Consultant For A Tor Mid Term Review

Consultant Vacancy  Mid-term review of EC-CAFOD funded programmeEmpowerment, Employment and Advocacy: Addressing Gender Inequality for Palestinian Women Refugees in Lebanon BackgroundThis 3 year proposal was accepted by the EU for funding under a call for strengthening the capacity of non-State actors to promote women’s rights and gender equality in the Middle East and North Africa and commenced on 1 January 2011. The programme aims to increase women’s empowerment through providing women with access to skills training, employment and participation in decision making structures; to combat negative gender stereotyping through advocacy work at national and local level and through awareness-raising on women’s rights and issues concerning domestic violence; and to build capacity, promote learning and information sharing within Association Najdeh (AN), CAFOD and the AISHA and Palestinian Women’s Forum gender networks. CAFOD and AN are committed to review progress at the mid-point of the programme (month 19 or July 2012). It is an opportunity to review whether what we thought would happen, will happen or is happening, and to adapt as a result and change direction if necessary. A final evaluation will take place before the end of the programme. Monitoring is built into the programme: yearly programme monitoring frameworks are developed and filled in quarterly and consolidated annually; and we are submitting quarterly reports to the EC delegation in Beirut. Interim reports (annual narrative report and expenditure verification report) are submitted; CAFOD staff undertake regular monitoring and support visits; and the EC undertook a Results Oriented Monitoring Mission in October 2011. The mid-term review is an opportunity to try something different. In discussions with the AN Director and CAFOD Programme Manager, it was agreed that the review should be light, focussed on one area of the programme, be participatory and involve capacity building for the AN staff. The programme proposal allows for a consultant and member of CAFOD’s Programme Effectiveness Unit to undertake the review. CAFOD’s Gender Advisor, who was already due to make a support visit to AN, has agreed to participate with a consultant in the review. The Consultant will be the leader of the review and be responsible for writing up its findings. Main focus of the review Result 2: Innovative ways of addressing gender equality and negative gender stereotyping are piloted resulting in an increase in the number of women participating and making decisions in local committees It is proposed that the review focuses on Result 2: how AN has promoted innovative ways of addressing gender equality and negative gender stereotyping. Specifically, the review will look at the impact of two activities under this result: 1) awareness raising activities among the community (which includes inter-active theatre, role play) and in particular how AN is reaching men and youth to challenge traditional views of women’s role in society and attitudes to gender based violence; and 2) leadership training - how AN is building women’s leadership skills to enable women to participate in public life and political decision making. The review will also contribute to our understanding of progress towards Result 3: There is a reduced incidence of domestic violence through widespread awareness-raising and strengthened support mechanisms for those suffering from gender based violence.Purpose of the review• to allow for reflection• to provide a ‘snapshot’ of progress under Result 2 (and indirectly of Result 3) of the programme and if possible, any impact made so far.• to identify how activities have been going: what is working and what is working less well, or not working• to identify what impact has been made so far and to give beneficiaries the opportunity to the impact the programme has had on them• to suggest ways to improve impact including alternative strategies by the end of the programmeSpecific ObjectivesAwareness raisingWhat methods are being used to spread messages in the camps about women’s rights and gender equality? How successful are they? Do they attract youth, adult men and women? Are they impacting on increasingly conservative views in youth culture on the role of women in society?What is AN’s experience of awareness raising with men (youth and adult)?  Violence against womenWhat methods, approaches, mechanisms and tools are being used in the programme to combat violence against women in the camps and gatherings? Are these relevant to Result 3 and its indicators? What is the impact on these methods, approaches and activities on a) increasing number of women reporting incidences of domestic violence; b) legal, psychological and social support that women subjected to violence have received and the impact of these services on them; c) securing male volunteers and to what extent they are actively involved in supporting AN work on violence against women. Is there any change to attitudes and practices to gender based violence? Are there other ‘innovative ways’ to engage men and especially to change attitudes and practices in society to gender based violence?Any recommendations for adaptation of the programme?Any experience and learning that AN would like to share with CAFOD for replication in our networks? Leadership trainingHow has the training programme been going? Are the contents of the training relevant? What worked? What didn’t? Is there any impact from the training yet? What was the participants’ feedback?Any recommendations for adaptation of the programme?Any particular lessons that AN would like to share with CAFOD for replication in our networks? MethodologyThe external consultant will work with a member of CAFOD’s Programme Effectiveness Unit (Gender Advisor) and will be responsible for leading the review. S/he will develop quantitative and qualitative data collection tools to carry out the review based on these ToR. S/he will also be responsible for writing and delivering the final report. The methodology will consist of: Desk study of reports relating to Result 2 and Result 3Discussions with relevant AN staffVisits to community: individual and group discussionsCollection of Stories of Change/case studies using Most Significant Change methodology. (CAFOD Gender Advisor will organise a short training on MSC for AN staff and it is recommended that the Consultant attend this if unfamiliar with the methodology).Discussions with other NGOs/institutions in Lebanon working in similar fieldsThe consultant may suggest other processes and approaches TimeframeTwo weeks (10 working days)  OutputNarrative report with recommendationsStories of Change illustrating Result 2 and 3 Suggested outline for Review ReportExecutive summary – maximum 6 pagesReport – maximum 30 pages, excluding annexes, to cover analysis that informs any recommended amendments to the programmeIntroduction- overview of Result 2 and associated indicators, specific objectives 1&2 and activities 3.1 and 3.2 and how Result 3 and associated indicators, specific objective 2 and activities 4.2,4.3 and 4.4 link in- key questions of the MTR summarised from the prompt questions in the ToR under each specific objective and any additional questions that are felt important- methodology used1. Findings in relation to the key questions of the MTR (illustrated with quotations from interviewees, programme reports, stories of change)- Narrative description of the findings (including suggestions for change/innovation and lessons learned for replication within CAFOD networks) with appropriate data, statistics- Analysis of impact: this could be divided into different dimensions eg- impact of activities (training, inter-active theatre)- impact felt by beneficiaries, partner, others- impact of advocacy and awareness raising activities2. Contribution of Result 2 (and related parts of Result 3) to overall programme objective with any comments on the results ‘logic’ ie the fit between specific objective, result, activities and indicators3. Findings and Conclusions4. Recommendations5. Annexes- ToR- Data tables- Stories of Change- Other Consultant specificationsFamiliarity with Palestinian camps and gatherings in LebanonExpertise in gender analysisExperience in project/programme implementation and improving project/programme implementation (desirable)Proven practical experience in project/ programme evaluation, particularly in participatory evaluationMinimum 3 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative researchExcellent oral and written communication skillsWritten and spoken fluency in ArabicWritten and spoken fluency in English