Effective partnerships and approaches to strengthening capacity in Ukraine regional response: a localisation pilot review

Background

Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) is the largest network of NGOs committed to collaborating for improved impact of humanitarian cash programming. Save the Children UK (SCUK) is leading a CCD consortium to implement an inter-agency programme funded by Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to achieve transformative and innovative outcomes within Ukraine and the regional humanitarian response.

The programme is delivering a localisation pilot to strengthen the capacities of local actors in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, which is implemented alongside the existing Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) response operation of the partners in Ukraine, Poland and Romania. The pilot provides institutional and technical capacity building, and direct funding to design and implement CVA programmes.

SCUK, on behalf of CCD, is seeking a consultant to deliver a review of the pilot models building equitable partnerships to strengthen the capacity of the local actors across Ukraine, Poland and Romania and generate learning to scale the tested models in Ukraine or other humanitarian crises.

Objectives

1. Reflecting on the programme design vs operationalisation to establish whether the models were implemented as intended, consider whether assumptions behind testing the models held, and identify areas for improvement.
2. Assessment of the models using the following criteria: relevance, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.
3. Exploring unintended (positive and negative) effects of the models on the local partners.
4. Developing recommendations for adaptation and/or scale of the models and design of equitable partnership models between local and international actors, based on the successfully operationalised approaches.

Deliverables

• An inception report outlining the approach and methodology of the review,
• A report evaluating the pilot models including recommendations,
• A summary of the findings and recommendations presented in a slide deck,
• A workshop validating the findings with review participants,
• An online event presenting key findings and recommendations.

Consultant experience

• Designing and conducting mixed methods research/evaluation,
• Experience of conducting research/evaluation in the humanitarian context, particularly in relation to localisation approaches,
• Background in cash programming (CVA, MPCA, GCT),
• Managing and coordinating a range of non-government /government stakeholders,
• Strong written and verbal skills in communicating technical and/or complex findings,
• Experience of delivering multi-stakeholder workshops.
• Experience of evaluating consortia and pilot programming is a plus,
• Language skills, particularly Ukrainian and Romanian, would be an advantage,
• Consultants based in Ukraine (or consultants with data collection teams based in Ukraine) would be preferred.

Timeframe

The consultancy is expected to commence in March and finish in June 2024.

For more details on the assignment, please consult the Terms of Reference.