Request for Proposals Outcome Evaluation of the RMB Fund Education for a Green Economy-Terms of Reference

On behalf of the Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Fund, Tshikululu Social Investments NPC (hereafter referred to as Tshikululu) wishes to appoint a Service Provider to evaluate the conservation pillar of the RMB Fund’s Education for a Green Economy programme.

The terms of reference provided below describe the scope and basic requirements of the evaluation.

1. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

The RMB Fund’s Education for a Green Economy is an environment programme that is aimed at increasing access to environmental education and restoring ecosystems, which will result in the growth and development of a green economy. The programme has two main objectives:

1. To improve environmental education within South Africa (environmental education pillar)
2. To facilitate the rehabilitation and restoration of ecosystems through shared partnerships (conservation pillar)

To achieve its objectives, the Education for a Green Economy programme has several activities that fall into two main pillars of environmental education and conservation.

Education:

• Train teachers (and teachers-in-training)
• Train post-school individuals
• Train communities
• Teach learners
• Share knowledge
• Advocate for change

Conservation:

• Monitor and conserve species under threat
• Monitor and conserve ecosystems under threat

This is the final year of a three-year cycle for the conservation programme partners; and the second year of a three-year cycle for the environmental education partners in the Education for a Green Economy programme.

Given that the conservation programme partners are in the final year of the RMB Fund’s typical three-year cycle (which began in 2017), the Fund committee seeks to appoint a suitably qualified individual/organisation to provide an overview of the outcomes of the conservation pillar and clear recommendations for a way forward for this programme pillar. 

2. PROJECT SCOPE

The conservation pillar of the Education for a Green Economy programme has 16 different implementing programme partners nationally, of which only five partners, implementing 10 programmes, will form part of the evaluation. These organisations are based nationally.

In the last reporting cycle (2019), conservation pillar programme partners had achieved the following:

• 16 760 515.74 hectares under observation
• 47 235 hectares under protection
• Monitoring over 100 target species of animal, bird, fish and plants

3. TYPE OF EVALUATION

As this is the final year of a three-year cycle for the conservation pillar of the Education for a Green Economy programme, it is envisaged that this will be an outcome evaluation.

4. EVALUATION OBJECTIVES AND QUESTIONS

The following outcomes are desired for the conservation pillar outcome evaluation:

• Understanding the current status and needs of environmental conservation in South Africa;
• An understanding of the inception and purpose of the Education for a Green Economy programme conservation pillar;
• An overview of the outcomes of the Education for a Green Economy programme: conservation pillar to date;
• Significance of the programme against the original conservation objective
• Effectiveness of the programme with regards to partnerships, as well as meeting the current needs of environmental conservation in South Africa;
• Clear recommendations for a way forward for the programme.

1. Objective: Current status of the environmental conservation in South Africa; inception of the programme

Key questions:

• What is the current status/needs of the environmental conservation in South Africa;
• What were the guiding views behind the implementation of the Education for a Green Economy programme’s conservation pillar?
• To what extent is the conservation objective of the Education for a Green Economy programme aligned with government environmental objectives?

1. Objective: Outcomes

Key question:

• What are the outcomes of the conservation pillar of the Education for a Green Economy programme on species and ecosystems?

1. Objective: Significance

Key Questions:

• What is the significance of the conservation pillar of the Education for a Green Economy programme towards facilitating the:
  • growth and protection of species
• growth, rehabilitation and restoration of ecosystems

1. Objective: Effectiveness

Key Questions:

• How effective has the programme been on creating shared conservation partnerships (government, civil society, NPO’s)?
• How effective has the programme been in meeting the current needs of environmental conservation in South Africa?

1. Objective: Recommendations

Key Questions:

• What are the recommendations going forward? Some topics to explore could include (but are not limited to):
• Should the Education for a Green Economy programme’ s conservation pillar continue?
• If so, with what changes, if any?
• Should the programme scale up and how might this happen?
• How could the support of the RMB Fund be leveraged for greater impact?

5. METHODOLOGY

A mixed-methods methodology is expected to be used for the evaluation. The exact evaluation approach is yet to be decided – and will be at the evaluator’s discretion. Primary and secondary data collection methods must be used:

• Secondary data collection must include a review of documentation. This will include – but is not limited to – RMB Fund’s annual programme reports (produced by Tshikululu over the three-year cycle of the Education for a Green Economy programme), individual partner programme reports, and any other documentation that the partners may provide. It must also include a desktop review of the state and needs of environmental conservation in South Africa
• Primary data collection could include semi-structured interviews with an identified sample of partners, semi-structured interviews with an identified sample of the RMB Fund Committee, focus groups with beneficiaries, surveys, and direct and indirect observations made on site visits, and may include photographs (either by the evaluator or in a form such as Photovoice).

Important ethical considerations to note

Engagements with beneficiaries must be sensitive to their relevant needs and circumstances. The aim of this evaluation is not to create competition, or cause divisions or stress for our beneficiaries. The evaluation should strive to provide clear and detailed recommendations based on the current programme outcomes, and the future structure of the programme. Evaluators should note that maintaining the dignity of our beneficiaries is paramount in this evaluation.

6. DELIVERABLES

The evaluator will be expected to provide the following deliverables to Tshikululu:

• A written proposal for the conservation pillar of the Education for a Green Economy programme outcome evaluation
• A presentation of the proposal for the conservation pillar of the Education for a Green Economy programme outcome evaluation to the RMB Fund Committee if requested
• A draft report
• A final evaluation report in line with the evaluation’s objectives and key evaluation questions listed above and
• Presentation of the final evaluation findings to the RMB Fund Committee in conjunction with Tshikululu

7. EXPERTISE REQUIRED

The following evaluator expertise will be required:

• Thorough understanding of the environmental landscape in South Africa
• Experience in conducting similar evaluations
• Required skills and ability to conduct sensitive evaluations and
• Clear demonstration of commitment to transformation via provision of a broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) certificate and, where applicable, transformation policies and plans

8. ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND RESOURCES

Tshikululu Social Investments will manage the evaluation, including contracting with the successful service provider (on behalf of the RMB Fund), receiving and reviewing all deliverables and ensuring strong communication between all parties. The RMB Fund will make the final decision as to which service provider will be appointed.

The RMB Fund will provide input into the evaluation where needed. This includes the committee granting semi-structured interviews, as well as input into the draft evaluation report.

9. TIMEFRAMES

10. COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS

Tshikululu will be required to continuously provide feedback to a representative of the RMB Fund Committee every six weeks, therefore it is requested that the evaluator and Tshikululu maintain an open line of communication, and that the evaluator responds timeously to any communication requests from Tshikululu.

The central communication point for Tshikululu will be Beatrice Watermeyer (monitoring and evaluation specialist consultant). She will be on hand to answer any queries by the committee, the service provider and beneficiaries.

11. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A comprehensive proposal to carry out the evaluation must be submitted by 9am on Monday 30 March 2020. The proposal should be emailed to bwatermeyer@tshikululu.org.za.

The proposal should sufficiently cover the following information and will be judged on this criteria:

• Company details
• Company B-BBEE Level. Please provide a certificate and where applicable, provide transformation policies and plans
• Proposed methodology
• Project plan
• Comprehensive budget
• Demonstration of expertise and previous experience (including evidence of previous similar evaluations)
• Evaluation team (and their specialisations)