Consultant – End of Project Evaluation

About Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD)

Since its incepion in 2008, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) a Jordanian civil society organization has emerged as an influential, well-respected actor in the fields of social development and justice inJordan. It has done so through a variety of programs aiming to protect and empower individuals at risk of vulnerabilities in Arab societies: migrants, refugees, women, and youth. ARDD has not only managed to support and gain the trust of these individuals but persists to advocate for change and structural reforms in law and policy. shown the capacity to be close to these individuals, but also to engage in advocacy for critical changes and structural reforms in law and policy. Within its scope of work, ARDD has been engaging with the private sector and mobilizing investors with a view to establishing strategic and innovative partnerships with enterprises willing to develop business models that are more respectful of employment rights. In this light, within this intervention, ARDD will work closely with the Naffa’a Group, a medium-size Jordanian enterprise specialized in high-quality handicrafts.

Project Background:

ARDD, in partnership with the European Regional Development and Protection Program (RDPP II) to support Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq, implemented the “Design and Determine” project. The project aimed to ensure 45 vulnerable Jordanians and Syrian refugees are incentivized and equipped to improve their livelihoods, protection, and actively advance Jordan’s economic growth agenda within a protected, conducive, and decent work environment. Furthermore, through ARDD’s partnership with the private sector, Al-Zummurod for Orientals, it activated the developmental role of local investors/private sector through a social responsibility framework in in line with the international movement for “Localization.

ARDD supported the private sector partner in enhancing its capacity in income generation and creation of decent sustainable jobs.

The project has been built upon and utilizes three main pathways designed to address the main obstacles facing vulnerable communities attaining formal decent work in Jordan whereas:

• The first pathway entails the investment in a private sector actor, Al-Zumurrod for Orientals, in return for the training and employment of 20 refugees and vulnerable Jordanians.
• The second pathway pertains to the provision of ten scholarships accredited through vocational training institutions and their placement for 3 months paid for on the job training.
• The third pathway has been based on the establishment of an incubator to host 15 entrepreneurs at different stages of maturity.

This is followed by a sequential approach whereby beneficiaries received different services and support, based on their vulnerability and progression through the project to develop prospects of local economic growth and support local innovation through:

• The provision of technical and vocational training and education for Jordanian and refugee youths.
• Encouraging and incentivizing the private sector to employ and train vulnerable unemployed Jordanian youths, migrants, and refugees.
• Raising awareness on legal rights, employment requirements, and services available to host and refugee communities.
• Advocating for the implementation of policies that boost entrepreneurship potential and promote decent and gender-responsive work policies.

As a result, the project’s Theory of Change captures its overall goal and the means by which this intervention will achieve its projected outcomes.

Overall Goal: Vulnerable Jordanians and refugees are resilient, enjoy decent livelihoods that are supported and protected, policies pertaining access to justice are advanced, and transformative change is evidence based and in line with national economic and social agendas.

• National Level:

The private sector is mobilized and committed to its inherent social responsibility to contribute and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities within their respective societies.

• Policy Level:

Duty bearers are partners in the support of economic and social reforms carried out by CSOs and Private Sector entities to improve vulnerable communities’ livelihoods.

• Community Level:

Social cohesion among vulnerable Jordanians and Syrian refugees is manifested, protected and sustained through constructive dialogue, common needs and mutual quest for decent livelihoods.

• Individual Level:

Vulnerable Jordanians and Syrian Refugees lead dignified lives and protected rights that enable them to utilize economic opportunities to enjoy decent livelihoods.

Project Outcomes:

Accordingly, the outcomes of the project are summarized in the following:

• Outcome 1: Enhanced access to employment of Jordanian and refugee beneficiaries benefiting from education, training and business incubation.
• Outcome 2: Enhanced private sector capacity in income generation and creation of decent sustainable jobs
• Outcome 3: Enhanced protection of targeted male and female Jordanian and refugee beneficiaries benefiting from legal, psychosocial services and social cohesion initiatives.
• Outcome 4: Capacity of ARDD is enhanced in the economy of human rights, code of conduct, child protection, and the “do no harm” principles to respond to the needs of refugees and vulnerable communities.

Overall Consultancy Objective:

The overall objective of this consultancy is to conduct endline evaluation of the Design and Determine (Samem) project in which it appraises the project objectives and its tactics referenced above and the extent to which this intervention managed to achieve its goals.

2. METHODOLY

The methodology design should be developed by the consultant in consideration of the information outlined in this ToR. ARDD will provide existing baseline tools, midterm evaluation and the beneficiary list.

The consultant will refer to the baseline tools and results to build on for the end of project evaluation. The evaluation should follow a theory-based approach.

The consultant will adhere to ARDD code of conduct, practices and confidentiality when interviewing or photographing vulnerable Jordanian and refugees this is key to ARDD and the donor; and also take into account principles of impartiality, independence, objectivity, participation, collaboration, transparency, reliability, privacy, and utility throughout the process.

The consultant will be responsible for developing the tools, carrying out the data collection from the different sources, analysing it, and reporting:

• Survey (endline) with a sample of beneficiaries who took the capacity building training from the three pathways.
• Interview the project staff (project manager and project coordinator) to gain some insight about challenges and suggestions for improvement in terms of implementation.
• Sample visits to the partners, KII and FGD with the key players.

While the consultant will be responsible for analysing the data collected above, the below should be included as part of the analysis:

• The project result framework with the final updates of the indicators achievements values.
• Use the baseline/ eligibility criteria data (that is already collected) to measure the outcome of the incubates grants.
• The midline evaluation.

Assessment Scope

The scope of this assignment will inculcate verification methods that validate the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, impact and sustainability of the project implementation and its outcomes. For this purpose, the evaluation will aim to answer – but not limited to, the following questions:

Learning Objectives

Informed by its overall goal, this assignment’s specific objectives will be:

• What are the factors both positive and negative influenced this capacity?
• Who benefited from shared learning experiences, mainly the beneficiaries or also the privet sector, community members and NGOs?
• Capture project achievements, challenges and best practices to inform similar future programming and how did the different actors learn from these experiences.
• Is there any substantial evidence on how project learning, were generated and applied to improve the delivery or effectiveness or efficiency of activities?

Efficiency:

• How well has the project used its resources to produce target outputs? In what we succeed? and in what we failed? And why?
• What was the most efficient pathway and why?
• Is the collaboration with privet sector was efficient? and why?
• Were activities cost-efficient? did the actual or expected results (outputs and outcomes) justify the costs incurred? It was efficient?
• What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the project implementation process?

Effectiveness:

• Did we achieve the planned outcomes? and why not. What were the major factors influencing the achievement or the un-fulfillment of the outputs and outcomes?
• Evaluate the private sector capacity in income generation and creation of decent sustainable jobs.
• Measure the factors effecting the access of Jordanians and refugees to employment opportunities specifically those who benefitted from the three pathways through this project including comparing which pathway worked better toward the goal.
• What are the factors both positive and negative influenced this capacity?
• Was the project effective in delivering the desired/planned results? What were the successes and what could have been done differently?
• Have proper accountability and risk management matrix been in place to minimize risks on program implementation?
• To assess and identify best practices, challenges, lessons, risks and mitigation tactics, knowledge and experiences on the three pathways and with relevance to the project outcomes.

Relevance:

• To which extent the project responded to the participants needs?
• Which pathway was more relevant and why?
• Is the design of the project being compatible with participants capacity building needs.
• How relevant were the objectives and activities, implemented by the project, in addressing participants needs?

• How the planning and implementation of interventions take the social demands interventions were based upon an adequate need assessment and shows an understanding of and support for the livelihoods and capacities of the targeted population? What worked better as a result and what was missed if any.
• In what ways the project’s activities and objectives designed and implemented in a way avoiding future risks and assumptions while supporting these?

Impact:

• To what extent the project interventions have generated significant impact (including positive or negative, intended or unintended, higher-level effects) on the targeted community?
• Assess the quality of the project’s impact informed by the project’s immediate outcomes and outputs on the immediate, medium and long-terms.
• To collect evidence on the positive, negative, and unintended impacts of the project based on the target communities’ experience.
• What were the major factors influencing the achievement of the objectives of the project?
• How has the activities implemented improved participants lives? Are there any stories of change or success?
• To what extend the project increased participants income compared to the baseline assessment?
• What is the percentage increase in beneficiaries perceived ability to access a durable solution RDPP A.4- for refugees only? (Definition will be given as per the log-frame)
• What is the percentage of total project beneficiaries (disaggregated by status of origin /gender) who demonstrated improved skills and capacities that enabled them to enter the labor market?
• What is the percentage of the job-placement beneficiaries who retained their jobs for at least 3 months? Why / why not?
• What is the percentage of incubations businesses created or scaled up that were sustained for at least six months after business grant disbursement? Why/ why not?
• In what ways the project contributed to this result, if any?
• What is the impact of the training programs on guiding the beneficiaries and providing valuable support to them?
• What is the impact of the project on building the capacities of the privet sector achieving decent work environment?
• Did the incubators expand their business in the market?

Sustainability:

• To what extent are the benefits of the project likely to be sustained and continue after the completion of the project?
• To provide practical, actionable and relevant recommendations for the three pathways.
• Will the changes caused by this project continue beyond the life of the project? If yes, how we can sustain this?
• What were the major factors that influenced the achievement or non-achievement of sustainability of the program or project? And What are the key factors that will require attention in order to improve prospects of sustainability of project outcomes and the potential for replication of the approach?
• To what extent did the capacity development of the privet sector help in sustaining the project? In what ways?
• To what extent did the business training support the beneficiaries to sustain their jobs or SMEs? In what ways?
• 3- Assignment Deliverables

The consultant is expected submit the following deliverables within the agreed timeframe and budget, draft deliverables should be reviewed and approved by ARDD and shared with RDPP. That’s include the following:

• Inception report including: finalized methodology, work-plan, and resource request.
• Draft report should be submitted to ARDD for feedback taking into consideration that RDPP need to provide feedback on the report drafts before its considered finalized.
• Final report included executive summary contains clear answers to each of the evaluation questions.
• Presentation of findings to ARDD and RDPP

4. Timeframe

Deadline for completion of consultancy: Mid of February, 2022

• 7 days’ kick-off meeting, tool finalisation and inception report
• 10 days’ data collection
• 8 days’ analysis and report-writing​

​5-Qualifications and experience

• Bachelor degree, Master’ preferred in International Development Studies, Humanitarian Leadership Program, or a related field.
• At least 7 years’ experience in working with humanitarian sectoral programs relating to Technical Vocational Training, SMEs and livelihood program.
• Demonstrated experience with quantitative and qualitative research, data base management and statistical data analysis.
• Excellent skills in research, monitoring and evaluation of livelihood/ education/ protection/ economy development programs including accountability to beneficiaries
• Familiar with the economic situation and refugee sector in Jordan.
• Proven record of communicating with beneficiaries.
• Ability to assess and further develop a conceptual evaluation tool.
• Excellent facilitation skills, co-ordination, and oral and written communication skills in English (particularly report writing).
• Demonstrated excellent written and spoken communications skills in Arabic and English

1. Submission of application

Along with their CV interested candidates should submit:

The consultant is expected to submit technical and financial proposals, separately comprising the following components:

• Technical proposal.
• A clear workplan.
• Proposed evaluation budget that includes the schedule of payments.
• Experience evidence related to Project Evaluations.
• Curriculum Vitae for all the consultants and proposed capacity of any complementary staff (CVs submitted should of staff that will be on this assignment).
• Names, addresses, telephone numbers of three organizations that will act as professional referees.
• Copies of relevant work undertaken in the last 3 years.

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