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Please find complete bidding documents in the following link: RFP-RO01-002351 - Consultancy on End of project evaluation
Terms of Reference (TOR)
End of project evaluation – CRRF DIRECT – – ‘Displacement responses through regional cooperation and technical exchange’
Who is the Danish Refugee Council
Founded in 1956, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading international NGO and one of the few with a specific expertise in forced displacement. Active in 40 countries with 9,000 employees and supported by 7,500 volunteers, DRC protects, advocates, and builds sustainable futures for refugees and other displacement affected people and communities. DRC works during displacement at all stages: In the acute crisis, in displacement, when settling and integrating in a new place, or upon return. DRC provides protection and life-saving humanitarian assistance; supports displaced persons in becoming self-reliant and included into hosting societies; and works with civil society and responsible authorities to promote protection of rights and peaceful coexistence.
About ReDSS GL
The Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat for the Great Lakes region (ReDSS-GL) is a coalition of 10 NGOs – ACTED, CARE International, Concern Worldwide, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Oxfam, Save the Children and World vision – committed to do more and better in the search for durable solutions. It is not an implementation agency but a coordination and information hub, based in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The ReDSS GL’s goal is to improve durable solutions programming and policies that increase the potential for displacement affected communities to integrate sustainably and to live safe, dignified and productive lives in the Great Lakes region. The ReDSS GL core pillars and objectives are:
- Research, analysis and knowledge management: to increase the availability, accessibility and utilization of relevant and timely analysis on durable solutions;
- Program support and capacity development: to provide high quality support on program development and design; collective monitoring; and learning that adds value to collective programming on durable solutions by ReDSS GL members and partners;
- Policy dialogue: to facilitate and undertake constructive and influential policy dialogue with key national and regional policy actors and processes in the Great Lakes region;
- Coordination: to act as an inclusive, collaborative, coordinated hub for quality information, analysis and learning on durable solutions.
The ReDSS GL has been funded by the European Union Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), since its inception in May 2020 until 30 September 2023, through the project CRRF DIRECT – ‘Displacement responses through regional cooperation and technical exchange’
Purpose of the consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy/evaluation is to to (i) assess the extent to which the ReDSS GL has delivered on the expected outputs of the CRRF DIRECT- ‘Displacement responses through regional cooperation and technical exchange’ project; (ii) highlight the main lessons learned and (iii) propose concrete ways to improve implementation in the next phase of the action, to be financed under NDICI-Global Europe for a period of 4 years and a budget of EUR 2M.
Background
The overall objective of the CRRF-DIRECT – ‘Displacement responses through regional cooperation and technical exchange’ is to improve durable solutions programming and displacement policies, to support better inclusion and sustainable reintegration of displacement affected communities in the Great Lakes region.
The project, funded under the EU Trust Fund for Africa, started in May 2020 and will finish in September 2023. It was initially foreseen to be a 24 months project but two no-cost extensions led to the overall implementation period to reach 41 months. The project is currently being implemented by the ReDSS GL.
The specific objective (expected outcome) of the project is: Displacement-related policies are more inclusive, effective and sustainable through regional learning on development responses to forced displacement.
The expected results (outputs) of the project are:
- Invest in the production and use of evidence to inform better displacement and durable solutions policies in the Great Lakes region (research and knowledge management)
- Ensure that institutions such as the ICGLR and member states have the knowledge, understanding and capacity to monitor and address displacement and durable solutions issues (capacity development);
- Strengthen regional policy dialogue on displacement and durable solutions (policy dialogue)
The target groups and final beneficiaries of the action include:
- The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Secretariat;
- National and local administrative and technical authorities across the five target countries of the project - Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda – and, when relevant, from the other member states of the ICGLR (Angola, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan and Zambia);
- Regional and national practitioners and policymakers (UN system, NGOs, donors, multi-lateral institutions, academia and private sector);
- Local organizations (such as women organizations, philanthropic groups, community groups, etc.)
Objective of the consultancy
The overall objective of the evaluation is to assess the level to which expected results of the project (intended and unintended) have been achieved over the 41 months implementation period. More specifically:
- The evaluation will assess performance of the project against set objectives and result targets as defined in the project logical framework;
- The evaluation will also seek to document any lessons learned and changes within and outside the project that impacted project delivery, impact and sustainability of benefits to targeted beneficiaries;
- Finally, the evaluation will propose recommendations to improve delivery in the next phase of the project.
Intended users of the evaluation findings include DG INTPA of the European Commission, the EU delegation in Burundi and the ReDSS. The findings will inform, inter alia:
- The development of the new action ‘Advancement of comprehensive durable solutions for refugees in the Great Lakes region through increased dialogue and peer-learning exchanges’, the second phase of the current action, pursuing similar objectives, funded under NDICI-Global Europe and managed by the EU delegation in Burundi.
- Broader ReDSS programming in the field of durable solutions for communities affected by displacement.
The consultant will be required to achieve the three objectives highlighted above through the methodology highlighted in the next section.
Scope of work and Methodology
The Consultant will be required to prepare a detailed methodology and work plan indicating how
the objectives of the evaluation will be achieved, and the support required from DRC.
The evaluation will cover 41 months of implementation funded by the EU Trust Fund for Africa, from 01/05/2020 to 30/09/2023.
While the project was initially intended to implement activities in the five countries of the Great Lakes region (Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Uganda), the reality of implementation let to most activities being implemented in Burundi. This is due to several reasons, including the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, which has severely restrained freedom of movement, and the high turnover at the head of the project. Therefore, the evaluation will mainly focus on the implementation of activities in Burundi. The evaluation will assess the extent to which activities implemented in Burundi, both regional and national in naturel, have contributed to the achievement of expected results.
The evaluation will use the OECD DAC evaluation criteria and answer the following questions:
Relevance/Appropriateness
- To what extent was the overall intervention instrumental in advancing the durable solutions agenda in the Great Lakes region?
- To what extent has the organization of peer-learning events contributed to advance the durable solutions agenda in the Great Lakes region?
- To what extent have the research products contributed to shed lights on potential policy improvements in the search and implementation of durable solutions for communities affected by displacement in countries of the Great Lakes region and at regional level?
- To what extent have capacity-building activities contributed to improving access to durable solutions for communities affected by displacement?
Effectiveness and efficiency
- To what extent has the evidence generated by the research reports been used to inform better displacement and durable solutions policies in the Great Lakes region?
- To what extent have capacity building activities contributed to increasing the knowledge of the different concepts pertaining to durable solutions for the different stakeholders involved in advancing them in the Great Lakes region?
- To what extent has the organization of peer-learning events contributed to increased collaboration/cooperation and strengthened dialogue between countries of the ICGLR in the field of durable solutions?
Impact
- To what extent have the activities implemented within the framework of the project contributed to improving durable solutions programming and displacement policies in the Great Lakes region?
- To what extent have these activities helped support better inclusion and sustainable integration of displacement affected communities in the Great Lakes region?
Coherence
- To what extent has the action of the ReDSS GL been compatible with other interventions in the countries covered by the project (whether by ReDSS members or other stakeholders)?
Sustainability
- To what extent have the capacity-building activities brought about knowledge and skills on durable solutions that are likely to be used after the end of the project implementation?
- To what extent have the peer-learning events contributed to establish platforms of coordination and cooperation between ICGLR member states that are likely to last after the end of the project implementation?
Deliverables
The Consultant will submit the following deliverables as mentioned below:
- An inception report;
- An intermediary report
- The evaluation datasets
- A document summarizing the key findings in view of the workshop with key stakeholders
- A final report
Duration, timeline, and payment
The total expected duration to complete the assignment will be no more than 31 working days upon signature of the contract.
The consultant shall be prepared to complete the assignment no later than 23 September 2023.
DRC will make an initial payment of between 30 to 50% of the total costs upon signing of the contract and the remaining amount upon completion of the work, including any agreed reimbursables.
Proposed Composition of Team
- Project Manager
- Assistance Project Manager
- Business Analysist
- Quality control
- Etc.
Eligibility, qualification, and experience required
Essential:
- Extensive expertise in evaluations of complex programs in humanitarian contexts and minimum of four years of experience in conducting evaluation studies for capacity-building and research programs in the development/humanitarian field.
- Proven experience in conducting evaluation studies with international humanitarian organizations in Eastern Africa and the Great Lakes region;
- Advanced degree in social sciences or another relevant academic discipline with extensive experience in evaluating projects in these fields;
- Proven experience of using participatory methods for data collection and analysis
- Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and French.
- Excellent skills and ability to articulate ideas in a clear and accurate manner including the ability to prepare reports. Good data and visualization skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills, analytical skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships;
- The consultancy firm/individual consultant(s) is registered under the law of the country.
Technical supervision
The selected consultant will work under the supervision of:
- The ReDSS GL manager: Thibault Van Damme
- The ReDSS program support officer: Hannah Muiruri
Location and support
The consultant will work remotely and is expected to travel to Bujumbura, Burundi, where most of the project activities have been implemented, and potentially to Nairobi for key stakeholder interviews.
The Consultant will provide her/his own computer, mobile telephone and any other applicable equipment.
Travel
The consultant(s) will be expected to travel to Bujumbura, Burundi, to meet with all the relevant stakeholders of the project.
The travel will be approved and facilitated by DRC according to the DRC laid down procedures. Travel and accommodation costs will appear in the financial proposal of the consultants.
Submission process
Interested Firms/Individuals that meet requirements should send their proposal and other required documents to the email address tender.ro01@drc.ngo no later than on Monday 1st of August 2023, before 5 PM EAT.
Evaluation of bids
Administration Evaluation
A bid shall pass the administrative evaluation stage before being considered for technical and financial evaluation. Bids that are deemed administratively non-compliant may be rejected. Documents listed below shall be submitted with your bid.
Technical qualification
For the award of this project, the evaluation criteria below will govern the selection of offers received. The evaluation is made on a technical and financial basis.
Bid by the consultant(s) should include the following information:
- Methodology outline
- Detailed workplan
- Language
- Budget
- Skills of the evaluator(s)
- Two to three samples of evaluation reports from previous evaluations relevant to this study
The financial offer will then be weighed against the technical offer. The total cost of the financial offer including tax should be mentioned in the DRC Bid Form annex A.2, whith the budget breakdown.
Note: DRC is a VAT Withholding agent appointed by KRA
Financial Evaluation
The financial proposal should be in USD with a breakdown of budget covering consultancy fees and all related expenses to implement the activities of the consultancy, including travel and transportation, accommodation, incidentals and all logistical requirements. The quoted price will be subjected to 20% withholding tax for non-residents and 5% withholding tax for Kenya residents, consider this in your quote.
All bids that pass the Technical Evaluation will proceed to the Financial Evaluation. Bids that are deemed technically non-compliant will not be financially evaluated
Proposals failing to meet the above minimum requirements will not be considered further.
DRC will conduct reference checks from at least 1 previous work as an additional mandatory requirement.
Data protection and confidentiality
While executing this assignment, the consultant and all the parties involved shall ensure effective protection of confidential and sensitive data and information in conformity with the humanitarian and protection principles and to applicable legal data protection standards[1]. All data collection and processing activities shall be executed in accordance with the following principles:
- Safeguarding individuals’ personal data is a crucial part of humanitarian mission to protect the lives, integrity and dignity of beneficiaries and participants and is fundamental in the provision of protection response and humanitarian aid.
- People-centred and inclusive: Evaluation activities will respect the interests and well-being of the population and stakeholders, in all relevant phases of the evaluation and which activities must be sensitive to age, gender, and other issues of diversity.
- Do No Harm: Evaluation activities must include a risk assessment and take steps, if necessary, to mitigate identified risks. The risk assessment must look at negative consequences that may result from data collection and subsequent actions.
- Defined purpose and proportionality: The purpose must be clearly defined and explained to the participants in the data collection process.
- Informed consent and confidentiality: Personal information may be collected only after informed consent has been provided by the individual in question and that individual must be aware of the purpose of the collection. Further, confidentiality must be clearly explained to the individual before the information may be collected. Consent must be genuine, based on the data subject’s voluntary and informed decision.
- Data protection and security: The evaluation process must adhere to international standards of data protection and data security.
- Competency and capacity: Actors engaging in this evaluation are accountable for ensuring that evaluation activities are carried out by a competent team who have been trained appropriately.
- Impartiality: All steps of the evaluation cycle must be undertaken in an objective, impartial, and transparent manner while identifying and minimizing bias.
Additional information
For additional information regarding these terms of reference, please send your questions to procurement.ro01@drc.ngo
[1]ICRC Handbook for Data Protection in Humanitarian Action, UNHCR’s Policy on the Protection of Personal Data of Persons of Concern, DRC’s Operational Handbook regarding data security and management of hardware, Protection Information Management Principles and the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Please find complete bidding documents in the following link: RFP-RO01-002351 - Consultancy on End of project evaluation
How to apply
Bids can be submitted by email to the following dedicated, controlled, & secure email address: tender.ro01@drc.ngo
When Bids are emailed, the following conditions shall be complied with:
The RFP number shall be inserted in the Subject Heading of the email
Separate emails shall be used for the ‘Financial Bid’ and ‘Technical Bid’, and the Subject Heading of the email shall indicate which type the email contains- The financial bid shall only contain the financial bid form, Annex A.2
- The technical bid shall contain all other documents required by the tender, but excluding all pricing information
- Bid documents required, shall be included as an attachment to the email in PDF, JPEG, TIF format, or the same type of files provided as a ZIP file. Documents in MS Word or excel formats, will result in the bid being disqualified.
- Email attachments shall not exceed 4MB; otherwise, the bidder shall send his bid in multiple emails.
Failure to comply with the above may disqualify the Bid.
DRC is not responsible for the failure of the Internet, network, server, or any other hardware, or software, used by either the Bidder or DRC in the processing of emails.
Bids will be submitted electronically. DRC is not responsible for the non-receipt of Bids submitted by email as part of the e-Tendering process.
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