Terms of Reference (TORs) 

CALL FOR CONSULTANCY: EVALUATION STUDY OF THE KINDERNOTHILFE (KNH) SELF-HELP APPROACH (SHA) IN PAKISTAN since 2005

1. Background and Context

KNH Pakistan invites proposals from qualified individual consultants / consultancy firms to conduct an independent evaluation of its Self-Help Approach (SHA) implemented in Pakistan since 2005 to support communities in organizing, identifying priorities and taking collective action. Over the past two decades, the approach has facilitated the formation and development of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Community-Level Associations (CLAs) and Federations as community-led institutions, with a particular focus on women’s empowerment and community ownership.

2. Evaluation Study Objective

• To assess the evolution, implementation and contribution of SHA to community empowerment and institutional development, and the sustainability of SHGs, CLAs and Federations beyond external support, including post-phase-out experiences since 2005.

• To assess the nature, extent and conditions of change resulting from SHA, and the sustainability of gains beyond external support.

• To assess post phase-out challenges and recommend a roadmap for ensuring community ownership and sustainability of SHA institutions and gains.

3. Specific Objectives

• Evolution and Implementation of Self-Help Approach in Pakistan: To document the evolution of SHA in Pakistan from 2005 to 2025, including the application, adaptation and fidelity to SHA core principles, facilitation practices, capacity building, and phase-out and transition processes.

• Contribution to Empowerment and Institutional Development: To assess SHA’s contribution to the economic, social and political empowerment of community members, particularly women, and to improvements in children’s well-being, including changes in decision making, leadership, participation, livelihoods, and access to services.

• Functionality and Development of Community Institutions: To examine the relevance, functionality, governance and development of SHGs, CLAs and Federations, including membership participation, leadership, transparency, accountability, record keeping, planning, and linkages with government, markets and service providers.

• Nature, Extent and Conditions of Change: To assess what has changed through SHA, how and under what conditions these changes occurred, including enabling and constraining factors, geographical variations, and unintended outcomes.

• Post Phase-Out Experiences and Sustainability: To assess the sustainability and post phase-out experiences of SHGs, CLAs and Federations phased out at different times, including continuity of functions, institutional capacities, community ownership, and contextual factors enabling or constraining sustainability.

• Challenges, Lessons and Roadmap for Sustainability: To identify specific post phase-out and implementation challenges, document effective practices, achievements and lessons learned, and recommend a practical, context-specific roadmap for strengthening community ownership, institutional functionality and long-term sustainability of SHA institutions and gains, within the SHA approach and the Pakistan context.

4. Scope of Work

The evaluation will assess the Self-Help Approach (SHA) in Pakistan since 2005, with a focus on its contribution to community empowerment, institutional development, and long-term sustainability.

The consultant will:

1. Document the Evolution and Implementation of SHA

Review the 20-year journey of SHA in Pakistan, including its adaptation, facilitation practices, capacity building, and phase-out processes, in line with SHA core principles.

2. Assess Empowerment and Well-being

Assess SHA’s contribution to economic, social and political empowerment of women, and improvements in children’s well-being and access to services.

3. Evaluate Community Institutions

Examine the functionality, governance, capacity and linkages of SHGs, CLAs and Federations, and their ability to operate independently.

4. Assess Sustainability and Post Phase-Out Experiences

Assess the sustainability of institutions and gains after phase-out or withdrawal of external support, and identify the factors that enable or constrain community ownership and continuity.

5. Identify Challenges, Lessons and Roadmap

Identify post phase-out challenges, document good practices and lessons learned, and recommend a practical, context-specific roadmap to strengthen community ownership and sustainability of SHA in Pakistan.

6. Success Stories and Good Practices – Separate Annexure

In addition to the main evaluation report, the consultant will compile a separate annexure of evidence-based success stories and good practices, covering economic, social, and political empowerment, women’s leadership, collective action and advocacy, institutional development, access to services, and community initiatives sustained after phase-out. Each story will include context, the change achieved, contribution of community institutions and other actors, supporting evidence, challenges faced, and current status. All claims must be verified.

5. Participants and Stakeholders

The evaluation must ensure the reflection, perspectives and experiences of the listed participants and stakeholders:

6. Key Deliverables

• Inception Report – Evaluation framework, methodology, sampling, tools, and work plan.

• Draft Evaluation Report – Findings, conclusions, lessons learned, and recommendations, including the draft roadmap.

• Final Evaluation Report – Revised report incorporating feedback from KNH and partners.

• Annexures: 

• Success Stories and Good Practices – A separate, standalone annexure of verified success stories and good practices, with photos and consent where applicable.

• Roadmap/Action Plan as a separate annexure

• Presentation of Findings – Presentation and validation session with KNH team through a power point presentation to include the summary of findings and roadmap.

7. Methodology: 

• The evaluation will use a mixed-methods approach – desk review, quantitative survey, qualitative interviews and discussions, institutional assessment, field verification etc. 

• Data will be collected from SHGs, CLAs and Federations, community members, facilitators, implementing partners, KNH-Pakistan, government officials, and service providers. 

• The sample will purposively cover Federations phased out in different periods and across different geographical areas. 

• The final sampling framework will be proposed in the Inception Report and agreed with KNH.

• The consultant will report to the representative(s) appointed by KNH-Pakistan. All deliverables must be in English and meet organizational quality and child safeguarding standards.

8. Required Qualifications and Experience

• The consultant / firm must have minimum 7-10 years of experience in evaluations / research in Pakistan, including at least 3-5 evaluations of community-based, empowerment, livelihoods, or institutional development programmes. Experience with SHGs, community institutions, or Self-Help Approach will be an advantage.

• The Team Leader must have a Master’s degree in a relevant field, minimum 10 years of experience, and have led at least 3 similar evaluations. The core team of 3-4 members must include evaluation, gender / social inclusion, and data analysis expertise, including at least one female member, and field staff with local language proficiency.

• The team must demonstrate strong mixed-methods, participatory evaluation, and institutional / sustainability assessment skills, with knowledge of safeguarding and ethical research. The team must be available to travel to field locations across Pakistan and have no conflict of interest with KNH, its implementing partners or communities.

9. Budget & Payment Terms: 

• Lump sum fee inclusive of all taxes. 

• Payment schedule: 30% on inception, 40% on first draft submission, 30% on final approval.

• Travelling, boarding & lodging to be covered separately by KNH-Pakistan.

10. Duration & Timeline: The total duration of the evaluation will be 8-12 weeks from the date of contract signing.

11. Confidentiality and Intellectual Property

• Confidentiality: Consultant will keep it confidentiality of any information received during the evaluation.

• Intellectual Property: KNH will be owner and custodian of all documents, materials and intellectual property created during the consultancy.

12. Technical & Financial Proposal Requirements

• Technical Proposal:

Must include:

• Understanding of the assignment, objectives, and scope

• Proposed methodology, evaluation framework, and sampling approach

• Detailed work plan and timeline within 8-12 weeks

• Financial Proposal:

Must include:

• Detailed budget in PKR, inclusive of all taxes

• Professional fees – broken down by team member / days

• Any other costs – clearly itemized

13. Attachments (in PDF format only):

• Individual/Company Profile including Team composition, roles, and CVs of key team members (1 merged file)

• Technical Proposal

• Financial Proposal

• Relevant experience – list of at least 3-5 similar assignments in last 5 years

• 1 similar sample evaluation report

Application process and deadline: 

Apply by submitting required documents on the link https://forms.gle/BaFRd9aqxXBwfz5H8

No late submissions shall be entertained. In case individuals/organizations submit incomplete documents (missing any of the required documents and information) the submission will not be considered for further processing. 

NOTE: The proposals will be subject to screening and evaluation based on our criteria and only short-listed firms/consultants will be contacted for further process. Please note that this proposal does not entail any commitment towards a contract on the part of the organization or bear any cost subject to the submission of the proposals. The organization reserves the right to accept or reject all or any proposal without assigning any reason what so ever.