Consultancy: Final Evaluation Consultant at Search for Common Ground

Maiduguri, Nigeria

Purpose of Evaluation

As the project is coming to an end, Search needs to undertake a comprehensive and cost-effective external final evaluation. The evaluation will cover relevant DAC criteria, including criteria such as relevance, effectiveness, and impact of the project. Key principles that should drive the design of the final evaluation are the Common Ground Approach, Conflict Sensitivity, Do No Harm principles, the best interest of the child and UNICEF’s equity approach.

The objectives of the assessment are to:Evaluate the relevance and appropriateness of this intervention, based on local need and conditions, as well as the best interest of the children;

•  Evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention in teams of approach used, challenges, and which activities are the most effective or least effective and why;
• Evaluate the impact of this intervention, on children associated with armed groups, children not associated with armed groups and on their communities;
• Evaluate how the project has coordinated with and leveraged on similar efforts by government and non-government partners, and to what impact;
• Document lessons learnt that should be factored in if this type of intervention is to be replicated in a different intervention or scaled up.
• Suggest clear and actionable recommendations for future reintegration programming in the region.

The report will also be shared widely with project participants and partners, and presented during Search Nigeria programs. The evaluation report – with sensitive details redacted – will eventually be published on Search’s website and shared with other learning networks in order to enhance contributions to reintegration programming in Nigeria and regionally.

Project Summary

The overall objective for the project is to support the long-term reintegration of children associated with armed groups (CJTF) in the North East of Nigeria. The project, has been implemented in Borno State over 12 months with the expectation that within this period, children formerly associated with armed groups or returning from captivity, will be supported to successfully reintegrate into their communities. It has three specific objectives and corresponding expected results:

Objective 1: To strengthen the resilience of children associated with CJTF in North East Nigeria.

• E.R.1.1: 2300 children associated with CJTF show increased abilities to cope with trauma and engage constructively with and in their communities;
• E.R.1.2: 550 children associated with CJTF are supported to resume school education.

Objective 2: To empower and support children associated with CJTF for increased employability.

• E.R.2.1: 400 children associated with CJTF have increased financial literacy and enterprise understanding; and
• E.R. 2.2: 400 children associated with CJTF show enhanced capacities to access self-employment or wage-employment.

Objective 3: To create a conducive environment and community support for the social and economic reintegration and separation of children associated with CJTF.

• E.R. 3.1: Target communities in North East Nigeria better understand and value the socio-economic reintegration needs of children and the positive role of children in communities as agents of peace; and
• E.R.3.2: Target communities in North East Nigeria where community strengthening initiatives are conducted have increased positive attitudes and behavior towards children disassociated from CJTF and their socio-economic reintegration.

The project beneficiaries are both verified children formerly associated with CJTF and children that are not associated with CJTF, children formerly associated with other armed groups and returned from captivity, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (MWASD), community-based organizations (CBOs), local traditional and religious structures. The project is being implemented in MMC, Jere, and select communities in Mafa LGAs.

Methodology

The study will adopt a mixed methods approach. The proposed methodology is to be clearly stated in the technical offer, detailing why the methodology is preferred and its relevance to the state and purpose of the evaluation. In addition, the technical offer should include details on logistics and roll-out of the study: who the target respondents will be and why, how will they be identified or recruited, how data collection and data quality assurance will be carried out, as well as how data analysis will be done.

The assessment will target community residents in the locations where the project is being implemented,, as listed above and as logistically feasible. Tools for the assessment will be developed by the consultant and/ or team in collaboration with Search’s DME staff. The  Inception and Final Reports will be developed by the consultant and/or team, and reviewed and approved by Search The tools will be administered in the identified communities and the data analyzed by the consultant and/or team chosen to perform this research.

Deliverables

The evaluation deliverables are:

• An inception report detailing the proposed method, study matrix, and work plan. It is to be approved by Search’s DME staff before starting data collection.
• Research tools (developed by the candidate and/or team with the input of Search’s DME staff)
• Draft report for review by Search staff and other stakeholders
• Final Report (maximum 30 pages, excluding appendices), consisting of but not excluded to: Executive Summary, Methodology, Findings and Analysis, Conclusions, Lessons Learned and Recommendations. The report should be structured according to the evaluation questions. A template for baseline research within Search will be provided.
• All data collected for this research including audios and transcripts for all interviews, and quantitative data entered in a template, based on the methodology used
• Appendices, including data collection tools and list of interviewees
• A power point presentation summarizing the report’s findings

Required Profile

Education

• Graduate degree in Conflict Studies, Social Work or other relevant degree is an added advantage;

Experience

• 5 years or more of experience in evaluations and large-scale qualitative and quantitative studies with international organizations;
• Experience in evaluating programs relating to community development, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution;
• Experience in evaluating programs relating to reintegration, psycho-social support, child education and development, or livelihoods will be an added advantage;
• Prior work experience in Borno State, Nigeria;

Other Relevant Requirements

• Strong analytical skills;
• Excellent written communication and report writing skills in English;
• Demonstrated experience in leading large scale research in the specific context of the Borno state, including ability to recruit a research team locally as needed;
• Ability to communicate fluently in English;
• Knowledge of languages indigenous to Borno state such as Hausa and Kanuri will be an added advantage;
• Ability to be flexible with time and work schedule.

Logistical Support  

SFCG will provide the following logistical support to the consultant;

• Transmission of background materials (project proposal, meeting notes, etc.);
• Availability of meeting rooms in Maiduguri, as required;

All logistic costs, including of transportation and lodging will NOT be borne by Search and should be included in the proposed budget.

Timeframe  

The assessment will take place between in May, 2019, with the final deliverables due June 31st, 2019.

Budget and Terms of Engagement

• All production costs incurred will be covered from the consultancy fee.
• 5% withholding tax will be deducted at source from the total cost of the consultancy fee for a firm.
• 40% of the consultancy fee will be paid when initial the contract is signed, 30% will be paid upon submission of initial findings and the remaining balance of 30% will be paid on final completion and submission of satisfactorily deliverables.

The consultant is required to respect the following Ethical Principles:

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

In addition, the consultant will respect SFCG’s evaluations standards, to be found in SFCG’s evaluation guidelines: https://www.sfcg.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/SFCG-External-Evaluation-Guidelines-FINAL.pdf