Background
Since 2012, InterAction has sought to develop and promote results-based approaches to protection. The initiative was borne out of an oft-repeated concern that, unlike other sectors of humanitarian action, protection could not be measured – or, if it could, humanitarian actors had yet to figure out how. Simultaneously, in the wake of the devasting conflict in Sri Lanka and other crises, there was broad recognition across the humanitarian community of the need to strengthen the evidence base for protection, in particular to demonstrably reduce risks and effect actual change in people’s lives in situations of armed conflict.
InterAction initiated this endeavor through a series of consultations with NGOs, UN entities, and donor governments, and reviewed published and grey literature, with a view to identifying whether and how protection was or could be measured as well as what impactful protection programming looked like. This process yielded insight into highly varied understanding of what constitutes “results” and a recognition that the pre-cursors to effective measurement of results and outcome level indicators were typically absent in the design of protection programs. Relatedly, the greatest challenges practitioners identified were issues of analysis, program design, staff skillsets, and rigidity of funding parameters and timelines.
InterAction subsequently explored good practice for “designing for results” and developed the Key Elements of Results-Based Protection outlining critical ways of working to achieve measurable reduction of risk. These Key Elements were validated in a Practitioner’s Roundtable in 2015. In subsequent years, InterAction sought to promote the RBP Key Elements as well as further explore their application in practice through field-based reviews and consultations, solicitation of examples from practitioners, webinars, and regular dialogue with protection specialists on challenging issues. InterAction also contributed its findings and experience through inter-agency policy discussions resulting in the IASC Principal’s Statement on the Centrality of Protection (2013) and the IASC Policy on Protection in Humanitarian Action (2016).
In 2018, in response to NGO motivation, as well as challenges, to adopt results-based approaches to protection, InterAction designed its efforts around their practical application in humanitarian programming. In 2019, InterAction received a grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) to (1) extend support to NGOs to adopt the RBP Key Elements in their ongoing work, and (2) facilitate the development of a results-based GBV prevention evaluation framework with the overall strategic objective to “contribute to a strategic and cultural shift within the humanitarian community to achieve protection outcomes”.
Purpose
The purpose of this independent evaluation is to help InterAction:
- Reflect on the effectiveness of its efforts to contribute to its strategic objective;
- Assess the relevance and efficacy of the scope of work and activities currently being undertaken;
- Identify strategies and critical components of future work to effect change in support of this strategic objective.
Scope and Methodology
This evaluation is intended to be light but is nevertheless expected to serve as a valuable opportunity to critically reflect on InterAction’s strategy with a view to charting a future course of action. While it is expected to reference the trajectory and focus of past activities, this evaluation will focus on the activities and targeted results of InterAction’s current scope of work under the Sida grant (2019-2021).
While the list below is not exhaustive, the evaluators are specifically expected to assess the following factors:
Relevance of results-based protection to contemporary issues and challenges in humanitarian crises and the humanitarian ecosystem
Coherence of InterAction’s concepts, strategies, and theories of change
Suitability and adaptability of InterAction’s methods, ways of working, and activities (including since adaptation of methods as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic)
Evidence of direct and indirect influence on key stakeholders, processes, or issues resulting from InterAction’s work
Connectivity of key stakeholders to InterAction and their familiarity with the RBP Key Elements
Efficacy of InterAction’s communication about complex issues and its objectives
Internal coherence and conceptual and practical connectivity of results-based protection to the role, objectives, and activities of InterAction’s Humanitarian Policy and Practice team.
Finally, the evaluators are expected to provide recommendations based on the above findings, identifying strengths that should be sustained as well as gaps and weaknesses that should be addressed in future work.
InterAction anticipates sharing the final evaluation report widely with its key stakeholders and making it publicly available on its website.
Methods are expected to include:
- Desk review of key documents
- Interviews with key stakeholders including NGOs, UN representatives, and donors
- Focus Group Discussions with small groups of selected stakeholders
- Discussions with the InterAction Protection Team and other members of the Humanitarian Policy and Practice Team
Indicative timetable
November 2020 Evaluation commences
November-December 2020 Desk review, interviews/FGDs, developing of findings and preliminary recommendations, including initial briefing to InterAction
8 January 2021 Draft report delivered to and discussed with InterAction
29 January 2021 Final report delivered to InterAction
Requirements
Consultants for this evaluation should have the follow knowledge, experience, and skills:
- Experience with outcome level multi-year program design and/or program monitoring and evaluation
- Familiarity with protection in the context of the armed conflict is highly desirable
- Familiarity with the humanitarian system and inter-agency coordination bodies and dynamics
- Familiarity with systems thinking, design thinking, realist evaluation methods, and practical planning and evaluation tools such as outcome mapping and outcome harvesting
- Ability to quickly absorb and distill large amounts of information and accommodate diverse perspectives
- Strong listening and facilitation skills
- Ability to convey complex ideas clearly, succinctly, and in jargon-free oral and written communications
How to apply:
Prospective evaluators are invited to submit bids to undertake this evaluation to jobs@interaction.org with the subject line “Independent Evaluation of InterAction’s RBP Program”. *Applications received by 12 October 2020 are appreciated and the post will remain open until filled.*
Applications should include the following:
Curriculum vitae / resume
A brief outline of proposed methodology and workplan indicating an expected number of days per activity (no more than 1000 words in length)
A cover letter describing professional interests, expertise, and experience relevant to this evaluation
Expected daily consultancy fees
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
