Terms of Reference – Australian Humanitarian Partnership Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant

Background

The Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP)

The Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) consortium in Vanuatu, is a ten-year (2017-2027) partnership between Australian Government and Australian NGOs, who implement disaster response and disaster preparedness programs through local counterparts. The AHP Consortium in Vanuatu consists of Action Aid (implementing partner for Plan International), CAN DO (the implementing partner for Caritas Australia), CARE, Oxfam, Save the Children and World Vision. Save the Children is the Vanuatu country coordinator for the AHP Consortium and provides partnership coordination, MEAL, and communications support to all partners.

AHP in Vanuatu currently have five programs ongoing. Disaster READY (DR) is the flagship program that runs across five countries in the pacific, which focuses on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in communities, CSOs and government. Vanuatu also has a response program to COVID-19 (2022 – 2024), a program for TC Harold Recovery (2021 – 2024), a response program to TC Judy & Kevin (2023-2024) and are in final proposal stages for an Anticipatory Action Trial program (2023 – 2027).

For more information about AHP, its scope and programs, prospective candidates can refer to the AHP website.

Purpose & Objectives of Consultancy

The consultancy has two major objectives:

1. Engage with key deliverables (as laid out in “Deliverables”) to progress specific pieces of consortium and partnership work.
2. Support the day-to-day implementation of the MEL Specialist and AHP Coordination Team workplan with specific inputs to ongoing coordination activities.

The current Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist for the coordination team in Vanuatu is taking a part-time secondment from September – December 2023. This means 50% of their time will be covering AHP work, and 50% of their time will be dedicated to the secondment. The purpose of this consultancy is to provide backstopping support to the MEL Specialist to implement their workplan, and the coordination team as a whole during this period.

There are several larger pieces of MEL-related work linked to the various AHP programs, and to the partnership in general, which the consultant will engage in and deliver directly. Additionally, the consultant will provide ad-hoc support to ongoing coordination activities as needed, including report writing, proposal development (if relevant), and support in logistics for partner meetings and events.

Scope of the Consultancy

The scope of the consultancy will be split between the two major objectives.

1. Engage with key deliverables (as laid out in “Deliverables”) to progress larger pieces of consortium and partnership work.

In addition to the broader activities under Objective 2 below, the consultant will be responsible for driving forward five key activities during the consultancy period. The majority of these activities are centered around the partnerships’ flagship program, Disaster READY, and the associated Learning Agenda developed by partners. The Learning Agenda is part of the five-year strategy for DR’s second phase of programming.

• Draft Response Plan Outline
• Draft communication piece based on partners’ Disaster READY baseline data.

The consultant will not be expected to make this a communications piece. However, the consultant will be tasked with reviewing baseline reports from partners, analyzing the findings through comparing and contrasting partners’ reports. A first draft / concept note for the communications piece highlighting key findings, data and evidence will be expected. The consultant will then work with the Communications Specialist to finalise the communications piece.

• Indicator guidance and definitions for TC Judy & Kevin response

Finalising an additional annex for the TC Judy & Kevin program with definitions and guidance that partners can use to support their measurement of indicators for the program. The template and indicators have already been created.

• Draft map of partnership operations

The coordination team is working on building an operational capacity template for the partnership, including key information about each partner organization. As part of this, the partnership would like an accompanying visual map of partner offices and implementation areas. The map would be interactive, easily updated, easily accessible and be able to show which AHP programs and activities are operational in which areas.

• Draft Induction Package for AHP members

The package has been started; however, the coordination team would like to see progressed, the development of a full presentation, with key documents linked, org diagrams, and overview of AHP programs.

2. Under the direction of the National Coordinator and MEL Specialist, support the day-to-day implementation of the MEL Specialist and AHP Coordination Team workplan with specific inputs to ongoing coordination activities.

These inputs may include:

• ToR for Anticipatory Action Consultant (September) – support drafting a ToR for AHP consultant to work on an Inception Report for the recent Anticipatory Action program.
• TC Judy & Kevin Learning Event (October) – support development of Event framework, organisation and facilitation of event.
• COVID-19 Progress Report (due 31st October) – support drafting of report from content received from Partners.
• TC Judy & Kevin Progress Report (due 14th November) – support drafting of report from content received from Partners.

Roles and Responsibilities

Save the Children will be responsible for the following:

• Printing costs for project needs
• Induction to AHP key programs
• Travel costs and logistics for Project specific activities or field work if required.
• Access to documents and data
• Coordinate and facilitate access to Partners
• Logistics and coordination of meetings or workshops

The consultant will be responsible for:

• Provision of own IT equipment
• Documentation costs required for award of contract (consultant police clearance etc.)
• Public Liability Insurance
• Appropriate work visa
• Documentation of any additional staff included in the Consultant’s EOI

Deliverables and Approximate Days

1. Induction and Inception (2.5 days)
2. Draft response plan outline (2.5 days)
3. Draft communication piece based on partners’ Disaster READY baseline data (2.5 days)
4. Indicator guidance and definitions for TC Judy & Kevin response (2 days)
5. Draft mapping of partners (2.5 days)
6. Induction package for AHP members (5 days)
7. Support drafting ToR for Anticipatory Action Consultant (0.5 day)
8. Support framework development and facilitation of TC Judy & Kevin Learning Event (2.5 days)
9. Support drafting of COVID-19 Progress Report (5 days)
10. Support drafting of TC Judy & Kevin Progress Report (5 days)

Budget/Resources

Provide an indicative budget or daily breakdown of activities for the life of the consultancy. This helps to ensure only suitable candidates apply. Provide any relevant information on human resources and logistics.

Confidentiality and Copyright

Any data collected or materials produced during this consultancy will become the property of Save the Children and will not be shared with third parties or used by the consultant without the express permission of Save the Children.

Other

Save the Children is committed to ensuring a safe environment and culture for all children with whom we come in contact during the course of our work. All external consultants involved in this evaluation exercise will be required to comply with Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy and sign the Code of Conduct. Strict confidentiality and anonymity of data should be ensured throughout the process of this evaluation. Statistical data cannot be used in any way that could be construed as harmful to any individual respondent.

Consultant Requirements

Mention what you require from a successful consultant, such as:

• University Degree in Humanitarian Development,
• Five (5) Years working in humanitarian and / or development programming demonstrating strong knowledge or understanding of research, project management and M&E.
• Experience working in the Pacific.
• Experience working in partnerships / consortiums / coordination roles.
• Analytical skills, in particular around desk reviews
• Expertise in mapping / GIS
• Fluency in English
• Excellent research and report writing skills in English
• Must have the right to work in Vanuatu.

• Demonstrated ability to deliver project outputs on time and manage own workplan and competing priorities.

Desirable

• Fluency in Vanuatu’s national language (Bislama)
• Experience in Research and M&E for Emergency Response Programs

• Familiarity of the AHP and / or working with consortiums a considerable advantage
• Familiarity with Vanuatu government structures and systems

Expressions of Interest

Expressions of interest are requested from suitably qualified candidates and addressing the following:

• Cover letter responding to the criteria as set out in the ‘consultant requirements.
• Consultant daily rate or weekly rate based on 20hrs per week.
• Details of three professional referees
• Consultant qualifications

Expressions of interest that do not cover these requirements will not be considered.

Deadline for submission of expressions of interest is 11th September 2023.

Submissions should be addressed to Jennifer Kausei, AHP National Coordinator, and submitted using the APPLY button below.

For more information on the position, email [email protected]