External Consultant

TERMS OF REFERENCE – EXTERNAL EVALUATION INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

A. Organizational Background

Heartland Alliance International (HAI) is the youngest and fastest growing part of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, a family of organizations that has been leading anti-poverty and social justice work in Chicago for more than 125 years. HAI is comprised of country offices around the world implementing programs on a broad range of human rights issues globally, as well as the Chicago-based Marjorie Kovler Center for the Treatment of Survivors of Torture, which serves individuals from more than 50 countries. HAI has significant expertise in the fields of trauma-informed mental health care and access to justice for survivors of rights abuses. It is also an industry leader in access to high-quality and stigma-free health care. Across all of its programs, HAI promotes progressive, innovative approaches to human rights protections and gender equality.

B. Project Background

With generous support from Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), HAI launched Restoring Human Rights After Da’esh project. The goal of this 22-month-long project is to help Iraqi government officials, legal professionals, and community-based organizations more effectively contest the use of torture and enforced disappearance, and improve prevention and reporting of severe human rights abuses, particularly those related to the recent conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The project activities focus on providing direct services to individuals who are survivors of or at risk of severe human rights abuses and building the capacity of Iraqi civil society and public institutions to address the needs of this population throughout Iraq. The two strategic objectives of the project are:

*Strategic Objective 1 (SO1): The Iraqi government and KRG are more transparent, accountable, and responsive to international human rights standards on detention, use of torture, and enforced disappearance.*

*Strategic Objective 2 (SO2): Iraqi civil society in areas recently liberated from Da’esh better responds to the needs of survivors of severe human rights abuse and effectively advocates for governmental adherence to international human rights standards.*

Under SO1, HAI sought to strengthen government capacity to monitor, identify, and respond to the incidence of torture and enforced disappearance in both Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Through close collaboration with independent human rights commissions, members of parliament, and other stakeholders, HAI supported implementation of an online human rights monitoring tool, facilitated creation of an intergovernmental task force, and conducted round tables on new laws on combating torture and protecting witnesses.

Under SO2, HAI sought to strengthen civil society’s capacity to provide support to survivors of torture and family members of victims of enforced disappearance. HAI provided training to project partners in Nineveh, Anbar, and Baghdad, and project partners then provided legal and mental health services to participants in those provinces. HAI also established the Smile of Hope Center, a trauma rehabilitation clinic delivering mental health and psychosocial services to survivors of torture.

C. Evaluation Rationale

HAI seeks a Contractor to conduct a final evaluation of Restoring Human Rights After Da’esh over the life of the project. The evaluation will measure the project’s effectiveness and relevance, and potential for sustainability. HAI and the Contractor will collaboratively design the evaluation methodology to investigate research questions that include but are not limited to:

1. Did the project effectively address the needs and priorities of recipients of legal and mental health services and victims of torture and enforced disappearance more broadly, including populations with special needs, such as women and children?

2. How has the project affected the ability of Iraqi government and civil society stakeholders to uphold international human rights standards on detention, use of torture, and enforced disappearance?

3. What are the key programmatic and operational strengths and weaknesses of the project design that have affected project overall performance?

The evaluation will be shared with both HAI and the donor and will help inform the future design and programming of HAI’s programming on juvenile justice, healing from trauma, and reintegration of communities in Iraq and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The external evaluation will complement HAI’s internal assessment of the project, and HAI will share the evaluation with staff, partners, and other stakeholders as necessary.

D. Evaluation Design & Methodology

The design and methodology applied to this evaluation should generate the highest quality and most credible evidence to answer the evaluation questions listed above, and should primarily focus on assessing project activities under Restoring Human Rights After Da’esh project. Prior to the start of data collection, the Contractor will develop and present, for HAI review and approval, a written methodology that details the evaluation activities, evaluation tools, and data analysis plan for this evaluation. The written methodology should incorporate participatory methods when possible and as the evaluator deems appropriate, and will be comprised of a mix of quantitative and qualitative tools appropriate to the evaluation’s research questions. HAI expects the methodology to include, but not be limited to, the following activities:

• A review of all relevant project documentation in English, Arabic, and Kurdish;
• A review of project monitoring data;
• Site visits to partners and stakeholders in Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, and Nineveh Governorates. Visits to any governorate within federal Iraq will be contingent on the security situation at the time of the evaluation.
• Data collection methods and tools, including a pre-selection of key informant interviews;
• Data analysis plan. Evaluation questions should be answered with information that is disaggregated by gender.

HAI will provide the evaluation team access to all relevant project documents, including but not limited to:

• The original grant agreement and subsequent modifications to the grant agreement;
• Quarterly reports, work plans and management reviews developed as part of routine project monitoring; and
• All data, including data collection tools, previously collected from routine project monitoring.

E. Evaluation Deliverables

• Evaluation Methodology & Work Plan: A written, draft methodology for the evaluation will be submitted to HAI for review and approval no later than the 7^th day following the signing of this agreement. The methodology plan should include the evaluation design, data collection plan, instruments, tools, and an operational work plan, including a timeline. The methodology plan will be discussed with HAI prior to any data collection activities. The Contractor may change the methodology but must submit any changes for approval to HAI prior to implementation.

• Evaluation Data: All raw data used in the evaluation analysis should be submitted no later than two weeks after data collection activities are completed. The Contractor will provide data in an electronic file in an easy to read format; organized and fully documented for use by those not familiar with the project or evaluation.

• Draft Evaluation Report: The Contractor will submit a written draft report of the findings and recommendations from the evaluation no later than 30 days after draft methodology and work plan is submitted (40 days after signing of the contract). Prior approval by the Company will be required should the Contractor want to revise this deadline. The format of the evaluation report should follow the guidelines listed in Attachment B. The report must be submitted in English, electronically.

• Debriefing with HAI and partner staff: The Contractor will present major accomplishments and findings from the evaluation to HAI and partner staff through PowerPoint presentation after completion of field-based data collection. The debriefing will include a discussion of achievement and issues as well as any recommendation the team has for possible modifications to project approaches, results, or activities. The Contractor will consider HAI project staff comments and revise the evaluation report accordingly, as appropriate.

• Final Report: HAI will provide the Contractor with written comments on the Draft Evaluation Report no later than 5 days after the Contractor submits the draft evaluation. The Contractor will submit a Final Evaluation Report that incorporates HAI’s responses to the Draft Evaluation Report no later than 5 days after HAI provides the Contractor with feedback. The format of the evaluation report must follow the guidelines provided to the Contractor by HAI. The final version of the Final Evaluation Report will be submitted in English, electronically no later than 5 days after the Contractor sends back the report with HAI’s feedback incorporated. .

F. Evaluation Team Composition & Desired Qualifications

The Contractor will receive support from HAI’s project team, as well as HAI’s Monitoring & Evaluation team. The Contractor should possess the following qualifications:

• Fluency in Arabic and English is required; Kurdish is preferred
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills;
• At least two years demonstrated experience in conducting evaluations and writing reports;
• Ability to freely travel to Federal Iraq and Kurdistan Region;
• Demonstrated experience working in the field of juvenile justice, gender-based violence in conflict settings a plus;
• Demonstrated knowledge of the key human rights challenges and actors in Iraq and the MENA region.

G. Evaluation Management

HAI will provide overall supervision to the Contractor during contract period. HAI will assist the Contractor with finalizing the evaluation methodology and work plan, and assist in identifying and providing key project documents for the Contractor to review during the contract period. HAI will provide overall logistical support and assistance to the Contractor, as needed and when possible. HAI’s project-based staff will be made available to the Contractor for consultations during the evaluation process.

The Contractor is responsible for arranging and completing all evaluation-related activities listed in the approved methodology and work plan, in coordination with HAI’s local project and logistics staff. The Contractor will advise HAI prior to each of those activities. The Contractor will be responsible for completing and submitting to the Company the evaluation products listed in Section E of this document. The Contractor will be responsible for procuring his/her own work/office space, computers, Internet access, printing, and photocopying throughout the evaluation. The Contractor will be required to make his/her own payments for such services. The Contractor will be responsible for any expenses beyond the fee provided by the Company as determined in this document.

1. Payment Schedule

The consultant's wage is contingent on the satisfactory completion of each of the deliverables listed above. If the consultant is unable to complete a deliverable by its respective deadline, HAI reserves the right to terminate the contract and payment. If the Consultant fails to complete the deliverable by the determined date listed above, HAI reserves the right to reduce payment for that specific deliverable period. If consultant fails to finish a deliverable within the specific period listed above, he must cover any additional unforeseen accommodation, transportation, additional personnel costs for the additional days. After the deliverables listed below have been satisfactorily rendered, as determined by the point(s) of contact mentioned above and an itemized invoice is submitted, payment will be provided to the consultant for the amounts listed in the payment schedule Invoices should be sent to the Point of Contact(s) listed above for approval.

The agreed upon amount for this contract is $10,000 per year, which will be disbursed in the following payments tied to deliverables.

Payment is tied to deliverables. The payment schedule is as follows:

§ 1st installment: 30% upon signing this agreement, and receipt of invoice from the Contractor

§ 2nd installment: 30% upon submission of data and completion of fieldwork and data collection, and receipt of invoice from the Contractor.

§ 3rd installment: 40% upon review and approval by the Company of all items listed under the ‘Evaluation Products’ section of this SOW and receipt of invoice from the Contractor. The Contractor will provide the Company with a written invoice within 15 days prior to the end of the consulting period for services rendered.

How to apply:

I. Submission Process

To be considered for this contract, please submit the following documents to elee@heartlandalliance.org, sstanley@heartlandalliance.org, and lbett@heartlandalliance.org

1. A letter of interest, indicating how your skills and experience meet the qualifications listed above;

2. A résumé or CV (no more than four pages);

3. A writing sample (no more than three pages);

4. A draft budget, including consultation fees and all other evaluation-related expenses, including travel for the entire exercise with a maximum amount of $10,000 USD.

Incomplete submission packages and submission packages that do not adhere to the page limits stated above will not be considered. Submitted packages will be considered on a rolling basis. Present employees of HAI or HAI’s implementing partners need not apply.

For any questions or need for more details about this evaluation, please contact: elee@heartlandalliance.org.