Evaluator to Conduct a Final Project Evaluation

Assignment Description: Evaluator to design and conduct a Final Project Evaluation of the project: Nafas Jdeed – Expanding the democratic space for political change in Lebanon.

Assignment Location: Home-based with meetings with DRI staff and project stakeholders.

Employment Type: Short-term consultancy

Assignment Period: April – June 2023

Level of Effort:  Up to 8 expert days

How to apply:  Please send the application documents to info.lebanon@democracy-reporting.org cc’ing e.haddad@democracy-reporting.org, by 21 February 2023, 11:59 pm local time.

DRI is looking for a Senior Evaluator to conduct a final evaluation of a project “Nafas Jdeed – Expanding the democratic space for political change in Lebanon”.

Background:

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organisation registered in Berlin. DRI promotes political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies and the development of democratic institutions worldwide. It has been established in Lebanon since 2016. Democratic discourse is the basis of our mission and vision. In our work, we facilitate discussion and exchange about democratic government and the need for a continuous discourse adhering to democratic rules.

In the framework of its project entitled “Nafas Jdeed Season 2: Expanding the media discourse around elections and political reforms in Lebanon”, DRI aims at expanding a youth-led media discourse around elections and political reform.

Nafas Jdeed is a DRI-owned and DRI-produced online political talk-show that amplifies civil society voices, encourages critical thinking, and tackles mis-and disinformation by introducing a non-traditional media narrative that is original, intellectually accessible, and politically moderate. The talk-show episodes are published  on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, in addition to having the episodes shared on podcasts platforms such as Spotify, Anghami, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

The project (January 2022 – June 2023), is premised on the theory of change that, if young citizens and marginalised voices are given a platform to engage in the media space, and have increased awareness of the political debate, then the vision of Lebanon’s future political model will be more inclusive and youth-driven, because new thought leaders can engage and discuss new proposals for youth-centred political change. In the long-term, young civic actors are encouraged to actively participate in shaping the reforms in their own country in an inclusive and participatory manner. 

The direct beneficiaries of the project activities were a cohort of selected 13 young Lebanese media makers. They were trained, mentored, and accompanied by DRI throughout the project cycle to participate in the preparation of 15 talk show episodes produced and broadcasted  with emerging activists. Three (3) dialogue events are being implemented, gathering audiences from different backgrounds and discussing topics related to the political reform and good governance.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of and in close coordination with DRI project team, the consultant will:

• Conduct a desk review for the project documents (project proposal, MEL plans, MEL data, progress report, social media analytics, social media reports, other secondary sources, etc.);
• Present an inception report (up to 4 pages) with a clear methodology on how the assignment will be executed, listing innovative data collection tools and methods to actively engage with, and ensure adequate representation of beneficiaries and partners in the data collection phase;
• Conduct interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders and beneficiaries (at least one focus group discussions with the young media makers who participated in the project, interviews with DRI staff, the talk-show presenter, the dialogue events moderator, and at least 4 guests featured in the talk show and dialogue sessions).
• Review DRI social media platforms and the data provided by DRI team to assess the engagement and feedback of the audience/viewers with the project episodes;
• Evaluate the extent to which the project has met its expected results and its main objectives as per the project’s logical framework, assessing if indicators, MEL methodologies, and used approaches were appropriate;
• Assess the relevance of the project, its effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability, using a mixed method approach where qualitative as well as quantitative data are collected and analysed;
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the project and provide recommendations regarding areas for improvement in future programming;
• Formulate lessons learnt from the project’s implementation and propose recommendations to improve design and delivery of a potential follow-on project;
• Identify success stories and Most Significant Changes from participants;
• Identify opportunities for the sustainability of the project outcomes;
• Assess the extent to which Gender and Diversity were mainstreamed in project design and implementation and provide recommendations to improve results and outcomes in this regard;
• Present a final evaluation report not exceeding 12 pages without annexes, with Most Significant Change stories;
• Conduct a lesson learnt workshop with DRI to inform future programming.

Your skills and experience:

• University degree in political or social science, development studies, public policy/administration, or other relevant fields;
• At least 8 years of experience as MEL consultant in the international development sector and/or public policy field;
• At least 3 evaluation missions conducted with a strong track record in M&E frameworks, processes, and tools, and formulating lessons learnt;
• Understanding of challenges of doing MEL in democracy support;
• Understanding of media and communication issues is highly desirable due to the specificity of the action.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Cultural and gender sensitivity;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic.