Mid-term Evaluation Consultancy in Armenia (Tavush, Shirak and Lori Marz) At Sign of Hope

Organisation

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V.

www.hoffnungszeichen.de, www.sign-of-hope.org

Position

Mid-term Evaluation Consultant

Type of Contract

Short-term consultancy

Location

Home-based with field mission travel to Tavush, Shirak and Lori Marz, Armenia

Relevant Languages

English (essential), Armenian (desirable)

Starting Date

06.02.2023

Project Title

Integrated multi-level capacity development for climate-adapted agriculture in rural areas of Tavush, Shirak and Lori Marz, Armenia

Total Project Budget

733,332 EURO

Background and Rationale

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. (SoH) is a Christian motivated organisation for human rights, humanitarian aid and development cooperation. From its base in Constance, Germany, SoH is committed to helping those in distress and exploited people worldwide.

This mid-term is commissioned under the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) budget for development projects run by private organisations.

SoH is the private German executing agency and the contracting party, while Green Lane (GL)will be the local implementing partner.

GL main goal is the development of agriculture in the rural areas in Armenia. GL serves to provide farmers with trainings and capacity building and a forum for marketing and mutual exchange of experience and knowledge. The main problem is the loss of livelihoods of smallholder farmes in remote villages in three regions (Shirak, Lori and Tavush Marz) in northern Armenia. Consequential effects are increasing poverty, food insecurity and migration. GL trains the farmers in adequate resource management, climate change adaptation and the use of sustainable farming practices. The direct target group of the project are 360 smallholders from six villages. Min. 50% of the target group consists of women.

Purpose, Objectives and Use

The purpose of the evaluation is to provide SoH and GL with a comprehensive assessment of the project, conducted systematically and impartially, as well as analyse the progress towards the achievement of the project’s results and identify risks to sustainability. The study will provide concrete, credible and practical recommendations that will assist with the timely incorporation of the findings into the decision-making process and contribute to the organisational learning of both implementing organisations.

The study will support the project quality assurance measures implemented by SoH and meet the donor requirements towards the development projects implemented by German private organisations.

The evaluation will address evaluation questions based on the standard OECD/DAC evaluation criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact (please see https://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/revised-evaluation-criteria-dec-2019.pdf). The objectives of the evaluations are to:

1. Assess the extent to which the project has sustainably achieved its objectives and results (results matrix), including the extent to which the lives of the project beneficiaries have been improved,
2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses in terms of planning, management, implementation and monitoring of the project,
3. Evaluate sustainability measures,
4. Identify cross-cutting issues addressed through the project, including gender equality, human rights, marginalised groups, inclusion, and other issues,
5. Determine the effects of Covid-19 on the project, its activities and implementing organisation,
6. Identify risks and weaknesses and make recommendations for the successful completion of the project.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Evaluation Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Head of the International Assistance and Cooperation Department, in close cooperation with the responsible SoH Officer and the local implementing partner.

The duties and responsibilities of the Evaluation Consultant will include:

• Develop a work plan outlining the proposed research methodology, geographical coverage and schedule to conduct the study,
• Conduct a desk review of relevant documents,
• Carry out a project site visit to a project location to conduct research, collect data and establish contact with the local implementing partner, project beneficiaries and relevant project stakeholders,
• Review and evaluate available data and existing sources of information, including the project proposal, annual reports, conducted studies and other documents,
• Examine institutional, technical, staffing and financial capacities of the implementing partner as well as its relationship with the target group and other relevant stakeholders.

Expected Deliverables

The study will produce the following deliverables:

• an inception report, including the proposed research methodology and data collection tools, a table of content and timeline of research activities prior to the site visit to the project location,
• a comprehensive report of a maximum of 30 pages with practical recommendations and relevant annexes (including raw data and documented records).

A template will be provided to serve as a guide and may be used to structure the final report.

Study Quality and Ethical Standards

The study team will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the study is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of the people and communities involved. Furthermore, the study should be aligned to the following standards and applicable practices:

• Utility: the study must be useful and used.
• Feasibility: the study must be realistic, diplomatic and managed in a sensible, cost-effective manner.
• Ethics and Legality: the study must be conducted in an ethical and legal manner, with particular regard for the welfare of those involved in and affected by the Study.
• Impartiality and Independence: the study should be impartial, providing a comprehensive and unbiased assessment that takes into account the views of all stakeholders.
• Transparency: the study activities should reflect an attitude of openness and transparency.
• Accuracy: the study should be technically accurate and credible, providing sufficient information about the data collection, analysis, and interpretation methods so that its worth or merit can be determined.
• Participation: the Stakeholders should be consulted and meaningfully involved in the study process when feasible and appropriate.
• Collaboration: Collaboration between key operating partners in the study process improves the legitimacy and utility of the study.

The study must be in line with the SoH guiding principles and Code of Conduct.

Process/Timeframe

The total duration of the assignment is up to 25 working days within the period from 06. February 2023 to 17. March 2023.

Planning meeting with SoH (remotely), handover of relevant documents 1 day

Initial document review and inception report preparation 4 days

Sharing inception report with SoH and GL 1 day

Finalisation of inception report 1 day

Data collection site visit to a project location 5-10 days

Data analysis, draft report with annexes 5-10 days

Incorporating received feedback and report finalisation 3-5 days

Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Minimum of 5 years of project evaluation and/or implementation experience in the result-based management framework
• Proven experience of conducting feasibility studies, evaluations and other research projects
• Technical and methodological knowledge to conduct research projects and formulate conclusions based on a solid methodology, assessing projects for relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of projects
• Experience working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and partnered projects
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Desirable:

• Experience in the relevant field/sector
• Professional familiarity with the project country/region
• Practical experience of working for and/or evaluating BMZ-funded projects
• Fluency in written and spoken Armenian

Academic Background

An advanced level university degree (Masters’ degree or equivalent) in social sciences, public administration, international development studies, law and relevant field. A first-level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted.

The Evaluation Consultant is to be independent and impartial with no liabilities to any other organisation or government entity regarding this evaluation.