Terms of Reference for the Final Evaluation of the EU-Funded Action "Civil Society United Against GBV in Kisii and Nyamira Counties

Country: Kenya Organization: International Solidarity Foundation Closing date: 9 Jul 2027 Terms of Reference for the Final Evaluation of the EU-Funded Action "Civil Society United Against GBV in Kisii and Nyamira Counties" The goal of International Solidarity Foundation (ISF) 2022–25 development programme was to strengthen the bodily integrity and livelihood resilience of women and girls in Kenya, Somaliland, and Ethiopia. As part of this programme, the EU-funded action "Civil Society United Against GBV in Kisii and Nyamira Counties" has been supporting three projects in Kenya's Kisii and Nyamira counties in 2023-26. Two of the projects have been implemented by ISF's local partners, the Centre for Community Mobilization and Empowerment (CECOME) and Manga Health Education Africa Resource Team (Manga HEART). These projects have focused on the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV), particularly female genital mutilation (FGM) and intimate partner violence (IPV). The third project, Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTP), has been implemented by ISF. Through organisational capacity-strengthening training and small grants for local activists and civil society actors, the project has aimed to strengthen grassroots movements working to end GBV and support advocacy for the rights and inclusion of affected communities. Purpose and scope of the evaluation The final evaluation has two main purposes. First, in line with the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, the evaluation will assess the following: • Relevance: Is the intervention addressing the right priorities and needs? • Coherence: How well does the intervention complement and align with other initiatives and stakeholders? • Effectiveness: Is the intervention achieving its intended objectives? • Efficiency: How well are resources being used to achieve results? • Impact: What changes has the intervention contributed to? • Sustainability: Are the benefits and results likely to continue beyond the project period? Beyond the OECD-DAC criteria, the evaluation seeks to assess the added value of the action and generate evidence and learning to inform future GBV prevention programming by ISF, Manga HEART, and CECOME. This includes understanding how and to what extent the project approaches contributed to change at the community level, identifying factors that supported or constrained behavioral change related to GBV, and assessing how well the interventions responded to the needs, priorities, and lived realities of communities. The evaluation will also examine whether the most relevant stakeholders and community influencers were effectively engaged and how their involvement contributed to project outcomes. Methodology of the evaluation The evaluation should primarily employ qualitative methods to generate an in-depth understanding of project processes, results, and learning. Quantitative monitoring data obtained from ISF should be utilized where available and relevant, particularly to assess trends related to awareness, attitudes, and behavioural change. The methodology should include several complementary methods, for example: • Desk review of relevant project documentation • Key informant interviews (KIIs) with relevant stakeholders • Focus group discussions (FGDs) with project participants, rights holders, community members, and other relevant stakeholders. • Ethnographically informed fieldwork and observation • Participatory methods to facilitate reflection and analysis by rights holders, community members, and stakeholders. The stakeholders that should be consulted within this consultancy shall include but not be restricted to: • ISF programme and project staff • Representatives of CECOME and Manga HEART • FSTP grantees and representatives of grassroots organizations • Project participants including rights holders and duty bearers • Representatives of local and county government institutions. Timing, duration and expected deliverables of the evaluation The evaluation is expected to start on 1st of September for an estimated duration of max 30 working days. This will include: • desk review and submission of inception report • field visit(s) and data collection • data analysis and evaluation report writing • workshop to validate initial evaluation findings • submission of the final report Based on the project documentation, the consultant shall submit an inception report to ISF no later than 8th of September. The inception reportserves as an agreement between parties on how the evaluation will be conducted, covering the following items: • Detailed methodology, including data collection tools (e.g. FGD and KII questions), suggested target groups and ethical considerations • Detailed schedule of the evaluation activities incl. travelling (timeline) • Detailed budget The first draft of the evaluation report should be sent for comments to ISF no later than 23rd of October. The final evaluation report, which incorporates the ISF comments and suggestions made to the draft report, should be submitted to ISF no later than 30th of October. Qualifications of consultant The profile of the individual consultants needs to meet the qualification requirements below: • University degree in development studies, social sciences, humanitarian action, anthropology, gender studies, or another relevant field. • Extensive (minimum 7 years) professional experience in relevant fields, preferably related to gender equality, women's rights, and GBV. • Strong understanding of GBV, particularly FGM, and experience evaluating, researching, or implementing related interventions. • More than 5 years of experience in research, evaluations, and/or project development, management, and review. • Experience working with international organizations and local civil society organizations. • Demonstrated understanding of the Kenyan context. Familiarity with the Gusii context, culture, and social dynamics is an advantage. • Strong qualitative research and analytical skills. Experience with participating, community-based, and ethnographic methods is an advantage. • Ability to utilize and analyze quantitative data where relevant. • Fluency in English. • While not mandatory, it is strongly preferred that at least one member of the evaluation team has Kiswahili and/or Gusii language skills or that adequate interpretation and translation arrangements are in place. • Evidence of high-quality outputs from previous assignments. • Strong report writing, facilitation, and presentation skills. • Availability and commitment to complete the assignment within the agreed timeframe. How to apply and selection process Requested information: • Qualification of the consultant/s (CV/s). • A draft consultancy plan (1–2 pages), including brief description of the proposed data collection and analysis methods team composition including how the team will ensure continuity between data collection, analysis, and reporting (which team members will participate in the different phases). proposed duration of the consultancy (number of working days). • A financial proposal indicating consultancy fees, including daily rates, local transportation and accommodation (ISF will only cover all reasonable fieldwork-related costs) ISF will choose the consultant according to three main criteria: a) the professional capacity of the consultant/s, b) the quality of the tender, c) the cost of the tender. The selection of the consultant will be done by ISF. Only the selected candidate will be notified of the results of the selection process. Find the full-scale terms of reference at https://solidaarisuus.fi/en/tor-final-evaluation-of-the-eu-funded-action-civil-society-united-against-gbv-in-kisii-and-nyamira-counties/ The tender must be submitted by the 9th of Augustto isfkenya@isf.fi How to apply How to apply and selection process Requested information: • Qualification of the consultant/s (CV/s). • A draft consultancy plan (1–2 pages), including brief description of the proposed data collection and analysis methods team composition including how the team will ensure continuity between data collection, analysis, and reporting (which team members will participate in the different phases). proposed duration of the consultancy (number of working days). • A financial proposal indicating consultancy fees, including daily rates, local transportation and accommodation (ISF will only cover all reasonable fieldwork-related costs) ISF will choose the consultant according to three main criteria: a) the professional capacity of the consultant/s, b) the quality of the tender, c) the cost of the tender. The selection of the consultant will be done by ISF. Only the selected candidate will be notified of the results of the selection process. Find the full-scale terms of reference at https://solidaarisuus.fi/en/tor-final-evaluation-of-the-eu-funded-action-civil-society-united-against-gbv-in-kisii-and-nyamira-counties/ The tender must be submitted by the 9th of Augustto isfkenya@isf.fi