End of Project Evaluation of the European Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP) Project

Role: End of Project Evaluation of the European Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP) Project

Funded by: RDPP

Time Frame of Assignment: 9 July- 19 September 2018 (47 working days, including Saturdays)

Location: Akkar Governorate - Lebanon

Project Background

Akkar is considered one of the most economically vulnerable areas of Lebanon and has experienced a tremendous change in its labour market since the beginning of the Syrian civil war. Increased competition for low paid jobs has rendered many thousands of people – in particular young people and women – unemployed and affected by the deteriorating economic conditions according to the livelihoods assessment of Syrian refugees carried out by the Akkar governorate in 2014. Limited sources of income, as well as limited support from the public sector and civil society, have created a vicious cycle of deprived living conditions, low education levels, high levels of unemployment and increased marginalization of vulnerable groups. Lack of local investment results in few job opportunities, particularly for youth and women; and consequently, low socio-economic status, less mobility and restricted access to health care, education and other services. Through this project, Save the Children International Lebanon aimed to work with vulnerable refugee and host women, men and youth to enhance the economic and community-based resilience of vulnerable host and refugee population particularly women, men and youth in Akkar region.

The project’s duration is from 1 May 2017 to 30 June 2018 and was implemented in the Akkar Governorate. To tackle the above objective, the project focused on the critical analysis and understanding of changing market dynamics, supporting livelihoods by increasing households' ability to meet ongoing needs and encouraging self-reliance, and support the emergent economy. It aimed to ensure that (1) women, men and youth are supported in undertaking market-integrated livelihood activities and capacitated through skills training, life skills, entrepreneurship/business training, and market linkages; and that (2) vulnerable communities are supported with community-led projects to protect and rehabilitate key community assets and provide short term labour employment to vulnerable households.

Objectives of the Evaluation

This End of Project Evaluation aims at evaluating the project outcomes, objectives and impact, with a focus on understanding the outcomes for children in particular from the interventions in Food Security and Livelihoods. The Evaluator will be answering the following main question:

Did Save the Children International Lebanon’s Food Security and Livelihoods intervention, contribute to the enhancement of the economic and community-based resilience of vulnerable host and refugee population (particularly women, men and youth) in the Akkar governorate of Lebanon?

The purpose of this final project evaluation is to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of the RDPP project. The project final evaluation will focus on all the activities carried out as part of the project’s objectives. The evaluation will address the following:

1. Identification of key project’s challenges, risks and opportunities as well as the strengths and weaknesses, in the light of its prospective continuation.
2. Designing an Impact Assessment tool to provide an in-depth measurement of the project’s impact and to apply to future evaluations.
3. Designing a Community Satisfaction Index to capture the extent to which the target communities have benefitted from the project.
4. Revision of the programme’s logframe indicators and the tools to capture these indicators, in terms of their effectiveness in capturing results.
5. Measurements of key attributes of processes and implementation using different technical methods.
6. Recommendations on how to improve the design and/or operational processes of activities under the project to reach a more sustainable impact, increase implementation efficiency and effectiveness, lessons learned on what can be scaled up or what can be discontinued, and other recommendations specific to designing a Phase II of the current program.
7. Conducting learning and development sessions based on the evaluation findings to enhance the field team’s capacity to contribute in achieving higher impact.

Deliverables

The evaluation team will submit three reports, two tools, two presentations to the Save the Children International Lebanon Steering Committee, and learning and development session/s to the Food Security and Livelihoods programme team.

• Assignment timeline: The assignment timeline should include clear dates and deadlines of deliverables beginning by the submission date of the inception report.
• Inception report: Following the desk review and prior to beginning of the field work, an inception report will be produced subject to approval by Save the Children International Lebanon (including the design of an Impact Assessment Tool and a Community Satisfaction Index). This report will detail a draft work plan with a summary of the primary information needs, the methodology to be used, the tools mentioned above, and a work plan/schedule for the field visits and major deadlines. With respect to methodology, the inception report will include a description of how data will be collected and a sampling framework, data sources, and drafts of suggested data collection tools such as questionnaires and interview guides. It should also include the draft of the final report outline (i.e. Table of Content). 

Once the report is finalized and accepted, the evaluation team must submit a request for any change in strategy, methodology or approach to the Save the Children International Lebanon MEAL Director.

• Draft report: A draft evaluation report will be submitted to Save the Children International Lebanon MEAL Director who will lead the revision process with the reference group and provide feedback within two weeks of receipt of the draft report. Quantitative and qualitative data collected and analysis developed should be annexed to the draft report.
• Final report: The Final Evaluation Report should include a two page executive summary that summarizes the key lessons learned, conclusions and recommendations. It should also include best practices case studies that can be shared with Save the Children International Lebanon technical and management staff. Quantitative and qualitative data collected and analysis developed should be annexed to the draft report.

All material collected in the undertaking of the evaluation process should be lodged with the Save the Children International Lebanon Person to be referenced by the MEAL Director prior to the termination of the contract.

• Presentation of findings:
  • At the end of the field work and after submission of the draft report, the evaluation team will present preliminary findings to validate and prioritize learning at the Save the Children International Lebanon level
  • After submission of the Final Evaluation Report, the evaluation team will provide a final presentation for relevant stakeholders

• Conducting learning and development sessions based on the evaluation findings to enhance the field team’s capacity to contribute in achieving higher impact.

Essential Competencies Required

Save the Children International Lebanon seeks expressions of interest from people with the following skills/qualifications and expertise:

• Expertise in Food Security and Livelihoods approaches and in Food Security and Livelihoods programming evaluations
• Sound and proved experience in conducting evaluations and impact assessments, particularly utilization and learning focused evaluations.
• Expertise in qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques
• Expertise in conducting learning sessions and/or trainings
• Expertise in participative evaluations with focus on child participation and designing evaluation tools and Impact Assessment Tools

Application Process

• Interested consultants or consultancy firms are required to send an expression of interest email to the email address below using the following subject line RDPP EoP Evaluation. Upon expressing interest, the interested consultant or consultancy firm will receive the detailed TOR based on which they would submit their proposal. The proposal should include the methodology, the CV(s) of the consultant(s), and their respective rates per day.
• The deadline for submitting proposals is:  25 June 2018
• Submit completed proposals to lebanonhrb@savethechildren.org

Evaluation Criteria: Consultancy for End of Project Evaluation (RDPP)

Essential Criteria (Bidders must provide the below to pass to the evaluation criteria): Pass (Yes/No)

- Bidder’s registration in Lebanon: submit copies of company registration and Tax Certificate if applicable; or a permission from the relevant authorities to trade in that market

- Bidder’s confirmation of compliance with the attached Conditions of Tendering, Terms and Conditions of Purchase, Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy, Child Safeguarding Policy and IAPG Code of Conduct .The bidder should Read and sign T&C in Bidder response document

- Bidders provide a sample performance

- Bidder provides 3 satisfactory client references from past 12 months related to Premises Insurance and Group party liability insurance (names, email, phone, (preferably recommendation letter) (preferably NGO but not required). These references should be available for a reference check by SCI.

Technical & commercial criteria:

 Technical Criteria (60%)

- Bidders proofs of expertise in similar tasks, at least 03 letters of reference from government bodies of International and Local organization within the last 12 months. (05%)

- Quality of proposal (level of effort/details put into proposal and level of understanding of assignment scope). (10%)

- Methodology (approach (mixed: qualitative and quantitative) and the extent to which the proposed sample covers all concerned stakeholders). (10%)

- Candidate profile (the strength and relevancy of the candidates’ academic background and technical (FSL) and evaluation expertise). (10%)

- Delivery of Report within 47 Working days. (25%)

Financial Criteria (40%)

-Total Price: Bidder’s prices demonstrate an economically advantageous position for SCI programmes and emergency response. (40%)