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TERMS OF REFERENCE

FINAL EVALUATION – Banking on Change Phase 2

July 2015

INTRODUCTION

Barclays, CARE International UK and Plan UK wish to contract a consultant or team of consultants to

undertake a final evaluation of the Banking on Change partnership. The evaluation should:

1. Evaluate how far Banking on Change (Phase II) has gone towards achieving the partnership’s

mutually agreed outcomes and objectives, drawing on quantitative and qualitative impact data and

the programme’s value for money (cost per beneficiary); cross-country comparisons should be

made.

2. Evaluate the sustained impact of the partnership using the Framework found in Appendix 1, which

focuses on the following statements:

a. Savings give young people the opportunity to fulfil their economic aspirations

b. There is a business and social case for the financial sector to bank the poorest groups

c. New models of Corporate/NGO partnerships can create innovative business solutions for

development issues

3. Identify areas of best practice, innovative solutions, and key lessons learned that will help us to

position Banking on Change as contributing new insights within the global Financial Inclusion

landscape

PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION

In order to explore the true impact of Banking on Change, Barclays, CARE International UK and Plan UK are

seeking an independent external evaluation of the partnership. The focus of the evaluation will be Banking

on Change Phase 2, covering the period January 2013 to September 2015, during which the seven countries

involved in the programme, will have finished their implementation.

However, the report should also reference all six years of Banking on Change (2009-2015), drawing on the

Phase I Evaluation, where relevant without repeating it. This can be used to explain how the programme

evolved and what factors/insights influenced this evolution, and make comparisons between each phase.

The evaluation should be guided by the following questions:

o Relevance – how has the Banking on Change partnership been able to work in a relevant and effective

way for the engagement and benefit of poor people in the seven programme countries?

o Effectiveness – how much progress has Banking on Change made towards the programme objectives

and what evidence do we have? How has the partnership’s savings group model - combining financial

literacy, with either enterprise and/or employability training - been effective at supporting young

people in the transition to economic independence? How has the ‘private sector-third sector’

partnership leveraged each partner’s expertise to achieve maximum results?

o Impact and sustainability –how far have the changes that have been brought about by Banking on

Change been sustainable? To what extent has the programme had a ‘ripple effect’ that will last beyond

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the lifetime of Phase 2 and what is the potential for scaling up and replicating this model? To what

extent has the partnership been able to scale linking savings groups to formal financial institutions in a

sustainable way? How relevant has the programme been to each partner (Barclays, Plan UK, CARE

International UK)? What have been the unexpected impacts of the programme?

o Lessons learned – what are the key lessons that can be drawn from the programme and the

partnership that can be shared more widely to develop best practice partnerships in the future?

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

Banking on Change is a partnership between Barclays and international NGO’s Plan UK and CARE

International UK, operating in seven countries. Taking a savings-led approach to microfinance, it combines

the expertise of each partner to give poor people access to basic financial services for the first time, and the

skills to save and manage their money effectively. It is also breaking down barriers to help marginalised

communities access formal banking products, and encouraging other organisations to learn from, adopt

and replicate our model. This makes tangible, lasting improvements to people’s lives, reduces poverty,

increases social equality and encourages economic growth.

The partnership comprises two phases:

• Phase 1 2009 – 2012: £10 million investment reaching over 513,000 poor people across 11

countries.1

• Phase 2 2013 – 2015: £10 million investment with a goal to support 330,000 people across 7

countries.2

In Phase 1, over 513,000 people formed around 25,000 savings groups across 3 continents. Nearly 660

groups were linked to formal banking through branches of Barclays, which has adapted specialist group

savings accounts in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to meet their specific needs.

In Phase 2, the partnership has three main objectives:

1. To provide an expanded range of more in-depth financial literacy, enterprise and employability

skills training to over 330,000 beneficiaries, including 250,000 young people aged below 35.

2. To support the establishment of around 41,000 sustained income generating activities

3. To link nearly one third of Banking on Change savings groups in Africa (approx 5,000) to Barclays, as

well as to other formal financial institutions, in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia.

In addition to this, the partnership set the following communication and advocacy objectives:

• To build an alliance via the Linking for Change Savings Charter to endorse and support the Banking

on Change linkage principles to help 2 billion unbanked to access appropriate financial services.

• To create an agreed best practice model for young people (16-24) young savers.

• To contribute to the debate on financial inclusion by building a strong presence at key global for a.

1 Peru, Ghana, Egypt, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, India, Vietnam, Indonesia

2 Ghana, Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, India

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MONITORING & EVALUATION

Banking on Change is subject to a robust monitoring and evaluation framework, which incorporates both

quantitative and qualitative tools, and collects data on indicators going from the output level (e.g. no. of

members reached), to those at impact level, looking at changes in the socio-economic circumstances of

participants and their households. The long and medium term impacts we are seeking to achieve can be

seen in the diagram in Appendix 2.

The global logframe details the full list of indicators being collected, which programme activity they are

designed to assess, and which impact area they provide evidence for. The principle tools used to collect

evidence can be seen in the table below.

Tool Impact

Level

Key Indicators Census /

Sample

Qual /

Quant

VSLA Management

Information System

Output Outreach (Group formation and training

targets)

Census Quant

Outcome SEEP Ratios (Group financial

performance)

Pre and Post

Knowledge

Assessments

Output Knowledge increase post training Sample Quant

Focus Group

Discussions (FGDs)

Outcome Attitude & behaviour change post

training

Sample Qual

Income Generating

Activity (IGA) Tracker

Output No. of IGAs formed Sample Quant

Outcome Type and quality of IGAs

Linkage Monitoring

Tool

Outcome Number, type and quality linkages to

formal financial institutions

Census Qual &

Quant

Baseline/Endline Study Outcome Socio-economic impact at individual and

household level

Sample Quant

Endline FGDs Outcome Socio-economic impact at individual and

household level

Sample Qual

CARE International UK and Plan UK submit quarterly and annual reports to Barclays which outline progress

primarily against key outreach and financial performance indicators, as measured by the VSLA Management

Information System. Final MIS data collection will take place in October 2015 with submission of a final

report to Barclays in mid- November 2015.

Data from pre and post knowledge assessments is submitted as per the training delivery timelines of each

of the Banking on Change countries. Additional outcome level data from focus group discussions, the IGA

tracker and linkage monitoring tool are also subject to project delivery timelines, with final data collection

for all tools to be completed by August 2015.

To gauge the impact of Phase 2 activities, the partnership agreed to conduct a base and Endline survey

covering a large subset of the programme beneficiaries in each country in order to determine how their

demographic and socio-economic conditions have changed during their participation in the programme. To

further illustrate results from the quantitative Endline survey, and better attribute results to the

programme, focus groups discussions will be conducted with a select number of baseline participants,

focussing on key target segments such as women and members aged 16-24. According to this design, each

country is required to implement the following data collection activities:

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1. A baseline survey of members of existing savings groups that have been carried over from phase 1

(i.e. the Carry-Over Baseline Survey);

2. A rolling baseline survey of members of youth savings groups that will be formed at the beginning

of the second phase;

3. An Endline survey of both carry-over and youth groups combined at the end of phase 2 (data

collected between August and October 2015).

4. Endline focus group discussions with select Endline survey members, at the end pf phase 2 (data

collected between October and November 2015)

Specifically, the study, which will be available in December 2015, aims to identify trends related to:

1. Demographic and Socio-Economic Household Conditions

2. Demographic and Socio-Economic Conditions of VSLA Members

3. Saving and Borrowing Money

METHODOLOGY

The evaluation will be conducted in two parts, during which the team will undertake:

1. A desk evaluation reviewing and drawing on Banking on Change Phase 2 quarterly and annual

reports, MIS data, and other key M&E documents as outlined in Annex A and Additional Documents

section below. Also, drawing on the evaluation and information available from Phase 1 for

countries who have continued on to Phase 2, in order to bridge the two phases and draw

conclusions from 6 years of partnership.

2. Additional stakeholder interviews and a field visit can be arranged on request and with approval

from both CARE International UK, Plan UK and Barclays.

3. The report should Include a good balance of facts, numbers, case studies, and policy examples

where relevant.

OUTPUTS, TASKS & TIMETABLE

The evaluation team should initially meet with Banking on Change Global Partnership Management Group

and other relevant members of staff for an evaluation briefing and discussion of the Terms of Reference

(TOR).

The evaluation will take place in two phases to ensure that the report’s main findings can be shared during

key communications moments, in particular World Savings Day on 31 October 2015. The evaluation should

start after Monday, 3 August 2015 with final submission of the report part 1 no later than Wednesday 9

September 2015. This information available for this report is outlined below.

The report will be updated in January 2016, to include the findings from the partnership’s Endline Survey

and the final impact data, see below for more detail, with submission of the full final report on Friday 26

January 2016.

An agreement with the full terms and conditions agreed by all 3 partners will be signed between the

consultant and CARE International UK upon recruitment.

The successful consultant or team of consultants are expected to submit:

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1. Proposed research methodology, work plan and schedule one week following recruitment.

2. Evaluation report based on the sustained impact framework of no more than 30 pages including an

Executive Summary of no more than 3 pages. The report should be written in a format that is easily

accessible to all stakeholders.

TIMELINE

Date Activity Who Involved

TENDER PROCESS

Interested independent consultants or firms are invited to send their Expression of Interest (EOI) inclusive

of the following:

1. Cover letter presenting the consultants and their capacity based on relevant past consultancy

assignments. Where a team is presented, please give a short resume of each member and describe

how the team will work together;

2. Up to date detailed CV(s) of team members;

3. Research proposal with schedule

4. Financial proposal inclusive of (a) expected number of consultant working days; (b) consultancy fee

rates all inclusive in USD; (c) any travel costs (if appropriate)

5. Name and contact details for at least two referees

Tenders should be submitted by email to jobs@careinternational.org by 9am on Thursday 23 July 2015 with

Ref CXX in the subject line.

Please note that all documents must be submitted in English and only short-listed candidates will be

contacted.

Thursday 23rd July 9am Proposal Submission deadline Consultants

Thursday 23rd July Shortlist proposals Final Evaluation (FE) working

group

Friday 24th July Announce decision FE working group

Friday 31st

July Consultant to submit initial workplan Consultant

Monday 3rd

August Meeting with consultant to discuss workplan

and desk review and agree any changes

Consultant + FE working group

w/c 17th

August Progress update call Consultant + FE working group

Tuesday 1st

September Draft report submitted Consultant + FE working group.

Wednesday 2nd

September Meeting to discuss report FE working group + Consultant

Wednesday 9th

September Submission of final draft evaluation report Consultant

w/c 5th

October Meeting to review and finalise the workplan

(includes dates when data will be available)

for finalisation of the report

FE working group + Consultant

w/c 2nd

November Progress review meeting FE working group + Consultant

w/c 7th

December Progress review meeting FE working group + Consultant

Friday 15th

January Draft final report submitted Consultant

Monday 18th

January Meeting to review final report draft FE working group + Consultant

Friday 26th

January Final report submitted FE working group + Consultant

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COMPETENCIES & QUALIFICATION

The consultants shall be assessed in line with the following selection criteria:

• Demonstrated capacity of (a) the organisation/consortium and (b) the specific proposed individuals

to conduct similar evaluations:

• Experience in designing and conducting quantitative and qualitative research in the field of

international development;

• Experience in conducting programme evaluations including consultations with a wide range of

stakeholders including community groups and young people;

• Familiarity with assessing corporate partnerships performance; and

• Understanding of and experience in at least some of the countries of implementation.

• Demonstrated experience with saving led microfinance models and knowledge of financial linkages;

• Understanding of and experience in at least some of the countries of implementation and

demonstrated network of appropriate stakeholders to augment this capacity;

• Technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment and proposed assessment plan and

methodology;

• Cost effectiveness of the proposed budget to achieve the assessment objectives.

BUDGET

The Banking on Change partnership has an indicative budget of £30,000 including VAT for this evaluation.

The payment will be invoiced between CARE and Plan UK.

DOCUMENTATION

The following additional documents will be provided to the successful consultant team:

• Phase 1 Final Evaluation

• Phase 2 Full global Logframe

• Phase 2 Quarterly MIS Reports

• Phase 2 Year 1 Annual Report

• Phase 2 Year 2 Annual Report

• Phase 2 Carry-over baseline survey

• Phase 2 New youth groups baseline survey

• Phase 2 Institute of Development Studies youth savings group research findings report

• Endline survey and final MIS data (December 2015)

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Appendix 1: Sustained Impact Framework

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Appendix 2: M&E Framework – Long- and Medium-term impacts