SPARK is calling for independent expert/s for a mid-term evaluation of its Jobs and Perspective Program (J&P) implemented in Jordan. The expert/s will assess the progress made towards the achievement of a program’s objectives covering the period from August 2019 till August 2021.
Programme Background
SPARK’s Jobs and Perspectives was built to be an innovative and sustainable intervention, increasing access to market, access to finance for M/SMEs and work opportunities for youth from host communities and refugees alike in Jordan. Jordan has faced enormous economic and social challenges due to the large influx of refugees since the start of the Syrian Crisis which pushed refugees and vulnerable members of the host communities into poverty and created tensions between the populations.
SPARK together with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NLMFA) contribute to job creation and employability for Syrian and Jordanian youth in Jordan through gender-focused entrepreneurship training, MSME development through capacity building training and coaching, access to finance for especially women-owned MSMEs and job matchmaking with MSMEs.
Programme Strategic Objectives
The J&P Programme focuses on the following activities and outputs:
Women-focused entrepreneurship curricula developed: 200 women entrepreneurs trained using the new curriculum
- 200 MSME’s provided technical support through training/coaching
- 70 job placements for MSMEs that are provided support
- 75 MSMEs provided access to finance through grants
- 130 jobs created
Programme Partners
- TTI
- IGIT
- Manafeth Consulting
Objectives of the Mid-Term Programme Evaluation
The objectives of this Mid-Term Programme Evaluation are to evaluate the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact of each separate activity of the programme, to identify lessons learned from the programme’s implementation and to formulate recommendations for similar future programming.
Time Schedule of the Mid-Term Programme Evaluation
The evaluation is expected to begin around November 4, 2021 and end on December 15, 2021 at the latest, and will include preparation, evaluation design, field assessments in the programme’s areas, report writing and presentation of findings and lessons learned and recommendations to SPARK, local partner organizations and donors. Additionally, the evaluation will be conducted within a 6 weeks period, which includes reporting.
Tasks of the Mid-Term Programme Evaluation
- Development of workplan and timeline of evaluation activities
- Review of existing J&P Programme documentation including assessments, curriculums, deliverables etc.
- Meetings and/or interviews with SPARK Programme Staff and Monitoring & Evaluation staff, local partners and beneficiaries
- Analysis of gathered data through reviews, meetings and/or interviews
- Development of draft evaluation report and submission to SPARK Programme and M&E teams
- Processing of feedback on draft report from SPARK Programme and M&E teams
- Finalisation of mid-term evaluation report and submission to SPARK Programme and M&E teams
Deliverables
Following deliverables for this evaluation will be produced:
- Detailed work plan and timeline which will be approved by the Programme Management
- Draft and final report, which will have the following structure:
- Executive summary
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Analysis and findings per activity
- Conclusions of findings, lessons learned and recommendations per activity
Annexes: Relevant maps and photographs of the evaluation areas, desktop review references, data collection tools, list of interviewees and anonymized participants in focus group discussions and raw data in an agreed upon format
The Mid-Term Evaluation Report will be written in English, in PDF and Word format and will be published on the SPARK website.
Payment Scheme for the Mid-Term Programme Evaluation:
The payments for the Mid-Term Programme Evaluation will be done by the SPARK, according to the following scheme:
- 50% of total contracting sum upon signing of agreement
- 50% of total contracting sum upon approval of Mid-Term Programme Evaluation Report
Expertise required for the Mid-Term Programme Evaluation
The evaluator(s) should be (a team of) experienced and independent consultant(s), freelance or from a consultancy organisation, with at least the following expertise:
- Advanced university degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Higher Education or any other related field
- A minimum of 7 years of professional experience with conducting programme/project evaluations
- Proven experience in developing external assessment report within MENA region
- Previous professional experience in the INGO domain in Jordan will be considered an advantage
- Advanced communication, analytical and reporting skills
- Fluent in English (both reading and writing)
- Fluency in Arabic will be considered an advantage
How to apply
Application for the Mid-Term Programme Evaluation:
The deadline for submission of applications is October 28, 2021, by 5 PM Jordan time. All applications should include the following:
- Letter of Interest (max 3 pages) stating the full availability between the dates of November 4, 2021 and December 15, 2021, including proposed work plan, timeline and methodology.
- CV’s of all evaluation members
- Financial Proposal which should include consultancy fees that include VAT and are based on the work plan, with a breakdown of days and fees
All full applications should be directly sent to the SME and Entrepreneurship Development Consultant Murad Hamzeh at m.hamzeh@spark-online.org and the Senior Project Officer for SME and Entrepreneurship Development Hadeel Issa at h.issa@spark-online.org. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.