1. Introduction
This document provides the Terms of Reference for the external evaluation of the Somali Joint Response Project funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Dutch Relief Alliance.
The Dutch Relief Alliance
In response to the challenges of the humanitarian system and the growing gap between humanitarian needs and humanitarian funding, the Dutch Minister for International Trade and Development Cooperation in 2015 set up a Dutch Relief Alliance to increase effectiveness of Dutch humanitarian aid. The DRA is an alliance of 14 Dutch NGOs which respond to chronic crises as well as acute crises, for which they receive funding from the Netherlands MFA. The main objectives of the Dutch Relief Alliance are to deliver effective, efficient, relevant and timely humanitarian aid through collaboration to more beneficiaries in a better way. DRA partners implement Joint Responses (JRs) to address protracted crises enabling capacity building, localisation and investment in community resilience. The four strategic pillars of the DRA include collaboration, localization, accountability and innovation.
The Somalia Joint Response
The Somalia Joint Response project was running from January 2019 to December 2021. The four DRA members (the SOMJR members) implementing the project are Help a Child/Medair, Oxfam Novib, SOS Children Villages and World Vision. They worked together with eight local partners including Havayoco, Candlelight, Kaalo, Dawa, Zamzam, Somali Aid, SACCID, and Taakulo. The SOMJR Project was focusing specifically on Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, Health and Nutrition, Protection, and using Multi-Purpose Cash where this is considered an appropriate modality. Target groups for the interventions are IDPs, agro-pastoralist and pastoralist communities living in IPC 3/at risk of IPC4 areas, many of them in remote and hard to reach areas, with limited access to basic services.
1.2. Project Background
Somalia’s population has been experiencing multiple shocks (conflict, floods, locust, drought, COVID-19): the Desert Locust upsurge that started in late 2019 and continues to threaten the food security and livelihoods of pastoralists and farmers in many parts of the country; riverine and flash floods that affect the food security, livelihoods and safety of farmers and people living in flood-prone, populated areas; the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that is having severe health and socio-economic impacts both in Somalia and globally; the extended impact of previous shocks (flooding, drought, displacement, etc.) on livelihoods; and conflict, which continues to result in new displacements. Peace and stability in Somalia remain a major challenge.
In response to this protracted humanitarian crisis, the members of the Somalia Joint Response (SOMJR) have been supporting the communities affected by the multiple shocks or natural disasters and/or conflict, both in their home communities and in IDP camps in terms of providing life-saving and protection assistance, and support rebuilding of livelihoods.
Project objectives
The project had the following four strategic projects:
ü Life-saving: Provide life-saving and life-sustaining integrated, multi-sectoral assistance to reduce acute humanitarian needs and excess mortality among the most vulnerable people.**
ü Nutrition: Reduce emergency levels of acute malnutrition through integrated, multisectoral response. Enhance integration of Nutrition, WASH, Health and Food Security programmes to strengthen nutrition sensitive programming.**
ü Protection: Support provision of protection services to affected communities, including in hard-to-reach areas and in IDP sites, targeting the most vulnerable, especially those at risk of exclusion.
ü Resilience: Support the protection and restoration of livelihoods, promote access to basic services to build resilience to recurrent shocks, and catalyze more sustainable solutions for those affected, including marginalized communities.
2. Scope and rationale of the Final Evaluation
The SOMJR partners have a contractual obligation towards the donor, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs , to ensure the realization of a final evaluation. The evaluation will cover the period 2019 – 2021 during which the SOMJR partners delivered humanitarian action. Therefore, the purpose for this evaluation is twofold. On the one hand, to ensure accountability towards the DRA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant stakeholders, including affected communities. On the other hand, it offers a learning aspect for all stakeholders.
Hence, the evaluation has the following two primary objectives:
o Objective 1 Results achieved: The evaluation report will assess the overall performance of the SOMJR against selected OECD DAC criteria and the Core Humanitarian Standards, ensuring accountability towards the Dutch Relief Alliance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant stakeholders.
The evaluation report will assess the overall performance of the SOMJR against selected OECD DAC criteria and the Core Humanitarian Standards, ensuring accountability towards the Dutch Relief Alliance and the relevant stakeholders. The first objective refers to the success and quality (results achieved) of the response. Success refers to whether the results have been achieved, and quality can be understood by meeting humanitarian standards, such as CHS and Sphere.
Scope and Key Guiding Questions
Factors
Key Questions **
Relevance
- To what extent are the objectives of the project valid?
- Are the activities and outputs of the programme consistent with the overall goal and the attainment of its objectives?
- Was the design of the programme most appropriate and relevant to the beneficiaries needs and priorities?
- How relevant were the objectives and activities, implemented by the project, in addressing humanitarian needs?
- To what extent was the project able to adapt and provide appropriate response to context changes and emerging local needs, and the priorities of beneficiaries?
Effectiveness
- To what extent have the overall objectives, been reached
- To what extent have the project activities contributed to the overall goal?
- Was the project effective in delivering integrated live-saving assistance and responding to humanitarian needs?
- What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives?
- How effective were the strategies and tools used in the implementation of the project? **
- How effective has the project been in responding to the needs of the beneficiaries, and what results were achieved?**
Efficiency
- Were the resources allocated in the project appropriate to the scale of the project?
- Were the human and financial resources allocated to the project used efficiently and commensurate to the project results?
- Were project activities implemented in an efficient manner?
- Are there more efficient ways and means of delivering more and better results (outputs and outcomes) with the available inputs?
- Could a different approach have produced better results?
Impact
- What are the main changes produced by the project, positive or negative and what are the key factors behind these changes?
- What real difference has the project made for the direct and indirect beneficiaries?
- Analyze the contribution of the project to any observed impact (intended, unintended, positive, negative) and analyze what other actors and factors contributed to the impact.
Sustainability **
- Will the changes caused by this project continue beyond the life of the project?
- What mechanisms has the SOMJR put in place to sustain the key project Outputs and Outcomes?
o Objective 2 Assess to what extent the SOMJR successfully delivered on the DRA strategic objectives of accountability, localisation, collaboration and innovation/learning.
Project objectives and Key Guiding Questions
Objectives
Key Questions
Accountability to affected people (AAP)
Participation
feedback and complaint
Inclusion
Information sharing
Safe programming **
- Assess how the project was designed to maximize accountability toward the affected population?
- How were the crisis-affected people (including vulnerable and marginalized groups, and people with disabilities) involved in the design and implementation of the project?
- How were their views used to guide decision-making?
- Were partners informed about the results and performance of the project?
- How was the feedback collected, and what was done to ensure that the data collected was tracked, analyzed and incorporated and ensured that adjustments were made as a result of received feedback?
- What tools were used in order to ensure the programme was designed in a gender-sensitive way?
- What was done to ensure PLWD were included in all stages of the project?
- How were these tools being used in design and implementation of the project?
- How was the information about the SOMJR and the project shared with affected populations (including marginalized groups, people with disabilities)?
- What was done to ensure that the information was timely and accessible to all?
- How effective was the SOMJR partners’ approach to project safe programming?
- Was there a project risk matrix for the entire project and/or partner level? How was it implemented/mainstreamed in various project components?
- How often project risk matrix is updated?
- Were risks identified by the project assessed, mitigated and documented?
Coordination and Collaboration
- Were there other organizations with similar project working in the same target areas?
- What areas of duplication have been identified and how did partners respond to that?
- What approaches have been used with other organization doing similar work?
- How did SOMJR partners coordinate their activities with other external actors, including government, other (I)NGOs, UN agencies?
- Are there any concrete examples of successful models of collaboration of SOMJR partners on geographic and/or sectoral level? What are barriers and/or enablers to this?
Learning and Innovation
- To what extent has the SOMJR facilitated peer-learning between SOMJR partners?
- What kind of learning activities have been most effective according to SOMJR partners?
o Is there any substantial anecdotal evidence on how activities to increase learning have affected the delivery of humanitarian aid by SOMJR partners? Did partners make any changes to their programming as a result of learnings?
Localisation
- Did the capacity strengthening efforts of the SOMJR meet the needs of the local partners?
- Did the Crisis modifier for local partners enable the local partners to design and manage their own quality response programmes and respond rapidly to identified crises?
- How did the SOMJR support local partners in raising their voice in relevant national and international fora?
- To what extent did the localization efforts of the SOMJR contribute the broader localization priorities of the humanitarian system in Somalia?
2.2. Proposed Methodology
The evaluation will be carried out in a transparent and participatory manner by involving relevant stakeholders (SOMJR members and affected communities). A mixed-method approach is anticipated including, but not limited to, the following methods: –
o Desk study and review of all relevant program documentation
o Key Informant Interviews with key stakeholders (Project teams, senior officials of national and international partners, Cluster leads, local partners, local authorities, community committees etc.)
o Focus Group discussions with target population (male, female, IDPs, PLWD, Host Communities etc.)
o Household surveys with target population
The evaluation should be inclusive taking into account gender, age, disability, and other vulnerability considerations.
3. Deliverables
Inception report: The Inception Report will highlight the methodology and the guiding principles of the evaluation. The methodology will be mutually agreed upon between Oxfam and the consultant.
Data collection and data analysis tools: The evaluator(s) will develop the tools for data collection and data analysis in line with the structure of the tools in the inception report.
Evaluation Final Report (maximum 30 pages, annexes excluded, in Microsoft Word format) including tables and graphs representing the data: –
o Cover page
o Table of Contents
o List of Acronyms
o List of Tables
o Executive Summary (should be a stand-alone document)
o Background
o Scope of Evaluation
o Methodology (including sampling)
o Main Findings
o Main Learnings
o Conclusions and Recommendations
o Annexes
§ Project log frame
§ Evaluation ToR
§ Objectives and key questions
§ Methodology
§ Study schedule
§ List of people involved
§ Bibliography of consulted secondary sources
§ Finalized data collection tools
4. Professional Skills and Qualifications
i. Lead consultant with an academic degree in International Development Studies, Humanitarian Action, or a related field.
ii. Strong experience in humanitarian response and knowledge of humanitarian standards (CHS, Sphere, Code of Conduct);
iii. Demonstrated experience in leading evaluations of humanitarian response program;
iv. Experience in working Somali context (desired)
v. Excellent communication, listening and interpersonal skills.
vi. Demonstrated analytical, communication and report-writing skills
vii. Fluent in English, understanding of local language will be an added value
viii. The consultant/team leader must have demonstrated consultancy track record and be recognized as seasoned professional in conducting evaluations/surveys with a high degree of proficiency
How to apply
1. Application procedure
Individuals/firms that meet the above requirements should submit an expression of interest (EOI) to SOM-Consultancies@oxfam.org latest 10th Dec 2021, which should include: –
i. Technical Proposal detailing the approach, methodology and work plan of the assignment
ii. Financial Proposal including daily rates in USD (transportation, enumerators, accommodation, meals etc.) and consultancy tax of 6% for local and 12% for international consultancy.
iii. CV of the lead consultant and contact details of two professional referees
iv. Firm’s operating license (Somaliland & Somalia)
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview. Please apply early because applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.