ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Internews is seeking a consultant external evaluator to lead an evaluation on a regional MENA project focused on religious freedom. The evaluator will design and develop the overall evaluation approach, methodology, and data collection strategy, and will be responsible for ensuring the evaluation’s objective implementation. The consultant should be fluent in Arabic and English and have experience conducting evaluations in difficult country contexts, particularly for USG donors.

LOGISTICS

This is a remote-based role and candidates based anywhere in the world will be considered. However, there are some locations where Internews does not support remote work.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply soon

This is a limited-duration position, with an expected end date of December 2024.

OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF BELONGING

We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven individuals who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people. Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are an EEO employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

With the right to religious freedom and beliefs frequently violated in Lebanon, Iraq, and Sudan, both by state and non-state actors, religious minorities are vulnerable to discrimination, systematic barriers to full participation in society, and violent persecution, freedom of religion flourishes best in an environment of informed, conflict-sensitive, and non-violent public debate. For such a dialogue; citizens need high-quality information about concepts of religious freedom and underlying legal principles. Yet there is lack of quality media coverage on these issues across the three focus countries.

Internews, with collaboration of two local partners based in Lebanon, implemented Enhancing Quality Information on Religious Freedoms (ENQUIRE) program. Enquire ran for five years, from September 2019 until September 2024. The goal of Internews’ ENQUIRE project is to promote a culture of respect for religious diversity, in the three focus countries where religious freedom is restricted, by improving the quality, quantity, and dissemination of objective reporting on religious freedom.

The project is designed on the basis of a robust Theory of Change:

IF we increase the capacity of journalists to securely produce high-quality conflict-sensitive inclusive content on key religious freedom issues, AND

IF we increase the availability of and access to high-quality conflict-sensitive inclusive content and dialogue on key religious freedom issues,

THEN a cadre of more professional, well-informed and objective journalists can introduce diverse voices into public discourse on religious freedom AND

THEN audiences will have access to and engage with this new content, AND

THEN enhanced peaceful dialogue and exchanges about religious freedom issues will strengthen moderate forces in society and support social cohesion

EVALUATION PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this final evaluation is to assess the performance and potential success of the project against expected outcomes and impact, suggesting ways of improving where relevant. It should also look at signs of potential impact of project activities on beneficiaries and sustainability of results. More specifically, this evaluation has the following principal questions:

• How effective was the design and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system in tracking progress and results?
• To what extent were the expected outcomes achieved, and what unexpected outcomes (positive or negative) emerged from the project activities?
• What were the key factors (internal and external) that influenced or hindered the achievement of intended activities, outcomes, and impacts?
• How sustainable are the results and changes brought about by the project likely to be after the project ends? What measures were taken to enhance sustainability?

We envision a theory-driven evaluation that speaks to international evaluation criteria (relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, potential for impact and sustainability, OECD/DAC) and pays particular attention to gender. We welcome the use of creative evaluation methods and approaches that will help substantiate project progress and outcomes.

The key audiences for this evaluation are the Internews Middle East and North Africa team, the broader organization, the donor, and project relevant stakeholders and partners. The evaluation findings will be used to support new upcoming projects in the 3 countries and/or focusing on religious freedom issues.

EVALUATION SCOPE AND QUESTIONS

The success of this evaluation is contingent on close collaboration with Internews at every stage of the process, including the design of the methodology and the crafting of the inception report, and in the development of the final report and other relevant materials.

The methodological approach and design of the evaluation will be developed and agreed between Internews and the evaluator. The evaluator will then be responsible for its objective implementation. The methodological approach should be inclusive, gender-sensitive, participatory, and culturally appropriate.

The evaluator will devise an overall evaluation approach and a data collection strategy that most effectively responds to the evaluation questions. To do this, tasks required to be covered during the evaluation include but are not limited to:

The evaluation should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following tools:

• Desk review of relevant documents;
• Suggest relevant evaluation approach and data collection methodology
• Individual and/or group interviews with internal and external stakeholders;
• Online meetings with external stakeholders; and
• Survey questionnaires to internal and external stakeholders, if relevant.

A proposed set of evaluation questions are below. The selected evaluator, in collaboration with Internews, will further refine the evaluation scope and questions during the inception phase of the evaluation.

The key evaluation questions are:

• To what extent were the project’s goals and activities relevant to the needs and priorities of the target communities in Lebanon, Iraq, and Sudan?
• To what degree were the project’s stated objectives achieved in terms of increasing journalists’ capacity, improving media coverage, and fostering dialogue on religious freedom issues?
• What were the key outcomes and impacts, both intended and unintended, resulting from the project activities?
• How effective was the project’s M&E system in tracking progress, measuring results, and utilizing data to inform decision-making?
• To what extent were the project’s activities and outputs delivered in a cost-effective and timely manner, given the available resources
• How sustainable are the overall results and changes brought about by the project likely to be after it ends, in terms of promoting a culture of respect for religious diversity and improving media coverage on religious freedom issues?
• What are some of the key recommendations and lessons learned from the project for further media development programming in the target country and potentially other similar contexts?

Timeframe and Deliverables

We anticipate around 25-35 full working days will be needed to conduct this evaluation in a flexible working manner as follows:

Launch of ToR and bids reception – Deadline for applications: August 12, 2024

Appointment of evaluator and initial briefing – Appointment: by August 2024 Briefing: as soon as possible upon appointment. The consultant is expected to have initial meetings with staff in order to inform inception report (see below)

Inception report – By August 2024 – Relevant documentation will be made available and the inception report will include:

-Literature review

-Draft methodology

-Data collection tools

-Outline of final report structure

First draft report – By October/November 2024 – Internews staff will review the draft for further clarification, comment and structure

Final draft report – By November/December 2024

Note that the draft and final reports should be presented in English and be no longer than 30 pages (excluding any relevant annexes) and contain a concise Executive Summary of core findings and recommendations, the latter being specific and action‐oriented, and tailored to all relevant stakeholders (i.e., Internews and the donor). It should also include a methodology section, making explicit any limits to the evaluation.

QUALIFICATIONS WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in media, journalism, international development, evaluation or related field;
• At least 5 years of experience conducting evaluations in difficult contexts, particularly for USG donors;
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative M&E data collection and analysis methods;
• Fluent in English and Arabic;
• Excellent intercultural communication skills/cultural sensitivity and the ability to forge strong cross-cultural relationships demonstrated through previous experience;
• Strong facilitation, presentation, writing and communication skills.

Preferred:

Note: Candidates who do not have these preferred qualifications, but who are interested and willing to learn, are encouraged to apply

• Masters’ degree or PhD in relevant field;
• Experience conducting evaluations for media development, or more than 5 years’ experience as evaluator;
• Experience in evaluation of grants funded by the US State Department;
• Experience in evaluating and analyzing social media presence and online audience engagement;
• Knowledge and understanding of the focus countries contexts