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Shae Thot Project

Request for Proposals

RFP Title: Shae Thot WORTH Women’s Empowerment Evaluation

Deadline for Submission: September 11, 2017; 8:00 am Yangon time

Important Note: Applicants are instructed NOT to submit superfluous materials such as photos,

news articles or other attachments that are not requested in the RFP. Any additional materials will

not be reviewed.

Applicants MUST submit using this template. Submissions made in another form will not be

accepted.

Type directly into text boxes. The boxes will expand to fit your input, but please adhere to the 8-

page limit.

Instructions: The application form can be found below. Please answer each question as best as you

can. We are happy to answer any questions about the application process, but we cannot offer advice

about your specific proposal. The deadline for submitting questions about this call for proposals is

8:00 am, Yangon time August 28, 2017. Answers to questions will be sent to all potential applicants

by Spetember 01, 2017. Questions should be sent by email to htethtetlwin@pactworld.org. All

applicants are also requested to state intent to apply to this solicitation by August 28, 2017 so that

answers to questions can be sent out to all interested applicants.

Both institutions and teams of individuals are invited to submit proposals. Applicants are required to

send an electronic copy of their proposal and writing examples of prior relevant work via email to

htethtetlwin@pactworld.org. Technical and financial proposal must be submitted separately.

Submissions must be received by the due date and time or they will not be considered.

Proposals should be submitted in the English language.

Although funding has been provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), all

responsibility for the administration and communication of the contract will be handled by Pact.

Applicants should not contact USAID regarding this solicitation. All questions, submissions, and

matters related to this solicitation should be addressed to Pact at htethtetlwin@pactworld.org.

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I. TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Summary

Title WORTH Women’s Empowerment Evaluation

Purpose The evaluation has a primary learning focus to provide a comprehensive

understanding of the various changes that WORTH has contributed to and

guidance for improving and implementing the program in different context.

Key secondary audiences are USAID and communities.

Travel Yangon, Burma/ Myanmar and selected sites in the Dry Zone and Kayah

State

Project Donor USAID Burma

Reporting to Senior Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Specialist

Duration 04 October 2017 – 29 December 2017

2. Background

Shae Thot started as a five-year project in September 2011 and

later received a cost extension for an additional 18-month

period, which will end in March 2018.

Funded through USAID’s humanitarian assistance mechanism,

Shae Thot is working in areas where civil society has

traditionally been weak, and space for citizen participation is

limited. For this reason, Shae Thot is working at the

community level to support the development of grassroots

organizations to play an essential role in identifying and

addressing local needs, and ensuring inclusive service delivery

to the poorest and marginalized community members.

Shae Thot is currently active in 1,994 villages across 22

townships in the Dry Zone, Yangon, and Kayah State, and has

implemented activities in 2,844 villages. A total of 2,315,482

individuals (1,078,861 males, 1,236,620 females) live in the

villages where Shae Thot has worked; based on villages profiles developed and updated as part of

project implementation.

The overall goal of the project is to reduce suffering and death among the people of Myanmar, based

on the specific project objectives:

• Decrease maternal, newborn and child mortality.

• Improve household-level food security.

• Increase access to sufficient quantities of safe water, potable water and improved hygiene.

• Strengthen social and community institutions for development.

Shae Thot offers an integrated approach to community development through a service-delivery model

that puts communities at the center of a process of building their own capacity for decision making

and long-term planning.

Shae Thot is implemented by a consortium of international organizations – Pact, MSI, Cesvi, UN-

Habitat and PGMF – which coordinate to deliver overlapping programming to communities. The

partners do have overlap, but also foci along the project’s objectives in their programmatic activities.

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At the community level, Village Development Committees (VDCs) play the primary role in the

villages of leading and coordinating activities in the different sectors, and participants in different

project activities have representatives on the VDC.

WORTH is Pact’s women’s economic empowerment program that has been implemented under Shae

Thot in areas with limited market access. WORTH has been implemented in 588 villages, with a total

of 26,579 group members across the Dry Zone and Kayah State under Shae Thot. Of these, 236

villages are currently active implementation villages, while others continue to receive support from

Pact through a different project or have been phased out.

WORTH aims to strengthen participants’ ability to support themselves and their families by providing

access to financing through a savings-led group loan fund. Groups of about 20 to 25 women create

savings groups that meet weekly, with each woman contributing an average of $1.5 in savings each

session. After participating in a self-learning series on financial literacy and entrepreneurial training,

women take out individual low-interest loans from the group fund to begin or grow micro-enterprises.

As members repay their loans, the interest they pay helps to grow the fund, increasing capital

available for loans. The interest belongs to the women, allowing them to withdraw it along with their

savings if they so choose, providing them another stream of income and an incentive to increase their

savings. Women see this as a compelling advantage of WORTH over other microfinance models.

WORTH groups build their profile within the community through participation in community

development activities, such as donations to the Village Development Funds (VDFs), volunteering at

nutrition days to manage activities and prepare food, and participating in VDC coordination meetings.

The group elects a Management Committee consisting of a chair person, secretary, treasurer and

controller, who receive special management training. The leadership skills WORTH members develop

allow them to confidently participate in other community activities, reinforcing program sustainability

beyond the savings groups and building a pool of women leaders. WORTH members’ financial

management skills are typically in demand, and they often serve as VDF Managers.

Through training and access to finance, WORTH women effectively evolve into village bankers and

small businesswomen. They own a valuable resource and have the skills to manage their capital

without the support of Pact staff or reliance on expensive credit from private lenders. The program

ends with sustainability and networking workshops that refresh members’ skills on record keeping,

lending, and auditing. They also build networks with WORTH groups from nearby villages to share

with, learn from, and be inspired by each other. Such events help women strengthen linkages with

other community groups that can give support, which leads to greater sustainability. Workshops

culminate with celebratory Family Days to announce WORTH achievements, commit donations to

community development activities, and raise visibility in the community. Village leadership, VDF

members, community change agents (CAs), and families (notably husbands) attended these

workshops in the past.

For monitoring and evaluation purposes, data is collected regularly on WORTH group saving

amounts. In addition, baseline and endline surveys are conducted with randomly selected WORTH

group members. While these data provide credible information about access to finance of WORTH

members and an indication regarding decision-making, Pact is seeking to capture an in-depth and

holistic picture of WORTH’s impacts across different domains of women’s empowerment.

3. Purpose and Objectives

The evaluation’s purpose is to foster learning by providing a comprehensive understanding of the

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various changes that WORTH has contributed to in Shae Thot communities and guidance for

improving and implementing the program in different contexts. Primary audience is Pact Myanmar

and USAID. Key secondary audiences the communities. The evaluation will support communities,

particularly WORTH women, to systematically reflect on the program and its results and make

adjustments themselves. For USAID the evaluation will provide an in-depth understanding of the

program and its merit.

Pact is seeking a contractor who can effectively study and respond to the following specific objectives

and key research questions.

Objective 1: Assess the contributions of WORTH to changes in the economic situation of its

members.

1) How has the livelihood situation of WORTH women changed, as a result of participating in

the program?

2) How have livelihoods activities of, and opportunities for WORTH women changed, as a

result of participating in the project?

3) What are the key determinants for WORTH to contribute to an improved livelihood situation

of women?

Objective 2: Assess the contributions of WORTH to gender equality related social transformation.

4) How have the roles of men and women changed in WORTH communities, as a result of

participating in the program?

5) How have gender perceptions, norms and access to resources changed, as a result of

participating in WORTH?

6) To what extent do WORTH and other Pact programs in WORTH communities mutually

support each other?

7) What the key determinants for WORTH to contribute to greater gender equality?

Objective 3: Determine the value of the program from the perspective of WORTH group members.

8) Which changes do WORTH group members see as most significant to their life?

9) To what extent do WORTH group members see the changes that their participation in the

program has contributed to as were worth their effort?

Objective 4: Based on the insights gained through addressing the other objectives, formulate clear and

actionable recommendations, as well as context-overarching principles for maximizing the ways in

which women empower themselves through WORTH.

Each objective and question outlined above needs to be reflected against the following cross-cutting

aspects:

▪ Social domains: Empowerment may differ across different social domains. This will

particularly focus on empowerment at individual, household and community level.

▪ Equity: An equity lens will particularly examine the program’s ability to support the most

vulnerable women in communities.

4. Design & Methodology

For most effectively serving the purpose and objectives of the evaluation outlined above, comparative

case study design, applying both quantitative and qualitative methods is envisioned. Within this

design causality will be addressed primarily through contribution analysis. Bidders are encouraged to

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suggest different designs, methods and/or approaches, as seen most appropriate for the assignment; if

these do not significantly increase costs. The following methods are suggested:

Desk review: Since the start of Shae Thot, various types of performance data has been collected for

WORTH. In addition to regular monitoring data, these data include longitudinal baseline and endline

surveys with three randomly selected members from each WORTH group. In line with the Shae Thot

project’s two years village implementation cycle, the survey is implemented at the onset of

implementation and during phase out. Moreover, a sustainability study was conducted in 2015 to

examine the operational status of WORTH groups one year after phase out. In 2016, a social return on

investment (SROI) study for WORTH was conducted. A final list of project documentation will be

determined with the contractor during the inception phase of this evaluation. In addition, the

contractor is expected to source and review other relevant documentation not directly related with

Shae Thot such as Pact Global’s WORTH documentation1, Pact’s Women’s Empowerment Impact

Evaluation in Nepal2 and the World Bank CDD Women’s Empowerment Evaluation3

Key Informant Interviews (KII) with key stakeholders such as program staff in Yangon and at the

township level, village leaders and representatives from Village Development Committees (VDC). A

final list of relevant key stakeholders will be determined during the inception phase of the assignment.

Survey: Building on the longitudinal baseline and endline surveys, a survey of already selected

WORTH groups members will conducted to collect additional quantitative information. The

contractor is highly encouraged to reflect on the appropriateness to use Qualitative Impact Assessment

Protocol (QUIP), as part of this survey. While increasing dramatically phone penetration in Shae Thot

villages remains limited. However, a mixed-mode design of phone and personal interviews may be

possible.

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with multiple community groups. These will include WORTH

members, their spouses and non-WORTH women in the communities where the program is

implemented. The contractor is highly encouraged to make use of participatory approaches and tools

such social maps, wealth rankings or transect walks.

Most Significant Change (MSC) Technique: In line with the intention to make use of participatory

methods, we also suggest the MSC technique be used with WORTH women. The technique can be

adjusted and (partly) integrated with other methods applied.

A detailed sampling framework will be mutually agreed upon with the contractor in the inception

phase of the assignment. For budgeting purposes the following tentative framework can be applied.

For the sampling framework two geographic areas are assumed socio-economically distinct, while

townships within these areas are assumed sufficiently similar; namely Kayah State and the Dry Zone

in Central Myanmar.

Yangon Kayah State

WORTH village

Dry Zone

WORTH village

1 Dry Zone

non-WORTH village Total

FGD --

3 FGDs

each in 5 villages

in 1 township

3 FGDs

each in 5 villages

in 1 township

2 FGDs

each in 3 villages

in 1 township

36

KII 3

6

(across 5 villages;

same as FGD)

6

(across 5 villages;

same as FGD)

3

(across 3 villages;

same as FGD)

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1 http://www.pactworld.org/worth-program 2 https://www.microfinancegateway.org/sites/default/files/mfg-en-paper-impact-evaluation-of-pacts-womens-empowerment-program-in-

nepal-a-savings-and-literacy-led-alternative-to-financial-institution-building-oct-2001.pdf 3 https://ieg.worldbankgroup.org/Data/reports/lp_genderincdd_01272017.pdf

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MSC -- 5 villages (same as

FGD)

5 villages (same as

FGD)

3 villages (same as

FGD) n.a

Survey -- 300 300 300 900

5. Timeline and location of Assignment

Pact Myanmar’s office is located in Yangon. Data collection will occur in Kayah State and two

Townships in the Dry Zone in Central Myanmar. While the team leader is expected to be engaged

throughout the assignment, she/he does not need to be continuously present in-country. At a

minimum, the team leader will be present for the debrief and training of data collection teams. The

following tentative work plan is envisioned. The final work plan will be mutually agreed upon with

the contractor in the kick-off meeting.

Activity Finalized by

Kick-off meeting (Yangon) 06. Oct 2017

Desk review 11. Oct 2017

Draft inception report (incl draft tools) 18. Oct 2017

(Review by Pact) 25. Oct 2017

Finalize inception report 27. Oct 2017

Data collection 17. Nov 2017

Debrief 24. Nov 2017

Draft final report 08. Dec 2017

(Review by Pact) 22. Dec 2017

Submit final report 29. Dec 2017

Pact Myanmar can support the implementation of the evaluation, particularly through:

• Arranging KIIs and FGDs, according to the sample framework determined in the inception

phase of the assignment

• Experienced enumerator for the quantitative survey

• Facilitators or/and or notetakers for FGDs. For this purpose, we suggest to pair Pact staff with

experienced facilitators and staff would have to receive training, and

• Training WORTH women in MSC in order for them to prepare stories in advance of FGDs,

which can be used for the selection.

The contractor is highly encouraged to make use of some or all of these resources, as appropriate.

6. Deliverables

Payment will be made against the successful completion of the following deliverables:

The inception report should provide details of the contractor’s understanding of, and approach to

accomplishing the assignment. This includes a description of the assignment and methods applied for

implementation, sampling framework, an agreed workplan with timeline, ethical considerations, draft

data collection tools, an evaluation matrix outlining which tool will be applied to which target group

and for answering which study questions, and outline of the final report.

The debrief should be brief PowerPoint slides (ppt) and a presentation provided to Pact. The debrief

will outline preliminary findings within one weeks after data collection has been completed and

before the compilation of the final report.

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The final report should include as a minimum the approach implemented for the completion of the

assignment, collected evidence and in-depth analysis for addressing the purpose, objective and

evaluation questions, and recommendations and context overarching principles. The final report shall

not exceed 15,000 words, excluding executive summary and annexes. The report will focus on case

overarching findings relevant to the study objectives. No individual case studies for each village need

to be compiled. The following report structure is suggested:

▪ Background

▪ Purpose and Objectives

▪ Methods

▪ Key findings

▪ Conclusions and Lessons Learned

▪ Recommendations & Principles

▪ Annexes including village briefs, study matrix, tools, summary tables of interviews/ focus

groups conducted, list of review secondary data and any other relevant materials

All reports must be submitted electronically via email in Microsoft Word and pdf format.

7. Management

The study team leader will report to the Senior M&E Specialist at Pact Myanmar, who will serve as

focal point and coordinate communication between Pact Myanmar and the contractor. In addition to

the deliverables, the contractor will provide updates on the implementation status at least every two

weeks; more frequently if requested. A study reference group among Pact Myanmar staff will be

established for the purpose of the evaluation.

8. Desired qualifications

The team leader shall minimally meet the following requirements:

▪ Advanced degree, preferably in sociology, gender studies, anthropology, international

development or related field

▪ Ten (10) years of experience in research, monitoring and evaluation; thereof at least:

o Seven (7) years related to qualitative methods and non-experimental causal analysis such

as contribution analysis

o Seven (7) years related to quantitative analysis

o Five (5) years of leading research and evaluation studies

▪ Extensive experience in mixed-method research

▪ Track record of producing concise narrative reports that provide actionable recommendations

based on findings, in English.

▪ Prior experience with USAID projects is considered a strong asset

Moreover, the overall team will be assessed by its cumulative experience in the proposed research

methods, in the programmatic area of the program and in Myanmar. At a minimum the team must

include one member with at least ten (10) years of experience with gender and women’s

empowerment related research. CVs and level/type of engagement of the team leader and key staff

must be clearly indicated in the proposal.

9. Budget

Proposals should include a competitive budget that is sufficient to cover the full scope of the specified

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above, inclusive of all applicable tax. Payments will be paid based on the submission and acceptance

of the deliverables enumerated above. A reasonable breakdown of payments for each deliverable

should be proposed. The following breakdown is suggested:

Deliverable Delivery date

% Payment of

total agreed

budget

Final inception report 27. Oct 2017 40%

Debrief 24. Nov 2017 30%

Final report 29. Dec 2017 30%

If the contractor plans to make use of Pact staff for the implementation of the evaluation, the budget

must clearly indicate for which tasks. These task must not be costed by the contractor.

10. Proposal evaluation weighting criteria

The weight allocated between technical and price proposal will be:

▪ 70% technical

▪ 30% financial

▪ 100% total

Technical assessment criteria include:

▪ Adherence to terms of reference

▪ Team leader’s experience and involvement in the assignment

▪ Overall team experience

▪ Sample of previous relevant work and past performance references

▪ Proposed research design & methodology

▪ Overall approach to the assignment

There is no guarantee that a contract will be awarded after the evaluation of all applications if, in the

opinion of Pact Myanmar, none of the applications meets the requirements.

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11. Annex

Application

Organizational Questionnaire

Organization Name:

Address:

Phone:

Fax:

Email:

Contact Person & Title:

Name:

Title:

Budget:

Total Budget USD_____________________

Organizational Information:

Type of Organization (check all that apply) ________ NGO/CBO _________ private foundation ______

faith based organization ________ educational institution ____________Specify Other

Organization founded in ____________________

Number of years implementing in this programmatic area: ____________________

Approximate annual operating budget ___________________ Number of employees _____________

Largest current donor or source of income ____________________ USD______________________

Registered with local authority ____NO ____YES

Banking Institution _____________________________Currency_____________________________

Number of Bank Signatories______________________

Technical Application (Maximum 8 pages. Should outline approach to developing the study plan and

questionnaire, conducting the study, and preparing the report in line with the terms of reference.)

Past Experience (Maximum 2 pages. Explain the study team’s prior experience conducting similar work

and capacity to conduct the activities described above.)

Management Plan (Maximum 1 page. Explain the proposed team, management structure and level of

engagement of key personnel for the proposed activities. Include CVs of all personnel listed above, maximum of 2 pages per person, as Annex 1 in a separate document.)

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Implementation Plan

(Please complete the below high level work plan indicated in the timeline below, setting out the project’s major activities and highlighting the week(s) in

which each activity will take place)

Activity

W1 W 2 W 3 W 4 W 5 W 6 W 7 W 8 W 9 W 10 W 11 W 12 W 13 W 14 W 15 W 16

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References

(Please list 3 references below who can speak to the study team’s experience conducting similar

work.)

Summary Budgets

(Please fill out the below budget summary with an estimation of costs and submit a detailed budget as Annex 2 in a separate file)

Line No. Line Item Categories TOTAL

(USD)

1 Personnel-Salaries

2 Travel

3 Consultants

4 Equipment and Supplies

6

Other Direct Costs (ex. Office rent, utilities,

communication costs, printing, postage, etc.)

7 Activities (Trainings, etc.)

TOTAL

(Fill out the summary budget below with a breakdown of the payment proposed for each deliverable. The total should match the line item budget above.)

Deliverable

No. Deliverable

TOTAL

(USD)

Expected

completion date

1 Inception report

2 Debrief

3 Final report

TOTAL

Contact

Name

Organization

Name

E-mail address Phone and

Address

Project worked

on

Length of

relationship

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II. GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION

a. Duration of Project

The duration for the assignment will be from October 04, 2017 – December 29, 2017. b. Application Process

Applicants will submit this application by September 11, 2017. After review, applicants will be

notified of their application’s status.

Essential steps to apply for funds: 1. Fill the attached application form. Section III should not exceed 8 pages total, Times New

Roman font size 11.

2. Send completed application to the email address provided in this packet, including:

i. Description of the assignment and how it is planned to be executed

ii. CVs of key study team members, and their planned level of engagement for the

assignment

iii. One example of prior relevant work, and

iv. A detailed budget

Technical and financial proposal must be submitted separately.

3. Between September 11-22, 2017, Pact will contact applicants with any questions regarding

applications and budgets.

4. Applicants will be notified of the success of their application by Pact by September 22, 2017. c. Timing

Applications will be received until 8:00 am Yangon time September 11, 2017. The applicant should

expect to receive feedback on their application within 2 week after deadline of submission. d. Study of Applications

The following criteria and scoring system will be used in selecting applications for funding:

# Criteria Ranking (Score)

1 Adherence to terms of reference 5

2 Overall team experience 10

3 Team leader’s experience and involvement in the assignment 15

4 Sample of previous relevant work and past performance references 15

5 Proposed research design & methodology 15

6 Overall approach to the assignment 10

7 Budget submitted is in line with terms of reference, sufficient to

complete activities, and offers good value 30

Total 100

The maximum financial score will be allotted to the lowest price proposal that is opened and

compared among those invited firms/institutions which obtain the threshold points in the evaluation of

the technical component. All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the

lowest price; e.g.:

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Max. Score for price proposal * Price of lowest priced proposal

Score for price proposal X = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Price of proposal X

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ANNEX A

ACRONYMS

CBO Community Based Organization

GoM/B Government of Myanmar/Burma

MCH Maternal and Child Health

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

USAID United States Agency for International Development

USD U.S. Dollar

VDC Village Development Committee

WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene