Consultancy: Mid-Term Evaluation – Building Foundations for Reconciliation in Jubaland Project

Terms of Reference

Title of Consultancy: Mid-Term Evaluation– Building Foundations for Reconciliation in
Jubaland Project
Type of Contract: Consultancy – 18 Days
Duty Station: Nairobi
Expected places of travel: Mogadishu with potential travel to Kismayo and Gedo
Supervisors: NSA Project Manager
Closing date: 2 February 2015

Background

Saferworld is an independent non-governmental organisation that works to prevent and reduce violent conflict and promote cooperative approaches to security. Saferworld works with civil society, governments and international organisations to encourage and support effective policies and practices through advocacy, research and policy development, and through supporting the development of local capacities and structures.

Saferworld has been working in Africa since 1997, with a primary focus upon East Africa and the Horn region and has well-established programmes in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and Sudan. Since 2004, Saferworld, with the support of the European Commission, has led a process designed to establish legitimate and representative NSA structures that are able to engage in policy dialogue which culminated in the formal establishment of NSA platforms in the three Somali regions in 2008.

The platform in south central Somalia, SOSCENSA, (Somalia South Central Non State Actors) is approaching the mid-way point of a two-year EU-funded action-research project to engage civil society in the broader reconciliation and statebuilding process in Jubaland. This will included a detailed mapping of civil society organisations that are operating in Gedo, Middle Juba and Lower Juba and capacitating them to undertake a local context analysis. This analysis will in turn form the part of the raw data for two publications. The first will focus on the reconciliation needs with recommendations for how local, national and international stakeholders can pursue reconciliation given the different perspectives social and political needs. The second will examine how reconciliation can be integrated into statebuilding processes and ensure that they are reflective of community needs and aspirations. Following publication of both of these papers, Saferworld, SOSCENSA and local civil society will lead extensive advocacy at local, national and international levels based upon the recommendations of this research.

Key Objective of Consultancy:

Overall: To conduct a mid-term evaluation of the project to assess progress against indicators and
towards planned project results with a view to informing the final year’s programming.

At the mid-point of the project an external mid-term evaluation is required to be conducted to assess the extent to which progress towards specific indicators has been met and to identify any potential areas of challenge or amendment to strengthen the project in the final year of implementation.

Specific Objectives:

The evaluation will measure project progress against core indicators identified in the log frame which relate to the following:

• The extent to which Somali Non-State Actors are engaged and able to address the causes of conflict (e.g. contested notions of the state) and improve inclusive, transparent and accountable governance at all levels through national reconciliation.
• The extent to which NSAs in South Central Somalia have been supported to engage in
research and advocacy with authorities in the newly recovered areas, specifically in
Jubaland, and the Federal Government on issues related to reconciliation and stabilisation.
• The extent to which NSAs have increased capacity to actively engage in analysing political dynamics in newly recovered areas of Jubaland.
• The extent to which NSAs, the Federal Government and authorities in Jubaland contribute to comprehensive research and analysis on key issues relating to reconciliation and stabilisation.
• The extent to which NSAs utilise a new body of research and data to advocate to the Federal
Government and authorities in the newly recovered areas of Jubaland for the implementation of recommendations on reconciliation and stabilisation.

Key Activities:

• Desk review of existing project documentation
• Interviews to be conducted with project staff from both Saferworld and SOSCENSA and related project participants.
• Production of draft report
• Review and finalization of report

Key Deliverables:

Workplan: The consultant(s) will prepare a workplan elaborating on the TOR following an inception meeting with Saferworld staff. The workplan will be submitted within one week of the inception meeting and should cover the following at a minimum:

• Framework for the mid-term review
• Methodology
• Roles and responsibilities of staff
• Structure of Outputs
• Schedule

Evaluation Report: One report of approximately 20-30 pages is to be produced. The report should answer the study questions agreed by the consultant and Saferworld, outlining the findings and citing evidence for said findings, providing recommendations and offering lessons learned.

In order to ensure that the recommendations can be put into action, they should:

• Follow logically from the focus and findings of the report;
• Be clearly stated (i.e. not broad or vague);
• Be prioritised with a timeframe for follow-up; and
• Suggest where responsibility for follow-up should lie.

The draft reports should be submitted to Saferworld for review and comment. In response to comments received from Saferworld the consultant will amend and finalise the reports no later than one week after receiving comments.

Field visits

Saferworld will facilitate two field visits for the consultancy team to Somalia to allow primary information collection and direct contact with in-country stakeholders. Saferworld or partners will support the consultants during the field trip with logistics, translation, contextual information and security briefings.

Timeframe:

Action Time Required
Inception Meeting 1 Day
Review of Desk Based Literature 3 Days
Undertaking field visits 4 days
Travel Time 3 Days
Follow up telephone interviews and report writing 5 days
Incorporating feedback from Saferworld 2 days
Total 18

It is anticipated that this consultancy will begin around mid-February 2015 with anticipated completion around mid-March 2015.

Management of Consultant:

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the NSA Project Manager.

Additional Key relationships:

• Saferworld Somalia Team
• SOSCENSA team
• Research Support Committee
• Data Collectors

Key Competencies:

• Master’s degree in a relevant subject such as development studies, peace and conflict
studies or international relations, or equivalent experience
• Demonstrable experience conducting project evaluations on similar capacity building, action research and advocacy related projects in conflict affected states.
• Experience of civil society, policy advocacy, democratisation, peace & conflict or
governance-related work in an international NGO environment
• Proven, extensive expertise of evaluating complex projects
• Solid knowledge of Somali political and social context, preferably with experience conducting evaluations of peacebuilding or research initiatives.
• Capacity to work independently with the input/guidance from team members.
• Strong academic background.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and with cultural sensitivity
• Willingness to travel to Mogadishu and possibly to Kismayo and Gedo.
• Strong English language skills, Somali an asset.