Consultant for Evaluation of Phase II of Community Based Organizations Project

Position description

Founded in 1979, StARS is a refugee service provider in central Cairo that works to enhance the quality of life for refugees and vulnerable migrants through five broad program areas: education, psychosocial, legal, community outreach and unaccompanied youth and children support services. We provide high-quality services meeting the unaddressed needs of refugees, and we provide a safe and inclusive space for displaced people to come together as a community. We work for refugees, with refugees, to make rights recognition a reality.

StARS’ Mission: Driven by a commitment to justice and fairness, StARS works as displaced people and for displaced people to respect human dignity and enhance quality of life.

StARS’ Vision: Displaced people lead in the creation and implementation of responses to different forms of migration to establish safe, just, welcoming, and inclusive communities globally.

We serve people from many places, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

To learn more please visit our website: www.stars-egypt.org or our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/standrewsrefugeeservices?fref=ts

Context of the project

In 2016, the Community Outreach Department was established to work with Community Based Organizations in Cairo, assisting with institutional and operational systems and Human Resources development, building capacity of staff, advocating with funders for direct funding and with international partners for representation in advocacy and decision making spaces. One of the primary projects run in this department has been funded by the Swiss Office for International Cooperation. It is now coming to the end of Phase II, and  StARS is looking for a skilled professional to evaluate the project and to provide recommendations for a further phase.

The context for refugees has changed significantly since the beginning of the project in 2018, most rapidly in the last 18  months.  As well as going through the COVID epidemic and managing the subsequent economic effects, which were compounded by the Ukrainian war.  Since then, the Egyptian economy has seen successive devaluations over the last year and a half leaving the local currency worth approximately 32% of its previous value.  At the same time the outbreak of war in Sudan has led to a huge influx of new refugees into Egypt.  These factors combined with the outbreak of war in Gaza have seen the shrinkage of an already small protection space, and the growth of an overtly hostile environment.

As of 30 June, there are 682,945 refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR Egypt; Sudanese are 59 percent of the total population. For the Sudan Regional Response Plan, UNHCR revised the projected number of refugees to be assisted in 2024 from 363,000 to 640,000, with over a million registered by the end of the year. The need for effective service delivery and advocacy for refugees  Refugee Led Organizations has never been greater.   

At the same time international recognition of the importance of refugee leadership has been foregrounded. Since the Global Compact on Refugees in 2018 more and more refugee-led networks like the Global  Refugee-Led Network have been involved in advisory talks and were active in the drafting of the  Global Compact on refugees, participating in the Global Refugee Forum Event alongside 70 other  refugee voices in Geneva.

At a time when global migration is on the rise coupled with increasing  political negative attitudes, a focus on community protection and refugee-led  programming is more important than ever. Despite these gains and global interest, in reality refugee participation still faces a number of  challenges. Firstly, on a funding level larger INGOs are still not willing to fund smaller community led organizations. On a policy level, sadly refugee participation is still tokenized, as opinions are often  sought through brief meetings to compliment projects rather than embedded in program design and  development.

Overview of the Consultancy

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide an independent evaluation of the implementation of the project Strengthening the Capacities of Community Based Organizations (CBOs-Ph2) Serving Migrants in Egypt Project: 7F-09076.02.51 which StARS has been implementing since 1 December 2021, funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in Egypt, Office for International Cooperation. (Swiss OIC).

The Consultant hired under these ToRs will be responsible for the assessment of the project against objectives and indicators and the drafting of a report with findings and recommendations, aimed at informing the design of a further phase of the project, which will not only advance the current objectives, but will make recommendations concerning expansion of the project, to include StARS own services.

Impact of Phase I

During Phase I of the “Strengthening the capacities of Community Based Organizations  serving migrants in Egypt’’ StARS have worked with 20 Community Based Organizations across Greater Cairo.

When joining Phase I of the project all of the Community Based Organizations had varying starting points and as a result, at the  end of Phase I the Community Based Organizations will also have varying finishing points in terms of their financial stability,  operational services and institutional capacity. For example, larger Community Based Organizations like Watan, that were already legally registered when joining the project, have a large school and as a result have more financial stability through income generation. By contrast, other Community Based Organizations like Balquees or Selam are still  not legally registered and have far less income making them less financially stable. Despite this, the  distance travelled by

Balquees is probably greater than by Watan. This varying need will be  important to take into account in Phase II.  

The overall impact and progress of both Phase I and II have  been thoroughly documented through the six-month  progress reports as well as through an external evaluation conducted at the end of Phase I.   

Overall Impact

Phase I  had a positive and strong impact on refugee communities in Cairo. 17 Community Based Organizations developed new services, have gained  skills and knowledge to deliver high quality psychosocial, educational, and legal services and  began to use this knowledge to work together collaboratively for the greater needs of their  communities. Community Based Organization community members and beneficiaries have witnessed this change and have  spoken very positively across all Community Based Organizations.  

Building on Phase I,  the expected impact for Phase II is expected to be:

To foster and ensure the protection and resilience of migrants and forcibly displaced persons by securing their access to rights and basic services through community-based protection provided by 30 Community Based Organizations across Cairo.

· Outcome 1

Community-based protection services will be provided by sustainable organizations taking a rights-based approach to increase the resilience of migrants and forcibly displaced persons.

· Outcome 2

The resilience of migrants and forcibly displaced persons is enhanced by further strengthening institutional and operational capacity within Community Based Organizations with a focus on financial sustainability, unity, and partnership.

· Outcome 3

Community Based Organizations form a network with a unified agenda and recognized status able to advocate for their community needs with major policy and decision makers on a local, national and global level.

In June 2023  a further two outcomes were added to the project, which reflected the needs of refugees in the changing context.

· Outcome 4

Forcibly displaced persons have greater access to GBV response and prevention interventions across Greater Cairo, through development of services, referral systems and data collection in StARS and Community Based Organizations.

· Outcome 5

Forcibly displaced persons by the crisis in Sudan are able to access emergency services, integration and protection support

Position Details

Position Title: Evaluator

Compensation: No more than 10,000 USD

Work Location: Ideally Cairo based, hybrid working would be considered

Start Date and Duration of Contract: As soon as possible. Must be completed by 31 December 2024.

Assignment

The purpose of this evaluation is to build on the evaluation conducted after Phase I of the project, to assess the impact, effectiveness, outcomes and value for money of Phase II. The evaluation should assess the indicators, activities, and their effectiveness, as well as how Community Based Organizations have matured and gained autonomous knowledge to sustain themselves beyond this project. Using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and drawing on data that has been collected by StARS and Community Based Organizations, the evaluation aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the project. It aims to identify what was effective in achieving the project goals, in sustaining Community Based Organization services, and enhancing their organizational structure, while also providing direction and recommendations for the potential next phase of the project. The evaluation will also assess the impact and success of the United Refugee Network, identifying opportunities and challenges in relation to its indicators.  

Deliverables

i. A work plan by week 4 of the consultancy

ii. A full report assessing the effectiveness of Phase II of the project against the objective in the project proposal

iii. Recommendations for Phase III, including sustainability and independence for the URN  will include suggestions of how to integrate StARS own services into the project

A draft report shall be submitted to the Director of the Community Outreach Department for review by  December 15, and  finalized  by 31 December 2024. and to StARS the following month.

Key activities are likely to include the following:

· Desk review: review of the current project, previous reports and evaluations, along with other relevant project documents.

· Detailed work plan showing key dates and deliverable.

o Must include a data collection schedule

o Must include a data analysis plan

· Design and administer surveys

· Focus Group Discussions with stakeholders, both in StARS and Community Based Organizations

· Key informant interviews with stakeholders, both StARS and Community Based Organizations

· Regular feedback to the Director Community Outreach Department

· Produce preliminary findings

· Submit report

Key Selection Criteria

StARS welcomes and encourages applications from people who have lived experience of forcible displacement but candidates of all backgrounds will be considered.

Experience

· Previous experience of conducting evaluations for humanitarian organizations.

· Experience conducting surveys with multiple stakeholders .

· Experience in conducting focus group discussions.

· A minimum of three years of experience in the Humanitarian Sector

· Experiences in working in or with diverse organizational/leadership structures is preferred.

· Demonstrable knowledge of the refugee civil society landscape in the Egyptian context and  familiarity with the major challenges and opportunities facing NGOs working with refugees in the region.

· A strong understanding of the importance of the Refugee Leadership movement

Candidates with the lived experience of displacement are encouraged to apply.

Skills

· Good qualitative data collection skills

· Excellent written and spoken English schools

· A good command of Arabic is  preferred

· Professional narrative writing skills

· Facilitation skills

· Great communication skills

· Ability to work in a diverse work environment

StARS is looking to fill the vacancy with the best possible applicant, even where that applicant may not precisely fulfil all requirements listed in this announcement, or where the applicant may demonstrate similar transferable skills. The role will require good humour, patience, optimism, and consensus building skills, as well as a willingness to learn and grow into the role.  StARS is interested in applications from people with a lived experience of forced displacement.

Compensation: Total amount is 10,000 USD inclusive of all expenses.  25% will be payable on receipt of a satisfactory work plan, and 75 % on production of the report.  The amount will include all expenses associated with the consultancy.

Supervised by: Director of Community Outreach Department

Closing date for applications:  20 August 2024

Anticipated Starting date: As soon as possible after the appointment date

Application instructions

Please send your Cover Letter, CV, and an initial budget for the consultancy to [email protected] using the subject line “Evaluation of Phase II of Community Based Organizations Project”. Please also include a budget for the work, indicating for which parts you would intend to be in Cairo. All applications should provide contact information for two professional/academic reference (referees will only be contacted after interviews).

Note: Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for an interview. 

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