Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Consultant at Euromed Feminist Initiative

TERMS OF REFERENCE – Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Consultant

The program “Towards stronger economic participation of women in Jordan” Funded by European Union Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis “Madad Fund”

EuroMED Feminist Initiative

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND RATIONALE

1.1 Introduction

EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI) is a policy network encompassing women’s rights organizations from the two shores of the Mediterranean Sea that provides expertise in the field of gender equality and advocates for women’s rights as inseparable from democracy building and citizenship, for political solutions to all conflicts, and for the right of people to self-determination. The head office is in Paris and the regional MENA office is in Amman, Jordan with country offices in Amman and Beirut.

From 1^st of April 2021 EFI start implementing the program “Towards stronger economic participation of women in Jordan” funded by the European Union (EU) Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis “EU Madad Fund”. The overall objective is to contribute to gender sensitive national and local policy frameworks that are more conducive to women’s economic participation. The program is implemented in consortium with Business Development Centre (BDC) and Tamkeen. The program is implemented in East Amman, Irbid, Ramtha, Zarqa, Azraq city, Ain Al Basha, Karak, Jerash and Ajloun.

1.2 Rationale of the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Consultancy

The monitoring and evaluation function aims to ensure that progress and results of the program are monitored, communicated, evaluated and acted upon in a timely, efficient and results-based manner.

For this, the M&E Consultant will work in coordination with the EFI’s Technical Management Unit (TMU) in line with existing monitoring and evaluation related policies, guidance and tools used by EFI, and following the rules and regulations of the EU.

1.3 Intervention Background and Context

Jordan 2025 strategy aims at increasing women’s employment from 18% to 24% in 2025 and the Jordanian government has exerted efforts to promote women’s economic participation, committing to closing the gender equality gap by 2030. Positive changes have been made in the labour law. Article 72 about childcare was amended, and Article 53 included the penalty for gender discrimination in wages. Moreover, a three-day paternity leave was introduced. Nevertheless, these economic policies have been perceived as insufficient to promote gender integration and tackle the multiple obstacles hindering the economic participation of women.

The unexpected shock of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 and the measures by the government to curb it, added more pressure on the already floundering economy. Women are disproportionately affected by job losses as they were the first employees to be let go after closing of schools and restrict movements in public and private sectors.

Between September 1^st 2018 and December 31^st 2020, EFI implemented Madad for Women gender regional program “Strengthening access to protection, participation and services for women refugees, IDPs and host communities”, funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis- EU Madad Fund. The program was implemented in Lebanon, Iraq KR-I and in Jordan by a consortium with credible and experienced national and international organizations. In Jordan it was implemented by a consortium with Business Development Centre (BDC) and Tamkeen.

Starting April 1^st, 2021, EFI and the consortium members BDC and Tamkeen are implementing the phase 2 of Madad for Women in Jordan, “Towards stronger Economic participation of Women in Jordan”, funded by the EU Madad Fund. The program is built on the achievements, lessons learned and good practices in Jordan from the previous gender regional program.

Using a multi-pronged approach: The program supports the efforts of the Jordanian government, notably the Ministry of Labour (MoL) to strengthen women’s economic participation and to formalize the informal labour sector. It also promotes measures and policies that contribute to addressing gender stereotypes and enabling women to step out from their traditional roles. To this end, the program designs policy dialogues and supports coordination between policy makers, governmental institutions, civil society organizations, trade unions and private sector companies, as well as international organizations, notably ILO.

Engaging national and local institutional actors in the provision of job opportunities for unemployed women and supportive services to working women: One of the observations from working with CBOs during the first phase is that training opportunities for unemployed women remain scattered and seldom involve local institutions. Engaging national and local institutional actors in the provision of trainings and supportive services ensures broader outreach and stronger impact. It also guarantees that impediments to women’s economic participation requiring long-term efforts are adequately addressed. These obstacles include transportation problems, lack of childcare, and poor working conditions. By supporting and building capacity of WEEUs the consortium will ensure that these services are provided beyond the end of the program.

Investing in Media Campaign: Building on the2019-2020 successful media campaign on women’s rights in the labour market, the program will launch similar annual campaigns to raise social awareness on women´s rights and build broad support for women´s participation at the labour market.

Including educated women among rights holders: While the program addresses the needs of vulnerable women, it also includes and supports women who have completed high-school or college education but fail to find a job.

2. DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES / EXPECTED RESULTS

2.1. Scope of Work

EFI is welcoming applications from qualified consultants to provide technical support on all M&E related activities related to the above-mentioned program. The M&E consultant is expected to develop an M&E framework and guidelines for the program. The M&E consultant will also be responsible for ensuring proper implementation of M&E activities by EFI and implementing partners’ staff throughout the program timeframe. Moreover, the M&E consultant will be required to provide on-going technical support and quality assurance to ensure that M&E activities and reporting is implemented effectively and efficiently and in a harmonious manner.

2.2. M&E Responsibilities/ Expected Results

The M&E Consultant will perform the following activities:

1. Establish a multi-year results and monitoring framework for the program “Towards stronger economic participation of women in Jordan”

• Formulate key outputs and process indicators for the program activity clusters, based on the program description and consultation with EFI, implementing partners and other relevant stakeholders.
• Identify relevant gender sensitive baselines, benchmarks, risks and assumptions.
• Define tracking and data collection tools as well as frequencies for data collection and establish time frames based on work plans developed in close cooperation with the team management unit (TMU).
• Develop an M&E framework and associated guidelines for dissemination among the TMU. The guidelines will be prepared in the form of an operational manual and will include monitoring and evaluation principles; procedures and templates for data collection and reporting for objectives and results indicators; and roles and responsibilities for reporting on the results achieved, including formant, content, frequencies, and source(s) of data.

2. Monitor and report on progress and results

• Provide support in the approval process by the authorities as per Jordanian regulations and help in developing the reports submitted on the system.
• Track and analyse progress towards agreed outputs of all activity clusters so that they are in line with the program’s monitoring framework.
• Support in developing and finalizing the EU Madad Fund Quarterly Information Notes (QINs) to be submitted to the donor on timely manner. The QINs shall capture the progress towards achieving the targets of objectives and results of the program. They will also be used to provide updates and follow up for EFI and partners.
• Summarize progress in a timely and user-friendly manner through agreed upon formats such as briefing notes, background materials or others that are jointly defined with EFI at the beginning of the program.
• Flag potential risks or challenges emerging from monitoring information to the TMU and relevant partners where needed.
• Define and communicate required reporting details (timing, format, content, etc.) and provide suggestions for ways to improve tracking of results.

3. Provide monitoring support to the staff of EFI and implementing partners

• Provide follow-up and technical guidance on result-based management (RBM) and M&E to EFI and the implementing partners.
• Support on-going data collection and interpretation of results.
• Ensure coherence and effectiveness of monitoring activities by EFI staff.
• Develop, update and ensure effective use of M&E related guidance documents by EFI and partners.**
• Provide support and guidance on monitoring tools, and template and approaches, to EFI and implementing partners, which are in line with EFI’s policies on monitoring and existing tools and templates and following the roles and guidelines of the EU. **
• Support EFI staff in effectively applying the results and monitoring framework (remote support, country missions). This includes providing support on the selection of outputs and indicators, and data collection tools.**
• Facilitate technical support if necessary, such as trainings, workshops and access to resources (where possible). **
• Ensure that a continuous learning process is developed and documented through regular result-oriented monitoring and evaluation trainings.
• Work with the TMU to ensure that the partners are aligned in terms of the program’s objectives and scope and encourage synergies.
• Conduct regular monitoring missions to review data quality, identify challenges and gaps and follow-up with the TMU.
• Ensure that indicators developed are adequate for gender-sensitive monitoring and that monitoring related activities of the program are gender sensitive.
• Provide support in finalizing the interim and final narrative reports of the program as per the EU’s format.

4. Document good practices and lessons learned

• Develop a system in which lessons learned and good practices are regularly documented and shared.
• Develop reports, if needed, on lessons learned and disseminate with relevant partners/stakeholders to inform on progress and impact as well as act as a repository of good practices for the program.
• Participate in the dissemination of program’s findings and lessons learned.
• Document good practices to gender-sensitive monitoring.

5. Oversee and ensure quality of mid-term and final evaluations as well as other program related research

• Serve as a focal point for the external evaluation and other types of surveys and research based on key indicators and strategies approved in the program’s documents.
• Provide oversight and quality assurance on the program’s mid-term and final external evaluations and other program-related research.
• Promote monitoring and evaluation standards, provide technical advice in their design and implementation, and ensure that they are gender mainstreamed.
• Organise and coordinate evaluations related missions.
• Conduct regular revisions on the Program’s Theory of Change, assessing aspects such as outcomes, risks and assumptions at national and local levels.
• Provide advice on adjusting the program’s log-frame based on changes made to the TOC throughout the program’s timeframe.
• Undertake other M&E related assignments, which may be assigned from time to time by EFI.

2.2 Management and Monitoring

While the consultancy will be carried out externally to ensure objectivity and impartiality, it relies on the collaboration of staff from the organisation and partner organisations, which are familiar with the program details and the context in which it is undertaken. This approach aims to ensure that the M&E consultant works in line with quality and standards of the EU, EFI and partners and is able to improve M&E process throughout the program’s timeframe, while respecting the principles of impartiality and independence.

The TMU comprised of EFI country manager, financial and project officer and C&V officer as well as the project managers and financial officers of partners BDC and Tamkeen will be responsible to follow with the M&E consultant. The unit will work under the supervision of the Project Steering Committee.

The M&E Consultant will report directly to EFI’s Executive Director to provide monthly timesheets and progress reports.

3. QUALIFICATIONS

The consultant should be a senior professional with an advanced degree in a relevant field and a minimum of 5 -10 years of experience. The candidate should bring to the position:

• Master’s or doctoral degree, preferably in Social Sciences or another relevant field.
• Experience in designing tools and strategies for data collection, analysis and production of reports.
• Proficiency in data analysis using software tools such as SPSS, NVIVO, data triangulation, and national demographic data.
• At least 5 years’ experience in conducting M&E work in gender and human-rights based interventions.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation approaches and experience in designing, developing and implementing M&E systems.
• Excellent understanding of results-based management.
• Ability to produce well-written reports that demonstrate excellent analytical and communication skills from the perspective of women’s rights as universal human rights.
• A strong team leadership and management track record with demonstrated ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Ability to work with the organization and with other stakeholders to ensure the delivery of a high-quality product in a timely manner.
• Willingness to travel for the project and ability to work on different assignments simultaneously in order to meet assignment timelines.
• A full understanding of security related issues and approaches with regards to collecting sensitive information from project beneficiaries and stakeholders.
• Regional/Country experience and knowledge.
• Excellent command of English and Arabic is mandatory.

4. DURATION OF CONSULTANCY

The duration of this consultancy is: 80 days per year for one year, with the possibility of extension.