ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality
PROJECT NAME
NASEEJ 2- Improving prospects for refugees and vulnerable host communities
ABOUT ABAAD
ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality, is an UN ECOSOC accredited organization that aims to achieve gender equality as an essential condition to sustainable social and economic development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. ABAAD is a women-led and supported organization that works on three pillars: (a) Direct Services, (b) Capacity building and resource development, and (c) Advocacy and policy reform. ABAAD, since its establishment in 2011, has been identified as a leading actor on gender equality in the region and as a reliable reference and partner by the local, regional and international entities that promote gender equality, peace building and sustainable development.
Context and Background
The overall goal of the project is to improve protection prospects for refugees and host communities in Lebanon. As such, the project is guided by the Theory of Change that If a protection space for vulnerable refugees and host communities is enhanced, and if the legislative frameworks and policies that affect them directly are addressed and modified, and if an enabling environment is created in which social norms around violence against women and girls will be shifted, then opportunities for development, prevention, safety, and protection for vulnerable refugees and host communities in Lebanon are ensured. Several groups were targeted. First, Women and children, survivors or at risk of GBV/CP violations and Men with abusive behaviors of all cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, and economic status through the provision of direct services, ensuring a national protection mechanism is in place, or support with resettlement programs. Third, Host and refugee communities will be targeted through services and activities that increase their resilience and improve their socio-economic conditions. Fourth, Media personnel, reporters and Journalists: This project will target media personnel through capacity building workshops on gender- and UNSCR1325-senstive media coverage. Fifth, official stakeholders, NGO actors and civil society practitioners, front-liners working in the Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Child Protection (CP) sector in Lebanon, Mental Health practitioners and psychotherapists, educators, will have their capacities developed to identifying and responding to all kinds of GBV. Lastly, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) in Lebanon, who are assigned to oversee national implementation mechanisms of the new law 293, and service memo regarding crimes of trafficking and sexual violence, will be targeted as a frontline entity to respond to women survivors’ protection needs, and ensure proper implementation of the law through a set of capacity building measures & actions.
During the first implementation year and with COVID-19 pandemic, ABAAD has solicited an ad-hoc emergency grant from DMFA for a 6 months COVID-19 response ranging from June 1st 2020 till November 30 2020. The ad-hoc emergency grant was tailored to meet the needs of the communities during the COVID-19 pandemic while remaining faithful to the original intervention. The outcomes and outputs of the 2 interventions were:
Naseej 2
OUTCOME 1: Refugees and vulnerable host communities are better protected against violence and abuse
Output 1.1: Holistic GBV service provision is ensured to women and girls survivors or at risk of GBV in life threatening situations
Output 1.2: Emergency safe shelters for GBV survivors and their children and those with mental health disorders are running safely and effectively
Output 1.3: Men with abusive behaviors have improved access to quality engendered psycho-therapy or PSS services and act as GBV change agents
Output 1.4: Women, girls, men and boys have improved access to quality MHPSS and GBV services
Output 1.5: General public have improved knowledge on gender-sensitive issues
Output 1.6: Enhanced & sustained capacity of local authorities enabling vulnerable rights holders to enjoy rights and access to quality protection services.
OUTCOME 2: Increased quality SRHR education among refugees and host communities
Output 2.1: Protection for young women and men in refugee and host communities is strengthened through better accessibility to SRHR Knowledge
Output 2.2: Educators and social workers have improved capacity on Sexual Education, SRHR & SGBV prevention
Output 2.3: General public have improved knowledge and awareness on sexual assault
Naseej 2 – COVID-19
OUTCOME 1: Refugees and vulnerable host communities are better protected against violence and abuse
Output 1.1: Holistic GBV service provision is ensured to women and girls survivors or at risk of GBV in life threatening situations and Covid-19 Lockdown
Output 1.2: Emergency safe shelters for GBV survivors and their children and those with mental health disorders are running safely and effectively during Covid-19 Lebanon
Output 1.3: Men with abusive behaviours have improved access to quality engendered psycho-therapy or PSS services and act as GBV change agents
Output 1.4: Vulnerable HHs have improved access to food security
OUTCOME 2: Increased quality of GBV services among refugees and host communities
Output 2.1: Front liners have improved capacity on Mental Health
Output 2.2: Enhanced & sustained capacity of authorities enabling vulnerable rights holders to enjoy rights and access to quality protection services
Purpose and Objectives
In line with ABAAD’s accountability principle towards the beneficiaries and the donor – Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DMFA) – ABAAD is seeking an evaluator to provide an assessment of the overall project progress and results against the objectives and indicators of achievement.
The intended users of the evaluation are:
The primary users: Project stakeholders and partners, in particular DMFA.
The secondary users: Other organizations operating in the same communities, especially those with a programmatic focus on gender.
The evaluation exercise is intended to inform ABAAD and DMFA about the project’s impact on the direct and indirect beneficiaries of the project within their respective communities.
Scope
The evaluation will cover activities that have taken place since the beginning of the project July 01, 2019 until June 30, 2022.
Stakeholders to participate in the assignment:
- DMFA, ABAAD, project and organization staff
- Representatives of Ministry of social affairs and ministry of interior
- Project beneficiaries and surrounding communities
- Other humanitarian and development actors in Lebanon
Geographical Scope:
Evaluation of project activities in the following implementation areas: Beirut-Mount Lebanon, Bekaa, North
Evaluation Question
The evaluation will follow the OECD DAC criteria, as well as ethical guidelines for evaluations. It will however be done while applying a gender lens to the criteria. Specifically, it will focus on the following criteria and their subsequent key questions for both grants:
Relevance:
- Were the interventions designed in ways that respond to the needs and priorities of all genders? If so, how? Which planned activities were particularly relevant to the target group?
- To what extent did the interventions’ design reflect the rights of beneficiaries of all genders and nationalities (Lebanese and Syrian refugees) and include feedback from a diverse range of local stakeholders including refugees.
- Does the intervention meet the practical and strategic gender and protection needs of all genders?
Effectiveness:
- Did the interventions achieve its objectives and expected results in ways that contribute to gender equality? If so how?
- Was the capacity of local authorities sufficiently enhanced to enable vulnerable citizens to access quality protection services?
- If results were not achieved, why and what were the key factors that influenced this? If they have been, what were key drivers for success?
- Were different approaches necessary to reach people of different genders and if yes, in what ways? Was there sufficient monitoring and analysis of differential effects? In cases in which there was not, what modifications can be made to ensure differential results for future activities?
- Was the theory of change and results framework informed by analysis of gender equality? If so to which extent and in what way?
Impact:
- How did both interventions better protect women and girls from violence and abuse?
- To what extent did the media campaign change the public’s opinion regarding gender sensitive issues.
- For both grants, was there any differential impact on protection for different genders? Or were there any gender related differences in engagement, experience and impacts? If so, why did these differential impacts occur?
- To what extent have the projects’ objectives and impacts contributed to equal power relations between men and women? And how did it influence men’s perceptions and attitudes towards gender roles?
Sustainability:
- Did the intervention contribute to greater gender equality within a wider social scale? If so how, and to what extent?
Design and Approach
The evaluation follows a mixed-methods approach of non-experimental design. The methods planned include but not restricted to: (i) a desk review including but not limited to the project’s documents, location and implementation context, review of publicly available similar project reports and documents on gender and equality by UN, NGOs, and other local and international organizations. (ii) FGD (with beneficiaries from all nationalities and genders) and KIIs (with project staff and other relevant stakeholders), in addition to 2 quantitative surveys with females and male beneficiaries. Qualitative data is to be transcribed and thematically analyzed. Quantitative data is to be analyzed using univariate and bivariate statistical methods. Where possible, results are to be stratified by age and gender. A sample large enough is to be collected in order to guarantee valid statistical results where necessary.
The evaluation will follow ADC and OECD/DAC norms and standards as well as ethical guidelines for evaluations.
Workplan
The evaluation exercise will comprise the following milestones:
- Inception report including the following sections:
– Background, Purpose and Objectives.
– Evaluation Design and Approach:
– Methods
– Evaluation Matrix
– Data Collection Instruments
– Data Analysis
– Limitations, Risks and Mitigation Measures
– Quality Assurance and Ethical Considerations
– Workplan
– Annexes
The inception report will be shared with Abaad for feedback. The consultant(s) shall submit a revised inception report based on the received feedback. Deadline: 2 weeks after evaluation kick off
-
Data collection and field work: The fieldwork phase will cover all qualitative and quantitative data collection and triangulation including involvement of project beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
-
Draft evaluation report to be shared with Abaad, and DMFA for feedback. Deadline: No later than 10 weeks after the kick-off meeting. The evaluation report should include:
- Presentation of the evaluation with key findings;
- Presentation of recommendations
- All data must be disaggregated by sex, age, and disability;
- Submission and presentation of the draft report to DMFA and ABAAD
- Period of comments and feedback from ABAAD
- Submission final draft report, inclusive of comments.
- Submission of final report
- Presentation of final report (via PowerPoint presentation)
-
Final evaluation report based on the feedback received from Abaad. To be submitted no later than 2 weeks after receiving the feedback
-
Evaluation results presentation to be conducted in a meeting which includes the project’s primary stakeholders. Deadline: to be agreed on with ABAAD.
The estimated time for feedback at every milestone is 2 weeks.
Evaluation management arrangement
ABAAD’s MEL advisor will ensure oversight of the evaluation process ensuring that the agreed milestones are timely met and the agreed methodology has been used.
Final Evaluation Report: A draft of the final evaluation report [no less than 25 and no more than 40 pages, including a two-to-three-page executive summary with key findings and recommendations and excluding annexes will be submitted to ABAAD. Findings and recommendations must be structured according to the evaluation questions. An outline of the final report structure should be agreed upon during the inception phase. At least the following must be included: cover page; result assessment form (as an annex); executive summary (should be included in the report and also as an independent document); background and objectives of the assignment; methodology (with mention of limitations, if any); summary of findings; analysis of findings addressing guiding questions; conclusions, lessons learned, and recommendations; and agenda of all activities carried out.
How to apply
Applicants are requested to submit their detailed application by email to [email protected] with the subject line “Final Evaluation – NASEEJ” By September 4th, 2022. The application must include the following:
- A technical proposal, including the outline of methodological approach and activities proposed to achieve the objectives, and a tentative timeline with key milestones.
- A financial proposal.
- CV/profiles of all involved consultants.
- References of previous similar work implemented.