Introduction:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

Jordan is home to 1.3 million Syrians, including more than 650,000 registered refugees. 68% live in the Kingdom’s urban areas – most in poverty. A leading responder in Jordan since 2007, IRC helps both Syrians and Jordanians in need, to survive, recover, and regain control of their future. Since 2012, IRC has reached over 670,000 clients at our community centers, clinics, and via mobile teams. We provide an array of integrated services that improve the health, safety, and economic wellbeing of Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians.
 

Background:

Women Protection and Empowerment program (WPE) has been running since 2013, and is considered as an entry point for women and girls to report protection concerns, receive immediate support in the face of violence and threats, express their needs and priorities, engage in the empowerment activities and social and life-skills building activities in the established Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSSs). WGSSs provide gender-based violence (GBV) survivors with discrete and vital entry points to GBV case management services, including access to life-saving medical, legal and protective services. Moreover, WGSS have taken an active role in providing a space where women and girls are free from harm and harassment and create opportunities for women and girls to exercise their rights, to promote their own safety, decision making, build solidarity and self-determination.

Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) program has been actively serving beneficiaries since 2015. It was designed to build the economic resilience of families so that they can support their basic needs, as well as increase their capacity to generate future income and live independent, dignified lives. IRC’s economic programming is working to create synergies with national strategies and is aligned with the Jordan Response Plan (JRP) and the Jordan Compact, a set of commitments made by the Government of Jordan, which includes supporting refugee employment (through issuing work permits and specifying the work fields they are allowed to work in), as well as supporting home-based and micro businesses. IRC is implementing economic development programs in Jordan through a center-based approach and partnerships to delivering a bundle of services to promote economic wellbeing. These services address a range of needs by supporting labor market integration through activities such as business and life & digital skills training, entrepreneurship, business start-up grants, financial literacy trainings, mentorships, apprenticeships, networking support, and job matching services.

Both programs are embedded in the IRC’s country strategy for Jordan called the Strategy Action Plan (SAP) and its concomitant document SAP Implementation Plan.
 

In addition, it is relevant to note that funding landscape in Jordan has changed significantly with sharp downward trends in humanitarian funding and increased development funding. At the same, Syrian refugees are not integrated in national systems with a separate and specific approach that limits their inclusion in national systems from health, education, employment/livelihood options to social and legal protection etc.

Objective of the review

The objective of this review is to generate evidence based technical and strategic advise to the IRC Jordan Country Program in their future approach to designing and implementing WPE and ERD programs ,directly or with partners, with enhanced program quality that maximize reach and impact including challenging if needed the SAP framework that defines IRC’s ambitions on these 2 programs (framed within Strategy 100).
 

OUTCOMES, OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES UNDER WPE AND ERD INTERVENTIONS
 

The WPE program works to ensure that women and girls (including children and persons with disabilities, elderly) in Jordan are empowered, safe, and protected from GBV and all other forms of violence, to achieve this the WPE works through the following main outcomes:

·         People are safe in their homes and receive support when they experience harm.

·         People are safe in their communities and receive support when they experience harm.

·         Women and girls are protected from and treated for the consequences of gender-based violence.

·         People live in equal societies and lead their own recovery and development.

The ERD program works to contribute to the sustainable and inclusive economic well-being of people in Jordan, through increased access to safe and quality employment and income generating opportunities, to achieve this the ERD program works through the following main outcomes:

·         People develop their livelihoods and recover from shocks.

·         People are self-reliant and have long-term economic stability.

SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THIS EXTERNAL REVIEW:
 

This review will cover the last three fiscal years of ERD and WPE programming from October 2020 to September 2023

 
The main purpose of this review is to obtain evidence-based analysis and information that is credible and useful enabling internal learning to shape project and program design under WPE and ERD that responds to changing external context. This refers to the changing donor landscape whereby more development funds are available in the country. It also refers to our SAP ambitions that seek to promote a longer- term resilience approach that builds on our pre-dominantly humanitarian stock responses and depends to a large extent on IRC wide menu of design options under ERD and WPE. The country program is keen to explore other and different ways of creating impact at scale under both programs.

 
The review will assess the extent to which ERD and WPE program met SAP objectives and respond to needs of people we serve and highlight learnings from the implementation, best practices, and recommendations to design next generation of interventions under both programs. Recommendations could include advise to IRC to do or not to do some elements of ongoing work, as well as informing the two programs’ ambitions and commitments in the Jordan country programs SAP. 

 
IRC implements interventions in a hybrid modality – directly and with local partners that range  from national level NGOs to local Community Based Organizations. The consultant is also expected to assess both forms of implementation modality in responding to the review questions, and highlighting the enablers and barriers of each modality

 
Stakeholders
 
Internal stakeholders:

The internal stakeholders include the programs and the support units in IRC Jordan country program, those include:

-       Senior management team (SMT); Country Director (CD), Deputy Director for programs (DDP), Senior Program Coordinator

-       Program team; ERD Coordinator & WPE Coordinator, Technical Units advisors.

-       Operations: Supply chain and procurement 

-       MEAL unit: MEAL coordinator, MEAL manager, and IM manager

-       Partnerships unit: Partnerships Coordinator  

-       Finance

 
External stakeholders:

-       Peers and other agencies

-       Local partners of the IRC

-       UN agencies, donors and government may be relevant.

-       Clients of IRC

 
METHODOLOGY
 
A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches combining primary and secondary research (such as desk research covering internal data, reports and other relevant internal and external documentation) and engagement of external key informants and trend analysis (for instance of context and funding landscape). Consultant(s) is/are required to provide a detailed methodology based on their understanding of the scope of work.

 
Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

1.    Inception report setting out the conceptual framework, approach and time line. Present to the IRC for validation

2.    Preliminary findings to be shared with the IRC for comments and feedback

3.    Final report and presentation, including executive summary, methodology, desk review summary, data analysis, key findings, strategic lessons learned and programmatic recommendations.  

4.    Presentation to stakeholders to discuss the report, reflect on recommendations and areas of improvement. This will be included in the Final report and can precede deliverable number 3.

 
Proposed Timeframe:
The expected duration of the above activities is 3-4 weeks, effective from the date of contract signatures the consultant  is required to provide detailed timeframe as part of the inception report. 

Key Working Relationships:
 

Consultant Reports to: CD, Deputy Director of Programs

Other Internal and/or external contacts: MEAL Coordinator, WPE coordinator, WPE field staff, ERD Coordinator, ERD field staff, Partnerships Coordinator and others as identified by the IRC.

 
IRC’s support and contribution to the process:

Prior to inception report, the consultant and IRC may agree on leveraging use of technology for better quality product through mutual consent. This could include for instance use of technology for data collection or receiving feedback from beneficiaries and stakeholders.

Qualifications

Profile of the consultant /team: Qualification and experience:

 
The consultant must have a strong background in the design, implementation and evaluation of programs/projects in protracted crises, in middle income countries in the fields of women’s protection and empowerment, as well as economic recovery and development.

 
Other's requirements are:

·         Experience in leading evaluations and capitalization exercises of similar nature.

·         Sound technical experience in similar evaluations with strong focus on Women Protection and Empowerment sector in protracted crisis (and especially in PSS and Case Management) and Economic Recovery and Development sector including on humanitarian and development livelihood approaches.

·         Expertise in project cycle management, and project monitoring.

·         Strong conceptual and analytical skills in humanitarian and development sector with focus on gender equality, protection and livelihood development.

·         Excellent verbal communication and written skills in English and Arabic.

·         Prior experience, knowledge, and strong track record in implementing impact evaluation in Jordan is required.

·         Experience in leveraging technology for evaluation of quality programming

·         Prior experience working with international Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs)

·         Understanding of the culture, safeguarding concerns and standards relating to ethical and confidential data collection

 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
To be considered, interested, and qualified consultant/team must submit the following documentation:

1. Curriculum vitae (max. 3 to 4 pages highlighting work experience and qualifications relevant to this evaluation).

2. Full contact details of at least three references from among recent clients.

3. One sample report highlighting experience relevant to this consultancy.

4. A technical offer comprising:

5. A technical proposal that describes how well the applicant has understood the objective of the consultancy and the Terms of Reference (TOR).

6. Clearly outlined Methodology A chronogram showing details for the realization of each of the phases. The schedule proposed should include time for briefing and debriefing the IRC Jordan country program.

7. A detailed budget outlining the cost of the entire study, including daily rate for individuals involved and any type of logistical support that may be needed.