Sign of Hope Mid-term Evaluation Consultant Jobs in Ethiopia
Background and Rationale
Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. (SoH) is a Christian motivated organization for human rights, humanitarian aid and development cooperation. From its base in Constance, Germany, SoH is committed to helping those in distress and exploited people worldwide. This Mid – term Evaluation is commissioned under the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) budget for development projects run by private organizations.
Afar Pastoralist Development Agency (APDA) which is a local implement partner and Sign of Hope, the private German executing agency and the contracting party, are currently carrying out the project “Holistic Food Security and Creation of Livelihoods for Pastoral and Agro-pastoral communities and Internally Displaced people in Afar, Ethiopia” since October 2021.The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is co-funding 90% of the project.
The main objective of the project is to improve food security and livelihoods of vulnerable agro- pastoral and pastoral households in Konnaba and Dallol Districts, Afar, Regional State of Ethiopia.
Purpose, Objectives and Use
The purpose of the evaluation is to provide SoH and APDA with a comprehensive assessment of the project, conducted systematically and impartially, as well as analyze the progress towards the achievement of the project’s results and identify risks to sustainability, propose actions to ensure sustainability of the results, identify lessons learned and information for potential future projects.
The study will provide concrete, credible and practical recommendations that will assist with the timely incorporation of the findings into the decision-making process and contribute to the organisational learning of both implementing organisations.
The study will support the project quality assurance measures implemented by SoH and meet the donor requirements towards the development projects implemented by German private organisations.
The evaluation will address evaluation questions based on the standard OECD/DAC evaluation criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact (please see https://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/revised-evaluation-criteria-dec-2019.pdf). The objectives of the evaluations are to:
Assess the extent to which the project has sustainably achieved its objectives and results, including the extent to which the lives of the project beneficiaries have been improved,
Identify the strengths and weaknesses in terms of planning, management, implementation and monitoring of the project,
Evaluate sustainability measures,
Identify cross-cutting issues addressed through the project, including gender equality, human rights, marginalized groups, inclusion, and other issues,
Identify risks and weaknesses and make recommendations for the successful completion of the project.
Document lessons learned that could contribute to the improvement of the design of future projects.
Identify activities that are likely to be affected by a high inflation rate and rising cost of goods and make recommendations how they can be adjusted to successfully be completed within the budget.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Evaluation Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Head of the International Assistance and Cooperation Department, in close cooperation with the responsible SoH Officer and the local implementing partner.
The duties and responsibilities of the Evaluation Consultant will include:
Develop a work plan outlining the proposed research methodology, geographical coverage and schedule to conduct the study,
Conduct a desk review of relevant documents,
Carry out a project site visit to a project location to conduct research, collect data and establish contact with the local implementing partner, project beneficiaries and relevant project stakeholders,
Review and evaluate available data and existing sources of information, including the project proposal, annual reports, conducted studies and other documents,
Examine institutional, technical, staffing and financial capacities of the implementing partner as well as its relationship with the target group and other relevant stakeholders.
Expected Deliverables
The evaluation will produce the following deliverables:
An inception report, including the proposed research methodology and data collection tools, a table of content and timeline of research activities prior to the site visit to the project location,
A comprehensive report of a maximum of 30 pages with practical recommendations and relevant annexes (including raw data and documented records).
A template will be provided to serve as a guide and may be used to structure the final report.
Study Quality and Ethical Standards
The study team will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the study is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of the people and communities involved. Furthermore, the study should be aligned to the following standards and applicable practices:
Utility: the study must be useful and used.
Feasibility: the study must be realistic, diplomatic and managed in a sensible, cost-effective manner.
Ethics and Legality: the study must be conducted in an ethical and legal manner, with particular regard for the welfare of those involved in and affected by the Study.
Impartiality and Independence: the study should be impartial, providing a comprehensive and unbiased assessment that considers the views of all stakeholders.
Transparency: the study activities should reflect an attitude of openness and transparency.
Accuracy: the study should be technically accurate and credible, providing sufficient information about the data collection, analysis, and interpretation methods so that its worth or merit can be determined.
Participation: The Stakeholders should be consulted and meaningfully involved in the study process when feasible and appropriate.
Collaboration: Collaboration between key operating partners in the study process improves the legitimacy and utility of the study.
The study must be in line with the SoH guiding principles and Code of Conduct.
Process/Timeframe
The total duration of the assignment is around 23 working days within the period from October 2 to Oct 24, 2023.
Planning meeting with SoH (remotely), handover of relevant documents 2 day
Initial document review and inception report preparation 4 days
Sharing inception report with SoH and APDA 1 day
Finalization of inception report 1 day
Data collection site visit to a project location 7 days
Data analysis, draft report with annexes 4 days
Incorporating received feedback and report finalization 4 days
Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
Minimum of 5 years of project evaluation and/or implementation experience in the result-based management framework
Proven experience of conducting feasibility studies, evaluations and other research projects
Technical and methodological knowledge to conduct research projects and formulate conclusions based on a solid methodology, assessing projects for relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of projects.
Experience working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and partnered projects
Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic.
Desirable:
Experience in the relevant field/sector
Professional familiarity with the project country/region
Practical experience of working for and/or evaluating BMZ-funded projects
Knowledge of a local language (Qafaraf)
Academic Background
An advanced level university degree (Masters’ degree or equivalent) in social sciences, public administration, international development studies, law and/or another similar field. A first-level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted.
The Evaluation Consultant is to be independent and impartial with no liabilities to any other organisation or government entity regarding this evaluation.
How to Apply
Please submit the following documents with the subject “Evaluation in Afar, Ethiopia” to [email protected] no later than September 15th, 2023:
CV indicating all relevant experiences,
Contacts of at least two professional referees,
A cover letter, including a brief description of the proposed research methodology (technical proposal max. 1 page) and a comprehensive breakdown of costs (financial proposal), including professional fees and all other relevant costs, including travel expenses. Note: Any expenses that are not included here cannot be granted nor reimbursed after the contract is agreed upon
A writing sample of the document of similar research value (for example, a feasibility study, baseline report and/or an evaluation report).
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