Consultant - Endline Assessment (RAI BORNO 3 (USAID - OFDA) at Mercy Corps Nigeria - 5 Openings

Mercy Corps’ Recovery and Assistance Initiative for Borno 3 (RAI Borno 3) continued to build on and expand the emergency humanitarian response under RAI Borno 2. RAI Borno 3 primarily focused on immediate lifesaving humanitarian needs – especially those needs faced by new arrivals and people living in overcrowded and underserved camps and host communities.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Consultant - Endline Assessment for RAI BORNO 3 (USAID - OFDA

Locations: Bama, Damboa, Ngala, Dikwa and Gwoza, Borno
Employment Type: Contract

Details

• Mercy Corps through RAI-BORNO 3 targeted substantial, unmet needs with specific focus on current LGAs (Ngala, Dikwa, Gwoza, and Damboa). Given the fluidity of the situation, Mercy Corps has been flexible to adjust the geographic areas based on priority needs, access, and ongoing consultations with OFDA. Building on lessons learned, Mercy Corps introduced a rapid response mechanism allowing us to react quickly and provide life-saving assistance to beneficiaries beyond the initially targeted areas.
• The proposed program is a multi-sector intervention including the following sectors: Nutrition, Protection, Shelter and Settlements, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), and Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance. By integrating and mainstreaming gender and protection, RAI Borno 3 aimed to contribute to a safer, more dignified experience and enabling environment, especially for those with special needs. This combination of services will encourage a compounding effect to help communities navigate risks and strengthen capacities to mitigate vulnerabilities.

Purpose / Project Description:

• Through this program, Mercy Corps ensured that vulnerable communities in the project locations, including IDPs, returnees, refugees and host community members, have increased access to clean water and sanitation and demonstrated knowledge and use of hygiene practices, shelter needs are met, livelihood standard has improved, having access to food, basic health care, and education have enhanced, integrating gender and mainstreaming protection.
• Nutrition: The program was implemented in the IDP camps to improve nutrition-related health outcome in the camp/communities where the program was implemented. Through nutrition messaging and sensitization to promote good practices of Infant and Young Child Feeding. The team also worked with Nutrition promoters and trained Mothers on early detection and referral of children with malnutrition. This was carried out through the mother-led Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screening of their children. MUAC is the circumference of the left upper arm, measured at the mid-point between the tip of the shoulder and the tip of the elbow.
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene worked on four sub-sectors; Water Supply, Sanitation, Hygiene Promotion and WASH Non-food Items to ensure the reduction of morbidity, mortality and malnutrition from water-borne diseases, lack of information and poor access to clean sanitation facilities.
  • Water supply - Drilled, Repaired and rehabilitated water supply points, provided water trucking to ensure vulnerable populations have consistent and adequate access to safe water in the program locations.
  • Sanitation - Rehabilitated/constructed latrines and excreta disposal facilities for camps, and IDPs informal sites to improve sanitation including drainage evacuation was done in Dikwa, Damboa and Ngala,
  • Hygiene promotion - Conducted hygiene promotion activities as per the outcomes of the hygiene needs assessment responding to negative coping mechanisms and to promote proper hygiene practices in different topics, such as hand-washing, basic hygiene techniques to limit the spread of disease, and water conservation.
  • WASH NFIs - Distributed NFIs or vouchers, in combination with hygiene promotion sessions, to encourage the practice of safe hygiene techniques amongst vulnerable populations.
• Protection: The protection team trained Community leaders, Mercy Community volunteers, and other stakeholders on Gender Based Violence (GBV), Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and referral pathways. Protection Master Trainers (PMTs) were hired and trained on GBV awareness campaign to help disseminate GBV prevention messages and monitor cases at community level across all the implementation locations.
• Shelter and Settlements: The Shelter and Settlements worked across two sub-sectors; Shelter and Shelter Non-food Items to meet the immediate shelter and Shelter Non-food items needs of the conflict affected households in intervention locations.
  • Shelter – Basic emergency shelter kits, shelter upgradation kits, shelter repairs kits and roofing kits were distributed across intervention locations using both direct in-kind distribution and e-voucher approach. Similarly, emergency shelters were constructed to provide shelters to newly displaced households.
  • Shelter NFIs – Due to the high need of NFIs across IDP camps, shelter NFIs were distributed to help curb the hardship faced by IDPs due to absence of NFIs. Program participants were selected based on differentiated vulnerability and shelter needs.
• Multipurpose Cash Assistance: Cash was distributed to vulnerable populations in all the implementation locations (Bama, Damboa, Dikwa, Gwoza and Ngala) to have their basic needs met with a varying distribution value per location. This was done through electronic voucher system. The program participants consisted of IDPs living in camps and host community members.

The purpose of this end line evaluation are outline below:

• Evaluate the achievements of the activity in relation to the goal, objectives, results, and targets.
• Evaluate the activity’s effects on local markets, and how it affected certain groups of interest (women and men; the youth population; boys and girls, etc.).
• Evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of the modality, transfers, and complementary interventions to achieve activity outcomes.
• Identify best practices, lessons learned, strengths, and challenges in the activity design, including the Log Frame, and implementation for achieving project achievements.

The end line evaluation is expected to cover all the sub-sectors of the program and the result of the findings will be used to inform the final report to the donor and with the various cluster in Nigeria to help inform current and future programming.

Survey Questions:

• It is expected that the questions will be formulated by the sector leads in collaboration with MEL lead and the consultant.

Consultant Deliverables:
The consultant is expected to provide a means of answering the survey questions using both qualitative and quantitative means of data-collection and analysis. This will include the key deliverables of:

• Develop an Inception report detailing the process, tools and methodologies to be employed to answer the evaluation questions.
• Undertake desk review of the relevant program documents
• The consultant is expected to carry out the following tasks and to produce a comprehensive final end-line report.
• Train, and oversee the work of Enumerators.
• Prepare draft evaluation report.
• Finalize report, produce presentation of findings, and share back with MC.

Below is an overview of the activities, their duration, and the stakeholders responsible. The duration/Level of Effort included is an estimate.

The consultant will be provided with transportation and accommodation in-country and location of final evaluation - but Mercy Corps will provide guidance and recommendations. The consultant will include their airfare as part of the contract – and Mercy Corps will support with access to field/implementation sites. International consultants will be permitted to work remotely and coordinate with the Mercy Corps team in Maiduguri because travel challenges as a result of COIVD-19. Mercy Corps Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team will be available to work directly with the consultant throughout the duration of the consultancy and to answer any question as they emerge.

Report Structure & Content:

• Cover Page, List of Acronyms
• Table of Contents
• Executive Summary: This section should be a clear and concise stand-alone document that gives readers the essential contents of the Assessment report, including a summary of major findings, lessons learned, and recommendations.

Methodology:

• This section should be sufficiently detailed to help the reader judge the accuracy of the report and its findings.

Limitations:

• This section should address constraints and limitations of the methodology, and the implications of these limitations for the findings, including whether and why any of the evaluation findings are inconclusive.

Results:

• This section should provide a clear assessment of progress with respect to indicators / targets / objectives and/or evaluation questions, production of indicator estimate with tables showing the indicators, BL/EL indicator value and statistically compare the two value. Reference baseline and midterm evaluation information as well as program logic, theory of change, etc.

Synthesis, Recommendations and Lessons Learned:

• This is space for the evaluation team to think about the data and results, and make concrete recommendations for current or future program improvements, pull out organization lessons learned, and generally comment on data and results. Everything presented in this section should be directly linked back to the information presented in the Results section of the report

Conflicts of Interest:

• Disclose any conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest, including the interest of program staff in having a successful program.

Annexes:

• These should include a complete file of data collection instruments in English, list of stakeholder groups with number and type of interactions; SOW, qualitative protocols developed and used, any data sets (these can be provided in electronic format), any required photos, participant profiles or other special documentation needed.

The following are the key deadlines for the report:

• First draft report to be submitted on December 15, 2020.
• Mercy Corps will review draft report and provide feedback no later than December 18, 2020.
• Final report, incorporating feedback, will be due on December 22, 2020.

Timeframe / Schedule:

• It is expected that the consultant is available to start on November 23, 2020 with an initial meeting with the RAI Borno team. The consultant will then work until 22 December 20, 2020 where the final evaluation report (adjusted according to Mercy Corps’ feedback) is to be shared. It is expected that the consultant will work for an estimated 30 working days (including weekends) between Nov 23, 2020 and Dec 22, 2020 (both days inclusive).
• The invoice for services should be provided to Mercy Corps immediately after the delivery of the final evaluation report (due of December 22, 2020).

The Consultant will report to:

• Mercy Corps Country MEL Manager
• The Consultant will work closely with:
• Mercy Corps’ RAI Borno program manager, and Country MEL Manager.

Required Experience & Skills
The following are the qualifications and experiences the consultant should possess:

• Strong experience conducting major research exercises in support of major development programmes - preferably in food and nutrition security – in challenging operational environments, previous experience in Nigeria is desirable.
• A strong approach to assuring quality assurance of data collected.
• A strong ethical approach to data collection – while still being able to meet the objectives of the consultancy.
• Demonstrable experience in leading evaluations of humanitarian programs responding to major disasters, with specific emphasis on food security and protection in emergencies.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to clearly synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions, make recommendations and to prepare well-written reports in a timely manner.
• Demonstrated experience in both quantitative and qualitative data collection and data analysis techniques, especially in emergency operations.
• Data visualization skills highly desirable.
• Experience with evaluation USAID-funded projects.
• Experience, knowledge and clear understanding of Nigeria humanitarian context.
• Good interpersonal skills and understanding cultural sensitivities.
• Readiness to travel to Borno (Damboa, Gwoza, Ngala and Dikwa) conduct direct standard assessment activities as well as field visits to program sites.
• Must hold minimum of advanced relevant university degree (MSc or PhD).
• Relevant professional qualification(s) will be an added advantage.

Minimum Experience:

• Must posses at least 7 years of professional experience in programme and project evaluation (designing, conducting and leading evaluations; applying qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods).
• Minimum of 5 years proven experience in evaluation of programs funded by governments, international organisations or other public sector organization.
• Experience in implementing evaluations remotely.
• Strong understanding of the context in north-eastern Nigeria, especially Borno state.
• Willingness and ability to travel to RAI Borno 3 locations (Bama, Gwoza, Ngala, Dikwa, & Damboa)
• Excellent command of the English language - written and spoken.

Assessment and award of the assignment:

• Mercy Corps will evaluate technical and financial proposals and award the assignment based on technical and financial feasibility. Mercy Corps reserves the right to accept, or reject one or all proposals received without assigning any reason, and is not bound to accept the lowest or the highest bidder. Only those shortlisted will be contacted.
• Any sub-contracting under this evaluation consultancy will not be accepted.

Application Closing Date
2nd November, 2020.

How to Apply
Qualified and interested persons should send their Applications to: [email protected] Using the Title as the subject of the mail.