Lebanon: Terms of Reference For External Process Evaluation

Terms of Reference For External Process Evaluation

Integrated Shelter & WASH-based Improvements with Gender, Protection, and Social Stability Mainstreamed in Urban Tripoli

1. Project Background

As part of its mandate to deliver relief and development aid to the population affected by the Syrian refugee crisis, CARE implemented a 12 months project in Lebanon funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). The “Integrated Shelter & WASH-based Improvements with Gender, Protection, and Social Stability Mainstreamed in Urban Tripoli” project, completed in August 2016, employed both a community and neighborhood-based approaches to 1) appropriately target the most vulnerable host and refugee households in Tripoli, and 2) channel adequate resources to provide packages of services that satisfies the various urgent needs of the families and communities in the areas of intervention.

CARE is about to conclude the second round of 12 month funding for this project at the end of August 2017 and would like to carry out a process-post implementation evaluation on the planning, operation delivery, monitoring and learning activities, and partnership and implementation structures for this project.

1. Regional Context

The city of Tripoli, also known to be the second capital of Lebanon, has been suffering for decades from social unrest, political instability and security turbulences. The intensity of these repetitive exogenous shocks, along with the dynamicity of the city’s internal environment, contributed greatly to the evolution of Tripoli’s complex political economic structure, sadly, a system yielding poor socio-economic conditions. Persisting elevated rates of poverty and economic inequality, relative to other areas in Lebanon and the region, have been continuously observed since the pre-civil war period. Several interventions from public and private entities have been attempted to tackle the aforementioned conditions, but unfortunately, failed to achieve the desired developmental results.

About 25% of Syrian refugees are currently living in the North, pushing further the inhabitants of the region below the poverty line. The deteriorated local economy (with more than 57% of families living below the poverty level) and public infrastructure have obstructed the ability to absorb such a large influx of refugees and worsened the living conditions in the area. Lack of suitable housing have been pushing Syrian refugees into poor neighborhoods, unfinished construction sites, and other precarious shelters. The competition over shelters, livelihood opportunities and public services have created social tension between the local and refugee communities which complicated the situation in the area even further.

Syrian refugees are caught between three negative pressures: (1) rising prices, especially for food and rent; (2) decreasing livelihood opportunities; and (3) an increase in exploitation and abuse, especially by employers, landlords, and perpetrators of crimes against women and children (including sexual exploitation or child labor in exchange for housing). CARE’s implemented project aimed at responding to the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan’s (LCRP) first priority for humanitarian assistance, specifically improved housing stock and rent-related security, and protection.

1. Evaluation Objectives

The service provider should conduct a thorough end of project evaluation to guide CARE and its partners in building their internal capacities and learn from experience. The programmatic and operational dynamics of the project in general, and the project specificities in particular, should be considered in the analysis while covering the standard OECD/DAC evaluation criteria. The relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency of the project’s interventions should be studied to assess all of the project’s stages; design, management, implementation, closing and monitoring.

• Relevance: Evaluate the validity of the strategic choices and the matching level of services provided with the actual needs of the targeted population

• Efficiency: To address inefficiencies in program delivery of services and assess how well the program implementation is done

• Effectiveness: Assess the completion level of the project’s targets, study the comprehensiveness and suitability of the log frame, and finally, the accuracy of the assumptions linking different stated objectives. The extent to which the program is being implemented as designed and implementation structure is most suitable

The Evaluator will therefore assess the strategies, implementation methods and processes, and structures used and their timeliness of producing the expected outputs on programmatic and operational levels. The evaluation should also look at the relevance of the programmatic and operational approach, and look into the direct and indirect impact of the project till date.

1. Evaluation Methodology

A methodology combining both qualitative and quantitative tools should be relied on to gather the needed data from a range of key stakeholders. This mixture should be able to achieve the following; 1) attain a balanced scope which takes into consideration the technical and programmatic aspects of the project, 2) implement a clear data verification practice which compares the results of a diverse set of evaluation tools and 3) employ a result verification method based on the perceived impact of the interventions by different key stakeholders.

The opinions of the beneficiaries, neighborhood committees, local authorities, informal leaders, CARE & Akkarouna’s staff members, other NGOs, etc. should be captured and reflected in the report. In addition, the list of evaluation tools employed should include at least surveys, focus groups, key informant interviews and external research papers/reports.

1. Deliverables & Timeframe

The milestones of the evaluation should be completed in a duration of 3-4 weeks, and the deliverables should include the following;

• A clear proposal stating the evaluation methodology, indicators, tools to be used, targeted population and evaluation questions

• Desk review of the project documentations, lesson learnt from external sources and the stakeholders that will be targeted in the evaluation

• A draft report which includes at least the following sections;

  • Executive Summary

  • Lebanese & Refugee Context

  • Project Details

  • Evaluation Methodology

  • Assessment Areas & Findings;

  • Relevance

  • Effectiveness

  • Efficiency

  • Partnership models and organizing project implementation

  • Lessons Learnt & Recommendations

• A final report of around 30-40 pages that is developed as a result to the amendments done to the draft report based on the remarks of CARE Lebanon

Consultant/Team Qualifications

Consultant(s), whether representatives of a private company or working independently, will be evaluated according to the following criteria;

1. Completed a post-graduate degree from an accredited academic institution

2. Minimum 7 years of experience in Strategy and/or Project evaluation

3. Demonstrated experience in Lebanese context preferably in shelter and/or protection sector

4. Demonstrated knowledge of international, regional and local contexts, particularly related to humanitarian response strategic initiatives

5. Good analytical skills

6. Ability to develop and use qualitative and quantitative tools

7. Adequate experience in writing comprehensive evaluation reports

8. Good Command of Arabic & English

9. Required Documents

   The application file should be sent before the 6^th of August, 2017.

10. Firm portfolio and consultants Resume, demonstrating previous experience with focus on relevant/similar assignment

11. A sample of assessment (or summary) reports developed by the consultant(s)

12. A brief proposal demonstrating the approach, methodology and timeline that will be used throughout the evaluation process

13. Budget (consisting of the proposed daily fee, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses).

Deadline :

Resume and cover letter to be sent by mail before the 6^th of August at: procurement@careliban.org

Subject of the mail to specify : TOR-BPRM External Evaluation

Resume and cover letter to be sent by mail before the 6^th of August at: procurement@careliban.org

Subject of the mail to specify : TOR-BPRM External Evaluation