Project Overview

Sonke Gender Justice seeks to hire a consultant to complete a baseline evaluation of the project titled “Masoyise uxhatshazo olusekezwe kwisini ingakumbi amanina nabantwana!”- Let us overcome Gender-Based Violence, especially towards Women and Children! The project aims to develop and promote meaningful and inclusive youth participation through capacity building and mobilise communities to address harmful gender norms through gender transformative approaches. The project will be implemented in two districts, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NNM) and the Amathole District Municipality.

Purpose of this Consultancy 

• To create a benchmark for evaluating the project measuring results and impact throughout and at the end of the project period. 
• To measure and validate the initial value indicators of the projects impact matrix (see project proposal)
• To investigate the extent to which adolescents and youth are insufficiently informed about their rights and have access to decision making spaces
• To assess the capacities of community action teams members (CATS) to advocate against harmful religious, traditional, and social gender norms 
• To understand the incidence and causes of harmful parental, religious, cultural, and traditional practices
• To establish whether GBV-related policies and laws are translated and prioritised on the local level and implemented and monitored by governmental representatives, traditional leaders, and councillors.
• To assess the barriers for reporting and correctly processing GBV cases

Time schedule

The estimated duration of the summative evaluation is 3 months, starting 9 May 2024 and ending 26 July 2024 when the final report and summary infographic will be submitted. Within the first week of the consultancy, the consultant is expected to produce an Inception Report, including a detailed work plan and methodology. The consultant is expected to convey the main findings and recommendations in a meeting with Sonke and key stakeholders before the finalisation of the report.

Kindly note all logistic and travel expenses should be covered by the consultant.

The final report should be well designed and include a summary infographic for dissemination.

Budget

ZAR 250 000

How to apply

Should you wish to apply, please send as four separate documents to Nombulelo Mazwi by COB 26 April 2024. If selected, induction will start on 9 May 2024.

Email: Nombulelo@genderjustice.org.za

• Short proposal including work plan and budget.
• Brief 1-1.5-page cover letter citing your relevant expertise for the consultancy.
• Detailed CV including examples of similar evaluations completed (4 pages maximum)
• Detailed quotation: kindly ensure that your daily rate is clearly stated separately from travel costs. 
• Example of similar work completed.

Background and Context

Background and context of the project

In South Africa, gender-based violence (GBV) remains a pervasive and deeply entrenched issue, posing significant challenges to the country’s social fabric and development. With alarmingly high rates of GBV reported nationwide, South Africa grapples with a crisis that undermines human rights, perpetuates gender inequality, and threatens the well-being of its citizens. Within this national context, the Eastern Cape province stands out as particularly affected by the GBV. Despite various efforts to address the issue, GBV prevalence in the Eastern Cape remains high, with women and marginalised genders disproportionately affected. Factors such as poverty, unemployment, historical inequalities, and cultural norms contribute to the persistence of GBV in the region.

In response to these pressing issues, Sonke Gender Justice in collaboration and support from Kindernothilfe will implement a three-year project titled “Masoyise uxhatshazo olusekezwe kwisini ingakumbi amanina nabantwana!”- Let us overcome Gender-Based Violence, especially towards Women and Children! The project aims to develop and promote meaningful and inclusive youth participation through capacity building and mobilise communities to address harmful gender norms through gender transformative approaches. The project will be implemented in two districts, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NNM) and the Amathole District Municipality. 

Description of the project

Organisation	Sonke Gender Justice
Title of the project	Baseline Evaluation for Promotion of Children -SRHR and advocacy in the province of Eastern Cape.
Project Goal	Adolescents and youth advocate for gender justice and meaningfully participate in decision-making spaces.
Project duration	March 2024- April 2027
Geographical areas	Eastern Cape: Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMM) and Amathole District Municipality
Main objectives of the project	Objective 1: Adolescents and youth in the NMM and Amathole district demand the enforcement of their rights of protection against gender-based violence from duty bearers.  Objective 2: Caregivers and religious leaders are enabled to advocate against harmful religious, traditional, and social gender norms and practices.  Objective 3: Duty bearers at local and provincial level are empowered to implement GBV-related policies and laws.
Description of direct and indirect target groups	Direct: Learners, caregivers, local and provincial duty bearers, religious leaders, Community Action Team members (CAT’s)  Indirect target: 4 communities in the NMM (Zwide, Motherwell) and Amathole district (Mnquma, Mbhashe), schools in the implementing areas, family members of the learners
Key partners involved in the project	Youth focused CSO’s Queens Desk in the Amathola districtThuthuzela Care Centers and Victim Support Office Youth commissioners Media houses and broadcasting networks

Purpose of the evaluation

The purpose of the baseline evaluation is to establish a starting point or reference against which future progress, or changes can be measured. It serves to assess the current situation, set measurable goals, identify target areas, identify any potential challenges or barriers to success that may need to be addressed before implementing the program or intervention, and ensure accountability and transparency.

• To create a benchmark for evaluating the project measuring results and impact throughout and at the end of the project period. 
• To measure and validate the initial value indicators of the projects impact matrix (see project proposal)
• To investigate the extent to which adolescents and youth are insufficiently informed about their rights and have access to decision making spaces
• To assess the capacities of community action teams members (CATS) to advocate against harmful religious, traditional, and social gender norms 
• To understand the incidence and causes of harmful parental, religious, cultural, and traditional practices
• To establish whether GBV-related policies and laws are translated and prioritised on the local level and implemented and monitored by governmental representatives, traditional leaders, and councillors.
• To assess the barriers for reporting and correctly processing GBV cases 

Evaluation Objectives and scope

Time Frame

This evaluation will take place between 9 May 2024 and 29 July 2024 when the final report will be due. 

Geographical coverage

Eastern Cape: Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMM) and Amathole District Municipality 

Target Groups

This evaluation will target learners, caregivers, local and provincial duty bearers, religious leaders, Community Action Team members (CAT’s) 

Evaluation methodology

Proposed evaluation methodology and data collection

The consultant should clearly outline the proposed methodology in the proposal. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, which are participatory in their approaches should be used for findings to be validated through triangulation to enhance the credibility and reliability of the baseline evaluation. 

Proposed data collection methods and analysis

The proposal should describe the data collection method, data sources and data analysis approaches. 

Proposed sampling methods

The proposal should clearly describe the sampling method used for each data collection method.

Field Visits

Field visits should be conducted across Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMM) and Amathole District Municipality 

Evaluation ethics

In preparing the proposal, the evaluator/s must put in place specific safeguards and protocols to protect the safety (both physical and psychological) of respondents and those collecting the data and to prevent harm. Members of the evaluation team should understand and be sensitive to the political, socio economic, historical, and cultural context across sites where data collection occurs and ensure the rights of the individual are protected and participation in the evaluation does not result in further violation of their rights.

The evaluator/s must have a plan in place to:

• Protect the rights of respondents, including privacy and confidentiality in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act).
• Prioritise the safety and welfare of the children involved in the research. Implement measures to prevent harm, abuse, or exploitation, and have protocols in place to respond promptly to any safeguarding concerns that may arise during the research process.
• Where necessary seek ethical approval from relevant institutional review boards or ethics committees before commencing the research. Adhere to any additional regulatory requirements or guidelines specific to research involving South Africa.
• Elaborate on how informed consent will be obtained and to ensure that the names of individuals consulted during data collection will not be made public. 
• If the project involves children (under 18 years old) the evaluator/s must consider additional risks and the need for parental consent.
• Be sensitive to the cultural norms, values, and practices of the communities where the research is conducted. Ensure that the research methods, data collection tools, materials, and interactions are culturally appropriate and respectful of diversity.
• Data collection visits should be organised at the appropriate time and place to minimise risk to respondents. 
• The interviewer or data collector must be able to provide information on how individuals in situations of risk can seek support (referrals to organisations that can provide counselling support, for example)

Key deliverables of the evaluator and timeframe

No.	Deliverable	Deadline
1	Evaluation Inception Report	By 17 May 2024
2	Draft Evaluation Report + summary infographic draft	By 8 July 2024
3	Evaluation Findings Presentation	Week of 15 July 2024
4	Final Evaluation Report + final summary infographic	By 26 July 2024

Evaluation team composition 

Roles and responsibilities 

The lead and co lead evaluator will be responsible for undertaking the evaluation from start to finish and for managing the evaluation team under the supervision of evaluation task manager from Sonke Gender Justice for the data collection and analysis, as well as report drafting and finalisation in English. 

Required Competencies

Team lead and co lead:

• Evaluation experience at least 10 years in conducting external evaluations, with mixed-methods evaluation skills and having flexibility in using non-traditional and innovative evaluation methods
• Experience with program design and theory of change, gender-responsive evaluation, participatory approaches, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience in collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data as well as data visualisation. 
• In-depth knowledge of GBV, gender transformative approaches, meaningful youth participation is advantageous
• A strong commitment to delivering timely and high-quality results, i.e., credible evaluation and a report that can be used.
• A strong team leadership and management record of accomplishment, as well as interpersonal and communication skills to help ensure that the evaluation is understood and used. 
• Good communication skills and ability to communicate with various stakeholders and to express concisely and clearly ideas and concepts.
• Regional/Country experience and knowledge: in-depth knowledge of country South Africa 
• Language proficiency: fluency in English; good command of local language such as isiXhosa are desirable. 

Management Arrangements of the evaluation

The overall evaluation will be managed by Sonke’s Research Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (RMEL) manager with support of the Sonke RMEL unit. Evaluators will liaise with the Sonke RMEL unit and program staff for relevant project documentation and clarification, assistance in liaising and connecting with relevant stakeholders and primary and secondary beneficiaries. The Sonke RMEL unit manager will also set up feedback/check-in sessions to discuss any further support or clarification required. 

Budget

The total evaluation budget is R250 000, including all travel costs for the evaluation team.