Consultancy Final Evaluation of the Emergency Appeal in Ecuador (multiple locations) At International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

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1. Background and context

Since the beginning of 2025, Ecuador has faced a national emergency due to an intensified rainy season, which caused flooding, landslides, structural collapses, and other related events across much of the country. Between January and December 2025, more than 4,400 adverse events related to rainfall were recorded, affecting all 24 provinces and severely impacting housing, livelihoods, critical infrastructure, basic services, and humanitarian access.

Within this context, the province of Esmeraldas experienced one of the most complex humanitarian situations of the operation. On March 13, 2025, a landslide damaged the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System (SOTE), causing an oil spill that contaminated important water sources in the cantons of Atacames, Esmeraldas, Muisne, Quinindé, and Rioverde. As a result, more than 500,000 people were affected, primarily due to the disruption of access to safe water, environmental damage, and loss of livelihoods.

Subsequently, on April 25, 2025, a magnitude 6.1 MLv earthquake struck the province of Esmeraldas again, affecting more than 8,000 people, including displaced persons and families with partial or total damage to their homes. This event generated new humanitarian needs related to shelter, access to basic services, health, and psychosocial support.

Additionally, during September 2025, a prolonged interruption of the drinking water system occurred in the province of Esmeraldas due to severe damage to the San Mateo water treatment plant, affecting approximately 300,000 people in the cantons of Esmeraldas, Atacames, and Rioverde. This situation required the activation of emergency response mechanisms and the deployment of humanitarian actions focused on access to safe water and WASH support.

Nationally, the effects of the rainy season continued throughout 2025 and 2026, causing recurring impacts, especially in the provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Guayas, Los Ríos, El Oro, Loja, and Pichincha, including damage reported in Quito and other urban areas. Flooding and infrastructure damage increased humanitarian needs related to shelter, health, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), livelihood recovery, and multipurpose cash assistance.

In response to this situation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched Emergency Appeal MDREC027 on 23 March 2025, with an initial requirement of CHF 4 million, later increased to CHF 4.5 million at the federation level.

The operation will last 18 months, from March 10, 2025, to September 30, 2026, with the goal of assisting 187,386 affected people. The operation is being implemented primarily in the provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Guayas, Los Ríos, El Oro, Loja, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and Pichincha, prioritizing areas with the highest levels of impact and greatest humanitarian needs.

The Appeal includes actions in the sectors of shelter, livelihoods and basic needs, multipurpose cash assistance (CVA), health, psychosocial support, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection, gender and inclusion (PGI), community engagement and accountability (CEA), institutional strengthening and operational coordination. All of these actions will be implemented in coordination with national and local authorities, members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and other relevant humanitarian actors.

2. Characteristics of the evaluation

2.1 Purpose

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in coordination with the Ecuadorian Red Cross (CRE), seeks to carry out the Final Evaluation of the “Emergency Appeal (MDREC027) – Floods and Environmental Pollution”, with the purpose of analyzing the overall performance of the operation, assessing the actions implemented according to IFRC’s evaluation criteria (relevance and adequacy, coherence, coverage, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, protection and security), and identifying lessons learned, opportunities for improvement and recommendations that contribute to institutional learning, accountability and the strengthening of future emergency operations.

2.2 Audience

The findings and recommendations of this evaluation will be used primarily by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Ecuadorian Red Cross (CRE), the Participating National Societies (PNS), strategic partners and other relevant actors linked to the operation, with the aim of guiding future actions and strengthening the response to emergencies.

2.3 Management of the evaluation process

This process will be led by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in coordination with the Ecuadorian Red Cross (CRE), and will be developed in accordance with the IFRC Evaluation Framework. The Evaluation Management Team (EMT) will consist of:

· Regional Head of PMER – IFRC

• Senior PMER Officer, CCD Andean Countries – IFRC

• Senior PMER ARO – IFRC Officer The process will be coordinated with the Planning Management of the Ecuadorian Red Cross, through:

· PMER Officer

2. Characteristics of the evaluation (Continued)

2.4 Duration The consultancy will take place between July and September 2026, with an estimated duration of 2 months. However, the specific dates and activities may be adjusted according to the needs of the process, in coordination with the Evaluation Management Team.

2.5 Methodology The consultant must propose the most appropriate methodology for developing the evaluation, which will be reviewed and validated jointly with the Evaluation Management Team and the Ecuadorian Red Cross. The methodology must align with the IFRC Evaluation Framework and employ a mixed-methods approach, incorporating tools for collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative information, according to the characteristics, scope, and needs of the evaluation process. Within this framework, the consultant or consulting team may propose different evaluation methodologies and tools, which may include, among others: document review; semi-structured interviews; focus groups; participatory consultations; indicator analysis; direct observation; field visits; validation workshops; surveys and other quantitative data collection tools; and other methodologies deemed relevant. The methodological proposal must include, at a minimum: a description of the approaches and methodologies to be used; data collection and analysis tools; and a list of key stakeholders to contact. A proposal for field data collection, with an estimated duration of 7 days, depending on the needs identified during the process; and a methodological proposal for the development of the Lessons Learned Workshop, which will be held in Quito, Ecuador. For the execution of the Lessons Learned Workshop, the consultant or consulting team may adapt existing IFRC and Ecuadorian CR methodologies, considering the characteristics, scope, and complexity of the operation.

2.6 Location The consultancy will combine remote work for document review and analysis with on-site visits to strategically prioritized areas in Ecuador, where it will be possible to observe the actions implemented and the impact of the operation. The locations preliminarily identified are Esmeraldas and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, which will be reconfirmed after the contract is awarded, in coordination with the National Society.

2.7 Financial Proposal The consultant(s) or consulting team must submit a comprehensive financial proposal for the consultancy, including: 1) professional fees for all required services and 2) operating expenses necessary for data collection in Ecuador. The proposal must cover all costs associated with fieldwork in Ecuador, including international airfare (if applicable), local and interprovincial transportation, meals, per diem, and any other expenses required for the proper execution of the evaluation. For reference, the financial proposal is based on an estimated field mission of approximately 7 days; however, the final duration will be determined based on the methodology proposed by the consultant(s) or consulting team and subsequently validated with the Evaluation Management Team. Please note that the logistical costs associated with the Lessons Learned Workshop, including meals, teaching materials, and lodging during the event (one or two days, depending on the proposed methodology), will be covered by the National Society and, therefore, should not be included in the financial proposal.

3. Scope, criteria and evaluation questions (continued)

Relevance and suitability

Did the operation adequately address the needs and priorities of the affected people and other stakeholders?

• Were the activities implemented appropriate given the local context and the evolution of the emergency?

• Did the design and approach of the operation remain valid and relevant during implementation?

Coherence

· Was the operation consistent with the Fundamental Principles, institutional priorities, and relevant humanitarian frameworks?

• Did the actions implemented adequately complement the interventions of other actors?

· Were any relevant contradictions, duplications, or gaps identified during the operation?

Coverage

Did the operation reach the most affected and prioritized populations?

· Were there barriers to access or exclusion for certain groups?

• Was the assistance proportional to the identified needs?

Effectiveness

• To what extent did the operation achieve the planned objectives and results?

• Were the actions implemented in a timely manner in response to the evolving emergencies?

· What factors facilitated or limited the achievement of results?

Efficiency

• To what extent were financial, human, logistical, and time resources used efficiently?

Did the management and coordination processes facilitate a cost-effective implementation?

• What aspects could be optimized in similar future operations?

Equity

• Did the actions implemented adequately consider gender, age, disability, and other conditions of vulnerability?

Protection and security

· Did the operation avoid exposing the affected individuals, staff, and volunteers to additional risks?

• Did the actions implemented respect the dignity, participation, and safety of the affected people?

• What protection and security measures should be strengthened in future operations?

4. Expected Products

The consultancy should produce the following deliverables:

1. Initial Report / Work Plan:

  • Proposed methodology,
  • Detailed timeline,
  • Information gathering tools,
  • List of key stakeholders to contact,
  • Methodological proposal for the Lessons Learned Workshop.

2. Presentation of preliminary findings.

3. Final Evaluation Report:

Executive Summary, Methodology, Findings, Conclusions, Other relevant sections.

4. Facilitation and Final Report of the Lessons Learned Workshop:

  • Facilitation of the workshop,
  • Findings report: lessons learned, opportunities for improvement and recommendations.

All products must be delivered in both Spanish and English.

Quality and ethics standards – Required profile

5. Quality and ethics standards

The assessment must comply with the standards set out in the IFRC Assessment Framework, ensuring that the process is:

· useful,

· ethical,

· participative,

• technically sound,

· transparent,

· impartial,

· and oriented towards institutional learning.

Furthermore, the evaluation must respect the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, as well as applicable national regulations and relevant international standards and frameworks for the implementation of humanitarian evaluations. 7. Required Profile

6. Required Profile The consultant or consulting team must have:

• Proven experience in humanitarian assessments;

• Experience in emergency operations;

• Knowledge of participatory methodologies and lessons learned;

• Experience in facilitating workshops;

• Qualitative and quantitative analytical skills;

• Excellent writing of technical reports;

• Experience working with humanitarian organizations;

• Desirable prior experience with IFRC or National Societies;

• Advanced level of Spanish and English.

Experience and/or knowledge of technical areas such as the following will be valued:

  • CVA,
  • WASH,
  • Emergency health,
  • Institutional strengthening,
  • Evaluations of complex operations.

How to apply

Postulation

Interested individuals or teams should send an email to: peru.limaredgelegation@ifrc.org

  • Technical proposal,
  • Economic proposal,
  • Adjusted tentative schedule,
  • CV(s) of the consultant and/or team,
  • Evidence from similar work.

During the process, employment references may also be required.