Terms of Reference on
Livelihoods Strategy Review and Future Direction Roadmap
Brief about ChildFund
ChildFund India, a child development organization registered in India in 1984, has been working with children, youth and families from the most remote, extremely backward and hard-to-reach areas, with a vision to build “an India where children lead a dignified life and achieve their full potential”. ChildFund India works in the rural belts of the country, now slowly expanding its focus to urban locations too, where child protection issues and violence against children are prevalent. Its programs provide comprehensive support to children from their conception until they reach 24 years of age by integrating health, nutrition, sanitation, gender equality, education, skill training, livelihoods, child protection and humanitarian relief work. ChildFund India annually reaches 4.5 million children, youth, and their families across the country, through its programs. ChildFund India’s unparalleled longstanding community presence in India, long-term partnership with grassroots organizations and relations with relevant stakeholders especially the Government to ensure that its holistic interventions foster an enabling environment where children can grow to their fullest potential.
Our Approach
The Life Cycle approach focusses children based on their age and targeting them with a comprehensive package of services across sectors that aim at their overall development. Accordingly, the program has been categorized under three Life Stages:
- Life Stage 1 (LS1) focusing on children in age group 0-5 years.
- Life Stage 2 (LS2) is focusing on children in age group 6-14 years; and
- Life Stage 3 (LS3) focusing on children and youth in age group (15-24 years).
The life stage wise objectives and focus areas for each of them are detailed below:
Life Stage 1 (LS1) focusing on children in age group 0-5 years:
The objective of LS1 is to work towards achieving Healthy and Secure Infants. The processes and activities facilitated in LS1 aim at delivering the following results for young children:
- Empowered Caregivers to practice positive and appropriate childcare and nutrition.
- Ensure Safe and Care giving Environment at Integrated Child Development Services centres.
- Access to High Quality Health Care and Adequate Nutrition.
- Access to High Quality Stimulation for better cognitive development and school readiness for primary education.
Life Stage 2 (LS2) is focusing on children in age group 6-14 years:
The objective of LS2 is to have an Educated and Confident Children. The processes and activities facilitated in LS2 will aim at delivering the following results:
- Children and Adolescents have positive relationships in supportive homes.
- Children and Adolescents have age-appropriate literacy, numeracy, and critical life skills to make healthy decisions; and
- Children and Adolescents are healthy and actively participate in community life.
Life Stage 3 (LS3) focusing on children and youth in age group (15-24 years)
The objective of LS3 is work towards development of Skilled and Involved Youth. The processes and activities facilitated in LS3 will aim at delivering the following results:
- Adolescents and young people are empowered to be completing their higher education.
- Youth acquired skills and knowledge necessary for their holistic development
- Youth employment at a living wage and in non-exploitative work.
- Youth make choices for living a healthy reproductive life; and
- Youth are change agents in their families and communities.
The cross cutting programs that encompass all life stages are Child Protection and Disaster Risk Management (DRM).
The approach also aims at working with key stakeholders like Government Departments (Women Welfare & Child Development; Health, Education, Rural Development, etc.) and key Service Providers (Health Workers, Anganwadi Workers, School Teachers and School Management Committees) to build on the existing services and improve quality and coverage of services for children and their families. The Child Development Program engages with the children, their families and communities on a long-term basis aiming for sustainable changes in the lives of children.
2. Brief about the assignment
Under the current Country Strategy Program (CSP) 2022–2027, ChildFund India has significantly strengthened and diversified its Livelihood and civic engagement domain. The CSP adopted a life-stage approach and program models such as PACT EEE (Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Empowerment) program Model to achieve Adolescents and young people are empowered to be completing their higher education leading healthy and safe lives and be agents of change, positively influence the family and contribute to social, political, and economic life in their community settings.
The organization has implemented several innovations of sustainable livelihood development program and civic engagement.
At this juncture in the CSP cycle, there is an organizational need to:
- Document where the Livelihood portfolio started,
- Reflect on progress, achievements, and innovations, and
- Strategically identify future directions, donor alignment, and readiness, including emerging technologies and sector innovations.
This learning exercise focuses exclusively on the Livelihood Domain, with field validation in the program locations, ensuring diverse representation of ChildFund’ s Livelihood interventions.
The consultant/agency will review:
- CSP 2022–2027
- CSP Mid-Term Review
- Innovation and pilots
- Relevant external research and donor priority documents
The overall purpose is to conduct a strategic, forward-looking portfolio learning exercise for ChildFund India’s Livelihood Domain to understand:
- Where we were – foundational strategies, program design, and baseline capacities
- Where we are – achievements, innovations, evidence, system partnerships, and impact
- Where we aspire to go – future directions, emerging technologies, donor alignment, and readiness for the next strategy cycle
The learning will support strategic positioning, fundraising, and future program design in the Livelihood and youth sector
3. Assignment Objectives
The evaluation will be guided by the following objectives, designed to generate strategic, programmatic, and institutional insights for informing the next Country Strategic Plan (CSP) cycle and long-term positioning of ChildFund India:
- To determine the relevance, alignment, and coherence of the Livelihood Program under CSP 2022–2027 with national priorities, donor expectations, and organizational mandate.
- To assess the extent to which planned outputs and outcomes have been achieved and to evaluate the quality and impact of program interventions.
- Identify achievements, innovations, good practices, and enabling factors across Livelihood program interventions.
- Document gaps, challenges, and areas for strengthening
- To examine the sustainability of program outcomes and the institutional readiness of ChildFund India for long-term resilience and growth.
- Facilitate reflection through workshops involving staff, partners, and selected beneficiaries and provide recommendations for strategic direction, scalability, and future program priorities.
Interested evaluators/agencies are invited to submit:
- Technical proposal outlining approach and methodology
- Team composition and relevant experience
- Financial proposal with a detailed budget
- Sample of previous qualitative evaluation work
Reference No:- PRA/CFI/DEL/2025-26/053
ChildFund India reserves the right to modify this ToR based on programmatic and contextual requirements.
For detailed information, please check the complete version of the advert attached below.