The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organization with 60 years of experience in helping to create a safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced people. NRC advocates for the rights of displaced populations and offers assistance within the shelter, education, emergency food security, legal assistance, and water,sanitation and hygiene sectors.

The Norwegian Refugee Council has approximately 5000 committed and competent employees involved in projects across four continents. In addition, NRC runs one of the world’s largest standby rosters -NORCAP, with 650 professionals, ready to be deployed on 72 hours notice when a crisis occurs

Rights Respected, People Protected

External Evaluation of NRC’s Basic Needs program in Azraq and Zaatari camps

 

 

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Background on the conflict/context

Since the outbreak of the conflict in Syria, more than 4.8 million people have sought refuge and been registered in Syria's neighbouring countries. With no end to the conflict in sight and lack of humanitarian space to provide assistance to the now 12.2 million people estimated to be in need inside Syria including 7.6 million internally displaced.  It is likely that the Syrian refugee crisis will be protracted, increasingly endangering the safety and security of civilians but also putting further pressure on the neighbouring countries to host and provide safety to higher numbers of refugees.

Jordan hosts close to 657,000 registered Syrian refugees, the equivalent of some 10 per cent of its population, of which 21% reside in the formal camps of Zaatari (opened in July 2012, population 79,900), Azraq (opened in April 2014, population 54,286) and the Emirati Jordanian Camp (EJC) (opened April 2013, population 7,370).

Jordan’s borders remained open to refugees from Syria, though stricter controls were introduced in spring 2013 and continue to date. In 2016, the number of new arrivals to Azraq camp (destination for all new arrivals to Jordan since 2014) averaged at about 1,000 refugees per month with a significant increase totalling 19,148 new arrivals over the period of May-June 2016. The camp population is stable in Zaatari and EJC, while remaining extremely dynamic in Azraq. The Government of Jordan (GoJ) represented by the Syrian Refugees Assistance Directorate (SRAD), is managing the camps jointly and with the support of UNHCR.

 

Background on the thematic area in this context (e.g. not NRC intervention specific but for example the food security situation in the country.

The general situation in camps has improved since 2013, thanks to better coordination amongst humanitarian service providers, better service delivery of aid to beneficiaries, and improvement of general camp infrastructure such as the camp electrification plans and the opening of the marketplace in Azraq camp. Refugees arriving to the camps in Jordan have often been through multiple displacements inside Syria before reaching the Jordanian border, and then have had to wait for up to three weeks in various transit sites before being accepted and registered by the GoJ and then UNHCR. Registration takes place away from the camps in Raba Sarhan, and only when people have successfully passed through this stage are they transferred to the camps. New arrivals therefore reach the camps with almost no belongings or food, in need of basic shelter and NFIs to cope. Moreover, tighter measures imposed by SRAD on the processing of new arrivals and police referrals resulted into many refugees having to stay for extended periods of time with NRC awaiting further clearance from SRAD. This caseload included protection and medical cases: unaccompanied minors, lactating women, elderly and people with disabilities (PwD). The reception area designed as a temporary (24 hour) hosting facility was not equipped (staff, specialized actors, facilities) to provide them with adequate support. In Azraq, the capacity of the reception area was challenged to cope with the influx of close to 20,000 refugees in the first half of 2016. Meanwhile, the infrastructure in villages 2 and 5 where newly arriving refugees are hosted, was not in place (namely the distribution centres). The situation was further complicated with the introduction of multiple security measures and restrictions on movement within in the camp by SRAD on newly arriving refugees. This meant that services could not be provided from established distribution centres in villages 3 and 6, leaving around 15,000 refugees with an extremely limited access to services. Furthermore, in July 2014, upon the request of the GoJ, UNHCR ceased the registration of refugees leaving the camps informally in its urban registration centres. This was then followed by the suspension of the bail-out system for refugees in camps in January 2015 and the joint (UNHCR & SRAD) launch of the Urban Verification Exercise in February 2015.

Due to the closed camp policy, lack of financial means and limited access to markets, refugees are wholly dependent on urgent provision of shelter, arrival package NFIs and replenishment kits. The traditional system of NFI provision has been an effective emergency response, however it has been mostly supply led, based on private donations and NFIs provided by other organisations. This significantly limits the choice that the beneficiaries have in the selection of the assistance they need most, which eventually drives them to sell the in-kind items for a fraction of its actual market price in order to acquire cash. The most vulnerable portion of the beneficiary group generally struggles because of the way that current projects are implemented, and they rarely have a chance to voice their concerns and define their needs. To date, there has been no camp-wide multi-sectorial needs assessments to inform agencies’ programming and there has been no clearly defined vulnerability framework established for in-camp refugees. This significantly limits the participation and inclusion of beneficiaries in the design of interventions and prevents prioritization, targeting and customized assistance to the most vulnerable groups and persons with special needs.

SRAD is responsible for implementing government policies in the camps in Jordan. The majority of these policies focus on access control and lead to limited livelihoods opportunities. In 2016, the change in the GoJ policy towards livelihoods for Syrian refugees presented a positive step towards the provision of a legal framework for Syrian refugees to access work opportunities in out-of-camp settings, without providing clear opportunities for in-camp refugees. The market continues to be limited in Azraq, however there has been some progress through the opening of the marketplace, but the very limited scale of the marketplace (100 shops) only enables a small portion of the camps’ population to benefit from income generation opportunities. Other limited opportunities are available through cash for work programs implemented by agencies, which only engages a very small portion of working age refugees. The camp infrastructure and design layout of Azraq was based on the premise that small communities (Villages) would develop and that services and livelihoods would be decentralised. Despite this, a number of essential public services have not yet been put in place in the newly opened villages 2 and 5 where over 15,000 refugees reside. The failure to allow for organic growth within the village framework in Azraq is pushing refugees to risk escaping the camp to look for opportunities in host communities, often exposing them to higher risks of exploitation and vulnerability. The results of the restrictions have been clearly reflected in the Comprehensive Food Security Monitoring Exercise (CFSME) conducted by WFP and REACH in May 2015 that found 74 percent rely on food assistance as their main source of income/way of accessing food leaving people highly vulnerable to any reduction in assistance. Particularly in Azraq camp, refugees face significant or severe food access constraints with almost a quarter of the population being rated as directly food insecure and more than two thirds being exposed to food insecurity.

 

NRC’s Presence and Activities in the Country

NRC Jordan Country Factsheet

(https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/fact-sheets/2017/jordan/country-fact-sheet_jordan-dec-2016.pdf) 

 

 

 

NRC’s Intervention (related to the core competency to be evaluated)

In support of the winterization response and large influx of refugees to Zaatari, NRC initiated its Shelter/Basic Needs program in late 2012. Since then, the program has grown to be the largest in NRC Jordan with over 30 million USD in funding and close to 200 national staff members working in Azraq and Zaatari camps.

The program comprises of two main branches, (1) Shelter/Infrastructure and (2) Basic Needs. On Shelter/Infrastructure, NRC supported UNHCR and the GoJ with the setup, site planning and maintenance of infrastructure and shelters in both camps. NRC played a key role in the development and design of the Azraq transitional shelters and later rolled out the construction of 3,000 transitional shelters using trained refugee labour. Following the construction of the basic shelter units, NRC has been gradually upgrading the shelters with concrete flooring and extensions including kitchens and shade.

In addition, NRC managed starting 2013 the provision of basic needs (excluding food assistance) to all refugees in Zaatari, and starting 2014 in Azraq. Today, NRC operates and manages 5 distribution centres (Common Humanitarian Distribution Centres – CHDC) and 2 reception centres (for new arrivals) providing cash and in-kind, seasonal and regular assistance to an estimated 120,000 refugees living in Azraq and Zaatari. In 2016 alone, 1.2 million non-food items were distributed in-kind and 6.4 million JOD were distributed in cash to camp residents. In addition, 31,541 Syrian refugee new arrivals were supported through reception centres (in majority in Azraq) with new arrivals non-food items packages.

 

The specific project to be evaluated (if the whole programme is not being evaluated)

This evaluation will focus on the Basic Needs aspect of the Shelter/Basic Needs program in camps.

The Basic Needs program aims at providing the camps’ residents and new arrivals with support to meet their basic needs from in-kind household non-food items to regular and seasonal cash assistance. NRC has led a change process moving away from the distribution of “one kind fits all” NFI packages towards low conditionality voucher (2015) and cash (2016) support whereby refugees can pick and choose NFIs and other items depending on their needs, preferences, priorities and markets. The program has been funded by NMFA, ECHO and UNHCR over the period of 2012-2016, with the majority of the contribution from UNHCR.

 

2. PURPOSE OF EVALUATION AND INTENDED USE

 

The main purpose of the evaluation is to support learning, advocacy and provide guidance for future programme direction.

In addition, the evaluation should be an opportunity to support NRC in being accountable to beneficiaries, partners and donors.

The primary users of the evaluation will be NRC Jordan. Secondary users will be donors, partner agencies, Global and Regional Cash Learning Platform (CALP), Global CCCM Cluster, and the Basic Needs Working Group in Jordan, NRC Head Office and Regional Office.

 

3. SCOPE OF WORK AND LINES OF INQUIRY

 

Evaluation Scope

The evaluation will cover NRC’s Basic Needs Program in Azraq and Zaatari camps in Jordan. The evaluation will focus on the period of 2013-2016.

 

Lines of inquiry

The evaluation will look to answer the following questions:

 

Relevance/Appropriateness

• How relevant is the current program design in ensuring adequate access to basic needs for new arrivals and residents of Zaatari and Azraq camps? To what extent has NRC adapted to changes in the operating context since 2013? What should be done to improve the relevance and appropriateness of the program?
• To what degree is the project designed and implemented based on the opinions and the priorities of Syrian refugees? Is it perceived as relevant by them? If so, how?
• To what extent are the different needs of the various sub-groups (children, women, youth, elderly, people with disabilities) taken into account? How can the programme better target sub-groups to become more inclusive?

   

  All NRC evaluations are required to respond to two additional 'Evidence Case Study' which address a strategically important questions for NRC.  NRC has a new strategic focus question for 2017: Are we doing the right things?  This focuses on programme modality appropriateness.

  ( See Annex A attached for guidance on how to answer this question and to fulfil  this requirement)

 

Efficiency and effectiveness

• To what extent were the objectives of the program of achieved/are likely to be achieved? Has the program ensured new arrivals and residents of Zaatari and Azraq camps adequate access to basic needs, to what degree? What can be changed to improve the effectiveness of the program?
• How cost-efficient, timely, and inclusive are the activities and processes used in the provisions of basic needs services in both camps?  How do beneficiaries and key stakeholders perceive the quality of the service delivery (outputs)? Is the program implemented in the most efficient way (modality) compared to alternatives? How the efficiency of service delivery be improved?

 

Coordination

• How well is the NRC program internally coordinated across Azraq and Zaatari? And how can it be improved?

 

Impact

• How has the basic needs component of the shelter program impacted the well-being of Syrian refugees in the camps, especially the most vulnerable?  In which ways has the program improved the lives of refugees and contributed to enhancing their resilience?
• To what extent can changes be attributed to NRC interventions including assessment of both planned results and unintended ones?
• What are the suggestions for more effective programming (structurally, work modality and staffing)? Identify current gaps and suggest good practices for future responses and organizational learning.
• What future lines of focus with regard to linkages between Basic Needs and Livelihoods could be developed? What is the potential for synergies with other NRC CCs?
• How can NRC contribute to a sustainable service delivery strategy in the camp?

• What has been the impact of changing modalities from standard NFI packages to low conditionality voucher distribution and cash assistance?

   

 

 

Learning & Best practices

 

 

• What are the suggestions for more effective programming (structurally, work modality and staffing)? Identify current gaps and suggest good practices for future responses and organizational learning.
• What future lines of focus with regard to linkages between Basic Needs and Livelihoods could be developed? What is the potential for synergies with other NRC CCs?
• How can NRC contribute to a sustainable service delivery strategy in the camp?

 

4. METHODOLOGY

To be further defined in the inception report. For selection of an evaluator, demonstrable experience of program evaluations, such as process tracing or most significant change, is desirable. At a minimum, the methodology should include a desk review of key documents, including analysis of existing quantitative data, semi-structured interviews with key informants, and methods to seek the views and perceptions of the targeted communities.

 

5. EVALUATION FOLLOW UP AND LEARNING

NRC follows up all evaluations with a management response, and its implementation is subsequently tracked.  This will include the documentation of key learning which will be shared with the relevant head office technical advisor for circulation to NRC country offices. 

This evaluation, including the case studies will contribute to an annual learning review which feeds into annual strategic planning processes.  Key findings will be reported to NRC’s senior management team in Oslo.

 

6. EVALUATION PRINCIPALS

• The views expressed in the report shall be the independent and candid professional opinion of the evaluator. The evaluation will be guided by the following ethical considerations:
• Openness -  of information given, to the highest possible degree to all involved parties
• Public access -  to the results when there are not special considerations against this
• Broad participation - the interested parties should be involved where relevant and possible

• Reliability and independence - the evaluation should be conducted so that findings and conclusions are correct and trustworthy

 

7. COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE EVALUATION

An evaluation steering committee and a reference group will be established by NRC.

The Committee Chair is responsible to facilitate access to information, documentation sources, travel, and field logistics. In case of any changes in the positions in country or at Head Office, the Steering Committee will be adjusted accordingly.

The Steering committee will oversee administration and overall coordination, including monitoring progress. The main functions of the Steering committee will be:

• to establish the Terms of Reference of the evaluation;
• select external evaluator(s);
• review and comment on the inception report and approve the proposed evaluation strategy;
• review and comment on the draft evaluation report;
• establish a dissemination and utilization strategy.

   

  The main functions of the Reference Group will be:

• to facilitate the gathering of data necessary for the evaluation;
• to participate in the validation of evaluation findings, and to ensure that they are

  factually accurate;

• to contribute to the management response;

• to act on the relevant recommendations.

 

8. DELIVERABLES AND REPORTING DEADLINES

The evaluator/ evaluation team will submit three reports and three presentations:

 

• Inception report: Following the desk review and prior to beginning field work, the evaluation team will produce an inception report subject to approval by the NRC Evaluation Steering Committee. This report will detail a draft work plan with a summary of the primary information needs, operational definitions of major terms, the methodology to be used, and a work plan/schedule for field visits and major deadlines. With respect to methodology, the evaluation team will provide a description of how data will be collected and a sampling framework, data sources, and drafts of suggested data collection tools such as questionnaires and interview guides. Once the report is finalized and accepted, the evaluation team must submit a request for any change in strategy or approach to the NRC Evaluation Steering Committee. Inception report is due in first draft by COB July 10, 2017.

   

• Draft report: A draft evaluation report will be submitted to the Evaluation Steering Committee, who will review the draft and provide feedback within two weeks of receipt of the draft report. Draft will be submitted by August 17^th and feedback will be provided to researcher by COB September 3^rd.

   

   

• Final report: The Final Evaluation Report will follow NRC’s standard template for evaluation reports. The final report should be maximum of 30 pages ( excluding annexes) and  should include a maximum two-page executive summary that summarizes the key lessons learned and should also include best practices case studies that can be shared with NRC’s technical and management staff. Submission is due September 17^th to Steering Committee and will be finalized and approved by steering committee by September 26, 2017.

   

• Presentation of findings:

 

1. At the end of the field research, the evaluation team will present preliminary findings to validate and prioritize learning at the Jordan level. This will take place on August 10^th.

    

2. After the Final Evaluation Report is submitted, the evaluation team will provide a final presentation for relevant stakeholders.

    

3. One Skype call for HO and other interested NRC staff who may benefit from the learning with the lead Evaluator.

 

All material collected in the undertaking of the evaluation process should be lodged with the Chair of the NRC Evaluation Steering Committee prior to the termination of the contract.

 

9. TIMEFRAME

The evaluation is scheduled to start in June with field work to be conducted in July, depending on the availability of the evaluator / evaluation team; however, the evaluation should be finalized by the end of September, 2017, including the final draft of the report.

The evaluator/ evaluation team is expected to provide a suggested timeline and work plan for the evaluation based on these scheduling parameters and in keeping with the scope of the evaluation questions and criteria.

In event of serious problems or delays, the team leader should inform the Steering Committee immediately. Any significant changes to review timetables shall be approved by the Steering Committee in advance.

 

EVALUATION CONSULTANT TEAM 

NRC seeks expressions of interest from individuals or joint applications, ideally with the

following skills/qualifications and expertise:

• Sound and proven experience in conducting evaluations, particularly utilization and learning focused evaluations. Expertise in qualitative data collection techniques.
• Background in delivery of non-food items, voucher and cash programming (in a camp setting)

 

Necessary Skills:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required
• Prior experience and/or knowledge of the humanitarian situation in Jordan
• Proven experience of managing evaluations of humanitarian projects in camp settings
• Experience of designing qualitative data collection methods and of managing participatory and learning focused evaluations
• Excellent team working and communication skills, flexibility and good organization skills.

 

10. APPLICATION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS

Application Deadline:  May 25, 2017

Bids must include the following:

• Proposal including, outline of evaluation framework and methods, including comments on the TOR, proposed time frame and work plan (bids over 3 pages will be automatically excluded).
• Proposed evaluation budget including estimation of the number of expected working days over the entire period between July and September.
• Cover letter clearly summarizing experience as it pertains to this assignment and three professional references.
• CVs and evidence of past evaluations for each team member
• At least one example of an evaluation report most similar to that described in this TOR.

Disclaimer: The daily cost quoted needs to include all travel to and from home country (if living outside of Jordan), accommodation while in Jordan, equipment, phone calls and any costs associated with undertaking the Scope of Work.  Non-resident income tax rate is 10% and is to be deducted from the contract amount and paid by NRC to the tax department. An income tax clause has to be included in the contract with the percentage that will be deducted and paid to the tax department. NRC also provides the Consultant with the receipt (proof of payment) within 1 month.  Tax at 10% will be deducted from any payment and so should be included in the lump sum.  The successful candidate will receive his/her payment following clearance of the pre-agreed milestones.