Democratic Republic of the Congo: Evaluation of Child Labor in Mining Project in the DRC

Pact Overview:
At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. Pact enables systemic solutions that allow people to earn a dignified living, be healthy, and take part in the benefits that nature provides. Pact accomplishes this by strengthening local capacity, forging effective governance systems, and transforming markets into a force for development.

Program Overview:
Pact’s Mines to Markets (M2M) Signature Initiative assists resource-dependent communities to gain lasting benefits from the more sustainable use of the natural resources around them. Pact takes an integrated approach by linking mining to livelihoods, governance, health, environment, and the strengthening of local, regional, and national institutions. The M2M program is currently active in eight countries around the world, working with all scales of mining from industrial operations in major mining zones to individuals in remote sites.
Artisanal and small-scale mining, or “ASM,” typically uses manual labor, simple tools, and basic recovery and processing techniques. This work is a profoundly important livelihood for over 30 million men, women, and youth around the world who are the world’s “hidden suppliers.” However, ASM is often clandestine, illegal, and socially disruptive. Our areas of intervention span the full range of needs from: supporting government and regulatory capacity related to ASM; health and safety issues; improved techniques and access to markets; organization and resource rights; conflict management and mitigation; microfinance and debt-management; rights and security for women miners; reducing the Worst Forms of Child Labor in mining; literacy; and alternative livelihoods.
Pact has been established in the DRC since 2004 during which time we have covered a wide range of programmatic issues including health, HIV/AIDS, child abandonment, conflict resolution, livelihoods, and forest conservation. M2M has been at the heart of our work in the DRC and we have an extensive portfolio of engagement in the mining sector working with government, mining companies, ASM communities, mineral traders, and civil society.
ObjectivesEvaluation Purpose:
Pact is soliciting applications for an evaluation firm to conduct two studies (on phase 1 and phase 2 of the project) of the impact of this project related to child labor in mining. The successful organization will be responsible for assessing the impact of the project on key groups and external validation of data on project participants.

Pact will support the evaluation team in the field through introductions to ASM leaders and basic logistical support, including a visa invitation letter.

Evaluation questions:
The overarching questions and sub-questions to be addressed by these studies are:

• Impacts from project activities
  • What changes have happened as a result of project activities?
  • Has the project reduced target issues in the target areas?
  • Have the ASM communities reached by the project changed their attitudes and practices as a result of project messages and activities?
• Are targeted interventions for alternatives to mining effective and sustainable?
  • Did the project enable beneficiaries to leave mining and earn a comparable or better income?
  • Will this enable them to stay out of mining? How do wages compare to mining in the various sectors into which beneficiaries have transitioned?

• Optional comparison with non-beneficiaries: Applicants are welcome and encouraged to propose methodology that enables them to assess causality/attribution/contribution of the project to the questions above (within the budget ceiling).Study participants:

• ASM workers within the six target communities

• Participants in project-sponsored activities and programs

• Key informants, such as project staff, neighborhood watch committees, community and ASM leaders, school staff and teachers, and government officials.

Statement of Duties and ResponsibilitiesMethods:
Evaluators are expected to primarily use semi-structured and structured interviews, along with a review of the data that Pact has collected and project-related documents. These interviews should be the principal data collection method for the two studies solicited in this TOR. In addition, focus group discussions may be held with participants in the apprenticeship program to understand their experiences related to leaving mining and initiating an alternative career.

Key informant interviews should be conducted with project staff; local NGO staff (positive parenting trainers); government officials from the Division des Mines and Service d'Assistance et d'Encadrement de l'Exploitation Minière Artisanale et à Petite Echelle (SAEMAPE); and representatives from miners’ associations and trader cooperatives.

Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative methods for understanding the impact of the project on ASM communities and are not limited to the methods described in this TOR. In order to address the overarching question of what changes have happened as a result of the project, interviews, or other methods used must be able to credibly establish beneficiaries’ involvement in mine work before project interventions began. In addition, the second study must capture what reduction (if any) of child labor occurred over the course of the project compared to baseline data (baseline values are being established external to the current scope of work).

DeliverablesThe reports submitted by the evaluation team should reflect the rigorous methods used; capture information gleaned through effective infographics and data visualization; and be organized, easy to read, and clearly written. Reports are expected to be in English with the interview guides in English, as well as French or Swahili. The expected deliverables are as follows:

• Inception report with final interview guides and study protocol
• Draft report of the mid-term study (November 10, 2017)
• Final report of the mid-term study (November 22, 2017)
• Draft report of the end line study (May 10, 2018)
• Final report of the end line study and summary slides (May 22, 2018)

• Notes, transcripts, photos, and other materials collected during the studies**Requirements:**

• Individual cannot have been a Pact Employee (full time, part time, temporary) within the last years

• If engagement is longer than 45 days, individual must provide services during the period of performance and/or previous year to at least 2 non-Pact organizations

• If engagement is longer than 45 days and the individual is a US national individual must possess an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service.

• Individual cannot have been engaged by Pact as a consultant more than three times in the past 365 days**Minimum Qualifications**

• Previous DRC M&E experience

• Strong track record of rigorous M&E work

• Expertise in ASM and/or Child Labor issues

• Ability to develop and implement study in the DRC (available to start in September 2017)**Standard Documentation**:

• Curriculum Vitae

• Biodata Form

• Do you possess an Employer Identification Number?**Additional Documentation**:
  For the full ToR of this project, please email a request to .
  Full applications are due by 5:00 pm (DC) on September 4, 2017, and include:

• Proposed protocol for design of interview guides, data collection and analysis, and reporting. (No more than 10 pages)

• Overview of the applicant’s/firm’s experience doing similar studies, the role of each person proposed for the evaluation and their CV, and his/her research experience in the country and/or with ASM communities. (Not included in the 10-page limit for the protocol)

• Estimated budget (please request the template by emailing ) for both phases of the study, including inception meeting and preparation of data collection tools, personnel costs, transportation, translation, and other expenses. Budget is not to exceed $75K USD for the two studies.

• Timeline for project implementation

• Three referencesPact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.

Please follow the application instructions listed above.

Application Link:

http://pactworld.force.com/careers/VanaHCM__Job_Detail?Id=a33f100000197vV