Outcome Monitoring Exercise Consultancy

Purpose and Objectives of the study

• The purpose of the ACT project’s outcome monitoring exercise is to assess and document progress toward the project’s targets and the realization of its Theory of Change, while also examining changes in context and key assumptions. In line with this purpose, the outcome monitoring exercise will focus on the following objectives:

Assess and measure progress at the outcome level

• Determine the value of outcome indicators at Year 2 of project implementation, reporting on all relevant disaggregation where possible, and recommend adjustments in their formulation if necessary.
• Finalize baseline values in cases where these are being determined on a rolling basis (as actors are engaged in project activities), and support the identification of end-of-project targets as appropriate.

Validate project assumptions:

• Provide evidence to test the assumptions underpinning the project’s Theory of Change (ToC).
• Support a shared understanding of contextual changes in order to revise and update program design and/or set new targets as appropriate.

Document system-level change:

• Capture early signs of changes within the childcare ecosystem.
• Gather insights on any unintended outcomes that may be emerging.

Advance gender equality and social inclusion (GESI):

• Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data on gender and power dynamics to inform the project’s GESI strategy.

Strengthen MERL systems:

• Provide recommendations to update the results-based Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) plan, including methodological adjustments for future data collection exercises.
• Identify opportunities for alignment of indicators with those from other relevant projects.
• Outcome indicators and learning questions
• A preliminary list of ACT outcome indicators as well as learning questions can be found below. Please note that the final list will be discussed with the selected consultant/s and finalized during the inception phase.
• Quantitative and Qualitative Indicators
•  % total of women paid childcare providers in the regions of project implementation reporting increased income (disaggregated by age, country)
• Empowerment progression index, including a domain related to ECC (disaggregated by country)
• Proportion of women paid childcare providers in the regions of project implementation whose income sufficiently covers their expenses (disaggregated by age, country)3.
• % of women paid childcare providers in the regions of project implementation with relevant professional qualifications (disaggregated by sex, age, country)
• .Level of satisfaction among parents of the quality of services received by women paid childcare providers in the regions of project implementation (disaggregated by sex, age, country)
• Introduced/revised policies and regulations that protect and promote the rights of women paid childcare providers including relevant rights related to ECC (disaggregated by country)
•  Extent to which women paid childcare providers in the regions of project implementation feel their rights and needs are being met (disaggregated by sex, provider type, age, country)
• Extent to which women paid childcare providers in the regions of project implementation feel their rights and needs are being met (disaggregated by sex, provider type, age, country)
• # of ecosystem actors taking up or adopting financial and/or business services and models for women paid childcare providers in the regions of project implementation (disaggregated by sex, age, country)
•  %/total of women paid childcare providers in the regions of project implementation reporting membership in a professional group/network/collective (disaggregated by sex, age, country)
• Level of coordination of collectives of women paid childcare providers in the regions of project implementation (disaggregated by sex, age, country)
• .Level of knowledge of ecosystem actors of best practices in the delivery of childcare training and certification (disaggregated by sex, age, type of actor, country)
• Level of confidence reported by ecosystem actors to deliver training and provide certification supporting women's advancement in the paid childcare sector (disaggregated by sex, age, type of actor, country)
• %/total of key ecosystem actors reporting knowledge of the policy and regulatory gaps affecting women childcare providers including those relevant to ECC (disaggregated by sex, age, type of actor, country)
• Perceptions among key ecosystem actors on their capacity to implement gender transformative regulations in support of paid childcare work (disaggregated by sex, age, type of actor, country)
•  Level of knowledge of ecosystem actors of the rights of women paid childcare providers (disaggregated by sex, age, type of actor, country)
• Level of confidence reported by ecosystem actors to champion and uphold the rights of women paid childcare providers (disaggregated by sex, age, type of actor, country)
• Level of knowledge among business service providers of women paid childcare providers' service needs (disaggregated by country
• # of ecosystem actors applying a gender and ECC lens to finance/ business service offerings (disaggregated by type of actor, country
• .# of financial service providers with products that meet the needs of women-led childcare enterprises (disaggregated by type of service provider, country)
• .Level of knowledge among financial service providers of women paid childcare providers' investment needs (disaggregated by type of provider, country.