Terms of reference
Locations: Remote
Type: Consultancy Position
About AKFC
Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) is an international development organization and registered charity that concentrates on a number of specific development challenges in health, education, rural development and civil society. AKFC partners with communities, businesses, and governments to find innovative, lasting solutions to global challenges. Working in Africa and Asia, we invest in local institutions and systems that anchor progress over the long term. In Canada, AKFC mobilizes funding and expertise, and promotes awareness of global issues. In all of our work, advancing gender equality, inclusion and pluralism are key objectives and approaches. AKFC is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the world’s most comprehensive development organizations. Since 1980, AKFC has helped millions of women and men unlock their own potential to build a better life.
Position Summary
As part of its five-year Foundations for Health and Empowerment (F4HE) project, AKFC is seeking applications from qualified consultants or firms to lead its Endline Assessment. This Terms of Reference (ToR) outlines the responsibilities of the lead consultant(s)/firm, who will lead on design, planning, technical support to data collection (data collection to be led by AKF country teams), analysis, and reporting for the endline assessment.
Background and Context
F4HE promotes equitable development and empowerment for women, girls, adolescents, their families, and communities in targeted regions of Afghanistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. The project has four complementary components: Foundations for Health (F4H), Foundations for Child (F4C), Advancing Gender Equality and Civil Society (AGECS), and Advancing Canadian Champions for Development (ACCD).
These components collectively contribute to F4HE’s intermediate outcomes, which include:
- Strengthening the delivery of quality, gender-responsive, and inclusive health, early childhood development, and other sustainable development services.
- Reducing gender and social barriers to the utilization and uptake of health, early childhood development, and other sustainable development services and practices.
- Enhancing the engagement of international and Canadian stakeholders on gender-sensitive and evidence-based development issues and programming.
The endline assessment will cover two of these four components: Foundations for Health (F4H) and Foundations for Children (F4C).
Purpose and Objectives of the Consultancy
The overall purpose of the endline study is to establish endline values for all target indicators aligned with F4H and F4C’s expected outcomes, enabling AKF and its implementing partners to assess the effectiveness of the project’s interventions upon project completion. The following are the specific objectives of the endline assessment:
- To assess F4H and F4C’s effectiveness by comparing endline data with targets and baseline data across required disaggregation categories, rooted in the project’s Theory of Change and quantitative and qualitative findings, to demonstrate where progress has and has not been made.
- To provide recommendations rooted in evidence and backed by global research, evidence, and literature to inform the design and implementation of future programs, identifying elements of the project that could be scaled or adapted.
The endline study will consider gender and social inclusion needs in the design of instruments, protocols for administration (to the extent possible) and analysis framework.
Scope of the Consultancy
The study will be carried out in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan and will only cover the F4H and F4C components of F4HE. The consultant will lead on design, planning, technical support to data collection (data collection to be led by AKF country teams), analysis, and reporting. Based on a common logic model and performance measurement framework across countries, the study will use a common methodology, data collection tools and guidelines for analysis and reporting.
Overview of the Methods
The study will employ a mixed methods approach. Below is an overview of the methods to be employed in this study:
Quantitative Component
The quantitative component of the endline study will consist of five key parts:
- Household Survey: Assessing key project indicators at the household level to evaluate changes in access, utilization, and outcomes associated with health and ECD services.
- Health Facility Assessment, Staff Survey, and Client Exit Interviews: Evaluating the quality of health services delivered at targeted facilities and capturing client satisfaction and utilization patterns.
- ECD Classroom Observation, Educator Survey, and Client Exit Interviews: Assessing ECD service delivery quality, utilization, and satisfaction among parents and caregivers using Teach ECE and ECD Client Exit Interviews.
- Targeted Government Agencies Assessment: Evaluating the engagement and performance of government agencies in supporting health and ECD programming in project areas.
- Additional Data: Covering various miscellaneous indicators and obtained from national or local HMIS data, an internal project MERL system self-assessment tool, a survey of users of project research, and an internal project ECD enrolment tracking tool.
Qualitative Component
The qualitative component of the endline study will focus on conducting a deeper analysis of key areas related to project outcomes, particularly around access to and utilization of health and ECD services. It will help in triangulating the quantitative data obtained through household survey and other tools.
Qualitative Focus Areas:
- Women of reproductive age: Their access to and utilization of health services, including their experiences and satisfaction levels.
- Adolescent girls and boys: Differences in their needs, access to, and utilization of health services.
- Mothers or caregivers of children aged 0-6 years: Their satisfaction with ECD services and perception of the gender-sensitivity and inclusiveness of these services, and access to health and ECD facilities.
- Adolescent and adult fathers: Their involvement in caregiving and shared responsibilities for children, providing insights into male engagement.
Qualitative Methods:
- Individual In-Depth Interviews: Conducted with key stakeholders to explore personal experiences and perceptions.
- Focus Group Discussions: Engaging groups of women, adolescents, caregivers, and fathers to gather collective insights and diverse perspectives.
Ethical Standards and Safeguarding
The endline study must conscientiously abide by AKF’s Gender Equality Policy and its Global Safeguarding Manual and its adaptations in the study countries, and all members of the Consultant team must sign AKF’s Safeguarding Statement of Commitment upon contracting. The Consultant must also be sure to provide any required information to AKF country teams to obtain the relevant research permits, as required, from all relevant national authorities. Codes of conduct must be specifically referenced, and commitment confirmed in writing by each researcher involved in this study. The design of the study must clearly specify how data collection and use will be undertaken with integrity and honesty, respecting human rights and differences in culture, customs, religious beliefs and practices of all stakeholders. The Consultant must explain how its researchers will be mindful of gender-related needs and roles, ethnicity, children living with disability, age, language and other differences when designing and carrying out the study. The design and implementation of the study must strike an appropriate balance between recognition of the potential benefits of the research, and the protection of participants from potential research-related harms. Safeguarding principles to protect key informants from sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and bullying, including child protection, must be explicit.
Key Activities
The key activities expected from the Consultant(s) for this assignment are as follows:
- Development (ECD) across the project geographies.
- Conduct a virtual meeting via MS Teams with AKFC, the Regional MERL Officer, and other regional technical team members to clarify the scope and expectations before drafting the Study Inception Report.
Study Inception Report
A comprehensive inception report and study work plan/protocol must include:
- Study Design and Sampling Strategy for the quantitative components of the study, along with tools and data analysis mechanisms.
- Work Plan detailing tasks by the Consultant and team members, incorporating overall study timelines and guidance to country teams for fieldwork plans.
- Team Roles and Efforts, outlining the level of effort for each team member.
- Analysis Plan, defining computations for each indicator and corresponding data collection tool references.
- Prepare comprehensive guidelines and protocols to ensure consistent and high-quality data collection across all countries, including developing detailed enumerator training materials and an agenda aligned with the study protocol
Review/Finalization of Data Collection Tools
- Collaborate with AKF Country Units (Program and MERL staff), the Regional Gender Advisor, and the Regional MERL Officer to refine data collection tools, ensuring alignment with the analysis plan.
Develop Data Entry Application
- Create a centralized electronic data capture platform, which AKF country teams will either use directly for data collection or use for data entry if they deploy paper-based data collection.
Orientation and Training for Country Focal Persons
- Conduct a virtual orientation workshop to train country MERL leads on:Study protocols and tools.
- Enumerator and facilitator training procedures.
- Data entry and cleaning protocols.
Data Entry Quality Assurance
- Remotely review data entry processes conducted at the country level and provide occasional check-ins and feedback to country study leads to ensure data quality.
Data Analysis
- Process and analyse quantitative data, performing statistical analysis and triangulating findings with other data sources.
- Consider exploring possible correlational analysis options to enhance insights.
Data Interpretation Workshops
- Contribute to workshops with internal stakeholders facilitated by AKF country and/or regional MERL leads. Share preliminary endline data tables for indicators with minimal qualitative and secondary
Review of Project Documents and Secondary Data
- Examine all relevant project documents and secondary sources on Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH), and Early Childhood data for triangulation where feasible.
Draft and Final Endline Study Reports
- Submit draft and final study reports for each country, including:
- Executive Summary.
- Full Consolidated Endline Report.
- Annexes
- Provide both Word and PDF versions of the reports. A suggested Table of Contents will be shared by AKF.
- Submit original and cleaned datasets (in XLS format) along with field notes to the Regional MERL Officer and AKFC upon draft report submission.
Time Frame, Deliverables, and Level of Effort
The period of the contract is estimated to be from the last week of February 2025 to March 2026 with an expected 97 working days over this period. The consultant is expected to carry out all the preparation required to roll out the study as per the suggested time frame in the PDF.
Note: Timelines are subject to change and are dependent on factors such as time required for receiving ethical approval for conducting the study in each country. Additionally, it is important to note that each country has a distinct school/academic calendar. Therefore, data collection for ECD facility-based tools should be planned to coincide with periods when classes are in session.
Qualifications of the Consultant(s)
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in administering studies, collecting data, and producing quality baseline/endline study reports, preferably for international non-profit organizations or multilateral agencies and multi-country
- Demonstrated experience in designing baseline and endline studies including proven experience in sound sampling, mixed methods approach (quantitative and qualitative), tool development, enumerator, and qualitative facilitator training, etc.
- Demonstrated experience in quantitative data collection and statistical
- Demonstrated experience in qualitative data collection and analysis.
- Demonstrated experience in programming in Open Data Kit (ODK) or other computer assisted personal interviewing software will be an
- Demonstrated experience in conducting studies in the sexual, reproductive, child, neonatal and maternal health.
- Proven experience in conducting studies on early childhood development using standard tools such as Teach ECE. Additionally, the consultant or a team member is expected to have the expertise to interpret the tool and deliver training on Teach ECE to country units.
- Experience in Central Asia an asset.
- Demonstrated experience in data management, including designing and managing gender- and age-disaggregated data and information systems capable of handling large datasets for study purposes.
- Demonstrated experience in conducting gender sensitive and gender targeted studies.
- Knowledge of and commitment to uphold ethical standards and safeguarding practices when working with vulnerable communities.
- Fluency in English is mandatory and additional Central and South Asian languages (Dari, Tajik, Kyrgyz, Russian, Urdu, etc.) is an asset.
- Ability to produce high quality work under tight
Management and Reporting
The successful candidate(s) will report to AKF’s Regional MERL Officer for F4HE based in Islamabad, Pakistan and will work closely with all AKF country M&E leads. The consultant will be directly accountable to AKF Canada on all matters related to the contract.
AKFC is committed to advancing gender equality and inclusion through our programming and operations in Canada and overseas. AKFC requires all employees and consultants to review and abide by the AKFC Gender Equality Policy.
AKFC recognizes the importance of safeguarding and is committed to ensuring it manages a wide range of risks such that beneficiaries, staff, other associates, and the organization as a whole are kept safe from harm. All employees and consultants must respect the AKF Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy.
AKFC welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
