Organisation

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V.

www.hoffnungszeichen.de, www.sign-of-hope.org

Position

Final Evaluation Consultant

Type of Contract

Short-term consultancy

Location

Home-based with field mission travel to Tavush, Gegharkunik, Vayotz Dzor and Synik, Armenia

Relevant Languages

English, Armenian

Application Deadline

13th May 2025

Starting Date

7th July 2025

Project Title

Comprehensive assistance to refugees from Nagorno Karabakh and vulnerable host communities in rural border regions through protection services, shelter and winterization support.

Total Project Budget

2.096.000 EURO

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. (SoH) is announcing an open tender procedure for consultancy services for a final evaluation in Armenia.

Background and Rationale

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. (SoH) is a Christian motivated organisation for Humanitarian Assistance, Development Cooperation and Human Rights. From its base in Constance, Germany, SoH is committed to helping those in distress and exploited people worldwide.

This final evaluation is commissioned under the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) budget for humanitarian projects.

SoH is the private German executing agency and the contracting party, with Development Principles (DP), Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) and Acted Armeniabeing the local implementing partners.

The aim of the project is to support refugees from Nagorno Karabakh and Armenian host communities.

SoH and its partners aim to assist ca. 8.000 people focusing on

• protection, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS),
• shelter, winterization and NFI/ voucher distribution and
• information management.

Refugees, especially women, children and elderly face significant protection risks due to trauma, loss and lack of access to essential services. There is a strong need for psychosocial support, particularly in remote areas. The project mainstreams protection and provides support such as psychosocial assistance, legal advice and outreach services. The provision of dignified shelter and essential items for displaced families and vulnerable groups is achieved through the delivery of NFI and the rehabilitation of disability-friendly shelters. Additionally, winterization support is offered to refugees to address heating challenges. The project also aims to improve access to information services for vulnerable people in rural areas through service mapping, a referral hotline, IT equipment and training sessions for stakeholders.

Purpose, Objectives and Use

The purpose of the evaluation is to provide SoH and partners with a comprehensive assessment of the project, conducted systematically and impartially, as well as to analyse the implementation and results of the project, to propose actions to ensure sustainability of the results, and to identify lessons learned and information for potential future projects. The evaluation will provide concrete, credible and practical recommendations that will assist with the timely incorporation of the findings into the decision-making process and contribute to the organisational learning of both SoH and the implementing organisations.

The objectives of the evaluations are to:

1. Assess the extent to which the project has sustainably achieved its objectives and results (see annexe 1), including the extent to which the lives of the project beneficiaries have been improved,
2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses in terms of planning, management, implementation and monitoring of the project,
3. Identify cross-cutting issues addressed through the project, including gender equality, human rights, marginalised groups, inclusion, and other issues,
4. Identify risks and weaknesses and make recommendations for the successful completion of the project,
5. Evaluate the effective targeting of humanitarian needs,
6. Document lessons learned that could contribute to the improvement of the design of future projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Evaluation Consultant will work in close cooperation with the responsible SoH Officer and the local implementing partners.

The duties and responsibilities of the Evaluation Consultant will include:

• Develop a work plan outlining the proposed research methodology, geographical coverage and schedule to conduct the evaluation,
• Conduct a desk review of relevant documents,
• Review and evaluate available data and existing sources of information, including the project proposal, interim report, conducted studies and other documents,
• Carry out project site visits to project locations to conduct research, collect data and establish contact with the local implementing partners, project beneficiaries and relevant project stakeholders,
• Examine institutional, technical, staffing and financial capacities of the implementing partners as well as its relationship with the target group and other relevant stakeholders.

Expected Deliverables

The evaluation will produce the following deliverables:

• an inception report, including the proposed research methodology and data collection tools, a table of content and timeline of research activities prior to the site visits to the project locations,
• a comprehensive report (see below) of 15 – 20 pages with practical recommendations and relevant annexes (including raw data and documented records).

A template will be provided to serve as a guide and may be used to structure the final report.

Study Quality and Ethical Standards

The Evaluation Consultant will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the evaluation is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of the people and communities involved. Furthermore, the evaluation should be aligned to the following standards and applicable practices:

• Utility: the evaluation must be useful and user-friendly;
• Feasibility: the evaluation must be realistic, diplomatic and managed in a sensible, cost-effective manner;
• Ethics and Legality: the evaluation must be conducted in an ethical and legal manner, with particular regard for the welfare of those involved in and affected by the evaluation.
• Impartiality and Independence: the evaluation should be impartial, providing a comprehensive and unbiased assessment that considers the views of all stakeholders.
• Transparency: the evaluation activities should reflect an attitude of openness and transparency.
• Accuracy: the evaluation should be technically accurate and credible, providing sufficient information about the data collection, analysis, and interpretation methods so that its worth or merit can be determined.
• Participation: all stakeholders should be consulted and meaningfully involved in the evaluation process when feasible and appropriate.
• Collaboration: Collaboration between key operating partners in the evaluation process improves the legitimacy and utility of the evaluation.

The evaluation must be in line with the SoH guiding principles and Code of Conduct.

Process/Timeframe

The total duration of the assignment is up to 25 working days within the period from 7th July 2025 to 25th August 2025.

Tentative Schedule:

• Planning meeting with DP, FAR and Acted Armenia, handover of relevant documents (3 days)
• Initial document review and inception report preparation (3 days)
• Sharing inception report with SoH and partners, finalisation of inception report (1 day)
• Data collection, site visits to project locations (5-10 days)
• Data analysis, draft report with annexes (5 days)
• Incorporating received feedback and report finalisation (3 days)

Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Minimum of 5 years of project evaluation and/or implementation experience in the result-based management framework
• Proven experience of conducting feasibility studies, evaluations and other research projects
• Technical and methodological knowledge to conduct research projects and formulate conclusions based on a solid methodology, assessing projects for relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability
• Experience in working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and partnered projects
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Armenian

Desirable:

• Experience in the relevant field/sector
• Professional familiarity with the project country/region
• Practical experience of working for and/or evaluating GFFO-funded projects

Academic Background

An advanced level university degree (Masters’ degree or equivalent) in social sciences, public administration, international development studies, law and/or relevant field. A first-level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted.

The Evaluation Consultant is to be independent and impartial with no liabilities to any other organisation or government entity regarding this evaluation.

How to Apply:

Please submit the following documents as PDF files with the subject line “Final Evaluation GFFO Project, Armenia, ER-ARM24.02” to procurement@sign-of-hope.orgno later than 13th May 2025 23:59 CEST:

• A resume indicating all relevant experience (max. 2 pages),
• contacts of at least two professional referees;
• tentative schedule of working and travel days;
• a cover letter, including a brief description of the proposed research methodology (technical proposal max. 1 page) and a comprehensive breakdown of costs (financial proposal), including professional daily fees and all other relevant costs (appropriate travel costs will be reimbursed based on submitted receipts upon prior approval and are not considered as part of the quotation);
• a writing sample of the document of similar research value (e.g., a feasibility study, an evaluation report).

Companies as well as independent consultants are invited for this tender.

Please note that due to a large number of applications we may limit establishing contact to shortlisted applicants only. Bids received after deadline will not be considered. If offers are incomplete, bidders may be able to hand in missing documents within a deadline upon request by SoH.

The selection of the consultant will be conducted by SoH. Interviews with shortlisted candidates will be held online. The Consultancy Agreement will be set up by SoH. Consultancy Agreements set up by auditors won’t be accepted.

Criteria and weighting for the evaluation of the submitted proposals:

1. Financial proposal (fee): 35 %
2. Essential and desirable competencies, proposed methodology: 30 %
3. Performance during interview: 20 %
4. Writing samples: 10 %
5. Number of years of relevant experience above the minimum criteria: 5 %