DEADLINE: 5TH FEBRUARY, 2021
SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND CALL FOR APPLICATION:
FINAL EVALUATION CONSULTANT ‘SUPPORTING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC REINTEGRATION OF CHILDREN ASSOCIATED WITH ARMED FORCES AND ARMED GROUPS INCLUDING THE CIVILIAN JOINT TASK FORCE (CJTF)’ IN NORTH EAST NIGERIA
Search is seeking a consultant who can evaluate the link between our programming and shifts in social norms relating to reintegration of children and adolescents who have suffered from violations, including those formerly associated with armed groups or returning from captivity, into their communities. Following our 16-month program, we are primarily interested in the norms around violence, identity, and agency, and how these influence the reintegration of such children into their communities. Consultant’s research proposals should include a plan to analyze these shifts across gender, age, and religious demographics. Candidates’ teams should have experience researching norms to explain the connection between programming, the context, and the changes observed.
Search for Common Ground
Search is an international conflict transformation NGO that aims to transform the way individuals, groups, governments and companies deal with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative solutions. Headquartered in Washington DC, USA, and Brussels, Belgium, with 52 field offices in 29 countries, Search designs and implements multifaceted, culturally appropriate and conflict-sensitive programs using a diverse range of tools, including media and training, to promote dialogue, increase knowledge and determine a positive shift in behaviors.
Our Program in Nigeria
We launched our programs in Nigeria in 2004. Now in 2020, the country program has offices in Abuja, Jos, Maiduguri, Benue, Warri, Bayelsa and Yola. We work with partners in target states of the country to support peaceful resolution of conflict. Each program is adapted to specific local context and conflicts, and all apply common ground tools from our toolbox.
Search has established a permanent presence in Abuja as an operational base and all our Nigeria offices are currently supporting a host of programs with activities that include capacity building, dialogues, peace architecture, media programming, participatory theatre and collaborative joint activities.
The Project
The overall objective for the project is to support the long-term reintegration of children associated with armed groups (CJTF) in the North East of Nigeria. The project has been implemented in Borno State over 16 months with the expectation that within this period, children formerly associated with armed groups or returning from captivity, will be supported to successfully reintegrate into their communities. It has four specific objectives and corresponding expected results:
Objective 1: To strengthen the well-being and resilience of children formerly associated with armed groups, and other vulnerable children, in North East Nigeria.
- E.R.1.1: Children associated with armed groups, and other vulnerable children, show increased capacity to engage constructively with and in their communities.
- E.R.1.2: Children formerly associated with armed groups, and other vulnerable children, are better protected.
Objective 2: To support children formerly associated with armed groups, or other vulnerable children, resume or return to school and become ambassadors for peace.
- E.R.2.1: Children associated with armed groups are supported to resume or continue school education, as well as accelerated learning provisions.
- E.R. 2.2: Children are supported to become ambassadors for peace through peace education and activities in peace clubs.
Objective 3: To empower and support children formerly associated with armed groups, and other vulnerable children, for increased economic reintegration.
- E.R.3.1: Children associated with armed groups and other vulnerable children have increased financial literacy and enterprise understanding; and
- E.R. 3.2: Children associated with armed groups and other vulnerable children show enhanced capacities to access self-employment or wage-employment.
Objective 4: To create a conducive environment and community support for the social and economic reintegration and separation of children associated with armed groups.
- E.R.4.1: Target communities in North East Nigeria better understand and value the socioeconomic reintegration needs of children separated from armed groups, and other vulnerable children, and recognize the positive role children play in communities as agents of peace; and
- E.R.4.2: Social cohesion in target communities is strengthened through small scale community initiatives.
The project was implemented among community-based organizations (CBOs), local traditional and religious structures in the project activities (such as participatory theatre and community strengthening initiatives) as facilitators and conversationalists to the communities and to deepen the community engagement. Search also worked with SUBEB, Ministry of women affairs, and ministry of Education as a member of the Project Advisory Committee (PAC). As part of the community-based approach, Search also targeted other vulnerable children that are not associated with CJTF in project interventions and activities. Search also developed the education, economic, and social cohesion intervention so as to ensure the majority of activities are implemented within the communities where the children come from and live. In doing so, the training or other economic opportunities will not take them outside their communities. Also, there was a media and community-based outreach to sensitize and raise community awareness.
Goal and Objectives of Study
As the project is coming to an end, Search needs to undertake a comprehensive and cost-effective external final evaluation. The evaluation will cover relevant DAC criteria, including other criteria such as Effectiveness, Appropriateness, Connectedness, Impact, Coherence and Coverage of the project. Key principles that should drive the design of the final evaluation are the Common Ground Approach, Conflict Sensitivity, Do No Harm principles, the best interest of the child and UNICEF’s equity approach
Specific objectives of the evaluation:
- Evaluate the relevance and appropriateness of this intervention, based on local needs and conditions, as well as the best interest of the children, clearly documenting outcomes of these;
- To determine the effectiveness and efficiency of implementing the project, including who contributed to or hindered these, and what lessons we can learn.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention looking at socio-economic and protection outcomes of the targeted beneficiaries and the process of identification of OVC’s by Community Based Child Protection Committee (CBCPC);
- Suggest clear and actionable recommendations for future reintegration programming in the region.
- To determine the extent to which the COVID 19 pandemic affected the project objectives, implementation and sustainability
The report will also be shared widely with project participants and partners, and presented during Search Nigeria programs. The evaluation report – with sensitive details redacted – will eventually be published on Search’s website and shared with other learning networks in order to enhance contributions to reintegration programming in Nigeria and regionally.
Key Questions of the Study
Key questions for the study include, but are not limited to:
- Did the activities and strategies fit the objectives?
- What are the negative and positive unintended outcomes from the project?
- What real differences has the activity made to the project participants?
- To what extent did the project achieve to change the targeted stakeholders understanding, perception and attitudes and achieve the intermediate outcomes?
- What were the internal or external factors that facilitated or hindered the achievement of objectives?
- What are the major best practices and lessons learned stemming from the project?
- Are the changes introduced by the project long term and sustainable?
In addition to the above lines of inquiry, the evaluation is expected to provide quantitative and qualitative information on the key indicators as listed below:
- % of children associated with armed groups who report applying skills learned to generate an income
- % of community members willing to accept children released from armed groups.
Geographic Locations
Based on the verification of the children associated with CJTF and other vulnerable children including those formerly associated with OAGs carried out by UNICEF, the research is expected to cover the undermentioned locations:
Five LGAs in Borno State:
(1) Maiduguri MMC;
(2) Jere LGA;
(3) Mafa LGA;
(4) Dikwa
(5) Gowza
Methodology and Data Collection Tools
Using Search’s tools and guidelines for working with project beneficiaries, the evaluation will target community residents in the locations where the project is being implemented. It will be conducted using a mixed methodology that includes both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods. The proposal should also include the sampling strategy and approach to analysis, with clear justifications for these. In addition to Do No Harm strategies, any proposed deliverables for sharing the findings of the study should be included in this section of the proposal. This will allow for the triangulation of information, allowing for in-depth findings and recommendations.
The proposed methodology is to be clearly stated in the technical offer, detailing why the methodology is preferred and its relevance to the state and purpose of the evaluation. The tools utilized and the means of analysis should be determined based on what is necessary and relevant to the project, and a justification for this should be included. Each tool/method should then be listed with justification of its use, intended target groups for the tool, and numbers of each target group to be reached. The technical offer should include details on logistics and roll-out of the study: who the target respondents will be and why, how will they be identified or recruited, how data collection and data quality assurance will be carried out.
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 evaluation 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 evaluation 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, its 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, list of interviewees, terms of references and evaluator(s) brief biography.
The inception and final reports will be developed by the consultant and/or team, and reviewed and approved by Search. The tools will be administered by the consultant and/ or team, working with a team of data collectors, while the data will be analyzed by the consultant and/or team chosen to perform this research. In addition, the consultant and/or team chosen will develop the report with guidance and reviews by Search’s DMEL team.
Logistical Support
- Consultant(s) will be responsible for organizing their own logistics for data collection (vehicles, fuel, and drivers), and this must be budgeted into the study. Search can provide support in arranging logistics as agreed upon based on the consultant’s proposal. At least one Search staff member may be available to support data collection and logistics.
- In addition, Search and partners will share the following elements with the external consultant(s): Background materials including the project proposal and log frame, M&E plan, etc.
Ethical Considerations
- Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: 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 respect the security, dignity and self-worth of respondents, program participants. Consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age and ethnicity.
In addition, the team will respect SFCG’s evaluations standards, to be found in SFCG’s evaluation guidelines:https://www.sfcg.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/SFCG-External-Evaluation-Guidelines-FINAL.pdf
Data Quality Assurance and Management
- An inception report detailing the proposed method, study matrix, and work plan. It is to be approved by Search’s DMEL staff before starting data collection.
- Research and data collection tools (developed by the candidate and/or team with the input of Search’s DMEL staff) are to be approved by Search’s DMEL staff before starting data collection.
- Draft report for review by Search staff and other stakeholders
- The report should be structured according to the evaluation questions
- All data collected for this research including audios and transcripts for all interviews, and quantitative data entered in a template, based on the methodology used will be included
- Appendices, including data collection tools and list of interviewees
- A power-point presentation summarizing the report’s findings
All studies will be reviewed and approved by our country office and global Institutional Learning team prior to acceptance of the final product. Useful to have all raw data submitted to search after the evaluation for future reference.
Timeline
- The consultancy period will be from February to early March, 2021.
Requirements of Consultant
- Proficiency in English (written and spoken); Hausa as well.
- More than 5 years of experience in project evaluation, including collecting data in interviews, surveys and focus groups;
- Experience in conflict analysis and working with children or in reintegration.
- Experience working with international organizations;
- Experience conducting quantitative surveys and analysis;
- Evaluation methods and data collection skills;
- Familiarity and experience with contextual challenges in the geographic location(s) where the study will take place.
Interested candidates are invited to send an application through our Career Portal, no later than 5th February, 2021. The application should hold these attachments:
- 1 technical offer detailing the methodology, timeframe and size of the evaluation team proposed (max 4 pages);
- 1 resume of lead researcher biography of the evaluator/ evaluation team demonstrating relevant experience/ knowledge (max 5 pages);
- 1-2 examples of past large-scale research where candidate was the lead evaluator;
- 1 financial offer (Excel) detailing the costs of the budget detailing accommodation and traveling costs, field recruitments if necessary;
- 2 references of organizations who can verify the quality of the consultant’s work.
COMPANIES OR FIRMS applying should include:
- Company’s Profile
- Evidence of registration with corporate Affairs Commission.
- Evidence of Tax registration.
- 2 letters of reference
- Evidence of Financial capability or Bank support.
Individual applying should Include:
- International Passport or Driver’s License
- Tax ID Number
- 2 letters of reference
- Evidence of Financial capability or Bank support.
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) Proposed budget in relation to proposed methodology, deliverables and team.
(5) Timeline for proposed activities.
As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.
Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please. Please see our website www.sfcg.org for full details of our work.
All Search Employees must adhere to the values: Shared Humanity – Empathy – Impartiality – Inclusivity – Courage – Hope – Humility – Audacity. In accordance with these values, Search enforces compliance with the Code of Conduct and related policies on Anti Workplace Harassment, Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Conflict of Interest and Anti-fraud. Search is committed to safeguarding the interests, rights, and well-being of children, youth and vulnerable adults with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children, youth, and vulnerable adults.
Search for Common Ground does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.
