Organisation Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V.
www.hoffnungszeichen.de, www.sign-of-hope.org
Position Mid-term Evaluation Consultant
Type of Contract Short-term consultancy
Location Home-based with field mission travel to Rumbek, Lakes State, South Sudan
Relevant Languages English
Application Deadline 7th June 2024
Starting Date 18th June 2024
Project Title Education for Poverty Reduction: Capacity Development and Vocational Training towards Sustainable Employment in Lakes State, South Sudan
Total Project Budget Euro 1,489,868.89
Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. (SoH) is announcing an open tender procedure for consultancy services for a mid-term evaluation in South Sudan.
Background and Rationale
Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. (SoH) is a Christian motivated organization for Human Rights, Humanitarian Assistance and Development Cooperation. From its base in Constance, Germany, SoH is committed to helping those in distress and exploited people worldwide.
This mid-term evaluation is commissioned under the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) budget for development projects run by private organisations.
SoH is the private German executing agency and the contracting party, with the Catholic order Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), known in South Sudan as the Loreto Sistersbeing the local implementing partner.
IBVM works to secure the freedom and dignity of people, active cooperation and partnership on an equal footing, recognizing the participation of women and reforming the church. IBVM’s long-term goal is to establish a basic standard of education. IBVM’s main focus is in Lakes State, with a focus on Rumbek Centre. IBVM has a strong presence in Rumbek and is a member of the Diocese of Rumbek (DoR) and the Religious Fraternity. The organization is implementing the project, “Education for Poverty Reduction: Capacity Development and Vocational Training towards Sustainable Employment in Lakes State, South Sudan” whose overall objective is improving the educational level and employability of young adults, especially women and girls, in Lakes State, South Sudan and contributes to long-term socio-economic development (SDGs 4, 8, 10)”. The project will specifically ensure that 400 teachers and 430 young adults have increased capacities in the fields (English, pedagogy, IT, vocational preparation and community development), apply them effectively in their fields of employment (teaching, community development, individual professional development) and their social environment (women’s engagement, peacebuilding, etc.) and thus contribute to the socio-economic development of the region. Some of the core activities involved in the project include construction and commissioning of a regional education centre (REC), training of teachers and young adults and strengthening capacities of relevant development actors.
Purpose, Objectives and Use
The purpose of the evaluation is to provide SoH and IBVM with a comprehensive assessment of the project, conducted systematically and impartially, as well as analyze the progress towards the achievement of the project’s results and identify risks to the implementation and results of the project, propose actions to ensure sustainability of the results, identify lessons learned and information for potential future projects. The study will provide concrete, credible and practical recommendations that will assist with the timely incorporation of the findings into the decision-making process and contribute to the organizational learning of both implementing organization and SoH .
The study will support the project quality assurance measures implemented by SoH and meet the donor requirements towards the development projects implemented by German private organisations.
The evaluation will address evaluation questions based on the standard OECD/DAC evaluation criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact (please see https://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/revised-evaluation-criteria-dec-2019.pdf). The objectives of the evaluations are to:
- Assess the extent to which the project has sustainably achieved its objectives and results, including the extent to which the lives of the project beneficiaries have been improved,
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses in terms of planning, management, implementation and monitoring of the project,
- Evaluate sustainability measures,
- Identify cross-cutting issues addressed through the project, including gender equality, human rights, marginalized groups, inclusion, and other issues,
f) Document lessons learned that could contribute to the improvement of the design of future projects.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Evaluation Consultant will work in close cooperation with the responsible SoH Officer and the local implementing partner.
The duties and responsibilities of the Evaluation Consultant will include:
- Develop a work plan outlining the proposed research methodology, geographical coverage and schedule to conduct the study,
- Conduct a desk review of relevant documents,
- Carry out a project site visit to a project location to conduct research, collect data and establish contact with the local implementing partner, project beneficiaries and relevant project stakeholders,
- Review and evaluate available data and existing sources of information, including the project proposal, annual reports, conducted studies and other documents,
- Examine institutional, technical, staffing and financial capacities of the implementing partner as well as its relationship with the target group and other relevant stakeholders.
Expected Deliverables
The study will produce the following deliverables:
- an inception report, including the proposed research methodology and data collection tools, a table of content and timeline of research activities prior to the site visit to the project location,
- a comprehensive report of a maximum of 30 pages with practical recommendations and relevant annexes (including raw data and documented records).
A template will be provided to serve as a guide and may be used to structure the final report.
Study Quality and Ethical Standards
The study team will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the study is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of the people and communities involved. Furthermore, the study should be aligned to the following standards and applicable practices:
- Utility: the study must be useful and used.
- Feasibility: the study must be realistic, diplomatic and managed in a sensible, cost-effective manner.
- Ethics and Legality: the study must be conducted in an ethical and legal manner, with particular regard for the welfare of those involved in and affected by the Study.
- Impartiality and Independence: the study should be impartial, providing a comprehensive and unbiased assessment that considers the views of all stakeholders.
- Transparency: the study activities should reflect an attitude of openness and transparency.
- Accuracy: the study should be technically accurate and credible, providing sufficient information about the data collection, analysis, and interpretation methods so that its worth or merit can be determined.
- Participation: The Stakeholders should be consulted and meaningfully involved in the study process when feasible and appropriate.
- Collaboration: Collaboration between key operating partners in the study process improves the legitimacy and utility of the study.
The study must be in line with the SoH guiding principles and Code of Conduct.
Process/Timeframe
The total duration of the assignment is up to 25 working days within the period from 18th June 2024 to 23rd July 2024.
Planning meeting with IBVM, handover of relevant documents 1 day
Initial document review and inception report preparation 4 days
Sharing inception report with SoH and IBVM 1 day
Finalization of inception report 1 day
Data collection site visit to a project location 5-10 days
Data analysis, draft report with annexes 5-10 days
Incorporating received feedback and report finalization 3-5 days
Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
- Minimum of 5 years of project evaluation and/or implementation experience in the result-based management framework
- Proven experience of conducting feasibility studies, evaluations and other research projects
- Technical and methodological knowledge to conduct research projects and formulate conclusions based on a solid methodology, assessing projects for relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of projects
- Experience working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and partnered projects
- Fluency in written and spoken English
Desirable:
- Experience in the relevant field/sector
- Professional familiarity with the project country/region
- Practical experience of working for and/or evaluating BMZ-funded projects
Academic Background
An advanced level university degree (Masters’ degree or equivalent) in social sciences, public administration, international development studies, law and/or Education. A first-level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted.
The Evaluation Consultant is to be independent and impartial with no liabilities to any other organisation or government entity regarding this evaluation.
How to apply
Application Process
Please submit the following documents as PDF files with the subject line “Evaluation in Rumbek (ER-SSD23.02), Lake State, South Sudan” to recruitment@sign-of-hope.org no later than 7th June 2024.
- A resumé indicating all relevant experience (max. 2 pages),
- contacts of at least two professional referees,
- a cover letter, including a brief description of the proposed research methodology (technical proposal max. 1 page) and a comprehensive breakdown of costs (financial proposal), including professional fees and all other relevant costs, including travel expenses,
- a writing sample of the document of similar research value (e.g. a feasibility study, an evaluation report).
Companies as well as independent consultants are invited for this tender. Female and differently abled candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Please note that due to a large number of applications we may limit establishing contact to shortlisted applicants.
Bids received after deadline will not be considered. If offers are incomplete, bidders may be able to hand in missing documents within a deadline upon request by SoH.
The selection of the consultant will be conducted jointly by IBVM and SoH. Interviews with shortlisted candidates will be held online in the week of 10th to 14th June 2024
The consultancy agreement will be set up by SoH and IBVM. Consultancy agreements set up by consultants won’t be accepted.
Criteria and weighting for the evaluation of the submitted proposals:
- Essential and desirable competencies, proposed methodology: 30 %
- Financial proposal (fee): 30 %
- Performance during interview: 20 %
- Writing samples: 10 %
- Minimum amount of years of relevant experience: 5 %
- Language skills: 5 %
Annexes
- Project Impact Matrix https://hzsoh.de:8023/index.php/s/L6ELpCwr5LL7TMs
- Evaluation Reporting Structure https://hzsoh.de:8023/index.php/s/z9xPnsjTxYLDGN9
