Short-Term Evaluator

ABOUT INTERNEWS AND THE PROJECT

Internews is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to empower local communicators, media, and civil society worldwide to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect and the means to make their voices heard. For more information about the organization please visit: www.internews.org.

Community Voices for Better Protection (CVBP) is a 1.5 year (May 2022 – November 2023) project funded by the USAID – Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and managed by Internews. The purpose of CVBP is to better understand protection risks and needs within online and offline information systems, particularly of the most vulnerable and to produce, disseminate, and promote human-centered resources available to the humanitarian community on community-driven, responsible and inclusive data gathering and management that leverages local media. To achieve this, Internews adapted and deployed tools based on project work in three pilot countries (Iraq, Mali and Philippines) to map and understand how information ecosystems engage with protection related risks, concerns, and interventions.

According to the project Theory of Change; If there is greater understanding of protection risks and needs within online and offline information systems, particularly of the most vulnerable, and if there are human-centered resources available that allow for a greater, more agile, and evolving understanding of the protection-focused information ecosystems, and if there is greater coordination and commitment to sharing more accurate and transparent information on an ongoing basis between and among affected communities and stakeholders, then community-led information sharing platforms and feedback loops will be strengthened, and there will be more adaptive and responsive programming and there will be greater trust between communities and protection actors, and lastly there will be improved community resilience.

The project has been supported by the Internews Humanitarian Global Team as well as a specifically recruited Protection Specialist. Small, local research teams, including Lead Researchers and Community Researchers were recruited in each pilot country. An Advisory Group consisting of 18 members have guided the project, formed of representatives from key protection / humanitarian agencies and Global Protection cluster members.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Implementation of the CVBP project will be largely completed by November 14, 2023. As the project’s funder, USAID-BHA requires an independent, external End Term Evaluation to be carried out to support learning and the ongoing sustainability of the project’s achievements. A final report of the evaluation will be due for submission to USAID-BHA by January 2024. Accordingly, Internews is now seeking an independent consultant to conduct this evaluation.

Purpose of the evaluation

The primary objective of this evaluation is to generate a clear evidence base that intermediate results have been achieved, and – as per the Theory of Change – those results generate greater understanding of protection risks and needs within online and offline information systems, particularly of the most vulnerable, and that human-centered resources now available as a result of the project allow for a greater, more agile, and evolving understanding of protection-focused information ecosystems.

The secondary objective of this evaluation is to generate a clear set of documented lessons concerning the effectiveness of the different project strategies and the level of coherence and efficiency in the project’s coordination.

It is proposed that the End Term Evaluation will largely focus on evaluating the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and the sustainability of its achievements and results.

We will work with the chosen consultant to review and refine the evaluation questions, and the scope of questions will be agreed between the consultant and Internews, with input from USAID-BHA.

LOGISTICS

This is a remote position for candidates based globally. You must have work authorization in your location that does not require sponsorship from Internews. Additionally, there are locations in which Internews is not able to support fully remote work.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply soon.

This is a short-term, limited-duration position that is expected to take 10-15 days of work to complete. The anticipated budget for this role is US $10,000.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The following data collection and analysis methods have been suggested. However, the methods chosen will be developed by the selected consultant following discussions and agreement with Internews during the evaluation inception phase.

• Desk review of programme documentation and reporting data: A desk-based review of literature relevant to the CVBP project. This will include a review of annual and semi-annual donor reports, monitoring data, Protection Analyses from pilot countries, training reports from pilot trainings, the tools reviewed and developed in the project and the guidelines / toolkit developed in this project.
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): to be carried out virtually. Including with relevant Internews staff, selected Advisory Group Members, pilot country research team staff (including Lead Researchers and Community Researchers) and where possible, community members and media participating in in-country data collection as part of the project.
• Outcome harvesting and case study development: Outcome Harvesting (or another methodology such as contribution tracing) will be used to identify the project’s outcomes – specifically in relation to training of local research teams, map the contribution made toward these outcomes by the project, and to develop a small number of case studies that present the relevant journeys of change.

When designing the evaluation’s data collection tools and analyzing and interpreting the data collected during the evaluation, the selected consultant/s will be encouraged to reflect on the BOND principles for assessing the quality of evidence. From this perspective, good quality evidence means:

• Appropriateness: the evidence is generated through methods that are justifiable given the nature of the purpose of the enquiry
• Triangulation: the evidence has been generated using a mix of methods, data sources, and perspectives
• Contribution: the evidence explores how change happens, the contribution of the intervention and factors outside the intervention in explaining change
• Transparency: the evidence discloses the details of the data sources and methods used, the results achieved, and any limitations in the data or conclusions.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES UNDER CONTRACT

• Inception Report (5-10 pages): This should include an outline of the approach and methodology for the evaluation, evaluation questions, evaluation workplan, data collection tools (quantitative and qualitative) actor by actor, sampling consideration, data collection plan and outline of report structure.
• Power point Presentation: Presentation of the evaluation findings. This will be presented to CVBP staff and implementation partners for validation of the findings.
• Final Report (15-25 pages) final report (excluding annexes written in simple English. The report should contain a concise Executive Summary of core findings and recommendations, the latter being specific and action-oriented, and tailored to all relevant stakeholders. Reports should also include a methodology section, making explicit any limits to the evaluation. Where appropriate, reports will include illustrative graphics and charts summarizing project data. Annexes should include the terms of reference, workplan, a list of people and organizations interviewed; a list of documentation and materials reviewed; and data collection instruments used
• Raw Data: Raw data collected during the evaluation.

The above deliverables will be accompanied by a regular progress check-in with the Internews Humanitarian Programme Manager. The frequency of this communication will be determined collaboratively shortly after recruitment.

The contract agreement between Internews and the evaluator will be based on the above deliverables.

QUALIFICATIONS WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Required

• Substantial experience in conducting impact evaluations of humanitarian and protection programmes.
• Experience in undertaking assessment using quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including methodologies such as outcome harvesting, contribution tracing, or similar.
• Experience working in an international development context.
• Demonstrated commitment to safeguarding in evaluation and research contexts.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Capacity / access to translate data from Arabic and French
• Ability and commitment to deliver the expected results within the agreed period.

Preferred

Note: Candidates who do not have these preferred qualifications, but who are interested and willing to learn, are encouraged to apply.

• Good understanding of media and communication contexts
• Knowledge of USAID-BHA evaluation priorities and expectations

TO APPLY

Please submit the following for consideration:

• A maximum one-page cover letter outlining your interest in this consultancy and your qualifications against the essential and desirable criteria, combined with a maximum two-page proposed methodology and approach for the consultancy.
• A quote for services / daily rate with a proposed timeline in USD (the available evaluation budget is $10,000)
• CV/ Resume
• Two examples of reports of previous impact evaluations for comparable programmes (or links to report available online)
• The names and contact details of two references.

OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF BELONGING

We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven individuals who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people. Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are an EEO employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.