TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR MID TERM EVALUATION At American Friends Service Committee

Project Title: Trauma Healing for Enhanced Peacebuilding in South Sudan, Phase 1

Project Period:1St October 2021 to 30th September 2024.

Background

American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light of each person, AFSC works with communities and partners worldwide to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace. AFSC has more than 100 years of experience building peace in communities worldwide and works in the following ways: bridging and convening, community organizing and civil society strengthening, advocacy, research, and analysis. It seeks to change situations and systems that lead to violence. Much of AFSC’s work includes support to opportunities for dialogue and capacity building led by the affected communities.

About the Program

AFSC is implementing a trauma healing program for enhanced peacebuilding in South Sudan by working directly with two (2) local partners and indirectly with 16 CBOs/FBOs in Juba, Mundri and Jur River for a period of three years. The program aims to heal peacebuilders off their secondary trauma, build the capacity of peacebuilders on primary and secondary trauma, development, and operationalization of work-based trauma healing policies, conduct advocacy and research on trauma healing and peacebuilding. A series of activities have been implemented to ensure success of the program.

South Sudan Context

South Sudan remains one of the world’s most fragile state politically and economically with over 65 ethnic communities where ethnicity has been politicized and used to fuel conflicts. Subnational and Intercommunal conflicts continue in several states with the number of civilians affected by violence in South Sudan increasing sharply at the end of 2022 according to the latest quarterly brief from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). These conflicts were exacerbated by pre-existing communal tensions, climate shocks, food insecurity, disruption of livelihoods and the devaluation of the local currency. These factors contribute to cattle-related violence and wider tensions between communities.

A surge in sub-national violence and flooding displaced thousands in 2022, limiting their access to critical life-saving humanitarian assistance. Many of the 2.2 million people living in protracted displacement cannot return to their homes. Trying to make a living in conflict and flood-affected areas remains challenging.

South Sudan is facing the world’s most severe food insecurity crisis with 7.76million people likely to face food insecurity during April-July 2023 lean season according to Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

South Sudan ranks among the five countries in the world that is most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as evidenced by communities devastated, destroyed, and displaced by large-scale flooding across the country. Above normal rainfall for the fourth consecutive year in 2022 led to erratic rainfall patterns and prolonged flooding, with water levels in some areas exceeding the unprecedented levels reached in 2021 and affecting areas that had not been flooded in 2021. As of 10th December 2022, more than 1 million people have been verified as affected by severe flooding in 39 counties across South Sudan and in the southern part of the Abyei Administrative Area (HNO report)

South Sudan GDP growth will still be weak at 2.7% in 2023, as oil output recovers, and public spending continues to rise. The inflation rate is expected to be 25% by the end of this quarter (National bureau of statistics, South Sudan).

Evaluation Objective:

The overall objective of the mid-term evaluation is to assess the achievement of the project objective against indicators.

The project objective is; Peacebuilders in South Sudan engage in trauma healing of self and care of other peacebuilders. The indicators contributing to the objectives are:

1. Out of 48 (16female) TOT trainees,34(70%) applied the newly gained trauma skills to reach 1,440 peacebuilders, of which 300 are referred to higher level therapy.
2. Psychosocial policies are mainstreamed in 10 target CSOs/FBOs organizational cultures and programs which address victim groups.
3. At least 50% of the target 16 CSOs/FBOs identify and raise one priority issue on integrating trauma healing and peacebuilding initiatives to influence policy reform in the sector.

Scope

The evaluation will cover the period from October 2021 to April 2023, to create an accurate and comprehensive picture of the project implementation, generating findings on evaluation criteria and documenting good practices and lessons learnt.

The mid-term evaluation will specifically:

a) Assess Program relevance, performance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.

b) Qualitatively and quantitively, capture the key lessons and progress towards achieving the indicator by assessing the categories below:

1. Trained peacebuilders from participating organizations.
2. Implementing partners.
3. Other peacebuilders reached through outreaches.
4. Program counsellor and peacebuilders reached during counselling.
5. Trauma healing work- place polices development and mainstreaming in the organizational culture and practices of participating CBOs/FBOs.
6. Trauma healing and peace building policy integration.

c) Highlight key success stories, best practices, challenges, and recommendations for the remaining implementation period and future projects.

AFSC has used various methods such as partner accompaniment, mentorship, continuous monitoring, and partner capacity building to ensure acquisition of knowledge on various aspects of trauma healing and peacebuilding approaches to achieve desired project goal.

The evaluation findings will be utilized internally and be made available to AFSC staff, partners, and the donor Bread for the World (BftW).

AFSC encourages evaluators to develop Key Evaluation Questions based on the Quality Standards of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization of Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) which give emphasis on Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact and Sustainability.

Key Evaluation Questions based on DAC Criteria.

1. Are the implemented activities relevant, appropriate, effective, and implemented in an efficient manner?
2. What are the key program outputs and outcomes and how are the program activities contributing to the outcomes?
3. What capacity building activities have been undertaken to strengthen implementing partners and how did they contribute to achieving program goal?
4. To what extent is the program leading to trauma healing and contributing to peace in project areas?
5. How were women and vulnerable groups involved in the program?
6. What are the factors contributing to achievement or non-achievement of the program objective?

Impact:

1. What real difference has the program brought about for the participants? (What would have happened without the activity?
2. How many people have been affected since the program started to date? Planned target group vis à vis really addressed?
3. What are the short and medium term (intended and unintended) outcomes of the program?
4. To what extent was the selected target groups reached?

Sustainability of the program:

1. To what extent will the positive impacts or changes of the program (are likely to) continue?
2. Which measures are implemented to support continuity?
3. What are the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of sustainability of the program?
4. To what extent is the exit strategy relevant?

Evaluation Methodology, process, and reporting

The evaluation will involve participatory methodologies and tools. The evaluator will creatively employ a mix of techniques for data collection and will among others hold meetings and discussions with key informants, interviews with the implementing partners and 19 participating CSOs/FBOs based in South Sudan, trained TOTs peacebuilders, those reached through outreaches among other program participants and AFSC staff.

AFSC will make accessible program documents for review and secondary data collection. The documents will include the program proposal and budget, cooperation agreement, partnership documents, activity reports, AFSC internal and donor reports.

Evaluation process and timeline

The evaluation will be carried out in the month of May 2023. While the evaluator will propose and negotiate the number of days to carry out the work, the report should be ready by end-June 2023.

Proposed Timelines

Tasks No. of days

Analysis of relevant documents, development of evaluation design 1

Initial meeting with Program Team 1

Finalize inception report 1

Field work 9

Compilation and preparation of preliminary findings 3

Review and compilation of implementing organizations and staff feedback 2

Preparation of draft report and submission for feedback 2

Finalize report factoring in AFSC and Bread for the World (BftW) feedback 4

Total 23

Key Deliverables

The outputs expected from the consultant are:

a) Inception report upon signing a contract; submit an inception report detailing the evaluation design, methodology and data collection tools to be discussed and agreed upon with AFSC.

b) Produce a draft report; The mid-term evaluation report including stories of change and lessons learnt.

c) Final Midterm evaluation report incorporatingsuccess stories and comments from AFSC.

d) The evaluation report shall be written in English (maximum of 35 pages plus annexes) and must include the following contents:

1. Information Page: Basic organizational data, duration of the project to be evaluated, title of the evaluation, principal of the evaluation (who commissioned the evaluation), contractor of the evaluation and date of the report.
2. Executive summary: tightly drafted, to-the-point, free-standing document including the key issues of the evaluation, main analytical points, conclusions, lessons learnt and recommendations.
3. Introduction: purpose of the evaluation, scope of the evaluation and key questions. Short description of the project to be evaluated and relevant frame conditions.
4. Evaluation design/methodology
5. Key results/findings: about the questions pointed out in the ToR and the projects’ specific intervention components.
6. Conclusions: summary based on evidence and analysis.
7. Recommendations: on the findings leading to suggestions to be used for the way forward
8. Lessons learnt: all relevant information beneficial to the partnership between AFSC and implementing partners.
9. Annexes (TOR, instruments used, list of persons/organizations consulted, literature and documentation consulted, copy of any relevant documentation used for the assessment, and CV of the evaluation team).

The evaluator should include the most significant change stories. While the evaluators are expected to work independently, South Sudan Program officer and Country Representative will assist in facilitating access to program participants, documents and other logistical support required to facilitate the evaluation.

c) Budget and Deliverables

Provide a detailed budget as well as a description of the specific deliverables that will be submitted and expected schedule of compensation.

d) Evaluation Schedule

The proposal should include a workplan showing how the evaluation will be carried out.

Proposal Evaluation Procedure.

After having received the responses from the applicants, a consultant will be selected based on an appropriate selection process in consultation with the Country Representative Somalia and South Sudan, Regional Director for Africa, and the international program support staff as needed. A signed agreement should be processed with the selected consultant and in accordance with AFSC vendor practices.

Qualifications of Evaluation Team

The consultant/team should be fluent in English, spoken and written, have strong analytical skills, good listening and discernment skills, and proven experience in evaluating trauma healing and peacebuilding programs. South Sudan or experience in conflict zones in Horn of Africa will be an added advantage.

Other requirements:

a) Advanced university degree in relevant field.

b) At least 5 -7 years of experience conducting similar assignments.

c) Extensive experience in field research in South Sudan or other conflict zones in Horn of Africa.

d) Excellent research, report writing and analytical skills.

e) Well conversant with qualitative and quantitative methods of research.

f) Proven capacity to write analytically, understandable, and simple reports.

g) Experience of working with secondary data analysis/desk reviews.

h) Experience of developing research tools and carrying out research.

i) Advanced knowledge of the new trends and developments in South Sudan.

j) Ability to provide clear guidance to field research teams.

k) Proven ability to deliver against targets and meeting deadlines within short timeframe.

l) Relevant computer skills: Word, Excel, internet, Power point.

Inquiries

Questions that help clarify the work to be completed may be submitted to Zaina Kisongoa, Somalia Country Representative, at ZKisongoa@afsc.org.