Evidence Building Consultant

Helvetas is an organization specialised in development cooperation and humanitarian response, anchored in Switzerland. Our vision is a just world in which all men and women determine the course of their lives in dignity and security, using environmental resources in a sustainable manner.

Created in 2011, the Swiss Water and Sanitation Consortium (SWSC) brings together eight Swiss organizations implementing jointly a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program in Africa and Asia. In its first two phases (2011-2013; 2013-2018), the SWSC provided access to WASH services to over 850’000 people in communities, 160’000 students in schools, and 1.6 Mio. patients in health care facilities. The Consortium has also proven successful in sharing experiences and learning as well as strengthening the Swiss profile in advocacy and policy dialogue. Collaboration among members to develop the Blue Schools Kit is a significant achievement and demonstrates how joining forces yields greater impact.

After two successful phases, phase III of the SWSC was launched in 2020 with 16 projects in 12 countries in Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mali Niger, Sudan and Uganda); and Asia (Cambodia, India, Myanmar and Nepal). With WASH in institutions as an entry point to increase water and sanitation coverage, the focus is on rolling out the two SWSC signature approaches: Blue Schools and WASH in Health Care Facilities (HCF). The Consortium projects accompany local stakeholders in providing “Basic” WASH services for approximately 60,000 students, 350,000 patients and 81,000 people in communities. A key focus of the third phase (2020-2023) is to build solid evidence of the two signature approaches for further scaling up and advocacy.

The Consortium Management Unit (CMU) provides coordination, oversight and advisory services to the 16 project teams and is composed of a Coordinator (based in Switzerland), an advisor (based in Switzerland), three regional advisors (based in Ethiopia, Mali and Nepal) and a Knowledge Manager (based in Switzerland).

Please find more information on the SWSC on our website: https://waterconsortium.ch.

Evidence Building In Phase III Of The SWSC

While promising, the two signature approaches, Blue Schools and WASH in HCF lack a solid evidence base. Thus, phase III focuses on building evidence of success. For the SWSC, building evidence means to prove that the signature approaches work (documenting the value) and to show how they work best (documenting the process). A well-documented evidence base forms the basis for further scaling of the signature approaches (roll out, replication, outreach and new resources) as well as for advocacy and contributing to WASH communities of practice at local, national and global levels. The evidence base will also guide the collaborative review process to create and/or improve signature approach materials and documentation foreseen toward the end of phase III.  

Evidence Building: Documenting the Process and Documenting the Value

The aim of the evidence building activities in phase III of the SWSC is to document evidence on the following two levels:

a) Documenting the Process  – How do the signature approaches work best? One aspect of evidence building lies on documenting the implementation process of the signature approaches (in other words, documenting the road map). Guiding questions are:

• Conditions / Enabling Factors : What conditions / factors need to be in place to create an enabling environment for a successful implementation of the signature approaches (for instance, buy-in of governmental stakeholders)? How does the presence / absence of conditions / enabling factors influence the costs of implementing the signature approaches?
• Approaches / Good Practice : How can these conditions / enabling factors be created / strengthened? Which approaches have proven successful?
• Challenges / Lessons Learned : What are common challenges faced during the implementation of the signature approaches and how have they been / can they be overcome?

b) Documenting the Value  – What changes do the signature approaches achieve? Why would local and national authorities and organisations take up the signature approaches (i.e. unique selling point)? Guiding questions are:

• Effectiveness : To what degree does the implementation of the signature approaches lead to the desired results (defined in the LogFrame)? For which services have SWSC projects achieved most progress?  
• Impact : What marked effect or influence does the implementation of the signature approaches have in schools, in HCFs and in the communities?
• Sustainability : Do the achievements / benefits of the signature approaches last (beyond the project duration)?
• Scalability : Are the signature approaches scalable? How feasible is it for governments and local organisations to take up and streamline the signature approaches within their programming?

Mechanisms For Collecting Evidence

Several mechanisms to collect evidence in Phase III are either already in place or need to be defined in more detail.

1. Harmonised Monitoring and Evaluation Framework  for both signature approaches as well as activities in communities has been designed and aligned with SDG 6.

• Quantitative data collection : Each project team regularly submits quantitative data along defined indicators in the LogFrame of phase III. This covers outcome indicators collected at baseline / endline and annually; and activity-based output indicators collected every 6 months.
• Qualitative data collection : Each project team provides qualitative data on a 6-monthly basis based on achievements, lessons learned and good practices.
• Field monitoring visits : SWSC Regional Advisors (3) carry out one to two monitoring visits to each project team in their region during phase III.
• Mid-term reviews : Internal or peer reviews between different SWSC projects are recommended.
• Project evaluations : Each project will conduct an internal or external evaluation towards the end of the project.

2. In-depth Evidence Building Initiatives:  Specific key areas of interest for both signature approaches shall be explored through  in-depth research and specialised mandates . During phase III, these evidence building initiatives will be identified based on an assessment of existing evidence gaps. This may include in-depth research on a specific topic. For Blue School, an example could be: ‘Children as agents of change: To which extent do children help to replicate good practices learned at school in their communities?’. For WASH in HCF, an in-depth research question could focus on how to effectively elevate the role of HCF cleaners to enhance infection prevention and control.

In-depth evidence building initiatives could also take the form of specialised mandates, such as the elaboration of a standard road map for the implementation of a signature approach.

NB: The in-depth evidence building initiatives will be carried out by/for selected SWSC projects with backstopping from CMU members as well as external consultants. These consultancies are external to the consultancy of the Global Evidence Building Consultant.

Terms Of reference For Global Evidence Building Consultancy

The global consultant guides the evidence building process throughout phase III and provides continuous support to the CMU. The global consultant’s main tasks are focused on the following workstreams:

Review the evidence and knowledge gaps regarding the two signature approaches, based on an assessment of global trends

Based on the assessment of evidence and knowledge gaps, support the CMU in defining the  in-depth evidence building initiatives for each signature approach

• Development of a  detailed evidence building strategy encompassing both signature approaches.  The consultant will review and harmonise the existing data collection tools of the current monitoring and evaluation framework, mainly related to Regional Advisor field monitoring visits, mid-term reviews and final evaluations. This includes, among others, the development / harmonisation of hands-on tools for the CMU to facilitate the collection and analysis of evidence through the mechanisms already in place, such as templates for monitoring visits, project mid-term reviews and evaluations.
• Development of an overall methodology for the in-depth evidence building initiatives.

Documentation:   Synthesis and compilation of the collected evidence

• On a quarterly basis – provide a bulletin of the Consortium’s latest evidence building initiatives and findings. The bulletins will become a series, introducing new evidence themes and tracking the progress of ongoing themes. This will provide an up-to-date view of the evidence base to the CMU. The bulletins will also be used to share the evidence more broadly, e.g. through the SWSC newsletter.
• Final internal report – as a synthesis of the bulletins above and answering the key questions under a) Documenting the Process and b) Documenting the Value as well as synthesising the in-depth evidence building initiatives
• Final external SWSC publication – synthesising the key learnings from the final internal report

Support the two Consortium advisors who lead the signature approaches in the  technical management of the in-depth evidence building initiatives  (e.g. coordination with temporary consultants which will be contracted to collect in-depth evidence / perform special mandates at country/project level.)

Link with global networks to facilitate ideation, outreach and evidence dissemination  The Consultant will facilitate links between the SWSC and various networks: international communities of practice, academia and global gatherings and conferences. This serves, on the one hand, to stimulate the ideation process and innovation and to support the publication of research and sharing learning and evidence more broadly.

Deliverables

In line with the above description of the main tasks, the consultant is responsible to deliver the following:

• Assessment of global trends and review the evidence and knowledge gaps regarding the two signature approaches
• Detailed Evidence Building Strategy encompassing both signature approaches, including harmonised hands-on tools for the CMU to collect evidence and defining the in-depth evidence building initiatives for each signature approach
• Quarterly Bulletins of the latest evidence building initiatives and findings
• Final Internal Evidence Report (answering the key questions under a) Documenting the Process and b) Documenting the Value as well as synthesising the in-depth evidence building initiatives)
• Final External SWSC Publication (synthesising the key evidence)

Your Qualifications

The global consultant can be an individual consultant, a consultancy firm or a research institute.

As the aim of the consultancy is to support the CMU in the evidence building process throughout phase III (backstopping), the consultancy will last from June 2021 to September 2023.

The consultant shall assume an average work quota of 3 days / month (including reporting). The monthly time commitment will vary within the period of the consultancy, for example more time will be required at the beginning and at the end of the consultancy. During the first two months of the consultancy, the working time will be more intense to evaluate the existing evidence gaps, to support the definition of in-depth evidence building initiatives as well as to elaborate the in-depth evidence building strategy. Throughout phase III, the consultant analyses and documents the collected evidence.

The Consultant is free to choose the location of work, as long as regular internet connection and video communication is possible. The consultant is expected to be available for coordination calls in the time zones of UTC to UTC +6:30. The consultant will report directly to the SWSC Coordinator (based in Switzerland) and is expected to work closely with other global stakeholders as well as field staff if required. 

The Consultant must meet the following requirements:

• Advanced University degree in a relevant field (International Cooperation or related field)
• At least 8 years of experience in the WASH sector, with a focus on WASH in institutions
• A scientific background and proven experience in applied research
• Familiar with the NGO sector and good understanding of field work realities
• Working experience in the SWSC focus regions, networks in countries is a plus
• In-depth expertise regarding evidence building and knowledge management
• Well-connected and access to a greater network in the WASH in institutions sector (globally)
• Excellent reporting / writing skill
• Fluent in English and French
• Analytical thinking and openness for innovative solutions
• Preference for a home base in a time zone that will make communication with project teams and the CMU easy.

Application: Details To Submit A Technical Proposal And Financial Offer

Applications must consider and comply with the contents of this announcement and contain a technical and a financial proposal. Evaluation of these submissions will be the basis to short-list candidates for interviews.

The technical proposal shall include: 

• A detailed narrative proposal of max. 3 pages highlighting the relevant professional experience of the person(s) who will provide the consultancy and describing the methodology envisaged for the elaboration of the detailed evidence building strategy (ca. first three months of the consultancy).
• Up-to-date CV of max. 3 pages detailing relevant experience of the person(s) providing the consultancy

The financial offer shall include:

• The consultancy fee rate per day
• Confirmation of the number of days the Consultant is available during the period of the consultancy.

Note: In case of agreed travel, the travel costs will be reimbursed by the CMU separately.

The SWSC reserves the right to fully or partially cancel this call for consultancy service.

Industry experience

Education: Masters

Seniority: Expert, Engineer, Consultant

Years of experience: 5 to 10 years

Taxonomy

• Consultant
• Consulting & Services
• Environmental Consulting
• Consultant
• Project Consulting
• Environmental Engineers & Consultants