Terms of Reference (Full)

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1 Terms of Reference (Full) Final Evaluation for the project: New Life, New Hope: A Social Reintegration Program in the Sahel-Maghreb Region

2 Search for Common Ground (Search) is seeking a consultant or a team of consultants to run a final evaluation of a project across three countries: Morocco, Mali, and Niger. Search is seeking to conduct the project s final evaluation during the month of June and July 2018, with the aim of measuring the change brought about by the project among its target groups and beneficiaries. The project, which ends on June 30 th, 2018, focuses on improving prison reintegration programs and enhancing collaboration and information sharing between the three countries. 1. Project summary About Search for Common Ground Search s mission is to transform the way individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative solutions. We seek to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. Headquartered in Washington DC, USA, and Brussels, Belgium with field offices in 35 countries, we design and implement multifaceted programs that aim to transform conflict. Search has worked in Morocco since 2001, in Niger since 2011, and in Mali since About the project 'A New Life, a New Hope' is a 2-years social reintegration program in the Sahel and Maghreb region (Morocco, Mali, Niger) funded by U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics, and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). The goal is to make measurable improvements to prison reintegration programs and enhance collaboration and the sharing of information on prison reintegration between Morocco, Mali, and Niger. The project was based on a research assessment (June 2016 July 2017) that led to a stronger understanding of the reintegration strategy, prison security, and classification system in each country. The objective of this study was to develop a thorough and accurate understanding of the prison systems in Morocco, Mali, and Niger and to identify areas for future programming to improve the reintegration of inmates into society. The assessment thus informed prison reintegration programming in Morocco, Mali, and Niger and was followed by implementation. To meet the identified challenges and needs, Search has developed four axes shaping its intervention: PAGE2

3 The institutional Axis : This axis aims to support the prison administration and its personnel in better understanding and assimilating the objectives and requirements of the reintegration process. The operational Axis : This axis concerns activities to be implemented within prisons to develop the capacities of inmates and facilitate their reintegration. The societal Axis : This axis stems from the joint findings that there is a lack of communication between the prison environment and the external world, and that the negative perception of society over inmates has a detrimental impact on their reintegration. This component thus focuses on campaigns aiming to raise awareness among the community of the reintegration needs of inmates. The regional Axis : This axis aims to facilitate the exchange of good practices at a regional level and promote South-South cooperation between the main stakeholder institutions of the prison systems of Morocco, Mali and Niger. In order to contribute to the effective reintegration of inmates in Morocco, Mali and Niger, activities were developed that aimed at these fours objectives and their expected results: Specific objective 1: Prison management and staff are better prepared to provide and support successful reintegration programs. o Expected Result 1.1 : Prison management and personnel have increased knowledge and skills in reintegration (Morocco and Niger) and prison management (Mali). o Expected Result 1.2: Prison personnel have increased knowledge and skills in conflict resolution and psycho-social support (Morocco and Mali), and inmate management (Niger). Specific objective 2: Inmates have enhanced social, professional and personal capacities. o Expected Result 2.1 : Inmates have improved knowledge and skills in conflict resolution (Morocco, Mali and Niger) and daily life management (Niger). o Expected Result 2.2: Inmates have increased vocational knowledge and skills. o Expected Result 2.3: Inmates have improved senses of self-confidence and self-esteem and improved motivation for change. Specific objective 3: Society is more willing and open to the reintegration of inmates o Expected Result 3.1: Society has increased awareness of stigma against inmates and of the positive aspects of their reintegration. Specific objective 4: Prison and state actors have strengthened cross-national regional cooperation PAGE3

4 o Expected Result 4.1: State prison actors have increased knowledge of reintegration systems and best practices in the region. o Expected Result 4.2: State prison actors have increased awareness and knowledge of the needs and opportunities for regional collaboration. The proposed activities under these four specific objectives built on existing opportunities and adopted a systemic approach that foresees intervention at different levels of the reintegration process and mobilization of actors from all segments of society. This model of intervention was tested during this pilot project in a limited number of prisons across Morocco, Mali, and Niger. This approach also provided the material and the pedagogical support required to ensure the buy-in of key stakeholders, thus catalyzing the desired change and enhancing the chances for success. The target prisons in the three countries are the following: MAROC (2) : El Kelaa des Sraghna et Toulal 1 (Meknès) MALI (5) : Nioro du Sahel, Dioila, Macina, Bougouni et Bamako NIGER (3) : Daikaina, Gouré, Maradi 2. The final evaluation Objectives of the evaluation The global objective of this final evaluation is to capture the change brought about by the project in supporting the reintegration of inmates, compared to the baseline studies conducted in each of the three countries. More specifically, the final evaluation has three objectives: 1. Measure the state of the project s indicators after the implementation of activities; 2. Analyze the following evaluation criteria: efficiency, relevance, and sustainability; 3. Extract lessons learned and recommendations from this experience to inform future programming for supporting the reintegration of inmates and the collaboration between Morocco, Mali, and Niger. This final evaluation will be led by an external consultant (individual or team), to allow a comparative analysis of results achieved in all three countries targeted by the project. The external consultant will benefit from Search teams and partners support in the three countries. Search reserves the right to approve the final methodology before data collection begins. PAGE4

5 The findings of this final evaluation will be shared with our donor, the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics, and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), and will be published on Search s website to allow a larger dissemination and utilization. Evaluation questions The evaluation questions will be developed by the external consultant on the basis of questions designed at the baseline stage of the project, and will specifically seek to identify what approaches/activities have brought good results, and what has been less efficient, relevant, or sustainable comparing experiences in the three implementation countries. General evaluation questions should seek to measure: Effectiveness : 1. Did prison staff demonstrate use of new knowledge and skills in managing reintegration programs, in conflict resolution and psycho social support, and in managing inmates files? Do inmates have increased knowledge and skills in conflict resolution, stress management, non-violent communication, and daily life management? 2. Do inmates have increased capacity and opportunities for employment outside of prison due to access to vocational reintegration programs? 3. Did the project enable a transformation in attitudes and perceptions among : a. Inmates about their potential to contribute to the society and see a future for themselves outside of prison? b. Prison staff about the role they play in the reintegration of inmates? c. The society regarding their tolerance and understanding of the importance of reintegrating inmates? 4. Do inmates have stronger relationships with and support from prison staff, their families, and civil society? 5. Do the participants in the regional exchange demonstrate better knowledge of the other countries reintegration systems? 6. Did the project reach its expected results in each of the three targeted countries? Relevance: 1. Do prison staff believe that the knowledge and networking opportunities gained through participation in the program will strengthen the work they do in prison? If so, how? If not, why not? 2. Do inmates believe that the knowledge and support gained through participation in the program will facilitate their reintegration into society? PAGE5

6 3. Do the participants in the exchange and final conference believe that the collaboration between the three countries is meaningful? Sustainability : 1. Did the project allow for the development of tools, guide, or national strategies? Were those tools, guide, or national strategies implemented and/or used? 2. Did the project allow for greater collaboration and the creation of synergies between the prison administrations in Morocco, Mali, and Niger? 3. Are the vocational programs sustainable after the end of the project? Methodology The evaluation methodology, covering implementation in all three countries, will be proposed by the external consultant, and finalized with Search s support. On the basis of the methodology and tools developed for the project s baseline study, the external consultant will be responsible for developing the methodology and tools for the final evaluation, specifying: The approach, including: o Qualitative methods used across all three countries; o Small-scale quantitative methods targeting beneficiaries only; The data collection tools, including: o Interview guides; o Focus group discussion guides; o A questionnaire for a small-scale survey; The data collection sites, including: o At least 2 prisons per country; The type and number of targeted participants; The methodology to select participants, including for key informant interviews. Deliverables Search expects the following deliverables from the external consultant: An evaluation plan detailing a proposed methodology, calendar, and written evaluation tools for a final evaluation in three countries; Training of data collectors in each country; Supervision or active participation in data collection in the three countries; Oversight of the data coding process; PAGE6

7 Analysis of the data collected in the three countries and production of a draft evaluation report (in English) for review by Search staff and other stakeholders; A Final Report in English (30 pages max in length, excluding appendices) that consists of: o Executive summary of key findings and recommendations o Table of contents o Objectives, methodology, and limitations of the study o Research findings, analysis, and conclusions with associated data presented (should be structured around the main objectives/evaluation criteria) o Conclusions and recommendations for future action o Appendices, which include detailed research instruments, list of interviewees, terms of references and evaluator(s) brief biography Submission of the databases to Search. 3. Logistics Logistical Support Depending on the methodology adopted, the consultant may need to organize his or her own logistics. However, Search will support the consultant in identifying the best options according to the country contexts. In addition, Search will share the following elements with the external consultant: Background materials including the project proposal and logframe, the M&E plan, quarterly reports, and other materials as requested by the external consultant; The methodology, tools, and report of the baseline study conducted in the three implementation countries; Other quantitative and qualitative data collected by Search staff in the three countries of implementation during the project. Timeframe The evaluation should be conducted in June-July The table below provides details with regard to the calendar. Activities Dates Signature of contract with the consultant May 1, 2018 Development of the methodology and tools by the consultant May 15, 2018 Training of data collectors in three countries June 18-22, 2018 Data Collection June 25 - July 20, 2018 Data entry July 20-30, 2018 First draft of the evaluation report submitted by the consultant to Search August 20, 2018 PAGE7

8 Search shares its comments on the first draft with the consultant August 31, 2018 Final evaluation report submitted by the consultant to Search September 15, 2018 Requirements of consultant The evaluator for this project should have the following skills and experience: Proficiency in English and French (written and spoken), working knowledge of Arabic, Hausa or Bambara is highly desirable; More than 5 years of experience in project evaluation or the equivalent in DM&E expertise, including collecting data through interviews, surveys and focus groups; Experience working with international organizations; Experience conducting quantitative surveys and analysis; Understanding of and experience working on security sector related topics; Evaluation methods and data collection skills; Ability to be flexible with time and work schedule for travel across the implementation countries in June In addition, the consultant is required to respect the following Ethical Principles : Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: Consultant should make the most of the existing information and full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. Consultant should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. He or she should communicate his or her methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique his or her work. He or she should make clear the limitations of the review and its results. Competence: Consultant should possess the abilities and skills and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of his or her professional training and competence. Honesty and integrity: Consultant should be transparent with the contractor/constituent about any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information. Respect for people: Consultant should respect the security, dignity, and self-worth of respondents and program participants. Consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age, and ethnicity. 1 Adapted from the American Evaluation Association Guiding Principles for Evaluators, July 2004 PAGE8

9 In addition, the consultant will respect Search s evaluations standards, to be found in Search s evaluation guidelines: Applications To apply, interested candidates (individuals or teams) are requested to submit the following documents: Curriculum vitae; Short biography/ies of the candidate(s); A technical proposal proposing a methodology for the evaluation; A financial proposal for the completion of the aforementioned deliverables; A copy of one evaluation conducted by the candidate(s) in English. All application materials must be submitted through the Bamboo HR portal before April 25, Incomplete application packages will not be considered. Candidates will be evaluated by Search based on the following selection criteria: Technical proposal; Financial proposal; Experience and expertise of the consultant in DME and the project s thematic; Fluency in English and French (and other preferred languages, ie Arabic, Housa, Bambara). PAGE9