Consultancy – Final evaluation of a project for populations in vulnerable situations in Niger, Mali and DRC At Doctors of the World – Belgium

Full description of the terms of reference in the PDF on our site

WHO ARE US ?

Médecins du Monde is an international medical development NGO that is part of an international network. We provide medical assistance to vulnerable groups in Belgium and the rest of the world. We want universal health coverage where everyone has access to care, without obstacles.

In Belgium and around the world, our projects are aimed at all people who have no or no access to health care. In particular, they are structured in five axes: people on the margins of society, children in vulnerable situations, women, etc, migrant or displaced persons and victims of crises or conflicts.

To carry out our mission, we rely on three pillars :

• Heal : give real access to care to the population.
• Change: more than helping, we want to change things in the long run.
• Testify : we do not remain silent. Thanks to our experience and our presence on the ground, we challenge the powers (local, regional and (inter)national) with facts, figures and realities.

Our projects follow a series of values common to our entire organization: Social justice, Empowerment, Independence, Commitment, Balance.

CONTEXT

MdM-BE has been present in Mali since 2002, historically in the Gao and Menaka regions in the north of the country, and since 2021 in the Kita region located in the south-west of the country where the project concerned by this evaluation has started to address the protection issues related to the health of vulnerable populations in the area. The main areas of MdM-BE intervention in Mali are sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), as well as crises and conflicts.

MdM-BE has been present in Niger since 2014, where the’organisation has also chosen to make sexual and reproductive health (SRH) one of its priorities, with regard to the’ impact in terms of public health and its will to’act in favour of respect for sexual and reproductive rights. The mobilization of MdM-BE is reflected in the strengthening of’access and the availability of quality health services and advocacy to sustainably advance sexual and reproductive rights.

Project « Strengthening protection mechanisms in relation to’access to sexual and reproductive health care, including gender-based violence, for populations in vulnerable situations in Mali, in Niger and DRC » funded by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGD) 5.1 S’s in this vision of MdM-BE in SDSR.

Whether in Mali and Niger, MdM-BE has identified major protection issues, in connection with SSR Rights, Violence Based on Gender ( VBG ) and transversely psychosocial care. In the Sahelian context, the needs of populations, in particular young girls and adolescent girls, are major and very little covered by state authorities. The strategy proposed by the project is thus linked to the main expertise of the organization: « access to universal health coverage for populations in vulnerable situations ». The Sahel having been under the influence of a radical pressure of Islamism for several years, these delicate subjects of SDSR or VBG cannot be tackled effectively without first and foremost intervening on medical aspects « saving the life » of the populations.This seems to us essential in terms of’acceptance by local populations. Given the many attacks and displacements of populations, the’ aspect mental health seems one of the major unmet needs. The methodology proposed by the project is based on a system of monitoring and psychosocial support (if possible by peers or the community, given that specialized mental health care is poorly accepted and/or difficult to access). Local partnerships are implemented, either new as with ERAD in Mali, or in a continuity as with the local’ONG SongEs in Niger.The methodology proposed by the project is based on a psychosocial monitoring and support system ( if possible by peers or the community, since specialized mental health care is weakly accepted and / or difficult to access ). Local partnerships are implemented, either new as with ERAD in Mali, or in a continuity as with the local NGO SongEs in Niger.The methodology proposed by the project is based on a psychosocial monitoring and support system ( if possible by peers or the community, since specialized mental health care is weakly accepted and / or difficult to access ). Local partnerships are implemented, either new as with ERAD in Mali, or in a continuity as with the local NGO SongEs in Niger.

The part of the project implemented in the DRC’inserting itself in a specific context, dissociated from the rest of the project implemented in Mali and Niger and representing a very small share of the funding, this will not be affected by this final evaluation and therefore not addressed in these terms of reference.

Description of the consultancy

The objective of this final evaluation is to report on the results obtained from the « project Strengthening protection mechanisms linked to access to sexual and reproductive health care, including gender-based violence, for populations in vulnerable situations in Mali, in Niger and the DRC » and will cover all of its results and activities implemented in Mali and Niger only ( for the reasons mentioned above, the DRC is not included in this final external evaluation ).

The evaluation will make it possible to assess, at the end of the project, the relevance, the coherence, the efficiency, the effectiveness, the impact and sustainability of the intervention with a view to accountability and learning from beneficiaries and stakeholders.

This final evaluation will be conducted by a consultant.e/external consultant team who will also identifying the best practices and provide recommendations for similar interventions to strengthen the capacity of communities and the health system to cope with shocks and crises. The results of this evaluation will allow supporting advocacy to the health authorities in order to change the approaches and models of health training, to better adapt the strategy. They will be as many’arguments for a scale-up on other’ health districts at national level in the different countries of intervention.

This evaluation will be’ over the period from December 2023 to February 2024.

It will take place in the following geographical areas :

In Niger: the health districts of Konni, Bagaroua and Tillia in the Tahoua region (27 CSI, 03 DS)

In Mali : The health district of Kita in the Kita region (39 CSCOM, 01 DS)

Methodology

The methodological choice proposed by the/consultant or the’consultant team should be based on the following points :

Read the documentation of the project and the sectoral strategies in each’intervention country : it is’ between reports of’activity, methodological documents, minutes of meetings, monitoring tables of indicators

Understand the theory of change and the results framework and the related indicators : this documentation will be provided to the/consultant or to the selected consulting team’s and a session with the project teams will be held for a good understanding.

Integrate in the methodology the sensitivity to gender and environment

DELIVERABLES

Are expected for the 27 october 2023 :

• Are expected to be in progress with this evaluation ;
• A’Inception /startup report validated by the steering committee.
• A preliminary document presenting the first results, conclusions and recommendations is shared with the steering committee.
• ’assessment report (draft and final) of 20-30 pages including a summary of the report in French.
• Minutes of the restitution meeting shall be drawn up.
• The raw data collected.

The report, which will be produced in French, should contain a summary.

EXPECTED PROFILE

Education

• University degree of 2nd cycle (BAC + 5) in : medicine, statistics, social sciences, public health, management, protection or other related discipline.
• Having a valid certificate in’ technique for evaluating humanitarian/development projects or being a member or affiliated to a recognized association of’ experts in evaluation, is an asset.

Experience

• Experience of’at least 5 years in the work of’evaluation of multisectoral projects in particular in the sectors health (VBG, MHPSS), WASH, nutrition and protection.
• Experience with innovative (qualitative) assessment methods and social survey methods (data collection, input, analysis), semi-structured interviews and group discussions.
• Experience in the countries of intervention’ is appreciated
• Experience in’evaluation of DGD-funded projects is appreciated

Quality and justification of the methodology

• Clear and adapted technical proposal based on a good understanding of’assessment issues.
• General description and relevance of the methodology.
• Presentation of the tools proposed at each stage of the’assessment process.
• Work schedule consistent with the methodology and expected deadlines.

Other assets

• Have an excellent command of French
• Knowledge of some local languages is appreciated.
• Experience working within or with an international NGO