JBC BLOG & NETWORK: Consultant : Project Evaluation of Integrated Gender-Based Violence and Nutrition interventions AT International Medical Corps Lagos, NG

Job description

Essential Job Duties/Scope Of Work

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

International Medical Corps has been operating in Nigeria since November 2013, and currently has projects in two states (Kano and Borno). In Borno, International Medical Corps has been actively implementing interventions to support vulnerable populations recently affected by conflict and displacement due to Boko Haram insurgency. Northeastern Nigeria has experienced large-scale population displacement over the last few years because of the Boko Haram insurgency. Currently it is estimated that at 8.5 million people need humanitarian assistance in the three affected states of Yobe, Adamawa and Borno in North eastern Nigeria, of these, 4.4 million are in Borno state alone. There are 1.4 million IDPs in Borno, accounting for 69% of all IDPs in the three states. The IDPs are either living in informal settlements, host communities, and government designated formal IDP camps around Maiduguri town, the capital city of Borno State.

Since Oct 2016, International Medical Corps has been implementing an Emergency Nutrition Response and Gender-Based Violence project supported by ECHO.

PURPOSE OF EVALUATION

The end of project evaluation intends to assess the effectiveness of the project design, achievements of its results, and objectives. It will also assess the efficiency of the implementation process and will draw some recommendations that will benefit the design of future interventions.

The Key Evaluation Questions

The key questions that need to be answered by this evaluation include the following divided into various categories of analysis. The six overall evaluation criteria – relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, knowledge generation, sustainability and impact - will be applied for this evaluation.

The Objectives Of The Evaluations

To provide an overall assessment of the achievements and results, weaknesses and strengths of the project,

To document evidence, lessons learned and good practices to inform future Nutrition and GBV programming.

Scope of Work

The Scope Of Work (SoW) For The Final Project Evaluation Requires The Consultant(s) To Carry Out And Report On The Following Tasks

Identify the impact the project has made on the lives of beneficiaries?

Identify and assess the difference(s) the project has made in the lives of beneficiaries supported.

Compare differences at the end of the project to the situation before the interventions?

Determine the affects of the intervention(s) with regard to the attitudes of beneficiaries towards Nutrition, IYCF and GBV?

Identify examples of beneficiaries’ that can best illustrate these positive affects?

Whataffect have the project interventions had on the overall quality of life of for beneficiaries?

What is the quality, effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the project?

Did the project achieve what its goal and objectives?

What, if anything, made the project approach unique and what attributed to this?

Were humanitarian standards met and humanitarian principles followed? (Sphere, HAP, Code of conduct)?

Were the intervention(s) timely, appropriate and cost effective? Were the operational systems put in place by the project effective in ensuring this?

To what extent did the intervention(s) improve the condition of affected beneficiaries and communities?

How satisfied were the beneficiaries and communities with the intervention(s)?

How well did the intervention(s) mainstream/integrate gender, equality, protection, disaster risk reduction (DRR), the environment, capacity building and conflict/cultural sensitivities?

Were the project’s needs assessment(s), monitoring and evaluation systems and associated indicators appropriate?

Which aspects of the program had the greatest affect on beneficiaries and why? (Note that all different elements of the program should be considered from the point of view of the key stakeholders and beneficiaries.

Identify the best practices within the project, (i.e., the interventions that contributed most to the achievement of the overall project goal and objectives); what worked best and why?

Identify the lessons learned within the project. What did not work well and why? What could be done differently in future, why and how?

Which would be the key activities and interventions to continue and what role do key stakeholders and beneficiaries see for themselves in these efforts?

The State Ministry of Health and the State Primary Health Care Development Agency and Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development are also key stakeholders in the project and should be consulted under these questions;

The components of the project that the beneficiaries considered to be very effective and that should be continued, if possible, are to be discussed and developed in the report’s section on recommendations;

Are these components continuing, has the capacity of State Agency improved over the life of project, what is the capacity of State Agency to continue running these components once ECHO funding is over, how well are the State Agency able to replicate some of these services.

The evaluation is expected to be participatory, involving all relevant stakeholders (State Ministry of Health and State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and beneficiaries).

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

The Consultant(s) will be responsible for defining and carrying out the overall evaluation approach. This will include the specification of the techniques to be used for evaluation data collection and analysis, structured field visits, interactions with the beneficiaries and the implementation teams, and preparation and presentation of draft findings and recommendations.

The evaluation methodology will primarily include qualitative evaluation methods, while the project’s documented data on project achievements will be used as primary quantitative information source. All methods should be participatory and inclusive, ensuring participation of key stakeholders.

However, IMC Expects The Team, As a Minimum Requirement, To Focus On The Following

The evaluation team, in collaboration with IMC, will finalize the overall evaluation methodology after the first in-country travel of the evaluation team leader.

Review of project documents

Field visits to IMC project sites

Focus group discussions with beneficiaries

Interviews with key informants with key stakeholders (State Representatives, Community Leaders, project staff)

Case studies/success stories with few beneficiaries to illustrate the project influence at individual level

Interpretation of the findings

Other measures, as deemed necessary by the Evaluator

The Consultant(s)/Evaluator(s) will be responsible for:

Reaching an agreement with IMC on the work plan/schedule of review activities

Developing the evaluation instruments

Day-to-day management of the evaluation work with minimum disruption to project activities

Overall execution of the evaluation process

Organizing de-briefing with key IMC staff and stakeholders on the final day of evaluation;

A final report detailing the findings, conclusions, targeted recommendations, experiences and lessons learned (this should also consider the feedback provided on the draft report and feedback during the presentation of findings meeting).The final report should be no longer than 35 pages including a 2-5 page executive summary.

The Consultant will conduct visits and spend no less than six weeks in total in Borno State carrying out this Statement of Work together with the evaluation team. Before arrival in country, the team leader and other member(s) shall familiarize themselves with documents about the IMC project. IMC will ensure that these documents are available to the team prior to their arrival in Borno State.

The Literature Includes, As Minimum

IMC/ECHO Project document

IMC project reports and materials: quarterly reports, annual project evaluations, project achievements data-charts, annual project portfolio review forms and miscellaneous thematic reports from other sources

National Strategy for Nutrition, GBV and other national reports and documents related to the project

Compliance & Ethics

Promotes and encourages a culture of compliance and ethics throughout International Medical Corps. As applicable to the position, maintains a clear understanding of International Medical Corps’ and donor compliance and ethics standards and adheres to those standards. Conducts work with the highest level of integrity.

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Actively promote PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) standards within International Medical Corps and amongst beneficiaries served by International Medical Corps.

A Master’s Degree in Nutrition or other relevant field is required, extensive experience in managing food assistance program in complex emergencies
At least consecutive 3 years of international experience in evaluation of a nutrition response, including experience in emergency response and recovery preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Experience in assessment, program design and evaluation, and technical training and support.
Previous experience and familiarity with ECHO food assistance program and/or other similar in-kind food assistance program is important
Proficient analytical skills that demonstrate an understanding of the current concepts, priorities, and issues in program monitoring, data collection and evaluation.
Strong skills in technical report writing, development of data collection tools (both qualitative and quantitative), data collection and analysis, and donor reporting, designing and evaluating nutrition programs
Ability to exhibit tact, diplomacy, and resourcefulness in dealing with high level officials from donor agencies, international organizations, and other foreign and domestic government officials and partners.
Strong supervisory and organization skills
Flexible and able to deal with stressful situations
Creativity and the ability to work with limited resources in difficult settings
Good knowledge of human resources management and experience in finance and logistic
Strong communication and leadership skills, able to effectively present information clearly and respond appropriately to questions from senior managers and headquarters staff, counterparts, senior government leaders and donors
Must have excellent English written and oral communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with other departments within International Medical Corps, donors, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.
Capacity and willingness to live and work in remote and insecure areas