TOR: CONDUCTING MIDTERM PROJECT EVALUATION

Programme location and context

SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia, Harar Program, is a cornerstone of humanitarian and developmental support in Eastern Ethiopia. Established in 1980, it stands as the second-oldest Children’s Village program in the country, bringing over four decades of experience in child welfare and community empowerment. Currently, the Harar Program demonstrates a robust regional presence by implementing eight diverse projects across five key administrative areas: Harari, Dire Dawa, Oromia, Afar, and the Somali Regional State. This extensive reach allows the program to address complex social issues through localized, high-impact interventions.

The project, titled “Practice Peace and Live in Tranquility”: Improving the Readiness and Actions to Comfort Peace Among Communities Along the Bordering Areas of Oromia, Somali, and Afar Regional States, was launched in December 2024. Funded by the European Union, the project is implemented by a consortium led by SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia (SOS CVE), in partnership with Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW) and the Population Health & Environment Ethiopia Consortium (PHE).

The project targets eight bordering woredas across the Afar, Oromia, and Somali regional states. It is designed to address recurring intercommunal conflicts by fostering social stability and cohesiveness. The project aims to reach a total of 45,679 direct participants (beneficiaries) and 782,166 indirect beneficiaries within the target communities. It operates on the principle that sustainable peace is achieved by addressing the intersection of behavioral norms, institutional capacity, and resource management. The planned changes are brought about through four strategic pillars:

• Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC): Utilizing targeted awareness campaigns to address normative barriers—such as gender inequalities and early marriage—that hinder peace. This includes training youth peace champions and organizing “Coffee for Peace” dialogues to foster inter-tribal understanding.
• Gender-Responsive Peacebuilding: Empowering women through socioeconomic activities and asset ownership workshops. The project links resource-linked resilience to peacebuilding, recognizing that women’s economic empowerment is a critical driver for conflict prevention.
• Institutional Strengthening: Building the technical capacity of the local and government institutions to transition from reactive conflict response to proactive surveillance and early warning systems.
• Participatory Resource Management: Reducing conflict drivers by establishing fair resource-sharing mechanisms for natural assets (rangelands and water), specifically targeting pastoralist populations where resource scarcity is a primary trigger for tension.

Objectives of the Midterm Evaluation

General Objective

The primary objective of this midterm evaluation is to assess the project’s performance to date, determine the extent to which it is on track to achieve its intended impact and outcomes, and provide actionable recommendations to optimize implementation during the remaining project period.

Specific Objectives

The evaluation will specifically seek to:

• Evaluate Behavioral Change (KAP): Assess the extent to which community members—specifically youth and women—are demonstrating improved Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) regarding peace and tolerance. This includes measuring current progress against the baseline of 68.2% (K), 64.5% (A), and 61% (P) to determine if the project is on track to meet the 89.6% target.
• Assess Indigenous Institutionalization: Evaluate the percentage of local, grassroots indigenous institutions that are implementing functional and sustainable local fair resource-sharing mechanisms within their systems. This will track progress toward the project target of 87.4% (Baseline: 62.4%).
• Examine Government & Civil Society Readiness: Evaluate the percentage of government structures and civil society actors that have developed and implemented security surveillance and contingency plans to mitigate conflicts. This will track the achievement against the project target of 85.3% (Baseline: 60.3%).
• Assess the Effectiveness of Key Strategies: Evaluate the effectiveness of the key strategies employed—including Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC), gender-responsive peacebuilding, and participatory resource management—in achieving improved peace, social stability, and cohesiveness.
• Formulate Strategic Recommendations: Provide evidence-based recommendations to optimize implementation for the remaining project duration, ensuring all outcome-level targets are successfully realized.

Project Outcomes and Outputs

The overall goal of the project is “To contribute to the prevention, mitigation, and reduction of recurring intercommunal conflicts in Ethiopia”. This goal can be achieved through the outcome “Improved peace, social stability, and cohesiveness among the three adjacent communities in the administrative borders of Oromia, Somali and Afar regional states”. The project proposed four specific outputs to achieve this outcome:

Output 1: Enhanced inter-tribal and cultural understanding and respect among 3,324 youth (1,744F) and 15,352 women in the target Woredas, fostering sustainable peace and community well-being.

Output 2: Integrated inter-and intra-community understanding and natural resource management among 8,200 (4476F) community members in the target Woredas.

Output 3: Improved capacity of 36 local institutions in identifying emerging internal and cross-border conflicts, implementing early action, reconciliation, and management of potential risks

Output 4: Enhanced community mobilization, Advocacy, and awareness promotion among 45,000 community members and local actors on peaceful co-existence and social cohesion in conflict-affected target Woredas.

Major mid-term evaluation questions

Peace stability

• What is the current situation of peace, social stability and cohesiveness in selected woredas of Afar, Somalia and Oromia regional states?
• What major risks and protection issues are children facing in the target communities?
• What community-based peace and social stability mechanisms currently exist, and how effective are they?

Natural resource management by Target Groups

• What are the current natural resource management opportunities and income sources for households in the target areas?
• What economic challenges affect families’ ability to support children’s education and well-being?
• What skills, resources, or opportunities are lacking for improving natural resource management?

Governance and Institutional Capacity

• What is the current structural and governance capacity of community organizations, associations, and forums?
• How effective are family-based and community-based structures in supporting peace and social cohesion among tribal groups?
• What coordination mechanisms exist among stakeholders (community organizations, local government, and service providers)?

Stakeholder Coordination and Service Delivery

• How do different stakeholders (community organizations, schools, NGOs, and local authorities) collaborate in delivering the project objectives in terms of peace, social stability and cohesiveness?
• What gaps exist in coordination and service delivery among stakeholders?

Mid-term evaluation -Monitoring and Evaluation

• What are the current mid-term values for the outcome and output indicators

The commissioned consultant should further list relevant, tailored and possible mid-term evaluation questions for both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. He/she is expected to refer to the project document in detail, log frame to develop evaluation questions, and data collection tools. SOS CVE Ethiopia will share the project document, log frame/result framework for winner consultancy firm.

Scope of the Midterm Evaluation

The midterm evaluation covers the project’s implementation progress from its commencement in December 2024 through the midyear period of 2027 (the first 18 months of the 3-year cycle). The evaluation covers all implementation areas across the three regional states, specifically focusing on the following eight (8) bordering woredas:

• Afar Regional State: Amibara and Haruka Woredas.
• Oromia Regional State: Mieso, Gumbi Bordode, and Doba Woredas.
• Somali Regional State: Mieso Somali, Gota Bike, and Afdem Woredas.

The summary of project participants (beneficiaries) is stated below:

Target group	Regions				Remarks
	Afar	Oromia	Somali	Total
Women	4,104	6,992	4,104	15,200	Conflict affected women in the target area, with special focus on female-headed households, women with low-income families, disability and those living with HIV/AIDS. These are specific women’s groups that “Coffee for Peace” Panels target for BCC.
Youth	4,580	7,802	4,580	16,962	The in-school and out-of-school youth aged 15 to 29 will be targeted and supported so that they will take the leading role in crafting solutions. (Peace club participants).
Opinion makers	54	92	54	200	Community leaders who have indigenous knowledge in conflict resolution will be used to influence and mobilize the community for comprehensive, inclusive, and participatory community engagement in the peace-building process. They will take the facilitation role in inter- and intra-community discussions and dialogues as Community Peace Promoters.
Government office representatives	167	285	167	619	Relevant federal, regional, and local level government office representatives from line offices/bureaus of the Ministry of Peace, of Women and Social Affairs, of Justice, the Police Commission and Disaster Risk and Preparedness Commission will take part in various platforms in support of the implementation of the action
Representatives from grassroot organizations	16	28	16	60	These are CSOS CVE, CBOs, FBOs, and indigenous institutions, including those located in the most marginalized groups and hard-to-reach areas in the target Woredas.

Evaluation Methodology

The consultancy firm to be recruited is expected to develop appropriate and standard quantitative and qualitative methodologies that can generate the highest quality and most credible evidence. The commissioned consultant should use a mixed method approaches (quantitative and qualitative methods) to answer the mid-term questions. As far as possible, the consultant should disaggregate data by sex, age while collecting and analyzing data. The consultant should also clearly explain which questions will be answered using which methods. Data collection methods proposed by the consultant should be linked to the specific target group question(s). In addition to the data collection methodology, the consultant should refer to the relevant desk review of the project agreement documents. Moreover, the consultant is expected to explain the design and process of data collection tools including KAP survey questionnaires, data collection plans and data analysis instruments. The consultant is also expected to test data collection tools before the actual utilization.

The Consultant should also ensure that the survey and qualitative methods (such as focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interview (KII) and group discussion) with participants are representative of the project’s target groups and key stakeholders (Community members, Children, youth, care givers (men & women), tribal groups.

The evaluation must be conducted using a participatory approach, ensuring the active involvement of consortium partners (SOS CVE, DSW, and PHE), government stakeholders, and community members at all stages of the process. Furthermore, gender-sensitive lens is mandatory. The methodology must demonstrate how it will capture the specific experiences of the women targeted by the project and ensure that data collection environments are safe and conducive for female participants.

Work plan, consultant’s responsibility and deliverables

Work plan

The midterm evaluation is expected to be completed within 45 working days from the date of contract signing.

Activities	Dates	Time frame	Location/site

Responsibility of the consultant:

• The awarded consultant shall show feasible logistical arrangements for the assignment as part of the technical proposal
  • Refer to the project document, result framework and indicators and develop mid-term questions and detailed tools for both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods.
  • Recruit and train data collectors/ enumerators
  • Covers transport and per diem costs for data collectors
  • Develop inception report with data collection tools, data collection plans and present for SOS CVE team and data collection plans
  • Compiled draft and final mid-term evalaution report based on scheduled time

Expected Deliverables

The evaluation team is expected to deliver the following products, all of which must be submitted in English:

• Inception Report: A detailed document outlining the proposed methodology, sampling frame, final data collection tools, and a comprehensive work plan. This must be approved by the SOS CVE MEAL Department before field mobilization.
• Draft mid-term valuation report: A preliminary report presenting the initial findings, data analysis, and responses to the mid-term evaluation questions for review and feedback by the consortium partners.
• Final Evaluation Report: A high-quality, comprehensive report (maximum 30–40 pages, excluding annexes) that incorporates feedback from the draft stage. The report must include an executive summary and a dedicated section for strategic recommendations.
• Presentation of Findings: A validation workshop or slide presentation delivered to the consortium (SOS CVE, DSW, PHE) and key stakeholders to discuss results and the proposed roadmap.
• Cleaned Datasets: All raw and cleaned quantitative data (in Excel/SPSS/STATA) and qualitative transcripts or field notes.
• Success Stories/Case Studies: A minimum of three (3) narrative-based success stories that highlight the project’s impact on individual or community peace efforts.

Report Criteria

The reporting criteria for the final evaluation report shall be in line with the SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia result-based management (RBM) toolkit, and SOS Children’s Villages will share the result framework, the project document and the reporting template with the winning consultant

Logistical arrangements

The awarded consultant shall present feasible logistical arrangements for the assignment as part of the technical proposal. National or location-level staff (SOS CVE) will be available to help organize the interviews, including contacting SOS, announcing and local preparation of the evaluation, and linking to community duty bearers and national authorities if required.

Duration of contract and terms of payment

Payment will be made only upon SOS Children’s Villages’ acceptance of the work performed under the above-described deliverables. Financial proposals should include proposed stage payments. Payment will be transferred by bank transfer in birr.

Funding and Payment: The consultant will be paid by SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia as follows:

Payment will be made in instalments based on the successful delivery and approval of the following milestones:

• First Instalment (30%): Upon submission and approval of the Inception Report, including finalized data collection tools.
• Second Instalment (30%): Upon submission of the Draft Evaluation Report and presentation of preliminary findings to the consortium.
• Final Instalment (40%): Upon approval of the Final Evaluation Report, submission of cleaned datasets, and delivery of at least three narrative success stories.

Notice of Delay

Should the successful bidder encounter a delay in the performance of the contract, which may be excusable under unavoidable circumstances, the contractor shall notify SOS Children’s Villages in writing about the causes of any such delays within one (1) week from the beginning of the delay.

After receipt of the Contractor’s notice of delay, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia shall analyse the facts and extent of the delay and extend the time for performance when, in its judgment, the facts justify such an extension.

Copyright and other proprietary rights

SOS Children’s Villages shall be entitled to all intellectual property and other proprietary rights including, but not limited to, copyrights, and trademarks, about products, processes, inventions, ideas, know-how, or documents and other materials which the Contractor has developed for SOS Children’s Villages under the Contract and which bear a direct relation to or are produced or prepared or collected in consequence of, or during the course of, the performance of the Contract. The Contractor acknowledges and agrees that such products, documents, and other materials constitute works made for hire for SOS Children’s Villages.

All materials: interviews, reports, recommendations, and all other data compiled by or received by the Contractor under the Contract shall be the property of SOS Children’s Villages and shall be treated as confidential and shall be delivered only to SOS Children’s Villages’ authorised officials on completion of work under the Contract. The external consultant is obliged to hand over all raw data collected during the assessment to SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia.

Termination

The termination of the service agreement for the assignment will be in accordance with the contractual agreement to be included at the formal agreement’s actual signing.

Ethical Standards and Safeguarding

SOS Children’s Villages is committed to ensuring that all research, evaluations and data collection processes (i.e. evidence-generating activities) undertaken by SOS Children’s Villages and its partners are ethical and respect child safeguarding policy and procedure. The consultant must respect the rights, dignity and protection of children and other vulnerable population groups and should ensure special protection for children and other vulnerable groups during any data-generating activities to minimize any potential risks. Any research, evaluation and data collection SOS Children’s Villages is directly carried out or is involved in as a partner. Ethical practices need to be ensured in the following circumstances:

• Any research, baseline, midterm or final evaluations and data collection SOS Children’s Villages has commissioned for ethical oversight of these processes.
• Any research, evaluation and data collection carried out by researchers/consultants on SOS Children’s Villages programs and participants.

Hence, the relevant project coordinator and location MEAL coordinator in Harar will ensure that any researchers, evaluators and data collectors receive awareness training on, sign and adhere to SOS Children’s Villages core policies:

Obtaining consent from research participants is central to the research relationship and signals respect for the research participant’s dignity, their capability to express their views and their right to have these heard in matters that affect them. Informed consent is an explicit agreement which requires participants to be informed about and understand the research/assessment. This must be given voluntarily and be renegotiable, so that participants may withdraw at any stage of the research process.

Qualification of the Researcher/Research Team

Academic Background:

• The applicant consultant shall have PHD degree (at least the team leader) in a relevant field such as Peace and Conflict Studies, Sociology, Development Studies, or a related field. (Lead consultant). study such Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, development studies, Economics, Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation and other related fields per the required assignment. The consultant or consultancy team must possess the following qualifications and expertise to be considered for this assignment:

Professional Experience:

• A minimum of [5-7] years of progressive professional experience in conducting evaluations for peacebuilding or resilience projects in Ethiopia, specifically within the Afar-Oromia-Somali context.
• Proven experience in using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including but not limited to key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), surveys, and case studies.
• Previous experience working with or for international NGOs, especially in the context of Ethiopia or the broader Horn of Africa region, is highly desirable.

Technical Skills:

• Strong analytical and report-writing skills, with the ability to present complex data and findings in a clear, concise, and accessible manner.
• Proficiency in data analysis software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R, or Excel) and familiarity with mobile data collection tools (e.g., Kobo Toolbox, ODK Collect).
• Familiarity with the project management and evaluation standards of major donors and international organisations.

Soft Skills:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including project beneficiaries (youth and caregivers), community leaders, project staff, and government officials.
• Ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and deliver high-quality outputs within a strict deadline.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of local languages (Afaan Oromo, Somali, or Afar) within the team is highly desirable.