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TERMS of REFERENCE
REAL TIME EVALUATION (RTE)
for the RESPONSE TO HURRICANE ETA and IOTA
1. SUMMARY
a) Purpose: This RTE will ascertain the relevance, effectiveness, and coherence of the support provided to the Honduran, Nicaraguan and Guatemalan Red Cross Societies in response to Hurricane Eta and Iota.
• Relevance: Look at how well the response has been targeted to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, and how our work has assisted and supported the recovery of the people affected by the Hurricane Eta and Iota.
• Effectiveness: Review and assess how the needs have been met or are planned to be met by the operational support provided. Identify both the successes and challenges faced by both National Societies and the IFRC secretariat in ensuring an effective and efficient delivery to those in need.
• Coherence: Identify and review the coordination and support being provided by actors within and outside the Movement towards this operation. What is the added value of the various interventions and what efforts have been made to avoid duplication of efforts.
b) Audience: This RTE will be used by the IFRC and its member National Societies, the Honduran, Nicaraguan and Guatemalan Red Cross Societies and other Movement partners in the three countries, the IFRC Country Cluster Delegation (CCD), the Americas Regional Office, and Headquarters in Geneva. The final report and its management response will also be made available to RC/RC stakeholders and external partners involved in the response via the IFRC Evaluation Databank.
c) Commissioners: This RTE has been commissioned by the IFRC Regional Director for Americas and the Under Secretary General (USG), National Society Development and Operations Coordination in Geneva.
d) Reports to: The RTE team leader will report to a 4-person Evaluation Management Team (EMT) comprised of one representative from the CCST, Regional, and Geneva levels of the Secretariat (2 DCC, 2 PMER).
e) Duration: Up to 35 working days. f) Timeframe: April – June 2021 g) Location Remote and home based
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2. BACKGROUND
On November 3, 2020, Hurricane Eta made landfall along Nicaragua's Caribbean coast (26km south of Bilwi) as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds near 140mph (220 km/h) and continued moving towards the west near 6mph (9km/h). On 4 November 2020, the system rapidly weakened to a tropical storm but caused extensive damage in Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Belize, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, and Jamaica.
Two weeks later, on November 16, Hurricane Iota, a category 5 storm, made landfall in the Colombian archipelago of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina. It moved along the northeastern coast of Nicaragua near the town of Haulover with sustained winds near 155 mph (250 km/h). On November 17, Iota weakened to a Tropical Storm, moving into southern Honduras and Guatemala. Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, located in the direct path of both hydrometeorological events, were the most affected countries. Over 125 health facilities across all three countries reported infrastructural damage, further reducing the national health systems' capacities already overstretched by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several reports on reduced access to drinking water, loss of adequate sanitation, and power outages were received.
Hurricanes Eta and Iota have affected 6 million people and displaced 590,000 in Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Damages to agricultural assets and roads have caused livelihood and market disruptions. The hurricanes hit Central America during the peak of the agricultural labour season, when most poor and very poor households earn most of their annual income. 216,000 hectares of crops were damaged in Honduras alone. 3.5 million people across Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua are estimated to be facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) levels of food insecurity, with an expected peak of 4 million in August 2021. The hurricanes have aggravated the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 in the region and pre-existing vulnerabilities linked to chronic violence and poverty, which have driven migration in the past.
The IFRC quickly responded to support affected National Societies in the region through the approval of 7 DREFs for a total of more than CHF 2.4M and a Regional Emergency Appeal was launched on 8th of November (CHF 20M) and then further revised on 21st of December (CHF 22m) to assist 15,000 families (75,000 people) affected by the hurricanes in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua. More than 50 rapid response personnel were deployed to support the operation on site or remotely and WASH (M15/M20/M40); Health; IT-Tel and Log Emergency Response Units (ERUs) were mobilized to Honduras. This represents the most important deployments of surge resources to an operation in the context of COVID-19. The COVID-19 outbreak has created unprecedented challenges for the operation and specific measures were needed to ensure proper duty of care and safety of all personnel and volunteers.
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3. EVALUATION PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The IFRC is conducting this RTE because of its commitment to the people being assisted and to assess the relevance, efficiency, and coherence of the evolving response, as mentioned under Section 1.
4. EVALUATION KEY QUESTIONS Relevance
• Is the assistance provided relevant to the needs of the target population? What are the main opportunities and challenges identified?
• Are the different delivery and feedbacks mechanisms implemented throughout the operation (including any relevant innovations developed and incorporated) appropriate and relevant for the communities?
Effectiveness
• What are the main elements of success and/or challenges in terms of timely and quality humanitarian services delivered from the different levels (global, regional, cluster, national and local levels)?
• How do National Societies and the IFRC Secretariat address the different threats faced throughout the operation (migration; COVID-19 and dengue outbreaks, etc)? How do these threats affect the delivery of assistance to those most in need?
• How did the operation affect National Society’s auxiliary role?
• What is the impact of duty of care and national restrictions on the deployment of rapid National Society and IFRC response personnel, as well as the mobilization of Emergency Response Units in a COVID-19 environment? How does this affect the planning, budgeting and implementation of activities throughout this operation (identify any learnings which can be used for future and or similar emergency responses)?
• What are the opportunities and challenges faced by volunteers mobilized in support of the response? How are they supported to better carry out their tasks throughout this operation (highlight any measures or innovations used which allowed them to work within the COVID-19 limitations/restrictions)?
• How are risk management initiatives being put in place/used at the different levels throughout this operation (country; CCST; Region and Geneva)?
Coherence
• Are the Principles and Rules for Red Cross and Red Crescent Humanitarian Assistance respected throughout this operation?
• What are the opportunities and challenges of the Federation-wide approach undertaken in this operation?
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roles have towards their support?
• How are National Societies’ leadership in certain sectors of this operation affecting their role in the national and international humanitarian coordination system?
• How does the Movement engage with the external actors supporting this operation?
5. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY
The team will carry out the RTE through a series of approaches, including:
1. Secondary data analysis (Emergency Appeals, Operation Updates, in-country documents, mission reports, debriefs, etc).
2. Key informant interviews with key RCRC and external stakeholders in country and for those who have recently left the operation; and at CCST, Regional and Geneva levels, including interviews with key delegates involved in the earlier stages of the response.
3. Meetings and focus group discussions with RCRC and external actors, including National Society volunteers, PNS in-country, etc.
4. Efforts will be made to ensure proper engagement with community groups, should the COVID-19 context allow for this.
The RTE team will present its preliminary findings to all of the in-country teams in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, as well as the Americas Regional Office and Headquarters in Geneva through an online participatory meeting and/or virtual workshop.
An Evaluation Management Team will also be set up to manage and support the RTE. It will comprise of a four-person evaluation management team (EMT) comprised of Country Cluster Delegation. Regional and Geneva levels of the Secretariat (2 DCC, 2 PMER). The EMT will support the RTE process, as required. It will be responsible for supporting and overseeing the evaluation process up to the finalization of the final evaluation report.
6. EVALUATION DELIVERABLES
Inception Report – The inception report will iterate the parameters and the workplan to operationalize
and direct each aspect of the evaluation and data collection plan, including the tools and methods to be employed. It is expected that this inception report will not be longer than 4,000 words.
The Inception Report will elaborate on these terms of reference by: Agreeing on specific evaluation questions
Describing how the evaluation and data collection will be carried out; Refining and specifying the expectations;
Detailing the methodology;
Drafting data collection tools (interview guides, guidance for the FGDs, etc) Clarifying roles and responsibilities of the team; and
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inception report should outline the structure of the report to be submitted by the consultant; and include consultant’s expectations as to what extent the purpose of the evaluation can be achieved.
Debriefings / feedback to management at all levels – The team will present its preliminary findings to
relevant stakeholders, as well as the Americas Regional Office and Geneva Headquarters in a participatory meeting or virtual workshop. This will allow all three levels to take on board any pertinent comments and/or to make any corrections or additions to the findings, as required before the finalization of the report.
Draft report – A draft report, identifying key findings, lessons learned and recommendations for the
current and future operation, will be submitted after the data collection/analysis period.
Final report – The final report will contain a short executive summary (1,000 words) and a main body
of the report (expected to be no more than 15,000 words) covering the background of the intervention evaluated, a description of the evaluation methods and limitations, findings, conclusions, lessons learned, and recommendations. Recommendations should be specific, feasible and evidence-based. It will contain appropriate appendices, including a copy of the ToR, cited resources or bibliography, a list of those interviewed, and any other relevant materials.
The final report will be submitted one week after the receipt of comments on the draft report and will have to be validated by the Commissioners (Regional Director Americas and USG National Society Development and Operations Coordination). Once validated, the final report and the Management Response will be shared with IFRC senior management, wider IFRC and Movement stakeholders and will be posted on the IFRC Evaluation Databank.
7. EVALUATION TIMEFRAME
Indicative timetable for the RTE process
Hiring of the Evaluation team (including advertisement; review of applications, interview and contracting)
Early April to End April 2021
Desk Review and Inception Report Early May 2021
7
Data collection including findings workshops Early to Mid-May 2021
13
Data consolidation and analysis Mid to End May
2021
4
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Final report Mid-June 2021 5
Total Working Days for Consultant 35 days
8. ETHICAL STANDARDS
The evaluators should take all reasonable steps to ensure that the RTE is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of the people and communities involved and to ensure that the evaluation is technically accurate and reliable, is conducted in a transparent and impartial manner, and contributes to organizational learning and accountability. Therefore, the evaluation team should adhere to the evaluation standards and applicable practices outlined in the IFRC Evaluation Policy and linked to the RTE Guidance.
The IFRC Evaluation Standards are:
• Utility: Evaluations must be useful and used.
• Feasibility: Evaluations must be realistic, diplomatic, and managed in a sensible, cost effective manner.
• Ethics & Legality: Evaluations must be conducted in an ethical and legal manner, with particular regard for the welfare of those involved in and affected by the evaluation. • Impartiality & Independence; Evaluations should be impartial, providing a comprehensive
and unbiased assessment that takes into account the views of all stakeholders.
• Transparency: Evaluation activities should reflect an attitude of openness and transparency. • Accuracy: Evaluations should be technical accurate, providing sufficient information about
the data collection, analysis, and interpretation methods so that its worth or merit can be determined.
• Participation: Stakeholders should be consulted and meaningfully involved in the evaluation process when feasible and appropriate.
• Collaboration: Collaboration between key operating partners in the evaluation process improves the legitimacy and utility of the evaluation.
It is also expected that the evaluation will respect the seven Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: 1) humanity, 2) impartiality, 3) neutrality, 4) independence, 5) voluntary service, 6) unity, and 7) universality. Further information can be obtained about these Principles at: www.ifrc.org/what/values/principles/index.asp
9. EVALUATION TEAM COMPETENCIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
The EMT will select the members of the evaluation team, which will comprise of three to four persons, including a team leader and two staff from the Red Cross Movement. Efforts will be made to ensure gender diversity amongst the team, as well as to respect other diversity criteria.
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The team leader will have the following skills and experience:
Proven extensive experience in being the lead in conducting emergency response evaluation (7 to 10 years).
Master’s degree in international development, social sciences, humanitarian assistance or other related fields.
Good knowledge of strategic and operational management of humanitarian operations and an ability to provide strategic recommendations to key stakeholders;
Excellent writing and communication skills in English (reference and production of sample work required). Knowledge of written and verbal skills in Spanish advantageous.
Familiarity with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and its disaster management system. Knowledge of cross-cutting issues, including protection, gender and inclusion (PGI) and
community engagement and accountability (CEA) would be of interest
Strong analytical skills and ability to clearly synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions and to prepare well‐written reports in a timely manner;
Good team player and familiarity with working with people from different cultures/contexts. Experience in managing teams remotely and comfortable working with online platforms. The consultant will provide an independent, objective, and critical perspective, and will be the primary author of the evaluation report. S/he should not have been involved or have a vested interest in the IFRC operation being reviewed, and will be hired through a transparent recruitment process, based on professional experience, competence, ethics and integrity for this evaluation.
The consultant should take all reasonable steps to ensure that the piece of work is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of the people involved and to ensure that the evaluation is technically accurate and reliable, is conducted in a transparent and impartial manner, and contributes to better programming, organizational learning and accountability.
The team members will have the following skills and experience:
Five years of experience or more working in international relief operations and/or monitoring and evaluation.
Master’s degree in international relations, social sciences, humanitarian assistance and/or related fields or equivalent experience is preferred.
Familiarity with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and its disaster management system. Experience in carrying out interviews and facilitating focus group discussions.
Sound experience in data consolidation, analysis and presentation. Ability to clearly synthesize and present findings.
Fluent in English and in Spanish.
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that they be sensitive to the significant workload of the various teams and ensure that demands are kept to a minimum. Efforts will be made to appoint logistical focal points at the various levels to assist with the evaluation.
10. APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR TEAM LEADER
Interested candidates should submit their application material by Sunday 18 April 2021 midnight CEST to [email protected] with Team Leader for the Hurricane ETA/IOTA RTE written in the Subject Line.
Application materials should include: 1. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
2. Cover letter clearly summarizing experience as it pertains to this assignment, daily rate, and contact details for three professional referees.
Applicants are required to provide 1 example of a previous evaluation report they have authored. Application materials are non-returnable, and we thank you in advance for understanding that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
