Consultant – Search for Common Ground عودة إلى الفرص

Search is seeking a consultant who can evaluate the link between local security sector governance and shifts in collaboration and citizens’ engagement in tackling local security issues. Following a 24-month program, we are primarily interested in norms around trust, breaking stereotypes around police, nonviolent communication and constructive collaboration. Consultant’s evaluation proposals should include a plan to analyze these shifts across gender, profiles of beneficiaries, and targeted communities. Candidates should have experience researching norms to explain the connection between programming, the context, and the changes observed.

1. Context

Search for Common Ground

Search is an international conflict transformation NGO that aims to transform the way individuals, groups, governments and companies deal with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative solutions. Headquartered in Washington DC, USA, and Brussels, Belgium, with 52 field offices in 29 countries, Search designs and implements multifaceted, culturally appropriate and conflict-sensitive programs using a diverse range of tools, including media and training, to promote dialogue, increase knowledge and determine a positive shift in behaviors.

The Project 

Search-Tunisia and its partner Kawakibi Democracy Transition Center (KADEM) are now finishing the implementation of a twenty-four month program called,”Strengthening the engagement of civil society and media in community policing approach in Tunisia: Phase 2″ to constructively engage security sector, civil society, local authorities and media through a collaborative approach with the aim of increasing citizens’ engagement in addressing local security challenges. 

The project’s specific objectives are to:

• Equip local actors (CSOs, media, local authorities) with skills and knowledge to engage in constructive dialogue and collaborative action.
• Inform citizens from the target Tunisian communities on engagement in local security issues through discussion spaces and objective information. 

These objectives are achieved through the following outcomes: 

1. Local CSOs, media, and local authorities build their knowledge in dialogue, communication and SSR, allowing them to collaboratively engage in community-level dialogues 
2. Security sector actors, local authorities, CSOs, and media jointly implement community programs

2.1 Local and national actors are provided with a space to constructively discuss and share feedback on local security issues

2.2 Local communities are better informed on engagement in local security issues

The project is composed of the following four components: 

• Capacity Building component: It aims to build the capacities of civil society organizations and media actors on the basics of civilian engagement in security sector governance.  

• Localized dialogues component: This component aims to implement community dialogues  to restore communication between local authorities, security, civil society and media actors. Collaboration will be enhanced through the diagnosis of local security issues, identifying challenges and jointly developing action plans to address them.

• Community programs component: It aims to complement the dialogue sessions and have a further impact on citizens by implementing the identified actions plans in the dialogue sessions in the local communities. 
• Media component : It aims to build the capacities of media actors on Common Ground Approach and inclusive dialogue. In addition to that, a media advocacy campaign will be launched to promote positive models of ways of collaboration between the security sector and citizens.

2. Goal and Objectives of Study

The SFCG approach to evaluations is grounded in the guiding principles of its work: participatory; do no harm, culturally sensitive; affirming and positive while honest and productively critical and valuing knowledge and approaches from within the context. SFCG will apply this approach to the final evaluation of this project, which will be carried out in consultation and in participation with key relevant stakeholders, appropriate community groups and key civil society individuals.  

The overall goal of this final evaluation is to assess the program’s strategic, design, efficiency, effectiveness and impact over the period of 24 months.

The intended objectives of the evaluation are to:

1. Evaluate the project’s performance in terms of achieving its objectives and expected results, and whether the assumptions it made about change were validated;
2. Evaluate the implementation of the main activities of the project;
3. Explore whether stakeholder needs have been entirely met or still remain relevant;
4. Identify lessons learned and draw recommendations for  future projects.
5. Evaluate the sustainability and impact of the project on beneficiaries and local communities.

The evaluation should be based on the OECD-DAC Evaluation Criteria (relevance, effectiveness, impact and sustainability), investigating specific lines of inquiry, and utilizing and/or addressing the performance indicators described in the project document.

3. Key Questions of the Study

• Relevance

– To what extent did the project design respond to the stated problems of security sector transparency, public awareness and support of civilian engagement in security related topics? 

– Are the stated activities, goals and objectives relevant to respond to the aspects of bridging the gap between the security sector, citizens and civil society? 

• Effectiveness

– To what extent was the project successful in reaching its objectives and outcomes? 

– To what extent was project design effective and impact oriented? 

– What could have been done differently to make the project be of higher quality, greater impact? 

– Which internal and external factors facilitated or hindered the achievements of expected results/ specific objectives? 

• Impact

– To what extent was the project’s approach successful in promoting an inclusive environment to improve communication between the public and security sector through collaborative development of local initiatives?

– Were there any unintended or unexpected results (positive or negative)? 

– How was the project, and SFCG/KADEM intervention, perceived by the host communities at the beginning vs. now? Did SFCG and KADEM manage to achieve local buy-in?

• Sustainability

– Did the achieved outcomes lead to long-term improvements and are they sustainable ? 

In addition to the above lines of inquiry, the evaluation is expected to provide information on the key indicators listed in the project logframe. 

4. Geographic Locations

The project targeted four  local communities : Bizerte, Grand-Tunis, Sousse and Medenine. 

5. Methodology and Data Collection Tools

The evaluation methodology will be proposed and defined by the Consultant, based on SFCG requirements and validation. SFCG requests that the methodology should employ mixed qualitative and quantitative data collection approaches, as well as triangulation between several methods of data gathering. 

This will include, but not be limited to the following principles or approaches: 

• a desk review of the project proposal, project reports and other relevant documentation related to the project;
• the collection of information through key informant interviews, focus group discussions and small scale surveys;
• site visits, stakeholders meeting, observation. 
• Inclusiveness: the methodology should include a wide range of viewpoints

Proposals should outline methods for data collection to be used and justification for these methods related to the research questions. Proposals should also include a proposed sampling strategy and approach to analysis, which will be finalized in consultation with SFCG. These figures will take into consideration the activities carried out by SFCG and KADEM, target population and the project areas.  In addition Do No Harm strategies and any proposed deliverables for sharing the findings of the study should be included in this section of the proposal

To ensure a better understanding of the key issues that will be addressed in the project, the data will be disaggregated by age and sex, as well as by geographical location. 

In light of COVID-19-related risks, the proposal should include a mitigation plan for data collection in case the Tunisian government imposes new measures that restrict assembly and mobility.

Deliverables

Search expects the following deliverables from the external consultant(s) as they correspond to the timeline and budget:

• An inception report detailing the methodology, data collection tools and timeline;
• Any necessary training of data collectors or set-up of systems for data collection;
• Field report (describing data collection process, Oversight of data coding and analysis)
• All original data submitted to Search;
• A draft evaluation report in English , for review by Search staff and partners;
• A final report in English (40 pages max in length, excluding appendices) consistent with Search branding and standards for evaluation. The report:
  • Uses the Search evaluation template unless otherwise agreed in the contract
  • Provides a clear connection between the context assessment and the intended results, articulate the project’s ToC, and include other relevant project specifics
  • Fully explains the objectives and research questions of the study, limitations and methods chosen for analysis, 
  • Findings respect Search’s evaluation standards, are structured around the main objectives of the study, and are presented in relation to the intended target groups. The findings should speak to the link between the project, it’s Theory of Change and its contribution to our strategy. It should explain adaptations that occurred during the project and their impact on results.
  • Recommendations should have a clear audience and be specific, accessible, and actionable. 
  • Indicator table showing all indicators
  • Appendices should include detailed research instruments, list of interviewees, terms of references and evaluator(s) brief biography.

Logistical Support

Consultant(s) will be responsible for organizing their own logistics for data collection (vehicles, fuel, and drivers), and this must be budgeted into the study.

In addition, Search and partners will share the following elements with the external consultant(s): Background materials including the project proposal and logframe, M&E plan, etc.

6. Ethical Considerations

SFCG places a high priority on ensuring that all evaluation  activities are conducted in an ethical manner. Participation in data collection activities is always voluntary, does not result in monetary gain and, where appropriate, the identity of participants is protected (for example, if information is provided in confidence, the consultant will not divulge related data in connection with their name and will limit the audience with access to the collected data and related discussion of results). Where the consultant conducts interviews to gather data, she/he garners informed consent of all interview participants (participants understand what the information provided will be used for, who will have access to the transcripts, who will have access to subsequent reports and how and if their name will be connected to their statements). The data collection approach should adhere to the  Do No Harm principles and COVID-19 precautionary measures ( respecting social distancing, using face masks, having hand sanitizers, etc…).

The data collection strategy should take into consideration the needs of both men and women. When collecting the data, respondents and targeted samples should be gathered in  a safe space.

7. Data Quality Assurance and Management

All the submitted deliverables by the consultant will be reviewed by the DM&E team, program team and ILT.  To ensure effective data management, all the qualitative collected data (through FGDs, KIIs) will be transcribed with the respect to the data collection ethics. All the quantitative surveys will be cleaned and stored in a secured database. Access to the data will be allowed to the staff members who work on the project and will be limited to those who have the password.

All the evaluation deliverables will be reviewed and approved by our country office and global Institutional Learning Team prior to acceptance of the final product. 

8. Timeline

The total number of working days for the final evaluation will be 35 working days spread over the 45 days period from the date of signing the contract. The following timeline will be followed: