TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

ENDLINE EVALUATION SURVEY OF THE FLOWING FUTURE PROJECT: WASH SERVICES IMPROVEMENT IN MAREBA, MUSENYI AND NGERUKA SECTORS, BUGESERA DISTRICT, RWANDA

Background and Context

WaterAid Rwanda is implementing the Flowing Future Project in Mareba, Musenyi and Ngeruka sectors of Bugesera District to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services at household and institutional levels, including schools, and health facilities. The project aims to contribute to the health and well-being of communities in Mareba, Musenyi, and Ngeruka, through infrastructure improvements, WASH systems strengthening, community engagement, and hygiene behavior change interventions. To achieve this project impact, the five outcomes were described:

Outcome 1: Improved and sustainable water access through extension of water networks in Musenyi Sector.

Outcome 2: Increased access to improved sanitation services for communities and institutions in Mareba and Ngeruka, and Musenyi

Outcome 3: Enhanced community engagement in WASH management and decision making on WASH service delivery in Mareba, Ngeruka and Musenyi sectors

Outcome 4: Improved hygiene practices in Mareba and Mareba

As the project approaches completion, WaterAid Rwanda seeks to commission an independent endline evaluation survey to measure changes against baseline values, assess progress toward intended outcomes, document key achievements and lessons learned, and examine the sustainability of project-supported services, systems, and behaviors. The endline should maintain methodological comparability with the baseline to the greatest extent possible while also assessing effectiveness, inclusion, sustainability, and recommendations for future programming.

Main objective of the Evaluation 

The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct an endline evaluation to assess changes in WASH access, service levels, hygiene behaviors, inclusion, and sustainability in the intervention areas, and to generate evidence-based recommendations for future programming.

Specific Objectives

The consultant/firm will be expected to address the following objectives:

• Assess progress against project outcomes and intended results in water supply, sanitation, hygiene, institutional WASH, community engagement, and accountability.
• Measure endline values of key indicators and compare them with baseline findings and project targets.
• Assess the status, functionality, reliability, affordability, and use of project-supported water services in households and institutions.
• Assess sanitation coverage, quality, cleanliness, privacy, accessibility, and use in households and institutions.
• Assess changes in hygiene knowledge, handwashing practices, water treatment and safe storage, environmental cleanliness, food hygiene, and child faeces management.
• Assess school WASH and menstrual hygiene management (MHM), including the availability and functionality of MHM rooms, privacy, trained focal persons, and support systems.
• Examine changes in WASH governance, participation, accountability mechanisms, WASH financing, and inclusion of women and vulnerable groups in decision-making.
• Assess the sustainability of project-supported systems, services, behaviors, revolving fund mechanism, O&M arrangements, and local capacities.
• Document key achievements, gaps, lessons learned, innovations, good practices, and recommendations for future programming.

Key Evaluation Questions

The evaluation should, at least, answer the following questions:

• To what extent were the project interventions relevant to the WASH needs and priorities of communities and institutions in Musenyi, Mareba and Ngeruka?
• To what extent has the project improved sustainable access to safe water at household and institutional levels compared with baseline?
• To what extent has the project improved sanitation access, quality, cleanliness, privacy, accessibility, and safe use at household and institutional levels?
• What changes have occurred in hygiene knowledge and practices, including handwashing at critical times, water treatment, safe storage, food hygiene management?
• What changes occurred in behavioral determinants such as motives, barriers, cues, social norms, and touchpoints, and how do these relate to the hygiene promotion strategy?
• To what extent are project-supported WASH facilities and services inclusive and responsive to the needs of women, girls, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups?
• To what extent has the project strengthened community engagement, accountability, governance, and women’s participation in WASH-related decision-making?
• How likely are the supported WASH services, facilities, governance structures, and behaviours to be sustained beyond the project period?
• What worked well, what did not work well, and what lessons and recommendations should inform future WASH programming?
• To what extent have WASH financing mechanisms, especially revolving funds, supported community hygiene clubs/VSLAs to remain functional, strengthen social bonds, and promote greater member participation and cohesion?
• To what extent have MHM interventions supported better hygiene management, reduced menstrual-related absenteeism, and promoted a more supportive school environment for girls?

Scope of Work

The endline evaluation will cover the Flowing Future Project intervention areas in Mareba, Musenyi and Ngeruka sectors of Bugesera District.

The units of analysis will include:

• Households in sampled villages within the intervention communities.
• Schools targeted by the project
• Health facilities / health posts
• Relevant district, sector, school, health facility, and community stakeholders, including WASH committees, CHWs, local leaders, and implementing partners.

The evaluation must ensure maximum comparability with the baseline, including consistency in indicator definitions, tools, and measurement approaches where feasible.

Methodology and Approach

The consultant/firm shall propose a rigorous, independent, and participatory mixed-methods methodology that mirrors the baseline design to enable robust baseline–endline comparison.

Overall Design

• Mixed-methods, cross-sectional end-line evaluation combining quantitative and qualitative components.
• Strong emphasis on trend analysis, contribution assessment, and sustainability.

Quantitative Component

• Household survey replicating the baseline approach as closely as possible. 
• The consultant/firm should propose a statistically justified sample size that allows meaningful comparison with baseline findings. As guidance, the sample size calculation should consider a 95% confidence level, acceptable margin of error, design effect where applicable, and adjustment for potential non-response. The proposed sample should also allow sector-level analysis and comparability with the baseline survey. Additionally, a clear design must be of paramount interest.
• Institutional surveys covering schools and health facilities. The evaluation will cover 19 schools, and 6 health facilities/health posts.
• Structured observation checklists for sanitation, handwashing, water access, cleanliness, accessibility, MHM, and waste management facilities.
• Digital data capture is required.

Qualitative Component

• Focus group discussions with community members and relevant target groups.
• Key informant interviews and/or in-depth interviews with district and sector authorities, CHWs, teachers, school management, health staff, school/community Hygiene clubs, and project partners.
• Behavioral inquiry aligned to hygiene promotion and CBEHPP approaches, focusing on barriers, motivators, norms, cues, and communication channels.
• Structured observation to capture actual practices and facility conditions in schools and health facilities.

Sampling and Inclusion

• The inception report must justify the sampling framework and sample sizes for both quantitative and qualitative components.
• Sampling should allow sector-level comparison at minimum and should include vulnerable groups where feasible, including lower-income households and people with disabilities.
• Data should be disaggregated by sex, age, disability, and sector wherever feasible.

Data Quality Assurance

• Tool pre-testing and refinement.
• Training and supervision of enumerators and field teams.
• Built-in logic checks and daily data review for digital tools.
• Data cleaning, validation, triangulation, and clear documentation of limitations.
• Protocols for consent, confidentiality, safeguarding, and do-no-harm principles.

Data Analysis

• Quantitative analysis must include clear baseline–endline comparison for all key indicators and, where appropriate, statistical comparison of differences.
• Qualitative analysis should use thematic coding and triangulate findings with quantitative results.
• The final analysis should interpret not only whether change occurred, but also why it occurred, for whom, and with what implications for sustainability and scale-up.

Ethics and Approvals

• The baseline survey must adhere to WaterAid’s Global Evaluation Policy, Global Standard on Child Safeguarding and Code of Conduct.

• The consultant/firm must obtain ethical clearance from legalized Institutional Review Board, working under RNEC mandate to allow WaterAid Rwanda to publish the findings in different journals where required. 
• WARW will ensure confidentiality of interviewee statements is respected, refraining from making judgmental remarks about stakeholders, and collecting informed consent before any data is collected.
• Administrative authorization from relevant authorities (Mayor of the Districts) must also be obtained before fieldwork begins. 

Key Tasks and Responsibilities of the Consultant firm 

• Review all relevant project documents, including the project proposal, logf-rame/results framework, baseline/formative research report, monitoring data, and implementation reports.
• Develop and submit an inception report with detailed methodology, sampling strategy, work plan, evaluation matrix, and revised data collection tools.
• Translate tools into Kinyarwanda where required and ensure quality review of translated tools.
• Recruit, train, and supervise enumerators / field teams and pilot-test the tools.
• Conduct endline data collection across households, institutions, and stakeholder groups.
• Clean, code, and analyses all quantitative and qualitative data.
• Present preliminary findings to WaterAid Rwanda and incorporate technical feedback.
• Prepare and submit draft and final endline reports and all related deliverables.
• Facilitate a validation and dissemination workshop for key stakeholders.

Expected Deliverables

• Inception report, including detailed methodology, sampling strategy, work plan, evaluation matrix, ethics plan, and draft tools.
• Final data collection tools in English and Kinyarwanda, including observation checklists.
• Clean quantitative dataset(s), codebook, qualitative transcripts/notes, and coding framework.
• Draft endline evaluation report with baseline–endline comparison tables/figures, disaggregated analysis, conclusions, and practical recommendations.
• PowerPoint presentation of preliminary findings and facilitation of a validation/dissemination workshop.
• Endline fact sheet or summary brief for decision-makers.
• Final endline evaluation report in Word and PDF, incorporating stakeholder comments.
• Complete final data package and annexes.

Suggested Outline of the Endline Report

• Executive Summary
• Introduction and Background
• Evaluation Purpose and Objectives
• Methodology
• Limitations
• Findings by Outcome / Thematic Area
• Comparative Analysis: Baseline vs Endline
• Behaviour Change and Determinants
• Inclusion and Equity
• Sustainability Analysis
• Lessons Learned and Good Practices
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
• Annexes

Indicative Timeline

The consultancy assignment is expected to be completed within 30 days from the date of signing the contract. Interested consultants/firms shall propose a detailed and actionable implementation schedule, indicating the sequencing of activities, expected deliverables, and timelines. This proposed workplan will be reviewed during the evaluation process to assess its practicality and alignment with the assignment requirements.

Management and Coordination

The consultancy will be managed by WaterAid Rwanda, including the Programme, PAC, and PMEAL teams, in collaboration with relevant district stakeholders and project partners.

WaterAid Rwanda will:

• Provide relevant project documents and baseline instruments.
• Facilitate introductions to district and sector stakeholders where necessary.
• Review and approve deliverables. 
• Coordinate validation and dissemination events.

The consultant/firm will remain responsible for the independent delivery, technical quality, and completeness of the evaluation.

Consultant/Firm Qualifications

The consultant/firm should demonstrate the following minimum qualifications:

• Team leader with an advanced degree in Public Health, WASH, Social Sciences, Development Studies or a related field. 
• At least 15 years of experience conducting WASH assessments/evaluations, including baseline/endline studies using mixed methods.
• Strong quantitative analysis and digital survey management skills.
• Proven qualitative research and facilitation experience, including FGDs, KIIs, and behavioral research. 
• Familiarity with Rwanda’s WASH sector, district systems, and ethical/safeguarding requirements. 
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality analytical reports in English.

Ethical Considerations, Safeguarding, and Data Ownership

• The consultant/firm must comply with WaterAid’s safeguarding requirements, including child safeguarding.
• All respondents must provide informed consent, and confidentiality/data protection must be upheld throughout the assignment.
• The consultant/firm must adhere to do-no-harm principles and secure data storage protocols.
• All raw data, cleaned datasets, tools, transcripts, reports, and presentations produced under this assignment will remain the property of WaterAid Rwanda and may not be shared externally without written authorization.

Application / Proposal Requirements

Interested consultants should submit the following before 01st June 2025

Technical Proposal

• Understanding of the assignment and proposed approach.
• Detailed methodology and sampling plan.
• Work plan and timeline.
• Team composition and CVs.
• Evidence of similar assignments (at least three references);
• Data quality assurance plan and ethical/safeguarding plan.

Financial Proposal

Detailed budget including professional fees, field costs, logistics, workshop costs, and taxes. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for further negotiation. 

Evaluation criteria

Technical proposal quality and proposed review approach:
 

• Technical understanding and proposed methodology, including the clarity, appropriateness, and feasibility of the proposed approach, tools, workplan, and quality assurance measures.
• Qualifications and experience of the team, including academic background, technical expertise, and experience in conducting endline evaluations, particularly in WASH-related projects.
• Cost-effectiveness, including a clear breakdown and payment terms, including a clear financial breakdown, justification of costs, and proposed payment terms.
• Relevant experience with INGOs and donor-funded projects, especially assignments involving baseline/endline studies, behaviour change, gender, inclusion, and sustainability assessments.
• Reference checks and past performance, based on similar assignments completed successfully and feedback from previous clients.

12. Submission Details

Proposals should be submitted to WARwanda@wateraid.orgno later than before 01st June 2025. Late submissions will not be considered.

13. Disclaimer

WaterAid Rwanda will contact only shortlisted applicants for further negotiation; If not required, only the selected candidate will be notified.