Mid-Term Review of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Netherlands Red Cross Partnership 2022 – 2026

List of Abbreviations

CEA: Community Engagement & Accountability

DAC: Development Assistance Committee

DREF: Disaster Relief Emergency Fund

FbF: Forecast-based Financing

HNS: Host National Society

ICRC: International Committee of the Red Cross

IFRC: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

MHPSS: Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support

MTR: Mid-Term Review

NL MoFA: Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs

NLRC: Netherlands Red Cross

NS: National Society

OECD: Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development

PER: Preparedness for Effective Response

PGI: Protection, Gender and Inclusion

PMEAL: Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning

PSEA: Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

RCRC: Red Cross Red Crescent

RMT: Review Management Team

WAI: Water, Advisory & Innovation

WASH: Water Sanitation & Hygiene

Title of Assignment: Mid-Term Review of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Netherlands Red Cross Partnership 2022 – 2026

1. Introduction

This Mid-Term Review (MTR) will assess the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NL MoFA) – Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) Partnership 2022-2026, which is funded by NL MoFA and implemented by NLRC between January 2022 and December 2026. The review will comprise the first period of implementation (May 2022 to Dec 2023) and will focus on all components of the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership. The NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership is implemented by NLRC both bilaterally with various partners (mainly Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) National Societies (NS)), and multilaterally in partnership with primarily the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Secretariat. The deadline for the MTR final report to be submitted to NLRC is mid-September 2024 including NLRC Management Notes. NLRC will then submit to NL MoFA on 30 September 2024.

2. Context and Background

Building on the results and lessons learned from previous grants from NL MoFA (Block 2018-2021 and the Response Preparedness Programme 2016-2021), the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership 2022-2026 is designed to combine a number of humanitarian subsidy streams that were separately allocated to NLRC by NL MoFA in previous years. The NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership also integrates new aspects of intervention, with focus on enabling partners and global advocacy, adding Component 7: Localisation­ and 8: Effective Communication, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Learning, which are further described below. All the previously funded components, as well as previous mentioned new components are now gathered under one subsidy framework with a broader humanitarian scope.

The design of the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership 2022-2026 takes into account humanitarian trends and innovations, respects Grand Bargain commitments, applies the lessons learned from the previous NL MoFA grants, and is based on the humanitarian values and fundamental principles of the RCRC Movement. Providing:

• Technical support: Disaster Risk Reduction, Preparedness for Effective Response, Data and Digital Transformation, Financial Sustainability, and Innovative WASH,
• Operational support: On how to design, implement and evaluate preparedness, response, and development projects under the technical expertise of NLRC,
• Financial support: Funding relevant projects and programmes through bilateral and multilateral partnerships with RCRC Movement partners.

Moreover, the various components adhere to the guidance provided in the subsidy framework by NL MoFA[1], and work towards the following two objectives:

1. Provide humanitarian assistance and protection to populations in acute and chronic crises.
2. Create an effective humanitarian response system: strengthening localisation through preparedness, accountability, risk sharing, and innovation.

The Nine Components of the NL MoFa-NLRC Partnership are summarised as follows:

Long-Term Goal 1:

• Component 1. Forecast-based Action by the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF): Focuses on the anticipation pillar of the DREF Fund managed by the IFRC Secretariat, which enables NSs to take forecast-based actions based on reliable forecast as stipulated in Early Action Protocols.
• Component 2. Response Pillar of the DREF: Provides financial support to the response pillar of the DREF to respond to small and medium-scale disasters; DREF is also to start-up large scale disaster response rapidly.
• Component 3. Acute Crises: Provides financial support to multilateral (mostly IFRC, to a lesser extent International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)) Emergency Appeals, and bilateral relief operations implemented by the NSs in partnership with NLRC, to ensure timely response to acute crisis.
• Component 4. Chronic Crises[2]: This specific reservation addresses longer term and more complex crises, offers higher predictability on funding, and supports responses that last at least 24 months. Funding is aimed at both multilateral and bilateral operations.

Long-Term Goal 2:

• Component 5. Response Preparedness: Enhanced response preparedness of targeted NSs ensures that there are capacities in place to act timely and professionally in anticipation of and during emergencies.
• Component 6. Expert Pool: Deployment of professionals with a specific expertise to IFRC, ICRC and bilateral programmes.
• Component 7. Localisation Programme 2023-2026 (previously Component 7 Programme) Improves the functioning of the humanitarian system with more equal partnerships, enhanced local capacities, more focus on innovation, better accountability, and risk sharing.
• Component 8. Effective Communication, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Learning: Joint efforts to highlight the importance of an enabling environment for humanitarian action.
• Component 9. IFRC Core Contribution: An annual contribution to support the performance of the IFRC Secretariat.
• Key Expertise Areas and Cross-Cutting Issues: Contribution to ensure integration of the following key-expertise areas: Water/WASH, Data & Digital Transformation and Financial Sustainability (FS) mainstreaming of the cross-cutting areas: Community Engagement & Accountability (CEA), Green Response, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Protection Gender & Inclusion (PGI)

This MTR is commissioned by the NLRC and will be conducted by an external consultant/firm who is not linked to planning or implementation of the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership. The final MTR report will be shared with NL MoFA.

3. Purpose and Scope

This MTR concerns different learning aspects of the activities funded by the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership, between April 2022 and December 2023. This includes activities carried out between the NLRC and Host National Societies (HNSs) by the IFRC Secretariat or ICRC.

The purpose of the MTR will be to respond to:

• What learningscan be collected from the operational aspect of the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership?
• How can NLRC improve the bilateral and multilateral operational partnerships with NSs and other Movement partners?

The MTR will adopt criteria from the OECD DAC framework and will provide answers to a pre-selected list of technical questions.

4. Key Questions

The MTR will aggregate and analyse achievements and challenges from the different projects, programmes and components of the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership against the OECD DAC criteria[3], in addition to answering a list of specific technical questions from components’ perspective.

The MTR will provide answers to the following questions:

a. Relevance and Appropriateness

• To what extent is NLRC’s support (technical, operational and financial[4]) relevant to the NSs and other Movement partners supported?
• To what extent is the decision-making criteria for bilateral and multilateral support responding to the needs of partners supported?

b. Effectiveness

• From the perspective of the NSs and other partners, what should NLRC modify/improve in order to achieve the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership’s goals by 2026?
• To what extent is NLRC succeeding in supporting and building capacity of NSs and other partners in NLRC’s areas of expertise[5] – from the perspective of the NSs?

c. Efficiency

• What can be improved in terms of processes and organisation in order to increase efficiency in ways of working within the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership?
• How were funds allocated on Component/Programme level (4 & 5) for bilateral support? Following which process and decision criteria?

d. Sustainability and Connectedness

• How are longer term interconnected[6] needs of affected populations addressed, what sustainable[7] solutions are being provided under the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership, in particular Components 4 and 5?
• To what extent was the capacity of both NSs and NLRC strengthened as a result of NLRC’s support during the assessed implementation period of the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership? To what extent can this enhanced capacity be considered sustainable?

e. Coherence-Humanitarian Diplomacy

• To what extent is NLRC using its connections with other (Movement and non-Movement) partners to strengthen its Humanitarian Diplomacy? And how are these connections aligned with Humanitarian Diplomacy? How does NLRC align with other actors on Humanitarian Diplomacy?
• To what extent does the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership address the full Disaster Management cycle? Which synergies exist between the various components and where should further synergy or interconnectedness be promoted?

Additionally, NLRC would like the MTR to answer a list of specific sectoral questions:

f. Response Preparedness:

• What are the NSs’[8] perspectives on NLRC’s support to preparedness and anticipatory action? Particularly with the focus on specific approaches that NLRC promotes (PER and FbF).
• What needs to be improved or modified in terms of targeting local responders, PER assessment, partnership with NSs?
• What are the first signs of results (positive or negative, expected or unexpected)?

g. Expert Pool:

• How are long-term experts contributing to NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership results?
• How can the Expert fund be used to promote Localisation initiatives?

h. Component 7 (Localization):

• To what extent are implementing partners in the lead in determining the needs to be addressed in projects funded by the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership?
• How is Risk Management reflected in the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership Frameworks? And to what extent are these risks shared between the partners (NLRC & NSs)?
• Which support does FS provide to the second long-term goal[9] of the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership?
• How was the process of transitioning from Component 7 programme into Localisation Programme in 2023 went through?

i. Water Advisory & Innovation (WAI):

• What role does NLRC’s technical advisory (WAI, PMEAL, PGI) support providing to the NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership objectives?

j. Data & Digital Transformation

• How is Data and Digital Transformation contributing to NS’s improved (readiness to) response to crises?
• To what extent have the activities of Data and Digital Transformation improved the response capacities of the NSs?

k. Key Expertise Areas and Cross-Cutting Issues:

• Did the interventions under the different components take into account a gender inclusive approach in the selection of community members and in the specific activities implemented?
• Has Do – No Harm approach been mainstreamed in all the interventions? Which best practices can be highlighted?

– How was Prevention From Sexual Exploitation and Abuse “PSEA” promoted in the interventions implemented?

5. Methodology

The primary methodology will be a Desk review of various existing documents (Annex A) which will be the main source of information feeding into the MTR outcomes.

This MTR will be complemented and triangulated by:

1. Qualitative interviews directed to Delegates and NS staff collecting their perspective towards operational and technical support NLRC provides,
2. Interviews with stakeholders (Annex B) at NLRC HQ, IFRC HQ, Regional Offices, and Country Cluster Offices that NLRC and NL MoFA provide support to. Interviews can be conducted either face-to-face through traveling to certain Host National Societies’ countries, or using telecommunications,
3. Quantitative survey conducted with stakeholders (Delegates, NSs teams).
4. An analysis of financial and results data available on the IFRC Go Platform, specifically relevant to NLRC’s contribution to DREF operations,
5. It is expected that the consultant/team will travel to IFRC HQ (Geneve) and other HNS countries that NLRC works with bilaterally, (3 to 4 international trips are expected for this consultancy),

A detailed methodological framework is to be elaborated by the consultant/firm.

The MTR should align with the IFRC standards described in the: IFRC Framework for Evaluation | IFRC[10].

6. Deliverables

Inception report (by mid-March 2024)

The inception report should interpret the key questions from the ToR and explain how methodologies and data collection procedures will be used to answer them. It should also prepare a reporting plan with identified deliverables, Desk Review process planning, draft data collection tools such as interview guides, the allocation of roles and responsibilities within the MTR team, and logistical arrangements required from the Review Management Team[11].

MTR draft report (by mid-August 2024)

The report is ideally a maximum of 25 pages long, in English, including an executive summary (max. 4 pages), excluding annexes, in which a deep elaboration of the outcomes of the MTR should be included. The report should contain clear and well-founded recommendations, categorised and in order of priority, that is relevant to IFRC’s Evaluation Framework.

The MTR draft report should also include:

• An overview of the projects and emergency appeals studied under this Review, outlining the various methodologies used under this review.
• Detailed presentation (consultant to determine) of outcomes and key findings of the MTR exercise.
• Relevant Case Studies (2-3) to be determined during inception phase.

MTR final report (by Mid-September 2024)

The draft report will be evaluated according to the IFRC’s Evaluation Framework and provided with management notes. The consultant should then address the notes and submit a final report, upon which the final payment will be based on.

NLRC then will be submitting the final report to NL MoFA accordingly.

NLRC reserves all rights on the final report (copying, distribution), knowing that the report will be shared both internally and with NL MoFA for a revision round.

7. Profile of the preferred Team

0.0.Team Composition

a) team leader

b) data analyst

c) data collector

d) or similar roles that can fulfill the requirements.

0.1 Education

a) Team members should hold University degrees or substantial experience in lieu,

b) Also, qualifications in humanitarian studies or a related area,

0.2 Team Experience

a) Preferably one member of the team has In-depth knowledge of the ways of working and principles of the RCRC Movement.

b) Experience with evaluating large development or humanitarian aid projects and programmes is a must,

c) Lead consultant to have at least seven years of experience working with humanitarian aid organisations, or combination of 15 years of experience for the team.

d) Experience in one or more of the thematic areas mentioned in the ToR is a strong asset.

0.3 Team Skills

a) Fluency in English language, French and Arabic are desirable,

b) Ability to write concise, yet comprehensive reports,

c) Excellent interpersonal skills,

d) Ability to work effectively in intercultural settings,

e) Ability to meet deadlines,

f) Self-supporting in working with computers (word processing, spreadsheets, statistical software, online surveys).

0.4 Team Knowledge

a) Knowledge of NL MoFA criteria and policies is desirable,

b) Knowledge of Grand Bargain commitments and their application.

8. Planning

The final MTR report should be submitted to NLRC by 15th September 2024 at the latest by the consultant/firm. Therefore, inception report mentioned in the deliverables section should be submitted by mid-March 2024 explaining the methodology and implementation plan of the MTR, and draft report of the MTR to be submitted by mid-August 2024.

The consultant/firm will determine the implementation plan of the Mid-term Review, the number of required days and the exact dates of deliverables, post contractual phase.

9.Climate and Environmental Impact

The plan of action of the MTR should abide by the Climate and Environment Charter signed by NLRC.

10. Responsibilities and Lines of Communication

This MTR is commissioned by the Cluster Manager of the International Assistance Department of the NLRC. The process of the MTR will be managed by a Review Management Team (RMT) consisting of the NLRC PMEAL Advisor and the NL MoFA Partnership Coordinator, with the support from designated Component Leads and Technical Advisors where needed.

The RMT provides input and advice particularly during the inception phase and other important milestones of the MTR that will be identified in the consultant/firm’s inception report. It will monitor the MTR management, design, implementation, and quality control.

The consultant/firm will be selected through an open tender procedure.

11. Analysis Criteria

Key assessment criteria:

1. Proposed methodology and approach

– Suitability & credibility of the approach to answering the key Review questions.

– Capacity of proposal to meet all deliverables and objectives set out in ToR.

– Proposal shows understanding of the way NLRC and the RCRC Movement operate.

2. Experience of consultant/firm

– Lead consultant has proven experience carrying out similar assignments.

– Consultant has experience working on similar complex programming.

– Quality of previous work examples.

3 Writing and presentation

– Concise, well written proposal in language matching ToR.

– Layout and presentation of proposal.

4. Environmental Impact

– Proposal clearly attempts to minimise its footprint of greenhouse gas emissions[12].

ANNEX A

List of documents

1. NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership Proposal
2. NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership Manual
3. DREF Appeals
4. DREF annual reports
5. DREF Review reports
6. Acute Crisis Reports
7. Funding Frameworks for Chronic Crisis (2022,2023)
8. Chronic Crisis proposals
9. Chronic Crisis projects’ reports
10. Response Preparedness proposals
11. Response Preparedness projects’ reports
12. NL MoFA-NLRC Annual Plans
13. NL MoFA-NLRC Annual Reports
14. Block 2018-2021 Evaluation Report
15. Annual Reports on the General Resources of IFRC [13]
    1. Cluster Manager for International Department (1)

ANNEX B

List of Key Stakeholders (around 50 people)

I. NLRC staff (15)

1. (Sub) Component Leads (13)

II. Partner National Society Staff (25)

III. IFRC Secretariat staff (15)

1. Geneva (5)
2. Region and country offices (10)

IV. Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs relevant staff (2)

References

[1] Staatscourant 2021, 44259 | Overheid.nl > Officiële bekendmakingen (officielebekendmakingen.nl)

[2] Chronic Crisis refers to a critical situation that has gradually developed over previous months or years, such as drought, food security and civil unrest. A request for international assistance will be triggered when the situation reaches a defined critical level, and the decision of the request will be based on this definition.

[3] https://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/daccriteriaforevaluatingdevelopmentassistance.htm

[4] See context and background section.

[5] Financial Sustainability, Data and Digitalisation, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Community Engagement & Accountability, Protection, Gender, and inclusion

[6] Multi areas of expertise (e.g., Water Accessibility, MHPSS, PGI)

[7] Solutions that can be adapted by NSs further to implementation of a certain project.

[8] NLRC works bilaterally with long-term 12 National Society partners, and multilaterally with others through the IFRC.

[9] “Create an effective humanitarian response system: strengthening localisation through preparedness, accountability, risk sharing, and innovation.”

[10] https://www.ifrc.org/sites/default/files/2021-09/IFRC-Framework-for-Evaluation.pdf

[11] See chapter 10.

[12] Further information available on Climate and Environment Charter: https://www.climate-charter.org/

[13] https://www.ifrc.org/document/annual-report-2022

How to apply

Interested consultants/firms should submit their expression of interest to [email protected] by 9th of February 2024. The proposal should mention the assignment applied for, (SUBJECT: Mid-term review NL MoFA-NLRC Partnership 2022-2026 – Last Name, First Name).

The application should include:

1. Cover letter: clearly summarising the experience of the consultant team leader as it pertains to this assignment, daily rate, and contact details for three professional referees.
2. Curricula Vitae: team leader and members
3. Technical proposal
4. Financial proposal (Budget)
5. At least one, and up to two samples of previous written work similar to that described in the ToR (previous evaluations and reviews completed) with omitting sensitive information if any.

Application materials are non-returnable, and any incomplete applications will not be considered. NLRC thanks you in advance for understanding that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

The winning bid will be the one deemed the most economically advantageous (quality of technical proposal and previous work vs. value of financial proposal) detailed criteria on weighing quality is listed above.