International Consultant recruitment

1. Evaluation context

Niger, located on the southern edge of the Saharan Desert, is a vast and landlocked country in the Sahel region covering over 1,267,000 square kilometers, two thirds of which are desert. Niger shares about 5,688 kilometers of borders with seven countries, which are, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali and Nigeria. Due to its geographical position and the free movement within ECOWAS, Niger is an important country of transit, destination, and origin for migrants from West and Central Africa, and faces significant development challenges. Migrants who are in transit in Niger thus often lack access to basic services, including food, water and shelter and are exposed to high risks as they cross the Agadez region on their way to Libya and Algeria. This journey has become increasingly dangerous in recent years, partially because of the implementation of the Law 2015-36 which criminalizes irregular migration in Niger and in tandem increased Government patrols to enforce the law. This has forced smugglers to take more difficult and dangerous routes, which exposes migrants to significant risks of exploitation and being stranded in the Sahara Desert.

In addition, the Government of Algeria has started the systematic expulsion of third-country nationals (non-Nigerien migrants) from Algeria to Niger since September 2017. From 2017 to March 2022, a total of 50,800 migrants were expulsed from Algeria to Niger, of which more than 80% were without travel documents. In 2021, an average of 900 migrants were expelled per month, this number grow up to more than 1100 in 2022. Although these migrants are non-Nigerien, the Government of Algeria expels these migrants to “Point Zero”, 12 kilometers from the nearest village on the Nigerien side of the border, Assamaka. IOM provides humanitarian assistance at the border and offers the expelled migrants the possibility to partake in IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) program, through which they can safely return to their country of origin. The large majority of the 50,800 expelled migrants assisted by IOM subsequently entered into the AVR program.

Hence, the persistence of this migration trend together with the increased returns of migrants pose the problem of the material, financial and human resources for the Nigerien institutions responsible for migration management. Therefore, in order to alleviate the pressure on the Government of Niger and to improve migrants’ assistance, IOM has implemented “Assistance to Vulnerable and Exposed migrants in Niger (AVENIR) II” project. Funded by the Italian Government, AVENIR II aims at i) ensuring protection and direct assistance to migrants in need in IOM transit center in Niger; ii) assisting vulnerable migrants voluntarily return to their countries of origin with access to timely and quality sustainable reintegration assistance; and iii) Strengthening State institutions on migration management and protection assistance.

AVENIR II project implemented by IOM Niger since August 2022, is coming to its end in July 30th, 2023 with a need to carry out a final evaluation which may provide a comprehensive understanding of the project’s accomplishments and contribute to the organization’s ongoing learning and development.

1. Evaluation purpose and objective

This evaluation aims to assess the extent to which AVENIR II project has achieved its intended short-, medium- and long-term objectives, as well as highlight best practices, lessons learned and recommendations to improve future migration programming and protection assistance.

The evaluation will measure the project’s level of achievement in relation to its overall objective: “Reinforce direct assistance, return and protection for migrants in vulnerability situation in Niger.”

Specifically, the consultancy shall:

1. Evaluate the relevance and validity of the choice of strategies and activities for achieving the project objectives,
2. Evaluate the project’s effectiveness in contributing towards its objective and project purposes, including assessing level of quality the project has achieved,
3. Analyze the efficiency in contributing towards the project objective, measuring how economically resources/inputs (funds, expertise, time) are converted into results,
4. Analyze the sustainability of the project by looking at whether the results of the project are likely to continue once the support has ended.
5. Identify the challenges faced in implementation and assess the relevance of mitigation measures taken.
6. Identify lessons learned and best practices across the criteria.

With regards to the evaluation’s users, on the one hand, the evaluation shall inform an internal audience, especially IOM Niger teams, and the specialized units of regional and global IOM offices – so that the lessons learned and recognized good practices are adopted to benefit implementation of future interventions. On the other hand, the evaluation will offer to the donor and the Government of Niger partners an overall analysis of the effectiveness and the efficiency of the project.

1. Evaluation scope

The final evaluation will cover the following thematic areas: Protection and Return, Reintegration, and Governance.

The evaluation will cover the entire duration of the project – 12 months from 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023 – including all its outcomes.

In terms of geographical scope, the evaluation is expected to cover the following but not limited to areas: Niamey, Agadez, Zinder.

The following cross-cutting themes must be part of the evaluation on each thematic area:

1. Rights-based approach (RBA)
2. Disability inclusion
3. Gender mainstreaming
4. Evaluation criteria

AVENIR II activities will be assessed based on all OECD/DAC evaluation criteria, as follows: Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact and Sustainability, as most relevant for each thematic area: Protection and Return, Reintegration and Governance.

1. Evaluation questions

The following questions should be addressed based on evaluation criteria and thematic area:

Protection and Return

Relevance:

• How appropriately did IOM adapt voluntary return interventions and transit Centre management to respond to the needs for protection and return assistance?
• To what extent did the Program adapt to the assisted persons’ specific needs (based on age, gender, and diversity)?

Coherence:

• How have IOM interventions in transit centers been complemented by other partners and projects? What are the gaps and lessons learned?
• To what extent were the Program objectives aligned to and responded to national policies?

Effectiveness:

• Under AVENIR II, were migrants able to make a dignified and safe return to their country of origin?
• Was the project able to learn and adapt?
• What could be improved at the transit, return and reception stages?

Efficiency (Return):

• Did assisted voluntary return journeys take place in a timely manner? What were the challenges in the return process and how were they overcome?

Efficiency (Transit/Protection):

• Were direct assistance and protection services to vulnerable migrants in transit implemented in an efficient way?

Reintegration

Relevance:

• Were the project’s activities appropriately tailored to the reintegration needs of returnees (including economic/social/cultural/community context, vulnerabilities, gender, age, and geographical scope)?

Impact:

• To what extent did reintegration assistance/activities enhance migrants’ sustainable reintegration in their communities of return?

The consultant will consider the fact that the beneficiaries of reintegration are outside Niger in non-EUTF countries and will propose a specific methodology for measuring reintegration-related evaluation criteria.

Governance

Relevance :

• To what extent were governance activities design and implementation adapted to the context to respond to state institutions needs in migration management and protection assistance?

Effectiveness:

• To what extent were governance activities able to improve state institutions capacities on migration management and protection assistance?

Sustainability:

• To what extent do the state institutions involved in the project have the financial and technical capacity to maintain the benefits of the project over the long term?
• Have the state institutions that have benefited from capacity-building in assistance to migrants and migration management planned strategies and mechanisms for replicating the training received at decentralized levels of the state?

Cross-cutting issues: Gender and Human Rights

• To what extent were gender mainstreaming issues considered in design and implementation?
• To what extent were differences, needs, roles and priorities of women, men and specific vulnerable groups considered during planning and implementation?
• Were any barriers to equal gender participation identified in design or implementation, and was anything done to address these barriers?
• To what extent did the rights and dignity of beneficiaries uphold by project and its partners throughout the implementation?

The evaluation team may identify additional questions during the process to better respond to the evaluation purpose.

1. Evaluation methodology

The consultant will use a methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative analysis. The data collection methods will include, but not be limited to:

1. A documentation / desk review that will analyze project reference documents (narrative reports, logical framework, M&E reports, etc.) and strategy and policy documents, evaluations and lessons learned from previous projects.
2. The collection of qualitative information / data will be built around focus group discussions if relevant, individual interviews, life stories using appropriate participatory tools. Key informant interviews will also be conducted with relevant key informants such as (among other) IOM staff and partners from the Government of Niger: Ministries of Interior, Justice, Health, Population and Social Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Promotion of Women and the Protection of Children, Employment, and Labour; National Agency in charge of Employment (ANPE); National Agency of Counter Trafficking and Anti-Smuggling (ANLTP-TIM); and Regional authorities in the Agadez region, both in person and remotely.
3. For quantitative data, the evaluation will build upon the field data collected during routine monitoring done by the MRRM Programme teams. A survey could be administered with a representative of the project’s beneficiaries using a structured questionnaire.
4. To collect qualitative and quantitative data, the evaluation team may undertake on**-field missions possibly in Agadez and in other places** that may be relevant for the evaluation.

The Evaluation team is expected to submit a detailed methodology as part of the evaluation inception report that will be reviewed and approved by IOM Niger Evaluation Management Team (including the Donor).

Data on vulnerable migrants, disaggregated by age, sex and nationality should be collected and analyzed.

***COVID-19:***The evaluation is expected to comply with COVID-19 measures and restrictions in Niger and observance of the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) M&E Continuity in COVID policy will apply if necessary.

1. Ethics, norms, and standards for evaluation

This evaluation must follow IOM’s data protection principles, United Nations Evaluation Group’s (UNEG[1]) Norms and Standards for evaluations and relevant ethical guidelines. To do so, these principles will be referenced in the selected evaluation firm’s contract with IOM.

1. Evaluation deliverables

The evaluation team (Individual consultant or a firm) is responsible for completing the following tasks and submitting the following deliverables to be generated at different stages of the evaluation process:

• An inception report – should include an evaluation matrix, the understanding of the TORs, the required data collection tools, and the methodology proposed for conducting the evaluation data collection and analysis. It should be submitted to the evaluation manager / evaluation management team, for review and comments, after the desk review and before on-field data collection. In particular, the Inception Report should include, but not be limited to, the following:
• The instruments and tools to be used to collect relevant information and data, including the identification of the different key informants to be interviewed.
• A technical proposal including a detailed methodology with sample size, data collection techniques and tools and general work plan.
• Methods for data analysis and interpretation (e.g., data analysis methods used, data collection instruments, level of precision, sampling methods)
• The measures that will be put in place to ensure that the research process complies with ethical standard such as data protection and gender policies of IOM;
• A participatory lens to ensure the participation of all stakeholders including the project beneficiaries, IOM staff, Ministries, implementing partners, etc.
• A gender mainstreaming review on how gender and diversity aspects were considered throughout the project. The evaluative work will tackle gender equality issues, focusing for instance on ensuring equal access to services and opportunities for all persons including men, women, boys, and girls of all ages, inclusive of those who might identify as minorities.
• A preliminary findings presentation – to the evaluation management team outlining the initial findings of the evaluation following on-site data collection.
• A draft evaluation report (based on a template that will be shared by the Evaluation Manager) – including an executive summary and outlining the methodology pursued, indicators, data sources and findings of the evaluation, good practices, lessons learnt, missed opportunities, strengths and failures, gaps and challenges on the design, management, and implementation of the project.

A final evaluation report – that reflects comments / feedback from IOM Evaluation Management Team.

• A 2-page Evaluation Brief – to summarize key findings, conclusions, and recommendations for the main intended evaluation users, according to the IOM template and guidance.
• The Evaluator will also prepare the first draft Management Follow up Response – MRF with the main Recommendations of the evaluation.

All the deliverables must be written in English and meet good language standards, being grammatically correct, proofread and laid out well. The Evaluation team may need to have a good command of French to communicate as appropriate with local stakeholders such government partners. The Evaluation team mays be requested to provide some deliverables in French.

All documents must be submitted by the evaluation team in an electronic version compatible with Microsoft Office to the evaluation manager / evaluation management team for review / approval. Annexes could also include images, photos illustrating on-field activities related to AVENIR II project. The Evaluation Manager will solicit and consolidate feedback on the draft report from all relevant members of the Evaluation Management Team and forward it to the Evaluator.

1. Specifications of roles
   1. Roles and responsibilities of the Consultant / Evaluation Team

The successful consultant will be required to carry out the following tasks that will lead to the evaluation deliverables:

1. Data collection

• Develop a methodological proposal for the evaluation and submit it to OIM Niger for validation (methodology, sampling, data collection tools, etc.).
• Guarantee that data collection and interviews are properly carried out.

1. Develop a final report and PowerPoint presentation with main findings.
2. Coordinate with IOM MRRM[2] Programme team on all logistical aspects of the field data collection.
3. 1. Roles and responsibilities of IOM Niger as lead of the Evaluation technical / management team

The evaluation will be conducted with the support of the Evaluation Technical / Management team made up of IOM Niger, the project team, and other relevant stakeholders.

• Prepare the terms of reference.
• Provide the project’s documentation and any monitoring data.
• Facilitate the introduction of the consultant/firm to the partners/stakeholders for field data collection.
• Finalize the recruitment of the consultant.
• Approve the inception report (including the methodology and tools) prior starting the evaluation mission.
• Monitor and oversee the consultant’s activities in the field.
• Provide the agreed financial resources.
• Conduct field visits to ensure that data collection is carried out properly.
• Review and approve the final report of the evaluation with the endorsement of the Donor.

Quality assurance:

• • An inception meeting will be held at the beginning of the evaluation process to ensure that the project management and the consultant share a common understanding of the evaluation process, the evaluation questions and methodology and various roles and responsibilities. It is expected that the Consultant presents a summary of the methodology and workplan and IOM to also present the project that will be evaluated. – The consultant will make a presentation of initial findings following conclusion of the data collection and preliminary analysis. This will allow for any obvious oversights, misinterpretations, or information gaps to be identified and addressed before the evaluator begins drafting the final report. – IOM Niger will review, revise, and validate the final report of the evaluation and the evaluation brief.

During this evaluation, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of MRRM Programme will act as focal point between OIM Niger and the Consultant and AVENIR II Project Manager will act as Evaluation Manager.

1. Time schedule

The duration of this assignment may be 35 – 45 working days within two (2) months including the submission and approval of the final report. The provisional timetable for the evaluation mission is as follows:

#

Activity

Responsible party

Number of days and Time period

Expected results

1

Inception Meeting

Consultant/Firm

Program Manager

M&E Officer

PSU

1 working day

Tools, methodology and action plan discussed and approved

2

Submission and validation of the Inception Report

Consultant/Firm

Project Manager

M&E Officer

PSU

1 working day

Submitted report approved

3

Desk review – Project documents analysis

Consultant/Firm

3 working days

Project documents reviewed

4

On-field data collection

Consultant/Firm

15 working days

Evaluation data collected

5

Analysis of the evaluation data

Consultant/Firm

5 working days

Evaluation data analyzed

6

Presentation of the preliminary findings

Consultant / Firm

1 working day

Preliminary findings report available

7

Submission of the draft evaluation report

Consultant/Firm

5 working days

Evaluation Draft Report Submitted

7

Feedback to consultant on the draft evaluation report

Evaluation Manager

5 working days

Draft report with comments from IOM and Donor is shared with consultant

8

Submission of draft 2-pages brief and management response matrix to IOM

Consultant/Firm

2 working days

Draft management response matrix sent to IOM

9

Feedback to consultant on management response matrix

Evaluation Manager

2 working days

Draft report with comments from IOM is shared with consultant

10

Submission of Final report and management response matrix of the evaluation to IOM

Consultant/Firm

3 working days

Final report submitted to IOM and ready for dissemination

11

Presentation of the evaluation findings (in person/online)

Consultant/Firm

1 working day

Evaluation findings are presented to audience

12

Submission of Final report of the evaluation to the Donor

Project Manager

1 working day

IOM submits the final report to the Donor

1. Evaluation requirements

The consultant selected for this evaluation will be a firm, a group of consultants or an individual.

• The team leader of the study will have a university degree in social sciences (5 years or more). At least 5 years’ experience in conducting studies and project evaluations and monitoring particularly in humanitarian context is required. A solid experience and understanding of thematic related to migrant’s assistance, protection and reintegration, and gender, is an advantage.
• Working experience with Sub-Saharan African countries will be an advantage.
• Having conducted at least (03) evaluations related to migrants within the past three years will be an asset.
• Fluency in English and good command of French.

The following criteria will contribute to the shortlisting of the consultant:

N

Criteria

Score

1

At least 5 years of higher education in social sciences, statistics,

5

2

Good knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods and data analysis

20

3

Experience in conducting evaluation activities with vulnerable persons, preferably migrants

40

4

Good knowledge of protection and gender thematic and their inclusion in the evaluation proposal

10

Total

75

1. Budget

The budget allocated to this consultancy is 20.000 – 25.000 Euros all inclusive.

[1] https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/about-iom/evaluation/UNEG-Norms-Standards-for-Evaluation-2016.pdf

https://evaluation.iom.int/sites/evaluation/files/documents/2020 Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation.pdf

https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/about-iom/evaluation/UNEG-Code-of-Conduct-2008.pdf

[2] Migrant Response and Resources Mechanism.