TENDER NOTICE: End – Line Evaluation for the “Women’s Access to Renewable Energy for Economic Development (WAREED) in Kailahun District
Job Description
Terms of Reference (TOR) for End – Line Evaluation for the “Women’s Access to Renewable Energy for Economic Development (WAREED) in Kailahun District”
BRIEF BACKGROUND OF PARTNERS
SEND is a National Non-Governmental Organization in Sierra Leone with a vision to contribute to a Sierra Leone where people’s rights and well-being are guaranteed. SEND–SL with funds from BMZ (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung) through Terra Tech has been implementing the “Women’s Access to Renewable Energy for Economic Development (WAREED)” in eight Chiefdom Head Quarter Towns (Dia, Koindu, Buedu, Pendembu, Mobai, Baiwalla, Gbeika and Sandaru) in Kailahun District. As part of the complementary government effort to providing accessible energy to rural communities. SEND has been collaborating with the Ministry of Energy, the Kailahun District Council, and other relevant stakeholders to enhance the quality and accessible energy for rural women for their economic empowerment.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
This project builds on a long-standing partnership between SEND Sierra Leone and TERRA TECH, established in 2015, with a strong track record in delivering community-driven interventions focused on gender equality, economic empowerment, education, and governance strengthening. Leveraging experience from previous BMZ-funded projects, the initiative aims to drive structural, sustainable change through culturally responsive and participatory approaches.
The project responds to the challenges of limited access of women to energy and finance, climate change, gender inequality in Kailahun District. The challenges of limited access to formal financial services and clean energy have been a barrier to women’s economic empowerment that undermines their participation in decision making processes at all levels.
To address these systemic issues, the project adopts an integrated and gender-responsive approach that combines:
- The capacity of VSLA groups to effectively mobilize and use resources is strengthened.
- Improved Development and expansion of energy-enabled women’s agricutural entreprises in Mini-Grid sites
- Increased advocacy and networking on women’s Economic empowerment to build an evidence base for decentralized energy provision
Aligned with Sierra Leone’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and national development priorities, the project seeks to enhance livelihood security, and inclusive governance systems, ultimately contributing to sustainable development and improved quality of life for vulnerable populations.
OVERALL OBJECTIVE:
The project contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 “Gender Equality”, 7 “Clean Energy” and 13 “Climate Action” in Kailahun District and to the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2024-2030.
Sub-Targets
- The capacity of VSLA groups to effectively mobilize and utilize resources has been strengthened.
- The establishment and development of farms powered by sustainable energy strengthens the income situation of women and raises awareness of the importance of sustainable energy supply
- Community structures (VSLAs and GMFs) have been strengthened and have committed to lobbying and networking on issues such as gender equality, energy supply and participation, as well as the development of action plans
PURPOSE OF THE END-LINE EVALUATION
The main objective of the End-line evaluation is to:
- Identify how the project has been effectively implemented in the project communities.
- Measure the results/impact against the target indicators.
- Conduct a comparative analysis of the project baseline indicators.
- Understand the impact created among the district stakeholders and project beneficiaries at the community level.
- Document lessons learned and best practices and provide recommendations for future project/program development within the Renewable Energy and climate resilience.
COMMUNICATION OF THE REPORT
The final End-line Evaluation Report will be disseminated to ensure accountability, learning, and utilization of the evaluation findings among key stakeholders. The dissemination strategy will include the following:
- Donor Partners: The report will be shared with Terra Tech, BMZ, and other relevant donor partners to demonstrate accountability for project resources, achievements, and results.
- Implementing Partners and Government Stakeholders: The findings will be disseminated to implementing partners, relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), District Councils, and other district-level stakeholders to inform future planning, programming, and decision-making.
- Project Communities and Beneficiaries: Key findings, lessons learned, and recommendations will be communicated to project participants, community leaders, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), and other community stakeholders through appropriate feedback and validation meetings to promote transparency, ownership, and the application of lessons learned.
- SEND Sierra Leone: The report will serve as an institutional learning resource to strengthen programme design, implementation, monitoring, and future interventions.
- Public Dissemination: Subject to approval by SEND Sierra Leone, Terra Tech, and BMZ, the final report or an approved summary of its findings may be published on the official websites of SEND Sierra Leone and Terra Tech to promote knowledge sharing and good practices among development partners and the wider public.
SCOPE OF WORK
The End-line Evaluation will cover the entire implementation period of the project and will be conducted in all project operational communities. It will engage a representative sample of project participants, implementing partners, community stakeholders, government institutions, private sector actors, and other relevant stakeholders.
The evaluation will comprehensively assess the project’s performance and achievements across all result levels, examining the extent to which the intended outcomes and outputs have been achieved. In line with the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria, the assessment will examine the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, and lessons learned.
Specifically, the evaluation will:
- Assess the extent to which the project has achieved its intended goal, outcomes, outputs, and planned results.
- Evaluate the relevance and impact of interventions on renewable energy adoption, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable livelihoods, and community resilience.
- Assess the effectiveness of capacity-building initiatives targeting civil society organizations, community structures, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), producer groups, and other local institutions.
- Examine the project’s contribution to strengthening VSLA performance, governance, financial inclusion, organizational capacity, and long-term sustainability.
- Assess the effectiveness of quality assurance mechanisms, standardization processes, and private sector engagement in supporting project outcomes.
- Evaluate the project’s contribution to advocacy, transparency, accountability, and governance, including its influence on local and national policy dialogue where applicable.
- Review project management, implementation arrangements, monitoring systems, partnership effectiveness, coordination mechanisms, and resource utilization to determine how these contributed to project performance.
- Assess the extent to which SEND Sierra Leone and partner institutions have strengthened their institutional and technical capacities through project implementation.
- Identify best practices, innovations, success stories, implementation challenges, and lessons learned that can inform future programming and similar interventions.
- Provide practical, evidence-based recommendations to enhance the sustainability, scalability, and replication of successful project approaches and to inform the design of future programmes.
Content of the Evaluation
The content of the evaluation will include the following:
| No. | Evaluation Criteria | Key End-line Evaluation Questions |
| 1 | Relevance | • To what extent did the project address the needs and priorities of the target beneficiaries in relation to renewable energy, climate resilience, livelihoods, and community development? • Were the project objectives and interventions aligned with the priorities of target communities, local authorities, and relevant national development policies? • How relevant were the project’s strategies and approaches in addressing identified challenges? • To what extent did the project respond to the needs of women, youth, and vulnerable groups? • How well did the project align with the strategic objectives of SEND Sierra Leone and Terra Tech? • How satisfied were beneficiaries and stakeholders with the relevance of the project interventions? |
| 2 | Effectiveness | • To what extent were the project goal, outcomes, outputs, and targets achieved? • Which interventions contributed most significantly to achieving the intended results? • To what extent were the planned beneficiaries reached (disaggregated by sex, age, disability, and location)? • How effective were the capacity-building activities in improving the knowledge and skills of beneficiaries? • How effective were the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), renewable energy, and climate-smart livelihood interventions? • How effective were partnerships and stakeholder engagement in supporting project implementation? • Were there any unintended positive or negative outcomes resulting from the project? |
| 3 | Efficiency | • Were financial, human, and technical resources utilized efficiently to achieve the project results? • Were project activities implemented within the planned timeframe and budget? • Did the project demonstrate value for money? • Were project management, coordination, and monitoring systems effective in supporting implementation? • Were there opportunities to improve efficiency through alternative implementation approaches? • How effectively were implementation challenges managed throughout the project? |
| 4 | Impact | • What changes have occurred in the livelihoods, resilience, and well-being of beneficiaries as a result of the project? • To what extent has the project contributed to improved access to renewable energy technologies and climate-smart livelihood opportunities? • What changes have occurred in household income, economic resilience, and financial inclusion through VSLA participation? • What changes have occurred in community knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods? • What broader social, economic, and environmental impacts have resulted from the project? • Were there any unintended positive or negative long-term impacts? |
| 5 | Sustainability | • To what extent are the project benefits likely to continue after project completion? • How sustainable are the Village Savings and Loan Associations, renewable energy technologies, and climate-smart livelihood interventions introduced by the project? • Have beneficiaries and local institutions developed sufficient capacity to sustain project outcomes? • What partnerships, policies, or community structures have been established to support sustainability? • What risks could affect the sustainability of project achievements, and how can they be mitigated? • To what extent have local ownership and community participation contributed to sustainability? |
| 6 | Learning and Replicability | • What were the key lessons learned during project implementation? • Which project approaches, innovations, or best practices proved most successful? • What implementation challenges were encountered, and how were they addressed? • What recommendations can strengthen the design and implementation of future projects? • Which components of the project have the greatest potential for scaling up or replication in other districts or programmes? • What recommendations should be considered by SEND Sierra Leone, Terra Tech, and other stakeholders for future programming? |
Reporting requirements
The final End-line Evaluation Report shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
- Executive Summary highlighting the purpose, methodology, key findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Table of Contents, including a list of acronyms and abbreviations.
- Introduction and background of the project, including the evaluation purpose, objectives, and scope.
- Description of the evaluation methodology, including the evaluation design, sampling strategy, data collection methods, limitations, and mitigation measures.
- Findings organized by the evaluation objectives and OECD/DAC evaluation criteria, supported by quantitative and qualitative evidence.
- Analysis of the project’s achievements, outcomes, sustainability, lessons learned, and best practices.
- Conclusions drawn from the evaluation findings.
- Practical and actionable recommendations for SEND Sierra Leone, Terra Tech, and other relevant stakeholders to inform future programming.
- High-quality photographs documenting field activities and evidence of the evaluation process (where appropriate and with consent).
- References and bibliography.
Annexes
The report shall also include the following annexes:
- Data collection tools and questionnaires.
- List of communities and chiefdoms visited.
- List of institutions, organizations, and key informants interviewed, including their positions and contact details where appropriate.
- List of focus group discussions conducted.
- List of documents reviewed.
- Detailed evaluation work plan.
- Clean datasets and data analysis outputs (submitted electronically).
- Any other relevant supporting documentation generated during the assignment.
Roles And Responsibilities
Responsibilities of SEND-SL
- Provide reference documents to the consultant, e.g., Project proposal, log frame, etc.
- Assist in communicating with key stakeholders about the end-line survey.
- Review the assessment tools/instruments for finalization.
- Supervise the training of enumerators, data collection, and verification.
- Review the draft report and feedback comments to a consultant.
- Disseminate the final survey report to relevant stakeholders.
Responsibilities of the consultant
- Review all relevant project documents, including the Terms of Reference, project proposal, logframe, and monitoring data to inform the evaluation design.
- Develop the end-line evaluation methodology, sampling approach, and data collection tools, and submit them to SEND Sierra Leone for review and approval.
- Conduct pre-testing of the data collection tools, incorporate feedback, and finalize the tools for field implementation.
- Recruit, train, and supervise qualified enumerators to ensure quality data collection.
- Prepare and submit an Inception Report outlining the evaluation methodology, work plan, sampling strategy, data collection tools, and quality assurance measures for SEND’s review and approval.
- Conduct the end-line evaluation in all the project operational communities in Kailahun District, ensuring adherence to ethical standards and data quality protocols.
- Analyze the collected data and prepare preliminary findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Present the preliminary findings to SEND Sierra Leone and facilitate a validation meeting to obtain feedback.
- Prepare and submit the draft End-line Evaluation Report to SEND Sierra Leone for review.
- Revise the draft report based on comments received and submit the final End-line Evaluation Report within thirty (30) days of contract signing.
- Ensure full compliance with SEND Sierra Leone and Terra Tech policies, safeguarding requirements, and ethical standards throughout the assignment.
- Submit all datasets, data collection tools, cleaned databases, analysis files, and other relevant documentation together with the final report.
EXPERTISE REQUIRED
Educational Qualifications
- Master’s degree or higher (preferably a PhD) in Development Studies, Monitoring and Evaluation, Rural Development, Economics, Renewable Energy, Environmental Science, Climate Change, Social Sciences, or another relevant discipline.
Professional Experience
- Minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated experience conducting baseline, mid-term, and end-line evaluations using the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria.
- Proven experience in evaluating Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) programmes, renewable energy initiatives, climate change adaptation and resilience interventions, and community development projects.
- Demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including data collection, analysis, and report writing.
- Strong experience in facilitating capacity-building initiatives and engaging effectively with community stakeholders, local authorities, and development partners.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and report-writing skills, with a proven ability to produce high-quality evaluation reports and actionable recommendations.
- Experience working with donor-funded development programmes and applying international evaluation standards and ethical guidelines will be an added advantage.
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Qualified and experienced consultants/ firms must submit bids with the following:
- Technical and financial proposals clearly addressing the purpose of the assignment, proposed methodology, work plan, evaluation approach, sampling strategy, and respondent selection criteria.
- A detailed implementation timeline/work plan demonstrating how the assignment will be completed specifying the number of days.
- Capacity statement highlighting experience in renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, livelihoods, and related development sectors.
- Curriculum Vitae (for individual consultants) or Company Profile (for consulting firms), including a minimum of three (3) recent professional references for similar assignments conducted within the last five (5) years.
- At least one sample report of a similar evaluation or assessment completed within the last five (5) years.
- Financial proposal detailing professional fees and all other costs associated with the assignment, with a clear cost breakdown.
Note: Closing date: 18th August 2026. Applications must be submitted to: recruitment@sendsierraleone.com