TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR RTLG ENDLINE STUDY

1. Introduction

DSW has been implementing sexual and reproductive health and youth empowerment programs in Kenya since the year 2000. With a presence in at least 15 counties, DSW Kenya is headquartered in Nairobi and has regional offices in Mombasa and Kitale from where interventions are coordinated. Satellite offices exist in Migori and Kisumu leading work in those two counties.

DSW envisions a world where all youth – especially girls and young women – live free from disease and make independent and informed choices over their sexual and reproductive lives with full access to sexuality education, health services and modern contraceptives.

We do this by advocating with policy makers for investment in domestic resources and policies for youth-friendly SRHR, through multisectoral approaches. Through the DSW Youth Empowerment Strategic Approach (YESA), and the Young Adolescent Empowerment Strategy (YAES), we work with young people to raise their awareness on sexual reproductive health and rights, gender equality and access to modern contraceptives and to strengthen their livelihoods.

2. Background and Project Description

Reaching the Last Girl (RTLG) is an ambitious scale-up intervention developed from a consultative meeting between implementing partners DSW and the EACR network. Their combined experience working in Migori and Kilifi counties, witnessing the horrific lived experiences of HIV-positive adolescent mothers and their children, including discrimination, stigma, and the vicious cycle of gender-based violence, led to the design of this intervention. Continuous dialogue with young people and adolescent mothers in these two counties informed the intervention.

1. Overall Goal of the Project: To contribute to the advancement of Kenya’s socio-economic development through universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, and care.
2. Specific Objectives: To improve the health and wellness of adolescent mothers living with HIV (AMLHIV) and their children in Kenya’s Migori and Kilifi Counties by the end of 36 months.
3. Project Objectives: The project aims to improve the health and well-being of AMLHIV and their children in Migori and Kilifi counties. It supports Kenya’s National Plan of Action for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC), catalyzing a scale-up of national OVC responses against the impact of HIV/AIDS and other causes of child vulnerability. Additionally, the project contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3).

Result Areas:

1. Increased Resilience and Independence: Beneficiaries undergo three trainings on life skills, holistic parenting, and nutrition and food security.
2. Increased Access to Quality Integrated Services: The project provides HIV, sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR), and nutritional information and services through community outreach and in-reaches at the project’s four Youth Empowerment Centers (YECS).
3. Improved Agency to Access Basic Rights: This will be achieved by training adolescent mothers and their partners on advocacy and communication. The DSW youth champions advocacy reference handbook will be adapted for this training at both project sites.

3. Objective of the Study

The endline survey aims to:

1. Assess the impact of RTLG project on the targeted beneficiaries.
2. Evaluate the extent to which the project’s objectives have been achieved.
3. Identify areas for improvement and provide recommendations for future interventions.

4. Methodology

DSW will select a consultant to conduct the Endline Evaluation. The selected consultant will be required to prepare a detailed research methodology in partnership with DSW project team. The endline survey will be proposed to apply a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques. Key methods will be face to face interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews with sample groups and individuals from the target group and project stakeholders.

Moreover, the consultant team is invited to suggest other groups to be interviewed based on information needs. Research tools, such as questionnaires for Adolescent Mothers living with HIV/AIDs, Caregivers, healthcare workers, county government representatives, and other project stakeholders shall be carefully designed and be discussed with DSW project team.

5. Expected Activities

The major duties of the consultant will be:

Activity 1: Developing and submitting inception report to DSW with refined methodology and data collection tools

• The consultant will review project documentation and objectives to clearly understand the study and the indicators to be measured
• The consultant will develop an inception report, demonstrating an understanding of the study with a detailed field work plan on how he will carry out the activities to achieve the study objectives.
• In close consultation with DSW staff, the consultant will develop research instruments and tools.

Activity 2: Recruiting, orienting, and training of experienced data collectors

• With the support of DSW staff, the consultant will recruit and train data collectors on both the use of the data collection tools and the process of data collection

Activity 3: Collection and analysis of initial data

• The consultant will lead in the data collection exercise in both Counties.
• DSW staff will oversee/supervise data collection processes.
• The consultant will review, clean and analyse collected information.

Activity 4: Drafting baseline assessment report

• The consultant will develop a draft report based on the collected information.
• The report will be reviewed by DSW and relevant stakeholders

Activity 5: Data validation

• The consultant with support of DSW will engage the relevant government officials at county and sub-county levels to validate the findings.
• Validation may involve one-on-one engagement with officials and/or through workshops/ virtual meetings.
• The validation meetings will help to address any data gaps, promote quality assurance and ensure that the final report will have stakeholder ownership and acceptance for effective use.

Activity 6: Final Report & Dissemination of Findings

• The consultant will incorporate the feedback from DSW, partners and stakeholders and submit a final endline report.
• The consultant will also submit final datasets and relevant input for the development of infographics.

6. Deliverables

Task 1: Inception Report

Task 2: Develop data collection tools for the endline evaluation

Task 3: Training of research assistants/enumerators

Task 4: Conduct data collection

Task 5: Analyse and compile data

Task 6: Draft endline reports presented as;

• Comprehensive overall endline report
• Kilifi County-specific findings report
• Migori County-specific findings report

Task 7: Prepare PowerPoint presentations for validation and dissemination of study findings

Task 8: Validate draft report with DSW, EACR and project stakeholders

Task 9: Incorporate feedback from review into a final endline report

7. Required Qualification of Consultant Firm and Personnel

The selected consultant must possess the following qualifications:

• Demonstrable knowledge and experience working in the areas of HIV/AIDs, family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) at National and County levels.
• Knowledge designing research methodologies and tools in ASRHR and HIV/AIDs
• Familiar with county MoH frameworks and structures.
• Similar work in the last 3 years and 2 letters of recommendation accompanied by 2 sample copies of recent reports. Familiarity with DSW work is an added advantage.
• A demonstrated high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently and in high-pressure situations under tight deadlines
• High proficiency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of some of the local languages is an added advantage

8. Compensation

The consultancy fee will be paid in instalments as agreed in contract and is based on deliverables and commensurate with contractual requirements and deadlines.