Côte d'Ivoire: Consultant, Final Evaluation of the Project "Participation in the Management of Rural Land in Côte d'Ivoire"

Mar 19, 2021 | Interpeace
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Interpeace is an international peacebuilding organization established in 1994, which supports locally led peacebuilding initiatives around the world. Interpeace adapts its approach to each company and ensures that the work is done locally. Working with local partners and local teams, Interpeace jointly develops peacebuilding programs and helps establish change processes that connect local communities, civil society, government and the international community. As a strategic partner of the United Nations, Interpeace is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has offices around the world.

Introduction 

Interpeace is looking for a consultant (international or national) to carry out a final evaluation of the PAGEFOR project (Participation of citizens and local authorities in improving the understanding and management of the dynamics related to rural land tenure in the west and north-west of Côte d'Ivoire) implemented with its partner Indigo CI.

Lasting 26 months, this project funded by the European Union has been in operation since February 2019 and will end on April 3, 2021. A final evaluation is necessary to measure the results (changes produced directly by the action ) and the effects, efficiency and quality of the work carried out, the approaches developed and the lessons learned during the implementation in order to arrive at the formulation of orientations likely to improve the future interventions of Interpeace, as well as 'other organizations working on the same theme. The choice of an external evaluation was favored in order to help ensure the independence, impartiality and credibility of the process. Interpeace expects the assessment to start in May 2021, for a period of 30 working days.

Context 

Project summary

The process of delimiting the territories initiated within the framework of the Land Law of 1998 and the eviction of the occupants of protected areas who arrived in large numbers during the period of crisis (2002-2011), carried out within the framework of the Forest Code of 2014, are hampered. and affected by complex local socio-political tensions. The evacuation of Mont Péko National Park and the classified forest of Goin Débé in the District of the Mountains (which generated real tensions of community cohabitation), and that of Worodougou (where the scarcity of minerals negatively impacts the delimitation of the territories villagers) are good illustrations.

Launched in February 2019, this 26-month project intends to contribute to improving the inclusiveness, sustainability and governance of the processes of delimitation of territories and the preservation of national parks and classified forests in Côte d'Ivoire. To do this, it generated, from below, in-depth participatory analyzes of the socio-political dynamics at work around these processes, in the Mountain District and Worodougou, as well as of the politico-legal framework supporting them. The action also sought to improve the collaboration and practices of local authorities and citizens in the management of socio-land conflicts, by opening up spaces for dialogue and collaboration frameworks between stakeholders. The intention, in the long term, was to inform, on the basis of the results obtained, the understanding and responses of public authorities and populations in terms of managing tensions relating to classified forests and the process of delimiting the territories. This initiative is supported by the European Union through the European Development Fund.

Goal

The project aims in 26 months to contribute to the inclusiveness, the sustainability and the good governance of the land tenure security process by improving the understanding and the management of the tensions relating to the preservation and the delimitation process of the territories in the West and in the Northwest of Côte d'Ivoire.

Theory of Change

IF the participation and collaboration of citizens, civil society and local authorities in the west and north-west of Côte d'Ivoire are improved in terms of managing tensions around classified forests and national parks, and delimitation process (thanks to inclusive dialogue and capacity building), and that the latter share their analyzes and experiences with regional and national authorities and TFPs, THEN the governance of rural land relating to the preservation and the process of delimitation of territories will be more sustainable and efficient, BECAUSE the socio-political dynamics and local good practices for managing these tensions will be better understood and integrated by the administrative and political actors concerned, from the local level to the national and international levels.

Specific objectives :

  • OS1. Generate with communities, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and local authorities in the West and North-West of Côte d'Ivoire, a common and in-depth understanding of the socio-political dynamics at work around. Processes for the preservation and delimitation of village territories as well as the politico-legal framework governing them.
  • OS2. Strengthen the capacities and collaboration of Basic Community Organizations (CBOs), in particular Peace Committees (PCs) and Village Rural Land Management Committees (CVGFR), CSOs and local authorities in matters of alert, prevention and mediation of conflicts relating to classified forests, national parks and the process of delimiting the territories in the west and north-west of Côte d'Ivoire.
  • OS3. Inform, in a participatory and inclusive manner, the analysis-diagnostic and decision-making of the Ivorian authorities, technical and financial partners (TFPs) and communities on the dynamics and good practices in terms of sustainable and inclusive management of related conflicts classified forests and the process of delimiting the territories.

Key activities

  • Participatory action research (PAR) of socio-political dynamics relating to the processes of preservation and delimitation of territories validated and documented by two briefing notes and two video clips in order to be shared with communities and political decision-makers.
  • Facilitation of inclusive intra and inter-community dialogue with a view to developing a common understanding of the socio-political dynamics relating to the preservation and the delimitation process of territories and thereby, to bring communities together.
  • Facilitation of information and consultation sessions with communities, CSOs and CBOs and local authorities on the politico-legal framework and administrative mechanisms governing DTV and preservation, with a view to putting them in perspective with socio-dynamics -policies existing locally.
  • Shares advocacy conducted with ministries, state agencies in charge of rural land and preservation, regional authorities in targeted areas, and the TFP of the Ivory Coast in the matter of sustainable management of land and inclusive rural, thanks to recommendations and good practices shared by local authorities, CSOs and CBOs in targeted areas.

Rationale and objectives

The final evaluation meets the obligation of results and our willingness to learn and develop. It will be used to understand the impact of the project, the changes observed and the lessons to be learned to guide our future programming in western Côte d'Ivoire.

In close collaboration with the entire project team, including the Indigo CI project partner and the beneficiary communities, the consultant will have to conduct a final evaluation with the following objectives:

  • Assess the results and effects achieved by the project, referring to the logical framework of the project (indicators and expected results);
  • Assess the effectiveness of the methodological approach used by the project, our activities and our methods in relation to the expected results. This should include an assessment of the approaches used at the community level;
  • Evaluate the level of beneficiaries in carrying out the project;
  • On the basis of the above points, formulate concrete and specific recommendations that can guide Interpeace's future interventions.

The results of this exercise will benefit not only Interpeace, Indigo CI and the European Union, but also other NGOs, international donors and policy makers engaged in land issues and peacebuilding in Côte d'Ivoire.

Timetable, methodology and expected results

The planned duration of the evaluation is 30 working days, with a minimum of 15 days spent collecting data in the field in the District of the Mountains (West) and in the region of Worodougou (North-West). The planned start date is May 2021, with project activities ending on April 3, 2021. The final schedule will be agreed with the selected consultant.

As part of this evaluation, the consultant will use different information gathering methods: review of key project documents; direct observation in the field; interviews with targeted individuals and focus groups. The consultant will also use the data collected by the partner (project reports), the results of the various surveys produced during the project.

The consultant is invited to use or propose participatory and inclusive, more qualitative methods, such as: interviews, focus group discussions, Outcome Harvesting, analysis of the most significant changes ( most significant change ) etc. The methodology used should demonstrate its sensitivity to gender, age, conflicts and other potential biases in order to ensure its rigor.

The consultant (s) should apply a conceptual framework of analysis consistent with the participatory and peacebuilding approach of Interpeace and Indigo. The evaluation of the project should be objective, while the learning and reflection exercise should be a consultative and participatory exercise.

The consultant (s) will be able to follow an evaluation based on the results of the project. For this, they can be based on project data and components of the pre-existing monitoring and evaluation system: project proposal, budget, logical framework, databases, attendance lists, mission reports, debriefings of dialogue sessions, etc. . to perform a first level of assessment.

Particular attention will be paid to taking into account public health measures relating to the COVID-19 epidemic, and their impact on the methods used. Candidates must present in their application the contingency and protection measures planned to guarantee the health of the teams and people involved, while allowing quality participation and inclusiveness.

The assessment will follow the following steps:

  • The key project documentation will be given to the consultant and will include, among other things, the project documents, the various surveys, the logical framework, the summary notes. The consultant will develop a methodology document and questions for the interviews and focus groups, which will be validated together with the project team (based on the key questions already defined in the criteria of the evaluation), the Change Stories Database.
  • Field visitson the sites will be undertaken to collect data, conduct interviews and discuss with the main stakeholders in the project. The field work will take place in particular in the localities of Troya 1, Paris Léona (Cavally, Forêt du Goin Débé), Bagohouo, Nidrou (Guémon, Mont Péko National Park), Massala-Assolo, Diarabana and Niongonon (Worodougou, Question of the DTV) with members of the collaboration frameworks, people involved in the research phase and, if desired, other villagers who were not directly involved in the project. The sub-prefects and agents of the technical structures involved in the project should also be consulted, as well as their hierarchical superiors if relevant (residents in Duékoué, Diarabana, Guiglo, Man, Séguéla). The project team will provide lists of project stakeholders, from which the consultant can select their sample for interviews and group discussions. The project team can accompany the consultant during the assessment.
  • Interviews and group discussions will be organized with Interpeace staff and Indigo staff, local, regional and national authorities, the donor, members and leaders of the communities involved in the project.
  • Analysis of qualitative and quantitative results . The logical framework defined at the start of the project, the database of change stories, interviews and focus groups will serve as a reference for data collection. All the data collected must be part of a comprehensive analysis.
  • Restitution. Immediately after the end of the data collection and before submitting the final report, the evaluator will facilitate a feedback meeting with the project team (Interpeace and Indigo CI) to present their initial conclusions and recommendations, and enrich their observations with a discussion. with the project team.
  • A draft report containing the analyzes and results of the assessment in accordance with the ToRs will be shared with members of the project team for comments.
  • A final report will be produced and will take into account the observations and comments of Interpeace.

The following matrix presents the expected results and the stages of the evaluation process.

MATRIX

Key evaluation questions

The questions below are indicative and direct the assessor to the type of information to seek and analyze.

Relevance:

  • Do the different parties involved believe that the project was appropriate for the context and dynamics of conflict in the areas?
  • Did the project team use the most appropriate strategies for the context? Specifically, analyze the following strategies: 1. KAP survey, 2. Participatory action research; 3. Sensitization dialogue on the politico-legal framework, 4. Creation and support of collaboration frameworks 5. Political support.
  • Were there any major risks that were not taken into consideration by the project team?

Efficiency:

  • Evaluate what has been achieved against planned activities and results.
  • Analyze whether the activities carried out have contributed to achieving the desired results.
  • Assess the strategic importance of the project's successes.

Efficiency:

  • Were the project's resources (budget, personnel, materials) well used in relation to the results achieved?
  • How did Indigo CI and Interpeace follow up on this project?
  • Evaluate the working relationship between Indigo CI, Interpeace and other parties involved in the implementation.

Durability:

  • What is the degree of acceptance and ownership of the project by the communities where it has been implemented?
  • Has the project contributed to lasting changes?
  • The collaboration between communities and authorities, instituted by the collaboration frameworks, will it likely last after the start of the project?

Impact:

  • To what extent has the project contributed to the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts around DTV and preservation processes in the localities targeted by the project?
  • Has the project's approach to conflict reduction around DTV and preservation influenced other localities and actors than those directly targeted by the project? ( spillover effect )
  • Have regional, national and international actors been convinced by the project approach? Has this approach changed their behavior? Have they expressed the intention to implement the recommendations and good practices identified in localities other than those targeted by the project or in other programs?
  • To what extent has the project achieved its objectives (see objectives in the introductory part)?
  • Do the results support the project's theory of change?

Coherence:

  • How does this project fit into the overall objectives of Interpeace and Indigo CI?
  • How does this project fit in with Interpeace's overall programming in Côte d'Ivoire? How did the program build on and interact with other projects in the country?
  • How did Interpeace and Indigo collaborate with other actors working on the theme of rural land within the framework of this project? How did Interpeace and Indigo work with other actors in the localities of the project?

Cross-cutting issues:

  • How effective were the efforts of the project to integrate the gender and age dimension into the project strategy?
  • To what extent has the project adhered to the principles of “ Do no Harm ” and appealed to conflict sensitivity during its implementation?
  • What recommendations would you give to improve such a program?
  • What lessons learned would be beneficial to other actors working on this issue?

Reports and feedback 

The consultant will organize one (or more) feedback meeting (s) for the Interpeace office. This will be an opportunity to debrief the assessment and exchange views on the preliminary findings and recommendations.

The evaluation report will consist of a main text of no more than 30 pages with conclusions and recommendations. The report should be structured as follows:

Acronyms

Summary

  • Introduction and background
  • Methodology
  • Main conclusions
    • Relevance
    • Efficiency
    • Efficiency
    • Durability
    • Impact
    • Consistency
    • Cross-cutting issues
    • Global evaluation
    • Challenges
    • Best practices and lessons learned
    • Recommendations for improvement

Appendices:

  • Terms of reference
  • List of documents assessed
  • List of interviewees
  • Assessment matrix
  • Presentation of the identified changes linked to the five types of identified changes

Qualifications 

The consultant should have at least the following skills and experience:

  • Graduate Diploma in Peacebuilding, Development, Project Management, Social Sciences or other similar field;
  • Knowledge and experience of at least 3 years in the field of conflict management and transformation;
  • Proven experience of at least 6 years in qualitative evaluations of development and peacebuilding projects;
  • Proven experience and skills in writing assessment reports (a sample of at least 2 reports written by the candidate must be provided);
  • Excellent French skills, both oral and written;
  • Experience in collecting case studies;
  • Knowledge of the cultural, economic, social and political realities of Côte d'Ivoire, and in particular its western region, is a plus;
  • Knowledge of the issues related to the implementation of land processes, in particular in Côte d'Ivoire, is a plus.

Instructions for submitting proposals 

Interpeace invites qualified service providers to submit an offer to provide the services described in the terms of reference above, and which form an integral part of this Request for Proposal (RFP).

The tenderer will bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of its proposal, and Interpeace will not be responsible for these costs, whether direct or indirect, regardless of the course or outcome of the call for proposals. offers, or if the tender is canceled, amended or postponed for any reason. This includes, but is not limited to, all costs incurred for pre-proposal clarifications, oral presentations, site visits, and subsequent meetings and negotiations.

All offers must be prepared in French . Bids must include the following documents:

1.Technical proposal (maximum 4 pages)

The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the services requested by Interpeace are given below. The technical proposal must include the following information:

a. Description of the service provider and the adequacy of his qualifications to those described in the ToR.

b. Number of similar and successfully completed projects, number of similar projects currently underway.

c. Any other information that will facilitate the assessment of the reliability of the service provider and its ability to provide the services. These may include descriptions of assessments conducted for similar organizations, and description of experience and knowledge in the assessment of peacebuilding projects, or on rural land and / or in Côte d'Ivoire. 'Ivory.

d. Proposal for methodology, approach and implementation plan: The proposal should demonstrate the proponent's response to the terms of reference, identify the specific elements proposed, how the requirements will be addressed, demonstrate how the proposed methodology meets or exceeds the specifications.

2. Financial offer (maximum 1 page)

Your separate financial offer must contain a global offer in a single currency (EUR).

The financial offer must cover all the services to be provided in accordance with the terms of reference and indicate the number of days foreseen for the whole consultancy. The price must be “all inclusive” and not exceed the threshold of EUR 20,000.

The cost of preparing an offer and negotiating a contract, including any related travel, is not reimbursable and cannot be included as a direct cost of the assignment.

3. An updated CV

Applicants, if shortlisted, will then be required to submit French work samples and references.

All tenders to provide the services described in this call for tenders must be submitted by email to samain@interpeace.org before April 6 (midnight, Abidjan time).

Please include in the subject line “PAGEFOR project evaluation” to be taken into account.

Due to the large number of applications, Interpeace will only be able to respond to the shortlisted candidates. Thank you for your understanding.

Participation in this call for tenders implies acceptance of the general conditions provided.

Interpeace values ​​the diversity of its staff and aims to achieve greater gender parity at all levels of its work. We accept applications from women and men, including those from people with disabilities.