Consultant – Mid-Term Evaluation Geneva Call Strategy 2020-2023

Mission

“In situations of armed conflict, Geneva Call, as a neutral, impartial and independent international humanitarian organization, endeavours to strengthen the respect of humanitarian norms and principles by armed non-State actors, in order to improve the protection of civilians”.

Since Geneva Call began its work more than 20 years ago, the organization has developed a unique methodology to increase awareness of, and respect for, IHL for the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Geneva Call has a unique and unwavering mission to protect civilians. Whilst other organizations also work to improve awareness of humanitarian norms, Geneva Call is the only organization in the world focused exclusively on creating lasting behaviour change among ANSAs to promote the protection of civilians.

1. Introduction

Geneva Call is currently operating within the framework of its Strategic Plan 2020-2023. The plan focuses on strengthening Geneva Call’s operations in those areas where it currently works. In the current countries where Geneva Call is active, it seeks to deepen its engagement with ANSAs, increasing its monitoring capacities, making sure that ANSAs are tangibly committing to improving the protection of civilians.

Each aspect of Geneva Call’s Strategy feeds the work towards the improved protection of civilians in armed conflicts, through the increased respect for humanitarian norms by armed non-State actors. To that end, the strategic plan is articulated around two overriding objectives, which guide all of Geneva Call’s future activities and therefore continue to position the organization as a crucial actor for the protection of civilians:

1. Deepen expertise on the engagement of ANSAs and consolidate its action on the ground,
2. Strengthen Geneva Call’s capacity to implement its operations effectively and sustainably.

These two overriding objectives encompass both components of Geneva Call’s work:

• Its operations
• Its structure and governance.

The Strategic Plan document addresses and details the translation of these two overriding objectives into expected achievements for both above components.

2. Strategic Plan

Document to be provided upon signature of the consultancy agreement.

3. Objectives of the Mid-Term Evaluation

After 2.5 years of implementation, and withing the framework of its current agreement with SIDA, Geneva Call plans to conduct a mid-term evaluation of its Strategic Plan 2020-2023 to examine progress made and make adjustments where needed. Moreover, Geneva Call seeks to review the relevance, efficiency and effectiveness and value added of its interventions.

The consultant/evaluator should be able to provide information to facilitate the incorporation of lessons learned into the decision-making process. The evaluation is a document of exchange and discussion with various actors (Geneva Call’s Board of Directors, staff, donors, partners, etc.). The main purpose is to understand, analyse, identify, and capitalize (lessons learned) conclusions and make recommendations.

3.1. MAIN OBJECTIVES:

• Measure and analyse the effectiveness of the Strategic Plan:

  • To what extent the planned/implemented activities and processes achieved/contribute to achieve the identified results and specific objectives of the organization’s strategic plan?
  • Does the Implementation Plan / process for the Strategy enable its ambition and potential?

• Evaluate the efficiency of the Strategic Plan at leading adequate governance and decision-making processes:

  • Is the strategy effectively used to guide governance, management and other decisions that lever the impact for organization’s growth and consolidation (programmatic, institutional, funding)?
  • Do the approaches/processes implemented have a ?good? fit for purpose strategy?
  • What is the HQ role in giving support to country offices, how is this working out? What works well/needs to be improved? Are there any risks related to staff turnover?
  • Are there risks and challenges related to the expansion of the organization into new countries?

• Evaluate the relevance of expansion of Deed of Commitment (DoC) as the main instrument to institutionalize commitments:

  • How has Geneva Call maintained continuity in their instrumentalization? What are the long-term pros/cons for their use? Does the increased number of DoCs present any risk to maintain regular tracking?
  • Is there any risk that new DoCs could impact the sustainability of current country engagements and existing DoCs? What can be done to avoid such risks?

• Evaluate the progress of Geneva Call’s efforts at integrating gender dimensions in its programmatic approaches and governance structure:

  • To what extent the SGBV engagement is articulated throughout the programmatic approaches, tools, methodologies, etc.
  • Has Geneva call developed any strategy and mobilised resources to mainstream SGBV in other thematic topics, institutional policies, etc.?

• Provide recommendations on the relevance of the strategic plan:

  • Is the implementation process in line with the needs and expectations of the recipient community (reference to the rationale on the armed conflict stated in the Strategic Plan document)?
  • Does the strategic plan address the most critical needs/contexts?
  • How were beneficiaries prioritised (reference to: geographical areas, selection of the armed groups targeted, etc.)?
  • How has the intervention been adapted during its implementation?

3.2. SPECIFIC TASKS

• The evaluator will have to describe, observe, analyse, and facilitate a debate, in a participatory way and should focus on the following issues:
  • relevance of the intervention,
  • pertinence of the selection of countries and thematic topics of intervention,
  • coverage.
• Assess the approach of the engagement with the ANSAs against the criteria of efficiency, effectiveness.
• Appraise the monitoring and implementation of the key recommendations from the DoC evaluation.
• Appraise the monitoring and implementation of the key recommendations from the Sexual Violence and Gender Discrimination evaluation.
• Evaluate the efficiency, relevance, and impact of operational capacities (with reference to the development/adaptation of thematic training tools, innovative methods, staff capacity building tools and processes, etc.).
• Evaluate the impact and relevance of the knowledge management tools and processes.
• Appraise the consolidation of the financial management (with reference to cost effectiveness, accounting process, ICS and its dissemination at the field level, staff capacity building, etc.).
• Evaluate the efficiency, relevance and impact of fundraising activities and approaches (incremental increase).
• Evaluate the efficiency, relevance and impact of communication activities and approaches (result-oriented messages, advocacy strategy, staff capacity building, etc.).
• Appraise the growth and consolidation of the human resources management (HR policies & procedures, transfer to HR capacities to the field offices, etc.).

3.3. METHODOLOGY

The consultant will work in consultation with the board of directors, senior management, and Geneva Call staff as relevant, but also together with partners and donors. The following actions and tools are recommended:

• Review the internal and external performance reports.
• Organise individual and focus group discussions with the board of directors, senior management, and Geneva Call staff.
• Attend and/or organise meetings with donors and partners as relevant.
• Attend coordination meetings.
• Organise a visit to a country office (TBD).
• Conduct round table discussions with the team on specific issues informing the general objectives and/or any specific task as relevant.

3.4. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

• Work plan with questionnaires and methodology.
• Final report due on the 31.07.2022, of not more than 25-30 pages produced in English, clearly identifying the positive practices and needs for improvement with specific and practical recommendations for the future strategy.
• Presentation to Geneva Call’s management team with the key findings, recommendations, and conclusions.

4. Work Plan

Working period (43 working days): between 1st of June ? 31st of July 2022

• 5 days for desk reviews
• 7 working days for field travel
• 23 working days for focus groups, bilateral meetings, attendance to coordination meetings, round table, etc.
• 7 working days for elaborating the final report
• 1 day for presentation of the key findings, recommendations, and conclusions to the management team

5. General conditions

• Geneva Call will facilitate the access of the consultant to the reports, evaluations and other relevant documents informing on Geneva Call’s work and progress.
• Geneva Call will facilitate the access of the consultant with Geneva Call staff, partners, donors as relevant.
• Geneva Call will facilitate the logistic arrangements related to the field visit.
• Geneva Call will make necessary logistic arrangements for meetings/round tables with Geneva Call staff.
• The consultant will be committed to the Geneva Call’s policies.

7. Professional competencies

• Relevant senior level professional experience in design and management of evaluation processes with multiple stakeholders, survey design and implementation, and project planning, monitoring and management.
• Proven record in leading evaluations in the context of the humanitarian sector.
• An advanced university degree or equivalent background in relevant disciplines, with specialized training in areas such as evaluation, project management, social statistics, advanced statistical research and analysis.
• Demonstrated methodological knowledge of evaluations, including quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis for end-of-cycle project evaluations.
• Good knowledge of and experience of protection issues, with specific knowledge of protection in armed conflict.
• Independence is required. The applicant must not have any conflict of interest with the work of Geneva Call such as not being involved in any stage of Geneva Call’s programme design, implementation or monitoring.
• Ability to draft concise evaluation reports in fluent English.
• Availability to travel to the target countries.

Conflict of interest

Any candidate affiliated to, or openly supporting, one or more interest groups opposed to the Foundation’s principles and values, or whose previous position could engender safety issues for co-workers at Appel de Genève / Geneva Call, will be excluded from this selection process.

Conditions

• Position: Consultant / Evaluator
• Type of Contract: Consultancy contract
• Lenght of tenure: The evaluation will be conducted over a period of 43 working days
• Description: Mid-term evaluation focusing on progress to date in the implementation of the Geneva Call Strategic Plan 2020-2023
• Work place: Geneva, Switzerland
• Preferred start date: June 15th, 2022