Job Description

Terms of Reference (TOR) for the “Strengthening Civil Society Participation for Climate Change Adaptation of the WASH Sector in Two Rural Districts of Sierra Leone” 

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 “Strengthening Civil Society Participation for Climate Change Adaptation of the WASH Sector project” in two Rural districts (16 in Pujehun and 9in Kenema). As part of the complementary government effort to provide safe WASH facilities, SEND has been collaborating with the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the respective district councils, and other relevant stakeholders to enhance the quality of life and improve the health outcomes of vulnerable communities by ensuring access to reliable and climate-resilient WASH services.
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 interlinked challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, weak WASH systems, and gender inequality in Sierra Leone, particularly in Kenema and Pujehun districts, where vulnerability is highest. Climate-induced shocks such as floods, droughts, and water scarcity are undermining agricultural livelihoods, degrading natural resources, and limiting access to safe water and sanitation. These challenges are compounded by limited financial access, weak infrastructure, and the exclusion of women from decision-making processes, despite being disproportionately affected.
To address these systemic issues, the project adopts an integrated and gender-responsive approach that combines:

Climate-resilient agriculture and environmental conservation;

• Improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services;
• Financial inclusion and livelihood strengthening for rural households;
• Women’s empowerment and participation in governance and climate action;
• Strengthening of coordination platforms such as DWASH-Cord.

Aligned with Sierra Leone’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and national development priorities, the project seeks to enhance community resilience, livelihood security, and inclusive governance systems, ultimately contributing to sustainable development and improved quality of life for vulnerable populations.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES:

OVERALL OBJECTIVE:

Improving the quality of life and health of vulnerable communities by providing reliable and sustainable WASH services that can withstand the impacts of climate change.
Project Goal
Community members in the target region have gender-equitable access to sustainably managed and protected water supply systems and hygiene and sanitation facilities, and adopt safe WASH practices.

Sub-Targets

1. By the end of the project period, access to improved and sustainable WASH services has been ensured.
2. Strengthened WASH structures enable the implementation of climate-resilient and gender-equitable WASH interventions at the district level and raise awareness for the importance of climate-resilient WASH services.
3. District WASH Committees strengthen networking, lobbying and influencing national policy on WASH issues

PURPOSE OF THE END-TERM EVALUATION  

The main objective of the End-Term evaluation is to: 

1. Identify how the project has been effectively implemented in the project communities.  
2. Measure the results/impact against the target indicators. 
3. Conduct a comparative analysis of the project baseline indicators.  
4. Understand the impact created among the district stakeholders and project beneficiaries at the community level.  
5. Document lessons learned and best practices and provide recommendations for future project/program development within the climate resilience WASH initiatives.  

COMMUNICATION OF THE REPORT 

The report will be disseminated in diverse ways:  

• With donor partners in the fulfilment of accountability on funds utilized. 
• With implementing partners and district stakeholders.  
• With project participating communities, participants, and stakeholders to enable the implementation of learning and recommendations to achieve the developed project’s overall objectives.  
• Publish on the SEND and BMZ through Terra Tech websites. 

METHODOLOGY OF THE ACTIVITY 

The evaluation will be based on the following approaches below: 

• The review will be conducted within 20 out of the 25 selected project communities in the Kenema and Pujehun District. 
• Using Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and Questionnaire surveys with the project team, Climate WASH Committees (CWASHCom), Gender Model Family (GMF), Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLA), private service providers, Kenema and Pujehun District WASH Committee (KDWASHCord), and project stakeholders at community, chiefdom, district, and national levels.  

SCOPE OF WORK 

The evaluation will cover selected participants from the project’s operational areas and stakeholders for the reporting period from 22nd September 2023 to 1st May 2026. Within this period, the review will comprehensively assess project outcomes at all levels, including consortium partners, beneficiaries, and stakeholders, to determine the impact and relevance of the project’s intervention. The review should also facilitate a session in the project closure meeting (Stakeholder Engagement) to present key findings from the end-line evaluation. The evaluation will specifically focus: Within this period, the review will assess project outcomes at all levels: including all result areas, beneficiaries, and project stakeholders. It will determine the impact and relevance of the project’s intervention on the citizens-driven climate adaptation approach (through mainstreaming of climate adaptation), strategic service delivery (improved climate robust infrastructure and private sector engagement), organization and capacity building of civil society (community approach), strengthening of democratic and transparent WASH sector governance – through capacity building, standardisation/quality control and introductions of new technology, regulatory frame private sector engagement, advocacy, transparency and governance influencing national policymaking from below – based on empiric evidence on citizen drive Climate adaptation through strategic service delivery in the National Determine contributions. The evaluation will assess project management and activity implementation to assess the results achieved, the partnerships established, and capacity development issues for SEND. The evaluation will also establish best practices and lessons learned for future engagement while providing recommendations for the rest of the implementation. 
 

Content of the Evaluation  

The content of the evaluation will include the following:
 

Reporting requirements 

The lead person will have the following reporting requirements: 

• Write draft/inception report and share with SEND for review; 
• Presentation/discussion of preliminary findings, conclusions, and recommendations with SEND; 
• The draft report will be submitted to the project team for review; 
• Development of an evaluation tool;
• The final report will be submitted after receiving comments from the project team on the draft report and the tool; 
• An outline of implementing strategies to be incorporated in other project activity implementation and describe how they were carried out. 

The report should include the following chapters: 

1. An executive summary,
2. A description of the evaluation methodology, 
3. Background information and chapters on findings,  
4. Conclusions, limitations, and recommendations for the future,  
5. The results should be supported and documented with pictures. 

The final report will include annexes, a list of communities and chiefdoms, the people and Institutions/organizations interviewed and their contacts, and a list of reviewed documents. 

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 baseline 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

• Design data collection tools and share them with SEND SL.  
• Conduct pretesting of the tools and finalize them. 
• Hire and train enumerators. 
• Conduct the End-term evaluation in the operational communities in Kenema and Pujehun Districts.  
• Write inception report and share it with SEND for review. 
• Presentation/discussion of preliminary findings, conclusions, and recommendations with SEND staff. 
• Submit a draft report to SEND for review. 
• After receiving comments on the draft report, submit the final report to SEND. 
• Abide by SEND, and Terra Tech policies.   
• Complete and submit the final version of the report within 30 days upon signing the contract. 

EXPERTISE REQUIRED
An expert with a relevant Master’s or higher (PhD) and experienced in WASH, climate change, and environment, improved infrastructural and capacity-building measures, community development expertise, and the ability to engage effectively with communities. Conducted similar evaluations following the OECD/DAC criteria (minimum five years of relevant experience).

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Qualified and experienced consultants must submit bids with the following:
Technical and financial proposals with a specific focus addressing the purpose of the assignment, methodology to be used, and critical selection criteria of respondents.
Capacity statement on climate change, WASH, improved infrastructures, and livelihood reports, and other related documents.

• CV or company profile with a minimum of 3 references 
• Sample report of similar work previously undertaken by the consultant 

TIME FRAME
The Consultant is expected to perform (execute) this contract within 30 working days. The duration of the assignment is proposed as follows:

 
Note: Closing date: 08th May 2026. Applications must be submitted to: recruitment@sendsierraleone.com. Women are strongly encouraged to apply