Consultancy Services for Evaluation of the “Promoting religious tolerance and mutual understanding within and between faiths in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq” Project

Request for Consultancy Services for Evaluation of the “Promoting religious tolerance and mutual understanding within and between faiths in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq” Project

MCC and DPNA Background

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is an Anabaptist organization working globally to demonstrate compassion through relief, development and peace programming. MCC began programing in Lebanon in 1977 and in Syria, Iraq and Jordan in the following two decades. MCC has continued programing in these countries in the areas of humanitarian assistance, livelihoods and agricultural programming, peacebuilding and education programming, all in partnership with local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA) is a Lebanese grassroots organization established in 2003 working towards building a nonviolent and democratic society where all individuals enjoy their rights and freedoms without discrimination, empowering and mobilizing citizens and communities to meet their needs and organize for change. DPNA’s work centers on socioeconomic development, governance and the environment targeting specifically youth, women and vulnerable people.

Project Background

“Promoting religious tolerance and mutual understanding within and between faiths in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq” is a three-year project (1 December 2018 – 30 November 2021) funded by the European Union (EU) seeking to increase the capacity of civil society and communities to foster religious tolerance and engage in constructive dialogue. The project has engaged 17 CSOs across the four countries. The project is jointly implemented by MCC and DPNA.

The project objectives are as follows,

1. Support local civil society organisations, including local NGOs and community-based organisations (CBOs), through sub-grant funds for projects to engage religious leaders and laypeople, including women and youth, to understand, respect and promote religious tolerance within communities. 
2. Increase the ability of CSOs to cultivate religious tolerance and mutual understanding among the target beneficiaries via peacebuilding training, networking, capacity-building, and mentoring for sub-grantee CSO’s. 
3. Promote inclusive and strategic partnerships, networking and cooperation between religious and civil society leaders of Shi’a, Sunni, Alawi, Druze, Yezidi, Catholic Christian, Maronite Christian, Orthodox Christian and Evangelical Christian traditions among other minority sects from these countries. 

MCC and DPNA are seeking the services of a consultant to conduct an end-of-term evaluation on the impacts of this project. This will involve reviewing relevant project documents, field work, presentation of initial findings and preparing a final report. The role of this consultant is to provide an external, unbiased perspective on project programming and to bring technical knowledge, facilitation skills and expertise in peacebuilding programming design, implementation and evaluation. The evaluation will be primarily facilitated by MCC.

Evaluation Lines of Inquiry

The final evaluation will use the six OECD DAC criteria areas, with an overarching emphasis on learning. After reviewing relevant project documents, the consultant will define a broad list of key questions that could be looked at in the evaluation. These questions will be narrowed down to make the scope of the study feasible. The evaluation lines of inquiry will result in key findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

The specific lines of inquiry might include:

1. How relevant was the intervention in light of other local NGOs, as well as country and regional priorities? What could have been done differently to increase relevancy?
2. To what extent did the project effectively achieve its stated objectives? What could have been done differently to increase effectivity?
   1. The quality of change within CSOs, with regards to peacebuilding, programming capacity building training and networking
   2. The quality of change with participants in CSO activities, with regards to religious tolerance and diversity
   3. The quality of networks and connections created and/or strengthened
3. To what extent was this four-country project efficiently implemented, with particular attention to changes in the public health, economic and political landscape during the implementation period? What could have been done differently to increase efficiency.
4. To what extent was this project coherently congruent with other peacebuilding initiatives around interfaith engagement and peacebuilding capacity building in the region? What could have been done differently to increase coherency.
5. To what extent did the project positively impact women and youth specifically? What could have been done differently to increase the impact.
6. To what extent are results of all, or specific elements of the project, likely to continue sustainably? What could have been done differently to increase sustainability.

Alongside the lessons learned, this evaluation should provide accountability to project participants, and how MCC and DPNA are collectively delivering on expectations of those who have participated in project activities.

Evaluation Users

The primarily users of this evaluation process are th MCC's North American-based Planning and Learning Department (PLDR), and the Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan offices, DPNA and the EU. Additional readers (non-users) are the wider peacebuilding community, specifically peacebuilding efforts in the Middle East and/or with an interfaith focus.

Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to deliver the following processes and products as part of this consultancy.

1. Complete a Desk Review

The consultant will perform a compensative desk review and analysis of all project documents and literature to inform field work and report drafting, as part of the evaluation process.

1. Contribute to the development of a work plan and methodology for evaluation

The consultant will be provided with the opportunity to review and provide input into the final version of the full Terms of Reference. The consultant will, with MCC and DPNA input and EU input (as relevant), develop a work plan to operationalize the lines of inquiry of the evaluation and develop an appropriate methodology.

1. Contribute to the development of evaluation tools

It is anticipated that the evaluation will primarily use key informant interviews and focus group discussions to collect information on the key questions identified in the Terms of Reference and Work Plan. It is expected that the consultant will provide input based on their past experience, knowledge and expertise, for tool development to maximize the learning opportunities in this evaluation.

1. Lead Field Work and Data Collection

The evaluation would consist of travel and field work in each of the four locations – Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. Travel will be determined in consultation with MCC and DPNA team in light of security and travel restrictions.

During the field work phase, the consultant will:

• Lead the data collection activities (as identified in the methodology and Work Plan)
• Provide a constructive and unbiased external perspective to data collection and field reflection activities, if necessary leading to finetuning of the process
• Ensure quality control of the data collection and reporting

1. Analyze Data and Write Evaluation Report

The consultant will analyze the data gathered. The consultant will develop a data analysis framework, as part of the work plan, which will inform the data analysis.

An initial meeting on key findings, conclusions, and recommendation will take place directly after the field work with MCC and DPNA to provide additional feedback (this meeting could be conducted virtually).

The consultant will prepare a draft report for feedback and revisions, and then will prepare the final report to MCC and DPNA.  This report will be reviewed by MCC and DPNA before presenting finalized findings (see 6. below).

The primary audience of the report is MCC, DPNA and the EU.

The final report is expected within two weeks—written in standard English—after receipt of the comments on the draft report. This report, which should be between 20 - 30 pages, excluding annexes, will include the following:

• Executive Summary (max 2 pages), which includes key findings and recommendations
• Evaluation Lines of Inquiry
• Background: relevant to the evaluation that focuses on the country, regional, and local context
• Evaluation Methodology: Includes a description of the evaluation methodology applied and its limitations
• Key Findings
• Conclusions, directly connected to each key finding, and explicitly stated
• Recommendations, directly connected to each key finding, and thus explicitly stated

Annexes: To include and restricted to,

• Final Terms of Reference
• Cited resources or bibliography
• List of those interviewed/focus group discussion participants
• All tools (e.g., surveys questions, interview guides, etc.)
• Work plan/Itinerary

1. Present Final Findings

Following submission of the final report, the consultant will present the final report virtually to MCC representatives in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Jordan, DPNA, MCC US, and EU representatives in Lebanon, and facilitate a discussion regarding the results. (This should be scheduled at the beginning of the consultancy to accommodate all schedules.)

Evaluation Timeframe

This work will occur 1 September through 31 October 2021. The planning and reporting phases will be home based. The work will be divided into three broad phases.

• Preparatory Phase (early September). This includes the document review, planning activities include leading the development of the work plan, the evaluation tools, and the detailed schedule for the field visits.
• Field Work Phase (mid-late September). Field work and data collection.
• Reporting phase (October 2021). The consultant will analyze the data collected during the field mission and write the evaluation report. The final draft of the report will be submitted to MCC two weeks after completion of the field work phase of the evaluation. This is due by 31 October 2021.

Example timeline:

Preparatory Phase (early September 2021) - Review and finalize ToR; produce draft work plan; incorporate feedback on draft work plan; produce final work plan/evaluation framework; review of key documents; preparation of evaluation tools. Estimated days: 5

Field Work Phase (mid-late September) - Data collection and interviews; debriefing to summarize learnings, conclusions and potential recommendations. Estimated days: 15

Analysis and Reporting Phase (October 2021) - Analysis of data, preparation and sharing of draft report, revisions, completion of final report and final report presentation. Estimated days: 5

Total estimated days of work: 25

Roles and Responsibilities

The MCC Project Coordinator will serve as the evaluation manager. The evaluation manager will be the primary point of contact for the evaluation consultant. Regular communication with the evaluation manager will be expected during the consulting period.

The consultant will engage with relevant members of the project staff, if applicable, in the preparatory phase to finalize workplan, evaluation tools and develop detailed schedules.

Intellectual Property

All writings, reports, books, articles, artwork, computer programs, databases, source and object codes, and other material of any nature whatsoever produced in the course of this assignment produced in whole or in part by the consultant in the course of this assignment will be considered MCC, DPNA and EU property.

Location of Work

The position will be managed and supervised by the MCC and DPNA offices in Beirut and Saida, Lebanon.

Budget and Payment Conditions

The evaluation will be financed under the current project budget. The maximum allowable budget amount for the evaluation consultant is $16,000 USD, including travel and insurance. All field costs of accommodation, food, local transportation, and PCR tests will be covered by MCC.

Payment will be by bank transfer in installments, based on invoices. Payment will be by project. Terms to be negotiated.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

The evaluation consultant should meet the following criteria:

• Experience in project/program evaluations, including evaluation experience of peacebuilding programming in complex, multi-faith environments
• Experience in the Middle East, understanding of local dynamics and culture preferred
• Minimum master’s degree in a relevant subject
• Technical knowledge in peacebuilding and human rights programming
• Experience in gender-sensitive and gender-transformative programming principles
• Highly developed self-management skills
• Excellent analysis, synthesis, and report writing skills
• Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative methods
• Language requirements: English required, Arabic strongly preferred
• Willingness to work and travel in challenging environments
• Commitment to upholding MCC’s core values and operating principles and subscribe to MCC’s Safeguarding principles
• Persons based in Beirut, or the region, are preferred