External Evaluator

Location: Data collection in Beirut, Bekaa and Tripoli, and through online meetings with partners’ staff and stakeholders.

Working area: the working areas are; Beirut (in Nabaa and Shatila regions), Bekaa (in Bar Elias, Ghazze and Al Marj regions), Tripoli (in Qobbeh region) and another part of the implementation will be online through trusted platforms.

Job Description

International Alert is seeking a qualified researcher/ consultant for a baseline assessment between April and May 2021.

About International Alert

For over 30 years, International Alert (Alert) has been working to build positive peace and reduce violence, working across conflict lines and with all parties to conflicts. Alert is an international peacebuilding NGO working in Lebanon since 2008. Our programming related to the Syrian crisis supports social stability and conflict sensitive programming. We work directly with communities and partner with national organizations working within the different sectors to promote opportunities for peace and stability.

About the project

The project aims to strengthen the role of the formal and non-formal education in the prevention of violence against children in Lebanon and it provides an opportunity to unlock the multiple wins of ending violence in schools, improving learning and health outcomes and reducing intergenerational violence. Through this project, Alert and the implementing partners seek to better leverage education investments, bring the child protection and education sectors together and promote a strong focus on girls’ education, gender equality and inclusion. 

Objective of the baseline assessment

The objective of this baseline assessment is to provide Alert, the four partners as well as the donor with a baseline report that establishes initial indicators for the project, and informs programme activities with relevant evidences and data collected from stakeholders and actors in the different project locations (Barelias, Al-Marj and Ghazzeh in central Bekaa, Qobbeh in Tripoli and Shatila and Nabaa in Beirut /Mount Lebanon). The findings, therefore, will be used for both implementation and measuring impact at the end of the project. 

Responsibilities and tentative workplan

The Consultant will work for 18 working days between April and May 2021 and will be closely coordinating with Alert’s team. Alert will provide the consultant with a baseline assessment methodology and will support in the tool development process and facilitate data collection, review the report and provide the needed technical and logistical supports. The Consultant will be responsible for tool development and testing, data collection and report writing (including inception and final reports), following an agreed structure.

The consultant will lead on the following tasks, with Alert’s support:

 Task                                                         Time                                Lead                          Support by

Desk Review & drafting the              16 April – 23 April           Consultant              Alert’s DMEL Manager

Inception report – 2days

Development of assessment             16 April -26 April             Consultant              Alert’s DMEL Manager

Tools and tool testing – 3 days

Data collection – 6 days                       27 April – 10 May          Consultant               Alert’sProject                               

                                                                                                                                            Manager & field staff  

                                                                                                                                         in the Bekaa and Tripoli

Data anlysis & drafting                           24 May                          Consultant             Alert’s DMEL Manager

                                                                                                                                           & Senior Advisor

the report – 6 days

Report – Final draft – 1 day                    31 May                        Consultant                Alert’s Senior Advisor

                                                                                                                                             & Country Director

The consultancy period will be extended over 18 working days between April and May 2021

Data collection methods and tools

Primary data will be collected using the following tools:

-  Focused Group Discussions (FGDs): 3 focus group discussions with caregivers and communities; One FGD in each location (1 in Beirut, 1 in Bekaa and 1 in Tripoli). Where relevant, nationality and gender parity is requested.

-  Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): 12 key informant interviews with project stakeholders

• • 1 KII with MEHE representative
  • 5 KIIs with partners in PCM: 1 KII with BwZ, 1 KII with CLS, 1 KII with Damma, 1 KII with Sawa and 1 KII with Alert
  • 3 KIIs with caregivers and community members; One in each location. (1 in Beirut, 1 in Bekaa and 1 in Tripoli)
  • 3 KIIs with Learning centers’ principals (focus on NFE); One in each location. (1 in Beirut, 1 in Bekaa and 1 in Tripoli)

- Monitoring tool for baseline and project monitoring activities: Observation sheet with educators will be used at the baseline and all along the project for monitoring purposes. It aims to capture incidents inside the learning centers and schools and main behavioral changes in children.

- Quantitative data through Surveys: Statistically representative survey with educators  and caregivers in 4 learning centers. Around 120 Online surveys with educators and 40 Phone surveys with caregivers and communiy members. 

Ethical considerations: This project adopts a child-based approach and in this evaluation, assignment will remain dedicated to child protection and safeguarding ethics and rules. Data will be collected after getting participants’ formal and informal consents.

Consultant or Firm profile: Individual consultant, a group of consultants and firms are encouraged to apply for this assessment consultancy. The consultant/s will be required to have the following:

• § Significant demonstrable experience in the evaluation of education and peacebuilding projects, including field-based data collection, analysis and reporting
• § University degree in social sciences, political sciences, education, pedagogy or related social fields (preferably Master degree)
• § At least five years of experience in interviewing vulnerable populations, familiar with standards of ethical conduct in research settings 
• § Strong inter-personal communication skills
• § Excellent skills in research methodology, sampling, data collection, data cleaning and data analysis
• § Excellent spoken Arabic skills, and excellent writing skills in English
• § Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• § Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism
• § Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• § Prior experience working in the field of education and peacebuilding and a great understanding of the conflict dynamic in Lebanon

Experience required: At least five years of experience in interviewing vulnerable populations, with familiarity for standards of ethical conduct in research settings 

Education degree: Bachelor Degree, Master degree is a plus

 Experience required:

• 5 to 7 years

Field of education: University degree in social sciences, political sciences, education, pedagogy or related social fields (preferably Master degree