Consultants - Impact Evaluations of UNICEF Tsunami Programmes in Indonesia

Consultants - Impact Evaluations of UNICEF Tsunami Programmes in Indonesia
UNICEF
Location: New York, USA
Last Date: May 25, 2008
Email: tsunamieval@unicef.org

Request for Expression of Interest for provision of Consultancies Services, Impact Evaluations of UNICEF Tsunami Programmes in Indonesia, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, Evaluation Office, New York Headquarters

Positions:
1. Evaluation team leader (generalist)
2. Sectoral evaluation specialist, Child protection
3. Sectoral evaluation specialist, Child and maternal health and nutrition
4. Sectoral evaluation specialist, Basic education
5. Sectoral evaluation specialist, Water, sanitation, and hygiene

Background: The Indian Ocean Tsunami that struck on 26 December 2004 caused one of the modern world’s greatest humanitarian disasters. The massive waves killed people in 14 countries, creating an inter-regional crisis. An estimated 227,000 people were killed, a third of whom were children. Overall, more women died than men. The scale of the catastrophe captured a significant level of international media attention and elicited an onslaught of relief funding from around the world. This led to a considerable escalation in the number of NGOs and multi-lateral organizations operating in the impacted areas.
UNICEF responded by mobilizing with its national partners and international agency counterparts against priority needs for children and women. The emergency response focused on humanitarian activities, including: organising vaccination and vitamin A campaigns, establishing temporary shelters and schools, rehabilitating safe water sources and providing protection to children. The result of these combined efforts prevented major breakouts of disease from occurring and restored a sense of normalcy relatively quickly. After the initial emergency response, UNICEF support continued, shifting towards recovery and early development.

Tsunami programme activities have covered (but are not limited to):
• Child protection: Legal protection and development; psychosocial care and support; monitoring and reporting of child rights’ violations.
• Child and maternal health and nutrition: immunization; early child care and development; prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst mother and children; health system improvement, micronutriets.
• WES programme: (re)construction of water supply facilities; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes; facilities and services for IDPs.
• Basic education: provision for basic education (school construction, teacher training, school supplies); access to quality child-friendly schools and curriculum.
As the response efforts progressed, an interest in learning and evaluation emerged in UNICEF/UN humanitarian community as a way to improve accountabilities and programme performance and highlight lessons learned and good practices for future disaster and humanitarian crises. UNICEF conducted a major evaluation of the emergency response and initial phase (first six months after the Tsunami) for Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Maldives, as well as a synthesis report. Further, UNICEF participated in the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition, which produced a series of evaluations and reports covering thematic topics, including: coordination; needs assessment; the impact of the international response on local and national capacities; links between relief, rehabilitation and development; and the funding response.
Three years after the tsunami, there is now a need to examine the overall long-term impact of the response (humanitarian and transition) on children. UNICEF plans to conduct three separate impact evaluations in Indonesia, Maldives, and Sri Lanka between June 2008 and April 2009. These evaluations will focus mainly on results achieved through tsunami recovery and early development responses on key sectors of UNICEF involvement and examine the major determinants so as to generate further evidence for use in improving policies and programmes aimed at children and women within these countries and elsewhere.

Evaluation scope and objectives:
The proposed evaluation will examine the impact of UNICEF tsunami response on children and women by providing comparative analyses of the situation for pre- and post- tsunami phases. With respect to programme areas, the evaluation seeks to focus on child protection; child and maternal health and nutrition; basic education; and water, sanitation and hygiene -- areas where UNICEF has made significant investments during the emergency and recovery phases of post-tsunami response. The broader aim is to provide detailed sector specific recommendations for strengthening programmes, policies, investment strategies and partnerships for achieving the MDGs and child rights in tsunami-affected areas and similar regions elsewhere.
The evaluation will use a mix of impact analysis and sector review methodologies taking account of country/region and sector specific contexts and needs. The analysis will be based mostly on secondary data sources and desk reviews of available information. However some data will need to be generated through rapid surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussions (including with programme beneficiaries and other stakeholders). The evaluation will target tsunami affected areas/districts in three countries, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Detailed TORs guiding the scope of work including key questions and methodology options will be available prior to the commencement of the work in each country.

Approach (management) and timing:
The evaluation will be conducted by sectoral experts in child and maternal health and nutrition; basic education; water, hygiene and sanitation; and, child protection. Our plan is to engage the same team of international experts for conducting evaluations in all 3 countries. The task will be divided into several phases:
• A substantive scoping mission to the countries involved during July-August, 2008 to assess the context, review/finalise sector specific methodologies, gather information that is already available, discuss and agree on work modalities with national institutions/consultants (in collaboration with UNICEF country offices), set up data collection methods and tools, and establish contacts with key stakeholders. The product from these missions will constitute a combination of evaluability assessments with limited programme review.
• Data gathering, analysis and partial report writing during October-December 2008 in collaboration with the national institutions/consultants.
• Second visit in late 2008 or early 2009 to undertake further analysis, share and discuss findings and recommendations with selected stakeholders and prepare evaluation report.
The international evaluators will be working closely with a team of national institutions/consultants who will support information/data gathering and processing. The national teams will be identified prior to the visit of the evaluators by UNICEF in consultation with the evaluation team. UNICEF will issue separate job contracts with the national institutions/consultants identified who will contribute to the evaluation which is to be guided by the international experts.
During the course of the evaluation, the evaluation team will have significant interaction with selected national officials, UN agencies and other partners who have played key roles during the tsunami response. In each participating country, the evaluation will be supported by country-based steering committees which will be identified and supported by the respective UNICEF country offices. The overall management responsibility for the evaluation will rest with UNICEF’s Evaluation Office in New York.

Required Evaluation Team Profile:
The TEAM LEADER should have:
• Advanced university degree in social sciences or international development, or related field
• At least 15 years of progressive experience at national and international levels in development, programme management and evaluation
• At least 10 years of experience in managing/conducting evaluations with some background in emergency/recovery issues and cross-cutting issues (human rights-based approaches, gender analysis, disaster preparedness planning, institutional capacity development, disparity analysis)
• Experience in conducting impact evaluations and sector reviews
• Familiarity with UN/UNICEF programmes and related evaluation experience
• Excellent inter-personal, communication and synthesising skills and the ability to work as part of a team
• Facilitation skills
• Excellent knowledge of English (oral and writing)
• Regional experience and work experience related to Tsunami preferred

The SECTORAL EVALUATION SPECIALISTS should have:
• Advanced university degree in social science in one or more related sectoral fields (i.e. education, health and nutrition, child protection, WASH)
• At least 10 years of progressive experience at national and international levels in programme management and/or evaluation in sector(s) of interest
• Significant experience in managing/conducting impact evaluations and/or sector reviews in their field of specialisation
• Familiarity with UN/UNICEF programmes and related evaluation experience
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills and the ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Excellent knowledge of English (oral and writing)
• Regional experience and work experience related to Tsunami preferred

Timing and commitment:
Duration of involvement:
June 2008 thru April 2009
Expected commitment (number of days):
80-90 for Team Leader
60-80 for each Sectoral Evaluation Specialist

Submission requests:
This is the first stage of a two stage process in identifying an evaluation team. The second stage will involve identification of national counterparts. We invite interested internationals institutions/experts to express their interest. The letters of interest, accompanied by CVs, should include the following information (please limit to one page max per sector):
a. Highest Academic Degree, Year of Graduation, Name of Institution
b. Major Evaluation/Sector Review experiences
c. Most recent employment experience
d. Relevant geographic focus from previous work
e. Consultancy fee in US$ (rate per day)
f. Brief paragraph expressing particular interest and strength in taking the position
g. For institutions, summary of directly relevant experience (2 pages max)

Interested candidates are requested to send the above-listed information with CVs to: tsunamieval@unicef.org and tsunamiresponse@gmail.com by May 25, 2008. Under subject line, please mention Tsunami Evaluation and the position(s) you are applying for. We appreciate your interest.