http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/about/vacancies/ref-seeks-consultants-external-project-evaluation

REF seeks Consultants for external project evaluation

The Roma Education Fund is seeking applicants for the position of an external evaluator for its project, titled Roma Secondary Scholarship Program in Slovakia

Required skills, experience and competencies

• Previous experience in conducting external evaluations and education researches
• Substantial knowledge and experience in Education system in Slovakia
• Knowledge of scholarship programming standards and principles in Slovakia
• Understanding of Roma education issues and practical work experience in the EU decade countries
• Excellent oral and written skills in English and Slovak
• Excellent communication skills
• Participatory and interactive approach
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of the assignment is to perform an external evaluation to assess the process of implementation of the scholarship program, as well the program achievements and efficiency in the course of the program. The external evaluation has to look for improvements of the implementation including complementary activities that might be incorporated within this program contributing to increased Roma students’ educational achievements.

Specific duties include

• Methodology

The applicant shall propose work plan and appropriate methodology and instruments to answer the assigned requirements and commitment to the best of their ability.

The REF and OSF expect the applicant to apply participative planning methodology involving all stakeholders and decision makers as fully appropriate.

The applicant will be provided with reading materials, documents and all necessary background information by OSF and REF evidence of data.
 

• Tasks and Responsibilities

The evaluator shall review the operations from Scholarship Program from the following perspectives:

- To examine the evidence of data that would be provided by OSF, REF and other institutions if needed;
- Process evaluations assessing completed project activities, including the efficiency of implementation; assessment of the project management; Number of indicators for measuring efficiency might be proposed if the evaluation shows the necessity of it.
- Identify particularly strong aspects of the project, including those that might be considered best practice, and aspects of the project that might have been executed more effectively;
- To assess the education progress achievement and the differences based on the intervention support provided to first grade students (supported with mentorship and tutorship support) and second, third and fourth grade students supported with scholarship, mentorship and tutorship.
- Evaluate the relationship activities, outputs and outcomes after one year of the project implementation and compare with the baseline;
- To apprise how does the REF scholarship support differ from the social scholarship support provided by the state. Does REF financial support makes a difference for the students and if yes what difference makes;
- Meet with a sample of project beneficiaries in order to assess the satisfaction with the approaches, activities (i.e. whether the funds reached the intended recipients; relationships with mentors and tutors; their communication with the program management; any suggestions for improving the activities). How/what is the influence of the project on the motivation for education of the granted students?
- The cooperation between mentors and parents, if any?
- Database, baseline data and record keeping, access to information on the project and the decisions, publicity of the Project.
- Achieved transition/retention rate (%) of the students supported with stipends on a project yearly base vs. projected transition/retention rate at the beginning of the project;
- Average GPA and regular attendance (excused and unexcused attendance) in regard of the type of the school (gymnasium, vocational four year, vocational three year, males, females);
- How does the academic progress (transition/retention rate, attendance and GPA) of project beneficiaries compare with other comparison groups (based on the evidence gathered from the schools or from other sources)? It might be national average or school based records.
- For the graduate students from the last school year (did they continue their education in the tertiary education system or not (if yes, university, what kind of study selected, number of acquired enrolment credits;
- Are there any specific strategic issues that should be addressed looking at the future?

The evaluation should also answer the following questions:

- How/what is the influence of the project on the motivation for education of the granted students?
- What and how much influences the project students’ motivation and self-confidence?
- What and how much the project has contributed and/or influences students’ education achievements?
- The cooperation between mentors and students?
- The cooperation between mentors and teachers?
- The cooperation between mentors and parents?
- What was the role/support by the parents for the project in general?
- What was the role/support by the Pedagogical Faculty of University Prešov?

Activities implied by the work of the applicant:
• Reading and analysis of program documents
• Elaborating the questionnaires and interview guidelines
• Data gathering through individual interviews, questionnaire survey (face to face interviews) and focus group interviews
• Elaborating database and transcripts of the interviews
• Analysis of data gathered and report writing
Please, read the full Terms of Reference here : TOR EXTERNAL EVALUATOR

Please, send your proposed work plan, an appropriate methodology concept answering the assigned requirements, a motivation letter (up to 1 page), your CV and/or company profile as well as your financial offer to Mr. Semsi Sainov, Senior Program Officer at: sainov@romaeducationfund.org and to Mr. Marius Taba Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at mtaba@romaeducationfund.org, no later than 15 August, 2012.

The full application package should be submitted in English. Please mention the name of the position (Consultant external evaluation Roma Secondary Scholarship Program – Slovakia) in the subject line.