Project: Mitigating violence, increasing the safety and security of civilians, and strengthening the resilience of populations affected by conflict and environmental shocks

External Consultant: Final End-line Project Evaluation – Statement of Work

1. BACKGROUND

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), an International NGO founded in 2002, recruits, trains and deploys unarmed civilians to reduce violence and protect vulnerable populations in conflict-affected areas. Unarmed civilian protection (UCP) is NP’s global core methodology. UCP refers to the engagement of unarmed civilians working to reduce the cycle of violence and increase the safety and security of civilians impacted by violent conflict. UCP prioritized direct physical protection against immediate threats of violence, even as we work to interrupt systemic violence. The success of UCP methodology is based on relationship building, acceptance, and trust by the community that utilizes a mix of strategies to prevent violence, enhance the safety and security of civilians, build and strengthen local peace infrastructure, and create an enabling environment for communities to devise and implement locally led peace and protection strategies. UCP is guided by principles of nonviolence, non-partisanship, primacy of local actors, and civilian-to-civilian action.

NP has been operating in South Sudan since 2010 with 11 static field operational sites in six states and one administrative area. These include Upper Nile, Jonglei, Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Unity State, and Warrap State. NP’s programming in South Sudan includes peace-building, social cohesion, protection, gender-based violence prevention and response, child protection, youth engagement, and reconciliation with a particular emphasis on the prevention of violence.

In line with this and with funding from the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Affairs (BHA), NP South Sudan has been implementing a two-year project since July 2022, titled “Mitigating violence, increasing the safety and security of civilians and strengthening the resilience of populations affected by conflict and environmental shocks”. This is being implemented in Yei County in Central Equatoria State, Rubkona County in Unity State, Lankien in Nyirol County, Jonglei State, Pibor County in Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Tonj South County in Warrap State, Ganyliel Payam in Panyjiar County, Unity State as well as Leer County in Unity State. The project’s overall goal is to mitigate violence, increase the safety and security of civilians, and strengthen the resilience of populations affected by conflict and environmental shocks in South Sudan.

To achieve this goal, NP directly implements the project activities utilizing a participatory model that seeks to further build on local protection capacities, social cohesion, and resilience as well as prevent and respond to pertinent protection concerns of conflict-affected communities in South Sudan. All project activities are designed to best respond to the immediate security needs of beneficiaries and support the resilience, adaptive capacity, and recovery of communities from violent conflict, insecurity, and environment shocks. The project’s three programming components are centred upon:

1. Child protection
2. GBV prevention and response
3. Protection coordination, advocacy, and information.

2. PURPOSE OF THE ENDLINE EVALUATION.

As part of the monitoring and evaluation function in ensuring effective oversight of the project within the project management cycle, the purpose of this end-line evaluation is to assess the overall performance of the project against the planned project objectives, and key performance indicators as well as assess the impact of the overall project to the intended beneficiaries. The scope of the end-line evaluation will cover the entire project period of 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2024. It will specifically assess and inform project stakeholders i.e donors, project managers/staff, relevant government departments and the targeted community at large about the project achievements, challenges, and lessons learned as well as provide recommendations to inform future programming.

Specific Objectives include:

• To assess the extent to which the project achieved its objectives as specified in the project proposal
• To assess the extent to which the project outcomes and outputs have been achieved considering the indicators given in the project document.
• To evaluate the level of contribution of the outputs towards the achievement of the expected project objectives, outcomes, goals and impact.
• To assess the relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency of interventions as well as the sustainability of the results and the degree of satisfaction of the beneficiaries.
• To identify major external factors that influenced or impacted the implementation of the project and evaluate their implication on future interventions.
• To evaluate the appropriateness of the strategies and approaches used in implementation of the project.
• Assess the wider impact and sustainability of project results and satisfaction of the project participants in line with the key project deliverables and impact.
• To identify and document best practices, and lessons learned from the project and make recommendations for future strategies.

3. EVALUATION QUESTIONS

In line with the purpose and scope specified, evaluation question topics and sub-questions will be finalized during the preparation of the inception report. Without direct limitation on questions for inclusion, some suggested key questions include the following:

• To what extent and how has the intervention led to mitigating violence, increasing the safety and security of civilians and strengthening the resilience of populations affected by conflict and environmental shocks?
• To what extent and how has the project achieved its objectives and particularly in line with child protection; GBV prevention and response as well as protection coordination, advocacy and information?
• To what extent and how has the project achieved its key outputs, outcomes and performance indicators as specified in the project documentation?
• To what extent and how has the project achieved its impact specifically about mitigating violence, increasing the safety and security of civilians and strengthening the resilience of populations affected by conflict in South Sudan?
• To what extent and how has the project been relevant, effective, and efficient in ensuring the primary goal of mitigating violence, increasing the safety and security of civilians and strengthening the resilience of populations affected by conflict in South Sudan?
• To what extent and how has the project delivery and achievement of results ensured sustainability and satisfaction among the project participants?
• To what extent and how did external factors influence or impact the implementation of the “Mitigating violence, increasing the safety and security of civilians and strengthening the resilience of populations affected by conflict and environmental shocks” project?
• What best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations can be identified to inform future programming and strategy for the donor and other major stakeholders?

4. DESIGN AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study will be conducted across the project implementation areas i.e. Jonglei (Lankien and Pibor Counties), Unity (Panyijiar County and greater Southern Unity- Leer), Bentiu Town (Rubkona County) and Central Equatoria (Yei County), Warrap State (Tonj). The individual consultant is expected to conduct a participatory assessment providing for meaningful involvement by project partners, beneficiaries and other interested parties. Primary and secondary data is expected to be gathered using a mixed method to evaluate programme implementation. Thus, the assessment will involve collecting the following data:

• Quantitative data: It will be used to measure indicators of the project expressed in terms of numbers/percentages (quantitative indicators). Information will be collected using a questionnaire survey which will be administered to a sample of households. The consultant is expected to determine the sampling technique and size which would be representative, and adequate to detect the changes observed and do basic descriptive statistics.
• Qualitative data: Qualitative information will be collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and In-depth Interviews (IDIs) with key stakeholders including community participants, community leaders, community/traditional leaders, local government offices, civil society organisations, donors, local humanitarian partners, project staff and others to complement the information collected through quantitative approaches.
• Secondary documentation: A review of relevant project documents and reports among other relevant documents will also be important to establish key insights relevant to the effective implementation of the project.

5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANT

The consultant will be expected to:

• Design methodology for the collection of quantitative and qualitative data for the final end-line evaluation.
• Develop and finalise evaluation questions and create the tools necessary to answer the final evaluation questions.
• Develop a detailed field implementation and enumerators training guide for the final evaluation.
• Organize and facilitate training workshops for data collectors (NP will hire the data collectors) and pilot testing of the tool.
• Plan and coordinate the necessary logistics to collect the data in aaccordance with the selected methodology.
• Conduct the final evaluation at the project locations to measure key indicators as defined in the project logical framework and also set benchmarks.
• Develop the data entry template and ensure data entry clerks are trained adequately.
• Collect and analyse available secondary data to augment the final evaluation findings.
• Based upon a reading of the programme documents, propose any additional topics or issues for analysis in the final evaluation.
• Analyse and interpret data to develop a comprehensive final evaluation report.
• Conduct a comparative analysis of the final evaluation data with baseline findings of the current project.
• Share key preliminary findings and insights from the final evaluation with relevant staff through consultations.

6. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

• Submit an inception report/proposal which responds to the scope of work by adding any further detail or clarification regarding the study approach, method, or implementation arrangements
• Fieldwork implementation plan (to be submitted before fieldwork begins). This field work plan should be presented to NP for comment and revised as necessary prior to commencing fieldwork.
• Final evaluation questionnaires and qualitative data collection guides.
• Cleaned data sets in CSV and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) format, with data correctly organized, and variables named and labelled.
• Cleaned qualitative data collection transcripts.
• High quality validation of the information collected through a validation workshop of the findings.
• A comprehensive final evaluation report that meets agreed formats.

7. TIMEFRAME

The task is anticipated to last between 6 to 8 weeks maximum weeks including submission of the final end line evaluation report. The consultant will be expected to start working on 15 July 2024 and complete all responsibilities outlined in the Scope of Work and submit the final end-line evaluation report by 15 September 2024.

Note: – The timing may be changed due to international and domestic travel restrictions or other requirements.

8. RESOURCES

NP will facilitate all visa requirements, transport to South Sudan and all field sites. In addition, NP will provide accommodation and communications equipment while in the country. NP will not provide personal computers and the consultant must use his/her own computer. All necessary logistical arrangements for the assessment will be coordinated through the NP logistics department. The chosen individual consultant will coordinate with the Research Monitoring and Evaluation team, Program Development Personnel, Program Manager and field staff in the planning and implementation of the data collection.

9. SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Education:

• Master’s degree in International and Political Affairs, Law, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field.

Required Experience and Skills

• At least 5-7 years of experience in the design and implementation of evaluations, assessments, or baseline surveys including qualitative and quantitative data collection.
• Previous work experience in the area of humanitarian work specifically the protection of civilians, knowledge of and understanding of the South Sudan operating context will be an added advantage.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of research methodologies and processes.
• Experience in the development of Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks and log-frames.
• Experience in gathering and systematizing large amounts of data.
• Experience managing a diverse team and providing capacity-building and training support.
• Experience developing protection projects in conflict-affected and/or emergency settings.
• Proven ability to manage highly confidential and sensitive information through a protection lens.
• Experience managing projects in complex, dynamic and volatile environments, where security and political situation is very fluid.

10. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL

The proposal shall include technical and financial sections. The financial section needs to describe only the consultant’s professional fee. Other expenses like visa, transport, accommodation and small per diem while in country will be handled by NP.

The technical proposal should include:

• Consultant profile including past achievements
• Introduction: A brief overview of the assignment as understood by the bidder
• Detail methodology and approach including work plan (i.e. research techniques to be used, sampling, field operation plan, quality assurance and time frame).
• Current CV of the consultant.
• Detail itemized work plan.
• Detailed itemized budget and price justification by unit cost per activity being proposed under the financial proposal.
• Three references from organizations that prove the consultant’s capacity to carry out a final evaluation.
• Annexes: Any documents, which the consultant feels will assist the proposal review team in evaluating the proposal