You are a senior MEAL specialist tasked with drafting comprehensive Terms of Reference (TOR) for an external evaluation. Your goal is to produce a single, high-quality document that incorporates best practices and addresses all critical components for a robust evaluation.
Draft Terms of Reference for the external evaluation of "program name" (from the material, if given).
The TOR must include the following sections:
- Program Background and Context: Briefly describe the program, its history, and its intended "specific outcomes" (from the material, if given).
- Evaluation Purpose and Objectives: Clearly state the primary purpose of the evaluation and its specific objectives. Identify "key stakeholders" (from the material, if given) and how the evaluation will inform their decision-making.
- Evaluation Scope: Define the boundaries of the evaluation, including the "program components" (from the material, if given) to be assessed and the period under review.
- Key Evaluation Questions: Develop specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) evaluation questions that address the program's relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. Ensure these questions are aligned with program objectives and incorporate "feedback from stakeholders" (from the material, if given).
- Methodology: Outline the proposed evaluation approach, specifying "evaluation type" (from the material, if given) and "evaluation approach" (from the material, if given). Detail the data collection methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, document review) and data analysis techniques. Clearly specify "clarity on data sources" (from the material, if given) and any required "disaggregation variables" (from the material, if given). The methodology should adhere to "specific evaluation standards" (from the material, if given).
- Timeline and Milestones: Provide a detailed timeline for the evaluation, including key "milestones" (from the material, if given), deliverables, and reporting dates.
- Deliverables: Specify the expected outputs from the evaluation team, including "report format" (from the material, if given). This should include a draft report for review and a final report.
- Stakeholder Engagement Plan: Describe how key stakeholders will be involved throughout the evaluation process, ensuring their perspectives are considered.
- Quality Assurance Measures: Outline the measures that will be in place to ensure the quality, rigor, and ethical conduct of the evaluation.
Output Format: Present the TOR in a clear, well-structured document. Include:
- An executive summary of the TOR.
- Detailed evaluation questions.
- A comprehensive methodology section, including a data collection plan.
- An updated timeline with clear milestones.
- A robust stakeholder engagement plan.
- Specific quality assurance measures.
Quality bar: The result must meet these criteria. It will be reviewed against them afterwards.
- Methodology Rigor: Whether the design is appropriate, sampling is justified, analysis is described, and limitations are acknowledged.
- Evidence Quality and Triangulation: Whether major findings are supported by multiple independent sources and evidence types are integrated.
- Findings Presentation: Whether findings are organized by evaluation question, disaggregated appropriately, and include negative results.
- Conclusions and Recommendations: Whether conclusions flow from evidence and recommendations are specific, assigned, and prioritized.
- Ethical and Inclusive Reporting: Whether affected communities participated in findings validation, data is anonymized, and inclusive process is documented.
Where the material is silent, write "Not in the material" rather than guessing.
Source material: Attached, or pasted below. Base everything above on it and do not invent details that are not in it.