Final Evaluation Study - Reducing the Risk of Radicalization and Violent Extremism in Lebanese Prisons

1. Context 

The Project

Search, in partnership with Restart Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture (Restart), is leading the implementation of a two-year project aimed at contributing to reducing the risk of violent extremism in custodial and non-custodial settings. The project goal is supported by the three following objectives and expected results:

• SO. 1 Strengthen capacities of detainees and prison staff to identify and use alternatives to violence;
  • ER 1.1. Increase in knowledge of non-violent conflict management among prison staff and other government stakeholders;
  • ER 1.2. Increase in knowledge of non-violent conflict management among male and female detainees;
  • ER 1.3. Increase vocational skills among detainee and ex-detainee male and female participants; and
  • ER 1.4. Reduce the risk of further deterioration of prison conditions due to COVID-19.
• SO. 2 Shift the attitude of community members to support the reintegration of former detainees;
  • ER 2.1. My Story" documentary and campaigns have resonated and triggered responses among its intended audience (3Rs).;
  • ER 2.2 The reintegration platform has developed community-led solutions for reintegration; and
  • ER 2.3 The pilot initiatives have been implemented based on agreed-upon agreed reintegration programs designed through the reintegration platform.
• SO. 3 Strengthen collaboration between key prison stakeholders (including authorities, civil society, and community members) to reduce the risk of recidivism among detainees;
  • ER 3.1. Exchange visits for selected high-level prison officials have inspired them regarding the potential for alternative models of detention and reintegration;
  • ER 3.2. Taskforce meetings have provided specific and actionable recommendations for generating buy-in and engagement; and
  • ER 3.3. Stakeholder conference has created awareness around countering violent extremism and how to reintegrate detainees.

Target groups  

The project targets numerous beneficiaries. This includes male and female current inmates and former inmates; youths participating and engaging with the National Coordination Unit of the Prevention of Violent (PVE) unit, local non-governmental organizations, university students, professors, and Civil Society Organizations (CSO). The project has been implemented in various geographical locations.  This includes Zahle prison for men and women, Qobbeh men prison, Baabda prison for women, CSOs in Wadi Khaled, Tal abbas (Akkar), Sour and Kaa (Bekaa), universities Lebanese American University in Beirut, Holy Spirit University of Kasik, American University of Science and Technology and Lebanese University. 

2. Goal and Objectives of Study

Search is seeking a consultant who can conduct an Endline study to understand how the project contributed to reducing the risk of violent extremism among detainees in Lebanon.

The Endline Study should enable Search to inform future programme design and will assess the overall success and effectiveness of the implemented project. In specific terms, The Endline Study has the following objectives:

• Assess the intended (according to the project’s logical framework) and the unintended outcomes (positive or negative) and determine Search’s contribution to identified changes. 
  • Update the Project’s logframe and indicators with End-line values;
• Assess whether the project had produced the effects as envisioned in the Theory of Change in addition to assessing the project’s Relevance, Efficiency, Effectiveness and Impact, and Sustainability as per The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development - Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC) evaluation criteria in addition to the overall project’s adaptability;
• Capture good practices, compile lessons learned throughout the lifespan of the project, and draw specific recommendations to inform future programme design in a similar context.

This endline study is expected to give specific focus on assessing the effectiveness of the activities in local communities towards achieving the objectives and outcomes of the project. The activities conducted are capacity building for government stakeholders on conflict transformation, vocational training and dialogue sessions for detainees and ex-detainees, media campaign, pilot initiatives, and advisory committee meetings among others.

3. Key Questions of the Study

End-line Questions

The Endline study should support the team to answer key questions below. The study is expected to prioritize the collection of feedback from direct and indirect beneficiaries from the respective community members (including the project’s champions).

• Relevance:
  • To what extent do the intervention’s objectives and design respond to reduce the risk of radicalization and violent extremism (VE) in Lebanese prisons? 
  • How effectively were barriers specific to reducing the risk of radicalization and VE were taken into account in the design and implementation of the project?
  • Have experiences from previous interventions been used  successfully to improve the quality of the project? 
  • In light of the recent developments occurred in Lebanon, are the objectives of the intervention still valid?
    • Are the activities of the intervention consistent with the overall goal of the project and fulfilling its specific objectives?
• Effectiveness and Impact:  
  • To what extent has intervention been effective in meeting the essence of the Theory of Change and achieving its results and planned outcomes?
  • What unintended outcomes (positive or negative) emerged from project implementation?
  • What factors (positive and negative) have had the greatest influence on the achievement of results?
  • To what extent has the intervention been able to contribute to longer-term effects (impact)?
  • Was the level of partnership(s) appropriate to support the effective achievement of the intervention’s objectives?
• Efficiency and Value for Money:
  • To what extent have resources been allocated and utilized in an efficient manner to achieve value for money?
    • How efficient was the delivery of the intervention in terms of expenditure and implementation of activities?
• Sustainability:
  • What’s the overall efficacy of the project's exit strategy?
  • To what extent are the benefits of the programme likely to sustain in the long term? What are the main factors behind this?
• Cross-Cutting Issues: 
  • To what extent have gender issues, Do No Harm, and conflict sensitivity been taken into consideration in design and implementation and what are the effects?
• Lessons Learned:
  • What lessons can be learned or good practices can be identified from the implementation of the project?
• Adaptability:
  • How and to what degree did the project adapt in response to monitoring data and contextual factors and/or changes?
    • What efforts have the project made to adapt to these changes, if any?
    • To what extent have these adaptations been effective and adequate?
  • To what extent have adaptations resulting from reflections and learning activities been effective?

4. Geographic Locations

The Endline study will provide quantitative and qualitative information, gender-age disaggregated data, and analysis in Zahle and Tripoli, in addition to the below-targeted prisons:

• Zahle Male Prison;
• Zahle Female Prison;
• Baabda Female Prison;
• Qobbe Male Prison;
• Amioun Prison;
• Douma Prison;
• Halba Prison;
• Zgharta Prison;
• Batroun Prison;
• Tripoli courthouse;
• Zahle Proper;
• Tripoli Proper;
• Wadi Khaled, Tal Abbas, Sour and Kaa; and
• AUB (IFI), LAU, USEK, AUST, Lebanese University.

5. Methodology and Data Collection Tools

The Endline Study will utilize a mixed-method approach consisting of both qualitative and quantitative primary and secondary data collections. The Endline study will be conducted to triangulate data from multiple sources and stakeholders in order to infer reliable findings.

Firstly, the consultant(s) will review key project documents including the proposal, MEL framework, log frame, and set meetings with key personnel to better understand the project, its goal, and activities. The consultant is expected to review the above background documentation as part of the desk review phase of the study, in addition to the literature review about the prisons’ context in Lebanon.

Secondly, the consultant will utilize primary available monitoring and evaluation data that was formerly collated by project staff including activity surveys and assessments, baseline data, project quarterly reports, etc. In addition, the consultant will rely heavily on the completed Baseline Study/Community member survey to facilitate reliable judgments on what has changed. 

Thirdly, the consultant will develop quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and collect data in the through of surveys, interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and possibly Case Studies using a solid and representative sampling approach (95 % Confidence Level and 5% Margin of error) and participatory methods with project beneficiaries and other stakeholders. The consultant(s) shall additionally propose the team set up for data collection (if necessary).

The methodology and data collection tools need to be validated by Search’s MEAL Manager.

The consultant(s) is also required to develop a detailed evaluation matrix with judgment criteria that captures the study’s objectives and evaluation questions of which will guide the evaluation process into reliable judgments and outcomes.

Data collection, analysis, and the results should represent Inclusiveness—the methodology should include a wide range of viewpoints, specifically gender and age sensitivity when applicable.

6. Deliverables

Search expects the following deliverables from the external consultant(s) as they correspond to the timeline and budget:

• An inception report detailing the methodology, data collection tools, and timeline;
• Any necessary training of data collectors or set-up of systems for data collection;
• Supervision and participation in data collection;
• Oversight of data coding and analysis;
• All original data submitted to Search;
• A draft endline report in English for review by Search staff and partners;
• A final report in English (40 pages max in length, excluding appendices) consistent with Search branding and standards for evaluation. The report:
  • Uses the Search reporting template unless otherwise agreed in the contract;
  • Provides a clear connection between the conflict or context assessment and the intended results, articulate the project’s ToC, and include other relevant project specifics;
  • Fully explains the objectives and research questions of the study, limitations, and methods chosen for analysis; 
  • Findings respect Search’s evaluation standards, are structured around the main objectives of the study, and are presented in relation to the intended target groups. The findings should speak to the link between the project, it’s Theory of Change and its contribution to our strategy. It should explain adaptations that occurred during the project and their impact on results;
  • Recommendations should have a clear audience and be specific, accessible, and actionable;
  •  Indicator table showing all indicators;
  • Appendices should include detailed research instruments, a list of interviewees, terms of references and evaluator(s) brief biography.
• A PowerPoint presentation that will be used by the consultancy team to present the findings to Search and the donor after the final report is approved;
• A one to two hours online presentation of research findings to the Search and donor team;
• A two-pager summary highlighting key lessons learnt in this project that will inform Search and the CVE, reintegration, and prisons sector’s programming in the future.

7. Logistical Support

In case of in-person data collection, the firm/consultant(s) will be responsible for organizing their own logistics for data collection (vehicles, fuel, and drivers), and this must be budgeted into the financial proposal. Search can provide support in arranging logistics as will be agreed upon with the consultant(s) based on the technical proposal. 

In addition, Search and partners will share the following elements with the external consultant(s): Background materials including the project proposal and logframe, etc.

8. Ethical Considerations

The consultancy should take into consideration the rights of participants in line with the ethical codes and guidelines of research. The participant should be asked to provide their consent and made aware that their identities would not be revealed. Cultural rights will be respected; minors below 18 years of age would not be assessed while collected data would be protected for confidentiality all through the data management process.

The firm/consultants are required to respect the following ethical principles: 

• Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: The consultant should make the most of the existing information and full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. Consultant should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. He or she should communicate his or her methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique his or her work. He or she should make clear the limitations of the review and its results. 
• Competence: Consultant should possess the abilities and skills and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of his or her professional training and competence.
• Honesty and integrity: Consultant should be transparent with the contractor/constituent about: any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan, and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information. 

• Respect for people: Consultant should respect the security, dignity, and self-worth of the respondents, program participants. The consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age, and ethnicity. 

The assignment should take into account precautionary measures to avoid Covid-related complications during data collection. These measures should ensure social distancing and remote interactions where possible. Therefore, applicants are kindly required to integrate a detailed multiple scenario strategy in their proposed methodologies and work plans that would ensure efficacy in the delivery of the assignment and allow for flexibility to switch between different modalities (i.e., to virtual data collection and vice-versa) whenever there is a need to do so.

9. Data Quality Assurance and Management

All deliverables will be reviewed and approved by the country office and global Institutional Learning Team prior to acceptance of the final product. The consultant(s) are also required to develop a clear and rigorous quality control plan during the inception phase of which will be implemented and deployed throughout all phases of the evaluation process to ensure reliability and validity of findings.

10. Timeline

The evaluation timeline is expected to be kicked off May 2021 and concluded in July 2021 by submitting the final deliverables requested above.

11. Budget

The total budget available for this study is USD 25, 000. A detailed budget should be provided, including daily rates for personnel, and costs related to data collection (per total number of people sampled, sites for collection, etc.), analysis, and production of deliverables. The selection committee will give preference to the applicant) s) with a relatively lower budget and higher quality technical proposal.

12. Requirements of Consultant(s)

Education:

• Lead consultant(s) must have at least a Master’s degree (PhD preferable) in research methods and/or evaluations, development, conflict or peacebuilding, M&E or any related social sciences.

Skills and experience:

The following skills and experience are expected by Search for our evaluator for this project:

• Excellent proficiency in English and Arabic - written (including professional English reporting) and spoken;
• More than five years of experience in programme/project evaluation, including collecting data in interviews, surveys and focus groups and analysis;
• Experience in conflict analysis, working with justice and civil society sectors and violent extremism related topics;
• Experience working with international organizations;
• Experience conducting quantitative surveys and analysis;
• Monitoring and Evaluation methods and data collection skills; and
• Familiarity and experience with contextual challenges in the geographic location(s) where the study will take place.

13. Selection Criteria

Consultant proposals will be selected for:

1. Relevance of proposed methodology to the goal, objectives, and research questions for the project.
2. Quality of proposed methods, conflict sensitivity approaches, and quality control measures.
3. Qualifications of the candidate(s).
4. The proposed budget in relation to the proposed methodology, deliverables and team.
5. Timeline for proposed activities.