Independent Evaluation Consultant for the Project “Enhancing Stakeholder Awareness and Resources for Hate Crime Victim Support (EStAR)”

Background

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is seeking an experienced consultant (hereafter “evaluator”) to undertake an objective and independent mid-term evaluation of the project “Enhancing Stakeholder Awareness and Resources for Hate Crime Victim Support (EStAR)”. The evaluation will take place between November 2020 and January 2021. The number of working days envisaged for the assignment – 15.
ODIHR is the principal institution of the OSCE responsible for the human dimension of security. It is active throughout the OSCE area in the fields of election observation, democratic development, human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination, and rule of law. A number of instruments adopted on OSCE and EU levels have recognized a special standing of victims of hate crimes: they require sensitive treatment and enhanced protection from criminal justice actors, and specialist assistance from support service providers. OSCE commitments note the need to ensure hate crime victimsí access to justice, training for law enforcement on victim treatment, and the need for specialist assistance, or collaboration with and support for civil society organizations able to provide such assistance.

In January 2020, ODIHR launched the project “Enhancing Stakeholder Awareness and Resources for Hate Crime Victim Support (EStAR)” to promote the implementation of OSCE/EU commitments, standards and guidance on hate crime victim protection and support in the EU and relevant associated and candidate countries, achieving three results that directly support the priorities of the call:

• National stakeholders have increased awareness of hate crime victimsí rights and needs, of OSCE/EU standards and good practices in hate crime victim support, and have access to a European expert network.
• Criminal justice institutions, government and civil society victim support organizations have increased information and guidance on structural frameworks involving co-operation to protect and assist hate crime victims.
• National stakeholders have a broader range of tools and approaches available to facilitate protection of hate crime victims in criminal proceedings and provide specialist support.

“Enhancing Stakeholder Awareness and Resources for Hate Crime Victim Support (EStAR)î is an EU-funded project, implemented by ODIHR in partnership with the Association of Counseling Centers for Victims of Right-wing, Racist and AntiSemitic Violence in Germany (VBRG).

Tasks and Responsibilities

The aim of the mid-term evaluation is to: a) assess the emerging impact and success of the project; b) assess the sustainability of the various project outputs; c) identify lessons learned and good practices that can inform future activities of the project, including the COVID-19 pandemics influence on project implementation modalities. The evaluation will seek to understand whether the design is optimally linked to achieving the intended objective, taking into account external factors that are contributing to or are constraining the delivery of outcomes.

• The mid-term evaluation will include all relevant activities undertaken between January 2020 (launch of the project) and December 2020.
• The mid-term evaluation will also consider how the project design, implementation and delivery take into account the needs of women and men and how it impacts them.
• The mid-term evaluation will also provide recommendations on how to further improve gender mainstreaming in future activities of the project taking stock of the necessity to ensure there is not a hierarchy of victim needs promoted above others.
• The mid-term evaluation will be based on the six Development Assistance Criteria (DAC) as laid out in the DAC Principles for evaluation of Development Assistance (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, and coherence) , and one adapted evaluation criteria of added value. The mid-term evaluation will include special consideration of the political objectives of the OSCE, the intergovernmental nature of the Organization and the political and administrative context in which ODIHR operates. The mid-term evaluation will be also carried out following ìEvaluation methodological approachî, defined by the European Union.
• The focus of the mid-term evaluation will be on the project beneficiaries, i.e. groups or entities with whom ODIHR has interacted under the auspices of the project implementation directly or indirectly and whom it can be anticipated that the project implementation has been able to influence.
• A detailed mid-term evaluation design will be developed by the evaluator and should make use of a mix of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools: desk review, surveys, questionnaires and interviews, as well as review of other documentation such as financial information.
• The desk review will mainly include the following type of documents: project documentation, reports, agendas, presentations and training materials, and participant feedback forms.
• The mid-term evaluation should be carried out with full consideration of the safety and confidentiality of all persons participating in the project.

Necessary Qualifications, Experience and Skills:

• Advanced university degree (Masterís degree or equivalent) in law, political science, social science, international relations, international development, peace and conflict, human rights, or other relevant disciplines. A combination of relevant academic qualifications and extensive experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Extensive experience (minimum 7 years) of designing/implementing and conducting evaluations, in particular of projects implemented at the international level, e.g. EU-funded projects, in the fields of human rights and/or democracy assistance or other relevant fields.
• Thematic knowledge of human rights, including topics such as tolerance and non-discrimination, victim centered approaches, gender equality and hate crime would be advantageous.
• Comprehensive understanding of gender mainstreaming in projects and experience in applying gender mainstreaming in evaluation methodology.
• Professional knowledge of English.
• Ability and professional experience of inter-cultural environments and professional conduct with significant political tact.
• Experience with the OSCE would be an advantage.