Lutheran World Federation
Background and Rationale
The world has faced a global migration and displacement crisis over the past decade, with 82.4 million people being forcibly displaced worldwide in 2020, including 26.4 million refugees and 48.0 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In addition, there is an increasing number of migrants who leave their home countries due to poverty and a lack of perspective and hope, oftentimes through irregular and highly dangerous channels. Irregular migrants are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking and forced labor. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities of people on the move, particularly of those being forcibly displaced.
The Symbols of Hope (SoH) is a global initiative of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) that aims to empower churches to respond to issues surrounding irregular migration and human trafficking. The program started in 2017 and has been implemented in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe through LWF member Churches: Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN), and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ). The objective of the program is to raise awareness about the risks of irregular migration and human trafficking in the churches and society, train religious leaders, pastors and diaconal workers on psychosocial support and counselling, provide psychosocial support and counselling to returnees, especially those who have experienced human trafficking during their journeys, and support potential migrants, internally displaced persons and returnees with skills training and seed funding so that they can (re)build their lives and gain new tangible perspectives in their home country.
The program underwent an external evaluation in 2020, which recommended localizing the program more effectively, addressing gender equality issues during implementation, and adopting a more focused approach for selecting beneficiaries. The program has three main areas of intervention for 2021 to 2023: raising awareness among potential migrants about the risks and realities of irregular migration, providing psychosocial support to returnees, especially victims of trafficking, and enhancing livelihood opportunities for potential migrants and returnees through vocational trainings and seed funding.
Purpose
The evaluation aims to assess the project’s performance and results in various aspects of migration, and to provide guidance for its future direction and improvement.
Evaluation objectives
- Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the project in terms of design, implementation (efficiency and effectiveness) as well as sustainability and
- Provide recommendations for the future of the project, which may include continuation, exit, transformation, replication, or expansion.
Evaluation scope and questions
The evaluation will focus on the implementation period January 2021 to December 2023 and will include both the global coordination as well as implementation in the target countries. Stakeholders include project leadership, implementing teams and beneficiaries.
The following evaluation questions will be assessed by the Consultant:
- Relevance: To what extent do the intervention objectives and design respond to the needs of beneficiaries (congregations, local communities, and partner/institution needs) and priorities of the program?
- Inclusion: To what extent has the design and implementation of the project considered the perspectives of vulnerable groups, including minorities?
- Effectiveness: What were the intended and unintended changes brought about by the project, and what were their effects? Were there any unintended negative consequences of the project, and how were they addressed?
- Coherence: How does the project fit well with other initiatives of EECMY-DASSC, LCCN, LDS, and the LWF-CO as well as with similar initiatives by other actors in the target areas, and to what extent linkage has been created?
- Risk: Are there areas where (further or future) interventions should be avoided, and where program activities are at risk (threats)?
- Global coordination: How effective has the global coordination of the program been in supporting implementation on the ground and achieving the overall goal of the program?
- Efficiency: To what extent did the program use its financial and human resources efficiently effectively in relation to its objectives and achievements?
- Sustainability: Has the program helped target churches to mobilize further resources locally? What is the likelihood that the positive achievements of the program will persist over time? Which steps need to be taken by the target churches to sustain the achievements of the program locally without further global funding after 2023?
- Recommendations: What concrete measures should be taken to further enhance the project management and implementation both at global level and in the target countries?
Evaluation Methodology
The evaluation will be conducted using a mixed-methods approach, including both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The evaluation methodology will be further detailed in the Inception Report, where the evaluator will specify the exact focus and approach for the exercise, including a work plan for the evaluation, the selection of target areas for in-depth assessment as well as stakeholders to be involved. The evaluation will be guided by the OECD-DAC criteria for evaluating development assistance programs.
Management of the Evaluation
The independent final project evaluation will be led by a consultant who reports directly to the LWF-Communion office in Geneva.
In consultation with the LWF Program Executive for Diakonia and Development as well as the LWF PMER Coordinator, the consultant will develop a detailed evaluation methodology, based on which he/she will lead the evaluation, including data collection and analysis as well as report writing. The project holders (EECMY-DASSC, LCCN, and LDS) will assist the evaluation process by arranging the evaluators’ meetings with the project’s beneficiaries and other key stakeholders, provide contacts, references, information about activities and logistical support to the evaluator as needed at the beginning and during the evaluation, join the inception and validation meetings of the final evaluation organized by the LWF Communion Office (LWF-CO), review the draft evaluation report and give substantive feedback when requested by the LWF-CO.
Evaluation timeline
The consultancy shall be completed in March 2024. The following is the tentative timeline of the evaluation. The report will be shared with LWF CO staff first, then with national coordinators of the program in an online meeting.
The consultant will set a deadline for the final draft with the LWF-DTMJ Program Executive for Diakonia and Development and the PMER Coordinator.
Timeline
Action
December 2023 – March 2024
Call for expression of interest released by LWF (open tender)
Deadline for receiving expression of interest:05 January 2024
Evaluator selected by LWF-CO: 12 January 2024; Consultant start desk review 15 January 2024
Evaluator submits the inception report 22 January 2024. LWF provides feedback 26 January 2023
Data collection, field visit at least two countries 5 days each (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe) 29 January 2024-21 February 2024
Remote data collection (optional) 22-23 February 2024 in a two-day meeting with staff and stakeholders
Data analysis and report writing 26 February- 04 March 2024
Submission of draft report to LWF CO: 07 March 2024. LWF provides feedback 15 March 2024
Evaluator submits final report 21 March 2024
Desired Consultant profile
Evaluators should have:
- An advanced university degree or equivalent background in international development, migration, social sciences or a related field.
- Experience with the work of CSOs and/or faith actors on migration and trafficking issues, preferably in African countries.
- Proven experience in designing, managing and conducting evaluations with multiple stakeholders, project planning, monitoring and management.
- Strong methodological skills in evaluations, including data collection and analysis using quantitative and qualitative approaches.
- English proficiency in writing and speaking.
Deliverables
The evaluator will be expected to deliver the following:
- An inception report detailing the methodology, data collection tools, and work plan.
- A draft evaluation reports.
- A final evaluation reports.
How to apply
Submission of Offers
To apply for the evaluation, interested applicants are required to send expression of interest (EOI), CV, technical and financial proposal (2-3 pages), a sample of previous work in a similar field and relevant documents and certificates to [email protected] until 05 January 2024 COB.