Consultant for Final Evaluation of IOM-UNDP project: “Beyond Bentiu Protection of Civilian Site (PoC) Youth Reintegration Strategy: Creating Condition 74 views0 applications

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Consultant for Final Evaluation of IOM-UNDP project: “Beyond Bentiu Protection of Civilian Site (PoC) Youth Reintegration Strategy: Creating Conditions for Peaceful Coexistence between Youth Internally Displaced Persons, Returnees and Host Community Members”

1. Background and context

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) secured funding under the 2017 United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) / Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) for the joint project “Beyond Bentiu Protection of Civilian (PoC) Site Youth Reintegration Strategy: Creating Conditions for Peaceful Coexistence between Youth Internally Displaced Persons, Returnees and Host Community Members”. The project aims to strengthen foundations for peace through creating platforms for youth dialogue, rehabilitating and constructing key community infrastructure and fostering positive economic and social interdependencies between youth internally displaced persons (IDP), returnees and host community members.

The project was developed following the successful launch of the “Beyond Bentiu Response” by humanitarian players in early 2016 to establish a durable alternative to the PoC through expanded service provision and enhanced quality of life outside of the PoC. The project has three components:

1. Creating a strong evidence base and analysis to understand conflict drivers, return patterns and immediate interventions required to solidify sustainable returns of youth IDPs;
2. Strengthened mediation and reconciliation mechanisms in the Bentiu PoC and between IDPs, returnees and host communities; and
3. Strengthened economic and social interdependencies for the IDPs, returnees and host community through livelihoods and rehabilitation of critical community infrastructure.

2. Purpose of the Evaluation

The “Beyond Bentiu Protection of Civilian (PoC) Site Youth Reintegration Strategy” project ends on 30 June 2019[1]. This end-line evaluation is being conducted at the request of the project stakeholders; IOM, UNDP, PBSO to assess the project’s contribution towards “strengthening foundations for peace through creating platforms for youth dialogue, rehabilitating and constructing key community infrastructure, and fostering positive economic and social interdependencies between youth IDP returnees and host community members.” The evaluation is summative in nature, forward looking and utilisation focussed, and will assess the extent to which the outcomes (intended and unintended) have been achieved, elaborate lessons and best practices and recommend strategies to enhance operational and programmatic effectiveness for current and future peacebuilding projects. As per the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) criteria, the evaluation will assess relevance, effectiveness and efficiency, potential sustainability of the project.

3. Evaluation scope and objectives Scope

a. Scope

The end-line evaluation will cover the period of September 2017 to June 2019 in Bentiu and Rubkona. The evaluation will cover project conceptualisation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of results; focusing on extent to which the various indicators were met (performance of indicators), at the same time assessing the project’s relevance, efficiency, sustainability and contribution towards human rights, social inclusion and gender equality.

b. Objectives

The specific objectives of the evaluation are as follows:

1. Determine the relevance and strategic positioning of the project to the peacebuilding needs in Bentiu and Rubkona communities and in South Sudan as a whole.
2. Assess a) the progress made towards project results and whether there were any unintended results and b) what can be derived in terms of lessons learned for ongoing and future UNDP and IOM support towards peacebuilding initiatives in South Sudan
3. Review the frameworks and strategies that IOM, UNDP and partners devised to deliver the project and whether they were well conceived for achieving planned results.
4. Analyse the extent to which the project enhanced application of a rights-based approach, gender equality and women’s empowerment, social and environmental standards and participation of other socially vulnerable groups such as children and the disabled.

4. The Evaluation Questions

Evaluation questions define the information that the evaluation will generate. This section proposes the questions that, when answered, will give intended users of the evaluation the information they seek in order to make decisions, act or add to knowledge. Questions will be grouped according to the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria: (a) relevance; (b) effectiveness; (c) efficiency; and (d) sustainability and include human rights, social inclusion and gender dimensions. Evaluators will suggest the questions, and these will be agreed to by IOM and UNDP.

5. Methodology

The evaluation will be carried out in accordance with; IOM and UNDP evaluation guidelines and policies, United Nations Group Evaluation Norms and Ethical Standards; OECD/DAC evaluation principles and guidelines and DAC Evaluation Quality Standards.

The evaluation should employ a combination of both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods and instruments including:

a. Document review of all relevant documentation. This would include a review of inter alia; project document (contribution agreement); theory of change and results framework; annual workplans; consolidated quarterly and annual reports; highlights of project board meetings and technical/financial monitoring reports.

b. Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders including key government counterparts, donor community members, representatives of key civil society organizations, UNCT members and implementing partners.

c. Field visits and on-site validation of key tangible outputs and interventions. Other methods such as outcome mapping, observational visits, group discussions should be employed as necessary.

d. Data review and analysis of monitoring and other data sources and methods should ensure maximum validity, reliability of data (quality) and promote use; the evaluation team will ensure triangulation of the various data sources.

The evaluators are expected to follow a participatory and consultative approach that ensures close engagement with the evaluation managers, implementing partners and direct beneficiaries. The final methodological approach including interview schedules, field visits and data to be used in the evaluation should be clearly outlined in the inception report and be fully discussed and agreed between IOM, UNDP, stakeholders and the evaluators.

6. Expected Deliverables:**

The Consultant will support the International Consultant in ensuring timely and quality delivery of the following:

a. Evaluation inception report

b. Evaluation debriefings

c. Draft evaluation report

d. Evaluation report audit trail.

e. Final evaluation report and

f. Presentations to stakeholders

7. Timeframe for the Evaluation Process.

The evaluation is expected to begin in June 2019 with an estimated 40 working days timeline.

8. Evaluation team and competencies required

6.1 Team

The evaluation team will comprise one international consultant (Team Leader) and national consultant who were, at no point directly associated with the design and implementation of any of the activities associated with the outcomes.

6.2 Competencies

· Minimum Master’s degree in Law, Public Policy and Management, Public Administration, Development studies, International Development, or any other relevant university degree;

· Extensive expertise, knowledge, and experience in the fields of community security, conflict prevention, peace building and reconciliation, governance, inclusive participation, gender mainstreaming and human rights promotion

· Minimum 5 years of professional experience preferably in development, humanitarian aid, peace-building and related fields, including field experience, gender equality and social services.

· At least 2 years professional experience in conducting evaluations (of similar nature) in development, humanitarian aid, peace-building and related fields, including field experience.

· Knowledge on the political, economic and/or social affairs in South Sudan a strong advantage

· Excellent writing skills with a strong background in report drafting;

· Demonstrated ability and willingness to work with people of different cultural, ethnic and religious background, different gender, and diverse political views;

· Ability to use critical thinking, conceptualize ideas, and articulate relevant subject matter concisely.

9. Implementation arrangements

IOM and UNDP will select the evaluators through an open and competitive process. UNDP and IOM will be responsible for the management of the evaluators and will in this regard designate focal persons for the evaluation and any additional staff to assist in facilitating the process (e.g., providing relevant documentation, arranging visits/interviews with key informants, etc.)

The designated project focal points will assist the evaluators in arranging introductory meetings with the relevant parties in UNDP and IOM, partners and government and civil society. The evaluators will take responsibility for setting up meetings and conducting the evaluation, subject to approval of the methodology submitted in the inception report. UNDP and IOM will develop a management response to the evaluation within two weeks of report finalization.

10. Duty Station

The duty station of the evaluation is Juba, South Sudan. However, the evaluators will be required to travel to Bentiu and Rubkona as part of the evaluation. Office space and limited administrative and logistical support will be provided. The consultant will use her/his own laptop and cell phone.

[1] Project duration was extended by 6 months to June 2019 to allow for project completion