Baseline Evaluation Lead Consultant

Job Description

Plan International USA is requesting proposals to design and lead a baseline assessment for the Plan USA sponsored ProTEcT (Protection, Tracking, Education and Transformation) program in India and Nepal.

Plan International USA is partnering with Plan’s offices in Nepal and India to implement a 4-year program focusing on the protection of children, prevention of child trafficking, and repatriation and reintegration of trafficking survivors. The overall objective of the project is to support children, families, communities and societies to strengthen prevention mechanisms against child trafficking, improve repatriation processes, and support the safe reintegration survivors.

The specific objectives of the project are:

1. Children and families can identify risks, conditions and consequences of child trafficking, actively take steps to protect themselves, report cases of trafficked children and support the reintegration of survivors and access to services.
2. Community social safety nets and structures are strengthened to prevent child trafficking, facilitate access to services, and support reintegration through child-friendly and participatory methods.
3. Both state and non-state actors have increased capacity to respond to child trafficking, safely repatriate survivors, and facilitate their reintegration.

The project aims to achieve this through a combination of education and training, economic empowerment, social and behavior change, and systems strengthening to holistically create systematic change for all involved. ProTEcT will be working with children, youth, parents/caregivers, community leadership, and government partners through a variety of training and capacity building methodologies, including utilizing new-age technology and other unique approaches to ensure impact.

The ProTEcT project seeks to conduct an assessment to establish baseline values for project indicators that will guide project implementation. Specifically, the baseline study for the ProTEcT project seeks to answer the following questions:

• What is the current level of awareness of trafficking risks and consequences within targeted communities?
• What are the knowledge, attitudes and practices of children and their families with regards to vulnerabilities of trafficking?
• What are the prevailing social norms that make children, and particularly girls, vulnerable to trafficking?
• What level of access do vulnerable families have to social safety nets and other community-based services?
• How are community-based organizations organized to respond to trafficking risks and support the protection and reintegration of survivors?
• What protective mechanisms or resources, if any, exist in the communities and what capacities do they have to respond to trafficking threats?

TERMS OF REFERENCE

In light of the background outlined above, Plan International seeks to engage a consultant to work with local partners in each of the project countries to conduct a baseline study. The objectives of this assignment are to:

• Conduct Desk Review
• Construct the Study Protocol
• Prepare data collection tools
• Identify, and train local data collectors in each of the intervention countries
• Lead the administration of the study
• Analyze study data and present findings in comprehensive report incorporating feedback from project team
• Manage In-Country Evaluator and oversee all aspects of the assessment.

The project is to be implemented in 9 districts in Nepal and India. The assessment should gather relevant data from all districts covered by the project.

Nepal: Banke, Sunsari, Makwanpur

India: Bihar,Sitamarhi; Bihar, West Champaran; Uttar Pradesh, Siddharthnagar; Uttar Pradesh Maharajganj; West Bengal, Nadia; West Bengal, Murshidabad

Preferred Education and Experience

• 7+ Years of experience in designing, managing, and leading evaluations
• Completed Master’s degree in Economics, Sociology, Social Sciences, Research or related field, PhD preferred
• Must have experience leading evaluations and assessments, preferably in South Asia
• Experience in Child Protection and/or Trafficking preferably in South Asia
• Ability to support multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines; Excellent communication, writing, editing, and research skills
• Ability to travel to India and/or Nepal
• Fluent in English and preferably working proficiency in Hindi, Bengali Nepali or relevant language
• Past experience managing and training data collectors
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and a great sense of humor
• Attention to detail and think creatively
• A demonstrated commitment to Plan International’s mission

Please submit CV, 5-10 page writing sample, and cover letter detailing past experience leading relevant studies by March 2, 2020.

About the Organization

Plan International USA (Plan) is part of a global organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners to:

• Empower children, young people, and communities to make vital changes that tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion and vulnerability.
• Drive change in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels through our reach, experience, and knowledge of the realities children face.
• Work with children and communities to prepare for and respond to crises and to overcome adversity.
• Support the safe and successful progression of children from birth to adulthood.

We see clear links between fulfilling children’s rights, achieving gender equality, and ending child poverty. Every girl and boy has the right to be healthy, educated, protected, valued, and respected in their own community and beyond. We support these rights from birth to adulthood, working to ensure that girls and boys know their rights and have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to fulfil them. This approach inspires and empowers children and communities to create long-lasting change.

In 2016, Plan was active in 71 countries, and our programs reached more than 32 million children, directly impacting almost 70 million people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Program activities ranged from training health care workers and constructing health care facilities, to setting up water systems and building latrines, to working with children and families to improve early childhood care and development practices and outcomes. For more information visit, www.planusa.org.

Plan International USA has two offices, located in Washington, DC and Warwick, Rhode Island. It is part of the global federation, Plan International, which is comprised of collaborative partnerships between 21 national offices and 51 country offices. Plan International USA is registered 501(c)(3) and has an independent Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors of Plan International USA also participate in global federation governance through membership on the federation’s Members’ Assembly and International Board.

The Plan USA Program Team works in direct partnership with the Regional and Country Office staff contributing expertise in business development, program design and implementation. The Program Team helps to manage, monitor and evaluate all US-funded programs, as well as reporting back to donors on the progress of program initiatives.

We aspire to five core values that help us define our culture and to inform our business decisions: Accountability, Passion, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence - AsPIRE. Plan expects all staff to exhibit and embrace these values in every part of their work lives.

We are committed to adhering to Plan’s Child Protection Standards and protecting the wellbeing of children in any situation that may arise. The protection of children is everyone’s responsibility.

Plan offers opportunities for growth and development through internal and external training opportunities. We value the ideas and opinions of staff at any level and provide forums in which those can be shared with others.

Plan is an equal opportunity employer and follows all laws associated with the EEOC.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.