What do we need and what will we get?
When starting any working relationship there needs to be an agreement between the parties that seek to get the work done. The questions of ‘what do we need’ and ‘what will we get’ must be answered in the terms of reference which also forms the foundation for the scope of the contract.
The Terms of Reference (TOR) is the document that is developed to outline the background and arrangements for the project. This document details the expectations of those commissioning the work inclusive of information concerning the type of evaluation expected, the evaluation questions, the rationale for the commission, the timeline, responsibilities, professional requirements of the specialist, deliverables to be submitted, and monetary considerations among other information.
Whether you are the one responding to a TOR or you are the one overseeing its execution, the process can be nerve-wracking if the request is not clear. Here are some tips for developing a TOR for an M&E assignment:
Express clearly and in detail the objectives of the project, your expectations and the stakeholders involved as unambiguously and succinctly as possible. Despite your best efforts though, know that there may still be a need to provide further clarifications. It is therefore a good practice to always make space for applicants to communicate with you to seek further clarifications.
Seek help from those in the field of Monitoring & Evaluation wherever possible. Sometimes the individuals developing the TOR have little to no experience in M&E and thus may not fully appreciate the idiosyncrasies of the M&E process or may confuse some of the terms. Having someone who both understands your context and M&E can be invaluable in ensuring that what you ask for is aligned with what you want and also with evaluation best practices. Alternatively, you could seek guidance from a professional evaluation association to ensure that the TOR is not too vague, or worst, contradictory. However, keep in mind: When seeking help, be aware that the individual that you consult with when developing the TOR cannot be an applicant to undertake the project because that would constitute a conflict of interest.
Be flexible in your how. When developing your TOR, although you need to be thorough when explaining the “what and why” of the project, you do not need to be overly prescriptive on the "how” of the project. Even if you have a clear sense of how you envision the assignment unfolding, you still want to leave room for applicants to exercise creative freedom and technical judgement based on their experience to bring forth ideas to execute the task.
Find examples. If you have never written a TOR, especially one for an M&E project, it would be helpful to search for TOR templates or already existing M&E TOR documents. Again though, it would be good to get feedback from someone in the field as all TORs are not created equally, and it is still hard to judge a TOR without knowing the full context if what they wanted matched the TOR. There is also no one way to write a TOR - some things may be necessary for one but not the other, therefore by finding examples you are able to come up with a general idea and format to compose yours based on what you need.
The substance of your TOR can make or break the relationship and be the deciding factor if what you get in the end is really what you wanted. Therefore, never forget that in any meaningful professional relationship, there should always be an element of discussion and negotiation which can be done during and/ or after the proposal development.
No TOR is exactly the same, but developing your comfort with them comes through experience. Over a period of time, you will be able to identify patterns and expectations which will help you grow your TOR writing skills.
Now that you have developed your TOR and are clear on what you want, contact EvaluCore today for a proposal that is fully responsive to your unique evaluation needs.