Endline Project Evaluation Consultant

About Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD)

Since its inception in 2008, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) a Jordanian civil society organization has emerged as an influential, well-respected actor in the fields of social development and justice in Jordan. It has done so through a variety of programs aiming to protect and empower individuals at risk of vulnerabilities in Arab societies: migrants, refugees, women and youth. ARDD has not only managed to support and gain the trust of these individuals but persists to advocate for change and structural reforms in law and policy.

Through its educational program, the organization aims to highlight the importance of quality education for all and raise awareness on the opportunities available to citizens, migrants, and refugees to face the threats posed by inadequate education and alternative forms of education. The organization supports vocational education programs, providing students with knowledge and life skills.

Project Background

ARDD is implementing “Investing in the Future: Improved educational, social and economic integration of Somali, Sudanese and Yemeni minorities in Jordan” Project with the support of Vision Hope International e.V. (VHI) in order to improve educational opportunities and increase protection through education for the Sudanese, Somali and Yemeni communities, as well as the Jordanian host population.

The project is integral to ARDD’s education strategy. ARDD’s approach is founded on pursuing a holistic approach to education that considers ensuring access to quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all as a central pillar to alleviating poverty, strengthening protection, and enabling lasting positive social transformation and cohesion.

Vision: The project is founded on a vision of ensuring inclusive access to quality education which serves as a foundation for the protection and advancement of vulnerable communities in Jordan. Additionally, it contributes to the overall resilience and social cohesion of both minorities of refugees and host communities.

Overall Goal: Centered on inclusive, integrated, and equal education for all that is consolidated in protection, the Project´s protection framework focuses on providing various legal services and improved educational opportunities to increase the protection for the Sudanese, Somali and Yemeni communities, and the Jordanian host population through education. Investing in the Future Project aims to affect changes on the Individual, Community, National, and Policy levels:

Individual Level: The educational and social needs of Sudanese, Somali, and Yemeni Migrant Refugees in Jordanian host communities are met and protected through inclusive education and legal awareness.

Community Level: Migrant Refugee families become change agents and contribute to the betterment of the surrounding communities in which they are engaged and able to thrive through the knowledge and skills they acquire and share.

National Level: The Jordanian government supports the international legal rights of migrant refugees and extends its efforts to improve their livelihood and protection manifested in inclusive quality education.

Policy Level: Local and international education-focused stakeholders actively advocate and contribute to an integrated, inclusive, quality, and cohesive education agenda in Jordan.

As a result, the project’s Theory of Change centered on providing inclusive access to quality education, aims to improves the integration and expands the educational opportunities available to Sudanese, Somali and Yemeni minority refugee (MR) communities in the host community in Amman, Jordan. This approach ensures their protection and captures the overarching goal of the intervention, outlining the pathways through which it will achieve its projected outcomes.

Project Outcome: Minority refugee (MR) and disadvantaged families in the host community experience an improvement in their social and emotional situation, self-confidence is strengthened.

Project Outputs:

Output 1: ARDD’s professional and spatial capacities have been sustainably strengthened.

Output 2: MR and host community members are empowered in conflict resolution through increased knowledge of legal issues and mediation.

Output 3: Parents/carers (MR and disadvantaged parents of the host community) have a higher self-help capacity through psychosocial support and parenting skills.

Output 4: Children (MR and disadvantaged children of the host community have gained strengthened expressive capacity.

Output 5: Adolescents/young adults (MR/host community) have acquired the necessary knowledge to practice their profession through vocational training.

Output 6: A network to demand rights for MR has been established.

Consultancy’s Objective

Through this consultancy, ARDD will hire a consultant or a firm to conduct an endline evaluation for the “Investing in the Future” project. The evaluation will assesses the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and sustainability evaluation of the project. Additionally, the evaluation shall encompass recommendations and key learnings identified for informing future projects.

Evaluation Approach and Methodology

Evaluation Approach

To enhance the evaluation’s utility, a participatory approach will be adopted, engaging various project stakeholders, including partners, trainers, participants, donors, and other relevant parties. Data collection will employ triangulation to ensure validity and reliability, utilizing methods such as comprehensive desk reviews, surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups, and field visits. The consultant will conduct both quantitative and qualitative analyses to address the main evaluation questions, presenting findings as appropriate.

Evaluation Specific Methodology

The methodology design should be developed by the consultant, taking into account the information outlined in this Terms of Reference (ToR). ARDD will provide existing project documents, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools, Project reports, the beneficiary list, and other relevant supporting documents.

The consultant will utilize the M&E tools and results as a foundation for the end line assessment, following a theory-based approach. Adherence to ARDD’s code of conduct, practices, and confidentiality is vital, especially when interviewing or photographing vulnerable MR and Jordanian populations. Additionally, the consultant must uphold principles of impartiality, independence, objectivity, participation, collaboration, transparency, reliability, privacy, and utility throughout the process, in alignment with ARDD and donor expectations.

The responsibilities of the consultant include developing tools, conducting data collection from various sources, data analysis the data, and preparing reports. This entails:

• Conducting an endline survey with a sample of beneficiaries who participated in project activities.
• Interviewing project staff to gather insights on implementation challenges and suggestions for improvement.
• Key Informant Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with key stakeholders.

While the consultant is responsible for analyzing the collected data, the following components should be included in the analysis:

• Updating the project result framework with final indicators achievement values.
• Utilizing the M&E already collected data to measure the Project outcome.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation will assess project performance against:

• Effectiveness
• Efficiency
• Relevance
• Impact
• Sustainability
• Learning: Informed by the project’s overarching goal of ensuring inclusive access to quality education, which serves as a foundation for the protection and advancement of vulnerable communities in Jordan, this evaluation seeks to identify the factors, both positive and negative, that have influenced the project’s intervention. Additionally, it aims to assess how these efforts contribute to the overall resilience and social cohesion of both minority refugees and host communities.

Deliverables and Reporting Requirements

Proposal Approval

After submitting the Endline evaluation Proposal, including the Proposed Fees in the initial application, the selected Consultant will be invited to attend a meeting with staff in order to discuss the proposal, review existing M&E materials, and adjust the methodology as required.

Assessment Plan

Once the contract is signed, the consultant should then submit a revised Evaluation Plan, which should include:

• A detailed methodology for the Endline evaluation.
• Draft interview guidelines and other qualitative data collection instruments.
• List of interviewees with clear selection criteria and/or sampling plan (must include calculations and a justification of sample size, plans as to how the sampling frame will be developed, and the sampling methodology)
• Known limitations to the Endline evaluation design.

The Plan will be developed in close collaboration with ARDD staff, and the final version must receive their formal approval.

Endline evaluation

Upon approval of the Assessment Plan, the Consultant will start the qualitative data collection, while quantitative data will be collected collaboratively with ARDD and analyzed by the Consultant. Subsequently, the Consultant will draft the Endline Report and the evaluation report.

Upon submission of the Endline evaluation Report Draft, ARDD staff will provide feedback for the Consultant to address and submit the Final Report. The evaluation tools include survey, interview questions…etc should be submitted in Arabic and English. While the final report should be submitted in English.

Timeline (Proposed)

Proposed Activities

Number of Days

Consultant’s meeting with ARDD staff and inception report: finalized methodology, tools, work-plan, and resource request.

3

Data Collection for Evaluation.

6

Evaluation Data Analysis (Qualitative and Quantitative)

4

Evaluation Draft Report Writing.

3

Incorporate ARDD staff comments and prepare Final evaluation Report.

3

Presentation of findings to ARDD and VHI.

1

Total Working Days

20

Qualifications and experience

The Consultant/Firm will be hired on a consultancy contract with a duration of 20 working days. The Consultant is expected to be possess the following profile:

• Bachelor’s degree, Master’ preferred in evaluation, development, Humanitarian Leadership Program, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of professional experience conducting evaluation in the field of educational, protection, development, and livelihood programs including accountability to beneficiaries.
• Demonstrated experience with quantitative and qualitative research, database management and statistical data analysis.
• Familiar with the refugee sector, particularly the situation of minority of refugees in Jordan (Recommended).
• Proven record of communicating with beneficiaries.
• Ability to assess and further develop a conceptual evaluation tool.
• Excellent facilitation skills, co-ordination, and oral and written communication skills in English (particularly report writing).
• Demonstrated excellent written and spoken communications skills in Arabic and English. (Recommended)

Ethics and Risks:

The consultant must agree and sign up for ARDD’s ethical guidelines and code of conduct.

This consultancy presents medium to low risks. Concrete risks that could affect its execution concern any delay that might be caused due to the unavailability of ARDD staff or the consultant. However, such risks are mitigated by the possibility of eventually adjusting the delivery date and keeping open channels of communication and follow-up.

Remuneration

The full consultancy amount will be disbursed in accordance with ARDD’s approval of deliverables. It is important to note that ARDD reserves the right to withhold payment if the deliverables are not deemed satisfactory or fail to meet the required standards.

Guidelines for Documentation

The final product must include references for all resources, specific facts, and information utilized. The consultant must safeguard the anonymity and confidentiality of individual informants, providing maximum notice, minimizing demands on time, and respecting people’s right not to engage. Ensuring that sensitive information cannot be traced to its source is imperative, and individuals have the right to provide information in confidence. The consultant should refrain from evaluating individuals and must balance an evaluation of management functions with this principle. All evaluation findings, along with information on their limitations, must be disclosed and accessible to all affected by the evaluation, with expressed legal rights to receive results. Additionally, the developed report and materials will be the property of ARDD.

How to apply

Submission of Application

Interested candidates should submit their Curriculum Vitae (CV) along with the following components:

• Technical proposal.
• Workplan.
• Proposed evaluation budget, including payment schedule.
• Evidence of experience related to Project Evaluations.
• Curriculum Vitae for all consultants and proposed capacity of any complementary staff (CVs submitted should be for staff involved in this assignment).
• Contact information for three professional referees.
• Copies of relevant work undertaken in the last 3 years.

All application materials should be submitted by email to: [email protected].

Please note that only completed applications will be considered.