ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP) is the secretariat to a network of more than 75 member organizations drawn from eleven countries in the sub-region (that is, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia (and Somaliland), South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda). The project was designed to strengthen the work of human rights defenders (HRDs) in the East and Horn of Africa sub-region by reducing their vulnerability to the risk of persecution and by enhancing their capacity to effectively defend human rights. The Project envisions a region in which the human rights of every citizen as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) are respected and upheld. EHAHRDP implements activities in the areas of protection, advocacy and capacity building.
Additionally, EHAHRDP acts as the secretariat for the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network, which brings together five sub-regional networks from North, Central, West, Southern and the East and Horn of Africa. Further information about EHAHRDP’s activities can be found on the website: https://defenddefenders.org/ or through our social media outlets on Face book http://www.facebook.com/humanrightsdefendersproject or Twitter @EHAHRDP.
SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
EHAHRDP seeks the services of a consultant(s) to undertake an evaluation of EHAHRDP’s Sida funded project in promoting and protecting human rights defenders in the East and Horn of Africa. The evaluation would seek to identify lessons learnt from EHAHRDP’s experience in the past five years, as well as opportunities for the organisation going forward. The evaluation has two key overarching objectives, namely:
1) Identify and assess achieved results, constraints and obstacles which affected the Sida projects’ impact for the period 2009-2015.
2) If the project initiatives have contributed to the improvement of the working environments of human rights defenders in the East and Horn of Africa countries.
2) Recommendations for the future of the organisation’s programming based on the lesson learned in the Sida projects.
When evaluating the project, the consultant is advised to consider the criteria first laid out in the DAC Principles for Evaluation of Development Assistance. Proposed criteria to be considered is set forth in the table below.
| Proposed Evaluation Element Questions |
|
| Efficiency | · Were activities cost-efficient?
· Were objectives achieved on time? |
| Effectiveness | · To what extent were the objectives achieved / are likely to be achieved?
· What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives? · Is the program achieving satisfactory progress (above average) towards its stated objectives? · Examining EHAHRDP’s added value and comparative advantage in regards to protecting HRDs. Look into EHAHRDP’s specific groups of most at risk HRDs. |
| Relevance | · Is the program the appropriate solution to the identified problem?
· Are the program objectives still relevant and attainable? · What is the value of the program in relation to priority needs of key stakeholders? · Does the program consider political and social tensions in design and implementation? · Are the outcomes beneficial to key stakeholders? · To what extent is the project aligned to other initiatives e.g., African Commission resolutions, UN resolutions, national government strategies and priorities and regional bodies strategies? · Are the activities and outputs of the program consistent with the intended impacts and effects? |
| Impact | · What has happened as a result of the program or project?
· What difference has the activity made to the beneficiaries, men and women? · How many people, men and women, have been affected? · What individual, environmental and structural effects has the program brought to individuals, communities, and institutions – either in the short-, medium- or long-term? · Were the desired results achieved? · Are results intended/unintended; positive/negative, micro/macro? · Analysis of the extent to which EHAHRDP has been able to achieve its intended objectives (effectiveness) and how has EHAHRDP been able to effectively fulfil objectives related to international, regional and country levels. |
| Sustainability | · Are program activities/interventions likely to continue after donor funding ends?
· Does the program integrate non-discrimination such as for example gender equality aspects and participation of key stakeholders into activities? · Do key stakeholders think this is a good program, would they want to see it continue? · Have implementing partners, and other key stakeholders developed the capacity and motivation to continue activities/interventions? · Can program activities/interventions become self-sustaining financially? · Are the results sustainable? · Level of engagement of state actors and how EHAHRDP has been able to influence policy and conditions for HRDs. · Level of engagement with partner organisations. |
TERMS OF REFERENCE
The evaluation envisages a process of desk review of documents and plans, as well as interviews with EHAHRDP’s former and current staff, Board members, former and current partners, beneficiaries of EHAHRDP’s programs and projects as well as partner organisations and network members within EHAHRD-Network. The Consultant will be expected to design and develop a comprehensive project sample and action plan for consideration by EHAHRDP once selected.
In order to fully achieve the two overarching objectives highlighted above, the Consultant will review, assess and evaluate the following interlinked aspects:
- Review the relevancy of EHAHRDP’s activities in the sub-region with regard to human rights defenders.
- Evaluation of the three core areas in programming: Capacity Building, Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Advocacy at a national, regional and international level.
- Review the design of the organizations programs- advocacy, capacity building and protection and assess to what extent this structuring will ensure delivery on the organizations’ goals and objectives.
- Relevancy and scope of gender mainstreaming and mainstreaming minority rights within the organisation;
- Review the operational environment and systems (i.e. staff capacity, budgetary allocations, opportunities for skills development and other resources)
- Review the institutional policy, planning, management, decision making, structure, finance and ICTs support systems and assess their conduciveness to human rights defenders’ programming;
- Review financial and other resources available to thematic programs undertaken by EHAHRDP;
- Review and assess management/administration staff’s skills and capacity to support programmatic work.
- Review the program’s key partnerships (within and outside the EHAHRD-Network) and assess to what extent these have advanced EHAHRDP’s goals and objectives
- Assess EHAHRDP’s niche in human rights defenders programming in relation to partners working towards the same goals and objectives in the region;
Recommendations
- Present clear, concise and practical recommendations on the impact of the programs and activities that EHAHRDP implements
- Present clear and concise recommendations on the internal processes and systems supporting the program work.
The Consultant is expected to deliver to EHAHRDP a comprehensive written report of maximum 30 pages excluding annexes which meets the following specifications:
- Reviews and analyses the various aspects as outlined above. It is important that this evaluation takes stock from, and build on the existing evaluation of 2011.
- Highlights gaps, challenges and opportunities for EHAHRDP to achieve its overall objectives of promoting, building the capacity of and protecting human rights defenders;
- Highlights and clearly indicates lessons that EHAHRDP could learn from its experiences in the past 6 years of implementing this project in the sub-region;
- Clearly indicates specific recommendations in all areas mentioned that EHAHRDP should consider implementing (especially given key and emerging issues affecting human rights defenders in the sub-region).
DURATION AND LOCATION
The tasks under this evaluation are to be undertaken for an estimated period of 30 working days. A report of the evaluation will be presented to the Board of Directors and the Executive Director of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP). The location of the evaluation will be Kampala, Uganda and one other country (which will be decided after consultation with EHAHRDP).
A breakdown of the expected activities is provided below.
- Inception report
- Discuss the inception report with EHAHRDP and incorporating comments
- Desk review of previous proposals and reports
- Stakeholder engagement (physical in Uganda and 1 other country and the rest virtual via Skype and online)
- Analysis of data collected
- Report compilation
- Present and discuss the report with EHAHRDP
- First draft feedback (may include engaging key stakeholders)
- Incorporating comments and final report compilation
REQUIREMENTS
A consultant with the following skills and competencies are encouraged to express their interest:
- A Post Graduate Degree in a relevant discipline (e.g Social Science, Law, Politics, Economics and Human Rights);
- Experience and additional training in project evaluation especially those of a regional or international nature;
- Specialisation and additional training in human rights and experience of working with human rights defenders at risk;
- Competence in Organisational Development;
- Demonstrable experience in evaluating programmes and projects across countries and also those of a regional nature;
- Knowledge of the socio-economic and political dynamics as well as the social justice issues in the East and Horn of Africa region;
- Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the architecture of human rights organizations in the region.
QUALIFICATIONS
The Consultant is expected to have professional experience of work in the human rights sector in two or more countries in the East and Horn of Africa sub-region. Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement and knowledge of French is highly valued.
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The consultant must be willing to travel to Kampala and one other country and be available to meet with partners and stakeholders.
APPLYING
Consultants (including consultants firms) are requested to submit a project proposal (outlining the tools, methods, workplan and sampling model to be used) and comprehensive indicative project budget as part of their motivation and application for consideration.
Please send your application to [email protected] with the subject line “Sida External Evaluation” by 11 January 2016. Your application should include your CV(s) and your proposed time frame, budget, work-plan and 3 references for similar work undertaken.
Do not send copies of certificates or degrees.