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ChildFund in Laos is the representative office of ChildFund Australia – an independent international development organisation that works to reduce poverty for children in developing communities.
ChildFund Australia is a member of the ChildFund Alliance – a global network of 11 organisations which assists almost 23 million children and their families in 70 countries. ChildFund Australia is a registered charity, a member of the Australian Council for International Development, and fully accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which manages the Australian Government’s overseas aid program.
ChildFund began working in Laos in 2010 and works in partnership to create community and systems change which enables vulnerable children and young people, in all their diversity, to assert and realise their rights. Projects are implemented in Houaphanh, Xieng Khouang, Phongsaly, Sayabouly, Luang Prabang, Khammouane, Savannakhet, Sekong Provinces and Vientiane capital.
With a focus on upholding child rights and improving access to quality education, ChildFund in Laos also prioritises projects which focus on child nutrition, sexual reproductive health and rights, media literacy, and job readiness.
Lao PDR has some of the highest rates of stunting in Southeast Asia with 33% of children under 5 are stunted and 13% are severely stunted; 9% are wasted; 21% underweight (LSIS 2017). Among certain provinces rates are even higher with 41% stunting in Houaphanh (and 60% reported in Xamneua District in the SCALING project baseline in 2018), and 46% in Xieng Khouang.
Houaphanh also has the country’s second highest wasting rates at 16.4%, almost double the national average (LSIS 2017). Poor, ethnic minority groups, and upland areas of the country are also disproportionately affected, with stunting levels reaching 50% among Hmong-Mien children (a large ethnic group in both Houaphanh and Xieng Khouang provinces). Project staff have observed and received feedback that health facilities are poorly managed, including lack of medical equipment, poor garbage disposal, management of inpatient and outpatient services, and reporting, etc. This affects the demand for healthcare, as community members do not feel there are a good quality of services and therefore do not go. Poor health services also mean that malnutrition detection/growth monitoring services are not effective, with improvements needed to growth measuring practises, case management, and recording in to the health information system.
Most recently CFL has participated in the large nutrition focused consortium project “SCALING - Sustainable Change Achieved through Linking Improved Nutrition and Governance” which covered a comprehensive set of integrated interventions. Integrated Nutrition for Growth (IN4G) Project aims to draw from the expertise and technical components gained from SCALING which focused on multiple contributors to malnutrition including:
These approaches also align with the multifaceted causes of malnutrition in Laos as given by several sources (eg. “Nutrition In Lao PDR Causes, Determinants, And Bottlenecks” 2016, World Bank).
CFL is working with NPA partner Community Association for Salvation and Environment (CASE) in implementing the project activities in 5 villages in Khoun District, Xieng Khouang. CASE align closely in their work to reduce the high rates of malnutrition in Khoun, and is implementing two approaches in a new partnership approach.
The IN4G project signed the MoU with the Ministry of Health in December 2021 and its activities have been implemented in the project areas – 10 villages in Xamneua District, Houaphanh, and 5 villages in Khoun District, Xieng Khouang. The project has three outcomes:
**Outcomes 1:**Mothers and caregivers, female and male youth improve health, nutrition and hygiene practices at the home and community level.
Outcomes 2:
Formal health facilities better able to provide quality health services to meet the needs of their catchment population
Outcomes 3:
Local, subnational and national level systems are strengthened and supported to better respond to the nutrition needs of the community.
3. Purpose
The baseline survey was conducted in 5 new villages in Xamneua district and 5 villages in Khoun district. The midterm review survey is expected to collect the data in the same villages visited for both districts.
The midterm review will be conducted at this point of time because of the following reasons:
The objective of this midterm review:
The results of the survey will be used for:
Target audience and key stakeholders of this midterm review will be mothers and caregivers, female and male youth, LSS teachers, breastfeeding mothers and health workers and government counterparts from district to provincial level, NPA partner staff (CASE) and ChildFund staff.
To ensure that the project implementation is relevant and addresses the relevant, identified barriers and needs, a Midterm Review will collect data and information using the tools used in the baseline survey and make the comparison to the baseline results. The Midterm Review should recommend on the areas the project should focus and improve. The information collected from the baseline and midline will be used to compare to the end-line figures that will be conducted after the project has concluded.
4. Scope of Midterm Review
ChildFund will be responsible for the following tasks:
The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:
Data tabulation and data analysis
Write a comprehensive draft report on findings/results of the study with submission for review by the ChildFund/project team.
Provide recommendations based on the findings in midterm review and after comparing the results with the baseline
Present/share the findings of the Midterm Review to and with ChildFund and relevant stakeholders.
Incorporate comments and suggestions forwarded and produce final report as per the agreed timetable.
Share the Midterm Review report with the implementing partners and government counterparts as agree with the project manager, to gather their recommendations and provide recommendations on realistic ways of improved project implementation.
Methodology
The CFL team, implementing partners and government counterparts are responsible for the data collection and field visit. CFL MEL team is responsible for data quality check and data management, the consultant, in consultation with ChildFund in Laos and the ChildFund Australia Health Advisor and MEL Advisor is expected to analyse the data, compare it with baseline findings and write the Midterm Review report.
Methods will include a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches including:
Report:
Note: this is subject for negotiation with the Consultant
Indicative dates Outputs and Activities Responsible persons
Week 3 of Dec 22 Draft ToR CFL MEL team
Week 1-2 of Jan 23 Review and finalise the ToR CFL Project team & MEL team
Week 3-4 of Jan 23 Consultant Recruitment
Week 1 of Feb 23 Interview CFL HR
Negotiation and signing the contract
Week 1-4 Jan 23 ChildFund team works in collaboration to CFL and CFA Health
review tools and finalise the scope of the and MEL team
midterm review
Week 4 Jan 23 Recruit enumerators Project team
Week 1 of Feb 23 Training on data collection CFL, CASE
& government partners
Week 2-4 of Feb 2023 Data Collection
1. Data collection in Khoun district,
Xiengkhouang province
# Enumerator training (1 day) CFL team, CASE team
# Piloting tools (1 day)
# Data collection in 2 villages
(Pieng & Keosead)
2. Data collection in Xamnuea district,
Houaphan province
# Enumerator training (1 day) CFL, government partner
# Piloting tools (1 day)
# Data collection in 3 villages
(Khod, Hanghone, PaYnoug)
28/02/23 Complete data collection
Data management and quality check CFL MEL team
Week 1 of Mar 23 Data tabulation and data analysis (5 days) Consultant
31/03/23 # Debriefing/presenting results (1 day)
# Report writing (frist draft – 4 days) Consultant
# Submit the 1st Draft Report (English)
30/04/23 # Incorporate feedback and finalise the report (2 days)
# Submit the second draft report (English)
# If any further comments, respond to and incorporate Consultant
CF’s further comments and feedback and submit third
draft/Final Report (1 day)
7. Management and Reporting Arrangements
The Consultant will report to CFL Senior Health and Nutrition Officer and CFL Senior MEL Coordinator and work with Technical Advisors in Sydney Office. All reports must be written in English in an electronic format (Microsoft Word). The report will be reviewed carefully by the CFL Senior Health and Nutrition Officer, CFL Senior MEL Coordinator, CFA Health Advisor and CFA MEL Advisor.
8. Confidentiality
All discussions and documents relating to this ToR will be treated as confidential by the parties.
9. Child Safeguarding
The successful applicant will be required to comply with ChildFund Australia’s Child Safeguarding Policy and Procedures and to sign a Code of Conduct. The consultant will also have in place an Australian Federal Policy Criminal Background Check and Working with Children Check.
10. Counter-Terrorism
ChildFund Australia acknowledges its obligation under the Australian laws relating to counter-terrorism. In order to meet its obligation, the consultant’s name will be reviewed against Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and National Security Australia lists at the onset of any financial relationship.
11. Conflict of Interest
The Consultant must declare any financial, personal, family (or close intimate relationship) interest in matters of official business which may impact on the work of ChildFund
12. Fraud and Corruption prevention and awareness
ChildFund Australia has a zero approach to fraud and corruption act. The successful consultant will be required to comply with ChildFund Australia’s fraud and corruption prevention and awareness Policy and act against any form of fraud or corruption and not offer, promise, give or accept any bribes.
13. Insurance
The successful applicant will be required to have in place insurance arrangements appropriate to provision of the requirement in this TOR including (without limitation) travel insurance.
14. Acknowledgment and Disclaimer
ChildFund, its Board and staff make no express or implied representation or warranty as to the currency, reliability or completeness of the information contained in this ToR. Nothing in this ToR should be construed to give rise to any contractual obligations or rights, expressed or implied, by the issue of this ToR or the submission of Expression of Interest in response to it. No contract would be created until a formal written contract is executed between ChildFund and a selected consultant.
Selection Criteria for Consultant
Core Competencies
Essential Qualification and Experience:
Submission Procedure:
ChildFund in Laos welcomes applications from qualified applicants residing in Laos including Lao national.
All interested candidates should submit a CV and cover letter in English describing their suitability based on the above required qualifications and experiences.
ChildFund will ONLY accept applications that include a CV, a cover letter and proposal this project midterm evaluation that address the criteria above as well as a financial proposal.
ChildFund in Laos will not return any applications and does not require interested candidates to submit copies of certificates, ID cards or any other information.
ChildFund in Laos is an equal opportunity employer and has a strict child protection policy and background checks will be undertaken prior to any offer of employment. All candidates should submit two professional referees including their current or most recent employer.
APPLICATIONS SHOULD ONLY CONTAIN A CURRENT CV AND A COVER LETTER IN ENGLISH ADDRESSING THE CRITERIA OUTLINED FOR THE POST ALONG WITH A FINANCIAL PROPOSAL.
Please send all applications to ChildFund in Laos office before 4:30 pm of 09 February 2023