Final external evaluation – Project: Promoting justice for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Colombia, Guatemala and Peru At International Commission of Jurists

Summary

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is seeking qualified applicants to conduct a final evaluation for its project, “*Promoting justice for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Colombia, Guatemala and Peru.”*

Overview of the ICJ

Composed of 60 eminent judges and lawyers from all regions of the world, the ICJ promotes and protects human rights through the rule of law, by using its unique legal expertise to develop and strengthen national and international justice systems. Established in 1952 and active on the five continents, the ICJ aims to ensure the progressive development and effective implementation of international human rights and international humanitarian law; secure the realization of civil, cultural, economic, political, and social rights; safeguard the separation of powers; and guarantee the independence of the judiciary and legal profession. The ICJ has for a long time focused on specific issues of impunity and redress in different countries, including in the context of its Global Redress and Accountability Initiative, and has been deeply involved in the development of corresponding international standards, including: the Updated Set of Principles for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights Through Action to Combat Impunity; the Basic Principles and Guidelines of the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law; and the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (the 2016 Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions).

Project Background

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in collaboration with its co-applicants (Asociación Red de defensores y defensoras de derechos humanos (dhColombia) and the Argentine Forensic Anthropoloogy team (EAAF)), has implemented a three year project with the Overall objective to “promote the accountability of perpetrators (accountability) and access to effective remedies and reparation for victims and their families (redress) in cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances (the violations of focus) in Colombia, Guatemala and Perú (target countries), and Latin America more broadly, through effective, accountable and inclusive laws, institutions and practices that also reduce the risk of future violations.” Grounded on the transformative role of the law and justice actors, the specific objective is to support judges, prosecutors, investigators, lawyers, forensic experts, civil society organizations (CSOs), victims and their representatives in the target countries and Latin America to provide for, and demand, redress and accountability.

The key stakeholders** targeted are: judges, prosecutors, investigators, lawyers, forensic experts, CSOs, victims and their representatives, and policy-makers in the target countries and Latin America. The final (direct and indirect) beneficiaries are victims of the violations of focus and their families, especially the most marginalized and disadvantaged, and all rights-holders in the target countries and Latin America. Beneficiaries also include targeted institutions of justice and the individuals who work within, or engage with, those institutions.

The Results of the project are as follows:

Result 1: Judges, lawyers, prosecutors and investigators in the target countries and Latin America are more competent – and use their new-found knowledge, skills, and tools – to provide redress and accountability in cases of the violations of focus.

Result 2: CSOs, victims and their representatives and forensic experts in the target countries and Latin America are supported and engaged to take effective steps to ensure redress and accountability for the violations of focus

Result 3: Policy-makers in the target countries are prompted to align legislative and/or institutional frameworks with applicable international law and standards.

The overall action will last 36 months through 13 general activities.

Evaluation Overview

The primary users of the evaluation report will be the ICJ’s staff and consultants (particularly the project team) who will use the findings and recommendations to inform any adjustment to the strategies and future programming in the region and beyond. The secondary users will be the Legal and Policy Office, and the ICJ Program Management and Donor Relations team who may also refer to the conclusions and recommendations to respectively inform changes to the ICJ’s approach and to program management in general (from design to monitoring and closure). The institutional bilateral donor supporting this project may also use some of the findings to reflect on its support for rule of law related programs.

Objectives and criteria

An external final evaluation will assess the relevance and effectiveness of the of the project’s approach and the sustainability of the achieved outcomes. In addition, the ICJ is interested in informing its future programming in the region. As such, the evaluation should assess the achievements of the project against its stated outcomes, including a re-examination of the relevance of the expected results and of the project design. It shall also identify significant factors that are facilitating or impeding the delivery of outcomes. The evaluation should establish its potential for impact and sustainability in line with DAC evaluation criteria and the EC methodological guidance for evaluation. The evaluation will be outcome-oriented, and is expected to lead to concrete, specific recommendations and lessons learned for the future. The evaluation should have a strong learning objective. It should reflect on what has worked and what has not worked so well and identify lessons and ways to enhance the project relevance, effectiveness, and impact. Below are some proposed evaluative questions for each stated evaluation criteria:

Relevance

· How appropriate the project concept and design is to the current context of Latin America?

· How responsive the project has been to the operating environment in the region?

Effectiveness

· Were the outputs managed properly to enable achievement of the intended outcomes?

· What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives?

· How well has the project partnership worked?

Trends of impact and sustainability

· Is there evidence that changes among the targeted beneficiaries of the project are being transferred to their daily activities as well as to the broader community?

· How is the method of project implementation supporting, or not, the long-term sustainability of the program?

The ICJ’s Program Manager and MEL Officer will review the methodology proposed by the evaluator. Ideally, it will include (i) a desk review of pertinent project documents and records (including the project proposal, logical framework, amended project documents, quarterly reports, and various records containing monitoring data); (ii) remote data collection /: considering that field visits will not be possible due to COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions, online communication will be privileged. The primary data should involve mixed quantitative and qualitative research methods – including but not limited to interviews with project staff, project partners, targeted CSO, event participants, lawyers, prosecutors, judges and other target groups, quantitative survey with project beneficiaries. Project activities will conclude by January 31st, 2022.

Evaluation Implementation

The evaluation should take place in December 2021 and January 2022, with the contract concluding by 31^st of January 2022 and final deliverables due 1^st of February 2022.

The ICJ staff will provide logistical and technical support as appropriate throughout the evaluation process (compilation of project documents, assisting with scheduling meetings / interviews if desired, etc.).

A total of up to 40-44 working days (depending on national holidays on the incumbent’s country) will be available for:

• Evaluation preparation (including finalizing the evaluation methodology, performing the initial desk review of project materials, creating and testing data collection tools, compiling a brief inception note);
• Remote data collection;
• Data analysis and synthesis (including transcription, data aggregation, writing a draft report, presenting findings to the ICJ, and incorporating feedback from the ICJ and its partners into a final report).
• Deliver final evaluation, see below.

The final deliverables for this evaluation will include:

• An inception report and evaluation plan (due to the ICJ for approval within the first 5 working days–prior to the beginning of online interviews and meetings);
• A draft report detailing key findings, supporting evidence, and pragmatic recommendations (due to the ICJ Program Manager and MEL Officer for feedback within 35 days)
• One oral presentation of key findings by Skype or another online platform with relevant ICJ staff after submission of the written draft report).
• A final report incorporating all relevant feedback to the ICJ and its partners and including an executive summary or fact sheet to be distributed with additional stakeholders. The final report should provide brief, clear and pragmatic conclusions and recommendations, including: the degree to which the project outcomes are likely to be delivered; important lessons that can be drawn from the experience of the project and its results to date; general recommendations on improving implementation for the remainder of the project; and recommendations on further action upon completion of the current project.

Application Guidelines

The selected consultant should have demonstrated expertise in results-based project evaluation and familiarity human rights programming. Previous work experience in any Latin America country is required. Previous work experience in Colombia, Perú and/or Guatemala will be highly valued. Additional information about desired qualifications is listed below:

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, political sciences, international law, international relations, human rights, or related field (Master’s degree strongly preferred);
• Minimum 4–6 years of experience in designing, overseeing, and implementing project M&E or combination of education, training, and experience.
• Experience conducting human rights violations related project evaluation
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative M&E data collection and analysis methods;
• Experience in working in politically sensitive countries and ability to maintain security and confidentiality considerations throughout the evaluation process and beyond;
• Experience evaluating projects funded by the European Union will be highly considered;
• Excellent inter-cultural communication skills and ability to forge strong cross-cultural relationships and build trust;
• Strong facilitation, presentation, and communication skills;
• Strong ability to communicate effectively in Spanish (native speaking) and English, both verbally and in writing.
• Team player with the ability to closely collaborate with the ICJ staff, local partners, and project stakeholders.