Consultancy for Mid-Term Evaluation of STRIVE Global Program

Hedayah was created in response to the growing desire from members of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) and the wider international community for the establishment of an independent, multilateral center devoted to dialogue and communications, capacity building programs, research and analysis to counter extremism and violent extremism in all of its forms and manifestations. During the ministerial-level launch of the GCTF in New York in September 2011, the U.A.E. offered to serve as the host of the International Center of Excellence for Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism. In December 2012 Hedayah was inaugurated with its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. As a leader within the counter extremism and violent extremism community, Hedayah works to enhance understanding and share good practices to effectively build the capacity of counter extremism and violent extremism actors across the globe to promote tolerance, stability and security.

STRIVE Global Program PHASE II (2022-2026) responds to the ongoing threat of global extremism and violent extremism and the need for effective responses that ameliorate, rather than exacerbate, the threat. Since 2015, the STRIVE Global Program, funded by the European Union through its Instruments Contributing to the Stability and Peace (IcSP) and Foreign Policy (FPI), and implemented by Hedayah, has provided assistance to governments and civil society organizations (CSOs) to implement activities as outlined in their respective countries National Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism Strategies and Action Plans. The Mission Statement is to reduce the risk of radicalization leading to extremism and violent extremism through resilience building of vulnerable communities and individuals to recruitment and radicalization techniques whilst continuing to respect human rights and international law. The Overall Objective of the Program is to build the capacity of local CSOs and government entities to design and implement impactful interventions in line with their respective Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism National Strategies and Action Plans to prevent radicalization leading to extremism and violent extremism, and recruitment to terrorism and facilitate the de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration processes of foreign terrorist fighter returnees and their family members.

Specific objectives of the Mid-term evaluation are:

1. To make an overall independent assessment of the program progress (i.e. the level of fulfilling the objectives as stated in the program document) and to evaluate the achievements and weaknesses of the program in respect to the six OECD-DAC evaluation criteria[1] (what is applicable at this stage of the program implementation) as relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, coherence and sustainability against original program objectives taking account of the realities on the ground.

2. To evaluate the program implementation strategies and process/structures, including assessment of its alignment with EU and country policies, institutional and operational set-up with the view to make recommendations on whether they are the best to achieve the program objectives.

3. To identify key lessons and to propose practical recommendations for follow-up actions.

   The evaluation will take place either in countries selected for the evaluation and/or remotely. Hedayah will facilitate the whole evaluation process, and the evaluators will be provided with grantees’ and other stakeholders’ contact details to set interviews. The tentative timetable of the evaluation is as follows:

   Phase I:

• Expected duration: max 10 working days
• Desk Study/planning:
• Preparation of methodology and work plan after an initial online briefing with Hedayah.
• Preparation of visits schedule to target countries, and arrangement of online interviews/meetings with local partners/grantees, stakeholders, projects beneficiaries, etc., upon final approval of methodology and work plan by Hedayah.

Phase II:

• Expected duration: max 30 working days

• Field work/data collection (this phase includes trips to target countries including, if necessary and agreed, an initial visit to Hedayah in Abu Dhabi to interview Hedayah staff)

• Interviews/meetings with local partners/grantees, stakeholders, projects beneficiaries, etc.

  Phase III:

Expected duration: max 20-workings days

• Data analysis and reporting
• Presentation of Draft Report after missions
• Comments to Draft Report from Hedayah
• Presentation of Final Report and debriefing with Hedayah and EU.

The evaluation is expected to start by 4 November 2024 with days of home-based desk study, online meetings and compilation of data with Hedayah, grantees, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders, and visits and interviews on the ground in the target countries. The Final Evaluation Report is expected to be presented no later than 28 February 2025. The total number of days for the assignment is a maximum of 60 working days.

Firms/consultant(s) interested in applying to this tender should send the following documents and information to the email strive.admin@hedayah.ae with the subject “STRIVE Global Program PHASE II _ midterm evaluation_ followed by the name of the firm/consultants**”**. Deadline: 12 September 2024, 5:00 pm Abu Dhabi time.

For more details on the consultancy please visit Hedayah’s website at the following link: https://hedayah.com/job/consultant-mid-term-evaluation-of-eu-strive-global-program/