Evaluation of the Durable Solutions exercise in Sudan 2023

DRC/JIPS Terms of References (TORs)

Evaluation of the Durable Solutions exercise in Sudan 2023

1. Who is JIPS?

JIPS is an interagency service established in 2009 to bring governments, communities, humanitarian and development actors together to collaborate towards collective outcomes and durable solutions to displacement situations. It does so by supporting collaborative and responsible data processes including profiling, developing the capacities of governments and key stakeholders, and advancing global discourse towards sound global standards. Field-focused and committed to enhancing local ownership and capacity, JIPS is a globally recognised impartial broker that draws on extensive field experience in diverse displacement contexts and a unique combination of technical, soft and political skills to drive change in the contexts it supports and the global discussions it informs.

1. Purpose of the consultancy

The purpose of the evaluation is to provide insights and lessons learned from the collaborative Durable Solutions analyses and resulting Locality Action Planning process co-designed and applied by JIPS and the Durable Solutions Working Group (DSWG) members (co-chaired by UNHCR, UNDP, and DRC, and further including UN-Habitat, FAO, IOM, and UNICEF) in Sudan between 2020 – 2022 under the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) and supported by BPRM.

The evaluation will aim to assess the performance and immediate outcomes of the process and outputs on advancing towards Durable Solutions for displacement-affected populations in the targeted localities. Concretely, the purpose of the evaluation is to examine:

• The relevance of the collaborative process that underpinnedthe Durable Solutions analysis and the Locality Action Planning, and of the resulting policy and programming outputs for displacement-affected communities, national and local authorities, as well as international humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding actors in Sudan.;
• The role, efficiency, and effectiveness of the delivery of JIPS’ technical support to the DS analysis process;
• The outcomes directly attributable to the process and/or resulting evidence, specifically linked to the collaborative aspect and to national and/or locality-level policies, strategies, and programmes.

The results of the evaluation will be used to assess and enhance the process and methodology used by JIPS in its technical support capacity across contexts to improve area-based Durable Solutions analyses and Action Planning. Additionally, the evaluation will extract good practices and provide valuable lessons for increasing the sustainability and usefulness of coordination platforms on displacement data and solutions, meaningfully and effectively engaging different local key actors (government, traditional and community groups) in data processes, as well as effectively translating “data to action” into policy and programming on Durable Solutions and peacebuilding efforts in displacement contexts. In this way, it will also help strengthen Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and provide tangible pathways to support adaptive management by national and international actors.

Simultaneously, JIPS is also working closely with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement to implement the UNSG’s Action Agenda and accelerate progress towards Solutions for IDPs in priority countries. This evaluation will provide timely insights to inform these efforts, including on fit-for-purpose coordination on Solutions at the country level and use of data to achieve Durable Solutions.

1. Background

Sudan is still facing conflict and security incidents, almost 20 years after the conflict between government security forces and armed movements erupted in Darfur. Close to 3.7 million[1] people are internally displaced in both rural and urban areas. The Juba Peace Agreement, signed in 2020, establishes Durable Solutions as a priority area alongside rule of law and peacebuilding at the community level, to create more stable societies and longer-term and inclusive development. This is reiterated by the (draft) National Strategy on Solutions for IDPs, Returnees, Refugees, and Host Communities that the Government of Sudan is currently developing.

To generate a shared evidence base that could support these efforts, a large-scale collaborative analysis covering eight localities, both rural and urban, across Darfur was implemented under the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) in 2020-2021. The study included the localities of Tawila, Assalaya, Yassin, Sheiria, Gereida, Jebel Moon, Nertiti and Um Dukhun, and all displacement and conflict-affected communities (IDPs – Internally Displaced Persons, neighbouring non-displaced residents, nomads, IDP returnees, and refugee returnees). It built and expanded directly on the approach piloted in 2016-2019 in the urban and peri-urban area of El Fasher, Darfur, including the lessons learned from it captured in an external evaluation, and was grounded in a participatory and multi-stakeholder process. Later in 2021, the same exercise was replicated with UNHCR under CERF funding in an additional 8 localities across Darfur States, Blue Nile and South Kordofan (the CERF-funded exercises are, however, not covered by this evaluation).

Upon completion of the preliminary analysis, the results were brought back to the respective communities and presented through Focus Group Discussions to several audiences at the community level, comprising all population groups (IDPs, IDP returnees, nomads, non-displaced) and disaggregated by age groups and gender. Through a guided discussion, the participants were asked to approve or disapprove of the pre-formulated main obstacles to Durable Solutions, identified through the analysis. Upon ground-truthing of the presented analysis on main barriers to Durable Solutions, the community members then proceeded through a guided exercise to discuss and agree upon a prioritization of those barriers.

In a next phase, the validation and prioritization obtained from the community members was taken into 3-day workshops in each Locality with local authorities, community representatives, NGOs and DSWG members to elaborate the Locality Action Plans. The mentioned participants jointly elaborated and agreed upon the activities necessary to overcome the identified barriers to Durable Solutions in their communities, as well as which capacities are available that can contribute to the implementation of the activities and related capacity building needs.

Upon completion of the Locality Action Plans, the documents were handed over to UNHCR and the DSWG, for further dissemination, programming, and implementation.

1. Detailed objectives

The evaluation will focus on examining the performance of the Durable Solutions analysis process implemented under the PBF and related outputs, with additional specific focus put on the Locality Action Planning process, as well as the immediate outcomes directly attributable to the project. This will include assessing the community engagement, especially during the validation of results and action planning steps.

​​The evaluation will aim to provide insights to JIPS as well as members of the DSWG in Sudan and HDP nexus actors more broadly by yielding recommendations to enhance the process and outcomes of collaborative Durable Solutions analyses as well as data use strategies, including evidence-based and community-led Action Plans.

Therefore, the evaluation will put emphasis on the relevance of the processes and outputs applied and generated through JIPS’ support in Sudan in 2020-2022. It will pertain to the Durable Solutions analysis outputs and the Locality Action Plans developed under the PBF, including but not limited to:

1/ The relevance and effectiveness of the collaborative process that underpinned the Durable Solutions analysis and the Locality Action Planning, and of the policy and programming outputs for key stakeholders, including displacement-affected communities, national and local authorities, as well as international humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding (HDP) actors in Sudan, including but not limited to:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Collaborative set-up (e.g. relevance of stakeholders included)
                  2. Collaborative nature of the process (e.g. effectiveness of inclusion means for different stakeholders; facilitation methodologies, degree to which approaches used were contextualised sufficiently and tailored to different stakeholders’ needs such as communities and local authorities);
                  3. Sustainability of mechanisms for collaboration and coordination throughout the project, at the national and locality levels;
                  4. Degree to which policy and programming outputs, including the Locality Action Plans and Bief, were tailored to different stakeholders’ needs.

2/ The role, efficiency, and effectiveness of JIPS’ technical support to the DS analysis process across the different localities, including but not limited to:

• 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. JIPS’ internal ways of working and use of financial, human, and other resources;
                 2. Agile problem solving and adaptation to the needs of involved stakeholders;
                 3. Knowledge sharing and capacity building throughout the project.

3/ The intermediate outcomes/changes directly attributable to the process and/or the resulting evidence related to:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Enabling and enhancing collaboration between humanitarian, development, peacebuilding, and (national and locality-level) government actors, as well as the inclusion of communities in decision-making processes to inform solutions to displacement;
                           2. Enabling (more) concerted and aligned efforts across the HDP nexus for Solutions and peace;
                           3. Informing policies, strategies, and programs (and budget considerations) of local and national level authorities contributing to solutions;
                           4. informing and shaping programming of international actors in the selected localities.

4/ Lastly, the evaluation will also generate actionable recommendations to ensure that Durable Solutions analysis and the Locality Action Plan process enhance their relevance and sustainability in future exercises. Reflecting on the Sudanese context, the evaluation aims to identify missed and generated opportunities during the process and after hand-over of the Locality Action Plans that can positively contribute to the uptake of the evidence and the plans.

1. Scope of work and methodology

The performance evaluation will encompass 3 components:

1/ Desk review of all documents pertaining to the Durable Solutions analysis and Locality Action Plan process, including its methodology, planning and development,

2/ Primary data collection (interviews) with relevant stakeholders in Sudan, including representatives of the different community groups (non-displaced, nomad, displaced), locality-level authorities, national authorities and humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors linked to the DSWG, and

3/ A critical assessment of the first 2 components to formulate recommendations that can enhance the impact of the JIPS’ work and Durable Solutions analysis processes (incl. Locality Action Planning) in the future.

METHODOLOGY

1/ The Desk review will include an examination of all final deliverables of the exercise, as well as relevant technical tools and analysis outputs that guided the different phases of the Durable Solutions analysis and the Locality Action Plan process, including the draft DS National Strategy.

2/ Primary data will be collected through qualitative methods at the national, state, and locality levels. Key information interviews (KII) will be organized to capture relevant voices, opinions and experiences pertinent to the Durable Solutions analysis outputs and the Locality Action Plans, including their uptake and linkages to broader national processes.

Additionally, to ensure that an appropriate analysis is being made of the relevance and sustainability of the process, multi-stakeholder sessions will also be organised: 1-2 at selected State or Locality levels and 1 at Khartoum level with relevant DSWG actors. The purpose will be to share preliminary conclusions and validate/enrich these. The sessionscan take the form for Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), half-day workshops, or another format that brings together stakeholders that were involved in the process and/or used the results.

3/ Analyzing observations and critical comparison between the findings from the Desk Review and Primary data collection, the recommendations will highlight opportunities in the processes used that can enhance the relevance of the methodology and approach used in the Durable Solutions analysis and the Locality Action Planning, while also identifying opportunities during the process to enhance the sustainability of analysis and Locality Action Plans uptake.

Whereas the desk review can take place remotely, the primary data collection and validation workshops/discussions are to be organized in Sudan, including in selected Localities in Darfur.

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

High-level key questions should include:

1/ How effective and relevant is the methodology approach used during the DS analysis and the Locality Action Planning processes, considering the agreed-upon objectives of the process?

2/ How efficient and effective (sustainable) is the process applied during the Durable Solutions analysis and the Locality Action Planning?

3/ What are the intermediate outcomes/changes directly attributable to the process and/or the resulting evidence?

EVALUATION OF FINDINGS

The consultant leading the evaluation in Sudan will work in close collaboration with JIPS (though independent). This will involve the provision of an inception report; the design of methodology and data collection tools (for the primary data collection and the multi-stakeholder sessions); the actual data collection and analysis; the delivery and facilitation of the in-person multi-stakeholder sessions; as well as the drafting and finalization of a comprehensive internal evaluation report including key recommendations for JIPS and its partners and consolidated into an advocacy brief to make key insights, lessons learned, and recommendations available to the wider public. Lastly, an internal presentation to the JIPS team will be made, while an external presentation to interested DSWG actors in Sudan will be offered.

Further activities may be implemented by JIPS – together with the DSWG – in 2023 to strategically disseminate the advocacy brief and key messages to high-level decision makers in Sudan as well as at the global level (incl. from relevant Government entities, local authorities, UN representatives and civil society). This will also serve to highlight how the Locality Action Plan process can contribute to advancing Durable Solutions for displacement-affected communities as well as peacebuilding.

EVALUATION DOCUMENTS

The evaluation shall consider the following documents and tools (non-exhaustive list) for the desk review;

• Technical Working Group minutes/presentations;
• The DS analysis/profiling methodology & tools;
• Training material and community mapping to inform sampling
• 6 Locality–level Durable Solutions Analysis reports (covering the 8 Localities);
• 5 Durable Solutions thematic briefs and related data story (and web pages)
• 2-pager summary note for the Resident Coordinator Office’s dissemination
• Sudan-related articles published on JIPS’ website
• Locality Action Plan Methodology & tools;
• Locality Action Plan workshop reports and outputs;
• Locality Action Plan Brief
• PBF evaluation conducted in 2022-2023
• As relevant, a draft strategy for the dissemination of results with donors, authorities, and international actors at the country and global levels

LIMITATIONS

Qualitative data collection is suggested as the primary data source in this evaluation, in the form of FGDs and KIIs. Limited or lack of access to some of the key stakeholders who have participated in the profiling exercise due to the time that has passed since the end of the exercise (or due to limited geographical access or limited access to authorities) could prevent the evaluation from benefiting from interviews of all stakeholders.

Another limitation could result from the limited time that has passed since the handover of the Analysis outputs and the Locality Action Plans to the DSWG in 2021 and 2022, therefore not allowing to assess longer term impact on a larger scale.

Additionally, assessing the entire geographical scope that was used during PBF implementation will be impossible, hence the evaluation will have to prioritize certain areas and therefore risking that the views and opinions will not foster a comprehensive picture of all localities that were part of the process.

Finally, the fluid/volatile situation following the military coup of 25 October 2022, with the tensions between civilian and military actors continuing, may pose limitations to the implementation of the evaluation, when it comes to accessing relevant government actors and regions in Darfur.

1. Deliverables

The evaluation team leader is responsible for the satisfactory delivery of all outputs as listed below. It is important to ensure that both the quantitative and qualitative components are well-integrated and are used to support cohesive findings. JIPS expects that the evaluation report will be well-written, insightful, and concise. An evaluation report template will be provided.

Deliverables include (in English as well as Arabic, where relevant):

• An inception report
• Evaluation methodology and key informant interview tools
• 2-3 multi-stakeholder sessions (1-2 at the state level in selected localities, 1 at the national level in Khartoum), including: agenda, session facilitation materials, and session summary note
• A final, comprehensive internal evaluation report
• A final advocacy brief (around 4-5 pages, will be designed by JIPS)
• A final presentation

1. Duration, timeline, payment

The total expected duration to complete the deliverables under this framework and consultancy is 5 months, between April and August 2023. Please see Annex I for the intended detailed timeline.

The consultants will receive 40% of the total fee at the signature of the contract and the remaining 60% on satisfactory delivery of services at the completion of all deliverables. The consultants’ fee must include all taxes and other changes, including any VAT costs. Any specialized technical equipment needed to fulfil services should be included in the rate.

The financial proposal (bid form) must be in CHF.

1. Proposed composition of the team

We suggest that the consultant include a proposed composition of the team if need be in the proposal.

1. Eligibility, qualification, and experience required

Eligibility: The consultant has the authorisation to work remotely. The Consultant must be available upon request during the timeframe of the contract between April and August 2023.

Qualifications, experience, and skills

• An advanced degree (Masters or equivalent) in political science, social science, or any other related field;
• 5-7 years of prior experience conducting evaluations in the humanitarian or development field, including evaluating activities and programs linked to forced displacement;
• Previous experience working with multiple stakeholders in evaluations, including communities, government officials, UN, NGOs and civil society;
• Previous experience with research/project performance and outcome evaluations;
• Working experience in Sudan or on the Sudanese context
• Excellent spoken Arabic skills and written and spoken English skills;

Desirable

• Previous experience working on or with large scale data collection exercises;
• Experience in organizing and facilitating multi-stakeholder workshops

Required documents:

• CV
• A portfolio with relevant examples of previous work to showcase the consultant’s work and capabilities against this TOR

1. Technical supervision

The selected consultant will work with JIPS’ key focal points for this evaluation project: its Head of Field Support & Capacity Building, Margharita Lundkvist Houndoumadi, [email protected], and its Knowledge Sharing and Communications, Corina Demottaz, [email protected], and where relevant collaborate with other JIPS team members. Regular meetings will be scheduled to support and guide the consultant.

1. Location and support

Remote work. The Consultant will provide their own computer and mobile telephone. The consultant will have to organise independently all travel and related logistics required for the evaluation activities.

1. Travel

In-country travel to Darfur will be required for this consultancy.

1. Submission process

Please refer to the RFQ document.

1. Evaluation of bids

Please refer to the RFQ letter invitation.

Only those shortlisted will be contacted for an interview with the panel to ensure their understanding of the consultancy services.

JIPS reserves the right to negotiate based on the availability of the budget allocated to this consultancy.

[1] As per IOM, 2022.

How to apply

Please apply through the following link

https://pro.drc.ngo/resources/tenders/rfp-gva-pr-00234842-consultancy-evaluation-durable-solutions-sudan/