Consultancy for the Final Evaluation of the Programme “Empowering communities to respond to conflict-induced protection risks and high food insecurity levels in six vast humanitarian crises”

Introduction

 

Oxfam-Solidariteit, hereafter Oxfam, non-governmental organization for humanitarian assistance and development cooperation launches an invitation to quote for proposals for the final evaluation of the project “Empowering communities to respond to conflict-induced protection risks and high food insecurity levels in six vast humanitarian crises.

 

The offer must be received by October 8th 2023. It has to be sent to OBE.tender@oxfam.org

The IQ is structured as follows

1. Terms of reference

2. Submission procedure

3. Decision proceduret

 

This invitation to quote does not entail any obligation for Oxfam to make a purchase. This invitation should not be interpreted as a contract offer with your company and/or organization. No compensation can be claimed in case of non-acceptance of an offer or non-granting of a contract.

Terms of reference            

Summary of the evaluated project

Project title	Empowering communities to respond to conflict-induced protection risks and high food insecurity levels in six vast humanitarian crises.
Stakeholders	Oxfam Belgique (grant signatory), Oxfam in Countries, 11 partner organisations (at field level).
Funded by	Directorate-general Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD)
Geographical coverage	Middle East: Yemen and the occupied Palestinian territory Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Great Lakes: the DRC
Project duration	5th October 2021 – 30 November 2023 (including a 2-month NCE).
Project budget	9,880,000 EUR
Evaluation budget	80,000 EUR
Officer in charge of the evaluation	Oxfam Belgium Humanitarian Lead
Evaluation reference group (TBC)	Oxfam Belgium Humanitarian Lead; Institutional Partnership Manager (DGD); Oxfam International Protection Advisor; Oxfam International Protection and Hunger Policy Advisor; 1 focal point per country of implementation; 1 local partner representative per country of implementation.

The full consolidated project proposal will be shared with interested candidates.

Project background

Over the spring 2021, Oxfam Belgium and Oxfam International through the Global Humanitarian Team supported the development of multi-country Humanitarian Programmes that was submitted to the DGD on July 15th 2021 that had launched a “Protection financial framework”. For the first time, the Belgian Donor had attributed pre-identified envelopes to its 8 humanitarian partners. The Oxfam topline intervention had been discussed with the DGD prior to the final submission of the programme.

 

In line with DGD regulations, one final evaluation of the programme is required to justify the use of the funds. The evaluation report must be submitted to the administration within six months after the end of the action.

 

Evaluation objectives

The evaluation aims to provide Oxfam and our local partners, DGD, key local and national authorities and other stakeholders in the intervention countries with an assessment of the results generated by the programme. The evaluation will focus on a set of criteria which are deemed most relevant for a multi-partner programme addressing needs resulting from active conflicts in 6 different countries. These are taken from the Oxfam Humanitarian Indicator Tool (HIT) which incorporate DAC criteria and add others.

 

Overall, through this evaluation, Oxfam aims at:

• Evaluating the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the project and/or its implementation process, as well as the sustainability of the approaches used;
• Identifying the achievements and shortcomings in the implementation of the project and the corrective measures to be taken for future opportunities / analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the project;
• Providing stakeholders with recommendations that may be used to adjust the objectives and ways of working of the next phase (and other programmes);
  Fostering knowledge-building and sharing, and mutual learning among the different stakeholders of the programme.

The specific objectives of the evaluation include:

1. Assess the Extent of Identification and Mitigation of Primary Protection Risks Across Six Countries: This objective aims to gauge the degree to which communities in the six target countries have identified and effectively addressed their primary protection risks.
2. Measure Empowerment Across Gender and Age Groups: This objective seeks to quantify the empowerment levels of women, men, girls, and boys in assuming proactive roles in their own protection within their respective communities.
3. Analyze the Impact of Community-Based Solutions on Peace and Social Cohesion: This objective entails an examination of the influence of community-driven solutions on the promotion of peace and the enhancement of social cohesion.
4. Evaluate Community Readiness and Responsiveness: This objective focuses on assessing the readiness and responsiveness of communities by strengthening community-based early warning systems and implementing Group Cash Transfer programs.
5. Assess the Effectiveness of Contextual Local Advocacy Initiatives: This objective involves evaluating the effectiveness of locally-driven advocacy initiatives developed in partnership with local actors and communities.
6. Examine Advocacy's Contribution to Addressing Root Causes: Here, the goal is to evaluate how these advocacy efforts contribute to addressing the fundamental causes of poverty and foster action on the interconnected issues of conflict, protection, and hunger.
7. Analyze Alignment with Broader Advocacy Efforts: This objective will scrutinize the alignment of the humanitarian response with Oxfam's overarching advocacy endeavors aimed at addressing root vulnerabilities, such as conflict, inequality, poverty, and the climate crisis.
8. Evaluate the Strengthening of the Humanitarian-Development Advocacy Nexus: This objective involves assessing the extent to which the intervention reinforces the connection between immediate humanitarian assistance and long-term development and advocacy objectives.
9. Assess Adaptability to Diverse Needs and Contexts: This objective will evaluate how well the activities adapt to the unique needs and contexts of each country while remaining in harmony with Oxfam's strategic goals.
10. Evaluate Impact on Gender Equality and Inclusion: This objective will examine the intervention's impact on promoting gender equality and the inclusion of marginalized groups in decision-making processes, protection measures, and food security initiatives.
11. Assess Partnership Effectiveness: This objective will gauge the effectiveness of Oxfam's partnerships with local organizations and other stakeholders in executing the intervention.
12. Evaluate Synergy Between Oxfam and Partners: Lastly, this objective will analyze the synergy between Oxfam and its partners, exploring how effectively they collaborate to achieve the desired outcome