ImpactMojoA Terms of Reference that gets you research worth paying for
Most weak research starts with a weak ToR. This is the template — and the thinking behind it — that turns a vague request into a scope good consultants want to bid on.
Editable Word file · used with the free ToR Builder · delivered to your inbox within 24 hours of payment.
Why a ToR is the cheapest place to fix an evaluation
Here is a pattern anyone who has commissioned research knows. A study is needed. Someone writes a page or two — background, "objectives", a budget line — and sends it out. Proposals come back wildly different, because the question was never really defined. Months later a report arrives that answers a question nobody asked, and the money is gone.
The expensive mistakes in research are almost never made during the fieldwork. They are made in the Terms of Reference — the moment the question, the scope, and the expectations are set. Get the ToR right and an average consultant will do useful work. Get it wrong and the best consultant in the country cannot save it.
This template is the ToR we wished every commissioner used. Every section carries a short prompt telling you what good looks like — so you are not staring at a blank page wondering what a "scope" or a "methodology expectation" should actually say. It is built on the same framework as our ToR Practice Pack and the free ToR Builder.
What a clear ToR changes
What's inside
- An 11-section ToR structure ready to fill — background, purpose, objectives, type of enquiry, key questions, scope, methodology, deliverables, team, budget, how to apply
- A short guidance prompt under every section telling you what "good" looks like
- The three-dimension enquiry framing (outcome/process/theory-based · quant/qual/mixed · cross-sectional/longitudinal) so method follows the question
- An indicative-budget pointer that pairs with the Budget & Costing template
- Fully editable Word file — brand it, trim it, reuse it for every study
Sample pages
The real template, watermarked. The file you receive after payment is clean and fully editable.
1. Background & Rationale
2. Purpose
3. Objectives
4. Type of Enquiry
Buy it — ₹199
Pay by UPI
Scan the code, or pay to the UPI ID below (amount ₹199).
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Paid? Tell us where to send the file. Delivered within 24 hours.
How delivery works
- Pay ₹199 by UPI (scan the QR or use impactmojo@ibl), or order on WhatsApp.
- Fill the short form with your email and the UPI reference number.
- We confirm the payment and email you the clean, editable file — within 24 hours, usually much sooner.
Questions? Contact us. Refunds per our refund policy.
Get the whole Evaluation Essentials Kit
All 15 templates, the workbook and the trainer deck — including this ToR. ₹1,999 instead of ₹3,500+ separately.
FAQ
What format is it?
An editable Microsoft Word (.docx) file that also opens in Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages.
Can I reuse it for multiple studies?
Yes — buy once, use it for every ToR you write. It's licensed for your own and your organisation's work.
How fast is delivery?
Within 24 hours of confirming payment, usually much sooner. We verify the UPI reference, then email the file.
Isn't there a free ToR tool?
Yes — the ToR Builder drafts a ToR in your browser. This template is the editable document version you keep, share and standardise across your team.