CONSULTANTS TO CONDUCT FINAL EVALUATION OF THE COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CHILD PROTECTION PROGRAMME IN BENIN AND BURUNDI (2023–2025)

1. Introduction

About SOS Children’s Villages

SOS Children’s Villages is the world’s largest non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting children and young people without parental care or at risk of losing it. Founded in 1949 in Austria, the organization operates in over 130 countries and territories, providing tailored care solutions that prioritize the best interests of each child.

The organization’s mission is to ensure that every child grows up with the care, relationships, and support they need to become their strongest selves. This is achieved through a combination of family-like care, family strengthening programs, education, health care, and emergency relief efforts.

SOS Children’s Villages works in partnership with communities, governments, and other organizations to advocate for children’s rights and to influence policies that affect their well-being. The organization’s approach is grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and is guided by its Strategy 2030, which focuses on ensuring quality care, innovating for impact, and uniting more partners to prevent children from growing up alone.

SOS Barnbyar Sverige, the Swedish member association, supports international programmes through fundraising, advocacy, and technical assistance. Since 2017, it also runs domestic programmes in Sweden, providing family support, youth transition assistance, and policy advocacy to strengthen the rights and wellbeing of children and young people at risk within Sweden.

About ForumCiv

ForumCiv is a Swedish civil society organization that supports global democracy and human rights through partnerships with civil society actors. It administers Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) funds and prioritizes local ownership, rights-based development, and civil society strengthening. ForumCiv’s largest programme is the Swedish Partnership Programme (SPP), which supports Swedish civil society organizations and their local partners to act as change agents in promoting democratic values, inclusive participation, and accountability.

About the Medium Partnership Funding Modality

The Medium Partnership Funding (MPF) modality under the Swedish Partnership Programme (SPP) is designed for initiatives that require long-term, flexible support. It emphasizes capacity strengthening, sustainable results, and innovative approaches for rights-based development. MPF encourages strategic collaboration between Swedish organizations and local partners, with a focus on inclusive development, advocacy, and mutual learning across regions. It contributes directly to ForumCiv’s Theory of Change by enabling civil society actors to strengthen people’s ability to organize, claim their rights, and take control of their lives. The approach supports systemic change through capacity building, increased civic space, participatory decision-making, and strengthened accountability mechanisms.

2. Background

The Community-Driven Development Programme for Children in Benin and Burundi (« DPCE ») is a three-year initiative funded by ForumCiv under its Medium Partnership Funding modality. Implemented by SOS Villages d’Enfants Benin (SOS BE) and SOS Villages d’Enfants Burundi (SOS BU), with coordination and technical support from SOS Barnbyar Sweden (SOS SE), the programme aims to strengthen national and community-based child protection systems, prevent family separation, and promote youth empowerment.

The programme responds to critical challenges affecting vulnerable children and families in both countries. These include high rates of poverty, weak community-based protection structures, limited access to social services, and a lack of meaningful participation by children and youth in decisions affecting them. The programme was designed through participatory assessments involving community-based organisations (CBOs), families, and local stakeholders.

The programme’s overall objective is to contribute to a sustainable child protection environment where children and youth are empowered and safeguarded within their families and communities. It focuses on five key outcome areas:

1. Increased child and youth participation in local protection mechanisms.
2. Enhanced family and community capacity to care for and protect children.
3. Strengthened CBOs and local duty bearers.
4. Improved access to basic services.
5. Organisational learning and advocacy within the SOS Federation.

The programme is grounded in a rights-based approach (RBA) and employs Results-Based Management (RBM) and Results-Based Budgeting (RBB) frameworks. It operates in vulnerable communities in northern Burundi and central Benin and directly targets a total of 2,000 children and youth, 400 families, and 40 CBOs across Benin and Burundi. The programme seeks to be both a model and a learning opportunity within the SOS Federation, contributing to programming reforms.

3. Objectives of the Evaluation

The purpose of this final evaluation is to assess the performance, effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of the Community-Driven Development Programme for Children in Benin and Burundi (DPCE), in line with ForumCiv’s contractual requirements and OECD-DAC evaluation criteria. The evaluation will generate evidence for accountability and learning, supporting both strategic reflection within the SOS Federation and the broader ForumCiv Medium Partnership Programme.

It aims to inform:

• ForumCiv and Sida’s understanding of the programme’s relevance and contribution to civil society strengthening and human rights.
• SOS Children’s Villages’ internal programme development and strategic learning.
• Local partners’ assessment of their role, capacity, and impact within the programme.

The evaluation will be structured into two interrelated components:

Part A – Programme Results and Impact:

• Assess the relevance, effectiveness, and impact of the programme on children, youth, families, and communities.
• Evaluate access to basic services, empowerment outcomes, and strengthened local systems.
• Examine sustainability and coherence with broader frameworks.

Part B – Strategic Learning and Institutional Partnerships:

• Draw lessons related to coordination, partnership effectiveness, and the value of cross-country collaboration.
• Provide recommendations for future programme design, funding modalities, and the role of rights-based, participatory approaches within institutional partnerships.

2.1 Specific Objectives of the Evaluation

The evaluation will respond to the following specific objectives, aligned with ForumCiv’s expectations and the OECD-DAC criteria. For each criterion, evaluators are encouraged to explore both qualitative and quantitative evidence and consider leading questions that help frame their analysis.

1. Relevance: Assess whether the programme’s objectives and design are consistent with the needs and priorities of rights holders and stakeholders in Benin and Burundi.
   • Leading questions: To what extent does the programme respond to the evolving needs of children, youth, and families? Were the most relevant problems addressed?
2. Effectiveness: Measure the extent to which the programme achieved its stated results, particularly in strengthening child protection, community support systems, and youth empowerment.
   • Leading questions: What planned results have been achieved and to what degree? What factors contributed to or hindered achievement of outcomes?
3. Efficiency: Examine the relationship between resources used and results achieved, including timeliness and coordination among partners.
   • Leading questions: Were resources used in the most cost-effective way? Were activities implemented as planned within budget and timelines?
4. Impact: Identify significant and lasting changes — positive or negative, intended or unintended — resulting from the programme on individuals, systems, and structures.
   • Leading questions: What changes occurred in the lives of rights holders as a result of the programme? Did the programme strengthen long-term child protection structures?
5. Sustainability: Assess whether the programme’s outcomes are likely to continue beyond the intervention period.
   • Leading questions: Are the changes likely to be sustained without external funding? What mechanisms or ownership structures are in place to support continuity?
6. Coherence: Explore the alignment and synergy of the programme with other relevant interventions, both internal and external to SOS CV.
   • Leading questions: How well does the programme complement national policies, other development initiatives, or SOS Federation strategies? Are there any contradictions?
7. Added Value: Assess the extent to which the programme provided added value beyond conventional programming — through innovation, learning, or leveraging of partnerships.
   • Leading questions: What unique contributions did this ForumCiv-funded programme make? How did cross-country collaboration enhance impact?
8. Strategic Learning: Identify key lessons for improving future institutional partnerships, programming, and advocacy within SOS CV and ForumCiv.
   • Leading questions: What insights can inform future strategies? What should be replicated or avoided in future partnerships or programme cycles?

4. Scope of the Evaluation

• Geographic scope: Programme sites in Benin (Collines and Atlantique departments, particularly in and around Abomey and Allada) and Burundi (Muyinga and Gitega provinces).
• Timeframe covered: January 2023 to August 2025.
• Thematic areas: Child protection, community empowerment, youth participation, capacity building, advocacy, gender equality, and rights-based programming.
• Stakeholders: Children and youth, families, CBOs, community leaders, local authorities, SOS BE, SOS BU, SOS SE, ForumCiv.

5. Expertise Required

The evaluation team should demonstrate the following qualifications:

• Proven experience in evaluating multi-country, rights-based development programmes, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Advanced academic background in social sciences, child rights, international development, or a related field.
• Strong methodological expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research.
• Demonstrated experience in participatory and ethical research involving children and vulnerable groups.
• A good understanding of child rights and issues affecting vulnerable children and their families.
• Fluency in English and French; proficiency in local languages is an asset.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and facilitation skills.

6. Evaluation Approach and Methodology

The evaluation will be structured in three distinct phases, each with specific deliverables:

Inception Phase

• Review of programme documentation, theory of change, and MEAL tools.
• Development of an inception report including: evaluation matrix, refined methodology, sampling approach, and draft data collection tools.
• Presentation of methodology and workplan to the coordination group for validation.

Fieldwork Phase

• Field visits to selected sites in Benin and Burundi.
• Key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and participatory methods involving children, caregivers, CBOs, and local authorities.
• Debrief sessions with SOS partners and stakeholders to share preliminary findings.

Synthesis and Feedback Phase

• Data triangulation and final analysis.
• Submission of draft report and integration of feedback.
• Finalisation of deliverables and dissemination of findings.

Throughout all phases, evaluators are expected to apply ethical standards in line with SOS Children’s Villages’ Child Protection Policy and international guidelines for research involving children.

The evaluator(s) should propose a mixed-methods approach tailored to the programme’s complexity and the dual-country context. The methodology must:

• Be participatory and rights-based.
• Include theory-based evaluation, contribution analysis, and/or outcome harvesting.
• Rely on both primary data collection (interviews, FGDs, surveys) and document review.
• Apply ethical research standards, especially in work with children and youth.

Triangulation across data sources is expected to ensure validity. Evaluators must ensure methodological consistency across countries and propose minimum data standards if engaging national evaluators.

7. Supervision and Management

The evaluation will be commissioned by SOS Barnbyar Sverige and managed in coordination with SOS BE and SOS BU. A core evaluation coordination group will be established, including representatives from all three organisations. This group will:

• Provide guidance and feedback during inception, data collection, and reporting.
• Facilitate access to key documents and stakeholders.
• Ensure alignment with ForumCiv’s expectations and support ethical compliance.

8. Terms and Conditions

• The consultant is responsible for their own income tax, insurance, and compliance with local labour laws.
• All evaluators must commit to and sign SOS Children’s Villages’ Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct.
• Travel and accommodation costs, if applicable, should be included in the financial proposal.
• SOS Barnbyar Sverige will coordinate access to stakeholders and documentation.
• A contract outlining scope, deliverables, and payment schedule will be signed upon selection.

9. Application Requirements

Interested consultants or firms are invited to submit:

• A technical proposal outlining the methodology, work plan, and understanding of the assignment (max 10 pages).
• CVs of all proposed team members.
• Financial proposal in SEK, inclusive of all costs (not exceeding 240,000 SEK).
• Two references from recent, relevant evaluations.
• A sample of a similar evaluation report (if available).

Proposals must be submitted electronically to [email protected]

by June 12, 2025. Please use the subject line: “Evaluation Proposal – DPCE Benin & Burundi”.

9.1 Evaluation Criteria for Selection

Proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Methodology and Approach: Suitability, clarity, and rigor of the proposed methods.
• Experience and Expertise: Relevance of past evaluations and team qualifications.
• Feasibility and Work Plan: Realistic and coherent timeline and resource use.
• Cost-effectiveness: Value for money within the budget ceiling.

10. Timeline

The evaluation will take place from July to October 2025, concluding before the final reporting deadline of 15 October 2025 to ForumCiv.

Inception

• Deliverable: Inception Report (methodology, tools, work plan)
• Timeframe: End of June 2025
• Preparation
  • Deliverable: Minimum data standards, translated tools, logistics
  • Timeframe: End of June 2025
• Fieldwork
  • Deliverable: Data collection in Benin and Burundi
  • Timeframe: August 2025
• Initial Analysis
  • Deliverable: Early findings and debrief with stakeholders
  • Timeframe: Mid-September 2025
• Drafting
  • Deliverable: Draft Evaluation Report
  • Timeframe: End of September 2025
• Finalisation
  • Deliverable: Final Report and Summary Brief
  • Timeframe: By 15 October 2025
• Dissemination
  • Deliverable: Presentation of findings
  • Timeframe: By 15 October 2025

How to apply

Interested consultants or firms are invited to submit:

• A technical proposal outlining the methodology, work plan, and understanding of the assignment (max 10 pages).
• CVs of all proposed team members.
• Financial proposal in SEK, inclusive of all costs (not exceeding 240,000 SEK).
• Two references from recent, relevant evaluations.
• A sample of a similar evaluation report (if available).

Proposals must be submitted electronically to [email protected]

by June 12, 2025. Please use the subject line: “Evaluation Proposal – DPCE Benin & Burundi”.