Albania Tdh is looking for a consultant to assess the current CPSN Project Status

Project : TACT 13 Nov 2009 |

Call for application: Terre des hommes Delegation in Albania is recruiting a consultant for the Assessment of the Child Protection Safety Net Project Status. Interested applicants should submit the following documents:

A CV
A working plan
Methodology of the work
Letter of interest

The deadline of the submission of the above-mentioned documents is on 22nd of November 2009 at 20:00 p.m in the address: mmece_tdh@yahoo.com. Only the applicants who are shortlisted will be contacted.

CPSN Project: “Developing a Child Protection Safety Net in Albania”
Terms of Reference: Consultancy on Assessment of the current CPSN Project Status

Purpose of the consultancy

1. The overall objective of this consultancy is to assess what has been achieved so far by the previous project phase (TACT III – Transnational Actions against Child Trafficking) for the child protection system set up a solid and shared monitoring system for the implementation of the project and draft a monitoring and evaluation plan for the project current status based on its logical framework (Attached in this document) by ensuring broad project stakeholder involvement.

Background

2. Child Protection Safety Net (CPSN) – is the continuation of 9 years sustainable intervention made by Terre des hommes Foundation, Delegation in Albania, through its multi-donor project Transnational Action against Child Trafficking (TACT) with primary geographic orientations between Albania and Greece and with successive phases respectively, TACT I, II and III. Since 2000, TACT has implemented a comprehensive response to the trafficking of the Albanian children to Greece focusing on the development of a coordinated community based approach to assist vulnerable children through the establishment of a child protection mechanism in Albania by targeting the state, school and local communities. As a transnational project, TACT has been supported by both governments in Greece (Hellenic Aid) and Albania (Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Education and Science). Especially the last phase of this project, TACT III (June 2006 – June 2009) has been actively engaged to progressively transfer the responsibility, skills and knowledge to three main stakeholders: schools, social services (at municipality level) and families along with vulnerable communities. Its main activities were focused in four main components:

a) Direct intervention to children ‘at risk’ of trafficking and suspected victims of trafficking and their families in both countries, Albania and Greece, to promote child’s rights through provision of various social, psychological, material, administrative and legal assistance in close cooperation and coordination with relevant duty bearers;

b) Capacity building of state structures respectively, the establishment and regular coaching of 7 Child Protection Units (CPU) in the municipalities located in the areas where TACT has operated in Albania and the strengthening of the role of the school in assistance and protection of the children within its environment through close collaboration with the school psychologists as Focal Point Persons within the school;

c) The mobilization of marginalized Roma and Egyptian communities to ensure the well functioning of the child protection mechanism, at community level, and support their micro-initiatives to empower community based child protection structures;

d) Advocacy for the promotion of child’s rights and monitoring changes in child protection policies in both countries.

3. The overall objective of CPSN is to contribute to the national efforts of Albania to address the situation of children in need of protection thanks to an effective Child Protection Safety Net. The focus of the project will be on the social service delivery for children at the local level and the protective role of the school. The main intervention of the project will aim to enhance the capacities required by national stakeholders to comply with the different responsibilities they have according to the international commitments of Albania, the national legislation and policies. It is expected to contribute positively to the decentralization process, as it will target enhancement of capacities to deliver services in particular at the local level. Through seeking to bring together private and public stakeholders at all levels, the project expects to enhance also the monitoring and enforcement capacities of central government in Albania regarding the implementation of standards of care and service delivery at the local level.

4. To meet this objective, CPSN will work with 5 main axes, respectively:

Axis 1: Child Protection Unit targeting Child Protection Workers of 9 Municipalities, the representatives of the municipal social services and the officials of the regional offices of social services and those of the state social service. The main focus of the work will be capacity building through on-job trainings, regular coaching sessions, exchanges and consultancy work.

Axis 2: Schools targeting the school psychologists, school directors, the Coordinators of the school psychologists at the Regional Directorates of Education. The main focus of the work will be to ensure a safe and protective environment for the children in the school and early identification and referral of children in need of protection. This will be achieved through regular coaching sessions, peer counselling sessions, trainings, experience sharing.

Axis 3: Community targeting vulnerable communities mainly from Roma and Balkan-Egyptian ones, aiming to ensure that they contribute in providing a safer environment for the most vulnerable children and their families and address child’s rights community issues to relevant duty bearers. It will be achieved through mobilizing and empowering Community Counselling Groups and other Community Based Organizations/NGOs to organize various psycho-social, awareness raising and education activities at community level, on the one hand, and collaboration with other stakeholders, on the other hand.

Axis 4: Residential institutions aiming to improve the capacities of their education personnel to implement and monitor the standards of care for the children within their environments. It will be achieved through regular coaching, counselling, trainings, material and technical assistance to organize various psycho-social activities and be aware of the standards of the child care mentioned in the toolkit “Keeping children safe”.

Axis 5: Consistent and ongoing communication to make sure that child protection concerns are shared at all levels and across levels. This will be achieved through various communication tools such as program reviews, steering committees, newsletters, participatory forums, publications etc.

5. Since CPSN is built on the experience achieved by TACT I, II and III implemented mainly in South and South-eastern part of Albania and in two main cities of Greece (Athens and Thessalonica), its geographical coverage will be almost the same. 9 districts of Albania will be involved respectively, Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, Korca, Pogradec, Gjirokastra, Saranda, Vlora, Fier. Moreover, CPSN will work with 7 Child Protection Units established by TACT III and aims to open 2 new units reaching a total of 9; with 150 primary and secondary schools and a team of 55 school psychologists and 150 school directors; with 6 Community Counseling Groups to support their micro-initiatives in terns of summer camps, awareness raising sessions, community empowerment etc. and with the education personnel of 4 residential institutions. The project is scheduled to start by 1st of October 2009 having a three month inception period.

6. During the period October 2009 – April 2012, CPSN multi-donor project funded by Austrian Development Cooperation, Terre des hommes, UNICEF, Swiss Development Cooperation, OAK Foundation, MEDICOR Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims that by April 2012, in Albania, a child protection safety net has been tested in selected municipalities and is able to protect children against trafficking and other forms of abuses, violence, exploitation or neglect and applying national standards. Moreover, during this phase, the project will also be extended to 4 residential institutions to make sure that child protection standards and procedures are in place and the education personnel is trained and qualified to implement and monitor them.

7. CPSN has five expected results (ER) to be achieved during the next 31 months:

ER1: Municipal Child Protection Units (CPUs) are established and functional in 9 municipalities of Albania, and succeed in analyzing the situation of vulnerable children, on case per case basis and acting according to the child’s need for his/her best interest;
ER 2: Schools are included in the child protection safety net at the local level ensuring early identification and referral;
ER 3: Marginalized communities, especially Roma and Egyptian communities, contribute in ensuring a safer environment for the most vulnerable children and support a sustainable livelihood for their members.
ER 4: Residential institutions for children have the capabilities to implement and monitor the standards of care for children in their environment;
ER 5: A consistent and ongoing communication process to enhance experience sharing, create synergies among all stakeholders concerned with child protection at all levels and across levels, and harmonize their efforts to social service reform is initiated.

CPSN Monitoring, Results Framework and Evaluation

8. Although CPSN is based on the existing experiences, data and knowledge gained during the implementation of the previous projects, still a three month inception phase (October – December 2009) has been considered to be useful to assess what has been achieved in the last project phase (TACT III), which will also serve as the benchmark for CPSN data. For this purpose, an independent international consultant will facilitate a participatory workshop which will take place in Tirana on 25th of November 09 to assess what has been achieved and what are the gaps to be closed. The outcome of this workshop will be the finalization of the monitoring and evaluation plan along with the Result Framework where indicators will be clearly defined, baselines and targets will be set.

9. Regular steering committees will be organized on quarterly basis with CPSN donors and other partners to discuss about the performance of the project towards its target and expected results.

10. An international social work expert will help to evaluate and improve the work of child protection workers in case management procedures.

11. After 20 months of the project’s implementation, CPSN will be evaluated by a team composed of a national and international expert. It will help the project for its phasing out strategy.

Objectives

12. Based on the existing data collected by the previous TACT III project (June 2006 – June 2009), the main objectives of this Monitoring&Evaluation Baseline Consultancy are:

To understand the current status of CPSN in each area of its implementation looking at its impact on various stakeholders and target groups;
To assess the results achieved by the last phase of TACT III project. This will also serve as benchmark for CPSN to set its baseline and targets. For this purpose, indicators for the new project will be clearly confirmed, targets for each indicator will be clearly set, data sources will be specified, the method of data collection will be stated along with the frequency of their collection and data reporting;
To train participants on Monitoring & Evaluation based on CPSN logframe and Results Framework which will be elaborated during the training session.

Besides this, the consultant can also use other data sources than those collected by the project to complete the picture.

Services and Outputs

13. In close collaboration, guidance and supervision of Terre des hommes’ Delegate in Albania and the Monitoring&Evaluation Specialist and Project Coordinator, the Consultant shall complete, at a minimum, the following tasks and generate the following outputs:

Research and Compilation Activities

Collect, and compile existing data and reporting on all of the indicators monitored and measured during the last project (TACT III) to set a baseline and target for each indicator for the CPSN project;
Identify data gaps related to both the new indicators defined and the existing ones and recommend steps to close the gaps through additional data collection or the use of alternative indicators.

Outputs

A clear, solid and shared monitoring system for the implementation of the project will be in place;
A clear Results Framework will be drafted and shared with all participants;
A clear Monitoring & Evaluation Plan will be finalized where baselines are set for all identified CPSN indicators;
Training on Monitoring & Evaluation system will be provided;
Recommendations for required actions for filling any data gaps;
Identification of key issues and constraints;
Inception, draft and final reports

Scope of Consulting Services

Terre des hommes delegation in Albania has already a person employed in the position of Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist who has a long working experience in this field. She has also involved in preparing Performance Monitoring and Evaluation.

The Consultant shall develop a working plan clearly showing how he/she is going to work to reach the abovementioned objectives.
The Consultant shall conduct visits to 2 project’s sites to meet some of the project’s partners/stakeholders and identify needs to be addressed and gaps to be closed in data collection process through proposing new instruments.
The Consultant shall verify data collection tools and look at data analysis procedure.
The Consultant shall use existing information sources as far as possible and will undertake other steps to obtain new data only after agreeing these with the Delegate and the Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist and Project Coordinator.
The Consultant will ensure that 5 project axes can be clearly identified through a specific set of indicators which are easily defined, monitored and measured.
Analyse information gathered and prepare a draft report that responds fully to the requirements of this ToR and present this to the Delegate and the Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist and Project Coordinator.
Receive and incorporate feedback from the project team in a final report.

Reporting

14. The Consultant shall produce a comprehensive, clear, and concise Inception after 2 weeks of commencement of this task in Albania that sets out the methodology, proposed dates of activities and their timelines.

15. The Consultant shall produce a comprehensive, clear, and concise draft report that includes the activities, tasks, and outputs described herein. This draft Report shall be submitted to the Delegate and the Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, for review and comment by not later than 2 weeks after commencement of activities in Albania. The Consultant shall consider and address the review comments received and shall submit a Final Report to the Delegate no later than 3 weeks after commencement of the mission that satisfactorily responds to the feedback. The Report shall be submitted in electronic form compatible with Microsoft Word.

16. Terre des hommes, delegation in Albania will handle the contracting process and contract value will be underpinned by payment milestones based on delivery.

Timeframe and Working days

17. The suggested timeframe for this assignment is approximately 24 (twenty four) working days as follows:

30th of November 2009 – Mobilisation and on-line desk review;
7th – 8th of December 09 – Visits to 2 project’s sites;
9th of December 09 – Office work with the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of Terre des hommes
10th of December 09 – Participatory workshop with Terre des hommes staff, CPSN partners/stakeholders;
11th of December 09 – Training on Monitoring& Evaluation of Terre des hommes team;
22nd of December 09 – First draft of the report submitted;
28th of December 09 – Comments of the first draft submitted by Terre des hommes to the Consultant regarding its report;
8th of January 2010 – Final report submitted including feedback provided by Tdh Mission Delegate and Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist and team along with recommendations

The total budget for this consultancy work is 10,000 Euro. This amount does not include hotel accommodation in Albania and flight ticket to and from Albania.

Competency and expertise required

18. An experienced Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist with sound expertise in dealing with Monitoring & Evaluation aspects including setting baselines, targets, data collection tools, indicators’ definition and experience in data analysis, training along with skills in report writing;

19. A statistician and/or social scientist with experience in data collection and participatory assessment techniques;