Consultancy to evaluate ZOA Ukraine’s ECHO funded shelter project

Organization: ZOA
Posted: 8 Sep 2025
Closing date: 30 Sep 2025

CONSULTANCY FOR FINAL EVALUATION OF ZOA UKRAINE’S ECHO FUNDED PROJECT

1. Background

According to UNOCHA, in 2025 at least 12.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, after the ongoing war started by Russia in 2022. This includes 2.8 million IDPs and 9.9 million Non-Displaced War-Affected People. The highest needs are among those who live near the frontline or the border with the Russian Federation. Most affected are older people, people with disabilities (PWD), caretakers and other groups who are less likely to flee due to reduced mobility, reluctance to abandon their homes and lack of economic resources.

Overview of the Project

The objective of this project is to provide targeted emergency shelter assistance, through house repairs and insulation, combined and integrated with emergency livelihoods assistance focused on increasing self-sufficiency levels of rural household level farmers. Assistance is provided to the most vulnerable conflict affected households in the previously occupied areas of Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts and the border regions of Sumska Oblast. The project is needs-driven and maintains agility to shift in case new areas open up or if the context changes. ZOA supports 3.970 people in this project. The total budget of the action is 4 million EUR.

The project originally was designed early 2024 based on a needs and market assessment conducted in December 2023. In July 2024 the needs assessment was updated, after which the project commenced in September 2024. In November-December 2024 ZOA conducted a new needs assessment, identifying persistent shelter needs in the South of Ukraine, new shelter needs in Sumska and limited agricultural livelihood opportunities for rural populations. Early 2025 ZOA request a modification of the project started in September 2024, which was accepted. The modified project aims to increase access to safe and dignified shelters by repairing damaged houses, by insulating sub-standard houses and further promotes household resilience by providing multi-purpose agro kits along with trainings in a Cash+ approach. The intervention is designed to cover emergency gaps in the targeted communities in Kherson, Mykolaiv and Sumy.

Vulnerable individuals are targeted by using a combination of community-based targeting approach and vulnerability criteria, as well as capability criteria for emergency livelihoods activities. The project is strongly linked to early recovery/nexus by providing the opportunity for people to remain or return home.

The external evaluation of this project will only focus on the shelter activity, not the emergency livelihoods activity.

Summary of the shelter activities implemented in this project:

Increased and equitable access to safe, dignified and sustainable shelter solutions for 2,533 conflict affected women, girls, boys, and men in newly accessible areas in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts in the South and Sumy region in the North of Ukraine.

2. Purpose of the evaluation

An Evaluation Committee is set up to assure the quality and independence of the evaluation. The Evaluation Committee will advise the commissioner of the evaluation on the ToR, the methodology and the draft evaluation report. The commissioner of the evaluation is ZOA Ukraine, represented by its Manager of Programme Quality. The purpose of the external evaluation is to provide a holistic understanding of the project progress, performance and achievements, including the extent to which the project has been adapted according to the changing context and the way in which the project has impacted the lives of affected populations in Ukraine. Additionally, the objective is to provide learnings and recommendations for future projects, including a potential cost extension with ECHO. The evaluation should be structured around the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, in particular efficiency, effectiveness and coherence. The specific objectives of the evaluation include:

To assess the efficiency of the Cash Modality used in the project (Efficiency).
To assess the performance of the project, paying particular attention to the outcomes and outputs of the project interventions against its key result indicators (Effectiveness).
To assess the effectiveness of the targeting and selection criteria used in the project (Effectiveness).
To assess how the project has implemented the main ZOA prioritized cross-cutting themes, such as accountability, technical quality assurance and support, localization (coordination with local authorities and affected communities), gender sensitivity and inclusiveness, and conflict sensitivity/ do no harm programming (Coherence).
To assess complementarity of project interventions and the collaboration with other humanitarian actors, ECHO and government sponsored schemes (Coherence).
To assess the relevance of the project, in particular whether the project is in line with local needs and priorities.
To document lessons learned (what worked well, what did not work well) and provide evidence-based recommendations for future interventions and for an exit strategy for the activities implemented in the project.

3. Scope of the evaluation

The scope of the external evaluation is the full implementation period up until the date of the evaluation (likely around January – February 2026) with a focus on the different project components and their complementarity and the added value of the response within the larger humanitarian response. The evaluation should cover and provide updates on achievements in targeted sectors (Shelter and Livelihoods) across the intervention locations in targeted Oblasts (Kherson, Mykolaiv and Sumy). The target groups to be included in the end evaluation are staff of ZOA in country, project beneficiaries, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders. The target audience for sharing the evaluation findings include ECHO, ZOA staff, the humanitarian community in Ukraine, local authorities and affected populations.

4. Evaluation questions

The evaluation should be structured around the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria and the additional criteria as mentioned in the table below. The evaluation questions are indicative. The consultant is expected to review and improve the evaluation questions in the initial stage of the evaluation exercise.

Evaluation Criteria & Key Questions

Efficiency

Efficiency concerns an assessment of how well resources are used to achieve intended objectives.

To what extent are activities timely and cost-efficient?
What could be done differently to complete the project more expediently and efficiently?
To what extent can funds be re-allocated in time during implementation to respond to new developments?
How is ZOA’s coordination contributing to the efficiency?

Effectiveness

Effectiveness is about the extent to which the project has achieved its objectives.

To what extent are the project targets and objectives achieved, and how effective was the project in responding to the needs of affected people?
What are the successful approaches applied by the program, and what evidence is there to support their effectiveness?
What are the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives?
Is the intervention causing a significant change in the lives of the intended beneficiaries?
How likely is it that any positive changes may be sustained in the short, medium and long term?

Coherence

Coherence refers to the compatibility of the intervention with other interventions (and policies) in the country, sector and / or institution. The distinction is made between internal coherence (synergies with interventions carried out by the same institution/government, and with international norms and standards) and external coherence (consistency of the intervention with other actors’ interventions: complementarity, harmonization, coordination and added value).

To what extent was internal and external coherence of the project ensured?
How did coordination and collaboration with other humanitarian organizations and other key stakeholders happen and contribute to coherence?
How is the intervention integrating the nexus approach, and what are the benefits and challenges of doing so?
To what extent is the programme able to adapt and provide an appropriate response to changing local needs and the priorities of affected people?

Relevance

Relevanceis concerned with assessing whether the project is in line with local needs and priorities. It assesses if the intervention is doing the right things.

Other criteria:

Gender sensitivity and inclusiveness

To what extent is a gender-sensitive programming approach applied in the project?
How is the gender and age marker used?
To what degree is the program addressing the needs of marginalised groups?
Do all the intended target groups, including marginalised people, benefit equally from the intervention?

Protection mainstreaming

How does ZOA mainstream protection throughout their interventions and to what extent have efforts been effective?
What can be learned for the future to improve protection mainstreaming?

Accountability

To what extent was the affected population meaningfully informed and involved in the design and planning process, and throughout implementation?
What feedback mechanisms are in place and to what extent are these mechanisms accessible for all targeted groups? How is beneficiary feedback being addressed?
How did ZOA uphold the CHS commitments? (Focus on commitment 4 and 5).

Conflict sensitive and do-no-harm programming

How are conflict-sensitivity and do-no-harm programming integrated into the project design and applied during project implementation?

Localization and equitable partnerships

What learnings can be provided on improving collaboration with local authorities and affected communities?

5. Methodology

The consultant is expected to determine the methodological approach for the end-term evaluation of the ECHO project. The methodology should be further detailed in the inception report and will be approved by ZOA, including the research tools. ZOA provides the following guidance for the development of the methodology:

The consultant is expected to use and review existing project documents during the end evaluation. These documents include the project proposal and logframe, monitoring and progress reports, financial reports, policies and strategies, and any other relevant project document. ZOA will provide the external consultant with all available project documentation at the beginning of the consultancy.
A mixed research methodology is preferred, which includes the collection of qualitative and quantitative data through surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and document review. Participatory research methods are strongly encouraged.
Triangulation of data is important. Therefore, the consultant is expected to use multiple data sources to allow for the verification of results.
The sample size must be statistically representative of the target population. The evaluation team should ensure that people from different groups targeted by the project, including people with disabilities, different genders and age categories, are included in the sample size. The consultant’s proposed methodology and sampling should take into consideration comparability with the baseline and generate evidence to show the most significant impacts. The analysis among others should be disaggregated by governorate, gender, age and disability.
Field work is mandatory. The consultant / consultancy team will undertake field visits to the project implementation areas to collect primary data amongst a variety of stakeholders, including local authorities and beneficiaries. Participation of stakeholders in the evaluation should be maintained at all times, reflecting opinions, expectations, and visions about the contribution of the project towards the achievement of its objectives.
The consultant must consider participants’ safety throughout the evaluation (including recruitment and training of research staff, data collection / analysis and report writing) as well as research ethics (confidentiality of those participating in the evaluation, data protection, age and ability-appropriate assent processes) and quality assurance (tools piloting, enumerators training, data cleaning). The consultant should ensure prior informed consent for participation in the study and for any picture being taken.
The consultant is expected to be aware of and understand political sensitivities, consult ZOA regularly and adapt the evaluation approach if needed. ZOA will inform the consultant about the accessibility and security situation of the project target areas before starting of the field data collection exercise and will agree with the consultant on feasible ways of data collection. The consultant should consider mitigation measures if project locations are deemed inaccessible.

6. Deliverables

The information below provides an overview of the expected deliverables, desription of the deliverable and a tentative timeframe.

INCEPTION REPORT (15 December 2025)

The inception report must include findings from the desk review, an evaluation matrix (table describing per key question the method, data source, tools), detailed workplan, procedures for data collection, analysis, sampling and the data collection tools. The inception report and data collection tools both need to be approved by the lead before the start of data collection.

DRAFT REPORT (2 February 2026)

The draft report should structurally mimic the final report (see below for structure) and include data analysis, initial findings, conclusions and recommendations.

FINAL REPORT (13 February 2026)

In the final report the feedback on the draft report needs to be addressed. The final report will be a maximum of 30 pages[1] (excl. annexes) and consist of the following sections at a minimum:

Table of contents
Executive summary
Intervention description
Scope of the evaluation
Purpose and objectives of the evaluation
Methodology
Findings
Lessons learnt
Conclusion
Recommendations
Annexes – photos, human stories, final research tools, bibliography of secondary data used, a list of persons interviewed.

Alongside the evaluation report the consultant will provide the raw data.

Presentation / learning session (20 February 2026)

The consultant is required to develop a presentation / learning session with selected stakeholders to present findings and recommendations.

7. Roles and responsibilities

ZOA is responsible for the recruitment and contracting of the external evaluation consultant. The ZOA Manager of Programme Quality and the Programme Manager for South East Ukraine will be the main focal persons for this assignment and ensure to provide the consultancy team timely with relevant documentation during the inception phase, respond to additional requests for information and facilitate the initial connections with relevant local stakeholders. An external evaluation committee is set up to assure quality, methodological rigor, and independence of the Final Evaluation. The evaluation committee consist of ZOA staff members and shelter cluster representatives. ZOA will oversee the external evaluation process, keep track of deliverables and coordinate feedback from partner organizations. In case needed, ZOA will facilitate visa and in country travel approvals for the consultant, and ZOA will inform the consultant about the accessibility and security situation of the project target areas before starting of the field data collection.

ZOA will provide project documentation relevant to the external evaluation, including beneficiary lists (if feasible and if confidentiality can be maintained), facilitate connections with project teams in the field for data collection and provide practical support in case needed. Staff from ZOA, will be available to participate in an interview if requested by the consultant. Additionally, ZOA will appoint a focal person (e.g. the Programme Manager) for the external evaluation and support the consultant in the selection of participants in the data collection and introduce the consultant to relevant stakeholders.

The external evaluation consultant / consultancy team is expected to:

Organize an inception meeting with the ZOA project team;
Design the evaluation methodology, including evaluation matrix, data collection tools for the program and relevant program indicators (including translation into Ukrainian if needed) and sampling technique and size;
Conduct desk reviews of secondary information and program documents;
Develop the inception report and submit it to ZOA for feedback, including the data collection tools;
Address feedback on the inception report and data collection tools;
Recruit and train enumerators (ensure male and female enumerators) who will pre-test the data collection tools. If necessary, make final adjustments to data collection tools;
Collect data from a representative sample of individuals from the target groups and key program relevant stakeholders using methodologies as outlined in the approved inception report. The consultancy team is responsible for the transportation of enumerators in the field;
Process and analyze the data (data entry, cleaning, verification and analysis);
Report writing and submission of first draft of the report;
Organize a session for relevant stakeholders to present findings of the end evaluation and share learnings for discussion;
Finalize the report incorporating feedback and submission of final report.

8. Tentative timeline

Posting of request for proposals: 1-30 September 2025

Deadline submission proposals: 30 September 2025

Proposal considered, short listing and follow up enquiries completed: 1-15 October 2025

Interviews with selected consultants: 15-31 October 2025

Signing of contract with selected consultant and kick-off meeting: 15 November 2025

Submission inception report: 15 December 2025

Data collection: 5-9 January 2026

Submission draft report: 2 February 2026

Presentation of results: Between 4 and 6 February 2026

Submission final report and final deliverables: 13 February 2026

9. Budget

Interested consultants are required to provide a budget including travel costs, number of working days per specific activity, daily rate and any other costs. The maximum budget for this evaluation is 18,000 EUR. In case an agreement is reached that the consultant will also collect baseline data, additional budget will be made available.

10. Required expertise

The specific requirements for this assignment are hands on experience in evaluating emergency interventions implemented by international partners, and experience in evaluating multi-sectoral humanitarian response programs. Additional required qualifications are detailed below.

At least a master’s degree in economics, developmental studies, business administration and social science or related field for the lead consultant / a minimum of bachelor’s degree on the relevant academic areas with 7 years of progressive experience in research.
The lead consultant should be a well-seasoned shelter expert, with shelter expertise in the Ukraine context and shelter project management skills and experience.
Strong experience in humanitarian response, Child Safeguarding and knowledge of humanitarian standards (CHS, Sphere, Code of Conduct).
Extensive experience in research work and in assessments/evaluations. Knowledge of mixed research methodologies and application of various tools including practical experience in assessments, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian interventions. Proven experience of using participatory methods is required.
Understanding of and experience in evaluating cross-cutting themes, including gender equality, accountability and conflict sensitivity / do-no-harm.
Good understanding of the Ukrainian context and previous work experience in Ukraine are required.
Excellent analytical and report writing skills with skills in using statistical packages such as SPSS, STATA etc.
Fluent in English. Understanding of Ukrainian of the lead consultant will be an added advantage. Staff responsible for data collection need to be fluent in Russian or Ukrainian.
An experienced protection/safeguarding person should be included as part of the team.
Cultural awareness and ability to operate in politically complex and sensitive environments are required.
Willing and able to travel to and work in the project locations in the de-occupied territories of Khersonska, Mykolaivska Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and Sumska Oblast.

[1] In case the consultant recommends to deviate from the page limit, this should be agreed and approved by ZOA.

How to apply

Application procedure

Individuals/firms that meet the above requirements should submit an Expression of Interest to ZOA, at r.boneschansker@zoa.ngo & p.hawken@zoa.ngo, by 30 September 2025, which should include: a 1-page motivation letter, CV(s) of the consultant(s) and a preliminary budget. After that three candidates will be invited to submit a full proposal, which should include:

Technical Proposal detailing the approach, methodology and work plan of the assignment (max. 10 pages). The technical proposal should only cover the end evaluation; however consultants should express their interest, availability and capacity to collect additional endline data.
1. Financial Proposal including daily rates in Euro with detailed breakdown including travel costs, number of working days per specific activity, daily rate, any other costs and payment method.
2. CV of the lead consultant and contact details of two professional referees. If the consultant works with a team, CV’s from team members should be included as well.
3. Copies of at least 2 (two) similar (e.g. shelter sector, INGO, multi-million EUR project, same oblasts aforementioned) assignments done in the last 3 years.
4. Firms based/registered in Ukraine must produce operating license.
5. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview.