Evaluator for final pilot evaluation project “Inclusive services for all: strengthening access to education and other services for children with disabilities (CWD) in eastern Ukraine”

 Evaluator for final pilot evaluation project “Inclusive services for all: strengthening access to education and other services for children with disabilities (CWD) in eastern Ukraine”

Background

Save the Children International (SCI) has been operational in Ukraine providing support to children through development and humanitarian relief programs delivered in support of Government of Ukraine priorities and policies both directly and through local partners.  SCI Ukraine has been working alongside more than 15 partners since the beginning of the humanitarian response in 2014 in both GCA and NGCA of Ukraine and together have implemented projects in the areas of education, child protection, health, WASH, shelter, food security and livelihoods, and child poverty.

Since 2019, Save the Children is piloting project “Inclusive services for all: strengthening access to education and other services for children with disabilities (CWD) in eastern Ukraine” in 2 locations in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine. The project aims to achieve overall goal of Boys and girls with disabilities in targeted locations are learning in inclusive school environments and accessing inclusive services with a view to prevent institutionalisation of CWD; In each location, one kindergarten and one school were supported. The majority of activities included PWD and/or CWD to ensure their voices are fully taken into account in the project implementation, and the project capitalises on adults and children with disabilities’ expertise on what is best for them. The achievement of these goals in the pilot project should be explored in the study, and appropriate recommendations made in the future to implement a new project on this topic at a new and better level. 

Purpose

Evaluation will be conducted in order to assess the main achievements and challenges of the pilot and provide recommendations for scale up. Children with disabilities and without and their partners will take an active part in designing and providing their insights on the results of the project and provide recommendations. 

The results of the evaluation will then be disseminated, including in child-friendly and accessible format, to all stakeholders of the project, and in particular local authorities, to ensure they also are held accountable for inclusive education, and potential scale up of the approach. 

Deliverables 

Save the Children in Ukraine is seeking a professional evaluator to lead a process of conducting evaluation of the project with further recommendations.  The key objective of the evaluation is to measure impact of two-year intervention in selected locations (one school and two kindergartens in Kramatorsk, and one school and kindergarten in Severodonetsk)

The evaluator will be in charge of the process guided by the following 5 steps:

1 step.  Do the desk research of existing policies and conditions of inclusive Education in Luhansk and Donetsk oblast. (Up to 5 pages).

(Elaborate on how is the right of children with disabilities to education realized (both Scholl and preschool education), how many children with disabilities attend schools on a equal basis with others, what is the quality of educational services through Inclusive Resource Centers and the attitude of parents, teachers and children towards inclusive education).  

2 Step – Review the results of the project reports, baseline and end line assessments, researches and products designed as a part of the project. 

(Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected during the project implementation. Through access to assessments before and after activities, reports, evaluations of the media environment, evaluation of media that wrote about the project).

3 Step – Develop and conduct FGD and key interviews with benefiters of the project. 

(This might include CwD and children without disabilities, parents, education stuff and administration stuff of target schools and kindergartens, local authorities, civil society. The number of interviews, focus groups, the number of people who participate will be agreed with the Evaluator separately when he/she start prepared the evaluation plan. Interviews, if necessary, can be conducted online in Skype, Zoom or Microsoft Teams).

4 Step - Based on the collected data, create a report (up to 10 pages) with the results of a study of children and adults about the impact of the project in their locations. 

5 Step. Based on the results of 'Step 1' and 'Step 2', provide recommendations (up to 5 pages) for the implementation of similar projects in the future, as well as for improving the system of Inclusive Education, which can be used as data for future project proposals to increase access for children with disabilities to inclusion education. 

The Study will host groups of parents of children with and without disabilities, teachers and educators of kindergartens and schools, representatives of school and kindergarten administration, local NGOs who working with persons with disabilities and local authorities. This will allow SCI to explore the impact of the project at several levels - at the level of each child with and without disabilities, at the family level, at the level of schools and kindergartens and at the community level (inclusive services, media, local authorities).

Roles and responsibilities

The Evaluator will be responsible for all stages in the process described under the Deliverables section of this ToR. It is expected that the Evaluator will have a specialised knowledge of evaluation methodology and working with children including enabling their participation in a meaningful way. SCI will support Evaluator with transport arrangements and organisations of field visits. 

The Evaluator will be expected to demonstrate strong professional expertise in presenting the issue and will be asked to provide samples of his/her previous works. 

Save the Children team engaged in the evaluation consists of Program Development and Quality Manager, Inclusion Technical Adviser, Monitoring Specialist and Head of Advocacy who are to be in agreement with the Researcher on the key steps to be undertaken within the research. 

Timeframe

Schedule of activities will be in line with the action plan to be produced by the responsible Save the Children person and agreed with the Evaluator. It is expected that the final stage of the evaluation is due 01 June 2021 at the latest. 

Person specification

Experience in working on similar evaluation projects for civil society organizations and social issues is essential

Strong background in evaluation and communications, especially with children with disabilities and their parents, teachers and children without disabilities. 

Understanding of the concept of inclusion and inclusive education in Ukraine

Excellent communication and analytical skills and understanding needs of persons with disabilities.

Desirable: familiarity with Save the Children organizational structure and culture.

Schedule of payment

The Researcher will be paid as per the agreement in accordance with usual practice of Save the Children. 

NOTE: Researcher agrees to sign and abide by Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy

Failure to meet any specified deadline without written agreement from Save the Children will result in 10% deduction from the final payment.