitally using platforms such as KoBoToolbox and facilitated by trained, experienced enumerators. The household survey will capture quantifiable project outcomes from a broadly representative sample of beneficiaries.
• Health Facility Assessments to evaluate service availability, accessibility, and quality in project-supported facilities.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) to collect qualitative insights from diverse stakeholders, including beneficiary households, project staff in selected areas, SWAN consortium partners, Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams (MHNTs), woreda Disaster Risk Management Offices (DRMOs), targeting and community committees, and non-consortium actors. These methods will allow stakeholders to share in-depth perspectives, inform on project implementation processes, and provide community voices an opportunity to shape evaluation outcomes.
• Desk Reviews of relevant documents including project proposals, summary budgets, progress and interim reports, narrative and total reach reports, post-distribution monitoring (PDM) reports, program reviews, and other relevant documents and secondary data from intervention zones.
• Field Observations and Case Studies to enrich the evaluation with context-specific details and human-interest stories that reflect project impact.

The design and methodology of all data collection tools including those for household surveys, FGDs, and KIIs will be developed and submitted by the selected consultancy firm in both the proposal and the inception report for review and approval. All evaluation activities will be conducted in alignment with UNOCHA-EHF and SWAN partner evaluation guidelines to ensure consistency with established standards and practices.

6.3 Sampling and Evaluation Units

The evaluation will apply a multi-stage, purposive sampling strategy combined with systematic random sampling to ensure representation across the diverse contexts in which the SWAN consortium operates. Sampling parameters will be set at a 95% confidence level with a 5% margin of error, based on the total beneficiary population specifically, the households that received multi-sectoral assistance through SWAN project interventions in prioritized areas. Given the wide geographical scope and the varying nature of emergencies (drought, conflict, flooding, disease outbreaks, Landslide and Earthquake), the sampling design aims to reflect the diversity of intervention types, regional contexts, delivery modalities, and target population vulnerabilities. A comprehensive mapping of the multi-sectoral and integrated responses implemented by the SWAN consortium will serve as the foundation for defining the evaluation sample frame. The evaluation will focus on:

• Capturing a representative mix of intervention types across sectors such as WASH, Health, Nutrition, and ES/NFI, with protection mainstreamed throughout.
• Ensuring a variety of emergency contexts are included (e.g., drought, conflict, disease outbreak).
• Representing different livelihood systems (agriculturalists, semi-pastoralists, and pastoralists).
• Including beneficiary categories such as IDPs, and host communities.

Sampling will be carried out at multiple administrative levels region, zone, woreda, kebele, village/cluster with the household (HH) serving as the basic unit of analysis for the quantitative survey. The following data collection methods will be used in the selected evaluation areas:

• Household Surveys for direct beneficiary feedback and quantitative measurement of key indicators.
• Health Facility Assessments in supported sites to evaluate service delivery.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with community members, local authorities, implementing partners, mobile health and nutrition teams (MHNTs), community committees, and SWAN staff.

The selection of woredas and kebeles will be based on:

• Livelihood systems and contextual dynamics in operational areas.
• Type and modality of multi-sectoral interventions implemented.
• Vulnerability profiles of the targeted households (IDPs, returnees, host communities).
• Scale and coverage of activities (e.g., number of beneficiaries reached).
• Implementing partner presence and roles in service delivery.
• Security, accessibility, and logistical feasibility at the time of data collection.
• Likelihood of locating beneficiaries who received SWAN assistance.

The evaluation team will use the most recent datasets and contextual information to determine sampling units and ensure a diverse and representative sample. The sampling strategy will include development of region-specific sampling frames, and application of a systematic random sampling formula to determine household-level sample sizes.

6.4 Data Collection Tools and Procedures

The final evaluation will utilize both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods to ensure a comprehensive assessment of the SWAN project. A cross-sectional household survey will be central to the methodology, supported by multiple tools for triangulating findings. Data will be collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data will include experiences, perceptions, behaviors, attitudes, motivations, and knowledge of key stakeholders. This information will be gathered using various participatory techniques, such as:

• Structured household surveys
• Key informant interviews (KIIs)
• Focus group discussions (FGDs)
• Health facility assessments
• Direct observations
• Case studies and success stories

Secondary data sources will include project documents such as progress reports, beneficiary databases, Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) surveys, and other relevant evaluations and assessments.

The evaluation will place strong emphasis on measuring project performance against defined indicators at both the objective and results levels. To address these evaluation needs, the consultancy firm will design and adapt appropriate data collection instruments aligned with the evaluation objectives. These will include:

• Structured KII and FGD guides for interviews with project stakeholders and beneficiaries.
• Standardized tools for health facility and capacity assessments.
• Observation checklists tailored to SWAN project contexts.

A qualified team of data collectors, facilitators, and note-takers will be recruited for fieldwork. Priority will be given to hiring individuals fluent in local languages and familiar with the cultural context of the target regions. Team leaders with multi-sectoral expertise will oversee the data collection process to ensure quality and consistency across regions. Additionally, local translators from sampled areas will be recruited as needed to support data collection and ensure effective communication.

6.5 Data Management, Analysis, and Reporting

Following the completion of data collection using the KoBo mobile data collection platform, all data will be uploaded to a centralized storage system managed by Save the Children. In addition to initial training and field testing, supervisors will conduct daily reviews and edits of the completed questionnaires to identify and address any errors, omissions, or inconsistencies in real-time. The core survey team and supervisors will be responsible for verifying the completeness, accuracy, and clarity of the data before submission.

At the consultancy firm level, a dedicated data management team will perform further data cleaning, using appropriate software tools. This process will involve identifying and addressing outliers, inconsistencies, and data quality issues using frequency distributions and cross-tabulations to prepare the dataset for analysis.

The consultancy firm will lead the data analysis, interpretation, and reporting, covering all SWAN program components, WASH, Emergency Shelter and NFIs, Health, Nutrition, and Protection mainstreaming. The analysis will apply appropriate evaluation frameworks to explore logical relationships between variables and measure outcomes and impacts across target areas.

Descriptive statistical methods will be used to present the results of the quantitative data, while qualitative findings will be synthesized to provide contextual depth. Throughout the evaluation process, Save the Children, as the lead agency, will closely monitor data collection and analysis activities to ensure high data quality and adherence to evaluation standards.

6.6 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS and Data protection

The consultancy firm will ensure that all evaluation participants clearly understand their voluntary participation in the study and that they are under no obligation to take part. Participants will be informed that opting out will have no negative consequences, and their decision will be fully respected. Prior to any data collection activities, the evaluation team will obtain informed consent from all participants. In cases where photos or videos are taken, explicit permission will be sought for their use in the evaluation report and related presentations. The team will uphold participants’ anonymity and confidentiality, ensuring that any visual or personal data is used strictly for agreed purposes and stored securely. Robust data security protocols will be implemented to protect the confidentiality and identity of participants throughout the evaluation process.

Furthermore, the consulting firm is expected to comply with Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding (CSG) policy and ethical standards. The evaluation methodology must be submitted for review and clearance by Save the Children UK’s Ethics and Compliance Review Board before data collection can commence.

7. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The SWAN consortium, together with implementing partners’ MEAL teams, sector-specific Technical Working Group (TWG) members, and relevant program staff will play a leading role in supporting the evaluation process. Their involvement will span all key stages including preparation, consultant identification, finalization of the inception report, facilitation of data collection, review and validation of findings, reporting, and dissemination of results. However, the specific roles and responsibilities of both the consortium partners and the consultancy firm are outlined as follows:

7.1 SWAN Consortium MEAL Lead Agency, Save the Children will:

• The SWAN Consortium Lead will provide an initial project briefing to the selected consultant.
• All relevant background documents and data will be shared with the selected consultant to provide the evaluation.
• The SWAN Consortium Lead, in coordination with the central MEAL unit, will offer guidance on the development of the inception report.
• SWAN Consortium and Save the Children (SCI) will review and provide feedback on the inception report and data collection tools, while also overseeing the data collection and analysis to ensure quality and consistency.
• SWAN Consortium MEAL and program teams will verify that all project indicators aligned with the logical framework are addressed.
• SCI’s Central MEAL team will collaborate with consortium, finance, and logistics teams to manage the bidding process, including forming a consultant selection committee with representatives from all consortium partners, developing selection criteria, facilitating contract signing, and overseeing payment procedures.
• SWAM MEAL with project staff from all implementing organizations, will coordinate and oversee the entire evaluation process.
• The SWAN Consortium and SCI Central MEAL will review and provide input on the draft evaluation report during the consultancy period.
• A validation workshop will be organized, and meetings with the consultant, donor, and consortium partners will be arranged as needed.
• SCI and the SWAN Consortium will process consultant payments in accordance with the terms of the signed agreement, working alongside procurement and finance teams.
• In collaboration with the consultant, the SWAN Consortium will facilitate a final presentation and lessons-learned workshop to share the evaluation findings following the validation process.

7.2 SWAN Consortium Partners (SCI, WV, AAH and NRC)

• Consortium partners will be actively engaged throughout the consultant selection and bidding process.
• They are responsible for supporting and overseeing the entire final evaluation process by assigning appropriate technical advisors or coordinators to provide necessary data and information, participate in interviews, assist with field data collection, and contribute technical feedback on all aspects of the evaluation, including the ToR, tools, inception and final reports, and the identification and documentation of key lessons learned.
• Each partner will facilitate and support the consultant in collecting both qualitative and quantitative data within their respective operational areas.
• All relevant project documents and datasets will be made available to the selected consultant by the consortium partners.
• Partners will review and provide technical input on the inception report, data collection tools, and the draft and final evaluation reports.
• They will also monitor the data collection and analysis process to ensure its accuracy, completeness, and quality.

7.3 The consultant selected for the assignment will:

The consultant selected for this assignment will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Participate in briefing sessions organized by SWAN/Save the Children to gain a comprehensive understanding of the project and inception report expectations.
• Review all relevant project documents and materials related to the final evaluation.
• In collaboration with program staff and consortium partners, recruit qualified and experienced data collectors/enumerators.
• Deliver a comprehensive 3–4-day training for enumerators on survey tools and data quality assurance protocols.
• Mobilize a competent and experienced evaluation team to carry out the assignment effectively.
• Prepare, submit, and present a draft inception report including data collection tools, methodology, and a detailed implementation plan based on SCI and partner guidance, and revise it based on feedback.
• Lead and manage the evaluation process, including field planning, tool development, training, and supervision of data collection.
• Ensure the quality and completeness of field data collection by conducting daily debriefings with enumerators to address challenges and share lessons.
• Oversee all aspects of data handling, including collection, entry, cleaning, and analysis, while managing all related costs.
• Facilitate both qualitative and quantitative data collection in selected geographic areas covered by partner organizations, analyze the results, and develop a draft evaluation report.
• Prepare the draft final evaluation report in line with Save the Children’s reporting standards and share it with the consortium lead, who will distribute it to partners for review and feedback.
• Revise and finalize the report incorporating all comments and suggestions received from consortium partners and stakeholders.
• Submit a high-quality final evaluation report with clear narrative and evidence-based findings.
• Present key findings and recommendations at the validation workshop, integrating relevant input and suggestions.
• Finalize the evaluation report following the validation workshop, ensuring it reflects all technical and stakeholder input.
• Share findings and lessons learned through a presentation workshop organized by the consortium.
• Submit the final evaluation report along with a two-page summary brief (evaluation synthesis) prepared according to SCI’s template.

8. DELIVERABLES

The consultant is expected to deliver the following key tasks.

8.1 Inception and Final Evaluation Report

The consultant will submit an inception report to Save the Children (SC) or the SWAN Consortium, which must include the following components:

• Summary of findings from the initial desk review.
• A clearly structured evaluation matrix outlining key questions, indicators, and data sources.
• Profiles of key evaluation team members, along with evidence of the consulting firm’s relevant experience in conducting similar evaluations.
• A comprehensive methodology and approach, including sampling strategy, data collection tools, and a detailed work plan.
• Plans for enumerator training and supervision during field data collection.
• Data management and analysis strategy, including software to be used.
• Ethical considerations related to data collection and participant engagement.
• Measures to address protection and safeguarding concerns, particularly ensuring child safety throughout the data collection process.
• A Child Participation Risk Assessment, submitted as a key deliverable.

The final evaluation report must include the following deliverables:

• Cleaned and complete datasets for all quantitative data collected.
• A data dictionary corresponding to the quantitative dataset(s), formatted using the template provided by SCI or the consortium.
• A Word document containing statistical outputs and analysis of the quantitative data.
• Full English-language transcripts of all qualitative data collected.
• Thematic analysis or other qualitative data outputs, including a summary of key themes and their frequencies.
• Documentation of qualitative topics covered and frequency analysis results.

Facilitation of workshops

• A presentation meeting will be held with consortium partners to share and gather feedback on the draft inception report.
• The consultant will facilitate a one-day validation workshop, organized by the Consortium Coordination Unit, to validate the evaluation findings, analysis, and recommendations.
• This workshop will also serve as a closing session with EHF, Save the Children, and consortium partner staff to present key findings, gather feedback, and document lessons learned.
• The session will provide a platform to identify and agree upon key lessons, best practices, and success stories that can inform sector-specific programming and guide future humanitarian response efforts. It will also serve to finalize recommendations that will shape the future programmatic direction of SWAN, Save the Children, and consortium partners with clearly defined action points and timelines.

8.3 High Quality and Concise Final Evaluation Report

The consultant is expected to deliver a high-quality, concise final evaluation report, along with relevant annexes, using the agreed-upon template in Microsoft Word format. The report must meet the standards approved by the Senior Management Team of the SWAN Consortium and should include the following:

• A comprehensive report with an executive summary. The final version should incorporate at least two rounds of feedback from consortium partners and reflect outcomes from the validation workshop. It must adhere to Save the Children’s standard for evaluation reports.
• A draft evaluation report must be submitted to the SWAN Consortium, Save the Children, consortium partners’ MEAL Technical Working Group (TWG), and relevant sectoral TWGs (WASH/ES-NFI/Health and Nutrition), as well as to managers from each consortium member organization, within ten days following the completion of field data collection for feedback and comments.
• A finalized evaluation report that is clear, concise, and well-structured. At a minimum, it must include the following sections: Executive Summary, Literature Review of the SWAN Project, Methodology, Analysis of Findings, Conclusions, Recommendations, and Annexes.
• Annexes should include: the Terms of Reference (ToR), logical framework, work plan, list of team members, inventory of all secondary sources reviewed, locations visited, data collection tools, individuals met/interviewed, high-quality case studies, human-interest stories, illustrative photos, participant quotes, and a summary report from the validation and lesson documentation workshop.

1. High Quality and Concise PowerPoint Presentation and Synthesis Report

• The consultant is also expected to prepare and submit a two-page evaluation synthesis report, which will be shared with the donor, senior management teams (SMT) of consortium partners, and other stakeholders.
• Additionally, the consultant will develop a clear, concise, and high-quality PowerPoint presentation summarizing the key findings and lessons learned from the evaluation.

8.5 REPORTING OUTLINE (INCEPTION, AND DRAFT REPORT)

1. Introduction

• Background – country context
• Project information
• Purpose of evaluation

2. Objective of evaluation

• General
• Specific
• Scope of evaluation
• Key evaluation questions – aligned with objectives and OECD criteria

3. Methodology

• Evaluation area and period
• Design (approach)
• Description of participants
• Sample size determination
• Sampling procedure
• Data collection tools and procedures
• Data entry, analysis and reporting
• Data quality assurance
• Ethical considerations

4. Findings: organize findings with evaluation criteria and core questions

5. Discussion of major findings

6. Conclusion and recommendations

9. TIMELINE OF THE EVALUATION

The consultant is expected to complete the assignment within 63 days, from June 30, 2025, to August 31, 2025, following the signing of the agreement. The technical proposal submitted to the SWAN consortium or Save the Children should include a work plan aligned with this timeline. The timeline may be adjusted or refined during the inception phase

 

Table: Proposed tentative timeframe of the evaluation of SWAN projects

Item	Estimated Timeline	Comment
Review of draft TOR of the evaluation and finalize it accordingly	1-8 June, 2025	SWAN consortium and consortium partners will review and forward comments of the draft TOR. Revised ToR will be shared SWAN consortium MEAL and SCI central MEAL team, SCI CO,
Share revised ToR of the evaluation for donor and SCI CO, regional team, and Consortium partner	June 9, 2025
Invitation to open tender	14 -20 June 2025	PR finalized and advert on websites, newspapers
External Consultant Selection and Signing of Agreements	1-20 June 2025	Bidding committee members identified and work on this. SWAN MEAL TWG
Submit and finalize the inception report	30 June 2025	The draft inception report will be submitted and presented to donor and consortium partners and finalisation of the inception report
Field data collection- Collection of both quantitative and qualitative data from households, health facility levels and relevant stakeholders	1 – 31 July 2025
Data analysis and preliminary evaluation report	1-23 August 2025	A draft report which includes data analysis approach outline data collection and analysis methods, identifying best practices, case stories and innovative solutions will be shared with the consortium and relevant consortium partners for comments.
Validation workshop-present and share finings and lessons learned from the evaluation (Sharing of presentations/PPPs, briefs, stories, etc.), and collect feedback, comment on the draft report of the evaluation	28 August 2025	SWAN consortium will organize the validation workshop
Final report submission	2 September 2025	Report completion, reviewing and dissemination.
Final evaluation report dissemination	4 September 2025
Sharing of two pages of synthesis report	10 September 2025	To be shared for donor, ICCG and SMT of consortium partners

 

10. ASSUMPTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• The consultant team will be granted access to all relevant documentation and will be allowed to participate in necessary meetings, workshops, and field data collection activities throughout the assignment period.
• The evaluation team will liaise with key staff from consortium partners, government officials, targeted communities, national clusters, and donor representatives to gather the necessary data and information for the evaluation.
• In collaboration with field staff from consortium partners, the evaluation team will engage with project beneficiaries, including IDPs or host communities, for household surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs).
• The evaluation team will coordinate with field staff and representatives from Woreda Health Offices to conduct health facility assessments and gather data from supported health facilities.
• The evaluators will maintain confidentiality and ensure objectivity throughout the evaluation process.
• The consultant team leader will maintain regular communication with all concerned parties if there are any changes to the evaluation plan.
• The safety and security of the targeted areas, as well as accessibility factors, will be carefully considered throughout the evaluation process.
• The consultant team will have access to all documentation and can take part in relevant meetings, workshops and field visits data collection within the timeframe of the assignment
• The evaluators will contact key staff of the consortium partners, government counterparts, targeted community, national clusters, and donor representatives to obtain required and adequate information/data for this evaluation purpose.
• The evaluation team in collaboration with field consortium partners staff will contact project targeted beneficiaries, IDPs or host community for HH survey, FGD and KII
• The team will contact through consortium partners field staff and Woreda Health Offices representatives to do health facility assessment, collect data from supported health facilities
• Evaluators will take confidentiality and objectivity into consideration during the process.
• The consultant team leader frequent communication with all concerned as mentioned if there is any change from the plan.
• The safety and security situation of targeted areas, and access factors will be considered during the evaluation.

11. CONSULTANT PROFILE

For this evaluation, the SWAN consortium or SCI invites experienced evaluators, consultants, or firms to apply. The profile of the lead consultant or firm should meet the following criteria:

• Include the qualifications and profiles of all team members involved in the evaluation.
• Experience in humanitarian evaluations or research, with a background in areas such as humanitarian aid, recovery and development, social research, development economics, life sciences, agricultural economics, development studies, or related fields.
• Extensive experience in conducting evaluations based on OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, preferably with experience leading evaluation teams and designing methodologies, tools, and data analysis approaches.
• Experience working in humanitarian contexts with a strong understanding of both program and operational aspects of humanitarian response work.
• In-depth knowledge of both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Proficiency in using statistical software for data analysis, as well as experience with mobile-based data collection and analysis methods.
• excellent presentation and writing skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and writing skills in English, with a preference for knowledge of local languages (Afan Oromo, Somali, Afar, Amharic).
• Proven ability to engage with communities and Ethiopian government stakeholders.
• Experience using mobile devices for collecting quantitative data.

12. BUDGET AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

The consultant is required to submit a detailed cost breakdown, including unit costs and disaggregated by line items, in a separate sealed envelope. The total cost should include VAT. The breakdown should cover expenses such as per-diem for the evaluation team, costs associated with preparing the inception report, report writing, validation and close-out workshops, payments to enumerators, flight and vehicle rentals, fuel costs, and other related expenses.

Payment will be made in three rounds:

• First payment: 10% upon signing the agreement and submission of the inception report.
• Second payment: 50% upon receipt of an acceptable first draft report.
• Third payment: 40% upon submission of the final report and all other deliverables.

All payments will be subject to applicable taxation.