Request for Proposal for External Program Evaluation Services

Request for Proposal

External Program Evaluation Services

RFP LEB/21/05

FOR

DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL (LEBANON)

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.  

The Danish Refugee Council founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers.

 Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

Operating since 2004 in Lebanon, DRC has addressed the needs and rights of vulnerable populations, working with both Lebanese and displaced communities, working initially with Palestinian refugees (since 2004), Iraqi refugees (2007-2010), Lebanese IDPs (during the 2006 conflict), migrant domestic workers (since 2009) and, since 2011, responding to the Syrian refugee crisis.

DRC Lebanon is currently delivering programming in protection, basic assistance, livelihoods, and community development interventions. DRC seeks to address the immediate needs of displaced populations and concurrently support vulnerable host populations. DRC has three offices spread throughout Lebanon in, Beirut, the Beqaa and North Lebanon.  For further information about DRC, please refer to our website: https://drc.ngo/

Objectives:

DRC is seeking to appoint a highly qualified candidate/Firm who will be conducting an external evaluation of its Referral Information Management System (RIMS) program from its creation in 2017 to date.

DRC Lebanon is undertaking an evaluation with the overall objective of assessing the performance and impact of the RIMS program since its creation in 2017. The RIMS Program expanded significantly in the last few years and has evolved towards a consolidated program aimed at filling the gaps in the humanitarian response.  However, to date, only an internal evaluation requested by ECHO, the main RIMS donor, has been conducted at the end of 2020 by the DRC MEAL and RIMS Team jointly, to review the actual impact of the program itself and the gaps and shortcomings of the program. This evaluation focused mostly on RIMS partners’ feedback on the project. Findings from this evaluation informed the RIMS 2021 work plan, with the objective of implementing these recommendations before conducting an external evaluation one year later. An external evaluation will not only allow for a more objective assessment of the effectiveness of the RIMS project, but will also provide credibility to RIMS and allow diversifying funding streams towards non-traditional donors, notably those funding innovation. This external evaluation will focus on the RIMS project only, created by DRC Lebanon, and the extent to which it meets its strategic objectives, based on the OECD criteria for external evaluations.

Overall, the external evaluation will:

1. Assess the relevance and appropriateness of the program
2. Assess the program implementation in relation to participation and feedback of beneficiary communities in decision making through relevant mechanisms established by both DRC and partner organizations.
3. Assess the program’s performance against the key evaluation criteria i.e. relevance, efficiency, impact, coherence, effectiveness and sustainability with reference to intervention modalities, value for money and intended results, including DRC’s direct implementation and working with partners
4. Assess the sustainability of RIMS and identify recommendations that feed into strategic decision making beyond the evaluation notably when it comes to sustainability of RIMS organisational set up and funding, and its continuous expansion in Lebanon
5. Identify lessons learned and best practices based on findings, across all the evaluation questions and criteria for DRC programming, partners, donors, UN agencies and other stakeholders, etc.
6. Identify and assess key internal and external factors that have contributed, affected, or impeded the achievements of the program, and how DRC and the partners have managed these factors

The evaluation will be conducted in line with evaluation best practices and will use quantitative and qualitative methods and draw on both primary and secondary data collection techniques. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on access to beneficiaries and to RIMS users, the proposed methodology may need to be adapted to remote data collection as a last resort.

Deliverables:

•  Evaluation plan provided by the consultant
• Inception report
• Development of tools for data collection
• Roll out of tools
• Final report
• Presentation of final report with recommendations and discussions with DRC key stakeholders
• Evaluation Lessons Learned Note

This framework agreement for External Evaluation Services is expected to start in on 30 August 2021 and ends latest on 30 November 2021, for the duration of 40 days and not to exceed 60 days (7 working hours per day) from 30 August 2021 to 30 November 2021.

RFP Issuing date: 14th of July 2021

Online technical meeting: 26 July 2021 at 13:00 on TEAMs (link inside Cover Letter)

RFP Closure Date: 29th of July 2021 at 14:00 (Beirut time)