REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

EVALUATION CONSULTANCY 

Project “Civil society response to emergency needs in Ukraine 

and contributing to the Rule of Law” funded by the European Union

1. Background 

The Ukrainian-based NGO “Anti-corruption Action Center” (further on, AntAC) wishes to contract an external consultant (individual, team, or consultancy firm) to undertake the final evaluation of a project called “Civil Society Response to Emergency Needs in Ukraine and Contributing to the Rule of Law” (hereafter referred to as “the Project”). 

The European Union funds the Project through the European Commission. The Project started in March 2022 and will end in August 2024. The Project focuses on providing emergency assistance and advocacy support to the war-affected population and building the resilience of the institutions and the society for a better crisis response by promoting the principles of the Rule of Law and sustainable reforms in justice, anti-corruption, and law enforcement. The Project is implemented by the NGO Anti-corruption Action Center (AntAC) as the Lead Partner in partnership with the NGO Automaidan and DEJURE Foundation. Please find further project information here.

The evaluation report will be used by Project Partnersto guide the improvement of other (ongoing and future) programs and the needed adjustments to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of overall program operations, strategies, and policies.

2. Deliverables

The following deliverables are required to fulfill the consultancy purpose:

1. Inception report outlining a detailed plan, methodology, and timeline of activities to be accomplished by the evaluator under the assignment consulted and validated with AntAC.

The inception report should include a description of the research methodology (no more than 1 page), appropriate research methods, data collection strategies, and a timeline for the activity implementation (considering the tentative timeline given in this RFP). The inception report will be validated with the AntAC project team (all draft deliverables shall be submitted in advance to allow sufficient time for consultations). 

2. The final independent evaluation report provides findings in relation to the key evaluation questions, lessons learned, conclusions, and recommendations. The report should:

• Contain an executive summary 

• Be analytical in nature (both quantitative and qualitative), causal rather than descriptive

• Be structured around issues and related findings/lessons learned

• Include conclusions

• Include recommendations

The final evaluation report should be of a high enough quality to be shared with donors, international agencies, and interested third parties engaged in advancing the Rule of Law and anti-corruption. 

3. Methodology and Evaluation Criteria

The methodology to be used during the evaluation process should be based on the OECD DAC evaluation criteria (more information here) and follow the logical framework approach (more information here).

Below are the key methodology criteria expected to be addressed in the final evaluation: 

1. RELEVANCE: The extent to which the intervention objectives and design respond to beneficiaries, global, country, and partner/institution needs, policies, and priorities and continue to do so if circumstances change

2. COHERENCE: The compatibility of the intervention with other interventions in a country, sector, or institution.

3. EFFECTIVENESS: The extent to which the intervention achieved, or is expected to achieve, its objectives and its results, including any differential results across groups.

4. EFFICIENCY: The extent to which the intervention delivers, or is likely to deliver, results in an economical and timely way.

5. IMPACT: The extent to which the intervention has generated or is expected to create significant positive or negative, intended or unintended, higher-level effects.

6. SUSTAINABILITY: The extent to which the net benefits of the intervention continue or are likely to continue.

Tentative Timeline: 

Deadline for proposal submission: August 16, 2024

Results of the procurement and contract signing with the best offer: August 23, 2024

Inception report due September 6, 2024,

The first draft of the final report is due on October 4, 2024, 

Comments to the draft report from AntAC and Contracting Authority by October 11, 2024

The final report is due no later than October 25, 2024.

4. Roles and Responsibilities

AntAC will:

The overall responsibility for managing the evaluation logistics and planning will sit with the NGO Anti-Corruption Action Center, including:

• To manage the contract/evaluation process.

• Provide all necessary contact information of the project implementing partners (Automaidan and DEJURE) and facilitate cooperation with them.

• To facilitate the evaluator’s access to relevant data and documents.

• Facilitate contact with key partners and stakeholders of the Project if requested.

• To arrange the logistics (if needed) of virtual interviews and focus groups.

• Provide comments on the draft and final reports and approve them; and,

• Participate in briefing and debriefing process for evaluation consultant on the evaluation objectives.

  5. Payment methods

The payment structure for the work of the consultant is contingent upon the satisfactory delivery of key milestones and outputs rather than on a set number of days. In reference to the lump sum amount specified, payment will be three tranches:

1. The first payment (30%): after signing the contract.

2. Second payment (40%): upon submission and satisfactory review and approval by AntAC of the first draft evaluation report. This might require two or three iterative reviews before final approval and payment.

3. Third payment (30%): upon submission and satisfactory review of the final draft evaluation report. This might require more than one iterative review before approval and payment.

The overall amount of the assignments is 8,000.00 EUR (payment in UAH at the NBU exchange rate on the day of payment).

6. Consultant Qualifications

This assignment will be contracted to an independent expert evaluator consultant or consulting firm with international experience and knowledge in evaluating grant projects in the Rule of Law and anti-corruption sphere. The consultant (could be a team) must meet the following qualifications:

• A post-graduate university degree in the social sciences, law, and other relevant fields.

• At least 7–10 years of collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, including conducting interviews, developing monitoring indicators, and using data for causal claim-making in evaluative studies. 

• Previous experience in the evaluation of the EU-funded grant projects would be an asset. 

• Solid understanding of anti-corruption as a thematic area. 

• Proven work experience in assessing measurable target indicators.

• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills. 

• Knowledge of the theory of change, political economy, and adaptive management approaches will be considered an asset.

  7. Submission of the proposals

Proposals should be submitted via e-mail to [email protected] no later than August 16, 2024. The proposal should include the following: 

• statement of intent based on this RFP; 

• СV(s) of the consultant(s)

• document to prove that the consultants meet the qualification criteria listed in this Request for Proposals;