Establishment of a Pre-Qualified Rooster of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Consultants

Introduction Plan International strives to advance children’s rights and equality for girls all over the world. As an independent development and humanitarian organization, we work alongside children, young people, our supporters and partners to tackle the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge. For over 80 years, we have been building powerful partnerships for children, and we are active in over 75 countries.

Plan International Nigeria is part of the global federation of Plan International and was registered in Nigeria in 2014. Plan International has five thematic areas which define our work, influencing priorities and partnerships. These are Education, Economic Empowerment, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Health Nutrition and WASH; and Protection, with Youth Leadership, Climate Change and Gender as cross-cutting areas.

As the organisation continues to expand its portfolio and respond to increasingly complex development and humanitarian challenges, the demand for specialised MERL expertise has grown significantly. Assignments requiring external expertise include baseline studies, evaluations, operational research, humanitarian assessments, learning reviews, outcome harvesting, knowledge management products and strategic evidence generation. To improve responsiveness while maintaining technical quality and compliance with procurement requirements, Plan International Nigeria intends to establish a pre-qualified roster of MERL consultants comprising both individual consultants and consulting firms with demonstrated expertise across multiple technical disciplines.

Purpose of the Scope of Work

The purpose of this Scope of Work is to establish a roster of highly qualified Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) consultants who can provide specialised technical services to Plan International Nigeria on an as-needed basis. The roster will serve as a mechanism for rapidly identifying and engaging consultants with the appropriate expertise for specific assignments while ensuring transparency, fairness, value for money and compliance with Plan International Nigeria's procurement policies.

Selection into the roster does not constitute a contract or guarantee of future work. Rather, it signifies that the consultant has met the minimum technical and professional requirements required to compete for future assignments through a streamlined call-down process.

Objectives of the Consultant Roster

The specific objectives of establishing the MERL Consultant roster are to:

• Establish a pool of highly competent consultants capable of delivering high-quality MERL assignments across Plan International Nigeria's programme portfolio.
• Reduce procurement lead times while maintaining transparency, competition and value for money.
• Improve the quality, consistency and credibility of evaluations, research and learning products commissioned by Plan International Nigeria.
• Strengthen organisational learning through access to specialists in evaluation, research, outcome harvesting and knowledge management.
• Improve the utilisation of evaluation findings by ensuring consultants generate actionable recommendations and high-quality knowledge products.
• Enhance technical support available to country, regional and project teams across development and humanitarian programming.
• Promote innovation in MERL through access to consultants experienced in adaptive and participatory evaluation methodologies.
• Build a long-term network of trusted technical experts capable of supporting Plan International Nigeria's evolving evidence needs.

Scope of Services

Consultants on the roster will be eligible for a broad range of MERL assignments, potentially spanning both development and humanitarian contexts. While the exact scope of each assignment will be defined in a specific Terms of Reference (ToR) when the assignment arises, the typical services and activities consultants in the roster may be requested to deliver include:

• Evaluation Studies: Baseline studies, Midline evaluations, Endline evaluations, Final project evaluations, Country Strategy evaluations, Thematic evaluations, Meta-evaluations, Real-time evaluations, Process evaluations, Performance evaluations, Impact evaluations, Cost-effectiveness and value-for-money studies. Assignments should be designed in accordance with internationally recognised evaluation standards, including the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria where applicable
• Research Services: Consultants may be required to undertake Operational research, Formative research, Applied research, Behavioural and social research, Mixed-methods research, Policy research, Institutional assessments, Barrier analyses, Market assessments, Gender analyses, Political economy analyses, Conflict analyses, Social inclusion studies, Situation analyses, Rapid evidence assessments, Literature reviews, Secondary data analyses
• Humanitarian Assessments: Multi-sector needs assessments, Rapid needs assessments, Emergency response evaluations, Humanitarian situation analyses, Post-distribution monitoring, Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) assessments, Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) evaluations, Recovery assessments, Resilience assessments
• Learning and Adaptive Management: Outcome Harvesting, Outcome Mapping, Most Significant Change (MSC), Developmental Evaluation, Contribution Analysis, Process Tracing, Learning Reviews, Reflection Workshops, After-Action Reviews, Pause-and-Reflect Sessions, Adaptive Management Reviews, Learning Agenda Development
• Monitoring System Strengthening: Development of monitoring frameworks, Indicator development and refinement, Theory of Change development, Logical Framework development, Results Framework development, Data Quality Assessments (DQAs), Digital data collection system design, Dashboard development, Routine monitoring system reviews, Capacity assessments, MERL capacity strengthening
• Knowledge Management and Evidence Products: Beyond conducting studies, consultants may be required to transform evidence into products suitable for different audiences. These may include: Technical reports, Policy briefs, Learning briefs, Research papers, Evidence summaries, Case studies, Success stories, Infographics, Donor briefing papers, Communication materials based on research findings
• Consultants must have demonstrated experience integrating gender-transformative, child-centered and youth-led approaches into research, evaluation and learning processes.

Note: Each specific assignment will be governed by its own detailed ToR and possibly an individual contract, which will stipulate the precise scope, deliverables, timeline, and any specialized requirements. The above list illustrates the typical range of tasks that fall under the roster’s remit, indicating the breadth of expertise that consultants should possess

Competency Areas

To ensure assignments are matched with appropriate expertise, consultants will be pre-qualified under one or more technical competency areas. Applicants may apply under multiple categories where they can demonstrate the required experience.

Category A: Evaluation Specialists

Specialists capable of designing and leading: Baseline studies, Midline evaluations, Endline evaluations, Performance evaluations, Impact evaluations, Country Strategy evaluations, Multi-project evaluations

Category B: Research Specialists

Experts in qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research capable of conducting operational, applied and policy-oriented studies.

Category C: Learning and Outcome Harvesting Specialists

Specialists with demonstrated expertise in Outcome Harvesting, Outcome Mapping, Most Significant Change, Developmental Evaluation, Contribution Analysis, Learning facilitation, Knowledge capture, Adaptive programming

Category D: Humanitarian MERL Specialists

Professionals experienced in humanitarian contexts including emergency assessments, humanitarian performance monitoring & evaluations, conflict-sensitive programming and accountability to affected populations, anticipatory action, humanitarian development & peace nexus programming

Category E: Data Analytics and Digital MERL Specialists

Experts in Statistical analysis, Data visualization, GIS, Dashboard development, Power B, R, Python, SPSS, STATA, KoboToolbox, ODK, SurveyCTO

Category F: Gender, Inclusion and Child Rights Specialists

Experts with demonstrated experience in gender-transformative analysis, Child rights programming, disability inclusion assessments, safeguarding audits and assessments, protection research, social norms analysis etc

Category G: Knowledge Management and Learning Specialists

Experts in synthesising evidence into accessible products including policy briefs, learning papers, donor reports, executive summaries and organisational learning products.

Engagement and Selection Process

Plan International Nigeria will use a structured yet flexible process to establish and utilise the consultant roster:

• Roster Creation / Prequalification: An open call for expressions of interest will be advertised to invite qualified consultants (individuals and firms) to apply for inclusion in the MERL consultancy roster. Applicants will undergo a competitive vetting process evaluating their technical expertise, relevant experience, capacity, and references. Only candidates meeting the predefined criteria and quality standards will be pre-qualified and admitted to the roster. The outcome will be a vetted roster of consultants across various specialties.

Assignment Call-Down (Direct Competitive Selection): When a MERL assignment arises that falls within the scope of this roster, Plan International Nigeria can engage a consultant from the roster without a public tender. In these cases, a limited competitive selection among roster members will be conducted. Typically, a brief ToR or request for a short proposal will be shared with a subset or all of the relevant pre-qualified consultants, and they will be invited to submit a targeted technical and financial proposal. The selection will then be made based on the best value offer (considering technical fit, availability, timeline, and cost). This mechanism ensures speed and efficiency, reducing hiring lead time while still maintaining competition and transparency among pre-vetted candidates.

• Public Tender Option: For assignments that exceed the financial threshold for direct selection from the roster, or in scenarios where the needed expertise is highly specialized and not sufficiently covered by roster members, Plan International Nigeria retains the option to go for a public advertisement and open tender. This ensures compliance with procurement policies for larger contracts and provides flexibility to source beyond the roster if needed (for example, if donor regulations or specific procurement rules require an open process). The existence of the roster does not override Plan’s commitment to fair and open competition when required.

• Flexibility in Engagement: The Supply Chain Unit, in consultation with the MERL Unit, will determine the most appropriate procurement method for each assignment. Factors considered will include urgency of the assignment, the estimated budget relative to threshold, the availability of suitable expertise in the roster, and any donor-specific procurement stipulations.

• Applications will be evaluated using a weighted scoring system to ensure transparency, fairness and consistency.

  Objectives of Assignments

  Specific responsibilities, deliverables, and timelines will be defined in the Terms of Reference issued for each assignment. Depending on the nature of the engagement, consultants may be required to design methodologies, collect and analyse data, facilitate learning processes, develop knowledge products, and present findings to stakeholders.

  Key Tasks and Responsibilities of the Consultants

• Individual consultants/firms engaged under this SoW will generally be expected to undertake a suite of tasks corresponding to the full cycle of an evaluation or research study. While specific tasks will be detailed in each assignment’s TOR, typical responsibilities include:

• Once contracted for an assignment, the consultant will conduct initial consultations with Plan International Nigeria’s team (MERL staff, project managers, technical advisors) to understand the context and requirements. The consultant will develop an Inception Report, which comprises a refined methodology, evaluation matrix, detailed work plan, data collection tools and a sampling plan. The inception phase may include a literature review and preliminary data scan. The consultant is responsible for incorporating Plan’s and stakeholders’ feedback and validating the approach before fieldwork begins.

• Design and finalize data collection tools and protocols, ensuring they are contextually appropriate and aligned with the approved methodology. The consultant will also develop necessary training materials for enumerators.

• Oversee and conduct the data collection as per the agreed methodology. This involves coordinating fieldwork logistics (with support from Plan staff if provided), supervising enumerator teams, ensuring adherence to ethical standards (especially when engaging with children or vulnerable populations), and performing ongoing quality control (spot-checks, daily data reviews).

• Prepare the draft report documenting all aspects of the assignment. The report should include an executive summary, background, methodology (including limitations), findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The consultant will submit the draft for review by Plan International Nigeria. After receiving feedback (from Plan staff, donor or key stakeholders), the consultant will address all comments and revisions to produce the Final Report. The final report should be of publishable quality, meeting Plan International’s standards for clarity, insight, and evidence.

• The consultant will present key findings and recommendations to relevant stakeholders. This might involve presentations or validation workshops with Plan staff, donor representatives, government partners, and community stakeholders.

• Ensure that all data and materials from the assignment are properly handed over to Plan International Nigeria at the conclusion of the assignment. This includes raw datasets (in an agreed format, e.g., Excel, SPSS), transcripts or recordings of qualitative data, copies of completed survey forms if paper-based, the final cleaned data with codebooks, and any other relevant documentation. The consultant must also maintain confidentiality of all data (per ethical standards) and ensure its secure transfer.

• Throughout the assignment, the consultant will work closely with Plan’s MERL team and relevant program staff. This entails maintaining regular communication (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly progress updates), proactively flagging any challenges, and ensuring alignment with Plan’s internal frameworks (like project logframes or MERL frameworks).

• Plan International Nigeria reserves the right to request revisions where deliverables do not meet expected technical, editorial, safeguarding or quality standard

  Regulatory Documents

  Consulting Firms/ Individual Consultants must have the following documents to be considered:

• A detailed company profile that clearly outlines your business activities and areas of expertise. Individual Consultants are to submit a detailed CV.

• Evidence of valid registration with corporate affairs commission, with the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and forms CAC2 and CAC7 or a status report. Individual Consultants are to submit a valid means of identification.

• Evidence of a tax clearance certificate for any of the years ending in 2024 or 2025. Personal Income tax certificate is acceptable for Individual Consultants.

• Properly filled Annex C, D & E

Consultant Qualifications and Experience

To be eligible for inclusion in the MERL consultancy roster and to successfully deliver assignments, the consultant (individual or firm) must demonstrate the following minimum qualifications and experience:

Individual Consultants

• An advanced degree (Masters or Ph.D.) in a relevant field such as Social Sciences, Public Health, Development Studies, Education, Statistics, Economics, or other disciplines related to international development and evaluation.
• At least 7–10 years of proven experience leading and conducting evaluations, research studies, and baseline/endline assessments in development or humanitarian contexts. This experience should include a mix of sectoral areas relevant to Plan International’s work (for example: child protection, education, gender and inclusion, youth livelihoods, health/nutrition, etc.) and demonstrate the consultant’s ability to handle various types of MERL assignments.
• Additional professional certifications in evaluation, research methods, project management, statistics or data science will be considered desirable.

Consulting Firms

Consulting firms should demonstrate access to multidisciplinary teams comprising specialists in: Evaluation, Quantitative Research, Qualitative Research, Statistics, Data Management, Gender and Inclusion, Child Rights, Knowledge Management, Humanitarian Programming, GIS and Data Visualisation.

In addition, individual consultants and firms should demonstrate the following:

• Strong competencies in both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Consultants/firms should have a track record of designing robust sampling strategies, crafting surveys and interview protocols, conducting statistical analysis (using tools like SPSS, STATA, or R), and qualitative analysis (using NVivo, ATLAS.ti, or similar). Experience with participatory evaluation techniques and mixed-methods approaches is highly valued.
• Demonstrated familiarity with Nigerian context (or similar contexts in West Africa), including understanding of cultural, social, and security considerations that influence field research. Prior work in Nigeria or the region, particularly in similar thematic sectors as Plan Nigeria, is a strong advantage. Experience working with vulnerable and marginalized groups (children, youth, women, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons, etc.) in research processes is essential.
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills, with an ability to present complex findings in a clear, concise manner. The consultant/ firm should demonstrate strong facilitation and communication skills for leading workshops or presenting findings to stakeholders. Proficiency in English is required; knowledge of local languages (e.g., Hausa, Kanuri, Yoruba, Pidgin) is an asset, especially for facilitating fieldwork.
• Proficiency in relevant software and tools for data collection and analysis (for instance, electronic data capture tools like KoboToolbox/ODK for field surveys, GIS for mapping if needed, advanced Excel for data visualization, etc.). The consultant/firm should also be comfortable training others on these tools if the assignment involves enumerator training.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver assignments on time and to a high standard, as evidenced by references or sample reports from previous work. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail are necessary. Additionally, the consultant should have a track record of working collaboratively with clients and stakeholders, including adaptability to feedback and changing conditions, while maintaining independence and objectivity in evaluation.
• Plan International Nigeria encourages expertise in adaptive management, systems thinking, complexity-aware monitoring and evaluation approaches.

Further information on this consultancy, including all mandatory annexes to be completed, can be found via the link below**:**

https://tinyurl.com/mwdmjscm

How to apply

All questions regarding this opportunity must be sent to Tenderinquiry@plan-international.org quoting PIN/CNSLT/026/015 – MERL Consultants in the subject line.

All submissions must be sent to Nigeria.procurement@plan-international.org. The email subject line must clearly state**:** PIN/CNSLT/026/015 – MERL Consultants.

Submissions must be received no later than 11.59pm on Wednesday, the 11th November 2026.