Call for Proposals for External Evaluation of the Project “Creating Value for Others: VET institutions provide relevant vocational skills”

Liechtenstein Development Service (hereafter LED) and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (hereafter SDC) intend to contract expert(s) for carrying out the external evaluation of the project Creating Value for Others: VET institutions provide relevant vocational skills (hereafter CREATIVO) which is implemented by the Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Business Support (hereafter referred to as CEDA). For the downloadable document, find the link to Terms of Reference.

LED and SDC have supported the reform of the Vocational Education and Training sector (VET) in Moldova, providing knowledge, technical capacity, and financial support. Both donors are committed to ensure that everyone enjoys the fundamental right to quality and relevant education so that all youth and adults are equipped with in-demand skills for employment, decent work, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning.

1. About the project CREATIVO Phase I

LED and SDC have supported the implementation of the CREATIVO project since 2020. The project aims to contribute to the relevance of vocational skills development programs which would provide youth and adults with the knowledge, skills and competencies required by labour market. Relevant skills training is recognized as pivotal in empowering people to seize employment opportunities or to equip themselves for self-employment. Providing better job skills can therefore be a robust means of supporting decent work, economic growth, and social inclusion.

The project builds on the assumption that several major institutional changes are needed for VET institutions to become more competent at delivering demand-oriented training services and at conducting school-based economic / entrepreneurial activities so that trainees gain relevant labour market skills. Firstly, VET institutions need to be much better at liaising and engaging with the private sector to ensure their training programs, services or products are of high quality and live up to customers’ needs. Secondly, VET institutions need to enforce transparent, sound financial management which would allow them to remain competitive. Thirdly, VET institutions will have to improve their capacity at the level of managers and administrative and financial staff to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset to the planning, implementation, and evaluation process of the economic / entrepreneurial activity. Lastly, VET institutions need to make sure that, even though they will become more demand-driven, they need to be accountable to the most important stakeholder that there is – their students. All improvements and innovations that will stem from the cooperation with the private sector need to translate in increased quality training and skill development for the students, especially students from vulnerable backgrounds.

The overall goal of the project is to contribute to youth and adults’ employability due to relevant vocational education and training. This will be achieved through the following outcomes: (i) Partner VET institutions effectively deliver demand-driven courses in partnership with and for private companies; (ii) Partner VET institutions improve their school-based economic / entrepreneurial activities so that trainees gain relevant skills, and the institutions generate higher income.

The private sector is one of the key stakeholders in the project. A special focus lies on their engagement in the design of the vocational skills development programs and in purchasing training services and/or products delivered by VET institutions.

During the course of the implementation of the CREATIVO project, important milestones / achievements were attained. They include:

– 9 out of 10 Entrepreneurial Activities (EAs) launched;

– 10 working groups established in partner VET institutions established and 33 staff members capacitated in implementing EAs;

– 912 students from VET institutions engaged in EAs to gain relevant professional skills;

– Over 1.000.000 MDL revenue generated by partner VET institutions from EAs in 2022-2023;

– 49 adults participating in piloting phase of CVET courses elaborated within the project

– 5 demand-driven courses elaborated by partner VET institutions with involvement of 16 private companies/ business associations representatives, 3 courses accredited by ANACEC;

– 4 Centers of Excellence strengthened for scaling-up the piloted approaches;

– 10 Internal Methodologies of managing revenues from EAs elaborated and approved by the Administrative Councils of the institutions;

– 10 Strategic development plans revised and approved by the Administrative Councils of the institutions.

An external evaluation of the CREATIVO project is planned to assess whether the project progress is on track and in line with its planned outcomes as well as to provide strategic direction and recommendations for the next phase of the project. Therefore, LED and SDC are seeking an independent team of evaluators to undertake this assignment.

2. Evaluation purpose

The evaluation is a final evaluation. It is commissioned to assess the major achievements of the 33 months out of the total length of 36 months. The evaluation shall be based on the international standards and good practice in the field of development evaluation and on the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria, standards and principles for use. These frame the process of project evaluations in recognized standards for quality and provide practical guidance and tools for their implementation.

The purpose of the external evaluation is to assess the project progress and results up to date against the objectives and indicators of achievement, and to draw conclusions and recommendations for consolidating project results in the next phase.

Therefore, the purpose of the external evaluation is twofold:

– Assess the key achievements of the CREATIVO project (backward-looking);

– Provide recommendations for the design of the next project phase (forward-looking).

Learning is at the centre of this evaluation exercise. The evaluation will serve as an opportunity for fostering learning and improving performance. In this sense, the evaluation shall be anchored in relevant information gathered during exchanges with project stakeholders as well as it shall draw upon literature / best practices and international expertise in the topic of Vocational Education and Training. LED, SDC and CEDA will take the findings and recommendations into consideration when exploring possibilities for the next project. The corresponding report will be handled as an internal document; thus, its internal character should enable a more open discussion about possibilities and limits.

3. Evaluation scope and questions

The external evaluation is expected to assess the overall performance of the CREATIVO project. This assignment shall address its coherence, relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. A thematic focus shall lie on the capacity of VET institutions to engage private sector in the design and delivery of training and entrepreneurial / economic services.

The assignment shall address the following questions:

Coherence

– How well is the CREATIVO project embedded in the overall reform of the VET system?

– To what extent do the objectives of this project complement and synergize with those of other VET projects which have similar activities?

– Which synergies and partnerships should be strengthened to ensure a successful next phase, i.e. competent VET institutions with entrepreneurial mindset?

Relevance

2.1. To what extent is the CREATIVO project relevant to the current context of VET sector reform? To what extent are the outcomes, as specified in the project document, relevant to the objectives of the Education Strategy 2030?

2.2. What are the key relevant aspects of CREATIVO project that should be strengthened and / or scaled-up during the next phase?

Effectiveness

3.1 To what extent has the project achieved its expected outcomes or are likely to be achieved by the end of the phase? What were the major factors influencing the achievement of the outcomes or the lack thereof?

– How effective is the support to the partner VET institutions in regard to achieving the project outcomes? How far has the project strengthened the roles and capacities of the partner VET institutions to become more accountable and responsive to customers’ needs?

– How effective have the partner VET institutions been in providing demand-oriented continuing training in partnership with and for the private companies? What were the main enablers and barriers to engaging private companies with the design and delivery of the training programs?

– How effective have the partner VET institutions been in designing economic / entrepreneurial activities so that trainees gain relevant skills for job market? What were the main enablers and barriers to designing economic / entrepreneurial activities?

– How effectively does the project design and theory of change contribute to the desired outcomes of the project?

– What are the essential elements of the CREATIVO project that should be continued and / or scaled up during the next phase, to amplify its effectiveness?

Efficiency

4.1 To what extent has the intervention delivered its outcomes and outputs in a timely and cost-effective way?

Sustainability

– How well has the project been able to build the capacity and ownership of partners to continue the project activities after the completion of the project? How far are the benefits of the project already sustainable / exist beyond the intervention?

– To what extent have the major elements of designing and delivering demand-oriented services/products (EAs) to private sector been incorporated through procedures, processes, guidelines, and other mechanisms into the activity of the partner VET institutions?

– What procedures, processes, guidelines, and mechanisms require further strengthening during the next project phase to ensure a sustainable institutionalization and operation of the Centres of Excellences as leading engine for bridging VET system and private sector closer?

4. Methodology

The evaluation team shall propose the methodology, discuss, and agree on it with the donors and the implementing agency. This evaluation should be a learning exercise. Therefore, it is expected that the team will conduct a participatory evaluation that shall involve project implementers, key stakeholders, direct and indirect beneficiaries in the evaluation process.

A mixed method design, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, is highly recommended. Such approach will enable the collection of a variety of information and insights and of data triangulation – a strategy that can enhance the reliability and credibility of the evaluation findings. The methodology may include, but not limited to, desk-review, survey, interviews, focus groups and consultations with project team members, beneficiaries, and stakeholders. It is expected that the evaluation team will not only collect relevant data but will also jointly reflect with the stakeholders on the researched topics and emerging findings.

5. Evaluation products (deliverables)

The deliverables of the evaluation consist of the following key evaluation products (all documents shall be written in English):

1. Inception report. Within two weeks after the start of the assignment, the evaluation team shall submit an inception report of maximum 5 pages to detail the proposed methodology, sampling framework, data sources, data collection tools and timeframe.

2. Draft evaluation report. The project team and donor representatives must have the possibility to review the draft evaluation report (in electronic form) to ensure that the evaluation meets the required quality criteria and to clarify any misunderstandings. CEDA, LED and SDC must have a minimum of two weeks for giving feedback to the draft.

3. Final evaluation report (max. 60’000 characters, annexes not included). The report shall contain the insights and lessons learnt of the evaluation activities and recommendations for adapting the next phase.

4. Evaluation brief describing the main findings, conclusions, and recommendations. It should not exceed 3 to 4 pages which will be published on CEDA’s website.

6. Team composition and expertise

The evaluation shall be carried out by international or national consultant(s). In case the consultant is an international expert, s/he should work together with a local consultant.

The consultant(s) should have the following qualifications and competences:

– Proven record in leading evaluations in the context of development projects/programmes, e.g. in the field of skills development, labour market development, entrepreneurship education and youth employability.

– Proven experience and understanding of the Vocational Education and Training system in Moldova and in other contexts.

– Knowledge of, and experience in applying standard evaluation principles, qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods.

– Ability to draft concise evaluation reports of high quality in English.

– One member of the team should be able to communicate fluently in Romanian and Russian.

– Strong sensitivity and responsiveness to bring forward and deal with gender and social inclusion issues.

7. Evaluation ethics

The evaluation team shall operate in an impartial and unbiased manner and give a balanced presentation of strengths and weaknesses of the project being assessed, with due regard to the wellbeing of those involved in the evaluation, as well as those impacted by its results. The evaluation team shall respect people’s right to provide information in confidence and make interviewed participants aware of the scope and limits of confidentiality, while ensuring that sensitive information of partners cannot be traced to its source.

All information gained through this evaluation must be handled confidentially and cannot be used for other purposes than for this evaluation.

8. Implementation arrangements

LED, SDC and CEDA will select the evaluator. CEDA will contract the evaluator and provide the project documentation (project document, applications, logframe, M&E plan, reports). It is proposed to arrange a briefing during which the evaluation team shall discuss the contractual provisions, implementation arrangements, availability of data and shall agree on additional information to be submitted by CEDA before the evaluation starts.

CEDA will assist the evaluation team in arranging visits with stakeholders. Transport and other logistic arrangements are organized by the evaluation team. Any additional information will be provided by the donors and / or implementing agency upon request.

9. Timeframe for the evaluation process

The estimated duration of the contract is August to December 2023. In order to be able to make maximum use of the evaluation and its recommendations for the planning of the next phase, the final evaluation report must be submitted not later than 11 December 2023. It is up to the evaluation team to propose a feasible schedule with estimated working days to achieve the deadline. The schedule shall foresee the timelines for briefing, desk review, field mission, debriefing, and submission of deliverables. The time planning shall consider that donors and implementing agency will take up to two weeks to review and comment on the draft evaluation report.

Key milestones:

10. Terms of payment

The available budget for the evaluation costs amounts up to 15’000 EUR. The sum includes the evaluators’ remuneration and all the expenses for the services described above, including, travel, accommodation, communication expenses. Any international individual must include within their cost proposal the 12% tax required by Moldovan taxation law. The sum will be paid in instalments linked to the deliverables being accepted:

50 % after submission of the draft evaluation report; yet, there is room for negotiation

50 % after approval of the final evaluation report.

11. Submission of Applications

Interested consultants (individual or teams) who have the relevant expertise and experience are asked to submit the following documents:

1. A cover letter with a brief description of relevant previous experiences in evaluation of projects in Vocational Education and Training, Entrepreneurship Education and Youth Employability.

2. Two final reports of comparable evaluations recently carried out.

3. Contact details of 2 references expected to support claims of knowledge, skills, and experience.

4. A Curriculum vitae (CV), including references to licenses, certifications, accreditations, etc.

5. A technical and financial offer. The technical offer shall shortly describe the evaluators’ understanding of what is being evaluated and how each question will be answered. The offer must include a concise description of the methodology, qualitative and quantitative data collection, stakeholder participation approach, a draft schedule of activities and deliverables. The financial offer shall contain the estimated costs necessary for the evaluation.

Applications with the above details shall be sent by 21 August 2023 to [email protected] with the subject “CREATIVO External Evaluation”. The results from the selection process will be communicated by 25 August 2023.

Proposals will be evaluated and scored by a Commission against the following selection criteria:

– Proposed methodology (relevance, logic, rigor, practicality, etc.) (40%)

– Relevant qualifications and experience of the evaluator(s) (40%)

– Adequacy of the schedule and work allocation with the technical specifications (20%)