Consultant: Review of the Results Based Protection Project

About InterAction:

InterAction is the largest U.S. based coalition of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) with nearly 190 members working around the world in low- and middle-income countries, fragile and post-conflict states, and emerging/growth economies. Member organizations are large and small, secular and faith-based, with a focus on people living in the world’s most poor and vulnerable places. The U.S. public, foundations, and governments support the work of our member NGOs that collectively invest and manage more than $15.4 billion a year. InterAction revenues come from dues, government grants, private foundation and corporate grants, and a growing fee-for-service program portfolio. Using its collective voice and convening power, InterAction seeks to shape important policy decisions and actions across a wide range of issues – including foreign assistance, humanitarian relief, development, economic equity, food security, and climate change – that advance human dignity, human potential, and self-determination.

POSITION SUMMARY

Position Title: Consultant/s: review of the Results-Based Protection Project

Position Type: Part-time, short-term

Location: Home-Based/working remotely (estimated 40 days of work to be undertaken between January 15 - March 31, 2024)

Travel: None

Reporting to: Senior Technical Advisor, Protection

Background

Since 2012, InterAction has sought to develop and promote results-based approaches to protection. The initiative was borne out of an oft-repeated concern that, unlike other sectors of humanitarian action, protection could not be measured – or, if it could, humanitarian actors had yet to figure out how. Simultaneously, in the wake of the devasting conflict in Sri Lanka and other crises, there was broad recognition across the humanitarian community of the need to strengthen the evidence base for protection, in particular, to demonstrably reduce risks and effect actual change in people’s lives in situations of armed conflict.

InterAction initiated this endeavor through a series of consultations with NGOs, UN entities, and donor governments, and reviewed published and grey literature, with a view to identifying whether and how protection was or could be measured as well as what impactful protection programming looked like. This process yielded insight into highly varied understanding of what constitutes “results” and a recognition that the pre-cursors to effective measurement of results and outcome level indicators were typically absent in the design of protection programs. Relatedly, the greatest challenges practitioners identified were issues of analysis, program design, the use of outcome-oriented methods for measurement, staff skillsets, and rigidity of funding parameters and timelines.

InterAction subsequently explored good practice for “designing for results” and developed the Key Elements of Results-Based Protection outlining critical ways of working to achieve measurable reduction of risk. These Key Elements were validated in a Practitioner’s Roundtable in 2015. In subsequent years, InterAction sought to promote the RBP Key Elements as well as further explore their application in practice through field-based reviews and consultations, solicitation of examples from practitioners, webinars, and regular dialogue with protection specialists on challenging issues. InterAction also contributed its findings and experience through inter-agency policy discussions resulting in the IASC Principal’s Statement on the Centrality of Protection (2013) and the IASC Policy on Protection in Humanitarian Action (2016).

In 2018, in response to NGO motivation, as well as challenges, to adopt results-based approaches to protection, InterAction designed its efforts around their practical application in humanitarian programming. In 2019, InterAction received a grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) to (1) extend support to NGOs to adopt the RBP Key Elements in their ongoing work, and (2) facilitate the development of a results-based GBV prevention evaluation framework with the overall strategic objective to “contribute to a strategic and cultural shift within the humanitarian community to achieve protection outcomes”.

In the 2021-2023 grant period, InterAction has continued to contribute to measurable changes in humanitarian policy practice and institutional culture, with a view to increasing the application of a results-based approach to achieving protection outcomes.

The key aims of this grant period have been to ...

· Embed an outcome-oriented protection approach in interagency policy and practice;

· Operationalize and prove the effectiveness of an outcome-oriented approach to protection;

· Ensure that humanitarian practitioners have regular access to information, platforms for discussion and technical support pertaining to outcome-oriented approaches to protection;

· Encourage the integration of the principles and practical application of outcome-oriented protection into member discourse, policy and practice.

Purpose

The purpose of this independent evaluation is to help InterAction:

• Reflect on the effectiveness of its efforts to contribute to its strategic objective;

• Assess the relevance and efficacy of the scope of work and activities currently being undertaken;

• Identify strategies and critical components of future work to effect change in support of this strategic objective.

Scope and Methodology

This evaluation is intended to serve as an opportunity to critically reflect on InterAction’s RBP strategy with a view to taking stock of progress towards intended outcomes, as well as charting a future course of action. While it is expected to reference the trajectory of past activities, this evaluation will focus on the activities and targeted results of InterAction’s current scope of work under the Sida grant (2021-2023).

While the list below is not exhaustive, the evaluator/s are specifically expected to assess the following factors:

1. Relevance of results-based protection to contemporary issues and challenges in humanitarian crises and the humanitarian ecosystem;

2. Evidence of direct and indirect influence of InterAction’s methods and activities on interagency policy and practice;

3. Evidence of direct and indirect influence of InterAction’s methods and activities on the policies and practice of the protection approach and activities of peer organizations;

4. Evidence of the effectiveness of an outcome-oriented approach to protection;

5. Reach, clarity, and utility of InterAction’s RBP information platforms, materials and outreach;

6. Suitability and adaptability of InterAction’s ways of working and activities, in relation to strategic objectives;

The consultancy should also include a one to two-day light-touch Theory of Change exercise with the InterAction RBP/Protection team and other relevant stakeholders after the findings have been gathered, to help explore what pathways InterAction should move towards in the coming year to support its overall objectives and aim.

Finally, the evaluator/s are expected to provide recommendations based on the above findings and the ToC exercise to identify strengths that should be sustained as well as gaps and weaknesses that should be addressed in future work. Recommendations should also help steer the next steps and key or relevant actors that will be critical for InterAction to engage, target, mobilize, and/or support.

InterAction anticipates sharing the final evaluation report with Sida and with relevant stakeholders.

Methods are expected to include:

• Desk review of key documents

• Interviews with key stakeholders including NGOs, UN representatives, and donors

• Focus Group Discussions with small groups of selected stakeholders

• Discussions with the InterAction Protection Team and other members of the Humanitarian Policy and Practice Team

· Light touch Theory of Change exercise (1-2 days)

Indicative timetable

Late January 2024 - Evaluation commences

January and February 2024 - Desk review, interviews/FGDs, developing of findings and preliminary recommendations, including initial briefing to InterAction

4 March, 2024 - Draft report delivered to and discussed with InterAction

Week of March 18, 2024 – ToC Exercise

27 March 2024 - Final report delivered to InterAction

Qualifications

Consultants for this evaluation should have the following knowledge, experience, and skills:

• Experience with outcome-level multi-year program design and/or program monitoring and evaluation

• Familiarity with protection in the context of the armed conflict is highly desirable

• Familiarity with the humanitarian system and inter-agency coordination bodies and dynamics

• Familiarity with systems thinking, design thinking, realist evaluation methods, and practical planning and evaluation tools such as outcome mapping and outcome harvesting

• Ability to quickly absorb and distill large amounts of information and accommodate diverse perspectives

• Strong listening and facilitation skills

• Ability to convey complex ideas clearly, succinctly, and in jargon-free oral and written communications

Requirements

There are no extraordinary physical requirements for the performance of the essential functions of this position. InterAction will make reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

Compensation:

TBD

Expected Start Date:

January 2024

Reports to:

Senior Technical Adviser, Protection

To Apply

Prospective evaluators are invited to apply through ADP. Applications received by 5 January 2024 are appreciated and the post will remain open until filled.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Applications should include the following:

1. Curriculum vitae / resume

2. A brief outline of the proposed methodology and workplan indicating an expected number of days per activity (no more than 1000 words in length)

3. A cover letter describing professional interests, expertise, and experience relevant to this evaluation

4. Expected daily consultancy fees

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Incomplete applications will not be considered.