Consultant - Final External Evaluation of the System and Structure Strengthening Approach against Radicalisation to Violent Extremism (SARVE) Project at ActionAid Nigeria

Summary

• ActionAid (AA) Nigeria is seeking the services of a professional Panorama Consultant to document the impact of the System and Structure Strengthening Approach against Radicalisation to Violent Extremism (SARVE) Project in Kogi State through a 7 - 10 minutes video documentary.
• AA Nigeria is an affiliate of ActionAid International, which is a global alliance of organisations working towards achieving a world without poverty and injustice in which every person enjoys the right to a life with dignity. As a large and visible development organisation, we work in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and America. Our expertise lie in community-led approaches to development and working through partnerships with the poor and other grassroot organisations.

Project Overview: Goal(s) and Outcome(s)

• As part of efforts towards supporting communities to build resilience against violent extremism, AAN in partnership with other relevant stakeholders to tackle radicalization and violent extremism in Nigeria but with a specific focus on Kogi State, through system and structure strengthening approach against radicalization to violent extremism.
• The project “System Structure and Strengthening Approach against Radicalization to Violent Extremism project in Kogi State” aims to equip communities with sustainable ability, capacity and structures to utilize available resources to prevent radicalization, respond to, withstand and overcome impact of adverse violence extremism should it occur.
• The intervention is being primarily undertaken in four (4) communities of Ofuluku, and Okpapata in Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area (LGA) and Aku/ Osaragada and Osara in Adavi LGA of Kogi State. The initiatives carried out so far towards the realisation of the vision of the project has been built on community resources and support for population groups to develop community structures and networks that has made genuine contributions to preventing radicalization and reducing violent conflict in the areas possible.
• The project seek to contributing to behavioural change as well as contributing to addressing issues that create conditions for radicalisation such as unemployment, out of school cases, poverty, livelihood challenge, exclusion and inequality.

Population Groups:

• Youth: Youth who feel cheated by the society between ages 15 and 35 who are unemployed/Early married and/or out of school/Indigent.
• The project sees the emergence of Youths with improved capacity to analyse their vulnerability to radicalization, develop Action Plan for prevention, response and demonstrate leadership to mitigate them and are supported to address social, economic and educational gaps that have widened their vulnerability. Youth that are supported to become active agents of change, exerting positive influence on their peers
• Women: Improved social and economic conditions of women towards reducing their vulnerability and impacting on the development of their children, hence transforming the women as positive agents of change. In achieving this, the project has enhanced women's leadership in vulnerability analysis, risk reduction, resilience-building and influencing roles.
• Community: Informed communities with effective Community Action and Response Teams (CARTs) that serves as Platform for Early Action. It is necessary to state that all the action at achieving this outcome are directed at strengthening community and local capacities for resilience in the face of radicalisation. The initiative has built the capacity of communities, Traditional/ Religious Leaders and other actors.

Purpose and Scope

• The main purpose of this independent final evaluation is to assess the project’s effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and contributions to reducing the vulnerability of target beneficiaries to radicalisation and violent extremism, in particularly on improving the status quo of the direct and indirect beneficiaries.
• The evaluation will also identify lessons learnt and good practices for both accountability and learning for possible similar interventions in the future.

The specific objectives of the evaluation are to:

• Assess the effectiveness of the project, the effectiveness of its management arrangement.
• Assess the project implementation efficiency
• Assess the emerging impact of the interventions (either positive or negative) and identify factors that enable the sustainability of the interventions undertaken during the project
• Assess the extent to which the project have responded to the recommendations of the baseline study and reviews
• Provide recommendations and describe practices that can and should be replicated.

Evaluation:

• The evaluation will cover all interventions AAN has implemented under expected result from the start until date. The evaluation will cover all geographic coverage of the project. Community solidarity, building cohesion, positive social and economic alternatives, tripartite processes and constituent capacity development should also be considered in this evaluation.

The Findings:

• The findings of the evaluation will be used for promoting accountability and organizational learning among the stakeholders. The final evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations will be primarily addressed to the AAN, Project Management Team, the Sub-Recipients and the Communities.

Evaluation Methodology
Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation:

• Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation approaches should be considered for this evaluation.
• It is anticipated that samples of targeted communities and population groups will be required for each evaluation question.
• In addition to multiple levels and types of respondents/informants, a combination of sound quantitative and qualitative research methods (e.g., surveys, case studies, interview and focused group discussion with appropriate statistical and quantitative data analysis methods for each type of data collected) should also be developed for each evaluation question as deemed appropriate.
• However, different evaluation questions may be combined in one tool/method for specific targeted groups as appropriate.
• Attempts should be made to collect data from different sources by different methods for each evaluation question and findings be triangulated to draw valid and reliable conclusions. Data shall be disaggregated by sex where possible and appropriate.

Detailed Methodology:

• A detailed methodology will be elaborated by the independent evaluator on the basis of this evaluation ToR. The detailed methodology should include key and sub-question(s), detailed methods, data collection instruments, and data analysis plans.

The methodology
The methodology for collection of evidences should be implemented in three phases:

• An inception phase based on a review of existing documents;
  • A fieldwork phase to collect and analyse primary data; and
  • A data analysis and reporting phase to produce the final evaluation report.

The Gender Dimension:

• This should be considered as a cross-cutting concern throughout the methodology, deliverables and final report of the evaluation. In terms of this evaluation, this implies involving both men and women in the consultation, evaluation analysis, and if possible within the evaluation.  Moreover the evaluators should review data and information that is disaggregated by sex and gender and assess the relevance and effectiveness of gender related strategies and outcomes to improve lives of women and men.  All this information should be accurately included in the inception report and final evaluation report.

Required Deliverables
The evaluator will provide the following deliverables and tasks:

• Inception report: The inception report will include among other elements the evaluation questions and data collection methodologies and techniques, and the evaluation tools (interview, guides, questionnaires, etc.). The instrument needs to make provision for the triangulation of data where possible.
• First draft evaluation report: this should include action-oriented, practical and specific recommendations assigning or designating audiences/implementers/users. The draft evaluation report should be prepared as per the AAN Checklist
• Final evaluation report with evaluation summary: The evaluator will incorporate comments received from AAN and other key stakeholders into the final report.

Professional Requirements:

• The evaluation will be conducted by one independent evaluation specialist with the relevant experience and qualifications.
• S/he should have a proven track record in the evaluation of complex projects such as PVE intervention, experience in project implementation in Kogi State.
• Depending on the evaluator’s local language competency, translators may be recruited to assist in interviewing community members.

Required Skills and Competencies

• University Degree with minimum 10 years of experience in project /programme evaluation;
• An evaluation expert in development field with demonstrated technical expertise in evaluation methodologies and previous proven skills and experience in undertaking evaluations of similar projects;
• Strong background in local economic and technical and vocational education and training as well as Human Rights Based Approach programming and Results Based Management;
• Extensive knowledge of, and experience in applying, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies;
• Excellent analytical skills and communication skills;
• Demonstrated excellent report writing skills in English; and
• Working experience in Kogi State may be an added advantage.

The following skills and competencies would be advantageous:

• Experience in life saving skills, livelihood interventions, employment programmes or project in a post radicalised and violent extremist state;
• Experience in direct and participatory community-based observation, and experience in participatory evaluation techniques;
• Knowledge of PVE interventions.

Consent & Child Protection Policy:

• It is essential that we are to be able to demonstrate that all contributors (non-ActionAid staff) have given informed consent for their names, images and stories to be used. Ideally this should be written consent. A sample consent forms, for individual and a group, are included with this TOR and a final consent form will provided by ActionAid prior to the first content-gathering trip.
• If it is not possible to get written permission (e.g. the situation doesn’t allow, the contributor is not literate) please get a verbal consent on video camera – please include the explanation and request as well as the contributor’s consent.
• If the contributor is under the age of 18, written or on-camera verbal consent must be provided by a parent or legal guardian.
• If written or video consent is not given by the contributors and handed over to ActionAid, we will be unable to use the case study.

Child Protection Policy
The following guidelines are in line with our Child Protection policy:

• When filming a child, the child’s best interests should always be the primary consideration.
• Filming a child should always be a positive experience for them, providing a potential for learning and enjoyment.
• Never photograph a child with the intent to shame, humiliate or degrade them, or perpetrate any form of emotional abuse.
• Children should never be depicted in erotic, seductive, provocative poses or context (even if illustrating trafficking of girls, for instance).
• Ensure that all children represented in images are suitably dressed. We should never use images of nude children, children that appear to be wearing no clothes or children in transparent clothes. We should also never blur nude areas or use props to cover areas that are not clothed.
• The caption of an image of a child should never include the child’s full name (Exception: Child Sponsorship material targeted directly to child sponsors.).
• We should also never disclose personal details, email, postal address and telephone numbers other than if these details have been knowingly and openly provided by the child themselves (See section on Consent Form) and the child is aware that these will be provided with the images.
• Try to show children in their context, showing the reality of their lives, the environments in which they live and the circumstances that make them vulnerable.
• Where possible, show children as active and resourceful. Where relevant, include families, parents or carers.
• Where possible, show how ActionAid works with children, rather than showing them as alone and vulnerable.

Reporting Lines:

• The consultant will work, be accountable directly to ActionAid Nigeria’s Communications Coordinator and Programme Manager, Humanitarian & Resilience.

Terms of Payment

• He/She shall be responsible for his/her tax and other statutory obligations. ActionAid shall however deduct the statutory 5% With Holding Tax (WHT) and remit to relevant authority. The Consultant should provide AAN his/her Tax Identification Number (TIN) for the purposes of remittance.
• Availability:
• The Consultant will support AAN as agreed in this contract and as subsequently agreed between S(he) and Head of Programmes or any other person authorised to negotiate with him/her on behalf of the organisation. S(he) is therefore to indicate availability within specified timeframe stated in this ToR.