BHA Evaluation of the CALP Network: Creating Impact Through Collective Action

Background

The CALP Network is a dynamic global network of organisations engaged in the critical areas of policy, practice and research in humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and financial assistance more broadly. Collectively, CALP members deliver the vast majority of humanitarian CVA worldwide.

What makes the CALP Network unique is its diversity. CALP members currently include local and international non-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, donors, specialist social innovation, technology and financial services companies, researchers and academics, and individual practitioners.

Together we seek to better meet the needs and improve the outcomes for people affected by crisis. To do this we ensure that CVA is a central, scalable component of quality, timely and appropriate humanitarian assistance, and that the need to sustain positive outcomes for people over the longer term is considered.

CALP has been funded by USAID since 2015. Current funding supports CALP’s work globally with a regional focus in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and West and Central Africa.

Overall Objective

CALP is planning an evaluation focused on ‘levers of change’ and the effectiveness of its work in contributing towards systems change.

We believe we have made significant contributions to improving the quality and scale of CVA, but we know much more needs to be done. Cash is usually the preferred modality of humanitarian assistance for people affected by crises. Although it now represents 21% of international humanitarian assistance (IHA), it has the potential to be up to 50% – yet recent research has found that the growth in the use of CVA is plateauing.

An evaluation will enable us to assess progress, as well as explore opportunities and challenges to enable improvements in CVA effectiveness in a constantly changing operating environment. The evaluation will appraise levers of change and interrogate how CALP can use those levers to better effect going forward. The evaluation findings will inform CALP’s work overall, including the refresh of its current strategy.

The evaluation

The primary research questions are:

• What are the most effective levers of change within the humanitarian system to facilitate and increase in the scale and quality of CVA?
• How has CALP contributed to systems change between 2020 to the present? How best can CALP use the levers of change to accelerate progress going forward?
  • Where and how does change in the humanitarian system take place? How has this supported progress in relation to cash? What has been achieved through collective action in the humanitarian system? What role have senior leaders played in advancing the use of cash? What more can be done?

Specific questions:

• What are the key barriers to change? How are these perceived by different stakeholders and how can these be overcome?
• What lessons can be learnt from the above?
• Are any big changes in the levers of change likely in the next 3 years?
• How can CALP optimise its influence?
  • How is CALP perceived by different stakeholders regarding its influence and voice? To what extent are we perceived to have contributed to change?
• What areas of work and approaches are perceived to have been most/least impactful by our different stakeholders? Why?
• Has CALP got the right balance between being provocative and maintaining its influence across its network to deliver impact?
• How can CALP optimise its influence?
• How can CALP do more within existing resources?

Key deliverables/milestones

The following are the final deliverables to be completed by the end of the consultancy, unless otherwise discussed and agreed upon by the ACF-USA and Consultant:

1. Deliverable 1: Inception report, by 15 April (30% payment)
2. Deliverable 2: First report draft, by 24 June (40% payment)
3. Deliverable 3: Final report with feedback addressed and incorporated by 15 September (30% payment)

The dates are indicative and will depend on the contracting; finishing the work by 30 July 2024 is preferred.

The final report should be no longer than 30 pages, not including annexes.

Tentative timeline and activities

The CALP Network expects the consultant(s) to spend between 45-50 consultancy days on this work, considering an average rate for an email consultant.

Any additional days and/or modification of Start/End dates must be completed before additional work is commenced.

This is a competitive tendering process and value for money makes up part of the overall assessment of applications (as well as the robustness of the proposal and technical competence).

Management arrangements

This consultant will report directly to the Responsible Manager, listed above, who will be responsible for approving deliverable(s) and invoice(s). The CALP Head of Network Development will provide overall oversight.

Action Against Hunger is a host of the CALP Network; we are a U.S.-based organization, and as such must comply with U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules and regulations. If you are selected for the consultant work, and choose to work with Action Against Hunger USA, you must provide the proper IRS form to determine your tax status either with a W-9 form or W-8 form, depending on your tax situation. Please visit www.IRS.gov for more information. Any tax questions should be directed to your tax advisor. Contracts and payments are dependent upon receipt of the signed IRS form. Payment of Invoices are net 30 days. Additional details provided in service contract.

We welcome applicants across the world, as long as they complete and submit the tax forms required before the signing of the contract.

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the consultant may be required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a consultant to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• Must provide own computer, internet, software, and other basic office supplies required to complete the duties for this consultancy
• Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as needed or required by contact with the Project Team or other partners. However, realistically we anticipate that all work on this project will be completed within normal office hours (UTC time zone).

Minimum details in application

For this piece of work, CALP is looking for the following expertise:

1. Excellent knowledge and understanding of the humanitarian policy landscape
2. A strong understanding of the humanitarian system global CVA trends.
3. Excellent knowledge and understanding of system change and levers of change
4. Substantial experience of working at senior levels
5. Substantial evaluation skills
6. Excellent ability to communicate technical subject matter in oral and written forms
7. Fluency in English
8. The ability to successfully deliver to robust deadlines