Project Mid-Term Evaluation

Welthungerhilfe is the implementing organization of the project with personnel and its own structure in Lebanon. It works with the local partner organization Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (L.O.S.T.) in a consortium.  The local NGO LOST focuses on community development and has been operating in Baalbeck-Hermel since 1997. The project aims to improve the livelihood opportunities in the agricultural sector and to reduce social tensions between rural Lebanese communities and Syrian refugees in Baalbek. It enables the recipients of the project to learn methods to increase their agricultural output every season, connect them with potential buyers in the local markets and with this increase their annual income. This action is accompanied by social cohesion activities.

Project Outcomes:

The overall purpose of the mid-term evaluation is to assess 1. the efficiency and effectiveness of the cooperation structure between the consortium partners, 2. the continued relevance of the action, progress made towards achieving planned objectives and the sustainability of the interventions beyond the term of this action.

Project Outcomes:

1. Agricultural producers have increased their income through the sale of improved varieties, higher quality and increased quantity of agricultural produce.
2. Value chains are more competitive and profitable through improved capacity of actors and increased collaboration through improved linkages.
3. Enhanced social cohesion and psychological well-being in the target communities.
4. Increased resilience of vulnerable households through targeted cash injections, skill development and improved income generation

The specific objectives of the mid-term evaluation are as follows:

1. Assess the project relevance by looking into whether the funding and support is consistent with local needs, priorities, and possibilities, including the needs, priorities, and possibilities of local partners. This should include:

• To what extent the value chains supported works towards improving the resilience of communities and people affected by crisis?
• To what extent does the project implementation complement interventions, by other actors (NGOs) in the same project areas?
• To what extent are all relevant stakeholders appropriately informed and updated on the activities / approach / strategy of the project?
• How has the implementing partner LOST coordinated with other NGOs in order to get referrals, and to avoid overlaps?

2. Assess the progress made towards achieving each project’s outcomes and results based on the project log frame, design & monitoring data. Under this objective the consultant will:

• Determine whether the project is on track towards reaching the desired objectives: If not on track, how can the objectives be realized?

2. Document challenges, programmatic lessons learnt and key recommendation for project improvement. This should include:

• How effective and efficient is the consortium management structure of the project? What risks are there? What could be improved?

4. Assess the sustainability of the interventions beyond the life cycle of project. The consultant will ascertain the extent to which major milestones attained in the project will be sustained or carried forward beyond the life of the project. Specifically, the evaluation should answer;

• To what extent have the interventions that WHH or the project partners provide so far, have a lasting, positive impact on the individual families’ situation, and the wider rural Lebanese communities and Syrian as well as Palestinian refugees in Baalbek-Hermel  and Beirut?
• Are the benefits and the built-up structures of the project activities, so far, likely to continue after the project comes to an end?

Evaluation Design and Methodology

The perspective of the evaluation is on two aspects: the likelihood of reaching the project objectives on one hand and the consortium management on the other hand: the consortium management, the structure, assessing the capacities and the communication structure, reasons for mishaps, implementation lessons, challenges.

The evaluation will be organized as Participatory Evaluation. This means, the evaluator will involve team-members of the implementing organizations into all aspects of the evaluation. By doing so, the evaluation will serve as capacity building activity and strengthen the understanding of the implementing team members towards the project objectives.

The evaluation will use both qualitative and quantitative methods using both primary and secondary data sources. This should involve interviews with project beneficiaries, partners and stakeholders, field visits, and review of program documents and project data. A range of existing information will be made available to the consultant upon notification of the award. This would include (but is not limited to): The original proposal, M&E plan, Indicator performance tracking table (IPTT) or similar tool, work plans, monitoring data, monthly/quarterly reports, and any other relevant documents. As part of his/her assignment, the successful consultant can apply a mixture of different methodologies, including primary data collection and a review of existing resources.  As part of the assignment, the consultant will provide a detailed plan of the proposed methodologies in an inception report. WHH will review the planned methodologies proposed by the evaluator and provide feedback before the evaluation process begins. The evaluator will have access to the project team of both WHH and partners.

Depending on the developments with Covid-19 in Lebanon, trainings and briefings with staff may be moved to phone-based, or online using video-conferencing technology. It is the responsibility of the evaluator to ensure that all staff involved are clear on the evaluation’s aim and purpose, as well as all project details.

The consultant will organize the evaluation as “participatory Evaluation” which means, the team-members of the implementing organization are part of the evaluation team. It is the role of the consultant to ensure that team-members are trained in confidentiality procedures. Team-members need to be trained in obtaining verbal consent for interview participation. Involved team-members should have experience in program monitoring, surveying, and data collection, and be able to effectively use technology-based analysis software to collect and analyse data. The consultant will be responsible to prepare all manuals, guides, and training material used to train the involved team-members.

All tools will be designed in English and approved in collaboration with WHH. The main language of reports and tools will be English. Since the evaluated project component includes partners, the report should clearly distinguish between partner, as well as WHH as the lead organization, in answering the guiding questions.

Deliverables:

All the Deliverables will be submitted to WHH as soft copy (unless otherwise noted below).

• An inception report: The consultant will share his/her inception report that details the evaluation design (rationale, methodology), data collection tools, and a detailed work plan within 1-3 days of engagement, to be approved by WHH (Head of MEAL & Area Manger).
• Data collection tools: Develop the data collection tools and have them approved by WHH and partners before data collection, analysis, interpretation.
• Validation workshop: A workshop, online, discussing the main findings of the draft report, including project staff, partner staff, WHH MEAL staff, once data collection has ended.
• Draft Evaluation report: The consultant will prepare – together with the participating team-members from WHH/LOST – a draft evaluation report with details of findings, recommendations and lessons learnt for review by WHH and partners
• Final Evaluation report: The consultant will share a final evaluation report after incorporating the comments from WHH and consortium partners.

A report, based on a desk-based study of existing project files and field assessments, on the aforementioned focus areas as laid out above. Apart from the review of project files, the evaluator must include field visits and partner visits, and utilize relevant methodology for individual interviews and group discussions.

The evaluation report (in English) should not exceed 20 pages. The evaluator should support his/her analysis of the project’s achievements with relevant data and state how this has been sourced. In terms of recommendations, the report is expected to outline current gaps and shortcomings, and to provide recommendations to overcome identified challenges.

Timeframe:

The duration of the assignment will be around 20 working days, and fixed after reviewing the timeframe and the methodology. This evaluation will begin in the Month of February 2021.

Expertise of the Evaluators:

This evaluation assignment is open to individual consultants with sound experience in the services outlined above. To be considered for the services described herein the consultants must meet the following criteria:

1. Education:  Advanced university degree in Agriculture and rural development or any other relevant discipline.
2. Technical capacity: the consultant(s) with practical experience in the following project fields.

• Agriculture and rural development, and development of enterprise support institutions.
• Value-chain assessment and development
• Organizational capacity assessment

3. Demonstrated experience in dealing with the agricultural and business sectors in Lebanon.
4. Strong experience and training in relevant evaluation methods (participatory methods, qualitative methods, and surveys).
5. Minimum of 3 years of experience evaluating development and/or humanitarian programmes implemented by international aid organizations; experience of evaluating German-funded programmes is an advantage.
6. Proven experience in organizational learning and development of NGOs.

WHH focal points in Beirut/Tripoli will be the main focal points for the evaluation process. For day to day coordination and communication with partners, and managing data collection in the field, the project’s MEAL Officer, based in Lebanon will be the focal point. The Head of MEAL in Gaziantep is to be kept informed. Cooperation with the team of LOST in Baalbek is essential.

WHH will manage the contract and will provide funding directly to the evaluator(s) in accordance with the terms specified in the contract.

The consultant should make the necessary arrangements and coordinate with WHH staff before fieldwork to ensure no issues arise during field data collection. Relevant contacts will be shared with the consultant.