Consultant for Project Evaluation – Water Access and Health Security

Work location:

Remote with travel for field work in Kiribati

Reports to:

Asia-Pacific Program Manager

Duration:

Estimated 25 work days between December 2025 and February 2026

Background

Kiribati is one of the world’s most vulnerable island nations, with geographic isolation, scarce land resources, and fragile ecosystems shaping daily life. Communities, particularly on outer islands such as Aranuka, Kuria, and Marakei, rely heavily on shallow groundwater and open wells for domestic use. These sources are increasingly compromised by saline intrusion, rubbish, and human waste, compounded by prolonged droughts and the impacts of climate change. As a result, many households lack consistent access to safe water, with rural populations disproportionately affected compared to urban centres. The burden of collecting and treating water falls primarily on women, who also shoulder responsibility for cooking, gardening, and caring for family members.

Limited water security has direct consequences for community health. Only a small fraction of households have water free from contamination, leading to high rates of diarrhea, dysentery, gastroenteritis, and other preventable illnesses. Kiribati has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the Pacific, often linked to unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation. Women and girls face additional challenges in managing menstrual hygiene where adequate water and facilities are unavailable. Health services are sparse on remote islands, and difficulties accessing medical care exacerbate the effects of waterborne diseases.

Nutrition challenges further compound these issues. While Kiribati once maintained a “subsistence-affluent” lifestyle, dependence on imported, processed foods has risen sharply. Households often lack the means or knowledge to grow sufficient local produce, leading to poor diets with low diversity and inadequate micronutrient intake. Rates of obesity and diabetes in Kiribati are among the highest globally, with more than half of women and nearly half of men classified as obese. Strengthening water access, improving sanitation, and supporting local food production are therefore central to tackling the intertwined challenges of health, nutrition, and livelihoods across the islands.

From July 2023 to June 2026, Action on Poverty (AOP) and the Foundation for the People of the South Pacific- Kiribati (FSPK) are implementing the ‘Water Access and Health Security’ project in Aranuka, Kuria, and Marakei Islands in Kiribati. The total budget of the project is 155,000 AUD. The project intends to reach over 2,000 people over the life of the project. Most of the project activities will be completed by December 2025.

The project seeks to improve health and wellbeing through:

• Improved access to safe and reliable water

• Increased household consumption of fresh produce

• Enhanced knowledge of health, hygiene, and environmental cleanliness

• Strengthened leadership of women in water management.

The project is supported by the Australian Government under the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). The project engages women and men across communities on the three islands.

Action on Poverty (AOP) is a not-for-profit, secular organisation established in Australia in 1968. AOP works across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, supporting community-led development with local partners. AOP believes in strengthening local civil society organisations and empowering communities to achieve their development aspirations. AOP has supported the project with technical assistance in monitoring and evaluation such as designing of data collection tools and on-site field monitoring. AOP has also provided support in strengthening project management skills including financial reporting.

Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific – Kiribati (FSPK) is a registered NGO in Kiribati with expertise in non-formal education and training in health, water and sanitation, agroforestry, and environmental management. FSPK has a long history of working with vulnerable rural communities in Kiribati to improve health and wellbeing. FSPK’s role in the project is coordination with the Island Councils in each project target islands. They lead implementation of activities such as conducting workshops in partnerships with government staff on the islands such as Water Technicians and Agriculture Assistants who are representing line ministries.

Evaluation Objectives

The overall evaluation objectives are:

1. To determine the project’s relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, coherence, impact, and sustainability.
2. To identify lessons learned and best practice from the project which could be applied for future projects.

The evaluation findings will be used in the following ways:

• Demonstrating FSPK and AOP accountability

• Understanding how the project has achieved its results (both negative and positive)

• Communicating stories of change to stakeholders and the broader development community

• Informing future projects and approaches moving forward

• Providing baseline data for future design, monitoring, evaluation and learning (DMEL)

The primary audiences of this evaluation are: DFAT, AOP, FSPK and local partners, local governments, and the project’s beneficiaries. Future partners and wider development community are the secondary audiences of the study.

Scope of Work

The final evaluation will scope the ‘Water Access and Health Security’ project for the period of ********* in its impact areas in Aranuka, Kuria, and Marakei Islands . The evaluation will provide a comprehensive review of the project results, approaches, partnerships, and management. The findings will be shared with DFAT by the end of June 2026.

Key Responsibilities

1. Reviewing project design, strategy, and implementation against stated objectives and logframe. Assessing outcomes in relation to the four outcome areas of the project (community access to safe water; household food production and consumption; hygiene, nutrition, and cleanliness knowledge and practices and Women’s participation and leadership in water management)
2. Evaluating project efficiency in resource use and timeliness.
3. Examining sustainability of water infrastructure, gardens, and knowledge transfer. – Assessing the extent how safeguarding was addressed within the project with target communities to prevent child protection breaches and sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. – Estimating Social Return on Investment (SROI) for the project, highlighting social and economic benefits beyond traditional outputs.
4. Capturing lessons learned and good practices.
5. Providing clear, actionable recommendations for AOP and FSPK.

Methodology

The consultant will employ participatory and gender-sensitive evaluation methods. Practices such as sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data analysis is a must, and all relevant ethical standards should be considered while conducting the study. Evaluation methods can include but not limit to:

• Desk review of project documents and monitoring data

• Interviews with AOP, FSPK, Island Councils, and government stakeholders

• Focus group discussions with men, women, youth, and people with disabilities

• Interview project participants in project communities

• Observation of infrastructure, gardens, and community activities

The consultant(s) will be provided AOP and FSPK’s policies and must adhere to AOP and FSPK’s values and strategies for development work.

It is important to note that delays in the evaluation process, particularly its fieldwork due to natural disasters or national events are possible. The consultants should develop a back-up plan for data collection in case of difficulties to travel.

Evaluation Questions

The final evaluation will be guided by the following questions, structured around the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria and tailored to the objectives of the Water Access and Health Security Project.

Criteria

Questions

Relevance

• To what extent were the project objectives responsive to the needs and priorities of target communities?

• How well did the project align with national policies, DFAT priorities, and Island Council development plans?

• Were gender and disability considerations adequately integrated into project design and implementation?

Cohesion

• How well did the project complement or align with other WASH, health, nutrition, and livelihoods initiatives in Kiribati?

• Were there synergies or overlaps with government or NGO programs, and how were they managed?

• To what extent did partnerships between AOP, FSPK, and local stakeholders add value?

Effectiveness

• To what extent has the project achieved its planned objectives? Any positive/negative changes brought by the project out of plan? Why did those changes happen?

• To what extent was inclusion considered and achieved in the project?

• To what extent has the project achieved value for money?

Efficiency

• To what extent were the project resources (financial, human, and time) used in a cost-effective and timely manner?

• How efficient were the project’s delivery mechanisms (community mobilisation, training, infrastructure works, coordination)?

• Were there alternative approaches that could have delivered equal or greater results with fewer resources?

Impact

• What observable changes in health, nutrition, and wellbeing occurred at household and community levels as a result of the project?

• To what extent did women’s leadership in water management influence broader community decision-making and gender norms?

• Did the project generate any unintended (positive or negative) outcomes?

• What other social and economic values did the project add as SROI?

Sustainability

• Are the benefits brought by the project likely to continue after the project has been completed and no more donor funding is available? Identify opportunities for replication and scaling-up of the project. Include examples of replication if any.

• What is the capacity of local institutions (Island Councils, women’s groups, community committees) to continue supporting project outcomes?

• How well were communities engaged in ownership and maintenance of water and garden infrastructure?

Project management

• How effective are the in-place mechanisms to track project implementation of the project?

• Has safeguarding of children and vulnerable people been integrated into the project?

• How have recommendations from previous evaluations been incorporated in the implementation of this project?

• How was the quality of the organisational and managerial structure of the project? How was the participation of stakeholders during all project phases?

• What lessons learned and good practices emerged from project design and implementation?

• What adaptive measures were taken during implementation, and how effective were they?

Deliverables

The evaluation’s findings and recommendations will be thoroughly discussed with FSPK and AOP.

The consultant (team) is expected to provide:

• A proposal with tools and methodologies, sample, timeframe and budget

• An Inception Report with methodology, detailed tools, and workplan (within 2 weeks of contract)

• A draft Evaluation Report, maximum 30–40 pages for feedback from AOP and FSPK

• A final Evaluation Report incorporating feedback, including executive summary, findings, case studies, lessons, and recommendations

• Presentation to AOP and FSPK to present key findings and recommendations

• All raw data collected including transcriptions, pictures, consent forms, records (if any); and analysis findings.

Duration of Assignment

The consultancy will take place between December 2025 and February 2026, for a total estimated number of workdays as 25 days, including fieldwork in Kiribati.

Activity

Estimated Number of Days and indicative timeline

Inception

Meeting with AOP and FSPK

Drafting of the inception report with workplan and methodology

2.5 days December 2025

Desk review

Desk review of project documents

3 days December to January 2025

Field work in Kiribati 

Data collection in project island(s) and Tarawa

14 days including travel in late January to early February 2026

Reporting  

Data analysis, report drafting, presentation of results to AOP and FSPK

5 days February 2026

Report finalization and submission

Incorporating comments and finalising the report

0.5 days February 2026

Total: 25 days

Management and Reporting Arrangements

The consultant will report to the AOP Project Manager. AOP and FSPK will provide logistical support, access to project documentation, and introductions to key stakeholders.

Required q ualifications and s kills

• Proven experience in international development project evaluations

• Technical expertise in WASH, health, nutrition, food security, and/or gender equality

• Strong knowledge of participatory and gender-sensitive evaluation methods

• Experience working in the Pacific, preferably with experience and knowledge of the Kiribati context

• Excellent analytical, communication, and report writing skills

• High professional integrity, objectivity, and cultural sensitivity.

• Ability to work independently while maintaining a collaborative spirit.

• Commitment to AOP’s values of integrity, respect, innovation, excellence, and collaboration.

Application Instructions

Interested consultants are invited to submit:

• A cover letter detailing relevant experience and proposed approach

• CV(s) of the consultant or team members

• Proposed methodology and workplan

• Budget proposal, including fees and expenses in AUD with exchange rate information

• Two references from similar assignments, including samples previously produced by the consultant (team) to demonstrate relevant experiences.

Deadline for applications: 10 October 2025

Applications should be submitted to with the subject line: WAHS Evaluation Consultant – (Your Name/Organisation) . For further inquiries, please contact our HR focal point through

Due to the high volume of applications we anticipate receiving, only candidates selected for shortlisting will be contacted.

AOP celebrates diversity and is proud to be an inclusive, child-safe workplace. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and experiences, and are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and respected. Our recruitment decisions are guided by merit and our dedication to creating a workplace that reflects the communities we serve.

As part of our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable people, all team members will participate in reference checks and relevant background screenings, including police and working with children checks. We believe that creating a safe environment is a shared responsibility, and we encourage every member of our team to look out for one another and to promote a culture of care, dignity, and wellbeing.