Hiring consulting services for Strengthening Local Governments and Community Networks to Reduce Violence against Vulnerable Groups - End of Project Evaluation

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, our work across the region addresses five overarching goals—strengthen governance and rule of law, empower women, expand economic opportunity, increase environmental resilience, and promote international cooperation.

1.      Introduction

The “Strengthening Local Governments and Community Networks to Reduce Violence against Vulnerable Groups” is a five-year project implemented by The Asia Foundation (the Foundation). The purpose of the project is to reduce violence against religious minorities and other vulnerable populations in Pakistan by further developing and expanding the early warning system (EWS). The Foundation is implementing this project in 15 districts across country in Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in collaboration with national, provincial and district public institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, and existing networks of peace ambassadors. In addition to institutionalization of EWS – Management Information System (MIS) at select government institutions, the project also carried out advocacy initiatives to create awareness on fundamental rights and human rights issues for effective response to the violation of these rights. Under this project, the Foundation has worked to i) Institutionalize the EWS to ensure a more effective government response to rights of expression, association, assembly, and thought (REAT) violations; and ii) Expand and strengthen vulnerable populations’ support networks to effectively address REAT violations.

This ToRs is seeking the services of a consultant/ consulting firm to evaluate the impact of the project, highlight achievements and challenges against project objective and lessons learnt.

Geographical area: Punjab (Lahore, Faisalabad, Nankana Sahib, Khanewal, Multan), Sindh (Karachi, Hyderabad, Umerkot, Mithi-Tharparkar, Jacobabad, Larkana) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Peshawar, Mardan) and Islamabad.

 2.      Purpose of the Assignment

• Assess the quality and progress in delivery of program services, intended outputs and intermediate results.
• Assess the performance of the project in terms of relevance, effectiveness, sustainability, efficiency and;
• Recommendations for project partners and stakeholders that they might use to improve the design and implementation of other related projects and programs.
• Highlight success stories of the project and identify key lessons learnt.

 3.      Objectives of the Evaluation

The end of project evaluation will have three objectives:

Objective 1: Evaluate to what extent the Asia Foundation project has delivered effective, efficient, relevant, and timely activities to beneficiaries as set in the project document.

Objective 2: Assess whether the collaboration between the Asia Foundation, project strategic partners (government) and implementing partners (project partners/contractors) has contributed to the interventions with a positive effect on beneficiaries and other stakeholders.

Objectives 3: Identify and assess key lessons learned, challenges and draw recommendation for future programming of access to justice in Pakistan.

 4.      Proposed Methodology

The data collection should include the combination of different approaches to gain a deeper understanding of the basic intent of the project. Those will include the following; however, the consultants are encouraged to propose out of the box thinking to evaluate the performance of the project.

• Desk review of background documents (project documents, progress reports, project monitoring data, field visit reports etc.).
• Key informant interviews (e.g., with the Asia Foundation project staff, project partners, government officials/departments, university staff, peace ambassadors, beneficiaries etc.) to gather substantial anecdotal evidence on the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and timeliness of the project activities
• Focus group discussions with stakeholders. The FGD will serve as input for the narrative anecdotal evidence.

 5.      Deliverables

• Inception report outlining analysis of project documents, existing data, identified districts and proposed study design with sample size, qualitative and quantitative instruments, and field implementation plan
• First draft of EoP evaluation report
• Presentation of the key findings to the Foundation
• Final EoP evaluation report

All material prepared and collected during the EoP evaluation will be the sole property of the Foundation. The consultant will be required to provide the Foundation with all primary data collected in electronic form.

 6.      Selection Criteria

Selection of the consultant/consulting firm will take place through a competitive process. Applications will be evaluated based on their previous experience, qualifications, and reasonable budget. The shortlisted consulting firms/candidates will be required to deliver a short presentation/session on the basis of which final decision regarding award of contract will be made. The Foundation reserves the right to reject any application without assigning any reason. Please keep in mind, that timeline of the assignment is 30 days, starting from February 15, 2022.

7.      Facilities to be provided by the Project

The project will support the consultant/consulting firm by facilitating access to relevant information and materials. The consultant/consulting firm will work closely with the Foundation’s team for the review and guidance regarding the content before development and production.

 8.      Eligibility Criteria

• Reputable consulting firms and individual consultants with at least 7-10 years’ experience and proven track record of conducting project evaluations
• Good understanding of the development sector, government coordination programs and human rights issues in the context of Pakistan
• Experience of working with donors and familiarity with donor reporting requirements
• Ability to deliver quality work on time
• Availability to start work immediately

 9.      Payment Modality 

• The payment on the awarded Contract will be made in Pakistani Rupees (PKR) against the deliverables and on submission of the report as per the Foundation financial rules and payment conditions stipulated in the Service for Contract.

 10.  Application Information

The proposal should be sent in a sealed envelope with two inner sealed envelopes (one envelope with technical and the other with financial proposal). The proposal must be accompanied with following documents:

• A short proposal for conducting this assignment including a comprehensive work plan with clear timelines and budget
• Proposed indicators for measurement
• CVs of Team Lead and other team members with clear role and responsibilities
• Detailed profile of consultant/consulting firm

The quotation in hard copy with a cover letter to be submitted to:

Mr. Nasib Zada, The Asia Foundation Pakistan Office

Office No 102, First Floor, ISE Tower, Blue Area, Islamabad, Pakistan,

Office contact: 051-8434707

Proposal submission Procedure and Submission Deadline:

Proposals shall be reached to the above office on or before COB January 23, 2022. The proposer must submit the Technical and Financial Proposals in separate sealed envelopes mentioning "Technical Proposal" and "Financial Proposal" on the top of respective envelopes. Then a big envelope shall be used to cover both proposals mentioning “Proposal for Strengthening Local Governments and Community Networks to Reduce Violence against Vulnerable Groups Project – End of Project Evaluation” on the top of the big, sealed envelope. Unsealed proposals and proposals received after the deadline would be ground for rejection.