Field-based evaluation of Hygiene, Sanitation, and
Water in Schools projects
Sample TOR
1. Project background
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History: year of start of project; area and population covered; budget; implementing
structure
Objectives of the project
Guiding principles and strategies
2. Objectives of the evaluation
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Relevance and compliance of project inputs with local conditions and needs
Sustainability of the package, including the ability and willingness (both technical
and financial) of the schools to maintain facilities
Success of life skills-based hygiene education, including the appropriateness and use
of supplied materials, readers, posters, and teaching aids, with particular attention to
the education for girls
Changes in the lives of the children, particularly the girls, in the assisted schools and
the surrounding community with respect to hygiene knowledge and behavior
Efficiency and effectiveness of the implementing agency, including capacity building
of staff members, timely delivery of resources, timely expenditure of project funds,
and effective monitoring
3. Expected conclusions and recommendations
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Project-specific recommendations for strengthening the ongoing project in (list
specific ways), improving the work of the chief implementing partner in (list specific
ways), and ensuring that a child-rights approach is adopted through (list specific
ways).
4. Methodology
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Documents and information made available to the evaluator
Minimum activities expected from the evaluator:
o Review available documents, materials, and background information
o Interview project staff
o Meet education and health officials and personnel of the relevant districts
o Conduct focus group discussions with teachers and students in selected schools on
knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to hygiene and safe drinking water
o Assess the hardware component of the project in selected schools
o Assess the impact the project has had on girls’ participation
o Analyze all data and present results
o Make recommendations for the ongoing project
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Tools to be used (optional)
5. Staffing
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Minimum team size
Composition of the team (experience, professional background, language skills,
gender).
Responsibilities of individual team members (optional):
o Conducting and/or observing focus groups
o Conducting observations
o Conducting interviews
o Keeping good, clear notes
o Participating in daily debriefing sessions
Profile of team leader
Responsibilities of the team leader (optional):
o Coordinating all activities in the field
o Arranging for visits in advance
o Leading debriefing sessions every day and ensuring that detailed notes are kept
o Preparing the report
6. Analysis and submission of results
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Minimum contents of report: Title, table of contents, executive summary,
introduction, assessment objectives and methodology, findings, lessons learned,
recommendations, conclusion, appendices
o The executive summary should summarize the activities evaluated, the purpose of
the assessment, the methods used, and the major findings and recommendations.
o The introduction should describe the evaluated activities, including the settings
and problems addressed, objectives and strategies, and findings, and summarize
the assessment context (purpose, partners, team composition, visited sites, and
duration). The body of the report should describe the purpose, objectives, and
methodology of assessment, indicate what data were collected, where, and how,
and describe the methods of data collection and analysis.
o The findings should provide the answers to the key objectives addressed in the
assessment regarding the relevance, sustainability, and impact of the water and
sanitation intervention and hygiene education. Recommendations should be
linked with the findings.
o A list of documents reviewed, persons interviewed, sites visited, and the general
discussion format should be provided in the appendices. The schedule, plan of
activities, list of terms of reference and abbreviations used, and budget should
also be attached to the report.
7. Time frame
8. Budget (optional)