Terms of Reference for the External Evaluator

Published on August 16, 2021

Project title: Making a difference for refugee women and girls in Serbia

The project is carried out by Atina – Citizens' Association for Combating Trafficking In Human Beings and All Forms of Gender-Based Violence with the support of the UN Trust Fund (United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women).

Background and Context

Atina - Citizens' Association for Combating Trafficking of Human Beings and All Forms of Gender-based Violence is implementing a project “Making a difference for refugee women and girls in Serbia” with the support of the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund). Its focus is improved access for refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls to essential, safe and adequate multi-sectoral services to end VAW/G. The project lasts for 3 years, from September 1, 2018, until November 30, 2021, and is currently in the final quarter of its implementation.

This project responds to the lack of safe and adequate services for women and girls victims of gender-based violence and trafficking among the refugee and asylum-seeking population. It is based on evidence from Atina's past and current programs aimed at addressing violence against women and human trafficking, as well as on global practice and testimony of peer organizations and relevant institutions that age and gender-neutral mechanisms are destined to fail in the process of integration of refugee women and girls. The main objective of the project is for refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls in Serbia to be safer and better protected against VAW/G, especially VAW/G survivors.

Specific forms and manifestations of violence this project addresses are violence in the family (intimate partner violence, sexual violence, harmful practices, forced marriages), violence in the community (trafficking in women and girls); and violence perpetrated by the State or at the State level (sexual and gender-based violence in refugee camps). Since holistic and multi-sectoral approaches are more likely to have an impact, Atina facilitates coordinated interventions operating at multiple levels, across sectors and over multiple timeframes. This project reflects NGO Atina's principle in assisting victims of VAW/G, human trafficking and exploitation – all victims should have access to all available services in Serbia, regardless of their ethnic or legal status.

The project targets primary beneficiaries (female refugees/asylum seekers, women/girls victims of trafficking, women/girls victims of sexual exploitation – adolescent, young as well as adult women), and secondary beneficiaries (members of civil society organizations and NGOs, health professionals, social/welfare workers, and uniformed personnel).

Once the coronavirus pandemic began, in March 2020, Atina had to reorganize its work and adapt to new restrictions and measures in place (state of emergency, curfew). The team was not able to work entirely from home due to obligations within the direct support programme (women residing in safe houses and similar). However, all the safety precautions in line with recommendations of the World Health Organization were taken to protect the health and safety of beneficiaries, staff, and all actors involved. This has led to creating the online psychological counselling service, as well as intensified phone contact of Atina’s case managers with women and girls refugees/asylum seekers, who were inside the asylum/reception centres and unable to move freely. Atina has been adapting to the situation ever since and continues with all the project activities in a manner that best suits the beneficiaries, and circumstances in the country.

Purpose of the evaluation

The overall purpose of the evaluation is to assess the processes and achievements made to draw lessons that will inform the development of future actions. The evaluation is intended to be forward-looking which will effectively capture lessons learnt and provide information on the nature, extent and where possible, the effect of the project. The emphasis on lessons learned speaks to the issue of understanding what has and what has not worked as a guide for future planning.

Objectives of Evaluation: What are the main objectives that this evaluation must achieve?

Mandatory evaluation objectives:

• To evaluate the entire project against the effectiveness, relevance, efficiency, sustainability and impact criteria, as well as the cross-cutting gender equality and human rights criteria (defined below);
• To identify key lessons and promising or emerging good practices in the field of ending violence against women and girls, for learning purposes (this is defined under the knowledge generation criteria below).

Key deliverables of evaluators and timeframe 

Budget

NGO Atina will negotiate the number of days of engagement with the selected expert on the basis of the financial offer (gross amount) that will classify the following:

*Add columns as needed depending on the number of activities needed to perform the assignment

            Subtotal                                               USD__________

            Other costs (specify)                           USD__________

            TOTAL                                                 USD__________

The total cost should cover all the work regarding the job description, communication, travel costs, etc.

Bidding procedure

Interested consultants should develop and submit the bidding proposal in the English language to respond to the above-mentioned specific tasks no later than September 6, 2021. The proposal should include:

• The framework of the proposed evaluation methodology;
• A Budget Proposal (in the required form);
• CV of expert/s involved, emphasizing experience in evaluation;
• Example of previous work;
• At least 3 references.

Evaluation Team Composition and Roles and Responsibilities

Atina encourages both companies and individual evaluators to apply for this consultancy service. The main requirement is the experience in the region, and usage of innovative and mixed methods approaches, including the considerations for remote modality due to COVID-19. The evaluator/s will be responsible for undertaking the evaluation from start to finish and for managing the evaluation team under the supervision of the evaluation task manager from NGO Atina, for the data collection and analysis, as well as report drafting and finalization in English. 

Required competences

The project team will make a decision on the selection of the most successful bidder, subject to the available budget, on the following criteria:

• Evaluation experience at least 10 years in conducting external evaluations, with mixed-methods evaluation skills and having flexibility in using non-traditional and innovative evaluation methods;
• Expertise in gender and human-rights based approaches to evaluation and issues of violence against women and girls;
• Experience with program design and theory of change, gender-responsive evaluation, participatory approaches and stakeholder engagement;
• Specific evaluation experience in the area of ending violence against women and girls in the Republic of Serbia/in the region;
• Experience in collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data as well as data visualization;
• In-depth knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• A strong commitment to delivering timely and high-quality results, i.e. credible evaluation and its report that can be used;
• Strong team leadership and management track record, as well as interpersonal and communication skills to help ensure that the evaluation is understood and used;
• Good communication skills and ability to communicate with various stakeholders and to express concisely and clearly ideas and concepts;
• Regional/country experience and knowledge: in-depth knowledge of Serbia is required;
• Language proficiency: fluency in English is mandatory; good command of Serbian is desirable. 

Deadline for the submission

All proposals need to be submitted no later than September 6, 2021, at 5 PM in both soft and hard copy, to the email marija.pantelic@atina.org.rs and Palmotićeva 16a/2, 11000 Belgrade. Interviews with shortlisted candidates and the final selection will be completed no later than September 20, 2021, and the selected candidate will be contracted no later than September 24, 2021.

The ToR in its entirety is attached to the call.