Scalability Diagnostics, Evidence Synthesis and Learning Products for Selected SOS Children's Villages Projects

Applying the IES Scalability Pathway to assess project’s scale readiness, synthesise evidence and learning, develop recommendations and learning products.

1. Background

SOS Children’s Villages is a global federation working to ensure that children and young people who have lost, or are at risk of losing, parental care can grow with the relationships, support and opportunities they need to thrive. Member Associations (MAs) implement programmes in diverse contexts and require practical approaches to strengthen programme quality, use evidence, capture learning and increase the reach, depth and sustainability of impact.

The Innovation, Evidence & Scale (IES) Unit supports MAs and partners to move intentionally from priority challenges and promising solutions towards stronger evidence, continuous learning and appropriate scale. The IES Scalability Pathway provides a common framework with different routes to scale a project or programme, it sets out phases, innovation routes, evidence and learning roadmaps, quality gates and a toolkit for this progression.

Evidence and learning are integral to every phase of the Pathway. Evidence supports decisions on whether and how a project should be improved, adapted, replicated or positioned for wider influence. Learning helps make project experience accessible and useful to practitioners, leaders, partners and decision-makers.

This consultancy will support the practical application of the IES Scalability Pathway by helping selected MAs assess where their priority projects currently stand within the pathway, review and synthesise existing evidence and learning and make recommendations to strengthen evidence generation to support scalability. Through a structured diagnostic process, the consultancy will provide practical recommendations to inform project improvement and decision-making on pathways to scale. In addition, it will consolidate key evidence, learning and lessons from each project into accessible learning products that can support knowledge sharing, reflection and future programme development.

2. Objectives

2.1. General

Strengthen the capacity of selected Member Associations to determine where their priority projects stand within the IES Scalability Pathway, assess and synthesise existing evidence and learning and develop project-specific recommendations and learning products for each selected project.

2.2. Specific

• Review and assess available documentation for the 5 selected Member Associations’ focus projects (one project per country).
• Map each focus project's position within the IES Scalability Pathway and identify the evidence and learning currently available and critical gaps.
• Synthesise existing evidence and learning and develop project-specific recommendations on evidence generation priorities and pathways to scale.
• Develop at least 1 learning product for each focus project to capture and communicate key evidence, lessons learned and recommendations.

3. Scope and methodological approach

The consultancy will be supervised by the Innovation, Evidence & Scale (IES) Unit of SOS Children’s Villages International, which will provide strategic guidance, access to relevant framework documents and project information, consolidated feedback, and coordination with participating Member Associations (MAs).

The proposed approach should be guided by the following principles:

• Project maturity: projects at different stages will require different approaches, for example, early-stage projects may have limited evidence available and require a focus on identifying priority evidence needs, while more mature projects may require deeper synthesis of existing evidence and learning to inform scalability decisions.
• Locally owned processes: MA teams should be actively involved in the review and validation of diagnostics and the development of learning products.
• Language and format: the consultant should adapt the products to language needs, English is the principal working and reporting language, but French support is required or should be covered through the proposed team/translation arrangements.
• Context sensitivity: ensuring that analytical approaches, recommendations and learning products are relevant and applicable across diverse organisational, cultural and programme contexts.

This consultancy covers the 5 priority projects agreed under the Innovation, Evidence, Learning and Scale (IES) Scalability Pathway workstream:

• Cambodia: Advancing Care Reform - Starting: Strengthens the social service workforce, care-experienced youth participation and support for care leavers, while generating evidence to improve family-based care and inform national child protection policies.
• Bangladesh: Floating Gardens - In progress: Supports flood-prone families to develop climate-resilient livelihoods through floating agriculture, strengthening food security, household income, child wellbeing, positive parenting and community cooperation.
• Togo: Sexual Exploitation Prevention - Advanced: Prevents and responds to sexual exploitation of children and young people through community engagement, awareness, capacity-building and stronger local protection and safeguarding mechanisms.
• Ghana: PUNBO - Advanced: Strengthens smallholder farmers’ livelihoods, food security and resilience through agricultural support, financial literacy, market linkages, gender equality and child protection interventions.
• Burundi: Nkingira Nkure Neza - Advanced: Strengthens community-based systems to prevent violence, neglect and family separation while promoting children’s rights, inclusive education, family resilience and protection for vulnerable children, including children with disabilities.

4. Detailed schedule of deliverables

The consultancy is expected to run from October to December 2026.

5. Duration of the Consultancy

The consultancy is expected to run from early October to December 2026 and will be implemented fully virtually. The exact level of effort across the different phases and deliverables should be proposed by the consultant as part of the technical and financial proposal.

6. Consultant profile

The consultant, consultancy team or organisation should demonstrate the following qualifications and experience:

• At least 7 years of proven competency (record of previous experience) in evidence generation, evaluation, MEAL, organisational learning or adaptive programme management in international development or social impact.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative analytical skills, with demonstrated ability to synthesise and interpret evidence from multiple sources and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Experience in leading reviews, assessments and diagnostics across multiple projects, countries and partners, adapting methodologies to different operational contexts and levels of programme maturity. A good understanding of child rights and issues affecting vulnerable children and their families.
• Familiarity with scalability or innovation-to-scale frameworks is an advantage.
• Excellent written and spoken English, French is an asset.

7. Fees

The maximum available budget for the consultancy is EUR 25,000, including professional fees, applicable taxes and any other costs required for the virtual implementation of the assignment.

8. Submission and evaluation of proposals

Interested applicants are requested to submit:

• an interest letter, describing the previous services and products relevant to this Terms of Reference
• curriculum vitae of the consultant or key members of the proposed consultancy team and its services catalogue, in case of consultancy organisations, with contact information of previous clients relevant to this Terms of Reference
• a technical proposal, outlining the proposed approach and methodology and realistic work plan with timelines in accordance with this Terms of Reference
• a financial proposal, including the number of staff involved, the number of days and daily rate, the total lump-sum amount and applicable taxes.