Midterm External Evaluator Consultant At Syria Justice and Accountability Centre

SJAC is looking for qualified individuals to conduct an independent midterm evaluation of ‘On the Margins No More’ project. This consultancy can be completed remotely.

For further details about the project and the evaluation, please see the ToR below.

Required Profile:

• Proven skills and experience in undertaking evaluations of similar projects, preferably in Syria or the Middle East,
• Experience in using the Theory of change approach on evaluation,
• Strong background in Human Rights Based Approach programming and Results Based Management,
• Extensive knowledge of, and experience in applying, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies,
• Excellent analytical skills and communication skills,
• Experience in assessing gender mainstreaming,
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written skills in Arabic and English.

Responsibilities:

The evaluator is expected to:

• Coordinate with the project team to conduct the entire evaluation process,
• Conduct a desk review of all relevant documents,
• Organize key informant interviews with project staff, partners, and beneficiaries,
• Elaborate the inception report (incl. methodological elaborations), the first version and final report in deadlines and in conformity with SJAC standards,

ToR:

SJAC is a Syrian civil society organization with a mission to prevent impunity, promote redress, facilitate principled reform, and work towards a Syria defined by justice, respect for human rights, and rule of law. Since 2012, SJAC has been implementing programs to collect and analyze documentation from Syria, using the findings to promote informed discourse on human rights and transitional justice.

Project Executive Summary:

The Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC) is providing in-depth training and tailored assistance, to build the organizational and technical capacity of Syrian victim-led organizations, to enhance their ability to sustain social justice advocacy efforts in Syria.

At the conclusion of this twenty-month project, the Syrian victim-led organizations will be better equipped to effectively fulfill and sustain their missions, access funds directly from multiple sources, and serve as powerful change agents in the Syrian socio-political landscape.

Project Objectives:

Through this project, SJAC and partner seek to:

1. Strengthen Syrian victims’ groups institutional capacity and performance
2. Improve their technical competencies to effectively utilize media, campaigning, and advocacy efforts to publicize their demands
3. Support and assist the groups to collaborate directly with justice mechanisms in order to set priorities and participate in justice processes

Purpose of the Evaluation:

The general objectives of SJAC mid-term evaluation are to:

1. Assess the project’s progress towards the achievements of its planned goals;
2. Improve the planning and implementation phases of the project’s activities.

Expected Results:

The key expected outcome of this mid-term evaluation is an in-depth review of the project’s performance, in order to:

1. Provide SJAC with an external assessment of accomplished successes and problems that need to be addressed: The evaluation will offer an objective view on the relevance of the project idea to date, how effectively it is being managed and implemented, and whether the project is likely to achieve its objectives.
2. Help SJAC with recommendations capturing opportunities and potential corrective actions to resolve outstanding issues and improve project performance for the remainder of the project duration.
3. Help SJAC and project beneficiaries draw initial lessons about project design, implementation, and management.

Scope of the Evaluation:

The mid-term evaluation will cover the period from September 2020 to August 2021.

The evaluator shall examine the following criteria:

1. Project Relevance &validity of design
2. Effectiveness &Efficiency
3. Sustainability

Evaluation questions, under each criterion, will be shared with the selected candidate.

Timeline:

The mid-term evaluation will be conducted between September-November 2021. A detailed calendar will be shared with the selected candidate.

Methodology:

The evaluation will be based on a participatory approach, involving a wide range of selected key stakeholders, taking into account the need for adequate gender representation. To the extent possible, quantitative and qualitative data will be collected, validated, and analyzed.

Deliverables:

1. An inception report: Upon the review of available documents and an initial discussion with the project management team and the donor, the evaluator will develop an inception report (around 20 pages) that includes: a description of the conceptual framework that will be used to undertake the evaluation; the work methodology; selection criteria for individuals for interviews; the interview questions, detailed plan for the evaluation (including deliverables in each phase); and the outline for the final evaluation report.

   Preliminary Findings of the evaluation: Before preparing an initial draft of the report, the evaluator is expected to briefly present the key findings of his review to the key stakeholders. These findings are intended to be presented and discussed