Equitas is commissioning the evaluation of its program Advancing Equality through Human Rights Education (AEHRE). This is a five-year initiative (2019-2024) supported primarily by Global Affairs Canada and being implemented in Burkina Faso, Haiti, Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania. The program also comprises international components targeting a global audience of human rights educators delivered in person and on-line.
The evaluation will be conducted by an external consultant or team of consultants with the support of local consultants to conduct fieldwork in Burkina Faso, Haiti and Kenya. The evaluation team leader will be responsible for delivering the main evaluation products and will coordinate the work of all other team members, including local consultants, during all phases of the evaluation process, ensuring the quality of the results and application of the methodology, as well as the timely delivery of all products.
Description of the intervention to be evaluated
The Advancing Equality through Human Rights Education (AEHRE) project contributes to increased empowerment of women and girls by providing them with the knowledge, skills and effective tools to take leadership and advance gender equality in their communities. The project contributes to the empowerment of women and girls by focusing on:
- Increased leadership of women in community mobilization initiatives that advance gender equality;
- Enhanced collaboration among women’s organizations and human rights’ groups to advance gender equality; and
- Increased opportunities for women’s organizations to influence duty-bearers in fulfilling their human rights obligations related to gender equality.
Underpinning each of these three levels of results is a strong focus on building the capacity of women’s organizations and human rights organizations to apply a gender perspective, a human rights-based approach and an intersectional lens to address barriers to women’s and girls’ participation in decision-making processes that affect their lives.
Project’s activities are being delivered in five countries: Burkina Faso, Haiti, Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania. Equitas has established partnerships with local organizations and experienced human rights educators to address human rights and gender equality issues. In addition to the five countries, the project includes the International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP) in Canada (interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic), regional training programs in East and West Africa, a global new initiative through online training called Global Rights Connection, as well as the knowledge building and sharing component.
Note: the IHRTP, the regional training sessions in East and West Africa and the online training are outside the scope of this evaluation.
Purpose of the Evaluation
The specific objectives of the evaluation are the following:
- Assess the extent to which the project is reaching planned outcomes regarding women’s rights and gender equality in the target communities;
- Provide findings, lessons learned, conclusions and recommendations to strengthen Equitas’ human rights education work and to inform Equitas’ current and future programming on advancing gender equality.
The evaluation is a mid-term evaluation. It will cover activities conducted in the project’s five target countries (Burkina Faso, Haiti, Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania) that have taken place since the beginning of the project (April 2019) until the time of the evaluation.
The evaluation will include site visits by the evaluation team to Senegal and Tanzania. In the other three countries, the evaluation, with a possible lesser scope, will be conducted through local consultants with the support and supervision of the evaluation team.
Scope and responsibilities of the evaluation team’s work
The Evaluation team will carry out the evaluation in conformity with the “OECD/DAC (2010) Quality Standards for Development Evaluation” and best practices in evaluation
The Evaluation team will have the overall responsibility for:
- Managing the evaluation following the work plan approved by Equitas
- Preparing and submitting all deliverables for revision and approval by Equitas according to agreed schedule
- Reporting regularly on progress to Equitas
- Conduct the field work in Senegal and Tanzania and the stakeholders’ workshop in these countries
- Prepare the terms of reference for hiring local consultants (where applicable), in collaboration with Equitas
- Identify local consultants in Burkina Faso, Haiti and Kenya to carry out field work in these countries in the context of this evaluation
- Support and supervise local consultants and ensure quality assurance of their work
- Participate in debriefings with main stakeholders on the main results and recommendations of the evaluation.
Equitas encourages bidders to further refine the evaluation scope, evaluation questions and methodology.
Scope and Responsibilities of Equitas’ Work
Equitas will be responsible for:
- Arrange a project introduction meeting with the evaluation team
- Submitting project documents to the evaluation team
- Provide logistics and funding for the evaluation team’s travel to and from Senegal and Tanzania
- Assist in organizing meetings with stakeholders
- Accompany the evaluation team during field work in Senegal and/or Tanzania
- Organize evaluation and validation workshops with the evaluation team
- Support the evaluation team with logistics and setting up meetings
- Manage the logistics and financial aspects pertaining to the local consultants’ work
- Collecting stakeholders’ comments on the draft report and submitting these to the evaluation team
- Review and provide feedback on all deliverables in a timely manner
- Disseminate the evaluation findings.
Purpose of the evaluation
The purpose of this evaluation is to provide an independent assessment of the achievement of, or progress toward, the immediate and intermediate outcomes at the midpoint of the project’s completion, to provide relevant findings, lessons learned, and recommendations that would help Equitas and its partners guide and improve current and future human rights education programs. The evaluation is hybrid in nature, combining approaches and looking both at formative and summative aspects of the project. The results of this evaluation will be used to:
I. Inform Equitas, its partners, donors and other key stakeholders about contributions of key program components to expected outcomes of the intervention.
II. Inform decision-making regarding future project design and future project management and implementation.
III. Consolidate Equitas’ and implementing partners learning about promoting gender equality through human rights education initiatives.
IV. Assess the validity of Equitas’ programmatic Theory of Change.
Duration and Location
Evaluation start and end dates:
13 June – 30 November 2022
Location:
Remote, with field work in Senegal and Tanzania, preferably between late August and end of September 2022.
Consultant Qualifications
Evaluation team leader
- At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in evaluation of international development projects and programs.
- At least 5 years’ experience in conducting assessments and evaluations of gender and human-rights based interventions.
- Evaluation experience of projects related to human rights education will be considered a strong asset.
- Evaluation experience of projects funded by Global Affairs Canada and results-based programming will be considered an asset.
- Demonstrated relevant professional experience in design, management and conduct of evaluation processes with multiple stakeholders, using participatory approaches, survey design and implementation, and project planning, monitoring and management.
- Demonstrated methodological knowledge of evaluations, including participatory mixed-methods approaches.
- Demonstrated excellent written and spoken communications skills in English and French is essential for this mandate.
- Experience as a team leader, demonstrated cultural sensitivity and track record of participatory approaches.
- Experience conducting evaluations in Africa. Direct experience in Senegal and/ or Tanzania will be considered an asset.
- Ability to conduct high quality evaluations, meet deadlines and respond to requests and feedback provided timely and appropriately.
- Strong analytical and conceptual skills to clearly synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions, make recommendations and to prepare well-written reports in a timely manner.
Application Process
All bidders must submit the following documents as part of their proposal:
- Letter of Interest, including confirmation of availability in the timeframe indicated, and highlighting how the consultant/team meets the required expertise and qualifications listed
- Full proposal showing fulfilment of the requirements listed in this Terms of Reference
- Total consultancy fees (excluding international flights, in-country transportation, accommodation and meals)
- CV for each of the evaluation team members, including portfolio of previous work relevant to this mandate
- Two samples of past evaluation reports
- At least two recent and relevant references for similar mandates
Bidders should submit their complete application for this consultancy to Nazik El Yaalaoui (nelyaalaoui@equitas.org) with “Mid-term evaluation of Equitas’ AEHRE program” in the subject line.
Deadline for proposals: 24 May 2022, 23h59 EST.
Incomplete proposals will not be considered. Equitas will contact only shortlisted candidates