Evaluation Consultant

About ITF

ITF Enhancing Human Security (ITF) is a Slovenian humanitarian and non-profit organization. ITF has over 20 years’ experience in project management of implementing humanitarian mine action and conventional weapons destruction (CWD) programs. Established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in March 1998, the initial purpose of ITF was to help Bosnia and Herzegovina in the implementation of the peace agreement and to provide assistance and support in relation to post-conflict rehabilitation. Since its inception, ITF has augmented its activities to include the rectification of landmine problems and helping landmine survivors with physical and socio-economic rehabilitation across the region, i.e. in Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. As the European Commission acknowledged ITF as the reference model of regional organization in mine action, ITF was asked by mine-affected countries and donors to expand operation to other mine-affected regions and countries as well e.g. Cyprus, South Caucasus, Middle East and Central Asia. To date, ITF has operated in over 30 countries around the world, including Libya, Afghanistan, Colombia, Lebanon and Jordan. In 2018, ITF was granted the status of an EU Member States’ Specialized Agency.

Purpose of the Consultancy / Evaluation

The consultancy encompasses the conduct of the final evaluation of a project, implemented in North East Syria and scheduled to conclude on 15 December 2020. The evaluation aims to:

• ensure the high level of quality and effectiveness of development activities. It shall serve as an instrument for project and programme managers on the side of ADA and ITF with its partners to assess and possibly improve future implementation. Thus, it essentially contributes to an ongoing process of learning of what interventions and approaches work and which do not, both in the ADA and ITF. At the same time, it is helping partner organisations improve their work and programming in the field.
• account for the use of funds received towards political decision-makers and tax payers and assess their efficient use. In this way, the evaluation is envisioned to inform the public on the value-for-money of this specific humanitarian initiative in light of the project achievements.

Depending on the trajectory of the COVID-19 and limitations on mobility and access, the end purpose of the evaluation may be more limited.

Project Summary

This project was designed to address the consequences of the widespread use of various types of weaponry in the ongoing conflict in Syria, especially in the relatively accessible and relatively safe North East of the country. The conflict has left behind a range of explosive hazards including improvised explosive devices (IEDs), landmines, and explosive remnants of war (ERW), which prevent the safe and sustainable returns, cause civilian deaths and injuries, exacerbate vulnerabilities, hinder safe access to humanitarian support, basic services and livelihoods, and ultimately compound the humanitarian crisis. The project was additionally based on the premise that North East Syria (NES) is considered the breadbasket of the country, and agriculture is a major source of income. The suspected explosive hazards contamination thus has a major impact on the accessibility of arable land and the ability of farmers to cultivate their land, further affecting their food security.

The project is managed by ITF Enhancing Human Security (ITF), a Slovenia-based non-profit organization with over 20 years of experience managing mine action and human security projects around the globe. ITF brought on board two implementing partners to address the threats posed by explosive hazards contamination with two sets of activities:

• Survey and Clearance of Explosive Hazards (Implementing Partner I) refers to activities of identifying and safely removing found explosive hazards in a systematic manner. They encompass: (1) assessment, non-technical and technical survey activities on land affected by explosive hazard, and release of non-affected land with reaching out to the affected communities; (2) systematic and controlled clearance of land and infrastructure through ERW and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance operations, which is then returned to local population and put to use. Items that present a serious hazard to the civilian population and the environment are thus removed. As for all clearance operations, these activities are implemented in regards to highest quality assurance and quality control standards. – The area of operations is Al Hasakah Governorate, with specific focus on the area along the Khabur River south of Al Hasakah City, with suspected contamination of land that would – when safe – be used for agricultural purposes.
• Risk Education (Implementing Partner II) refers to activities which seek to reduce the risk of injury from mines/UXO by raising awareness and promoting behavioral change. This is including public information dissemination, education and training, and community mine action liaison.” These activities include advocacy and education about all types of explosive hazards that present a threat to the civilian population. It is important that the messages are delivered in an understandable and clear manner, taking into account cultural and local context. The messages are also specifically designed for beneficiaries, and as such adapted for different ages, genders, disabilities, languages etc. depending on the local environment.

Evaluation Scope and Scenario Planning

The evaluation will provide a final review of the activities that have taken place since the beginning of the project until the conclusion of the works. The evaluation will look at the risk education activities set to complete on 30 September 2020, and at the activities within the scope of clearance of explosive hazards set to complete on 15 December 2020. Data collection may be carried out separately for the two project components, depending on the informed judgement of the evaluator/evaluating team.

Due to the unique global situation during which the project to be evaluated is being implemented, the evaluation will primarily focus on the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria of relevance and effectiveness, and to a limited extent also on the criteria of efficiency and impact. This focus is taking into account the difficult and fluid security operational environment in NES, the accessibility of the region, restricted international mobility (including e.g. border closures, quarantine, curfews), health-related risks, and the rapidly changing circumstances. Depending on the situation, the focus may be further adjusted. In light of this fluid situation, and in consideration to the safety of staff, consultants, stakeholders and communities, ITF and its donor envision two potential scenarios for the implementation of this evaluation.

• Scenario 1 (S1): In case of accessibility of the project area of operations and the relative physical and health-related safety of travel to the area, a traditional evaluation inclusive of a field mission is envisioned. The evaluator/evaluating team will work out of their home location with travel to North East Syria (one or two field mission estimated at around 15 days in total) through the Kurdistan Region – Iraq. This shall entail in-person data collection, such as interviews with beneficiaries, focus groups etc. in order to ensure stakeholder participation.
• Scenario 2 (S2): In case the project area of operations will not be accessible for security or other reasons during the timeline of the evaluation or in case the health risks evaluator/evaluating team’s travel to the area would be considered too high, a remote evaluation is envisioned. Should such a scenario play out, the contracting authority acknowledges the limited reliability and applicability of evaluation’s findings. In such a scenario, the evaluation questions to be answered shall be limited, and methodology shall be adapted. Methodology that can be implemented virtually, including, for example, the use of remote interview methods and extended desk reviews, data analysis, surveys and evaluation questionnaires shall be applicable in this case. It is also possible international consultants work remotely with national evaluator support in the field provided that it is safe for them to operate and travel, and that ethnic/religious or other bias can be avoided. Considering that implementing an evaluation during a pandemic is a learning process for everyone involved in this evaluation, the contracting authority is also open to other innovative approaches on the condition that the evaluator/evaluating team only draw realistic conclusions from the limited data sets and keep in mind their potential bias. The details of S2 should be detailed in the Inception report and agreed with the contracting authority.

The full Terms of Reference for this consultancy are available at ITF’s website: https://www.itf.si/open-calls

Provisional Timetable

A total of 25 to 30 working days is currently estimated for this assignment. The indicative timeline of the consultancy is below. The timeline is subject to change depending on the security considerations and the global and regional public health situation.

Submission of bid (electronically) 15 Oct 2020

Contract signed between ITF and consultant 29 Oct 2020

Kick-Off meeting between contractor and consultant 3 Nov 2020

Cut-off date for scenario decision 3 Nov 2020

Desk study 9 Nov 2020

First interviews 19 Nov 2020

Submission of draft inception report 26 Nov 2020

Submission of final inception report 4 Dec 2020

Field visit, interviews etc. and feedback workshop 25 Dec 2020

Submission of final draft report 18 Jan 2021

Presentation of final draft report 25 Jan 2021

Inclusion of feedback in final draft report 1 Feb 2021

Submission of final evaluation report (hard copy and electronic copy) to contractor 15 Feb 2021

Evaluation Consultant(s) Qualifications

In order to execute this evaluation, ITF shall contract an individual evaluator/consultant or an evaluating team/consultant team. The evaluator/evaluation team can either be national or international. In case of the former, the evaluator/evaluation team must be able to demonstrate the absence of social, political or similar bias. In case of the latter, the evaluator/evaluation team must have undertaken similar works in Syria or the Middle East in the last five years.

The evaluator/evaluation team should have the following competencies:

• Relevant academic degree (master level) in social science, peacebuilding, conflict analysis, international relations or similar with excellent skills in research, monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian projects, possibly within humanitarian mine action.
• A minimum of three years’ experience and expertise in the field/sector of humanitarian mine action.
• Demonstrable experience in research/evaluation of projects related to humanitarian mine action or related fields, and in the Middle East region (at least three evaluations in the last five years).
• Experience in interdisciplinary approaches and data collection and analysis techniques in evaluation of humanitarian/development programmes.
• Excellent track record in designing and conducting quantitative and qualitative research, analysis and evaluation.
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills to clearly synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions, make recommendations and to prepare well-written reports in a timely manner.
• Ability to conduct high quality research, meet deadlines and respond to requests and feedback provided timely and appropriately.
• Experience conducting high quality evaluations remotely or virtually is an asset.
• Knowledge of Syria with focus on topics such as gender, social dynamics, humanitarian challenges and explosive hazards.
• Experience working or operating in highly volatile and austere environments with basic hostile environment awareness.
• Experience working in Syria, especially the North East is an asset.
• Demonstrated capacity to work both independently and as a team.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of Arabic and/or Kurdish is an asset.
• Sound MS Office and IT skills.

The consultants must not have been involved in the design, implementation or monitoring of this project.

The evaluation proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Technical and financial proposal (40%);
• Proposed personnel for the assignment (30%);
• Demonstrated experience with contactable references in evaluation of mine action, peacebuilding and/or related programmes in the Middle East (skills and experience at Masters’ Level or better).
• Experience in actual on-ground programming work in Syria will be an added advantage. (30%)

The maximum budget to conduct this evaluation is 31,100 EUR. Should the field mission not be possible, the budget is expected to be lower at least for the travel and subsistence costs. The provisional cut-off date to take this decision is 3 November 2020. The ITF will under no circumstances increase the agreed amount of the consultancy once a contract has been drafted and signed.

The provisional deadline for Final Evaluation report is 15 February 2021.