Ireland - Tender to evaluate the delivery of the interagency TLC Kidz Children’s Recovery Programme in Co Meath

Description

Introduction
On behalf of the TLC Kidz Steering Committee Meath, MWRSS are seeking an independent consultant to undertake an evaluation of the TLC Kidz pilot programme in Co. Meath. The evaluation will review and analyse the process of programme delivery, the interagency working process and its effectiveness, the co-ordination of the programme and finally will make recommendations to support future effective programme delivery. It will not evaluate the programme content as the TLC Kidz Programme has undergone extensive evaluation in Canada and the UK in terms of its validity and effectiveness.
What is TLC Kidz?
The TLC Kidz programme is a group programme for children and mothers recovering from domestic abuse. It is an evaluated programme developed in the UK and has recently been evaluated following delivery in Tipperary, Waterford and Carlow. Barnardos Ireland are co-ordinating TLC Kidz nationally.
The TLC Kidz programme is

is a 12-week, psycho-educational, group programme for children (up to 18 years) and mothers in recovery from domestic abuse. Groups for children and mothers are run concurrently.
aims to help children heal from the impact of domestic abuse and to help mothers in understanding their child’s experiences and support their recovery.
promotes the wellbeing of children and mothers through validating their experiences, safety planning, social support, teaching appropriate expression of difficult emotions (for example, anger), and enhancing communication between children and mothers.
is delivered by two facilitators in both the children’s and mothers’ groups.
The children’s group is composed of children close in age, maturity and development and typically involves 6-8 children. Participation in the mothers’ group is desirable but not mandatory
is delivered on an interagency basis in order to create a common vision and shared responsibility among services in supporting the recovery of children who have experienced domestic abuse.

About Us: TLC Kidz programme co-ordinator
MWRSS is an NGO and a local domestic violence support agency with a catchment area of Co. Meath. We have been working in the community for 30 years and have a strong track record of supporting women and children experiencing domestic violence. We work closely with a wide range of stakeholders to fulfil our mission statement and seek innovative responses to domestic violence in Co. Meath.
TLC Kidz Steering Committee
In each local area that TLC Kidz is delivered , the programme is overseen by a multi-agency Steering Group while the Project Coordinator (Meath Women’s Refuge and Support Services co-ordinator supported by the Child and Young Person’s Development worker in the organisation) undertakes the operational logistics of running the programme (for example, referrals, case management, assessments of families, scheduling, and so forth). Community partners provide referrals, release staff to facilitate the programme and oversee the programme through the TLC steering committee.
The role of the TLC Kidz steering committee is to:

Assist the programme in operating, developing, advocating for services, implementation of the programme and guidance and support of facilitators.
Ensure the delivery of a high-quality group work programme to children who have experienced domestic abuse.
Raise awareness of the impact of domestic abuse on children and to ensure a co-ordinated interagency response to children who have experienced domestic abuse.
Identify any gaps in the services for children exposed to domestic abuse in your area.
Review appropriate procedures and practice guidelines.
Establish appropriate structure and communication channels with participating agencies including all stakeholders in the delivery of the programme.
Ensure facilitators have external support/supervision available to them at intervals during the programme
Be aware and secure any relevant funding opportunities.
Ensure that all relevant agencies are invited to participate in the steering group.

Terms of Reference for the Tender Brief

Develop an evaluation framework and templates to meet the overall project aim e.g. interview schedules, pre and post programme templates, focus groups e.g. with parents whose children have participated in the programme, steering committee members etc
To review the process of delivery of one 12- week TLC Kidz programmes and assess the effectiveness of the programme (March to June)
To make proposals/recommendations which would assist future programme development, implementation and effectiveness including in broad terms the resource implications of such proposals i.e. financial, structural and in terms of policies and procedures should be identified.

Proposed Methodology

Review documentation provided to you about the TLC Kidz programme as a child recovery programme in the context of domestic abuse
Development of templates for pre and post programme evaluation e.g. SWOT analysis, surveys i.e. an evaluation framework
Development of focus group sessions post programme with parents, facilitators and the steering committee members on the effectiveness of the programme delivery, the interagency working process and the co-ordination of the programme
Preparation of a final evaluation report that can be disseminated to a wide range of players with clear direction on what change is required by agencies involved in the TLC Kidz programme at what levels, by when and at what cost and what impact and implications these changes would have

Tendering Criteria
Terms and Conditions The quote for this should include:

Describe the methods employed to realise the evaluation e.g. facilitated sessions, SWOT analysis, surveys etc.
A detailed budget breakdown including the daily rate, number of days allocated, purpose of the days any additional costs e.g. VAT. Please note travel and subsistence costs will not be considered eligible costs as part of this tender
A CV of the person tendering for this contract or in the case of a company, names of the person responsible and CVs for those carrying out the work and information on their roles. No subcontracting is allowed
A Statement of capability and availability to undertake project which demonstrates an understanding of the proposal
Two reference contacts for similar work carried out previously
Examples of similar work carried out
Disclosure of any conflicts of interest
An up to date tax clearance certificate

Process for Selection of Tender
Proposals will be considered against a set of criteria including:

Quality of tender documentation and inclusion of information as outlined above
Ability of the contractor to meet the requirements in the Invitation to Tender
Relevant skills, expertise/qualifications and experience of the contractor
Ability to meet the required deadlines as set out by the project funders
Cost and value for money

MWRSS Tendering Policy

All tenders are submitted within the set deadline and no tenders can be accepted beyond that date
All tenders are examined by 2 people who complete a scoring card independently/ the highest score is awarded the tender and will meet the selection criteria as set out above

Reporting Mechanism and Structure
The review process will be overseen the board of directors. Day to day contact will be through the manager(s).
Timeframe
It is envisaged this work would begin in February and would be completed by early December 2020 (February to July one TLC programme at which the evaluator would come in at different intervals during this period)
Cost of Tender
All bids must be fully inclusive of VAT, broken down into the number of days and cost per day. No additional costs are available for travel and subsistence. The tender is costed at €5,000 inclusive of VAT.
Closing Date for receipt of tenders is Monday 10th February 2020. All tenders should be emailed for the attention of the Manager at manager@dvservicesmeath.ie

Opportunity closing date

10 February 2020

Value of contract

to be confirmed