Team Leader – Mid-Term Evaluation of the IDLO Program in SAHEL on Criminal Justice System at International Development Law Organization

THE ASSIGNMENT

The purpose of the mid-term evaluation is to assess the progress of the program “Integrated Support to the Criminal Justice Systems in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger” against the stated objectives as of May 2022, as well as identify critical areas and provide recommendations for remaining program duration. It will identify constraints and challenges affecting effective and efficient implementation of outputs and their contribution to program’s outcomes. The mid-term evaluation will be undertaken at the midpoint of program and will pave the way for improved program implementation for the remaining program duration. The evaluation will propose amendments (if any) required to the program design and implementation arrangements, to contribute to the achievement of expected result towards the completion of the program, planned for 2024. In particular, the mid-term assessment will:

1. Provide an independent assessment of the program to measure the extent to which the expected results have been achieved so far in quantity and quality as well as usefulness and timeliness. The evaluation will be conducted at both activity and output levels providing insights towards outcomes and impact prospects, where possible.
2. Make recommendations, if relevant, to adjust/improve program implementation in itinere towards the achievement of expected objectives and the contribution to program outcomes, potential impact and sustainability.

The incumbent will report to the Evaluation Unit and Director, The Hague Office, and under a day-to-day supervision of the Evaluation Specialist. The incumbent will be expected to carry out the following key duties in line with the detailed evaluation Terms of Reference (Link):

• Conduct an in-depth desk review of: program documents and reports; administrative records related to the various activities; program’s progress reports; and M&E data and reports.
• Reconstruct the program’s Theory of Change (ToC) and develop the Evaluation Questions (EQs) and Indicators;
• Identify methodological approaches and tools to capture data, in-line with the expected evaluation results;
• Organize and manage data collection with the (medium level) Evaluation Expert and the Local Data Collectors (if applicable);
• In coordination with the (medium level) Evaluation Expert and the Local Data Collectors (if applicable), set up and conduct key informant interviews and focus group discussions.

The incumbent will undertake in-depth analytical work to produce the Inception Note and Evaluation Report (in all draft and final versions). In particular, the incumbent will:

• Prepare and submit an Inception Note
• Prepare and submit a draft Evaluation Report
• Finalize Evaluation Report, incorporating feedback from all relevant program stakeholders

Ideal Candidate Profile

Education

• Advanced university degree in Evaluation, Health, Social Sciences, International Development, Law or related field.

Work experience

• Over 10 years of relevant professional experience in conducting results-oriented evaluations of international development projects and programs and/or in complex/strategic assessments, focused on capacity-building in the fields of good governance and rule of law, in the SAHEL region;
• A strong track record in Team Leadership for development assistance evaluations;
• Professional experience with project cycle management, OECD DAC evaluation framework, ToC/logical framework approaches, Outcome Mapping and with quality assurance within international development evaluation;
• Experience with working in fragile/transition countries and knowledge/experience of capacity building and institutional development programs.
• Knowledge/experience of evaluating institutional development programs is an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in written and spoken English and French is required.

Technical competencies

• Demonstrated knowledge of evaluation methodology for development assistance projects and programs with specific experience in evaluation methods and tools (including theory-of-change based evaluations);
• Sound knowledge of the OECD DAC evaluation standards and criteria;
• Sound knowledge of developing qualitative and quantitative (proxy) indicators;
• Relevant experience with survey techniques, focus groups and other participatory methods;
• Strong knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods;
• Strong analytical, writing and editing skills; and
• An understanding of the criminal justice system in Mali/Burkina Faso/Niger would be an added advantage.

TERMS and CONDITIONS

The consultancy is expected to start in August 2022. The inception note is expected by end of September 2022, and the draft evaluation report is expected tentatively by December 2022. This is a results-based assignment where payments are made upon satisfactory production of evaluation deliverables. The estimated amount of workdays for the assignment is 40 for the Team Leader. This includes 15 working days for the field phase in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The decision on the final approach towards the Field Phase data collection will be taken by IDLO Evaluation Unit after consulting the Evaluation Reference Group (ERG), taking into the account the COVID-19 crisis and the Risk Matrix.