Monitoring & Evaluation Consultant, Kazakhstan
Project period: 24 months (September 30, 2022 - September 30, 2024 )
Background
The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an international non-profit organisation founded in 1991, with charitable status in the US, UK and the Netherlands. IWPR has worked in Central Asia since 1999 and has registered offices in Almaty, Bishkek and Dushanbe. IWPR supports media, civil society, democracy and governance, gender, and youth-focused projects in over 30 countries – promoting reliable information and responsible public debate and removing barriers to freedom of expression.
About the Project
IWPR CA started implementing the project “Religious Freedom for Kazakhstan” In October 2022. The project aims to advance policy change in Kazakhstan that brings religious freedom legislation in line with international standards. The specific objectives of the project include:
Enhancing the advocacy skills and legal awareness of a diverse group of religious and community leaders to collaboratively promote freedom of belief rights.
Broadening public support for religious freedom through coordinated interfaith advocacy initiatives.
Influencing policy-making by engaging in open and constructive dialogues with governmental stakeholders on matters of religious freedom.
For more information: rfkz.belief.cabar.asia/en
Summary
The Consultant is responsible for conducting the final external evaluation of the Religious Freedom for Kazakhstan (RFK) project. The consultant will assess its impact based on the OECD-DAC criteria, with a specific focus on effectiveness, impact and sustainability, efficiency, relevance, and coherence. The evaluation should contribute to learning, and decision-making processes, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding the project's continuation, scale-up, or replication.
Utilization focused evaluation: findings, learnings and recommendations should be reliable, understandable and “actionable” in full by intended users of the evaluation. Intended users are: project manager, project staff, donor, IWPR staff, partners, mentors, direct beneficiaries.
Methodologies, deliverables and debriefing sessions should prioritize inclusive, users-friendly formats.
Complex changes, expected and unexpected: Special attention should be paid to uncovering the peculiarities of the changes in actions, relationships, policy or practice of both beneficiaries and external actors linked to the project activities. The nature of the changes in question may be positive or negative, intended or unintended.
Significance and context: The consultant is to provide a detailed account of the interconnection between the project and the larger observed social trends happening within the region. Results, challenges and recommendations for future programming should be outlined in the light of local and regional context mindful of factors that may limit or enhance impact and sustainability.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant(s) is expected to:
- Lead and coordinate comprehensive project evaluations, including designing evaluation frameworks, developing data collection tools, and conducting fieldwork;
- Design and manage data collection processes to ensure accuracy, reliability, and validity;
- Identify new verification sources for the project and, whenever possible, use existing data embedded in current systems;
- Study relevant project documents such as the work plan, event evaluation sheets, project content, log frame and result matrix, progress reports, and annual and mid-year evaluations. Revise the indicators (both target and achieved) accordingly;
- Engage with project stakeholders, including beneficiaries, partners, and donors, to gather input and feedback;
- Apply the Most Significant Change (MSC) technique and consider utilizing IWPR Stakeholders Engagement indexes;
- Conduct qualitative and quantitative data analysis, comparing project progress against the established baseline. Outline trends of success, baseline-target vs. year achievements, and overall achievement;
- Evaluate the project's short-term and long-term impact on target groups/individuals;
- Prepare and present comprehensive evaluation reports, providing actionable recommendations to improve project design, implementation, and impact;
- Uphold the values of freedom of speech, transparency, and accountability in all MEAL activities;
- Demonstrate a commitment to ethical evaluation practices and respect for participant confidentiality;
- Conduct debriefing and feedback sessions to support the utilization of findings with project staff, donors, partners, and others as per the previous agreement with the Project Manager.
Minimum Requirement of Successful Candidate
Education
A minimum of a bachelor's degree in International Development, Human Rights, International Relations, Project Management, other Social Sciences or other related fields required. MA or other post-graduate capacities in relevant fields is desired.
Skills and Experience
- A minimum of 5 years of experience in leading project evaluations;
- Significant experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) methodologies, including Most Significant Change (MSC) Technique, Outcomes Harvesting;
- Particular expertise in leading, facilitating and reporting Most Significant Change (MSC) Technique, Outcomes Harvesting;
- Proven expertise in qualitative data analysis, quantitative/qualitative data management, and data visualizations (graphs, dashboards);
- Highly organized, analytical, adaptive, and responsive to feedback and changes in direction when needed;
- Highly efficient and flexible approach to work, with ease in collaborating with others;
- Ability to work with limited supervision, as part of a small team and independently;
- Excellent virtual facilitation skills;
- Proven spoken and written communication skills in English;
- Ability to work with limited supervision, as part of a small team and independently.
Language
Advanced English and Russian; knowledge or understanding of the Kazakh language is desired.
Travel
No travel is required for this position, however, willingness and ability to travel internationally as required is desired.
Other requirements
Ability to work with colleagues remotely and to attend online (Zoom/Teams) meetings, storytelling sessions, etc. in GMT+5 time zone.
Applicants interested in this tender may submit to IWPR the following
- A letter of interest;
- Two evaluation reports from a previous project of a similar nature;
- Up-to-date CVs of the proposed consultant(s) for this evaluation;
- Two (2) references from organisations for which the consultant or firm has carried; out recent evaluations for similar projects;
- Details of daily fee rate in USD.
Please note: Shortlisted candidates will be expected to prepare a short evaluation proposal for this consultancy (max. 5 pages) if selected for final consideration. This will include a technical proposal including the description of the methodology and a financial proposal (number of days and daily rate).
IWPR is an equal opportunities employer, committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We encourage applications from suitably qualified candidates from a wide range of backgrounds who can help continue to evolve our culture and contribute to an inclusive environment.
Principals only. No calls please. Only those who have been selected for interviews will be contacted. IWPR will never ask for payment for recruitment.