Final evaluation consultant At Internews Europe

Terms of reference

Final evaluation

Project name: Support for women’s networks to support conflict prevention in the DRC
Donor: Foreign and Common Wealth Office (FCDO), Jo Cox
Project dates: November 1, 2019 – October 31, 2021 (24 months)
Project partners: Cadre de Concertation de la Femme Congolaise (CAFCO), Congolese Union of Media Women (UCOFEM), Association of Media Women of South Kivu (AFEM South Kivu), REFETANG
Target country or region (s): Democratic Republic of Congo (Province of Ituri, North and South Kivu, Tanganyika)
Target groups and beneficiaries: community structures (early warning groups, local authorities (parliamentarians / national and provincial deputies from the territories and provinces of intervention), CSOs working on conflict prevention issues in Tanganyika, Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.

About Internews:

Internews is an international non-profit organisation whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect and the means to make their voices heard.

Internews provides communities the resources to produce local news and information with integrity and independence. With global expertise and reach, Internews trains both media professionals and citizen journalists, introduces innovative media solutions, increases coverage of vital issues and helps establish policies needed for open access to information.

Internews programmes create platforms for dialogue and enable informed debate, which bring about social and economic progress. Internews’ commitment to research and evaluation creates effective and sustainable programs, even in the most challenging environments.

Internews operates internationally, with administrative centres in California, Washington DC, and London, as well as regional hubs in Bangkok and Nairobi. Formed in 1982, Internews has worked in more than 90 countries, and currently has offices in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and North America.

Our commitment to a culture of belonging:

Internews is passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams, and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people. Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, the self-taught, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations, and socio-economic backgrounds. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, abilities, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and actively welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.

1. Initial context of the project

Eastern DRC has experienced several decades of violence and armed conflicts involving cross-border groups and local actors, inter-ethnic conflicts, land and access to natural resources. Despite demonstrated political will, the Congolese authorities are failing to end insecurity, corruption and the illicit exploitation of natural resources. If insecurity is one of the main concerns of the population, the limited access to basic public services, the lack of economic opportunities and the lack of infrastructure fuel the dynamics of conflict. The level of governance and the authority of the state are marked by great fragility because of the multiple tensions and insecurity which limit the participation of citizens. While there are citizen watch mechanisms (early warning groups, CSO platforms, etc.), their analytical capacity is limited and they often remain ignored by public and traditional authorities. The population is wary of promises made by the authorities to restore peace and stimulate local development. There is a major trust deficiency between citizens and public power which sometimes degenerates into violent protests and cycles of repression. Because of their marginalization, the populations and particularly the young people lose interest in public affairs.

Internews Europe, the Permanent Consultative Framework of Congolese Women’s Organizations (CAFCO) and the Union of Congolese Women Professionals in the Media (UCOFEM) implemented the project, “Support for women’s networks to support conflict prevention in the DRC », To protect populations against insecurity and identity-based violence by strengthening the capacities of civil society organizations and networks led by Congolese women in the early detection and prevention of community violence. This project focuses on strengthening the role of women as actors of peace and conflict resolution at the community level and actor of Congolese civil society. The project focused on establishing and strengthening dynamic community mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution, drawing on the experience and leadership of women.

The overall objective of this project is to empower marginalized groups living in rural areas within the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika, to take part active in the prevention and mitigation of conflicts.

The specific objective of this project is to develop the capacity of Congolese civil society organizations and networks led by Congolese women in the targeted regions, to increase access to factual information on the root causes of conflicts and to put implementing effective prevention and advocacy measures.

2. Purpose and objectives of the final evaluation

2.1. Objectives and content of the assessment

The objectives of the final evaluation are to:

Present the impact of this project based on the initial baseline studies and data collected by the team during implementation, and through a systematic analysis of the quantitative and qualitative results achieved.
Assess the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and sustainability of the project in question, and the way it was designed and implemented.
Assess the quality of the partnerships concluded based on the implementation of the project and with regard to the capacity building operations carried out with community structures.
Assess the quality of the monitoring processes put in place by the CAFCO and UCOFEM partners for the collection of data on early warnings during the execution of this project.

The evaluation must provide a concrete assessment of the impact of the action and of each of the activities implemented, within the framework of conflict prevention in the four provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tangnyika). Based on a critical and constructive analysis, the evaluation should ensure the relevance (meaning, foundation, consistency, etc.) of the activities undertaken throughout the project in order to see if the objectives pursued are met, and if the results obtained correspond to what we had the right to expect. The assessment should also focus on the implementation techniques / processes used for adaptation and identify obstacles and causes of dysfunction. Beyond the overall assessment of the action, the consultant is asked to assess the achievement of the following results and indicators, included in the logical framework validated by the donor:

Overall result of the project: “Strengthen the capacity of targeted CSOs, in particular women-led CSOs in targeted geographic areas, to alert communities and participate in public decision-making processes related to conflict forecasting and prevention “:

Provide the % of individuals able to mention at least 3 warning signs of conflict affecting their community and to know at least one technique to remedy it, disaggregated by sex and disability
Determine the number of mechanisms established by the project to enable CSOs and women led CSOs to contribute to conflict forecasting and prevention.
Determine the number of warning signs of conflict communicated by the early warning focus groups to public decision-makers, during the duration of the project.
Sub-result 1: “Spaces for dialogue with the community at large and the main decision-makers are created”:
Determine the number of cases in which CSO representatives state that they use dialogue spaces and / or networks to consult each other on techniques for early warning signals.
Determine the number of people participating in networking events at provincial and national level, disaggregated by profile, gender and disability.
Determine the number of press conferences organized on advocacy issues, broken down by profile, gender and disability.
Determine the number of individuals participating in public debates on conflict prevention and mitigation issues, disaggregated by profile, gender and disability.
Determine the number of sensitization meetings organized with the main stakeholders, disaggregated by profile, gender and disability.
Sub-result 2: “Provide strong support for capacity building of CSOs and women-led networks on methods of conflict analysis”:
Determine the number of people trained as trainers on conflict analysis, advocacy and project management, disaggregated by sex and disability.
Determine the% of people who say they feel better equipped and more confident to use conflict analysis methods, after the training.
Determine the number of people trained in conflict analysis, advocacy and project management, disaggregated by sex and disability within community structures.
Determine the% of women declaring that they feel better equipped and more able to contribute to the public debate on conflict forecasting and prevention.
Sub-result 3: “Improved knowledge and documentation on innovative approaches to conflict prevention and lessons learned, and dissemination of this knowledge”:
Determine the number of individuals receiving training material (manuals)
Determine the number of downloads of training material on the Internews website during the duration of the project.
Determine the number of cases in which any material (including training material, case studies, conflict analysis documents) produced by the project has been used by CSO staff members in targeted geographic locations in the DRC, for the duration of the project.
Sub-result 4: “Strengthened and more effective CSO networks that generate and disseminate knowledge relevant to the prediction and prevention of identity-based violence”:
Determine the number of high quality early warning focus groups created.
Determine the number of small actions / solutions on conflict prevention carried out.
Determine the number of participants in early warning groups demonstrating better knowledge of warning signs of conflict (through pre and post testing).
The assessment will also document the successes and successes of different alert groups.

2.2. Expected results and deliverables

The results of the evaluation will primarily be addressed to the project team (Internews, CAFCO and UCOFEM), to project contributors such as FCDO as a donor, but will also serve the target groups involved in the change, stakeholders and finally any institution concerned.

At the end of the consultation, the main deliverables to be submitted to Internews are as follows:

a preliminary report (Inception Report)
a final report of maximum 35 pages (without appendices), following an approved structure (The evaluation report must be in English)
a number of case studies in English illustrating the success and impact of the project

2.3 Methodology

The assessment will be conducted by a team of consultants who will use the full range of tools available to collect and analyze information relevant to the study. The following data collection methods should be used:

Documentary review: the key documents relating to the project will be examined (the project narrative, the logical framework, and the various reports (Narrative of the partners’ project, report of the various workshops and conflict analysis)
Interviews with key informants: the evaluation should include interviews with the main stakeholders of the project: early warning groups, implementing partners (CAFCO and UCOFEM, civil society officials in each territory of implementation and local authorities based in the Territories, CSOs that work in the prevention of conflict and gender-based violence.
The interviews may be supplemented by a quantitative survey (carried out using digital tools) targeting beneficiaries and stakeholders
Consultations with stakeholders through Focus groups.

The evaluator should use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods for data analysis. The evaluation should measure the project’s contribution to changing the behavior of target populations and community cohesion.

3. Profile of candidates

Internews will favor teams of consultants (Coordinator, Expert on conflict resolution, responsible for data collection, enumerators)
The consultant or consultants must have a specialization in conflict and peace management
More than 7 years of professional experience in the field of triple nexus project management and conducting evaluations of peacebuilding projects.
Very good theoretical and practical knowledge of project evaluation techniques (project cycle, Results Based Management,);
Good knowledge of project implementation and monitoring tools (with focus on capacity building of community structures and local organizations, as well as on the early warning management system for the prevention of community conflicts and violence);
Very good knowledge of the political, social and cultural context of the province of Tanganyia, Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.
Excellent oral and written communication skills in French and English. Knowledge of Swahili is an asset.

4. Organization and means required to conduct the assessment

4.1. Resources made available to the consultant

Project documents (Proposal, baseline study, interim reports, newsletter dissemination reports, activity and partner reports, etc.) will be made available to the consultant.

4.2. Organization and schedule

The assessment should be organized between mid-September and mid-October.

4.3. Technical and financial offers

The team of evaluators must submit its technical and financial offer with implementation schedule to Internews no later than September 12, 2021. Technical proposals of 8 pages maximum without annex must include:

Suggested methodology
CV of the evaluation team member (s)
Experience of evaluation of EU projects, local governance, social cohesion
Financial offer
The total budget for the evaluation should not exceed 20,000 USD (analysis – collection – case study and data processing – final report).
The offer must reach no later than September 12, 2021, at 4.30 p.m. UT to the attention of the project manager at the email address: pfaida@internews.eu with the mention “Final project evaluation 4187-0”; with a copy to the email addresses: tchapoy@internews.eu and bmikangi@internews.org.