Project Overview
The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), together with its strategic partner, is seeking an external evaluation consultant. The consultant will provide evaluation services in support of a project focusing on holistic safety and resilience for at-risk civil society organizations (CSOs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The goal of this project is to enhance the capacity of twenty CSOs to respond effectively and adaptively to dynamic changes in their operational environments, including through supporting digital best practices, psychosocial well-being, and physical safety. We will work to scale and sustain such capacity development through ongoing training, mentoring, and the development of a regional community of practice.
Key activities of this project include:
- identification, adaptation and development of capacity development materials relevant to participating CSOs’ work and challenges;
- assessments of participating CSOs’ strengths and areas for development, and the creation of partner specific capacity development plans;
- management of small subgrants to participating CSOs;
- capacity development of local holistic safety champions;
- co-delivery of capacity development interventions and ongoing mentorship alongside local holistic safety champions;
- support for a regional network of holistic safety champions; and,
- support for a community of practice for CSOs operating in the region.
Key impacts of this project are anticipated to be:
- Improved organizational capacity to effectively leverage holistic safety best practices in order to plan, recover, innovate, and prosper in the face of sustained and dynamic adversity; and
- Improved effectiveness of CSOs in MENA to combat oppression and promote human rights.
Evaluation Objectives
The evaluator will be tasked with an overall program evaluation that includes formative, summative and developmental components.
With respect to formative evaluation, the evaluator will work closely with the project team (including internal evaluation staff) to reflect on and refine the project with respect to the following questions.
- To what extent has implementation of the program activities demonstrated the following:
- Participation and inclusion of marginalized populations;
- Tailored/context-based support;
- Responsiveness to CSO and project participant needs;
- Accumulation and promotion of local knowledge and resources;
- A trauma-informed approach; and,
- Practical, accessible, locally relevant integration of the safety domains.
- To what extent are lessons learned from early evaluation findings and ongoing participant feedback translated meaningfully into improvements in project tools and approaches?
With respect to summative evaluation, the evaluator will provide mid-term and end-of-project findings relating to the following questions:
- To what extent has the resilience of participating CSOs been impacted by this project?
- To what extent has the resource environment for CSOs in the region been impacted by this project?
- To what extent are CSOs in the region able to maintain any gains in resilience beyond project completion?
With respect to developmental evaluation, the evaluator will provide mid-term and end-of-project findings relating to the following questions:
- What were the main factors influencing the outcomes of this project, either positively or negatively?
- What changes in the project theory of change, methodologies, approaches, and/or resources would enhance future programming outcomes in similar initiatives?
Components of Evaluation Proposal:
Below are the elements that we expect to see in an application. The proposal should be no more than ten pages.
- Evaluator qualifications: The evaluator should describe why they believe they are well-qualified for this project. This section should include any relevant experience or education with evaluation of individual and organizational capacity development, and experience of work with human rights focused CSOs in the MENA region. The proposal should also include a description of any language or other skills the evaluator believes are relevant to the work.
- Evaluation design: The evaluator should include in their proposal an evaluation design addressing the evaluation questions outlined above. The evaluation plan should specify evaluation approach; ethical considerations; sampling and data collection methodologies; data sources; analytic approach; and evaluation outcomes and dissemination strategy. The evaluation design should be created by the evaluator, but upon consultant selection will be refined in an iterative process with the project team. The evaluation plan will be approved by CVTs research director prior to implementation.
- Evaluation risk analysis and mitigation strategy: We anticipate the many project participants will be in vulnerable situations doing sensitive work. Their participation in a project of this kind as well as the evaluation thereof can alter their risk profile. The evaluator should include in their proposal a plan for protecting evaluation stakeholders from evaluation-related risk during and following the course of the evaluation.
- Strategy for collaboration with internal project staff: The consultant should outline their proposed plan for incorporating CVT and strategic partner staff (including project team members, as well as internal M&E staff) into their evaluation design and activities.**
- Evaluation workplan: The evaluator should include in their proposal an evaluation workplan which will include a timeline of activities and expected deliverables at key milestones, roles and responsibilities for all participants including the external evaluator, internal evaluation staff, program managers, technical advisors, program participants and other stakeholders, and a detailed budget. The evaluation workplan should be created by the evaluator, but upon consultant selection, will be refined in an iterative process with the CVT team. The evaluation workplan will be approved by CVT’s project manager prior to implementation. The external evaluator will be expected to submit a brief quarterly report to the project manager detailing progress against the workplan. Anticipated activities within the workplan include:**
- Document review of project plans, reports, internal monitoring evaluation data and related information;
- Refinement of evaluation design and workplan in consultation with project staff;
- Development of data collection instruments and protocols as required by the evaluation design and plan;
- Primary data collection as required by the evaluation design;
- Data analysis as required by the evaluation design;
- Regular engagement with the project team with respect to formative evaluation questions; and,
- Mid-term and end-of-project reporting and dissemination plan with respect to summative and developmental questions.
- Line-item budget, including total proposed budget amount: The evaluator should submit a line-item budget with their proposal. We are looking for proposed budgets between $ 10,000 and $ 20,000 USD. The budget may include the following key items, in addition to the evaluator’s compensation:**
- Communications expenses;
- Travel expenses;
- Transcription services; and,
- Translation and/or interpretation services.
- The budget may not include equiment that will outlast the life of the evaluation, such as a computer, analysis software, or transcription aids.
- Evaluator(s) CV(s): Any evaluators who will be working on the project should submit their CV as an Appendix to the proposal. The CVs are not included in the ten-page limit.**
Expected Outputs and Timelines:
- A finalized evaluation design and workplan submitted to CVT’s Director of Evaluation and Research and the Project Manager by 1 month into consultancy period
- Written report of summative and developmental evaluation findings supported by a facilitated dialogue with the project team will be provided to CVT at mid-term (6 months) and at the end of the evaluation period (1 year).
- Quarterly progress reports will be submitted by the consultant to the project manager on a quarterly basis. Reports are due by the final day of each quarter.
Evaluation of Proposals:
The evaluation panel will consist of a Bid Committee convened by the Project Manager. The Committee will evaluate proposals to determine the best value for money outcome in compliance with 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for US Government Federal Awards). The Bid Committee will also ensure compliance with Executive Orders 12432 (Minority Business Enterprise Development) and 13224 (Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism).
Bids will be assessed using the following criteria:
- Methodological rigor and feasibility of the proposed evaluation design (50%);
- Ethical rigor and risk mitigation analysis and planning (20%);
- Experience and education of bidder (30%). Successful bidders will have a:
- Post-graduate social science qualification that includes strong training in evaluation theory and methodology;
- A demonstrable track record of evaluation or research that involves civil society actors and/or human rights defenders;
- A demonstrable track record of evaluation work in the MENA region.
Conflict of Interest:
Bidders must identify in their Declaration by Bidder: Any actual or potential conflict of interest; and the procedures they intend to implement for dealing with, any actual or potential conflicts of interest which may arise in connection with the submission of their Proposal or the conduct of the above services.
References:
As part of the evaluation of proposal process, the Bid Committee may request from the bidder information on past projects/experience claimed in the bidder’s proposal, including contact details for referees.
Statement of Requirements:
- Bids submitted must be in USD
- Bidders must be fluent in verbal and written English and Arabic; French is also a plus
- Bids must be submitted in English
Submission of Bids:
RFP responses must be sent to Anas Talalqa, ATalalqa@CVT.ORG by February 19, 2022. Any questions about the RFP can be sent to the same. Proposals should be no more than 10 pages. Evaluator CVs should be included as an Appendix (in addition to the 10 pages). As outlined above. CVT will acknowledge receipt of all proposals within two business days, and communicate with all bidders about the status of their proposal (if they are selected or not selected) within a month of the submission deadline.
Overview of the Organization:
The mission of the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is to heal the wounds of torture on individuals, their families and their communities and to end torture worldwide. CVT aims to fulfill this mission through three forms of action: direct clinical services to refugees and survivors of war and torture, technical assistance and capacity development for civil society and human rights organizations, and advocacy to end torture. CVT has a substantial Evaluation and Research Department that provides internal monitoring and evaluation support to all projects, and recognizes the value of external evaluation for ongoing program development and ensuring accountability to beneficiary communities, donors and other stakeholders.
How to apply:
RFP responses must be sent to Anas Talalqa, ATalalqa@CVT.ORG by February 19, 2022. Any questions about the RFP can be sent to the same.
Proposals should be no more than 10 pages.
Evaluator CV should be included as an Appendix (in addition to the 10 pages).
As outlined above. CVT will acknowledge receipt of all proposals within two business days, and communicate with all bidders about the status of their proposal (if they are selected or not selected) within a month of the submission deadline.