Short term consultancy

Short term consultancy

Programme/Project Title Humanitarian Response in Ukraine

Project Duration October 2022 – December 2023

Donors of the project Swiss Solidarity / AWO International / ADH

Consultancy Title External end of project evaluation

Duration of assignment 18 days

INTRODUCTION

Russia’s full-scale invasion to Ukraine has caused country wide damage and destruction. Millions of civilians have been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter and security elsewhere in Ukraine, Europe or beyond. Families were separated, livelihoods lost, and the traumatic experience put a strain on the psychosocial situation of millions of people. To respond to the humanitarian needs and support the most vulnerable people affected by the war, Solidar Suisse has joined forces with the Ukrainian organisations Vostok SOS and VIS to provide assistance focusing on:

• Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) to assist IDPs and non-displaced vulnerable households to meet their basic needs,
• Winterisation top-up to be spent on purchasing winter items (e.g. thermal underwear, winter jackets, boots, hats, thick socks, blankets), paying for heating (e.g. solid fuel) and communal charges,
• Distribution of heating appliances as relevant to provide at least one warm room,
• Provision of psychosocial support to better cope with social, physical and psychological challenges, and through support for the relocation of people from recently de-occupied areas and territories close to active fighting to live in safer locations in Zakarpattia, Vinnystia and Dnipropetrovska oblasts,
• Women and Girls Safe Space in Zakarpattia to provide PSS, art therapy, GBV awareness raising and recreational activities to women and girls IDPs.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this review is to assess the overall performance of the project and the achievement of the set objectives. Furthermore, it will assess the partnership structure and finally provide recommendations, based on lessons learned for future projects to support the most vulnerable people in Ukraine affected by the war.

Guiding evaluation questions are:

1. Relevance: Was the project intervention relevant and needs-oriented in the emergency response situation in Ukraine?
   • Was the assistance provided relevant and according to identified priorities in coordination with other actors and according to the actual given context?
   • Was the assistance provided in line with sector priorities and general recommendations (e.g. clusters, authorities, etc.)?
2. Effectiveness: To which extent did the project achieve its objectives and delivered on the planned results?
   • Were the outcome goals achieved and to what extent?
   • How is the participation, relevance and quality of the assistance perceived by the beneficiaries and local stakeholders (mainly local authorities and other organizations)?
   • Was the feedback from beneficiaries taken into account in the project implementation?

3. Impact: To which extend has the project been or is likely to be able to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine?

• To what extent can the implemented activities create lasting impact in the given context?
• Did the project activities improve the beneficiary’s situation (e.g. mental situation, livelihood situation, security situation)?

4. Sustainability: To which extend did the project lead to sustainable results?

• Did the project lead to sustainable development of the local partner organisations (localization concept)?
• Did the project attract attention, funding, or resulted in new partnerships for sustainability?
• Will staff recruited for the project continue working in humanitarian response for other organizations? Did project components attract further funding from the stakeholders (other INGOs, volunteer support, government, business)?
• How/If will skills, competencies, knowledge and partnership approach be leveraged in other activities. Are they transferrable to other projects or activities?

5. Partnership: Was the partnership approach appropriate and relevant?

• Did the partnerships (Solidar-Vostok SOS & Solidar-VIS) make use of synergies and complementarity?
• Did the partnership approach further the localization concept?
• Was the project structure/set up appropriate?
• Was communication effective among partners?
• Assess the essence of the partnership using the following inputs: financial support provided to the partners, reporting, accountability (including AAP), roles and responsibilities, frequency and regularity of exchange,

The primary target audience of the evaluation is the Management of Solidar Suisse, Vostok SOS and VIS teams in Ukraine and Solidar Suisse Headquarters. The evaluation report will be shared with the donors, in particular with Swiss Solidarity, AWO/ADH.

METHODOLOGY AND TIME-FRAME

The consultant in cooperation with the Country Office in Ukraine will develop the final methodology for the evaluation which will be included in the inception report. The methodology will have to combine both quantitative and qualitative tools and be used where possible in a participatory way. Suggested tools are:

• Literature review
• Review and analysis of project monitoring data
• Review of project documentation and procedures
• Observations
• Key informant interviews
• Focus Group Discussions with beneficiaries and other stakeholders
• Discussions and interviews with the project teams and relevant actors (e.g. local authorities, community members, IDPs, other organisations, project staff, etc.)

The work will be concluded in a period of 20 days, indicatively broken down as follow:

1 Preparation (preparation methodology, work plan, inception report)

2 Briefings / Debriefings

10 Field work (Zakarpattia, Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovska – incl. travels)

5 Report writing & data analysis

18 days total

The start of the evaluation is latest at the beginning of December 2022, and the final report must be submitted by 31 December 2022. The debriefing is expected to be on 12 December 2023 online. The proposed schedule is as follows:

4 December – 1 day – Briefing

5 December – 1 day – Preparation (incl. inception report)

11-21 December – 10 days – Field Work

22 December – 1 day – Debriefing Workshop (online)

25 – 28 December – 4 days – Report writing & data analysis

29 December – Submission of draft evaluation report

3 January – Reception of feedback by Solidar Suisse

4 January – 1 day – Incorporation of feedback

5 January -Submission of final evaluation report and booklet

RESPONSIBILITY AND REPORTING LINES

The consultant will be supported by the Solidar Suisse and partner’s teams. The consultant has no authority over any staff member of Solidar Suisse or its partners. The reports will be sent to Solidar representatives in Ukraine and their counterparts at the headquarters in Switzerland.

DELIVERABLES/OUTPUTS

1. The inception report will contain the following elements (max 5 pages):
   • Evaluation matrix lining out the subsidiary evaluation questions
   • Methodology
   • Sampling plan
   • Draft data collection tools (survey forms, topic guides for focus groups etc.)
   • Draft work plan for field work
2. The consultant will organize a debriefing workshop (online) to validate and discuss the provisional findings with the three different organisations.
3. The evaluation report will be submitted in English. It shall contain no more than 15 pages (excluding annexes). The report shall contain a general summary and sections covering methodology, analysis, and findings. Recommendations must be concrete and applicable. The report must answer the final evaluation questions that are stated in, but not limited to, this TOR / the Inception report.

Table of content of the evaluation report:

1. Cover page
2. Acknowledgement page (optional)
3. Content, map of area and list of acronyms
4. Executive summary with the main findings
5. Methodology
6. General report, including analysis and findings
7. Recommendations
8. List of resources/bibliography
9. Timetable of consultant with references to stakeholders spoken to (can be an annex).

PROFILE OF THE CONSULTANT/CONSULTANCY TEAM

• Demonstrated experience in evaluating humanitarian projects
• Knowledge of the Humanitarian System and respective coordination structures
• Excellent thematic knowledge in cash based assistance and MHPSS
• Up-to-date knowledge of current (participatory) evaluation tools and methods and proven experience in the use of these tools
• Fluency in Ukrainian and in English language. Ukrainian is mandatory!
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to work effectively and under stress
• Excellent writing skills in English and the ability to write concise, yet comprehensive reports
• Ability to meet deadlines

APPLICATION PROCESS

Bids must include the following:

• Technical proposal including outline of evaluation framework and methods, comments on the TOR, proposed time frame and expected work plan
• Financial proposal including daily consultancy fee, a breakdown of costs of travel (incl. travel in Ukraine), any taxes or fees, accommodation, per Diems, any other costs for workshops, FGDs
• CV(s) with qualifications, experience, contact details and evidence of past evaluations for the evaluator
• 2 References of previous clients for evaluations, including the contact details and relationship to the consultant

The evaluation can be conducted by either an individual consultant or by a consultant team.

How to apply

Submit complete bids by email to: [email protected]