What is a Terms of Reference?
Terms of Reference, or TOR, is a strategic level document that provides an overview of the requirements and expectations of any particular project. They are commonly used in humanitarian projects ranging from WASH to GBV, livelihood, or protection. TORs include information about the project, such as background information on the project itself, the objectives of the project, the questions to be answered by the evaluation, and much more.
Before a TOR is developed, the proposed project will have already gone through some initial kickoff stages i.e. project will have been identified, clearly defined, and planned. The TOR then serves as a basis of a contractual agreement between the agent offering the tender and the individual or firm interested in working on the project. A good TOR will have certain criteria which makes the proposal easy to understand for any outside party interested in engaging with the project.
TORs provide detailed answers to the following questions about an evaluation:
- WHY and for WHOM the evaluation is being done: it identifies the reasons for the evaluation, the purpose and its intended users.
- WHAT it intends to accomplish: it describes the focus, the scope and the expected achievements.
- HOW it will be accomplished: it guides the execution of the evaluation and provides a basis for a cost projection.
- WHO will be involved in the evaluation: it details the stakeholders that will participate in the evaluation.
- WHEN milestones will be reached and when the evaluation will be completed: it sets a schedule and timeframe.
However, good TORs can often be hard to come by. That is why our team at Trust has made an easy-to-follow checklist for the next time you need to write or review a TOR. Be sure to continue to the end for a special treat of top TOR pet peeves with our staff here at Trust Consultancy!
There you have it in a nutshell. 8 concise factors that make a great TOR. These 8 key factors should be included in any TOR if you want the reader to fully understand the context, scope and fine points of any project.
Unfortunately, not all TORs are written with such pinpoint accuracy. In fact, after asking some of our more experienced staff here at Trust Consultancy, we found a few common problems that popped up time and time again when reviewing TORs.
Check out some of the comments below, and try to avoid the same mistakes in your future TOR endeavors.
Common Problems with TORs Encountered at Trust
Geographical Location – Numbers of beneficiaries/stakeholders/participants/surveys – Unrealistic Expectations – Inconsistencies – Vagueness – Online or in–person
“Lack of info on geographical location & lack of details on beneficiaries/stakeholders – primarily in terms of numbers.”
“Unrealistic timetables.”
“One of them definitely is lack of information… Most ToRs are very vague.”
“How many locations they covered, what activities were done in each location, how many people did they target, etc.”
“Another common problem is you might find contradictory information.”
“Leaving out important basic information, like language, number of trainees, if it’s in person or online.”
“Sometimes in the ToR the client doesn’t mention the specific/targeted groups that they cover in the project. Sometimes there’s also no mention about the numbers of the targeted beneficiaries/other groups that they target, which is making it difficult to develop the methodology and sampling.”
Ressources to create a quality checklist for a Third-Party Monitoring ToR:
- https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/evaluation/doc/05102016/prep_writing_tor.pdf
- https://mymanagementguide.com/terms-of-reference-tor-template/
- https://www.evalpartners.org/toolkit/2-1-how-to-draft-the-terms-of-reference
- https://www.evalpartners.org/sites/default/files/toolkit/TechNote2_TOR.pdf
- https://www.evalpartners.org/sites/default/files/toolkit/Tor.pdf
- https://www.apsc.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/workforce-information/taskforce-toolkit/scope/develop-terms-reference
- https://www.ab.gov.tr/files/SEI-Icerik/abgs_approved_final_web21.pdf
- Roberts, D., Khattri, N., & Wessal, A. (2011). Writing Terms of Reference for an Evaluation: A How To Guide.
About the Author:
Daniel is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Global Development at Copenhagen University. In his spare time, Daniel is operating as a Team Leader at 180 Degrees Consulting around the topic of Sustainability & Risk Assessment within the Global Supply Chain, for one of Africa’s largest aquaculture firms. He combines this with his work as a Research Assistant at Copenhagen University. Again, focusing on the topic of Global Supply Chains and the internalized risk climate change has placed upon them. He has experience in the field of education, and also has a keen interest in economic development and behavioral economics.
Read more about Daniel on LinkedIn.
