1. Introduction  

2. Main objective and responsibilities  

1. Guide ongoing implementation and adaptation of the challenge strategy/ies with evidence from partner implementation, research, and other contextual evidence.  

• • Developing Challenge-level MEL Plan including further refinement of the Challenge ToC and development of any supplemental MEL frameworks;

  • Aligning programme‑level MEL systems to Challenge‑level frameworks and supporting existing Programme-level MEL Partners to align these monitoring frameworks/evaluation plans from the bottom up to the Challenge-level MEL Plans;

  • Supporting monitoring by grantee partners for challenge-level evaluation and learning (grant level monitoring is the primary responsibility of grantee partners);

  • Leading Challenge‑level evaluation focused on contribution to outcomes and emerging systems change (but not undertaking country/programme-specific, thematic or grant-level evaluations, which may be commissioned through separate contracts and could feed into the Challenge-level evaluation); and

  • Developing and facilitating the implementation of a Challenge-level learning agenda and periodic progress reflection moments.  

2. Strengthen Challenge team capabilities on evaluative thinking, strategic learning, evidence-based decision making. 

1. Facilitating (for those tenderers who opt to bid for all three challenges),  or co-facilitating (for those tenderers who opt to bid for only one challenge), learning across the three Challenges and documenting emerging good practices. 

1. Support the implementation of the MEL Approach and enable understanding of progress toward strategic objectives, contribution to change, emerging context, and implications for decision making.  

3. Porticus’ Overall Approaches to MEL 

• Utilisation-focused evaluation: The LP/s should aim to support action and decision-making in the Challenge team/s. The MEL Plan should encourage and support clear action by Heads of Challenge, S/PMs, Sector Director, and the Management Team. This means prioritising timely insights and practical recommendations. 

• Developmental evaluation: Because the Challenges operate in complex environments, Porticus adopts a developmental evaluation mindset. The LP/s should help Challenge team/s learn in real time, adjust strategies, and focus on learning for ongoing adaptation.  

• Systems thinking: Porticus aims to drive systemic change. The LP/s should be familiar with systems change frameworks and language. The aim is not to just map systems but to make sense of key drivers, leverage points, and patterns of change to inform strategy. 

• Mixed Methods: Given the nature of the work and Porticus’ position as a funder, rigorous qualitative methodologies (e.g. Outcome Mapping / Outcome Harvesting / Most Significant Change, Contribution Analysis, etc.) are well-suited to capture progress and adaptation. These approaches help capture incremental shifts in relationships, behaviours, structures, and practices that may not be visible through traditional indicators alone. Quantitative methods (e.g. statistical analysis, experimental methods etc.) should be used as well, whenever this can be done rigorously and provide value. 

• Evidence-informed practice: Porticus strives to be an evidenced-informed organisation. The LP/s should help teams use diverse internal (from Porticus and grantee partners) and external sources (from published reports, literature review, primary data collection, etc.) to make evidence accessible and applicable to decision-making rather than generating lots of data. 

• Inclusion lens: The LP/s is expected to apply an inclusion lens in their support. This includes bringing relevant expertise on inclusion and power dynamics, using disaggregated data to ensure intersectional perspectives are reflected, applying inclusive and bias-aware approaches to interpretation and facilitation, and demonstrating accountability for embedding these principles in their engagement. Applicants should briefly outline how these commitments will be reflected in their approach.  

• Meaningful Participation: MEL at Porticus is participatory where possible. The LP/s should work collaboratively with partners and, when appropriate, incorporate lived experience.  

4. Learning Partnership timeline 

5. Deliverables 

1. Develop key elements of the Porticus MEL approach in collaboration with the Challenge team/s:  

1. 1. Develop Challenge/s MEL Plan at the Challenge level.

   2. Facilitate the formulation of specific Challenge objectives, data collection methods, indicators and signals of change at regional level, as contextual examples of ToC Challenge-level outcomes.

   3. Develop progress regional/geographic markers and rubrics to assess progress toward Challenge objectives as well as trends in the context, in collaboration with the Challenge teams and possibly through consultation with grantee partners.

   4. Facilitate the continuous refinement of a Challenge ToC, change hypotheses and a strategic learning agenda, including learning questions focused on points of uncertainty in the ToC and a workplan to answer these.  

2. Produce inputs to guide the implementation and adaptation of the Challenge/s strategy: 

1. 1. Prepare recurrent internal memos/presentations/learning reports with insights from partner progress, trends, and relevant evidence presented at regional/geographic and Challenge-levels.

   2. Prepare yearly Evidence Synthesis, synthesising evidence of progress toward Challenge/s outcomes and objectives from grantee partner reporting and PM reporting. The synthesis should be complemented with stakeholder interviews, independent literature review, and external sources of evidence.

   3. Prepare a yearly Annual Impact and Learning Review, presented at regional/graphic and Challenge-levels, including the Challenge/s team’s self-assessment of progress based on rubrics, trends in the context, lessons from implementation, and implications for adaptation.  

3. Facilitate periodic strategic and evidence-informed reflection workshops with the Challenge/s team and key stakeholders: 

1. 1. Facilitate the Challenge team/s self-assessment of progress toward Challenge objectives using rubrics.

   2. Facilitate an “Evidence Day” with Porticus staff and governors, in which various pieces of evidence of progress and context are presented for collective sense-making. 

   3. Participate in selected regional meetings and grantee partner exchanges, facilitating cross-learning.  

6. LP/s team requirements 

• Proven track record co-designing MEL frameworks and evaluations. 

• Systems thinking and developmental evaluation expertise. 

• Knowledge of and experience of the Catholic Church, including specific experience, or willingness to personally learn, the current state or evidence on safeguarding, child protection, child sexual abuse, Synodality, Catholic Church structure and main doctrines, Integral Human Development, Catholic Social Teaching, and Catholic thinking in dialog with sciences and society. 

• Experience in mixed methods research capability. 

• Understanding of intersectionality and experience with integrating Inclusion considerations into MEL. 

• Strong facilitation and partnership brokering skills with experience with multi-stakeholder, multi-country collaboration. 

• Strong communication and synthesis skills to capture sector-wide learning and translate into digestible knowledge products accessible to a range of audiences (including non-technical). 

• Genuine interest in the topic and readiness to engage as an equal partner to discern, learn, reflect and collaborate. 

• Flexibility to work across time-zones and to adapt to change and new circumstances. 

• Fluency in written, spoken English required and knowledge of other languages an asset. 

7. Guidelines for Proposals and Budget  

1. One Challenge only, indicating which of the three (BVC, CP, or VCT Challenge) 

2. All three Challenges i.e. the Faith Sector 

• Methodological approach 

• • How the candidate will approach the LP/s to meet the purpose presented above, including development of Challenge-level MEL Plan, rubrics/progress markers, strategic learning agenda, facilitation of team reflection workshops, ongoing adaptation of theory of change and change hypotheses etc. 

• How the candidate will approach stakeholder engagement and global/multi-regional character of assignment. 

• Management of the LP/s 

• • Including roles and responsibilities, division of labour, quality control, etc. 

• Team profile 

• • Proposed team composition and brief summary of candidate experience and how it meets the purpose and need of the assignment 

• References from clients 

• Workplan 

• • Activities presented in timeline, demonstrating how work will be effectively accomplished using budget and time available 

• Budget 

• • Including breakdown by deliverables/activities and team members. It should include day rate and number of days per team member. Budget should include any travel costs. The maximum available budget for the LP for each Challenge is 500,000 EUR with anticipated cost savings to support the full Sector as a single LP spread over the remaining duration of the Challenge timeline (2026-2028). 

• Monitoring & Evaluation Learning Questions 

• Updated 2025 Challenge ToCs 

• Key Challenge Resources  

• Faith Sector MEL Practice Logic Flow 

• MEL Practice Implementation Timeline 2026 

• Approach to MEL – presentation 

• Approach to MEL – guidance