Everyone Gains: Making Governance More Inclusive and Participatory in Northern Lebanon (Diwan) project

1. Context

Search for Common Ground

Search for Common Ground (Search) is an international conflict transformation NGO that aims to transform the way individuals, groups, governments, and companies deal with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative solutions. Headquartered in Washington DC, USA, and Brussels, Belgium, with 52 field offices in over 30 countries. Search designs and implements multifaceted, culturally appropriate, and conflict-sensitive programmes using a diverse range of tools, including media and training, to promote dialogue, increase knowledge and determine a positive shift in behaviors.

The Project

In its second phase, The “Everyone Gains: Making Governance More Inclusive and Participatory in Northern Lebanon (Diwan)” project, which runs between April 2019 and September 2021, seeks to further promote stabilization and social change through inclusive governance in Wadi Khaled and to reinforce advancements achieved by phase one (which was implemented from 2017 to 2019). The traditional clan-structured system that dominates inter-communal relations in Wadi Khaled, coupled with limited basic knowledge of governance, prevents the municipalities from effectively addressing tensions and promoting social change in the region. The Diwan project helps resolve these challenges by contributing to more inclusive and participatory governance in Wadi Khaled, through which more sustainable, equal, and accountable development projects can be implemented. Furthermore, the project promotes trust and collaboration among municipal leaders and citizens, and builds the capacities of the municipalities on the principle of accountability, inclusivity and transparency in governance. This will be met through two specific objectives and their expected results:

SO. 1 To improve collaboration between local leaders and their constituents in addressing local needs;

• ER 1.1: Local leaders and community members have increased knowledge of the benefits of inclusive governance;
• ER 1.2 :Local leaders and community members gain skills in participatory governance;
• ER 1.3: Local leaders and community members recognize the value of improved collaboration;

SO. 2 To increase the representation of marginalized groups (e.g., youth and women) in addressing local needs;

• ER 2.1: Women, youth and marginalized groups gain skills and knowledge of how to participate in local governance;
• ER 2.2: Women, youth and marginalized groups gain skills in community mobilization;
• ER 2.3 Women, youth and marginalized groups are confident in playing an active role in community initiatives.

Target groups

The project targets numerous participants that include: male and female community members and local leaders from Wadi Khaled; municipal officials from nine municipalities, nine women participating in the women advisory board, nine youth participating in the youth advisory board, and other relevant stakeholders.

2. Goal and Objectives of Study

Search is seeking a consultant who can conduct an Endline study to understand how the second phase of the project contributed to promoting inclusive governance in Wadi Khaled in Lebanon while building up on results and achievement of the first phase of the project

The Endline Study should enable Search to inform future programme design and will assess the overall success and effectiveness of the implemented project. In specific terms, The Endline Study has the following objectives:

• Assess the intended (according to the project’s logical framework) and the unintended outcomes (positive or negative) and determine Search’s contribution to identified changes.
  • Update the Project’s logframe and indicators with End-line values;
• Assess whether the project produced the effects as envisioned in the Theory of Change in addition to assessing the project’s relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and impact, and sustainability as per the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC) evaluation criteria in addition to the overall project’s adaptability; and

• Capture good practices, compile lessons learned throughout the lifespan of the project, and draw specific recommendations to inform future programme design in a similar context.

  This endline study is expected to give specific focus to assessing the effectiveness of the activities in local communities towards achieving the objectives and outcomes of the project. The activities conducted are capacity building for community members on leadership, community outreach, strategic communications, and gender sensitivity), capacity building for municipal members on MenEngage and inclusive governance, community awareness raising campaigns, community initiatives, youth and women advisory boards meetings, roundtables and town hall meetings among others.

3. Key Questions of the Study

End-line Questions

The Endline study should support the team to answer key questions below. The study is expected to prioritise the collection of feedback from direct and indirect beneficiaries from the respective community and municipal members.Relevance:

• To what extent do the intervention’s objectives and design respond to promote inclusive governance in Wadi Khaled?
• How effectively were barriers specific to this project (such as the clan nature) taken into account in the design and implementation of the project?

• Have experiences from previous interventions been used successfully to improve the quality of the project

• Effectiveness and Impact:

  • To what extent has intervention been effective in meeting the essence of the Theory of Change and achieving its results and planned outcomes?
  • What unintended outcomes (positive or negative) emerged from project implementation?
  • What factors (positive and negative) have had the greatest influence on the achievement of results?
  • To what extent has the intervention been able to contribute to longer-term effects (impact)?
  • Were the criteria of initiative selection appropriate to support the effective achievement of the intervention’s objectives?

• Efficiency and Value for Money:

  • To what extent have resources been allocated and utilised in an efficient manner to achieve value for money?
  • How efficient was the delivery of the intervention in terms of expenditure and implementation of activities

• Sustainability:

  • What’s the overall efficacy of the project’s exit strategy?
  • To what extent are the benefits of the programme likely to sustain in the long term? What are the main factors behind this

• Cross-Cutting Issues:

  • To what extent have gender issues, Do No Harm, and conflict sensitivity been taken into consideration in design and implementation and what are the effects?

• Lessons Learned:

  • What lessons can be learned or good practices can be identified from the implementation of the project

• Adaptability:

  • How and to what degree did the project adapt in response to monitoring data and contextual factors and/or changes?
  • What efforts have the project made to adapt to these changes, if any?
  • To what extent have these adaptations been effective and adequate?
  • To what extent have adaptations resulting from reflections and learning activities been effective?
  • To what extent can the project design be adapted to other geographical areas in Lebanon not targeted by this intervention?

4. Geographic Locations

The Endline study will provide quantitative and qualitative information, gender-age disaggregated data, and analysis in Wadi Khaled in the following municipalities : Wadi Khaled, Al Awadeh, Al Amayer, Al Hisheh, Moukaible, Al Rama, Bani Sakher, Al Fard, Khat el Petrol.

5. Methodology and Data Collection Tools

The Endline Study will utilise a mixed-method approach consisting of both qualitative and quantitative primary and secondary data collections. The Endline study will be conducted to triangulate data from multiple sources and stakeholders in order to infer reliable findings. In addition to the proposed conventional approach the consultancy team will be taken to carry out the evaluation through using the evaluation questions (section 3) included in the ToR, the consultancy team are expected to integrate and apply ‘Outcome Harvesting’ techniques to identify the most significant results and the project’s contributions to these changes. The level of integration should be defined clearly in the proposed methodological approach in their technical proposal.

In addition to assessing the intended outcomes and objectives of the second phase of the project, the consultancy team will be expected to investigate the first phase of the project and draw trends of changes in a holistic approach.

Firstly, the consultant(s) will review key project documents including the proposal, phase one and phase two reports, baseline and endline reports for phase one; MEL framework, log frame, and set meetings with key personnel to better understand the project, its goal, and activities. The consultant is expected to review the above background documentation as part of the desk review phase of the study.

Secondly, the consultant will utilise primary available monitoring and evaluation data that was formerly collated by project staff including activity surveys and assessments, outcome monitoring activity data, project quarterly reports, etc. In addition, the consultant will rely heavily on the baseline and endline of phase one and on the completed baseline study/outcome monitoring activity of phase two to facilitate reliable judgments on what has changed.

Thirdly, the consultant will develop quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and collect data through surveys, interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and possibly case studies using a solid and representative sampling approach and participatory methods with project beneficiaries and other stakeholders. The consultant(s) shall additionally propose the team set up for data collection (if necessary).

The methodology and data collection tools need to be validated by Search’s MEAL Manager.

The consultant(s) is also required to develop a detailed evaluation matrix with judgment criteria that captures the study’s objectives, evaluation questions of which will guide the evaluation process into reliable judgments and analysis.

Data collection, analysis, and the results should represent inclusiveness—the methodology should include a wide range of viewpoints, specifically gender and age sensitivity when applicable.

6. Deliverables

Search expects the following deliverables from the external consultant(s) as they correspond to the timeline and budget:

• An inception report detailing the methodology, data collection tools, and timeline;
• Any training materials used with data collectors systems for data collection;
• All original data set should be submitted to Search;
• A draft endline report in English for review by Search staff and partners;
• A final report in English (40 pages max in length, excluding appendices) consistent with Search branding and standards for evaluation. The report:
  • Uses the Search reporting template unless otherwise agreed in the contract;
  • Provides a clear connection between the conflict or context assessment and the intended results, articulate the project’s ToC, and include other relevant project specifics;
  • Fully explains the objectives and research questions of the study, limitations, and methods chosen for analysis;
  • Findings respect Search’s evaluation standards, are structured around the main objectives of the study, and are presented in relation to the intended target groups. The findings should speak to the link between the project, it’s TOC and its contribution to our strategy. It should explain adaptations that occurred during the project and their impact on results;
  • Recommendations should have a clear audience and be specific, accessible, and actionable;
  • Indicator table showing all indicators;
  • Appendices should include detailed research instruments, a list of interviewees, terms of references and evaluator(s) brief biography.
• A PowerPoint presentation that will be used by the consultancy team to present the findings to Search and the donor after the final report is approved;
• A one to two hours online presentation of research findings to the Search and donor team;
• A two-pager summary highlighting key lessons learnt in this project that will inform Search’s strategic approach to inclusive governance programming and adaptability to other areas in Lebanon and beyond.

7. Logistical Support

In case of in-person data collection, the firm/consultant(s) will be responsible for organising their own logistics for data collection (vehicles, fuel, and drivers), and this must be budgeted into the financial proposal. Search can provide support in arranging logistics as will be agreed upon with the consultant(s) based on the technical proposal.

In addition, Search and partners will share the following elements with the external consultant(s): background materials including the project proposal and logframe, etc.

8. Ethical Considerations

The consultancy should take into consideration the rights of participants in line with the ethical codes and guidelines of research. The participant should be asked to provide their consent and made aware that their identities would not be revealed. Cultural rights will be respected; minors below 18 years of age would not be assessed while collected data would be protected for confidentiality all through the data management process.

The firm/consultants are required to respect the following ethical principles:

• Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: The consultant should make the most of the existing information and full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. Consultant should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. He or she should communicate his or her methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique his or her work. He or she should make clear the limitations of the review and its results;
• Competence: Consultant should possess the abilities and skills and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of his or her professional training and competence;
• Honesty and integrity: Consultant should be transparent with the contractor/constituent about: any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan, and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information; and

• Respect for people: Consultant should respect the security, dignity, and self-worth of the respondents, program participants. The consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age, and ethnicity.

  The assignment should take into account precautionary measures to avoid Covid-related complications during data collection. These measures should ensure social distancing and remote interactions where possible. Therefore, applicants are kindly required to integrate a detailed multiple scenario strategy in their proposed methodologies and work plans that would ensure efficacy in the delivery of the assignment and allow for flexibility to switch between different modalities (i.e., to virtual data collection and vice-versa) whenever there is a need to do so.

9. Data Quality Assurance and Management All deliverables will be reviewed and approved by the country office and global Institutional Learning Team prior to acceptance of the final product. The consultant(s) are also required to develop a clear and rigorous quality control plan during the inception phase of which will be implemented and deployed throughout all phases of the evaluation process to ensure reliability and validity of findings.

10. Timeline

The evaluation timeline is expected to be kicked off August 2021 and concluded in September 2021 by submitting the final deliverables requested above.11. Budget The total budget available for this study is 22,000 USD. A detailed budget should be provided, including daily rates for personnel, and costs related to data collection (per total number of people sampled, sites for collection, etc.), analysis, and production of deliverables. The selection committee will give preference to the applicant(s) with a relatively lower budget and higher quality technical proposal.

12. Requirements of Consultant(s)

Education:

• Lead consultant(s) must have at least a Master’s degree (PhD preferable) in research methods and/or evaluations, development, conflict or peacebuilding, M&E or any related social sciences.

Skills and experience:

The following skills and experience are expected by Search for our evaluator for this project:

• Some of the lead consultants must have excellent proficiency in English and Arabic – written (including professional English reporting) and spoken;
• More than five years of experience in programme/project evaluation, including collecting data in interviews, surveys and focus groups and analysis;
• Experience in conflict analysis, working with justice, governmental and civil society sectors;
• Experience in doing evaluations for peacebuilding and democracy, human rights and governance programmes in MENA region;
• Experience working with international organizations;
• Experience conducting quantitative surveys and analysis;
• Monitoring and Evaluation methods and data collection skills; and
• Familiarity and experience with contextual challenges in the geographic location(s) where the study will take place.

13. Selection Criteria

Consultant proposals will be selected for:

1. Relevance of proposed methodology to the goal, objectives, and research questions for the project.
2. Quality of proposed methods, conflict sensitivity approaches, and quality control measures.
3. Qualifications of the candidate(s).
4. The proposed budget in relation to the proposed methodology, deliverables and team.
5. Timeline for proposed activities.