Oxfam Invites Job Applications

September 7th, 2021 at 10:09 am

Oxfam in Ghana seeks to engage the services of an End-Line Evaluation Consultant to conduct an evaluation into its three programmes namely ESJ, EFAC, and YEG.

Oxfam Profile

Oxfam is a rights-based global development organization with more than 70 years of experience in more than 90 countries worldwide Oxfam’s mission is to end the injustice of poverty and inequality through systemic change and the advancement of political, economic and social rights.

Oxfam has been working in Ghana since 1986, managing programs related to food security and livelihoods, universal access to education and healthcare and transparency and accountability in extractive industries (mining, oil and gas).

Oxfam’s experience in Ghana and strong partnerships with government institutions, Ghanaian civil society organizations and NGOs supports the delivery of active and innovative programs and advocacy work seeking to improve the livelihoods of Ghanaians and strengthen citizen accountability. Oxfam in Ghana currently works in 11 out of Ghana’s 16 administrative regions.

Job Description

Consultancy – End-Line Evaluation ESJ, EFAC and YEG Programmes (INT7828)

Background, rationale, and purpose of the evaluation

With Funding from the DANIDA Strategic Partnership (SP) Framework, the evaluation will determine the successes of the implementation of three projects (Economic and Social Justice (ESJ), Education for Active Citizenship (EFAC) and Youth, Education for Active Citizenship and Gender equality (YEG)) that make up the DANIDA SP in Ghana for the last three years (January 2018 to December 2021).

This SP succeeded the DANIDA Frame funded education and Governance Thematic Programmes – the Education for Change (EfC) (2015 – 2019) and the Democratic Consolidation and Accountable Governance (DCAG) (2013 – 2018).

The overall focus of the education TP then was to support civil society organisations (CSOs) to actively advocate access to inclusive quality education; for equitable education policies and practices; increased domestic financing of education, transparent and accountable management of education resources at local, national and global levels.

The Governance programme sought to accelerate democratic governance reforms and deepen equitable economic redistribution by enhancing civil society influence in policy and practice at all levels of government.

The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the degree to which the ESJ, EFAC and YEG projects have achieved its intended outcomes by looking at 1) analysis of programme results in relation to objectives, 2) identify best practices and main learnings, 3) critically assess the structure of the programme and how it has synergized with others and 4) identify and document workable influencing models implemented from the local to national levels.

Building on the results and lessons of its predecessor TPs and in line with the goals of the ESJ, EFAC and YEG programmes, the SP was designed to achieve the following specific objectives:

Specific Objectives and Outcomes

The specific objectives of the three programmes (ESJ, EFAC and YEG) which this evaluation intends to assess include the following.

Specific objective for the Economic and Social Justice (ESJ): Innovative and sustainable solutions for a transparent and more progressive Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM) and inclusive public spending in Ghana developed and mutually agreed in multi-stakeholder dialogue including a civil society alliance with representation of women and youth, government and national and multinational companies.

ESJ Expected Outcome 1: Multi-stakeholder dialogue and concrete evidence-based policy proposals concrete evidence-based policy proposals leads to progressive policy changes in DRM, extractive industries and pro-poor public spending in Ghana with special emphasis on free public quality education

ESJ Expected Outcome 2: Raising public awareness and civil society action on the importance of progressive DRM, extractive industries, investments and pro-poor public spending on e.g. quality education and youth empowerment.

Specific objective for the Education for Active Citizenship (EFAC): Educational inequalities reduced through enhancing access to publicly funded quality education and relevant non-formal education, with special focus on girls and young people thereby strengthening their capacity to become active citizens.

EFAC Expected Outcome 1: Evidence-based advocacy campaigns of transformative education models and approaches benefitting the poorest and most marginalised with focus on girls and youth implemented with local, regional and national civil society partners

EFAC Expected Outcome 2: Young women focused campaigns on SRHR and equal education rights are enhancing young women’s voice and active participation in decision making at the local and national levels and resulting in policy changes benefitting increased number of marginalized youth, particularly female youth.

Expected outcome 3: Local and national CSOs achieved results of enhanced efficiency and accountability of public finances on quality education. That leads to more progressive public spending in quality education
Specific objectives for the Youth, Education for active Citizenship and Gender equality (YEG):

YEG Objective 1: To influence formal and non-formal education policies and related legislative frameworks in Ghana, ensuring inclusion of gender-sensitive formal and non-formal education options for marginalized youth.

YEG Expected Outcome 1.1: National policies, legislative frameworks, budgets and programmes related to education include the needs and rights to formal and non-formal education options for marginalized youth, especially young women.

YEG Expected Outcome 1.2: Youth groups/organisations are strengthened to be active citizens claiming their rights, especially of young women.

2.1 Objectives of the Evaluation

To document and assess outcomes and, where possible, impact of the SP’s interventions to enhance accountability to stakeholders including partners, target groups/change agents, donors, Oxfam management, etc.

The focus will be on outcomes. This also implies assessing the extent to which the outcomes of the SP have been cost effective. To document the significance of the changes for the target groups and linking it to the contribution of the programme.

To find out the degree of Learning and Knowledge Sharing – The degree to which the programme, partners and stakeholders have learned and shared their experiences as well as the capacity, added value and synergy achieved in the programme and among the partners of the SP.

To gather relevant lessons using learning questions that is capable of being used to provide guidance for the development and implementation of future SP in Ghana.

To assess the relevance of the SP’s influencing approaches/strategies, partnership, participation, management, monitoring, and evaluation applied across the projects. Are the objectives and strategies, and the underlying assumptions relevant for the target groups and sub-grantees? Are the strategies for capacity building and knowledge management relevant?

Assess unexpected outcomes with focus on youth engagement at a national level

Key Evaluation Questions

What are the main achievements, changes, impact, and lessons learned in the SP in terms of increasing equity, gender equality or justice and inclusion of marginalized youth and women decision making, formal and non-formal quality education and economic benefits?

To what extend are the influencing strategies adopted by the programmes effective in delivering the objectives and expected outcomes?

To what extent have the SP interventions contributed to the Oxfam in Ghana Country Strategy (2015 – 2020)?

To what extend are the main achievements owned by beneficiaries and likely to last and continue beyond the programmes duration?

How was synergy fostered in the programmes and what was the effect of synergy or the lack of on the achievement of programme outcomes?

What has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on programme deliveries and how have stakeholders mitigated the crisis at local and national levels?

What is the link between the programmes achievements or impact and the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Key Evaluation Learning Questions

How effective is the strategy of developing models at the local level for influencing at the national level?

Do creating alliances and working with youth and women movements serve as effective pathway to influencing? If yes, how and what are the lessons from working with youth and women led organizations?

What impact synergy between the programme and other projects make on programme impact?
How should the new SP be organised across the new Oxfam in Ghana Country Strategy (OCS 2021-2025) goals for greater impact?

Scope of Work, Approach and Basic Methodological Requirements (if applicable)

The overall framework and methodologies of the process will as much as possible align with the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) evaluation criteria and be identified and adapted by the consultant to the Ghana context.

5.1 Relevance and strategic approach

• Assess the relevance of the SP in light of the needs and rights of the target group, the political/legal framework in Ghana, and Oxfam country strategies.
• Assess the adequacy of the SP, hereunder the relevance of rights-based approach and the adequacy of the approach to gender equality.
• Assess and recommend the relevance of SP strategies and advocacy approach for future programming.
• Assess the relevance, added value and challenges of the projects implemented by Oxfam.
  Give recommendations for the focus and strategic approach of future SP and inequality programming in Ghana.

5.2 Outcomes

• Assess progress of the SP against objectives/outcomes/outputs and identify achieved sustainable changes in each project and areas for future work
• Assess the extent to which the SP has succeeded in using evidence-based advocacy for policy influencing and implementation of desired changes.
• Assess the results of the SP in relation to gender equality. To what extent has the SP addressed the issues of girls, boys, youth, and women.
• Assess the unexpected outcomes of the SP
• Assess the cost effectiveness of the SP.
• Assess the overall lessons learned of the SP.
• Give recommendations that will facilitate a more efficient and effective attainment of programme outcomes.
• Assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the achievement of the SP objectives.

5.3 Sustainability

• Assess the sustainability of the SP outcomes. Are these pointing towards long-term impact?
• Give recommendations on how the sustainability of interventions and outcomes can be strengthened.

5.4 Strategies, Partnership, and Participation

• Describe and assess the adequacy of the strategies used within the SP (particularly in relation to the focus areas of strengthening civil society for influencing, rights promotion, monitoring and documentation).
• Describe and assess partner involvement in programme formulation, programme steering/strategic decision-making, monitoring and evaluation.
• To what extent have partners experienced a shared ownership of the SP?
• Document and assess how the partner portfolio have developed in the period under review.
• How has the interaction been between partners with different capacities and areas of expertise?
• What are partners and Oxfam staffs perception of the established partnerships with regard to the level of trust, transparency and power balance?
• Assess the contribution of the programme to the organisational development of the partners.
• What has been the SPs added value to partners? What can Oxfam do to accommodate these in the remaining implementation period?
• Give recommendations on how partnership and coordination can be strengthened.

5.5 Synergy

• Assess the extent to which the SP has facilitated and produced synergy between partners, projects and programme activities.
• Assess how well the SP has been able to connect local activities with national and international advocacy?
• Assess the synergy with other Oxfam projects and programmes,
• Recommend on how synergy can be strengthened in a new SP (if relevant).

5.6 Management, Coordination, monitoring and evaluation

• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Oxfams programme management and coordination.
• Assess the adequacy of the monitoring and evaluation system and methods used.
• Assess how well the learning and knowledge gained have been documented, applied, and further institutionalized in Oxfam.
• Give recommendations for improvements.

5.7 Shrinking Civic Space

• What perceptions of shrinking civic space do COs, partners and CSOs have? (relevance)
• What have been the most significant lessons learned in relation to working in a shrinking/shifting civic space during the period under review/evaluation? (effectiveness)
• What can Oxfam do to accommodate in the remaining implementation period? (effectiveness)

Methodology

The SP evaluation will draw information from various sources. This will include a review of existing relevant documents, including but not limited to programme/project plans, relevant published reports on context and trends at national and regional levels as well as progress and assessment reports.

A combination of participatory approaches involving partners, their constituencies, relevant stakeholders, and staff using interviews, surveys, case studies, collection, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.

• Desk review of relevant project documentation, both written and audio-visuals (including Oxfam Youth review, country mid-term review, learning event outcomes etc)
• Interviews with project target groups including youth, women, etc.
• The evaluation will make use of a combination of external and internal assessments in order to provide a solid synthesis of external reflections and well-informed insights from the staff and partners involved in the SP.
• The methodology should facilitate learning around the issues (defined in scope of work above).
• Listed key questions will be answered by Oxfam staff, partners, stakeholders, and beneficiaries.
• The answers will be collected through focus group discussions and semi structured interviews facilitated by the consultant.

The focus group discussions and the semi-structured interviews should be guided by Oxfam safeguarding and feminist principles.

The approaches used in focus group discussions will be based on participatory facilitation methods (interactive activities) as well as qualitative research methods with an intersectional focus on gender, socio-cultural factors or other relevant factors for the analysis.

Interviews should be semi-structured for the consultant to ask more open-ended questions that will allow participants to discuss and suggest their own analysis, conclusions, and recommendations.

Based on the conducted focus group discussions and interviews, the consultant shall create a report including written documentation, Power Point slides, and any relevant material.

Through this working process Oxfam and partners will jointly learn and reflect on fiscal justice, extractive governance, education, gender and youth programme work through discussions of the results, achievements and learnings.

Evaluation team: qualifications and skills needed, plan for organizing the evaluation team

• The Country Director of Oxfam in Ghana has ultimate responsibility for managing the Evaluation mission.
• The day-to-day management of the evaluation will be the responsibility of the Inequality Programmes and Campaigns Manager with the support of the other staff and units of Oxfam in Ghana.
• The process will be implemented by a review team consisting of the programme staff on the ESJ, EFAC and YEG projects with support from the Programme Quality team and Head of Programmes and Campaigns.
• The focal points in Oxfam IBIS including Sanne, Christian and Line shall provide perspectives to the review process and to provide necessary logistic support to facilitate travels, appointments, meetings, workshops, etc.
• The review team will oversee the overall process and quality assurance.
• The consultant will lead the process on design, coordination, analyses of the data, and presentation of the results.
• The team will facilitate the provision of background literature including project documents, reports, and other relevant data.
• The programme staff will assist in the planning for the organization of the interviews and focus group discussions, including logistics and following up on official COVID 19 restrictions.

Deliverables:

• Workplan for developing discussions/workshops including strategy and methodology as well as quality assurance plan shall be developed by the consultant
• The consultant will make the final evaluation report that will document change stories, and analysis of main findings, conclusions, and recommendations with special attention to influencing
• The consultant will present the findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Oxfam country office and the relevant focal points at Oxfam IBIS.

Timeline and Dissemination Plan

Consultation and contracting of external consultant for the SP evaluation is expected to be completed by Mid-August 2021.

The actual evaluation shall be carried out between August and November 2021.

It is anticipated that the consultant will work for 25 person days in accordance with the following tentative time schedule:

The expected timeline is as follows: please note that his may be subject to small changes:

Time Key Tasks

24th August 2021 Terms of Reference (ToR) developed and finalized

30th September 2021 Consultant or consulting firm is recruited

8th October 2021 The Consultant reviews relevant documents Oxfam country strategy, the SP documents including review and narrative reports, etc. Consultant presents inception report at an inception meeting with programme team.

Based on feedback from inception meeting, Consultant revises methodology and prepare evaluation instruments and tools.

16th of October 2021 Interviews and focus group discussions are carried out

30th of October, 2021 Draft Evaluation Report is prepared and submitted

15th of November, 2021 Evaluation report validation/ review

30th November 2021 Consultants present and discuss findings and recommendation at a workshop of staff and partners, including the Oxfam IBIS focal points for the projects (ESJ, EFAC and YEG).

Week of the 15th December 2021 Deadline for Consultant to hand in Final evaluation report.

20th December 2021 Evaluation report officially signed off in Ghana Dissemination strategy, plan and responsibilities for sharing and using the findings.

The report will be shared with country offices, partners, Oxfam IBIS and other relevant actors and contribute to Oxfam learning and consolidation, fundraising and influencing strategies.

Required Skills or Experience

Required competences for the consultant:

• The evaluation will be conducted by one consultant who shall be the lead and taking ultimate responsibility for the entire assignment and deliverables including reporting.
• The consultant will be the contract holder with Oxfam and will be responsible for any support he needs for the assignment.
• The consultant will have demonstrable and complementary experiences working with NGOs and civil society on promoting fiscal justice, extractive governance and community rights, education financing, access, pedagogy and quality education, girls education, education governance, gender justice, policy and budget advocacy in Ghana.
• He should be an accomplished expert in conducting evaluations of rights-based social intervention projects including education development and advocacy programming, organization development of civil society groups and education financing.
• In addition, the consultant should have the following skills and competences:
• Solid experience of monitoring, evaluation, and learning; including conceptualization of approaches and methodologies
• Ability to analyses and present data in an easily understandable format
• Commitment to participatory approaches in evaluation techniques.
• Strong report writing skills in English is an asset.

Experience working with transformative education, gender justice and youth engagement Description of the consultants tasks:

The consultants commissioned to undertake this evaluation will:

• Produce and submit inception report demonstrating her/his understanding of this ToR.
• Develop and design the evaluation instruments and tools.
• Conduct a desk study on programme related documents, including mid-term reviews, review meetings, outcomes from learning events and other relevant contextual and programmatic documents.
• Conduct, if possible, field visits to collect data.
• Production of a draft detailed evaluation report.
• Make presentations of findings and recommendations to staff and partners, stakeholders and collect feedback.
• Based on the feedback above, produce and submit the final detailed reports: an evaluation report with an executive summary of no more than 30 pages, excluding annexes.
• Produce draft detailed evaluation SP Completion report
• Deliverables, Schedule, budget, and logistics

How To Apply

Dissemination strategy, plan and responsibilities for sharing and using the findings. The report will be shared with country offices, partners, Oxfam IBIS and other relevant actors and contribute to Oxfam learning and consolidation, fundraising and influencing strategies.

Process of the selection of the Consultant or consulting firm and expectations for evaluation proposal Oxfam in Ghana shall decide on the consultant through a competitive process. Upon receipt of applications, a short list of about four of five shall be presented to a bid evaluation team.

The bid evaluation team consisting of Programmes, Programme Quality, Finance and Logistics shall be put in place to evaluate the applications and make recommendations for decision making by the Country Director.

As much as possible, all project leads (that is ESG, EFAC and YEG) shall make inputs into the process.

NB: once the selection process has been completed, the ToR should be updated accordingly (eg methodological section).

Recommended outline of the evaluation report

Cover page clearly identifying the report as an evaluation and stating:

• Evaluation title
• Program/project title /affiliate identification code
• Date that the evaluation report was finalised
• Evaluators name(s) and logo (if available)

Oxfam logo (unless not appropriate)

• Appropriate recognition of institutional donor support.
• Clear statement in case this report can NOT be used externally
• Table of contents

Glossary

• List of abbreviations.
• Executive summary that can be used as a stand-alone document
• Introduction, stating objectives of the evaluation and evaluation questions
• The intervention and context

Methodology, including an indication of any perceived limitations

• Presentation of the findings and analysis
• Conclusions
• Learning and Recommendations
• Appendices:

Terms of reference

• Evaluation program (main features of data and activities carried out).
• A list of interviewees (name, function and working environment) and places visited.
• List of documents and bibliography used.

Link to Methodological appendices:

• The evaluation proposal
• Evaluation instruments such as questionnaires and interview guides
• Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages.

Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.

In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

Tenders/bids

• We will use open tendering to invite bids from individual consultants who have the experience and skills described above. Expression of interest should include:
• A cover letter introducing the consultant and how the skills and competencies described above are met, with concrete examples.
• A 2-page outline of the proposed strategy development and writing process including:
  Proposed outline of methodology Management arrangements
• A budget covering proposed fees and all major costs. Please include budget notes
  Tenders should be emailed to: ghadverts@oxfam.org.uk.

DEADLINE:

By Thursday 16th September 2021 at 5:00pm. With the subject line End-Line Evaluation of the Economic and Social Justice (ESJ), Education for Active Citizenship (EFAC) and the Youth Education and Gender for Active Citizenship (YEG) Programmes.