1. Context

For decades, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been struggling to break the cycle of violence and conflict with clashes between armed groups and government forces, and ethnic conflicts continue to create new displacements. The continued insecurity and prolonged, multiple displacements result in continual increase in vulnerability of the affected populations through the destruction of livelihoods, loss of key household assets, reduction in humanitarian access and a breakdown in access to basic services. As of April 2018, a total of 4.49 million IDPs were registered in DRC.

The provinces Tanganyika, Haut Lomami and Haut Katanga have seen continued conflict and displacement since 2012 and remain amongst the provinces with the highest number of IDPs in the country, with a total of 809,183 registered by UNOCHA in Tanganyika, Haut Katanga and Haut Lomami as of April 2018 . The conflict initially stemmed from confrontations between the Twa and Bantu ethnic groups, with the discrimination from the Bantu against the Twa remaining a key underlying reason for the ongoing conflict. The Twa community represents approximately 15% of the total population of Tanganyika and 35% in Nyunzu and Manono territory. Tensions between the ethnic groups has remained and intensified in the second half of 2018 along the Kalemie - Nyunzu axis, which continues to generate new displacement.

The continued insecurity has led to increased vulnerability of the population, as thousands of people displaced lack access to their fields and livelihoods. In an area where between 60 and 70% of the population is reliant on agricultural inputs for their income, the loss of land of displacement are increasing their vulnerabilities and limiting their resilience to new crisis. Furthermore, the 16th cycle of analysis of the IPC places the areas of intervention (Nyunzu, Kabalo, Manono, and Pweto) in category 4 regarding food insecurity and malnutrition. Recent reports and assessments clearly highlight the persistent needs for humanitarian assistance for all affected populations - recently displaced, returnees and host communities. There is a general lack of basic services, and poor water and sanitation conditions. Although there are some humanitarian actors present in the area, the needs remain high.

Access to reliable WASH services in rural Eastern DRC is limited, and capacity of these services to deal with community needs before the arrival of IDPs is already extremely limited. The arrival of additional vulnerable households therefore places additional pressure on WASH services and forces people to use unprotected or contaminated water services. In an area where cholera is endemic, this creates a life-threatening situation; reporting has shown that 31,400 suspected cholera cases, and more than 1,000 associated deaths across the country, were recorded by health agencies in 2018 .

In response to the above needs, Concern proposes to provide 22,800 conflict-affected households (in total 136,800 individuals) with essential Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) as well as livelihoods support to help families endure the crisis and restore livelihoods through a conflict-sensitive lens. Overall, the program aims to meet the immediate WASH and economic recovery needs of the targeted population and reduce the suffering in Nyunzu, Kabalo, Manono, Malemba Nkulu, Bukama and Pweto. This program will target beneficiary households focusing on needs and vulnerability primarily, combined with the status (displaced, returned, host community) of households. The proposed program will build on lessons learned from Concern’s previous and ongoing emergency programs in the area, as well as from its’ programs in North Kivu, Lomami and Haut Kasai. Concern continues to monitor changes into the humanitarian and security situation to be able to intervene to new displacement as necessary.

2. Concern’s Programme in Malemba Nkulu, Nyunzu, Kabalo, and Pweto

Concern has been operating in DRC since 1994 and began operating in Ex-Katanga in 2006. Concern is currently implementing a 5-year development programme focused on WASH and livelihoods in Manono territory, Tanganyika province. In response to the above needs, Concern proposes to provide 22,800 conflict-affected households (in total 136,800 individuals) with essential Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) as well as livelihoods support to help families endure the crisis and restore livelihoods through a conflict-sensitive lens. Overall, the program aims to meet the immediate WASH and economic recovery needs of the targeted population and reduce the suffering in Nyunzu, Kabalo, Manono, Malemba Nkulu, Bukama and Pweto. This program will target beneficiary households focusing on needs and vulnerability primarily, combined with the status (displaced, returned, host community) of households. The proposed program will build on lessons learned from Concern’s previous and ongoing emergency programs in the area, as well as from its’ programs in North Kivu, Lomami and Haut Kasai. Concern continues to monitor changes into the humanitarian and security situation to be able to intervene to new displacement as necessary. In August 2019 Concern launched an emergency programme in the territories of Nyunzu, Kabalo, Malemba Nkulu and Pweto in the respective provinces of Tanganyika, Haut-Lomami and Ex-Haut Katanga. This intervention, funded by OFDA, targets IDPs, recently returned displaced households and host families in the provision of shelter materials, hygiene kits, rehabilitating water points, latrine construction, hygiene promotion and the reinforcement of local WASH actors.

3. Scope of Work

Purpose of the evaluation:

The purpose of the external evaluation is to assess to what degree the program and methodology was successful in achieving planned results and objectives as laid out in the program proposal. Second, the evaluation should identify future program interventions and make recommendations for sustainable assistance to IDPs and returnees. This information will be used to establish best practices and assist Concern Worldwide in designing new interventions in Tanganyika and Haut Lomami provinces. Lessons learned including successes and areas for improvement, will be directly applied to the implementation of the next OFDA emergency program in Pweto, Kabalo, Nyunzu and Malemba.

Specific evaluation tasks to be undertaken:

1. Assess progress made towards the achievement of objectives, indicators and targets.

2. Assess the appropriateness of the targeting strategy for beneficiary selection.

3. Compare Concern Worldwide targeting approaches with other agencies and to what extent there is coherence across the sector in approaches

4. Support the organization’s commitments to accountability to donors, government, public, and beneficiaries through publication of the evaluation report to inform the decisions and actions resulting from findings.

5. Using the DAC criteria, assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of the project.

6. Assess mainstreaming and integration of protection and gender into program activities, evaluating gaps, areas of improvement, and provide recommendations for next OFDA program.

7. Identify lessons learned and provide practical and innovative program options for assisting IDPs/returnees in a sustainable manner based on integration and/or relocation.

Evaluation methodology:

Evaluation methodology will be finalized with the consultant in advance. The planned multi–faceted methodology which will include:

Desk- Research / Literature Review the consultant will be expected to conduct a complete review of program proposal, progress reports and other supporting documentation provided. In addition, documents published by organizations working with IDPs/Returnees will be reviewed to situate the USAID-OFDA/Concern project within the wider context of humanitarian assistance provision in Eastern DRC. This will include the analysis of endline data, collected by the Concern M&E team.

In the field: the consultant (with the support of Concern field staff as required) will facilitate interviews and discussions with a sample of program participants and non-participants, and staff through household interviews and focus group discussions. Key informant interviews with other key stakeholders, including market traders, UN and NGO actors and local government figures, will also provide an insight as to program implementation, and alternative options for more durable solutions for IDPs and returnees, taking in to account an analysis of the protection risks. The consultant will be encouraged to use a variety of techniques including participatory approaches in the field to verify Concern’s own findings on results and indicators through reviewing internal program monitoring documentation and end line survey results. Qualitative information on beneficiaries’ own experience of the program (involvement in design, targeting, delivery of assistance, follow-up, complaints response mechanism) should be collected to complement quantitative output and outcome data. Program and support staff will also be useful sources of information regarding processes employed during the initiative and will provide insight in relation to some of the successes and challenges faced. The consultant will interview other main actors working on IDP/returnee programs as well as the relevant cluster leads to compare strategies/approaches and developments within the sector, given the nature of the protracted response to the conflict in the DRC, regional specificities and international humanitarian priorities.

Given the inherent and immediate logistical challenges of movement within the country, if direct travel by the consultant is unfeasible, data collection will be conducted by the Concern M&E team, under the strict guidance of the consultant, including the provision of data collection tools and clear instructions on data collection approaches.

Post- field analysis: the consultant will analyze and review data collected, draft and finalize the final report considering feedback from Concern and other peer reviews.

Activities

The consultant will be fully responsible, in consultation with Concern staff, for the following:

· Conduct literature review of relevant project documents

· Develop qualitative and quantitative data collection design incorporating participatory methods

· Prepare checklists and questionnaire for data collection

· Develop or prepare data tallying or compilation sheet

· Based on indicators, tabulate, analyze and interpret data collected

· Compare final evaluation data with other available data and analyze trends to draw impact

· Provide recommendations for improving the methodology of future programming for maximum impact.

· Provide recommendations for integrating protection, gender, DRR elements in future programming as well as ensuring program objectives and indicators are gender / protection sensitive

· The consultant will be requested to provide a list of organisations, people or groups interviewed, list of sites visited, abbreviations, maps, charts or graphs that may have been used for this evaluation.

Outputs/deliverables:

The consultant should provide an evaluation report in English (max 25 pages) with a 2 page executive summary that addresses the following points:

· Assess the level of community involvement in the programme from design through to implementation.

· Assess Concern’s adherence to key standards including Sphere Standards and People in Aid as well as compliance with Cluster (WASH, Shelter, Protection) guidelines.

· Evaluate whether the objectives were met within the stated timeframe.

· Evaluate the relevance, efficiency, quality and impact of program activities (in terms of approach chosen and resources available and used, including choice of cash, voucher markets, NFIs etc.).

· Assess integration of gender, protection, and DRR in all program aspects and activity implementation, identifying gaps, areas of improvement; providing recommendations for opportunities in mainstreaming gender, protection, and DRR in for next OFDA program.

· Assess the appropriateness of targeting methodologies used for each programme component including synergies between WASH elements and Shelter and assistance of most vulnerable and conflict affected households

· Assess Concern’s Complain Response Mechanism (CRM) and MEAL practices under this program and provide recommendations for improving CRM and MEAL practices

· Assess the added value and cost-effectiveness of Concerns activities in regard to other humanitarian actors and emergency response in Tanganyika / DRC and Concern’s added value in terms of cost efficiency to the broader humanitarian response.

· Examine the appropriateness of current program regarding emergency response and for future interventions. This will involve:

• Analysis of the perceptions of stakeholders (government authorities, donors, NGOs, UN and other international organisations, communities [women and men], civil society) regarding relocation/integration (feasibility, challenges, risks etc.)

• Making recommendations for future programme options for IDPs/returnees in this context

4. Lines of Communication

The Consultant will report to the Country Director of Concern Worldwide DRC and liaise with the Area Coordinator, Programme Manager, Programme Director, Programme Development and Quality Coordinator and Desk Officer. Their main point of contact for field level logistics and organisation will be through the National M&E Coordinator.

5. Provisional Timeframe

4 weeks in August 2020 (including preparation and travel). The report might be written and shared by September 15, 2020.

Dates

Planned Activities

Week 1

• Travel to Goma, Nord Kivu

• Brief meeting (Skype if need be) with relevant Concern staff

• Review of relevant documents

• Develop the evaluation framework

• Develop the data collection checklist and refine tools

• Prepare inception report with detailed schedule

• Remote interviews with Concern staff and other key stakeholders

Responsible: Consultant with support from Concern staff

Week 2

• Travel to Kalemie, Tanganyika (if possible)

• Data collection (key informant interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), communities with gender and age disaggregation where possible)

Responsible: Consultant, with facilitation by Concern

Week 3

• Continue data collection in Tanganyika field sites (KIIs and FGDs, with gender and age disaggregation where possible)

• Data analysis, prepare and submit first draft report to Concern for feedback

Responsible: Consultant, with facilitation by Concern

Week 4

• Produce the final report incorporating all the feedback from Concern staff (key focal points)

• Report submission to Concern and final restitution

Responsible: Consultant

Owing to the current COVID-19 situation and travel restrictions, we will consider applicants that can work remotely alongside the Concern programmes in DRC.

6. Profile

Essential

• Relevant academic background in international development/humanitarian studies
• Strong qualitative and quantitative analytical skills
• Experience in conducting literature reviews and programme evaluations, including use of participatory methods (PLA, PRA)
• Solid experience in implementing humanitarian programmes in fragile contexts.
• Excellent communication and report-writing skills in English.
• Ability to communicate clearly in French.
• Willingness and ability to work long hours in a difficult environment.
• Experience of remote managing a team

Desirable

• Experience in DRC.
• Experience of working in remote and security sensitive locations.
• Knowledge of Swahili