Mid-Term Evaluation 

Green Forward Programme

Contracting Authority – SPARK 

SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship to empower young, ambitious people to lead their fragile and conflict-affected societies into prosperity. SPARK is a dynamic and growing international not-for-profit development organisation with 100+ staff members in more than 14 offices worldwide. 

We open pathways for young people, particularly women and refugees, to study, work and grow their own businesses in fragile communities. Their success brings stability where it’s needed most.

• Statement of Work: 

SPARK is currently seeking an experienced and independent consultant (or consultancy firm) to conduct the Mid-Term Evaluation of the Green Forward Programme. The selected service provider will be responsible for carrying out the evaluation assignment in close coordination with SPARK, including the design of the evaluation methodology, data collection, analysis, and reporting of findings and recommendations.

• Programme Objective: 

The overall objective of the action is to strengthen Business Support Organizations’ (BSOs) capacity to act as ecosystem enablers, bridging the gap between policy (macro) and SME (micro) levels in the Southern Neighborhood in the transition to an inclusive green economy.

Expected outcomes:

1. Strengthened local and regional networks of actors involved in the promotion of an inclusive green economy.
2. Increased stakeholders’ and BSOs’ capacity to promote green and circular economy practices at micro, meso and macro levels.

Objective of the Mid-Term Evaluation

The objective of this Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) is to assess progress against baseline values established in 2024 and evaluate progress toward Output and Outcome level results after approximately 18 months of implementation.

The evaluation will identify early signs of systemic change, assess behavioral and institutional changes among supported BSOs, evaluate the effectiveness of local and regional networks, and generate evidence-based recommendations to strengthen implementation during the remaining programme period.

Scope of the Evaluation

The evaluation will cover:

• All seven countries of implementation.
• 45 Emerging BSOs and 17 Green BSOs supported under the programme.
• Regional peer-learning and cross-country collaboration components.

The evaluation will focus on:

• Outputs and Outcomes (not impact-level assessment).
• Institutional capacity change using the 5 Core Capabilities framework for comparability with baseline.
• Network development and partnership strengthening.
• Policy engagement progress and ecosystem-level influence.
• Early signs of sustainability and systemic change.

Evaluation Framework (OECD-DAC Criteria)

• Relevance – Alignment with ecosystem needs and green economy priorities.
• Coherence – Alignment between national and regional components.
• Effectiveness – Progress toward Outputs and Outcomes and network strengthening.
• Efficiency – Adequacy of implementation modalities and resource use.
• Sustainability – Likelihood of sustained institutional and network improvements.
• Early Signs of Impact – Observable shifts in ecosystem dynamics.

Methodology

Given the geographical scope and available budget, the evaluation will primarily rely on remote data collection methods.

The methodology should include:

• Comprehensive document review (baseline, monitoring data, reports).
• Online Key Informant Interviews (SPARK staff, selected BSOs, regional partners, policy stakeholders).
• Re-application of the 5 Core Capabilities assessment framework.
• Structured scorecards and comparative cross-country analysis.

No large-scale quantitative surveys or in-country field missions are foreseen.

Deliverables

• Inception Report (methodology and sampling plan).
• Mid-Term Evaluation Report (including Executive Summary).
• Country Annexes (one per country).
• Learning Brief (partner-friendly version).
• PowerPoint presentation for Steering Committee and partners.

Timeline

1 April – 31 May 2025

Budget

Maximum available budget: 10,000 EUR (consultancy fees only).

The financial proposal must include a breakdown of days per deliverable and daily rate (VAT included).

Expertise Required

• Advanced degree in relevant field (International Development, Economics, Public Policy or related).
• Minimum 7 years of experience in programme evaluation.
• Demonstrated experience with OECD-DAC evaluations.
• Experience in institutional capacity assessment.
• Experience in green economy / entrepreneurship / ecosystem development.
• Experience in the MENA region.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.
• Fluency in English.

Payment Scheme for the Mid-Term Evaluation

The payments for this Mid-Term Evaluation will be processed upon receipt of invoices and submission of deliverables, according to the following scheme:

Payment will be made upon SPARK’s formal approval of each deliverable.

Application Process

Interested consultants or consultancy firms are invited to submit a complete application including the following documents:

• Cover letter (maximum 1 page), confirming availability during the evaluation period;
• Proof of registration (if applicable);
• CV(s) of all proposed team members;
• Technical proposal, clearly outlining:
  • Understanding of the assignment;
  • Proposed methodology and approach;
  • Work plan and timeline;
• Financial proposal, including consultancy fees (VAT included) with a breakdown of days × daily rate per deliverable.

Interested consultants or firms should submit their applications to SPARK through
a.souissi@spark-online.org and a.ajengui@spark-online.org before March 31st 2026.

Further information may be requested and questions may also be discussed through email.

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we cannot respond to every

applicant individually. There may be a delay between the application deadline and

the moment we contact selected applicants.

If you have not received a reply, we regret to inform you that we have continued with

other candidates.

About SPARK

At SPARK we create pathways. Pathways that give youth the tools they need to succeed in regions affected by conflict, climate crisis, and displacement. New ways to empower students and entrepreneurs to study, work and grow their own businesses.

We do so through our four pillars. We are a dynamic and growing, international not- for-profit development organization with 120+ staff members, in more than 14 offices around the world. Our five values are the heart of everything we do. They inspire us to be the best we can be for ourselves and everyone we work with:

Trust us to be reliable, fair and have integrity

A can do attitude is how we achieve our best results

We care for what we do and who we work with

We are courageous in who we are, what we do and who we support

Ignite innovative responses to the ever-changing needs of the countries we work in