Consultant – Final Evaluation of the IFRC Sri Lanka Complex Emergency Operation

Operational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, comprising 192 member National Societies. Guided by fundamental principles such as humanity and impartiality, the IFRC aims to prevent and alleviate human suffering, contributing to the maintenance of human dignity and peace globally. The organization operates before, during, and after disasters, health emergencies, and crises, with its work organized into three main divisions at its Geneva Headquarters and five regional offices worldwide.

In response to the socio-economic challenges faced by Sri Lanka since early 2022, including food and fuel shortages, disruptions in livelihoods, and a state of emergency declared due to civil unrest, the IFRC launched an emergency appeal in June 2022 in support of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society. This initiative targets 500,000 affected individuals in Sri Lanka, providing integrated interventions in food security, nutrition, livelihoods, health, and education. The operation supports the cultivation of 2 million home gardens, contributes to the government’s relief efforts, and enhances the resilience of communities. Key components include multi-purpose cash assistance, nutritional food packages, school stationery, menstrual hygiene packages, drinking water distribution, medical support, patient transportation, first aid services, and mental health and psychosocial support.

Job Purpose

The Term of Reference is available here (the timeline is flexible and dependent on the contractual date): ToR_MDRLK014_SriLanka_Evaluation_FINAL.pdf

The evaluation serves a dual purpose: the first is to evaluate the relevance and appropriateness, sustainability and short-term impact/outcomes of the Sri Lanka Complex Emergency operation’s humanitarian interventions. The second is to examine the distinctive operating environment and humanitarian landscape shaped by Sri Lanka’s internal protracted economic crisis, including its exacerbating drivers, to capture lessons learned and recommendations that will inform the strategic direction of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and guide future operations of the IFRC network arising from similar economic crisis contexts. This evaluation will further emphasize the IFRC’s support and role in facilitating the SLRCS’s relevance and effectiveness in coordinating the delivery of emergency services during the crisis. It will improve quality and accountability while providing clear recommendations to support medium and long-term strategies of the entities involved. Additionally, the evaluation will document lessons learned that can guide best practices, procedures, and actions of similar operations, projects, and interventions of the National Society, in-country Movement partners, and external stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct an extensive literature review
• Develop inception report with evaluation design, matrix, methodology, tools, processes, and work plan schedule
• Travel to program locations for quantitative and qualitative data collection
• Train data collection team and pre-test tools
• Oversee data collection, entry, cleaning, and analysis using digital tools
• Analyze and interpret findings
• Conduct debriefings, lessons learned workshops, and findings presentations in-country and remotely as needed by IFRC and SLRCS
• Develop and submit draft evaluation report, revising based on technical feedback
• Submit final evaluation report to IFRC country delegation, CCD, and APRO
• Submit raw data, cleaned databases (qualitative and quantitative), original field notes, recorded photo, video, and audio material, and data collection tools
• Include a simple inventory of materials handed over as part of the record
• Acknowledge IFRC’s sole ownership of all final data, with any findings shared or reproduced only with IFRC’s permission.

Deliverables

• Inception Report
• Draft and Final Evaluation Report(s)
• In-country Debriefing Workshop
• Lessons Learned Workshop
  • Can be done conjunctively with the debriefing workshop.
• Raw Data Set
• Two-Page Evaluation Summary Report
• Final Findings Presentation and Workshop

Qualifications and Requirements

Education

Should possess a University degree in any discipline (post-graduate will be preferred) or equivalent experience.

Experience

• Significant experience in conducting a review related to complex emergency humanitarian programming.
• Field experience in conducting reviews of humanitarian or development programmes, with prior experience in evaluating Red Cross Red Crescent programmes.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Analytical Skills:
  • Strong analytical skills.
  • Ability to synthesize and present findings clearly.
  • Capability to draw practical conclusions and make recommendations.
• Timely Writing:
  • Ability to prepare timely reports.
  • Proven experience in priority and cross-cutting areas of operations.
• Technical Expertise:
  • Technical proficiency in food security, livelihoods, or health is necessary.
• Communication Skills:
  • Excellent English communication skills.
  • Knowledge of local languages is favourable.