External Evaluator – Horriyat Taabir

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Internews is seeking a consultant to lead a final evaluation of a US government-funded project. The project aims to enable citizens to enjoy greater Freedom of Expression by empowering journalists and civil society to safely monitor and advance Freedom of Expression and the right to information in Morocco. The consultant will report to the Project Manager and will be responsible for producing an evaluation report to be submitted to the donor. They will also work in close collaboration with the MENA M&E team and relevant HQ departments, as required.

LOGISTICS

This is a remote-based position.

Preference will be given to candidates in Morocco and the MENA region. Please note that there are some locations where Internews is not able to support fully remote work.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply soon.

This a limited duration position, with an expected end date of 30 October 2024

OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF BELONGING

We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven individuals who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people . Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are an EEO employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Internews, in partnership with FMJJ and MIPA, implemented Horriyat Taabir project (freedom of expression) to enable citizens to enjoy greater Freedom of Expression by empowering journalists and civil society to safely monitor and advance Freedom of Expression and the right to information in Morocco.

Project Goal & Objectives: Horriyat Taabir aims to enable citizens to enjoy greater Freedom of Expression by empowering journalists and civil society to safely monitor and advance Freedom of Expression and the right to information in Morocco. Internews, with its local partners, the Moroccan Forum of Young Journalists (FMJJ) and the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis (MIPA) will achieve this goal through the following objectives:

Objective 1: Building the capacity of journalists and civil society organizations (CSOs) to safely report on and raise awareness of Freedom of Expression and Access to Information rights.

Objective 2: Empower journalists and CSOs to monitor and advance the right to information through oversight and accountability mechanisms.

The project is designed on the basis of a robust Theory of Change:

“IF Moroccan journalists and CSOs have increased capacity and resources to report on and advocate for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, AND IF journalists and CSOs have improved knowledge of best practices for use of government and non-government information platforms, AND IF journalists and CSOs have increased digital, physical, and psychosocial resilience to manage the operational and legal context in Morocco, AND IF coordination efforts between citizens, media, CSOs and government stakeholders are enhanced, THEN media and CSOs will be better able to promote Freedom of Expression and the right to Access to Information, AND THEN citizens will have increased access to high quality content and information about the status of FOE and A2I in the countryand will be better able to hold authorities to account for effective implementation of the rights to Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.

EVALUATION PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of the evaluation is to determine how effectively the Horriyat Taabir project has assisted journalists and CSOs in Morocco in reporting on Freedom of expression and access to information. The evaluation aims to determine what role journalists and CSOs played in promoting accountability and reform, as well as the duration of the project’s effects after its conclusion. Specifically, the evaluation will assess the performance and potential success of the project against expected impact, suggesting ways of improving where relevant, and identifying any unexpected outcomes, evaluate the sustainability of results, it should also attempt to measure how journalists’ and CSOs’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills have evolved, as well as the quality, quantity, and diversity of their reporting on freedom of expression and access to information. The evaluation will also assess how well project activities and strategies, such as training, mentoring, networking, and advocacy, contributed to the desired outcomes. The evaluation’s findings and recommendations will inform future programming and contribute to a broader understanding of media and access to information in the region. The assessment has the following principal tasks:

• Assess the program’s M&E design and its effectiveness in capturing expected and unexpected;
• Assess the project implementation approach and processes adopted throughout the project lifecycle;
• Analyze various feedback points from the various stakeholders involved in the project, whether internal staff, external partners, or potential beneficiaries;
• Identify expected and unexpected (undesirable) outcomes and impact and the factors leading to their achievements;
• To assess the program’s M&E design and its effectiveness;
• Analyze underlying factors beyond Internews’ control that affect the achievement of the project results;
• Understand whether expected and unexpected outcomes were achieved;
• Identify factors that affected the activities, outcomes, and impacts from occurring;
• Assess the sustainability of results; and identify the factors contributing to the sustainability; and
• Identify and draw lessons learned, areas of improvement and recommendations that may inform future programming in the country.

We envision a theory-driven evaluation that speaks to international evaluation criteria (relevance, effectiveness, potential for impact and sustainability, OECD/DAC) and pays particular attention to gender. We welcome the use of creative evaluation methods and approaches that will help substantiate project progress and outcomes.

EVALUATION SCOPE

Internews and the evaluator will collaborate and agree on the design methodology of evaluations. The evaluator will then be responsible for implementing the agreed-upon methodology objectively. To ensure that the evaluation accurately represents the experiences and perspectives of all relevant stakeholders, the methodological approach should be inclusive, gender-sensitive, participatory, and culturally relevant. The recommended methodology should justify the choice of data collection tools and data analysis methods that will provide sufficient evidence to answer each question. Prospective evaluators will be informed of the materials and connections/logistics that Internews will be able to provide to facilitate the evaluation activities, such as:

• Project documentation, data, and information: Internews can provide evaluators with all relevant project documentation, including project proposals, reports, and any other documentation, data, and information related to the project.
• Orientation: Internews can provide orientation to evaluators, including an introduction to our organization and project.
• Access to stakeholders, communication, and logistics support: Internews can facilitate connections between evaluators and project stakeholders, including staff, partners, and beneficiaries. We can also provide contact information for stakeholders as needed in addition to any communication and logistical support for evaluators as needed.

The evaluation should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following tools:

• Desk review of relevant documents;
• Individual and/or group interviews with internal and external stakeholders;
• Online meetings with external stakeholders;
• Survey questionnaires to internal and external stakeholders, if relevant.

The key evaluation questions are:

Relevance:

• To what extent did the theory of change align with the program’s objectives and the context in which it was implemented?
• Evaluate the project’s objectives in relation to the needs and priorities of the intended beneficiaries, as well as the broader context of freedom of expression and access to information.
• Evaluate the quality and relevance of the project’s training and capacity-building activities, as well as their impact on the beneficiaries’ skills and knowledge.
• How did stakeholders perceive the program’s relevance in addressing the identified problem?

Effectiveness:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the Horriyat Taabir project in improving the ability of journalists and CSOs in Morocco to report on the issue of access to information and freedom of expression in Morocco.
• What outcomes (both expected and unexpected) were achieved by the program?
• What factors facilitated or hindered the achievement of outcomes?
• What was the contribution of the program to the achievement of outcomes?
• To what extent were the qualitative and quantitative tools used to gather data effective in assessing program progress and outcomes?
• What was the quality of the data collected, and how usable was it for program improvement?

Efficiency:

• Evaluate the efficiency of the project’s engagement with media outlets and other stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organizations, and the public.

Impact:

• What are the long-term effects of the program beyond its intended outcomes, and what unintended consequences emerged?
• Evaluate the project’s contribution to strengthening accountability for related reforms, laws, and commitments in Morocco.

Sustainability:

• How sustainable are the program results beyond the program’s lifespan, and what measures were taken to plan and ensure its sustainability?
• Evaluate the sustainability of the project’s outcomes and impact, including its potential for replication and expansion.

Learning:

• Identify key challenges and lessons learned from the project’s implementation and provide recommendations for future programming.
• How will the findings of the evaluation be used to inform future programming and decision-making processes?

TIMEFRAME AND DELIVERABLES

July – Appointment of evaluator and initial briefing. The consultant is expected to conduct preliminary interviews with Internews personnel to inform the inception report.

August – Inception report. Relevant documentation will be made available and the inception report will include:

-Literature review

-Draft methodology

-Data collection tools

-Outline of final report structure

September – First draft report

October – Final report

Internews anticipate conducting this evaluation within 30 workable days in the following flexible manner:

• Both the draft and final reports must be written in English and should not exceed 30 pages (excluding essential appendices).
• The reports must include an executive summary of the most important findings and recommendations for both Internews and the donor.
• In addition, a section on methodology should be included, explaining how the evaluation was carried out and any potential limitations that it may have.
• In all services, an understanding of and demonstrated commitment to upholding Internews’ Core Values .

QUALIFICATIONS WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• MA or PhD degree in media, journalism, gender, evaluation, or related field;
• At least 5 years of experience conducting evaluations in Morocco;
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative M&E data collection, analysis methods, and data software;
• Great skills in data visualization;
• Fluent in French, English and Arabic;
• Strong facilitation, presentation, writing and communication skills;
• Experience conducting evaluations for media development, gender, or a related field for 5 years’ experience as evaluator;
• Experience in evaluation of grants funded by the USG;
• Knowledge and understanding of the Moroccan context.