External Evaluation - Danish TV Project

We are looking for highly qualified, consultant for evaluation of Danish TV project.

 

 

 

1) Evaluation Facts  

 

 

 

2) Objectives of the Evaluation  

 

 

 

 

Field level  

 

 

Country office level  

 

HQ level  

 

The evaluation findings will be used by HQ to measure the progress of DRC South Sudan as well as to obtain/exchange learnings with other countries. External Actors:  

 

 

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in July 2011, but the hard-won celebration was short-lived. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the ruling political party that originally led the way for independence, is now divided and fighting for power. In December 2013, political infighting erupted into violence in the streets of the capital, Juba, after South Sudan’s president accused his vice president of an attempted coup. Fighting between the two factions of government forces loyal to each soon moved to the northern part of the country and continued fighting there. 

 

A handful of peace agreements have been signed over the course of the war, the most recent in August 2015 but in July 2016, a fresh wave of violence erupted in 0ba. The clashes killed more than 300 people and displaced 40,000 more over the course of a few days. 

On top of these attacks, the country's economy is in crisis, the South Sudanese pound has declined in value, and the cost of goods and services has skyrocketed. The inflation rate, 835 percent, is the highest in the world. 

 

In early 2017, a famine was declared in parts of South Sudan, leaving 100,000 people on the verge of starvation. Since the dramatic setback to the peace process in July 2016, the South Sudan context is set to be characterised by conflict and uncertainty. With the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) apparently on its knees, it is expected that South Sudan will continue to face high insecurity and violence, lack of governance and justice, collapsed economic situation, food insecurity in majority of the population, increased displacement, and very limited return of South Sudanese refugees back in country. Intercommunal tension is likely to become more and more entrenched in South Sudan, with rifts emerging between tribal groups who were not add odds in previous years.  

 

DRC started operating in South Sudan in 2005 following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. In South Sudan DRC has proven technical and organizational capacity in multi sector and integrated emergency responses for both refugees and IDPs the components of which include: Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM); protection and GBV; emergency and transitional shelter& NFI distributions; food security and livelihoods (FSL), including income generating activities (IGAs), agricultural support and farmer field schools, Mine Action and Armed Violence Reduction (AVR). DRC has ongoing projects and operational bases in: Maban, Pariang, Bentiu, Malakal, Melut, and Kodok with mobile protection teams monitoring the protection concerns out of the camps and providing appropriate assistance.  

 

In 2016, Danish Refugee Council (DRC) changed its global response framework. The change signals DRC’s reinforced profile focusing on three strategic programme platforms:  

Ongoing violence and bombing campaigns affecting the civilian population in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan has forced over 242,000 Sudanese refugees into South Sudan. DRC has been present in Maban since the beginning of the refugee response in 2011. Currently over 134,000 refugees live in four large camps in Maban County. In Pariang County DRC established Ajuong Thok Refugee Camp in 2012 from the ground up in response to the congestion and militarization of the nearby refugee settlement in Yida. Ajoung Thok exceeded 40,000 refugees by the end of 2015, and Pamir camp was already established in September 2016 where currently around 15,000 refugees are residing mostly relocated from Pamir camp, and relocation process is still ongoing.  

 

These camps are situated in predominately rural areas, where the refugee population substantially outnumbers the local host population. Their presence has put enormous pressure on local resources and sparked acts of violence and general tension between refugee and host communities. Their access to employment in the formal sector and to natural resources- especially trees for fuel and timber and land for livestock, cultivation and housing, is heavily restricted. The host community, while having greater access to land and formal work, nonetheless are also situated in a rural and isolated environment and suffer from limited access to education and health services, and are technically weak in cultivation practices. As such livelihoods opportunities are extremely limited and food insecurity is high.  

 

Refugees are almost entirely dependent on food rations from the World Food Programme containing only sorghum, oil, lentils and salt. Due to funding and logistical constraints rations have been reduced by 30% from August 2015, however they face many interruptions and often the ration is missing items, particularly lentils that are an important source of protein for refugees. Milling vouchers also stopped being distributed in April 2015, also increasing pressure on refugees. Supplements and alternatives to food rations are urgently needed to prevent an increase in malnutrition in the area. For the most vulnerable households, DRC started distributing seeds and providing training in cultivating nutrient rich vegetables and fruit trees within the limited space.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Danish TV (One of the private donors of DRC) Funded a project titled as “Improving Refugee and Host Community Food Security and Livelihoods in Greater Upper Nile”. This is a two year project started from January 2016. Refugees living in Maban refugee camp of Upper Nile state and Ajoung Thok and Pamir camp in the Unity state are main the targeted group, but to ensure the harmony between host and refugee communities, the most vulnerable households from the host community were also part of the targeted population.  

Since 2015 was third year of the refugees in the camps, DRC decided to shift from the routine of providing direct humanitarian assistance only, to start working on provision of durable solution and enable beneficiaries to self-sustenance or enable them to complement the reducing humanitarian assistance. Under this project DRC focuses on the providing a sustainable livelihood support to the refugees to enable them stand on their own feet and reduce their dependency on foreign aid. The main focus of the project is agriculture, considering the fact that main need of the refugees is food, and lack of balanced food causing malnutrition in the refugees/particularly children:

 

 

On the risk of malnutrition, 3000 households (1500 in Maban and 1500 in Ajuongthok) are being provided with staple food and vegetable seeds based on the suitability of varieties in the local environment and their acceptability in the refugees communities. The target was equally split between two years for both of the locations. Out of these 750 households are also being provided with a 3 day training on pre-planting and soil maintenance, nurseries, sowing and spacing, post-planting, weeding and pest management and post-harvest and seed saving. 

 

In the second year of the project another 200 households (100 per field site) are being provided with rapid producing seedlings and one day training on how to take care of seedlings  

 

 

 

 

Amongst the above beneficiaries DRC Identified a small number (180 farmers 120 in Maban and 60 in Ajuong Thok equally distributed over two years) of highly motivated beneficiaries capable of seed multiplication. Two to three varieties were selected in collaboration with the local Departments of Agriculture. They were given training in seed multiplication techniques and a kit containing high quality, open-pollinated, foundation seeds. DRC supported farmers both in the process of growing seed stock as well as ensuring that seeds get purity and germination certification from the Departments of Agriculture or comparable certifying authority. DRC also supported seed multipliers in the packaging and marketing of their product, linking them with the Department of Agriculture, other NGOs, agricultural and seed fairs and private farmers. In the first year, seeds meeting satisfactory packaging and viability, moisture, uniformity and purity standards were purchased by DRC at a pre-agreed price and quantity for distribution to the most vulnerable This was expected contribution to the financial viability of local seed multiplication activities.  

 

Similarly, DRC identified refugees (100 farmers equally distributed across two field sites and two years) capable of managing a small fruit tree nursery. They are being provided with training and all necessary materials to establish a small nursery inside the camp. DRC is supporting nursery managers in the marketing of their product as well as guaranteeing to buyback seedlings at a pre-agreed price and quantity for redistribution to other vulnerable households. 

 

DRC is also planning to conduct a research on the refugees’ right to livelihood. The research will focus on the current state of the refugees’ livelihood, freedom of moment, understanding the formal and informal barriers preventing refugees from economic integration and improving self-reliance and potential socioeconomic benefits to host communities if refugee self-reliance was enhanced by improving their access to livelihood opportunities, such as cultivation and seed multiplication. This will be done in close coordination with UNHCR and findings from the assessment will be disseminated widely to relevant actors through presentations at the national and local levels and publishing the report in forums used commonly by actors working on refugees and displacement issues. Findings will also be incorporated into DRC’s ongoing protection work providing protection trainings for local authorities and law enforcement actors.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Select and use the relevant evaluation criteria: 

 

The evaluation criteria will be based on the relevancy and appropriateness of the project in the given context, Its effectiveness with regards to processes and techniques used to deliver the project activities, Outcome of the project as DRC understands that this is not the right time for impact measurement as it may be better suited to measure the impact after a certain period. Finally DRC believes in coordination and connectedness with other actors to provide the best possible assistance to the vulnerable.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DRC expects external evaluator to come up with detailed methodology to be used for the evaluation, but DRC will prefer to use both quantitative and qualitative data collection mechanisms are used such as Focus group discussion, Surveys, global food security and livelihood tools such as FCS and CSIs along with key informant interviews. Since we don’t have a baseline in place DRC will encourage evaluator to use RCT methodology for the quantitative analysis. DRC will appreciate a participatory evaluation method, which enables beneficiaries to provide maximum feedback and reflection on the outcome of the project.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By DRC Country or Regional programme management: 

 

 

By the evaluation manager: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be successful in this role, you must have:

 

Applications close 4th May, 2017. 

 

 

• Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.dk under Vacancies. This position will be placed at level A15. 
• DRC will cover the enumerator cost and their transportation within the project area.  
• DRC will provide the accommodation to consultants in its compounds both in Juba (capital office and in the field) considering the security situation of the country.  
• It is up to consultant to decide whether they want to manage their travel and visa expenditure/processes by themselves or want DRC to manage for them, both scenarios should reflect in the submitted budget.