Rapid Real Time Review Consultant (m/f)

Description

Background of the Dutch Relieve alliance (DRA)

• The DRA 2018-2021 builds on the innovative and successful DRA 2015-2017 which, by April 2017, had effectively programmed €202 million saving lives and alleviating suffering. Through multi-annual funding, DRA members will implement acute crisis Joint responses (JR) and multi-year protracted crisis JRs enabling capacity building, localization and investment in community resilience. Within acute crisis, the focus is on life-saving activities. To incorporate learnings from protracted and acute crisis JRs directly into operations and programming at field level, Real Time Reviews will take place. A Rapid Real-Time Review (RRTR) is defined as: ‘A rapid and interactive review carried out during the implementation of a Joint Response, comprising interactive learning sessions with teams involved in the response, based on information collected from key stakeholders, including affected people, local authorities and implementing organizations'

Summary Cabo Delgado Joint Response (CDGJR)

• Non-state armed groups (NSAG) have severely disrupted the lives of thousands of people in the northern districts of Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique, since October 2017. The group, known in Mozambique as Ansar al-Sunna or Al-Shabab (but not related to the Somalia group) announced it aims to turn the oil-rich region into a caliphate (Human Rights Watch, 2021). Multiple towns and villages were attacked throughout the last four years, in which people were brutally killed and their houses left looted or burned. Following the escalation of the conflict in 2020, displacement surged rapidly. While the number of internally displaced People (IDP)s was 110,000 in March 2020, in the same year at least 527,000 people were being displaced in October, of which 45% were children (HRP 2021). From October 2020 onwards, the violence in Cabo Delgado intensified, resulting in the displacement of a total of 670,000 people by the end of 2020 (UN OCHA 2021). The recent attack on Palma town (24 March 2021) has forced another 20,000 people to leave their homes and flee to the districts of Nangade, Mueda, Montepuez and Pemba districts (UNHCR 2021, April 2021), while tens of thousands more are thought to be displaced inside Palma district or on the move to safety (OCHA, April 2021). Fleeing from the geographically expanding violence such as beheadings, kidnappings and killings, 70% of the IDPs, of which the real number is likely to be higher, found refuge with host families in the southern and eastern districts of Cabo Delgado, as well as in the neighboring Niassa and Nampula provinces. The remaining 30% of IDPs reside in settlements and collective shelters or are still searching for a place to shelter. The conflict has disrupted agricultural activity and livelihoods. This is compounded by climatic shocks like tropical storms Chalane and Eloise, which hit the provinces of Manica, Sofala and Zambezia at the end of December 2020 and January 2021, respectively. As a result, 1.3 million people are now in desperate need of humanitarian assistance in Cabo Delgado province and the surrounding districts in Niassa and Nampula provinces (HRP 2021). Of those, 950,000 face severe food insecurity levels, classified as IPC3 and IPC4 (IPC 2020). In many parts of Cabo Delgado insecurity has driven up the cost of basic commodities, especially in areas particularly affected by the conflict, including Palma, Macomia and Mocimboa da Praia districts (UN OCHA 2021, February 2021)
• JR-partners in Cabo Delgado are Plan International, CARE, Cordaid, Tearfund, SOS and Oxfam Novib. The DRA Joint response adopts a multi-sectoral response to the IDP crisis, in line with the HRP 2021 (Humanitarian Response Plan) which puts forward this approach. The JR is implemented in Cabo Delgado, being the province with the highest needs and prioritizes the following districts: Mecufi, Chiure, Metuge, Montepuez, and Ancuabe. The Acute Joint Response Cabo Delgado has a multi-sector approach with holistic Shelter/NFIs, WASH, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), and Protection programs
• Food Security & Livelihoods (FSL): The JR works to ensure 43,135 people are able to meet their basic food needs (FSC-I2) and are provided with resources to protect and start rebuilding their livelihoods (FSC-I1). This includes the following activities: - Procurement and distribution of vegetable seeds (cabbage, tomato, carrots and covo-10g each) and a hoe to for local NGOs FHM and AMA - Food packages to Households (HH) in line with cluster recommendations. - In-kind food (3 consecutive months), training on improved farming techniques – Protection is mainstreamed in project design through safe distribution location close to beneficiaries (with crowd controllers), CFRM, including women and PSN in project design Shelter/Non-Food Items (NFI): The JR focuses on individual household shelters and NFI to ensure that 4,500 people have access to dignified and safe shelter solutions (SHL-I1) and NFIs (SHL-I4), including: - Distribution of 1,000 survival kits to newly arrived IDPs and 1,000 comprehensive family kits to both settled and newly arrived IDPs
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): The JR WASH response will reach 57,935 individuals and will focus around ensuring access to safe and sufficient water (WSH-I4), hygiene promotion and provision of soaps (WSH-I1), ensuring access to dignified, safe, clean and functional excreta disposal facilities (WSH-R2) and hygiene promotion (WSH-I6) through reaching people with awareness programming. This includes the following activities: - Distribution of WASH and Dignity kits - Distribution of material for construction of an improved latrine, incl. training - Distribution of latrine slabs to assist self-HH latrine construction (by partners: FH/AMA) - Immediate water supply through water trucking for affected people as well as construction of water systems (boreholes with handpumps and solar water systems) - Hygiene and sanitation promotion in the resettlement camps. This activity will be conducted by local volunteers
• Protection: The JR will reach 24,050 individuals and will mainstream protection throughout the response in line with HRP objectives, and also ensures specific programming to ensure people receive an appropriate response to protection risks (PRO-I2), are provided with information (PRO-I5), are reached by the implementation of specific Gender Based violence (GBV) prevention measures (PRO-I11), Unaccompanied and separated children are specifically supported to address their various and complex needs (PRO-I8), and children receive support specific to their needs (PRO-I15). This includes: - Unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) services including identification and case management, linkages with agencies for Family Tracing and Reunification (FTR) and provision of family-based alternative care, including support to informal foster families
• Establish community protection committees at shelter centers to support and promote a community-based approach to protect women, men, girls and boys from different background. This includes training to members of community protection committees, local leaders and Internal displaced people in GBV, Psychosocial (PSS) incident reporting mechanisms. - Training of teachers in CP and provision of PSS (Psychosocial support) and disability inclusion - Capacity building of Child friendly spaces (CFS) facilitators and PSS animators on Child Protection, psychosocial support, including PFA, Child Safeguarding, PSEA (Prevention against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) & GBV

The Rapid Real Time Review

• For the CDGJR, the RRTR will replace the more common Mid Term evaluation. Instead of focussing on quantitative aspects and accountability, the RRTR will focus on learning and search for quick adaptations to improve programme quality during the remaining second half of the JR. Given that the CDGJR runs from 14/05/2021 till 14/11/2021, the RRTR will take place at mid-term of the project (August, September 2021). A local consultant with thorough knowledge of the local context will be hired by the lead organisation (Plan International) to facilitate the RRTR and to consolidate a report based on peer-to-peer field visits and a one-day workshop

Scope and Objectives of the Review

• This RRTR will be performed by a local consultant with thorough knowledge of the context in Mozambique and the area’s of intervention. The RRTR is part of an official evaluation (donor requirement), but primarily serves for partners to learn from each other and to provide direct real-time input into ongoing CDGJR planning (and future Joint Responses). It should produce be practical and useful lessons and recommendations for the remaining time of the intervention. The Reviews serves:
• To enable JR-partners, particularly field staff, to visit each other and learn about the programs and activities of CDGJR partners through peer-review
• To identify lessons learned and best practices in program design and implementation for the delivery of effective, efficient, and relevant aid for beneficiaries
• To formulate quick adaptations to improve the programme quality of the response
• To share solutions for common challenges experienced during implementation
• To strengthen ongoing monitoring of CDGJR activities
• To provide insights for future DRA acute responses

Areas of Focus for Review

• The review should focus on the following Core Humanitarian Standards:
• CHS #1: The CDGJR is appropriate and relevant (topic A)
• CHS #2: The CDGJR is effective and timely (topic B)
• CHS #7: The CDGJR continuously learns and improves (topic C)
• CHS #6: The CDGJR is coordinated effectively and complementary with other actors (topic D)
• CHS #4/#5: The CDGJR is based on communication, participation and feedback, and welcomes and addresses complaints (topic E)
• The CDG RRTR needs to be light and focussed. Therefore, within the above mentioned areas, the RRTR will focus on a limited number of questions (see Annexes).

Budget

• Plan as CDGJR Lead will cover consultant fees, transport (travel to/from meeting location), and accommodation from the joint budget. Costs for 1 day workshop to reflect on findings from the RRTR are also included in the joint budget
• Consultant - TBD
• Data Collection - TBD
• One-day workshop - TBD
• Total Max - 5000 EUR

Methodologies & Tools

• The CDG RRTR needs to be light and focused and therefore a mixed approach methodology is proposed. The RRTR consists of 4 parts:
• Peer to peer assessments by the JR teams & partners
• Data collection and field check by the consultant
• One-day workshop organized by the consultant
• Consolidation of assessments and Data collected by consultant & report writing
• The peer to peer assessments: The CDGJR-partners (Plan International, CARE, Cordaid, Tearfund, SOS and Oxfam Novib) will visit shared or geographically clustered project sites (combining multiple partners to limit the number of project sites that need to be visited) to conduct peer to peer assessments, based on a developed list of questions (see annex). Partners in the 4 districts that are part of the response (Mecufi, Chiure, Metuge, Montepuez, and Ancuabe) will be visited for 1 to 2 days by multi-partner teams. During the visits, interview with the ‘hosting’ organization will be held and sites will be visited
• These visits will involve project staff, management and interact with beneficiaries. Monitoring discussion guides will be used to structure this form of data collection and learning. The consultant will explain how the tools need to be used
• Data collection and field check by the consultant: The data collection will consist of document review and In-country data collection such as visiting project locations and speaking to crisis affected people. Possibly, some additional interviews will be held with:
• Key Information interviews with Senior/Field Staff
• Key Information interviews with Local Authorities
• FDG with beneficiaries
• One-day workshop organized by the consultant & reporting: Findings from the peer assessments, and the data collection will be discussed during a one-day workshop organized and facilitated by the consultant. Findings from the data analysis and observation from the peer reviews and field visits will be shared in a consortium workshop (1 day) to reflect on observations, analysis, challenges and lessons learned. Based on this a practical report will be produced by September 1st by the consultant, including clear recommendations to improve ongoing projects and suggestions for quick adaptations to foster programme quality (max 10 pages). This planning allows to incorporate the lessons learned in time during the second half of the CDGJR
• In the annexes to this Termes of Reference, tools are proposed. These are based on DRA RRTR tools templates and need to be adapted for the purpose of this specific RRTR. The tools include:
• Annex 1: Key Informant Interviews - Senior Staff
• Annex 2: Key Informant Interviews – Local Authorities
• Annex 3: Focus Group Discussions – Beneficiaries
• Annex 4: Learning Workshop: Facilitator Guide and Template for Notes
• Annex 5: Field Visit Observation Report Template
• Annex 6: Reflection Paper – Visiting Team
• Annex 7: Reflection Paper – Receiving Organization
• Annex 8: Reporting Template RRTR Report

Child Protection & Ethics

• It is understood and agreed that the consultants shall, during and after the effective period of the contract, treat as confidential and not divulge, unless authorized in writing by the Plan, any information obtained in the course of the performance of the Contract
• The ethics process and research will ensure compliance with:
• The requirements of Plan International child protection policy and standards (Annex 9)
• Plan’s Research Policy and Standards (Annex 10) in relation to: informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality and anonymity; steps to minimize discomfort and harm, including intervention and support; feedback of study findings to participants/communities; participation of children under 18 years, and appropriate safety measures for researchers

Duties

Consultant

• Review available RRTR tools and adapt if needed
• Develop draft list with questions for peer to peer review, based on previous DRA RRTR
• Facilitate exchange visits
• Collect data
• Analyze data and present and validate data during a one-day workshop (including facilitation of the workshop)
• Ensure that analysis of data is constructive, do proper investigation of (negative) findings, check and account for bias in reporting
• Report writing

Lead Organization (Plan)

• Develop TOR for consultant and hire consultant
• Coordinate with organizations to schedule visits
• Follow-up with CDGJR members to ensure peer-to-peer review is taking place on schedule
• Together with the consultant, present findings to all CDG JR partners, facilitate discussion through a one-day workshop

Partner organizations

• Establish availability and identify tentative dates for the visit, coordinating with Plan
• Designate staff responsible for visit:
• 2-3 key staff will be responsible for visiting project partners. Staff will conduct a peer to peer review, including answering questions, participating in discussion, etc. The participating staff comprise both technical field staff as well as M&E staff.
• Receiving staff will have overall knowledge of programs, and will include colleagues that will enable them to answer all questions in the monitoring discussion guide (depending on sector, M&E, etc.)
• 1-3 key staff per host partner will be present to facilitate the entire visit, and as many others brought in at necessary times to answer questions in their area(s) of overview/expertise
• Make necessary logistical and security arrangements to receive the visits
• Collect qualitative data from monitoring discussion guide based on the list of questions developed by the lead
• Identify Best Practices and Learning from the organizations that will be useful to share/discuss with consultant
• Ensure consultant understands security and code of conduct

Consultant deliverables

• An Inception report
• Adapted tools to be used during peer-to-peer visits
• A draft RRTR report (max 10 pages)
• Final RRTR report

Timeline

What /Who /When

• Recruitment of Consultant - JR Field Coordinator - 10/08/2021
• Inception report - Consultant - 13/08/2021 - 2 days for reading and tools and inception report
• Peer reviews/data collection - Peer review teams with support of the consultant - Between 9 and 20 August.
• Draft report - Consultant - 01/09/2021
• Feedback on report - Plan PME - 03/09/2021
• 1 day workshop - Consultant - 06/09/2021
• Final report - Consultant - 08/09/2021
• Feedback final report - CDG JR members - 09/09/2021
• Submission to BGH - Lead - 13/09/2021

Requisites

• Consultancy requirements
• In view of the purpose, scope and focus of RRTR, the Joint Response seeks to hire an external consultant with experience with RTRs and the humanitarian sector
• Qualification of the consultant:
• Track record related to conducting evaluations and RTRs of humanitarian programmes
• Have excellent academic and research background
• Be an expert in humanitarian programmes
• Be an expert in qualitative data collection
• Have proven gender sensitivity and capabilities to handle ethical aspects of the study
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills in both Portuguese and English
• Knowledge of the local languages is an asset
• Experience with working with Plan International or any other member of the DRA is an asset
• Consultant preferably should have M&E background and able to quickly understand the monitoring discussion guide

Notes

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted
• For further information please contact – applications.mozambique@plan-interantional.org

How to Apply

1. Documentation

• To apply for this tender please provide the following:
• A brief proposal describing your intended methodological approach for the RRTR & budget
• Resumes of the consultant

2. Application

• Send your Documentation via email to applications.mozambique@plan-interantional.org with the Subject line “Rapid Real Time Review Consultant”.