Country: Iraq, Netherlands, South Sudan
Closing date: 03 Aug 2018
Summary
PAX’s Protection of Civilians (POC) team is seeking qualified applicants to conduct a midterm evaluation of its Human Security Survey initiative, currently implemented in Iraq and South Sudan. The evaluation should take place between August and November 2018. Individuals or teams are encouraged to apply.
*Below are excerpts from the full terms of reference (TOR), which provides a more detailed description of the project, evaluation process, and application guidelines. Please email huisman[at]paxforpeace.nl for a copy of the TOR.*
Project background
PAX is a peacebuilding organization based in The Netherlands with a history of working with people in conflict areas and concerned citizens worldwide to protect local populations against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace. PAX’s POC team works in close collaboration with local partners and communities to identify the most pressing security needs at the grassroots level, and share them with relevant stakeholders both in the local context and internationally. PAX developed a unique methodology to give civilians in conflict-affected communities a voice in discussions about their security: the Human Security Survey (HSS). Local researchers equipped with a mobile phone-based survey platform conduct interviews with everyday people about their experiences, perceptions, and priorities related to protection.
The research findings are analysed and then used to stimulate dialogue at the local level between civilians and relevant authorities. Through community engagement activities and local advocacy, PAX and its partners aim to inform and influence representatives from government institutions, national security forces, informal armed groups, and international organizations with regard to civilian security priorities. By continuing this cycle of data collection, analysis, and facilitated discussion over multiple years, PAX and its partners can track trends and work to affect more sustainable change. PAX has been implementing the HSS in both Iraq and South Sudan since 2017. Note that while the overall theory of change is the same in both countries, the implementation process and research methodology are contextualized according to local political and security dynamics, partner capacities, and available resources and networks.
The three objectives of the HSS are as follows:
to increase the understanding of local human security experiences, perceptions, and trends;
to enhance the claim-making capacity of civilians to identify local protection priorities and hold security providers and authorities to account; and
to inform the design and implementation of effective protection policies through evidence-based advocacy at local and international levels.
Evaluation process
PAX is primarily interested in assessing the effectiveness of the project’s approach and relevance of the theory of change in the two country contexts. As this will serve as a midterm evaluation, project staff will utilize the evaluation findings to inform decision-making and, if necessary, project adaptation in the remaining period of implementation. The full TOR includes proposed lines of inquiry, which will be refined and contexualized in coordination with the selected evaluator.
PAX anticipates that the evaluation process will include a desk review of pertinent project documents and research products, key informant interviews with project staff from PAX and partner organizations; and, to whatever degree is feasible, focus group discussions or interviews with project participants (e.g. enumerators, local authorities, community members). Project activities in both countries will be underway during the evaluation period, so direct observation may also be possible. While some of this process can occur remotely, it is very much our intention that the evaluator travel to both Iraq and South Sudan in order to conduct parts of the evaluation in the field.
The evaluation should take place over 30-40 working days during August to November 2018, with the final work products due upon completion of the contract by 30 November.
The anticipated final deliverables include: a detailed inception report and evaluation plan, draft and final summary reports, and a verbal presentation of key findings and participatory workshop on their utilization with key project staff. If the evaluator is interested in proposing additional or alternative deliverables that will help to better reflect the results of the process, we are open to suggestions in the application responding to this TOR or during the inception phase.
For more information about PAX and our POC team, visit:www.paxforpeace.nlandwww.protectionofcivilians.org
How to apply:
Please email huisman[at]paxforpeace.nl for a copy of the full TOR, which includes a more detailed description of the desired qualifications and application process.
Note that individual consultants or teams with the necessary qualifications are welcome to apply.
The selected consultant(s) should have demonstrated expertise in utilization-focused project evaluation, as well as familiarity with both survey-based research methods and peacebuilding programming. Previous regional experience in Iraq and/or South Sudan is desired. Arabic language skills are looked upon very favourably, but are not required. (Further desired qualifications are listed in the TOR.)
Interested applicants should provide a current CV and a max 3-page statement of interest/abridged proposal. These materials should clearly outline the candidate’s 1) key skills and experience that are relevant to this evaluation, as well as 2) any key standards or principles that inform his or her work. For the proposal, please include a concise description of 3) the desired evaluation approach and core data collection methods, including an identification of 4) possible data limitations and ways to mitigate them (recognizing that the applicant is operating with only the limited information provided herein.) Please also provide 5) a summary budget and cost justification, and the names and contact details for 6) two recent references. Note that PAX may ask for examples of previous work after reviewing the application materials.
Applicants must provide all materials outlined in the TOR by 17:00 CET on 3 August. Candidates selected for an interview will be notified by 8 August, and a final decision will be made by 20 August. Note that these dates are subject to change if the recruitment process requires it.
Point of contact:
Carrie Huisman
Project Lead, HSS Iraq
Protection of Civilians team
huisman[at]paxforpeace.nl
+31 (0) 6 57 48 07 79