LRPS-2024 -9189197 Developing tools for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) for the programme "Empowered and equal futures for girls in Southeast Asia (2023-2026)” and MEL implementation

Background UNICEF is implementing a programmed called “Empowered and equal futures for girls in Southeast Asia (2023-2026)”, funded by the Australian Government. The 3.5 year programme builds on and advances SDG 4 and SDG 5 targets, and global frameworks for shifting gender norms through education including ‘Gender Transformative Education’ and ending gender-based violence, including “INSPIRE: Seven strategies for ending violence against children” and ‘the ‘Whole School Approach to school-based violence’. It also builds on evidence and experience of ongoing programmes in the region, including the ‘Connect with Respect’ programme and “RESPECT Women: Preventing violence against women” publication, and it builds on and advances regional education and gender frameworks, including the SEAMEO Strategic Plan 2021-2030, the ASEAN education roadmap and workplan, the ASEAN Declaration on Digital Transformation in Education, ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence against Children, the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the ASEAN Declaration on the Elimination of Bullying, the convention on cyberbullying the ‘Call to Action from Children and Young People to the Private Sector on child online protection’. The proposed programme aims to empower and equalize girls through gender transformation of education. UNICEF will advance towards that aim by intervening in three key outcomes: • System-level impact: Advancing gender transformative education policies, curricula and pedagogy. • School and community level impact: Empowering the most marginalized girls with 21st century learning and skills. • Regional Exchange: Policy mapping, capacity building, advocacy and evidence generation through cross-border collaboration on gender transformative education. Girls in basic education are the priority beneficiaries of the proposed programme in two target countries – Cambodia and Viet Nam - and at the regional level. The programme will also engage and support results for boys and men and children of other gender identities as secondary beneficiaries because, as per evidence from best practice globally and regionally, engaging boys and men is critical to gender transformation in education and shifting norms in society. In terms of age range, activities will target children in basic education, with a focus on primary and lower secondary school and some consideration for children in the early years and in upper secondary school. All activities will carefully consider the age-cohort being targeted and tailored accordingly. See table below for age ranges. Objectives, Purpose & Expected results The programme is a pilot aimed at strengthening an explicit and scalable model for integrating positive gender norms through addressing gender-based violence in schools and strengthening education systems and platforms. Therefore, there is a need to be intentional about developing a clear Theory of Change that articulates transforming gender norms that drive GBV within education. Monitoring tools will be developed to measure and track changes in social and gender norms, and student learning and skill acquisition as well to document and learn from the ongoing implementation and be able to respond proactively to any need for adjustment in the protocols and implementation strategies. In specific, Outcome 3 “Regional Exchange: Advocacy, evidence generation and capacity building through cross-border collaboration” of the programme includes the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) component which the contractor will directly contribute to. The contractor, with technical input from UNICEF, will concurrently develop and apply a robust MERL Plan to accompany the implementation. The contractor will support the monitoring, documentation and learning from the programme's activities focused on promoting social and behavioral change regarding gender norms and ending gender-based violence. The MERL plan could include the following key activities: A. Development and implementation of monitoring tools and providing support to UNICEF country office in implementing the tools. This would include the design and development of monitoring tools to measure social and behavioral change on gender norms and violence, in collaboration with UNICEF regional and country-level SBC, Education and Gender teams, and in consultation with DFAT. This activity includes: a. Regular, ongoing documentation and research of implementation strategies, identify barriers, and document best practices. b. Engagement with programme participants, stakeholders, and community members through surveys, interviews, and focus groups; and support with recommendations to support programme implementation. c. Capacity building UNICEF country teams to implement and deliver the monitoring and data collections tools, analysis of the monitoring data. d. Producing annual reports based on the monitoring data and lessons learned. B. Final programme evaluation and documentation of lessons: Using mixed methods, conduct an end line evaluation of the programme's outcomes and lessons for the rollout across other countries in the region. Location and Duration • The awarded contractor will be expected to work from their own offices and to utilize their own resources and consumables. • Location(s) and schedule of the assignment: Remotely with travels. • The contract starting date is estimated with 1 June 2024, or as early as possible. All deliverables are expected to be completed by end of August 2027. • Contract duration will be until end October 2027 to allow sufficient time for approval, invoicing and payment processes after completion of all deliverables. For more details, please refer to the attached Terms of Reference. This tender will be run through the UNICEF e-submissions system (UNGM). By clicking on the blue ‘Express Interest’ button in the UNGM tender notice, the full UNICEF e-submission system instructions to bidders document (including instructions on how to access the tender documents and submit an Offer) will be automatically emailed to the ‘contact persons’ included in your UNGM registration. Alternatively, the full UNICEF e-submission system instructions to bidders document is publicly available on the UNICEF supply internet pages here: https://www.unicef.org/supply/index_procurement_policies.html . In the tender management site, if you navigate to the documents tab and opt in to confirm your intention to submit a Bid – you will then see the mandatory placeholders for documents that must be attached prior to submitting your Offer (you will also see if there are any mandatory questionnaires to complete). As such, you are recommended to `opt in` well before the submission deadline so you are clear exactly what documents are required to be uploaded prior to completing your submission. Please note that in order to access the full-set of tender documents through UNICEF’s e-submissions system, vendors must: (1) be registered with UNICEF in UNGM as a company/NGO; (2) have successfully completed all mandatory information currently required by UNGM when registering. Please ensure that any files submitted as part of your bid are not corrupt or damaged in any way. Please exercise caution when using compressed files. Any corrupt or damaged files may lead to your Bid being invalidated. All vendors are strongly recommended to regularly log-in to the UNICEF e-submissions system to check for any deadline extensions, new clarifications, new correspondence or updated tender documents relating to this tender. Should you have any questions against this solicitation, please submit your queries to: THL-ML-BKKSUPPLY@unicef.org - no later than 10 April 2024 so that all queries could be clarified and circulated to all bidders before the deadline. We look forward to receiving your proposals within the given timeline. Best regards, UNICEF Supply team