Tenders Are Invited For Peacebuilding Project Evaluator- Consultancy

Tenders are invited for Peacebuilding Project Evaluator- Consultancy Closing Date: 27 May 2024 Type: Consultancy Themes: Education/Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding/Recovery and Reconstruction Title: Peacebuilding ProjectEvaluator Duration: 60 days over 3 months [June 1st -August 30th, 2024] Location: home-based, with travel to South Sudan Type of Contract: International or National Consultant Languages Required: English Estimated budget: $65,000 BACKGROUND IOM in South Sudan has a broad range of programming centered around three broad areas: humanitarian coordination and support, humanitarian response and resilience, and peacebuilding, transition, and development. Humanitarian coordination and support include leading/co-leading the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) and Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI) Clusters, Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and management of WASH and Shelter and NFI core-pipelines, humanitarian hubs, and standard transport services. Humanitarian response and resilience include CCCM, WASH, Shelter & NFI, health, protection, gender equality and inclusion, mental health and psychosocial support, and the management of a Rapid Response Fund. Under durable solutions, IOM South Sudan implements programming on housing, land, and property rights, including conflict mitigation and prevention of disputes in addition to, community-based violence reduction, community development, and migration management. Despite the signing of the 12 September 2018 R-ARCSS, political conflict has continued in Central Equatoria, Western Bahr Al Ghazal, and Unity State which has been made worse by the fractionalization of both signatory and non-signatory groups. This has exacerbated the devastation of a region that was once the countrys breadbasket, reducing the chances of an early recovery at a time when people have begun to return to their communities from other neighboring countries voluntarily or mandated due to the Sudan crisis that started in April 2023. The durable solutions unit has been working jointly with other units in the IOM mission to ensure the development of practical solutions for IDPs, returnees, and host communities. The IOM-led project, funded by the Peace Building Fund (PBF), aims to foster and promote peacebuilding, and social cohesion, and enhance HLP governance processes in the targeted areas, (Juba County, Wau County, Rubkona County), housing, land, and property disputes reflect deep-rooted challenges regarding local governance and the rule of law, which ultimately may cause tensions to rise between individuals and among communities that can enhance the risk of triggering unwanted violent conflicts, to support local efforts and processes that resolve housing, land, and property (HLP) disputes peacefully, it also aims to facilitate power holder engagement, participation, and representation in setups where positions and perspectives are discussed and mediated as a first step towards peacebuilding among conflicting parties. The project number is MPTF-O 00129661, the budget is 3,700,000, and the project period started from December 15th, 2021, until June 15th, 2024, It aims to support local efforts and processes that resolve housing, land, and property (HLP) disputes peacefully, it also aims to facilitate power holder engagement, participation, and representation in setups where positions and perspectives are discussed and mediated as a first step towards peacebuilding among conflicting parties. The project has been conducting soft component activities and hard component activities, working with the government of South Sudan (National and State), traditional authorities, and communities including returnees, IDPs, and host communities in addition to the humanitarian actors. The key partners and stakeholders of this project are the government of South Sudan, the national and state, the traditional authorities, internally displaced people, returnees, host communities and local partners. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE EVALUATION Purpose This project evaluation presents an opportunity to assess the achievements of project Community Action for Peaceful Resolution of Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) Disputes and Conflicts in an inclusive way and to determine its overall added value to peacebuilding in South Sudan, in the areas of housing, land and property rights, peacebuilding and governance. In assessing the degree to which the project met its intended peacebuilding objectives and results, the evaluation will provide key lessons about successful peacebuilding approaches and operational practices, as well as highlight areas where the project performed less effectively than anticipated. In that sense, this project evaluation is equally about accountability as well as learning. Objectives of the evaluation: Assess the relevance and appropriateness of the project in terms of 1) addressing key drivers of conflict and the most relevant peacebuilding issues; 2) alignment with National Peacebuilding Policy and national priorities of South Sudan; 3) whether the project capitalized on the UNs added value in South Sudan; and 4) the degree to which the project addressed cross-cutting issues such as conflict and gender equality in South Sudan. Assess to what extent the PBF-funded project has made a concrete contribution to reducing a conflict factor in South Sudan. With respect to PBFs contribution, the evaluation should evaluate whether the project helped advance achievement of the SDGs, and in particular SDG 16. Evaluate the projects efficiency, including its implementation strategy, institutional arrangements as well as its management and operational systems and value for money. Assess whether the support provided by the PBF has promoted the Women, Peace and Security agenda (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, allowed a specific focus on womens and young peoples participation in peacebuilding processes, and whether it was accountable to gender equality. Assess whether the project has been implemented through a conflict-sensitive approach. Document good practices, innovations, and lessons emerging from the project. Provide actionable recommendations for future programming. SCOPE OF THE PROJECT EVALUATION This evaluation will examine the projects implementation process and peacebuilding results, drawing upon the projects results framework as well as other monitoring data collected on the project outputs and outcomes as well as context. Evaluation questions are based on the OECD DAC evaluation criteria as well as PBF-specific evaluation criteria, which have been adapted to the context. Evaluator(s) should ensure that evaluation of the peacebuilding results is the main line of inquiry. Peacebuilding projects frequently employ approaches that work through thematic areas that overlap with development or humanitarian goals. An evaluation of peacebuilding projects, however, must include not only reflection on progress within the thematic area but the degree to which such progress may or may not have contributed to addressing a relevant conflict factor. The evaluation should assess the projects theory of change (see PBF Theory of Change Guidance Note), and, if shortcomings are found, the theory of change must be reformulated/improved by the evaluator(s). Evaluator(s) are expected to create a theory of change for projects that did not have one at the design stage. Assumptions behind the projects theory of change must be clearly articulated and assessed for validity by evaluator(s). Evaluation Questions (within OECD DAC criteria) RELEVANCE: Was the project relevant in addressing conflict drivers and factors for peace identified in a conflict analysis? Was the project appropriate and strategic to the main peacebuilding goals and challenges in the country at the time of the projects design? Did relevance continue throughout implementation? Was the project relevant to the UNs peacebuilding mandate and the SDGs, in particular SDG 16? Was the project relevant to the needs and priorities of the target groups/beneficiaries? Were they consulted during design and implementation of the project? How relevant and responsive has the project been to supporting peacebuilding priorities in South Sudan? Did the projects theory of change clearly articulate assumptions about why the project approach is expected to produce the desired change? Was the theory of change grounded in evidence? To what extent did the project respond to peacebuilding gaps? EFFICIENCY: How efficient was the overall staffing, planning and coordination within the project (including between the implementing agencies and with stakeholders)? Have project funds and activities been delivered in a timely manner? How efficient and successful was the projects implementation approach, including procurement, number of implementing partners and other activities? How well did the project collect and use data to monitor results? How effectively was updated data used to manage the project? How well did the project team communicate with implementing partners, stakeholders and project beneficiaries on its progress? Did the project provide value for money? Have resources been used efficiently? To what extent did the project ensure synergies within different programs of UN agencies and other implementing organizations and donors? EFFECTIVENESS: To what extent did the project achieve its intended objectives and contribute to the projects strategic vision? To what extent did the project substantively mainstream gender and support gender- and youth responsive peacebuilding? How appropriate and clear was the projects targeting strategy in terms of geographic and beneficiary targeting? Was the project monitoring system adequately capturing data on peacebuilding results at an appropriate outcome level? SUSTAINABILITY To what extent d Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4062739/peacebuilding-project-evaluator-consultancy