Evaluation Consultant/s for Women's Livelihoods

Mary MacKillop Today is currently seeking a consultant/s to undertake an endline evaluation of the Women’s Livelihoods Project / Credit Union (CU) BEHAFU Cooperative.    

Expressions of Interest (EOI) are due Thursday 15 February 2024 by midnight AEDT. EOIs will be assessed on a rolling basis. Please send all expressions of interest to Charlotte Atherton, Mary MacKillop Today Design, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Specialist ([email protected]), copying Tessa Henwood-Mitchell, Mary MacKillop Today International Programs & Quality Director ([email protected]). Should you have any questions, please contact Charlotte on +61 2 8912 2715 or Alipio Baltazar (Country Director, Timor-Leste) on +670 73921501.

All Expressions of Interest should be in English, and include:

• Up to date CV with details of two relevant referees, for each consultant involved.
• Proposal addressing the Selection Criteria below (no more than 10 pages).

For the full Terms of Reference, please email Charlotte Atherton at [email protected]. This Consultancy is open to National and/or International Candidates.

1. Evaluation summary

Project name

Women’s Livelihoods Project / Credit Union (CU) BEHAFU Cooperative

Project dates

1-Year Project: 2018-2019
3-Year Project Cycle: 2019-2022
3-Year Project Cycle: 2022-2024

Location of project area

Railaco Craik, Railaco Administrative Post, Ermera Municipality, Timor-Leste

Evaluation type

Endline Evaluation

Evaluation purpose

To assess the overall effectiveness of the project model, and to determine the potential for meaningful impact to be sustained after Mary MacKillop Today’s exit.

Evaluation consultancy dates

6 March – 14 May 2024 (10 weeks)

Date evaluation report to be finalised

10 May 2024

Dates for dissemination of evaluation findings and recommendations

10-14 May 2024

1. Current Status of Project

As of 30 June 2023, there were 87 Cooperative members with a total capital of $20,062.50 USD. 62 Cooperative members have accessed the capital since savings and loans activities began to fund income generation activities. 5 members accessed loans three times, 26 members accessed loans twice, 31 members accessed loans once and 25 members have not accessed loans yet. The CU BEHAFU Cooperative has received positive feedback from the Secretary State of Cooperative (SECoop) based on monitoring and mentoring of their monthly meetings and transactions. A stakeholder workshop was held on 30 November 2023 to guide the remaining activities and objectives for the last 6 months of the project. The discussion focused on securing training and capital for the women’s group and strategic planning. SECOOP and the Secretary of State of Equality and Inclusion (SEI) have committed to support the women’s training needs and the LANAMONA Cooperative has offered its support to CU BEHAFU in the finalisation of their Strategic Plan. The Exit Strategy agreed during the 30 November 2023 workshop is attached in Appendix B. An additional stakeholder workshop is scheduled for June 2024, when Mary MacKillop Today funding is due to cease. The CU BEHAFU Cooperative is Mary MacKillop Today’s first pilot of a livelihood project in Timor-Leste. The exit needs to be well overseen and managed in order to anticipate any risks that may arise from Mary MacKillop Today’s exit and/or the independent management of the Cooperative by its members.

Mary MacKillop Today will continue to support the Women’s Group project known as CU BEHAFU Cooperative until June 2024, with a focus on preparing them to independently manage the cooperative and link them with government and other stakeholders to support them when Mary MacKillop Today exits. An Advisory Board will established to support the last phase of the transition to independence for approximately an additional 6 to 12 months.  

1. Terms of Reference

We are seeking a consultant/s to conduct an evaluation of the Women’s Livelihoods Project / CU BEHAFU Cooperative with Mary MacKillop Today and our stakeholders to assess the overall effectiveness of the project model, and to determine the potential for meaningful impact to be sustained after Mary MacKillop Today’s exit. As a women’s livelihood project, the evaluation should include an analysis of how well the project addresses the broader objectives of gender equity, disability inclusion and safeguarding. Given Timor-Leste’s susceptibility to natural disasters, an assessment of the project’s environmental impact and disaster risk reduction strategies should also be undertaken.   

The consultancy work is expected to be carried out in Railaco Craik, Railaco Administrative Post, Ermera Municipality, Timor-Leste. This evaluation should consider the full scope of the project, across the three implementation periods from 2018 to 2024. Special focus should be given to assessing:

• Effectiveness – evaluate the extent to which the intended project objectives are achieved, citing concrete evidence and case studies, assessing the effectiveness of strategies and implementation of interventions and the quality of the partnerships with key stakeholders. Identify any gaps, and provide recommendations to improve the project model (if it were to be implemented in other locations throughout Timor-Leste).
• Impact – evidence of positive changes in Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among the relevant stakeholders (especially direct participants). What difference is the project making or what are the transformative effects of the intervention? 
• Sustainability – the extent to which outcomes of the project can be continued based on the built capacity of target groups, stakeholders, and government partners at various levels. This should take into consideration the financial, individual and organisational capacities and provide specific, actionable, and practical recommendations for long-term sustainability following the exit of MMT from the project.  Identify any gaps, and provide recommendations around the potential of extending this project model to other locations throughout Timor-Leste.

1. Deliverables

• Evaluation Plan (3-5 pages) outlining:
  • Overview of methods and tools
  • Timeframe
  • Stakeholder engagement plan
  • Risk assessment
  • Ethics considerations
  • Budget for each phase of the consultancy
• Consultation data (brief report including methods and outcomes)
• Presentation of Preliminary Findings & Recommendations to Mary MacKillop Today (Project and Sydney teams)
• Evaluation Report addressing the evaluation purpose
• Dissemination Plan and Key Informant Engagement Strategy for sharing of the evaluation findings and recommendations, especially to the CU BEHAFU Cooperative members and their communities.

1. Budget and Payment

The maximum budget available for this evaluation is USD 16,500 (inclusive of tax and reimbursable expenses). The Consultant(s) will be required to submit a detailed budget that includes a fee per day for the consultant services, as well as all expenses that derive from the work of the consultancy.

1. Selection Criteria

• Proposed methods
• Previous relevant and quality experience conducting similar assignments (including case studies)
• Availability of personnel
• Written and oral communication skills (English professional proficiency required; conversational Tetun highly desirable)
• Value for money (cost compared to competitors considering the methods being proposed and outcomes that would be achieved)
• Confirmation that the deliverable timeframes can be met
• Identification of risks related to the implementation of this consultancy and overall sustainability of the project post Mary MacKillop Today’s exit

The Consultancy is open to National and/or International Candidates.