Consultant Full-Time

The Associação Progresso (PROGRESSO) is hiring a Consultant.

Background Information and Context

The PROGRESSO Association is a Mozambican non-governmental organization, funded by the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation (PCF) for the implementation of the “Reading is Good” project, which began its first phase in 2019 and whose second phase runs from July 2022 to December 2025.

The project was designed by the PROGRESSO Association to respond to the problem that children face in relation to the poor acquisition of reading, writing and calculation skills in the local language and in Portuguese among students from the initial classes (1st to 3rd grades), according to the quality indicators of the National Basic Education Program.

The project covers two educational modalities (monolingual and bilingual schools) and is being implemented in 25 primary schools, 12 in Boane district and 13 in Marracuene district, Maputo province. In the districts of Boane and Marracuene, the lack of adequate infrastructure, the shortage of teachers and economic difficulties lead to high rates of absenteeism and school dropout. In addition, extreme weather events and the isolated location make access to education difficult, increasing the risk of school exclusion.

Purpose of the evaluation

The objective of the mid-term 1 evaluation of the second phase of the LER é BOM project aims to ensure that the project is effectively achieving its goals in literacy and numeracy while assessing overall learning outcomes among boys and girls in the first cycle of primary education. The primary objective of the evaluation is to measure progress, promote continuous learning, and enhance future planning based on lessons learned. Additionally, it will ensure accountability by assessing the use of resources to date.

The PROGRESSO Association, together with its partners, is committed to ensuring that the project achieves its results effectively and efficiently.

In this regard, a Term of Reference (TOR) was prepared, to hire a consultancy to carry out the mid-term evaluation. The evaluation will integrate both quantitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data will be collected internally in schools and collaboration with the Government using predefined logframe indicators to compare progress against baseline and midline values.

The evaluation will be formative, and the main purpose is to learn and improve performance.

Scope and Focus of the Evaluation

The evaluation aims to assess the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact, of the second phase of the project according to the OECD-DAC definitions 2.  The period assessed will be from the beginning of the project (2022 to 2024) to the current stage of implementation.

The evaluation will be carried out in 12 schools, selected as a representative sample of the 25 schools that benefited from the project. The selection of schools will be made in a way that ensures a diverse sample, including:

• Some schools from Phase I and some schools from Phase II.
• Monolingual and Bilingual primary schools.
• Rural and semi-urban schools: To capture the contextual differences between rural and semi-urban areas.
• The schools from Boane and Marracuene districts, with the target audience being children, families/community members, teachers, school managers, members of School Councils, SDEJT partners, etc from the areas of focus of the project.

Evaluation Questions

The evaluation should answer the following key questions, organised into thematic axes, to ensure a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the”Reading is Good – Phase II” project:

Relevance: is the intervention doing the right things?

• To what extent is the objective of the project aligned with educational needs in Mozambique?
• To what extent is the project is addressing contextual needs, access to quality education, equity for marginalized groups?
• Is the project aligned with national and international education policies, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Education of Mozambique?
• To what extent is the project aligned with other educational sector interventions locally/internationally?
• Are there any synergies or overlaps with other educational initiatives?

Effectiveness: is the intervention achieving its objectives?

• To what extent has the project achieved its intended educational objectives such as literacy (reading and writing), numeracy and school attendance, dropout rates, retention and absenteeism (at the outcome and output level)?
• How did the project address gender sensitivity in its activities? Did boys and girls equally benefit from the intervention?
• Which planned (and unplanned) interventions contributed to the quality of the results achieved?
• Were there unintended results, positive or negative, resulting from the project’s activities? How were these results managed?
• How effective has the project’s intervention been in improving the capacity of teachers, school managers, school councils and school management as such? Did male and female teachers, school managers, school council and school management members, benefit equally from the interventions?
• To what extent did the project activities contribute to the protection and safeguarding of children and ultimately improve the safe and inclusive school environment?
• How well was the project planned, and were the objectives, activities and expected outcomes clearly defined at the outset of the project?
• How effective was the project’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system in tracking progress and making adjustments as necessary, also considering the requirements of a gender-sensitive approach?
• Were risks and challenges identified and effectively managed during the project?
• Did the project have effective coordination between various levels of government (national, regional, local) and other stakeholders involved in education?

Efficiency: how well are resources being used?

• How effectively have the project resources (funding, materials, human resources) been utilized to achieve the desired results? And were the project resources sufficient to achieve the intended outcomes?   (Cost per child/ cost per school; Admin costs vs. direct costs; HR costs vs. direct costs).
• Has the project adopted cost-effective and innovative strategies to deliver education, such as using local resources or using existing community structures?  What has been the added value of the cooperation with PCF for PROGRESSO Association in terms of Capacity Development, Financial Management, etc.

Impact: what difference does the intervention make?

• Has the project led to any noticeable changes in the behaviour or attitudes of the parents (gender-sensitive analysis required)/ community towards education?

Sustainability: will the benefits last?

• What measures have been taken within the project to ensure the sustainability of the results after the end of the project?
• To what extent has the project built local ownership and capacity to ensure its continuation beyond the external funding phase?
• What are the lessons learned so far and are there good practices or innovations that can be replicated in other initiatives?

Evaluation Methods

The evaluation will use a mixed approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, to ensure a
comprehensive and in-depth analysis. Methods will include:

• Document review: Analysis of Monitoring system, progress reports, action plans, financial records, and other relevant documents.
• Semi-structured interviews: With key stakeholder’s governmental officials at local, district and provincial level, teachers, school administrators, school board members, parents, and students.
• Focus groups: With teachers, students and parents to collect opinions and feedback on the project
  activities.
• Direct observation: Of the project activities in the selected schools, including class observation, use of teaching materials and operation of the reading corners.
• Analysis of quantitative data: Academic performance of students, school attendance rates, teacher absenteeism rates and other relevant indicators.
• Set requirements for additional external sources that must be included to validate findings (e.g. indicators from the schools, official statistics, interview with external experts, etc.).

4. Schedule and Deliverables

Septs – What Until when

1. Proposal submission – 16.04.2025
2. Selection of candidates – 17.04.2025
3. The signing of the contract and finalisation of the ToR – 21.04.2025
4. Organisation of data collection (timetable and development of tools) – 25.04 a 30.04.25
5. Data collection – 04.05 a 16.05.25
6. First Draft Valuation Report – 29.05.2025
7. Final evaluation report – 19.05.2025
8. Presentation of the final evaluation report to the PCF and the Operational Partner – 20.05.2025

Structure and Length of the Final Report

The final evaluation report must be delivered in English and Portuguese. Its maximum length will be 15 pages and can reach up to 20 pages, excluding attachments and the summary. The evaluation summary, limited to 2 pages, should provide a concise description of the project/programme, its context and current situation, the objective of the evaluation, the methodology used, and present the main findings, conclusions and recommendations. The structure of the report should reflect the organisation of the executive summary. The report’s final version must be delivered in three signed copies, together with one printed copy, to the PROGRESSO Association.

Struture of Report:

Cover Page

Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations Acknowledgements

Executive Summary

1. Introduction

2. Description of the Project

3. Findings

4. Conclusions

5. Recommendation and Lessons Learnt

Annexes

Role and Responsibilities

The evaluation of the project will be conducted in a collaborative manner, with the evaluation team working closely with all key stakeholders, ensuring that the results are valid and can be used effectively. In the PROGRESSO Association, the team responsible for the evaluation will include the project manager, the Education facilitators and the finance staff. In addition, the Executive Director, the Project Coordinator, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and the Financial Manager may provide support. The District Education Services will be represented by the focal points of the project at the level of the SDEJTs, by the Directors of the SDEJTs in the Districts of Boane and Marracuene, as well as Specialists and Supervisors in the area of Education. The school communities will be represented by School Principals, Teachers, Students and Parents.

Competency profile of the evaluator(s)

The Project Evaluation Team must demonstrate and possess the following qualifications:

• Academic background in related fields (education, social sciences, project management, etc.).
• Proven experience in evaluating social or educational projects and familiarity with primary education in Mozambique.
• Experience in the Child’s Rights-Based Approach in Development Cooperation.
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Communication and report writing skills.
• Knowledge of the local context and the educational challenges of the region.
• Fluent in Portuguese and English​.

Budget

The proposal submitted must include a detailed budget, clearly specifying the number of person-days allocated for the study of documentation, for the execution of activities (such as field visits) and for the preparation of reports. Other expenses that should be considered, when applicable, include translation costs, sessions with partners, transportation, among others.

Guiding Principles and Values

​The evaluation team should adhere to the United Nations evaluation norms and standards and ethical guidelines for evaluation 3.

​The individual consultants/team or institution that will work on this project must demonstrate personal and professional integrity during the whole process of the evaluation. He/she/the team must respect the right of institutions and individuals to provide information in confidence and ensure that sensitive data cannot be traced to its source. Further, the team must respect ethics of research while working with children including using age-appropriate consent forms, age-appropriate data collection, and the principle of do no harm.

Furthermore, the team and its members must take care that those involved in the evaluation have an opportunity to examine the statements attributed to them. The evaluation process and consultants must be sensitive to the beliefs, manners, and customs of the social and cultural environment in which they will work.

Especially, the consultants must be sensitive to and address issues of protection, discrimination and gender inequality. Furthermore, the consultants are not expected to assess the personal performance of individuals and must balance an assessment of management functions with due consideration of this principle. Finally, if the consultants or team uncover evidence of wrongdoing, such cases must be reported discreetly to the appropriate investigative body.​

Submission Conditions

Send the technical and financial (English and Portuguese), specifying in the subject of the email “523003 – External Evaluation”.