Independent External Midterm Evaluation

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TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)
Independent External Midterm Evaluation

1. Background and Project Overview
Union Aid is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization established in 1979, with experience
implementing more than 80 humanitarian and development projects across Afghanistan in health, nutrition,
WASH, education, food security, and emergency assistance. In partnership with Malteser International,
Union Aid is implementing a project from 1 December 2025 to 31 December 2027 to improve access to
essential healthcare, prevent and treat acute malnutrition, and address water, sanitation, and hygiene
needs.

The project supports six Basic Health Centers (BHCs) in Balkh Province: Baba Yadgar, Joghdak, Gozar
Panjsher, Karte Khorasan, Karte Nawshad, and Yolmarab. It targets internally displaced persons (IDPs),
returnees, and vulnerable host communities, with particular attention to women, girls, children, older people,
and persons with disabilities.

The project comprises three main outputs:

Output 1: Improved Access to Essential Health Services
Delivery of primary healthcare through six Basic Health Centers, including maternal and child health,
MHPSS, NCD management, community outreach, referrals, health worker capacity building, and essential
medicines and supplies.

Output 2: Improved Access to Quality Nutrition Services
Screening and treatment of acute malnutrition among children under five, nutrition services for pregnant and
lactating women, infant and young child feeding counselling, specialized nutritious foods, and health worker
capacity building.

Output 3: Improved Access to Emergency WASH Services
Provision of safe drinking water through well chlorination, hygiene promotion, WASH supplies, and
maintenance of sanitation facilities.

Project Title
Accessible and Integrated Health, Nutrition, WASH Life-Saving
Services for Vulnerable IDPs, Returnees, Especially Women
and Girls, and Afghan Host Communities inside Afghanistan
Project Reference S09-51-AFG/AFG/MaltInt/2026/01
Donor German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO)

Applicant / Implementing Partner Malteser International (MI) / Union Aid
Project Duration 1 December 2025 – 31 December 2027
Evaluation Period 1 December 2025 – December 2026
Geographical Coverage Balkh Province, Afghanistan
Contracting Organization Union Aid, in coordination with Malteser International

2. Purpose and Objectives
The evaluation will independently assess project progress, performance, and emerging results across
health, nutrition, and WASH, identify implementation challenges, and recommend practical improvements
and corrective actions during the remaining project period.
It will assess relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, service quality, progress against targets, inclusion,
safeguarding, accountability, coordination, and sustainability; identify good practices and lessons; and
recommend actions to help achieve project targets by 31 December 2027.

3. Scope and Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation covers implementation from 1 December 2025 to December 2026 across all three outputs
and the six supported BHCs. The exact cutoff date for the midterm evaluation will be November 31,2026.
Health Services: availability, access, utilization and quality of primary, maternal and child health,
immunization, NCD and MHPSS services; staffing, medicines, referrals, outreach, HMIS, infection
prevention and patient safety.

Nutrition Services: screening, treatment and referral of SAM/MAM cases; services for pregnant and
lactating women; IYCF counselling, supplies, coverage and quality.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): progress towards the target of chlorinating 530 wells; water
safety, hygiene promotion, WASH supplies, sanitation, committee functionality, community practices and
sustainability.

Cross-cutting and management: gender, disability and other vulnerable groups, protection/PSEAH,
complaints and feedback, community participation, conflict sensitivity, humanitarian principles,
environmental considerations, coordination, work plan/log frame progress, staffing, procurement,
monitoring, reporting and risk management.

Criterion Focus
Relevance and coherence
Fit with community needs, national priorities, humanitarian standards, and other
services.
Effectiveness Progress against outputs, outcomes, indicators and targets; factors enabling or
constraining delivery.
Efficiency and
value for money
Use of human, financial, material and technical resources relative to progress and
results.
Emerging
outcomes and
sustainability
Changes in access, utilization and well-being; prospects for service continuity and
WASH functionality.
Service quality and
accessibility
Availability, safety, quality, staffing, supplies, referrals and access for vulnerable
groups.
Inclusion,
protection and
accountability
Gender responsiveness, safeguarding/PSEAH, participation and accessible
feedback mechanisms.
Coordination and
management Coordination, monitoring, reporting, data quality and corrective action.

4. Key Evaluation Questions
The evaluator will assess the project against the following key questions, which may be refined during the
inception phase.

4.1 Relevance
1. Do project interventions address the needs of target communities, particularly vulnerable groups?
2. Are services aligned with community priorities, national requirements, and humanitarian standards?

4.2 Effectiveness
1. What progress has been made against project targets, indicators, and planned activities?
2. What factors have facilitated or constrained implementation?
3. What actions are needed to achieve the remaining targets by December 2027?

4.3 Health and Nutrition Service Quality
1. Are health and nutrition services accessible, adequately staffed, properly equipped, and delivered
according to relevant standards?
2. Are essential medicines, nutrition supplies, referrals, and community outreach functioning
effectively?
3. What barriers affect service access, particularly for women and vulnerable groups?

4.4 WASH Performance
1. What progress has been made towards well chlorination and hygiene promotion targets?
2. Are water and sanitation facilities functional, and are communities applying recommended hygiene
practices?
3. What measures are needed to improve sustainability?

4.5 Inclusion, Protection and Accountability
1. Are services inclusive, safe, and accessible to vulnerable groups?
2. Are safeguarding, PSEAH, confidentiality, and protection measures applied?
3. Are feedback and complaints mechanisms accessible and effective, and is community feedback
used to improve services?
The evaluator must not investigate individual safeguarding allegations or collect identifiable details of
sensitive complaints. Any concerns identified must follow established reporting and referral procedures.

4.6 Coordination and Sustainability
1. Is coordination between Union Aid, Malteser International, authorities, and humanitarian actors
effective?
2. Are monitoring systems reliable and supporting decision-making?
3. What measures can strengthen service continuity and sustainability?
4. What should be prioritized during the remaining project period?
5. Evaluation Methodology
A mixed-methods approach will combine desk review, quantitative and qualitative analysis,
facility/community visits, beneficiary feedback, and triangulation. The agency/team will propose and justify
the sample, methods and tools in the inception report; Union Aid and MI must approve these before
fieldwork.

Desk review: proposal, log frame, work plan, reports, HMIS/nutrition and WASH data, budget utilization,
monitoring, training records and relevant standards.

Quantitative analysis: indicators, service utilization, outcomes, WASH achievements and budget use;
assess data quality and disaggregate by sex, age, disability, displacement status and location where
possible.
Qualitative data: interviews and focus groups with Union Aid/MI staff, health workers, authorities,
community members, service users and WASH committees, including women and vulnerable groups.
Visits and feedback: assess all six BHCs and selected health posts/communities, subject to access;
examine service availability, supplies, quality, accessibility, referrals, WASH functionality and user
experience.
Triangulation: compare documents, routine data, interviews, group discussions, observations and
feedback; identify data gaps and distinguish verified evidence from perceptions. Do not claim statistical
representativeness unless supported by the sample design.
6. Deliverables and Indicative Timeline
Deliverable Required content

1. Inception report
Refined questions/matrix, methodology, sample, tools, analysis plan,
consultation and fieldwork schedule, ethics/safeguarding, data quality,
limitations and report outline. Approval required before fieldwork.
2. Preliminary findings Debrief of initial findings, strengths, gaps and issues requiring verification.
3. Draft report Evidence-based findings, analysis, conclusions, lessons and practical
recommendations for review.

4. Final report
Concise report incorporating relevant feedback, findings against
criteria/outputs, conclusions, lessons, prioritized recommendations and
annexes.

5. Management
response/action plan
Prioritized actions, responsibilities, deadlines, resources and follow-up
indicators, developed with Union Aid and MI.

6. Findings
presentation
Presentation of conclusions, recommendations and priority actions for the
remaining project period.
The evaluation is expected to be completed within approximately 25–27 working days, including
preparation, fieldwork, analysis, reporting, and presentation.
The final schedule will be agreed with the selected agency/team and adjusted to the security situation and
operational requirements.
Activity Indicative duration
Contract initiation and document review 3 working days
Development and submission of inception report 3 working days
Review and approval of inception report and tools 2 working days
Fieldwork and data collection 8 working days
Data analysis and preparation of draft report 5 working days
Review of draft report by Union Aid and Malteser International 3 working days
Finalization of report and presentation of findings 3 working days
Total indicative duration 27 working days
The timeline may be adjusted according to the agreed methodology, sample size, geographical coverage,
access conditions, and feedback requirements.

7. Agency/team Qualifications and Team
The agency/team must be independent and experienced in humanitarian evaluations, preferably integrated
health, nutrition and WASH projects in Afghanistan or similar contexts. It should demonstrate expertise in
mixed methods, OECD-DAC criteria, analysis, service quality, gender, inclusion, accountability and
safeguarding; strong English reporting; and ability to deploy qualified Afghan researchers and female data
collectors as needed. Conflicts of interest must be declared.
The proposed team must cover the following competencies: (i) Team Leader with relevant advanced
qualification and at least seven years of evaluation/research experience; (ii) health and nutrition expertise;
(iii) WASH expertise; and (iv) quantitative/qualitative research, data analysis, quality assurance and data
protection. Alternative team structures are acceptable if all competencies are covered.
8. Ethics, Independence and Quality Assurance
The agency/team must ensure informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality, secure data
management, respectful consultation and additional safeguards for children and vulnerable participants.
Obtain consent for photographs, recordings and quotations; minimize sensitive data; and never link
participation to assistance. Safeguarding concerns must follow established procedures.
The evaluator independently controls methodology, collection, analysis, findings and recommendations.
Union Aid and MI may facilitate access and review deliverables for factual accuracy and completeness
without compromising independence. Limitations, data-quality concerns and differing perspectives must be
transparently documented.

9. Roles and Reporting
1. Union Aid: Coordinate the evaluation; facilitate access to documents, facilities, communities and
stakeholders; consolidate feedback; support validation and management follow-up.
2. Malteser International: Provide technical guidance and relevant program/financial information;
review deliverables and participate in validation and follow-up.
3. Evaluation agency/team: Conduct the evaluation independently, recruit qualified staff, ensure
ethical and, Data quality standards, and submit evidence-based deliverables on time.
The agency/team will report to Union Aid's designated focal person in coordination with MI. All deliverables
must be in English, concise, analytical and suitable for program management and donor reporting.

10. Confidentiality and Ownership
All reports, datasets, evaluation tools, analytical outputs, and presentations developed under this
assignment must be submitted to Union Aid and Malteser International (MI). All deliverables and projectspecific materials produced under the assignment shall be jointly owned by Union Aid and MI, unless
otherwise agreed in writing.
The evaluation agency/team must securely manage all project-related information and protect personal and
confidential data. Anonymized datasets, tools, and analytical outputs may be used or shared for other
purposes only with prior written authorization from Union Aid and MI. The agency/team must not publish,
disclose, or share project information without prior written authorization, except where legally required or
permitted under agreed safeguarding procedures.

11. Application and Selection
Interested agencies/teams must submit technical and financial proposals by the deadline stated in Union
Aid's request for proposals. The technical proposal must include understanding of the assignment,
methodology and sampling, work plan, team/CVs, relevant experience and references, quality/ethical/dataprotection measures, and conflict-of-interest disclosure. The itemized financial proposal must cover fees,
fieldwork, travel, accommodation, data collection, translation and other relevant costs, and state team
availability, start date and duration.
Selection criterion Weight
Understanding of assignment and context 10%
Methodology 25%
Organizational experience 15%
Team qualifications and experience 20%
Work plan, quality assurance and ethics 10%
Financial proposal/value for money 20%
Total 100%

Union Aid may adjust the scoring framework in line with procurement procedures and donor requirements.

12. Budget, Payment and Use of Findings
The evaluation will be financed from the approved project budget. The contract value, applicable taxes, and
payment terms will be agreed with the selected agency/team.
Payments will be made in accordance with the following schedule, subject to the satisfactory completion
and formal acceptance of each corresponding deliverable by Union Aid, in coordination with Malteser
International (MI):
1. 20% upon formal acceptance of the inception report.
2. 30% upon completion of fieldwork and formal acceptance of the preliminary findings.
3. 30% upon formal acceptance of the draft evaluation report.
4. 20% upon formal acceptance of the final report and completion of the findings presentation.

Union Aid and MI will use the evaluation findings to assess project progress, address implementation gaps
and risks, improve service quality and access, strengthen accountability and coordination, guide resource
allocation, and document lessons learned. Recommendations should be prioritized according to urgency,
feasibility, and expected impact and inform a time-bound corrective-action plan to support achievement of
project targets by 31 December 2027.

13. Approval
These ToR guide recruitment of an independent external evaluation agency. Union Aid and Malteser
International will agree on the final ToR, methodology, schedule and deliverables before contract award.