Peace Corps / Guyana

CONTRACTOR STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) For PERFORMANCE EVALUATION UNDER THE USAID/PEACE CORPS SMALL PROJECT ASSISTANCE (SPA) PROGRAM

Peace Corps/Guyana seeks a contractor to conduct an evaluation of 22 Peace Corps Volunteer community-based projects completed under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Peace Corps Small Project Assistance (SPA) Program in Guyana. The evaluation will examine the extent to which the SPA Program in Guyana has met its goal of local capacity-building to address community needs in the Education, Health and Environment sectors.

Background Since 1983, the Peace Corps and USAID have partnered under the SPA program, which allows communities and Peace Corps Volunteers to implement small-scale grant projects, as well as attend capacity-building trainings. USAID funds the SPA Program under a Participating Agency Program Agreement (PAPA), which is in its fourth phase, called the SPA IV Agreement signed in September 2012. The program supports nearly 50 Peace Corps posts around the world.

In 2014, Peace Corps/Guyana and USAID/Barbados began partnering under this agreement. This will be the first evaluation in Guyana since the inception of the partnership. Under the current SPA IV agreement, Peace Corps/Guyana has implemented and completed 22 small grants and two trainings in the program areas of Basic Education and Workforce Development. (See Appendix C).

The purpose of the SPA Program is to build the capacity of host country individuals, organizations, and communities to meet their own development needs and priorities. Peace Corps places Volunteers in communities for two years, where they work with host country partners to identify concerns, develop strategies to address them, and design and implement small-scale projects. The SPA Program provides resources to Peace Corps to 1) train its Volunteers and host country partners on project design and management and 2) implement community-based projects that will result in capacity building.

Purpose The evaluation will provide perspective on the projects from the people with whom the Volunteers lived and worked. It will assess the sustainability of the projects, and any activities or actions that evolved from them. Peace Corps/Guyana and USAID/Barbados staff will utilize the results of this evaluation to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of the SPA program in Guyana. The evaluation will also be submitted to Peace Corps/Washington to share best practices amongst other Peace Corps Posts implementing the SPA Program.

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 1 Questions The evaluation will assess project performance by seeking answers, disaggregated by gender and age, to the following key questions:

Community Ownership of SPA Projects 1. What are the results of community-led efforts associated with SPA grant activities? To what extent are these results likely to be sustained over time? 2. How and to what extent have SPA grant activities contributed toward catalyzing communities to identify, access, and mobilize local resources to meet their needs? 3. What are the common features of SPA grant activities that did and did not result in sustained local capacity to pursue community-led development?

Lessons Learned and Good Practices 4. What motivates stakeholders to engage or not engage in these small scale grant projects? How can programs best be designed to build on those motivations and catalyze community-led development? 5. What opportunities do stakeholders see to continue making progress on community development priorities after SPA grant activities have ended, and what factors might prevent them from doing so? 6. Across SPA grant activities, what have been the common challenges to communities organizing for mutual benefit, and how can programs designed to catalyze community-led development help communities to address these challenges?

The key questions along with sub-questions are listed in Appendix D.

Methodology The contractor will evaluate 22 SPA projects completed by Peace Corps Volunteers and their community partners over fiscal years 2014-2018. The contractor will conduct secondary and primary research that includes a document review and in-person interviews with key stakeholders. A description of key stakeholders is outlined in Appendix B.

Documents available for review upon award include: a. Project frameworks for education, environment and health sectors b. Strategic plans, and other documents explaining Peace Corps’ approach to development c. Global SPA Agreement and amendments d. SPA mid-year and year-end reports e. SPA Handbook for Peace Corps staff and Volunteer Handbook/Guidance f. SPA supporting materials and resources g. SPA project application and completion reports, including points of contact for each project

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 2 Deliverables and Timeline In total, this evaluation will take place over a maximum of 12 weeks and will start within one month of the bid award. The expected deliverables include:

Deliverable Due by Weeks

Document review and initial consultations with Peace Corps/Guyana 1

Final evaluation design 2

Draft data collection tools for review with and approval by Peace 2 Corps/Guyana

Pilot testing of data collection tools on one SPA grant project in Mahaica, 3 Region 4

Final data collection tools for review with and approval by Peace 3 Corps/Guyana

Completed interviews with Peace Corps/Guyana staff 3-4

Completed field visits and interviews for 22 SPA projects (Appendix C). At each site, researchers will conduct 4-6 individual interviews of 20-30 4-7 minutes each.

In-person briefing of field work to Peace Corps/Guyana 8

Data analysis 8-9

Draft evaluation report, three case studies and info graphic 9-10

Final evaluation report, three case studies and info graphic (electronic copies)

 The final report will be reviewed against the criteria identified in Appendix F  The case studies should be two pages of representative projects, including 11 beneficiary and project photographs, and excerpts from interviews. See Appendix E for Case Study Guidance.  The info graphic should be one page (front and back)

Final in-person briefing to Peace Corps/Guyana 11

Evaluation data in an electronic file in an easy to read format that is organized and fully documented for use by those not familiar with the project or 11 evaluation

In-person PowerPoint presentation at Peace Corps/Guyana 12

Final PowerPoint presentation 12

Bi-weekly progress check-ins with Small Grants Coordinator 2,4,6,8,10

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 3 Qualifications of the Contractor The Contractor for the SPA Program Evaluation must have experience serving as a prime contractor, with capability of reasonably meeting all requirements.

Required Experience And Qualifications 1. Bachelors’ Degree in sociology, anthropology, psychology, community or rural development, or other related social science fields. 2. 3 years of experience implementing social science research projects in Guyana. 3. 3 years of experience conducting field interviews and using survey instruments in evaluative studies. 4. 3 years of experience conducting and writing qualitative and quantitative research/evaluation and reports. 5. 1 year of experience selecting, training and managing field staff.

Preferred Experience And Qualifications 1. Masters’ Degree in sociology, anthropology, psychology, community or rural development, or other related social science fields. 2. 4 or more years of experience implementing social science research projects in Guyana. 3. 4 or more years of experience conducting field interviews and using survey instruments in evaluative studies. 4. 4 or more years of experience conducting and writing qualitative and quantitative research/evaluation and reports. 5. 2 or more years of experience selecting, training and managing field staff.

Conditions of the Contract 1. The Contractor assumes costs for all travel, per diem, and accommodations that shall be included in the fixed-price contract. 2. The contractor shall work in his/her own workspace and with his/her own telecommunications and IT equipment, including adequate laptop computers for entering data into a data entry system during the field research. 3. The contractor will protect from unauthorized disclosure and use, and shall not use, release to others, reproduce, distribute or publish: a. Any Peace Corps data, not in the public domain, to which the contractor has access under this contract; b. Any data first produced or specifically used by the contractor in the performance of this contract or delivered under this contract; and/or c. Any confidential information. 4. The contractor and evaluation team members will communicate with people involved in the evaluation in a respectful and culturally appropriate manner, at all times maintaining the good reputation of Peace Corps.

Upon Contract Agreement, the Peace Corps will provide the following: 1. One-half day of training on Peace Corps’ program in Guyana, Peace Corps’ approach to development, and the SPA program. 2. A complete list of fieldwork sites and an initial point of contact at each site.

Additionally, the contractor may hire a research team comprised of local interviewers who will conduct the in-person interviews as stated in the deliverables.

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 4 All team members will sign a statement attesting they have no conflict of interest, or describe any conflict of interest and how it will be mitigated.

Proposal Submission Requirements Peace Corps/Guyana invites interested contractors (individuals or firms) to submit competitive proposals.

Proposals from qualified contractors must include: 1. Contractor qualifications and prior experience to meet requirements as described under Qualifications of the Contractor on page 4 with relevant qualifications of proposed evaluation team, if any. 2. A technical work plan outlining key activities and timelines as described under Deliverables and Timelines on page 3. 3. Firm fixed-price bid containing detailed breakdown of fees, travel expenses of contractor and evaluation team, if any. The bid must mirror the activities of the technical work plan. Prices must be quoted in United States Dollars (215 GYD = 1 USD). Total Proposal costs should not exceed $24,500 USDE paid in Guyanese dollars at 215 GYD = 1 USD. 4. Payment Schedule The Proposal should include the following payment schedule: 50% Within 30 days after award of the bid. 50% 30 days after presentation of the final project report to Peace Corps/Guyana and receipt of all deliverables. 5. Three (3) references of clients for which similar services have been performed.

Note: Contractor will be paid in Guyanese dollars and must provide in-country banking information

Proposals must be submitted via email with “SPA Project Evaluation” in the subject line to [email protected] by Friday, November 23, 2018 at 4:30PM. No phone calls please. Proposals submitted after the deadline may be reviewed at the discretion of the Contracting Officer.

This solicitation in no way obligates Peace Corps/Guyana to award a contract, nor does it commit Peace Corps/Guyana to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the proposal.

Evaluation Factors for Award Peace Corps/Guyana anticipates awarding a firm, fixed-price contract resulting from this SOW to the responsible organization or bidder whose offer conforms to the solicitation and will be most advantageous to Peace Corps/Guyana, price and other factors considered. See Appendix A for full explanation of evaluation factors.

It is expected that the contract will be negotiated and finalized by December 7, 2018 so that work can commence within one month.

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 5 Appendix A: Contractor’s Proposal Evaluation Factors

General Information Peace Corps/Guyana intends to evaluate proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria of this SOW and award to the responsible contractor whose quotation represents the best value to Peace Corps/Guyana. "Best value" is defined as the offer that results in the most advantageous solution for Peace Corps/Guyana, in consideration of technical, price, and other factors.

Technical Approach The contractor’s technical approach will be evaluated on the basis of the extent to which the technical approach and draft work plan demonstrates an understanding of the SOW. The technical approach and work plan must demonstrate the contractor's understanding of the SPA Program and set forth the contractor’s conceptual approach for completing the contract deliverables. The technical approach must clearly describe the contractor's proposed methodology including data collection methods for conducting the evaluation, the rationale for that methodology, anticipated challenges of conducting the evaluation, and how the contractor will overcome them. The technical approach must be realistic and include the timeframe for implementing each step called for in the SOW. The work plan must set forth meaningful milestones, and seek to maximize results within budget resources that ensure a prompt and effective launch of contract activities. In addition to addressing the requirements of the SOW, the contractor is encouraged to identify any important considerations it anticipates which are not included herein. The contractor will be assessed on the feasibility that deliverables will be completed in a timely manner.

Management and Staffing Evaluation of the management approach and key personnel will be focused on the contractor’s ability to implement the SOW with the proposed key personnel.

The management structure for the evaluation must be explicitly stated. The contractor shall identify all persons who will be considered Key Personnel along with each person’s roles, responsibilities, and percent Full Time Equivalent. If the proposal includes a partnership with a second organization, or subcontracted responsibilities, the management plan must identify the formal relationships, roles, and responsibilities of each partner organization, or sub-contracted entity.

Qualifications of key personnel shall include relevant experience and specific sector expertise, including but not limited to: conducting evaluations; designing, managing, implementing, and/or evaluating international development and local capacity development programming; and country expertise. The Team Leader must have demonstrated experience leading a team and producing concise analytic documents in the international development field. Proposed personnel will be assessed on the appropriateness of their experience and qualifications given the role and responsibilities for which they are proposed, including their effectiveness and success in similar positions. Availability of these key personnel will also be taken into consideration.

Complete and current resumes for proposed key personnel and other proposed staff (3 pages maximum per position) is to be included in an annex that does not count against the 20 page technical and financial proposal limit. For each proposed individual, the resume should clearly explain why the individual is suited for the proposed position. Each resume must include three (3) recent (within the past 3 years) references including current telephone numbers and email addresses for the contacts. Letters of commitment are required for all key personnel and should be included in the annex,

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 6 indicating his/her availability to serve in the stated position, in terms of days after award; and intention to serve for a stated term of the service.

Past Performance Evaluation of past performance will focus on the extent to which the contractor has effectively organized, managed, administered, recruited consultants for, and provided financial oversight of similar and relevant activities as described in this SOW. Past performance sub-factors include quality, cost control, timeliness, lessons learned and business relations. The contractor shall identify three past contracts (within the last three years) or current contracts for efforts similar to the requirement and include relevant contact information. “Similar” in this context means in relation to size, scope, and complexity, as well as to a specific subject matter.

At minimum, the list must include for each referenced contract: (i) the name of the organization, (ii) the project name, (iii) a brief project description, (iv) the period of performance, (v) the contract amount, and (vi) the name, e-mail address, and telephone number of at least two contacts at the organization for which the services was performed. If the contractor encountered problems on any of the referenced task orders or contracts, they may provide a short explanation and the corrective action taken. Contractors/subcontractors shall not provide general information on their performance.

Peace Corps may also check other sources of information about the contractor including, but not limited to: other government agencies, better business bureaus, published media, and electronic databases.

Price An assessment will be made of the contractor’s' capability to accomplish the contract objectives within the budget parameters provided. Offers that exceed the $24,500 budget limit will be considered nonresponsive and will not be considered for award.

Price proposal will be evaluated separately and overall price are considered less important than the strengths of the technical proposal and qualification of key personnel. However, where proposals are considered essentially equally, price may be the determining factor in selecting a contractor for award.

The overall standard for judging price will be whether the price quote presents the best value to Peace Corps/Guyana in relationship to the estimated price.

Best Value and Source Selection Peace Corps Guyana may, without discussions or negotiations, award a contract resulting from this RFQ to the responsive, responsible contractor whose quote conforms to the SOW and offers the best value. Therefore, quotes should contain the contractor’s best terms. The Peace Corps may reject any or all proposals, accept other than the lowest price quote, and waive informalities and minor irregularities in quotes received. The technical and price quote will be evaluated in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth above. In accordance with FAR 52.215-1(f), Peace Corps Guyana intends to award a contract or contracts resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Contractor whose quote represent the best value after evaluation in accordance with the factors as set forth in this solicitation.

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 7 Appendix B: Key Stakeholders

Host Country Individuals to be Interviewed Host Country Individuals Definition SPA Project Stakeholders Local leaders who sponsor, support, or otherwise have a stake in the project; e.g., community leaders, Toshoas, Head Teachers, etc.

SPA Project Partners / Individuals who worked with the PCV to design and/or implement Counterparts the SPA project, e.g., PCV counterpart such as teacher, youth leader, community leader, etc.

Beneficiaries Individuals who received direct and indirect assistance and benefits from the project, e.g., community members, students, teachers, parents, etc.

Note – For each site there should be 4-6 interviews conducted with a mix of stakeholders from the list above.

Peace Corps Staff to be Interviewed Individuals Definition Small Grants Coordinator(s) Peace Corps/Guyana staff member.

Small Grants Committee Staff members who served on the Small Grants Committee Members Note – Small Grants Coordinators should be interviewed individually and the Small Grants Committee members should be interviewed in at least one (1) group interview.

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 8 Appendix C: SPA Grant Project Locations 2014-2018

Village Region 1 Waramuri 1 2 Kabakaburi 2 3 Suddie 2 4 Blankenburg 3 5 Laluni 4 6 St. Cuthbert's Mission 4 7 Mahaica 4 8 Georgetown 4 9 Kuru Kururu 4 10 Kuru Kururu 4 11 Kuru Kururu 4 12 Bush Lot 5 13 Rosignol 5 14 New Amsterdam 6 15 New Amsterdam 6 16 Auchlyne 6 17 Corriverton 6 18 Nappi 9 19 Shea 9 20 Linden 10 21 Malali 10 22 Muritaro 10

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 9 Appendix D: Research Questions and Sub-Questions

Key questions to be addressed: Structured interviews, and focus group/community discussion topics will include a range of questions to answer the research questions (RQ):

Community Ownership of SPA Projects

RQ1. What are the results of community-led efforts associated with SPA grant activities? To what extent are these results likely to be sustained over time?

 What is the current status of projects? Are there still aspects of the project that are identifiable in the communities?  What role did the PCV, as an external actor, have in the implementation of the project? What steps did they take to develop collective action in the community?

RQ2. How and to what extent have SPA grant activities contributed toward catalyzing communities to identify, access, and mobilize local resources to meet their needs?

 What locally-led development activities have taken place since the SPA activity? How were they funded? Who was the driving force (i.e. community members, local organization, outside organization)?  Have there been any new community groups or resources identified since the SPA activity that have aided in further development?

RQ3. What are the common features of SPA grant activities that did and did not result in sustained local capacity to pursue community-led development?

 How and to what extent did the SPA planning and implementation process empower communities to take on a leadership role and exercise decision-making authority in identifying and pursuing their own development priorities during the SPA grant activity?  When and how did this experience of leadership and decision-making power in the context of the SPA grant activity contribute to enhanced local capacity for, or increased frequency of, community-led action after the activity ended?  Did any other specific features of grant activities—such as grant amount, percentage of community contribution, duration of activity, significant behavior change/education components, level of intentional capacity building, number of direct project participants, or gender/age of direct project participants—contribute to making project outcomes more or less sustainable?  To what extent did the implementation of the SPA activity fulfill the intent of the qualifications of the small grant framework as laid out by the PC Small Grants Program Volunteer Handbook? Was conforming to, or deviating from, specific elements of those qualifications important to realizing (or not realizing) their intent?  To what extent did the SPA grant activities align with Peace Corps/Guyana’s project frameworks in Education, Health and Environment? Was conforming to, or deviating from the frameworks important to realizing (or not realizing) their intent?

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 10 Lessons Learned and Good Practices

RQ4. What motivates stakeholders to engage, or not to engage, in community-led development efforts, and how can programs designed to catalyze community-led development best approach those motivations?

 How was the SPA project identified and prioritized: by the PCV, community members, local organization?  How was buy-in developed in the community for the project?  Is there evidence to suggest a relationship between communities receiving any Small Grants Program trainings or guidance in addition to the SPA project, and better outcomes from the SPA project?

 To what extent are local processes of engagement and linkages with CSOs, government agencies, and other institutions led by the community? Why or why not?

RQ5. What opportunities do stakeholders see to continue making progress on community development priorities after SPA grant activities have ended, and what factors might prevent them from doing so?

 Do community members cite any differences in their community as a result of the SPA activity that allowed them to better identify and make progress on their development priorities?  Do women identify as many opportunities for community development as their male counterparts? Are there any differences in the perceived opportunities based on age?

RQ6. Across SPA grant activities, what have been the common challenges to communities organizing for mutual benefit, and how can programs designed to catalyze community-led development help communities to address these challenges?

 What are the most common challenges that communities encounter while planning and implementing a SPA grant activity, and how were these addressed? What factors influenced whether these challenges were successfully overcome (or not)?

 What engagement strategies—in areas including but not limited to establishing and cultivating relationships, fostering linkages among local actors and resources, program management, sustainable skills transfer, and mobilization of local resources—have been successful and unsuccessful across SPA activities?  What lessons can be drawn from these experiences about how programs can most effectively catalyze and empower communities to lead their own development?

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 11 Appendix E: Case Study Guidance

Evaluative case studies can be used as a valuable method or complement to other methods for evaluating USAID development projects and activities. The Technical Note (link below) provides practical information to assist evaluation managers and development practitioners to manage evaluations employing case studies, including guidelines for identifying when a case study has been conducted well and used effectively.

According to the widely-used U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) definition:

“Case study as an evaluation method is a means of learning about a complex instance, based on a comprehensive understanding of that instance obtained through extensive description and analysis of that instance taken as a whole and in its context”.

This definition involves three key elements of interest for USAID evaluations. First, evaluative case studies involve in-depth description and analysis of a particular instance or aspect of a program, project, or other development activity. It is this focus on the particular that separates case studies from other methods, which usually try to understand what happened with many, if not all, of the people or sites involved. Second, the aim of case studies is an in-depth understanding of the particular case or cases being studied. In other words, a case study is not a quick site visit and brief report of impressions, but requires enough time on the ground, observing, talking to people, and collecting other data to gain a detailed picture of the project being evaluated. Third, this understanding must take account of the case as a whole and its surrounding context, not just specific, selected pieces of the case. The objective is to understand at a deep level what is happening in a particular place and why.

The following Case Study Quality Checklist will be used to evaluate the case studies:

Questions Yes or No? Is the rationale clearly presented for use of the evaluation case study method? Is it clear which type of case study has been conducted? Is the unit of analysis clear? Is the justification clear for the number of case studies conducted? Is the rationale provided for the selection of the specific case(s) or site(s)? Is the context in which the intervention is embedded described? Are data collection methods within the case study clearly described? If a multisite case study is undertaken, is there clear explanation of the within site analyses and cross-site analysis? If an explanatory case study is undertaken, are alternative rival explanations for findings identified and examined?

See this website for more required information: https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/case_study_tech_note_final_2013_111 5.p

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 12 Appendix F: Final Report Criteria and Format

Criteria  The evaluation report should represent a thoughtful, well-researched and well organized effort to objectively evaluate what worked in the project, what did not and why.  Evaluation reports shall address all evaluation questions included in the scope of work.  The evaluation report should include the scope of work as an annex. All modifications to the scope of work, whether in technical requirements, evaluation questions, evaluation team composition, methodology or timeline need to be agreed upon in writing by the technical officer.  Evaluation methodology shall be explained in detail and all tools used in conducting the evaluation such as questionnaires, checklists and discussion guides will be included in an Annex in the final report.  Evaluation findings will assess outcomes and impact on males and females.  Limitations to the evaluation shall be disclosed in the report, with particular attention to the limitations associated with the evaluation methodology (selection bias, recall bias, unobservable differences between comparator groups, etc.).  Evaluation findings should be presented as analyzed facts, evidence and data and not based on anecdotes, hearsay or the compilation of people’s opinions. Findings should be specific, concise and supported by strong quantitative or qualitative evidence.  Sources of information need to be properly identified and listed in an annex.  Recommendations need to be supported by a specific set of findings.  Recommendations should be action-oriented, practical and specific, with defined responsibility for the action. See this website for more required information: http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1870/How-to-Note_Preparing-Evaluation- Reports.pdf

Format Cover Page  Should include USAID Branding and Graphics Standards and be co-branded with Peace Corps as appropriate. See this website: https://www.usaid.gov/branding/gsm and/or http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnadb334  Include a title block with the word “Evaluation” at the top and the report title underneath. The title should also include the word “evaluation.”  Include the following statement across the bottom: “This publication was produced at the request of the Peace Corps Guyana and through the support of the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared independently by [list authors and/or organizations involved in the preparation of the report].”  Feature one high-quality photograph representative of the project being evaluated. The photo should be high resolution, visually simple, colorful, and in focus. Include a brief caption on the inside front cover explaining the “who, what, when, where, and why” of the photo and with photographer credit.

Executive Summary The Executive Summary, between three to four pages in length, should stand alone as an abbreviated version of the report. All content of the full report should be summarized, and the Executive Summary should contain no new information.

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 13

Evaluation Purpose and Questions The evaluation purpose should be clearly defined at the beginning of the report. It should describe in about one page or less why the evaluation is being conducted now, how the findings are expected to be used, what specific decisions will be informed by the evaluation, and who the main audiences are for the evaluation report. The evaluation questions are linked to the purpose, and should be listed here. Good practice is to limit the questions to three to five that are clear, focused, and that will directly inform specific decisions.

Project Background This section should summarize the project being evaluated in one to three pages, including the original problem the project is designed to address, any changes that have occurred since the project was started, a description of the beneficiary population, geographic area of the project, and the underlying development hypothesis, or causal logic, of the project or the broader program of which the project is a part. If a results framework (for strategies, objectives or programs) or logical framework (for projects) is available, this should be included here. For projects designed under the project design guidance released in 2011, the evaluation team should have access to the final Project Appraisal Document and related annexes (which includes a logical framework and original monitoring and evaluation plans, among other things). This information provides important context for understanding the evaluation purpose, questions, methods, findings and conclusions.

Methods and Limitations This section should provide a detailed description within one to three pages of the evaluation methods and why they were chosen. If more space is needed, additional detailed information on the methods should be provided in an annex. The reader needs to understand what the evaluation team did and why to make an informed judgment about the credibility of the findings and conclusions and the underlying evaluation design including the data collection and analysis methods. Evaluation methods should correspond directly to the questions being asked and should generate the highest quality and most credible evidence possible, taking into consideration time, budget and other practical considerations.

This section should provide information on all aspects of the evaluation design and methods, including tradeoffs that led to selection of specific data collection and analysis methods, a description of data availability and quality, and sampling strategies (purposive, random, etc.), including how interview subjects or site visits were selected. Just as important as describing the evaluation methods is describing any limitations in data collection and analysis, data quality, access to data sources, or any other factors that may result in bias. To show the relationship between the evaluation questions and methods, it is useful to include a chart that lists each evaluation question, the corresponding evaluation method to be used for data collection and analysis, data sources, sample sizes, and limitations.

Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations Findings, conclusions, and (if requested in the evaluation statement of work) recommendations, make up the main body of the report, synthesizing what was learned during the evaluation and presenting it in an easy to understand and logical fashion. Findings are empirical facts based on data collected during the evaluation and should not rely only on opinion, even of experts. Conclusions synthesize and interpret findings and make judgments supported by one or more specific findings. Recommendations, if applicable, are specific actions the evaluation team proposes be taken by program management that are based on findings and conclusions. The reader should be able to discern what evidence supports

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 14 the conclusions and recommendations. Whenever possible, data should be presented visually in easy to read charts, tables, graphs, and maps to demonstrate the evidence that supports conclusions and recommendations. All graphics must have a title, be clearly labeled, and include a caption.

Annexes All evaluation reports must include the following as annexes: 1) the Evaluation Statement of Work, 2) detailed description of the evaluation design and methods, 3) copies of the actual data collection tools such as survey or interview questions, 4) a list of information sources (including documents reviewed, sites visited, and key informants, assuming they gave permission to be identified), and 5) disclosure of any conflict of interest by including a signed statement by evaluation team members that attests to a lack of conflict of interest or describes an existing conflict of interest relative to the project being evaluated. Additional annexes can be included at the discretion of the evaluation team and USAID, and in some cases implementing partners, including, if applicable, any Statements of Differences with the evaluation conclusions.

SPA Project Performance Evaluation Study – Local Contractor SOW 15