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Date(s) - 23/07/2021
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Terms of Reference (ToR) for End-of-Project Evaluation

Project Title “Inclusive Relief and Empowerment for Syrian Refugees with Impairments and Disabilities in Jordan”
Implementer(s) International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and

Noor al Hussein Foundation Institute for Family Health (IFH)
Life of Strategy/Project/Activity September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2021
Active Geographic Regions Jordan: Sweileh, Amman; Russeifa and Zarqa city, Zarqa; Irbid city, Irbid
Sector(s) Health; Protection; Persons with Disabilities

 

 

Background Information

Project Summary

As of April 2020, 746,723 refugees were actively registered in Jordan, including 656,418 Syrians. UNHCR reports that 83% of Syrian refugees reside in the host community, and 78% are considered highly or severely vulnerable, living below Jordan’s poverty line[1]. The situation in Jordan is particularly difficult for refugees with disabilities who are more vulnerable and likely to experience poverty. Due to inaccessibility, stigma, lack of transport, medical costs[2], and other challenges, persons with disabilities (PWDs) are less likely to access basic services and engage with their communities, which further contribute to their marginalization. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the incidence of disability within any population is 15% and 20% in a humanitarian or crisis setting, such as Jordan. The 2015 census found prevalence in Jordan at 13%[3] – more than 1.2 million PWDs, which is likely a conservative estimate[4] as 21% of Syrian refugees have at least one disability and 45% of Syrian refugee households include at least one PWD, according to the 2019 Vulnerability Assessment Framework Population Study.

PWDs require sustainable, specialized services. Through disability programs for 26,635 people in Jordan, IOCC has identified persistent gaps in local health and education capacities, the provision of assistive devices, and rehabilitation and psychosocial support (PSS) services for PWDs and caregivers. The high number of refugees in Jordan has impacted social services and infrastructure, particularly healthcare and education, further exacerbating PWDs’ needs. Overburdened clinics are unable to provide specialized services at the frequency needed. PWDs face challenges receiving treatment[5]: hospitals are not adapted; staff have difficulties communicating; and centers lack comprehensive services. Also, while the Government of Jordan promotes education for all, lack of assistive devices, limited teacher training, inaccessibility, and stigma prevent full participation of children with disabilities (CWDs). Of the 11,749 people screened through IOCC’s disability programming (2015-2020), 66% required assistive devices). While 17 organizations are active in providing services for PWDs in Jordan (as tracked by the UNHCR-led Disability & Age Task Force), only three (excluding IOCC and its local partner, the Noor Hussein Foundation Institute for Family Health- IFH) report providing assistive devices.

By responding to PWDs’ needs and gaps in services, this two-year project funded by the United States State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) has aimed to improve the quality of life of refugees and vulnerable Jordanians with impairments/disabilities and their families in Amman (Sweileh), Zarqa (Russeifa and Zarqa), and Irbid (Irbid) through the following objectives:

Objective 1: Improve identification of impairments and disabilities and increase access to medical diagnosis and treatment for 1,840 refugees and 1,102 vulnerable Jordanians with impairments and disabilities

 This has been comprised of the following activities:

  • Improved identification and referral of PWDs through training of IFH staff and the updating of IFH’s organization-wide home visit questionnaire to better identify disabilities.
  • The recruitment, training, and deployment of community-based rehabilitation workers (CBRWs) who perform outreach and act as a link between the project and communities.
  • The assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing and visual impairments, including the fitting for and provision of assistive devices (glasses, hearing aids, and low vision devices) and, as necessary, referrals to other health specialists, such as an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor or an ophthalmologist.

Objective 2: Enhance inclusion of PWDs through equipping 27 local health and education institutions to offer inclusive services and increase knowledge and awareness of disabilities among 2,574 refugees and 2,194 Jordanians

This has been comprised of the following activities:

  • The equipping of three visual and three hearing clinics, one of each, in Sweileh, Russeifa, and Irbid.
  • The development of a workshop manual with the Ministry of Education (MoE) on disability rights and the school inclusion of children with disabilities and the delivery of a two-day workshop to 240 school staff members at 12 schools in communities surrounding each of the three clinics.
  • The facilitation of community-based rehabilitation training to Ministry of Health (MoH) staff members.
  • Community awareness-raising events on disabilities.

Objective 3: Empower PWDs through provision of rehabilitation services, support for parents, and PSS services for PWDs and caregivers, reaching 1,646 refugees and 984 vulnerable Jordanians

This has been comprised of the following activities:

  • Rehabilitations sessions for 700 PWDs and/or their caregivers in speech therapy, occupational therapy (OT), and special education.
  • Workshops for 360 caregivers and the creation of home-based care plans.
  • PSS sessions for 300 caregivers and/or PWDs.

Organizational Background

Working in Jordan since 2005, IOCC has implemented long-term development and resilience activities for vulnerable Jordanians, as well as humanitarian programs in response to influxes of Iraqi and Syrian refugees. In 2021, IOCC is implementing projects in the host community and Azraq Refugee Camp in health and protection (focused on PWDs), livelihoods, agriculture and natural resource management, and basic needs and shelter sectors, with funding from PRM, Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), Diakonie ACT Austria, Embassy of Japan, and OCHA Jordan Humanitarian Fund.

In Jordan, IOCC has a strong reputation for high quality disability programming among refugees and Jordanians in coordination with local actors. IOCC scaled up its disability work with support from PRM, reaching nearly 14,000 beneficiaries between 2015 and 2018. Through disability programs between 2015 and 2020, IOCC has trained and deployed 159 community-based rehabilitation workers; assessed more than 13,000 cases of potential disabilities, diagnosed more than 8,000, and treated nearly 5,000; conducted awareness raising activities for 8,150 and self-help groups for 859; and provided rehabilitation sessions for more than 1,400 people. In addition to experience with PWDs, IFH also brings expertise in PSS support and additional rehabilitation services (such as special education and occupational therapy). Jointly, IOCC and IFH have extensive experience in the targeted governorates – Amman, where IOCC and IFH are implementing a joint project in Quesmeh; in Russeifa and Zarqa, where IFH is present; and in Irbid, where IOCC has conducted disability programming (2015-2018) and IFH has an outreach team.

Evaluation

Purpose of the Evaluation

This evaluation will assess the effectiveness, efficiency, coverage, relevance, and sustainability of the project, “Inclusive Relief and Empowerment for Syrian Refugees with Impairments and Disabilities in Jordan.” The results of the evaluation are intended for IOCC and IFH’s internal use to inform future program design and implementation, and to transfer learning to similar programs IOCC implements. As such, PRM, IOCC, and IFH will be particularly interested in the results, so that they may inform strategies to provide quality services to PWDs and their caregivers in Jordan, and to include them in mainstream services, such as education.

Evaluation Type

This will be an ex-post performance evaluation. The project term to be examined will be limited to September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2021.

Evaluation Questions

 Effectiveness:

    • To what extent were the project objectives achieved?
    • To what extent were the project’s beneficiaries’ lives impacted as a result of the services they received?
    • To what extent were the activities successful when adapted to their new modalities according to COVID-19 protocols?
  • Efficiency:
    • To what extent were financial and human resources (inputs) converted into results?
  • Coverage:
    • To what extent did the project ensure that it served those populations who most needed the services?
    • Were services delivered in a gender equitable way?
  • Relevance:
    • To what extent were the project objectives consistent with beneficiaries’ needs? Are there realistic opportunities to add other valuable services, such as gender-based violence (GBV) support?
    • To what extent did the intervention flexibly respond to changing circumstances (such as the COVID-19 pandemic)?
  • Sustainability:
    • To what extent are the benefits likely to continue after the funding ends?
    • To what extent did the respective workshops strengthen the capacity of the staff of MoE schools and MoH clinics to better address the needs of PWDs and CWDs?
    • To what extent was IOCC’s local implementing partner’s, IFH, capacity strengthened and developed as a result of its partnership with IOCC in the project?
  • Learning:
    • What were the major lessons learned from the project?
    • What recommendations can IOCC and IFH include in future program design, implementation, and monitoring?

Evaluation Design and Methodology

The methodology will include review of project documentation, including project proposals, reports, the previous evaluation, and desk monitoring review; development of an evaluation approach and data collection tools, including detailed timeline, work plan and budget; field visits to project sites (if possible); partner interviews; beneficiary focus group discussions; individual beneficiary interviews; debrief summarizing preliminary findings; draft evaluation report; and a final evaluation report in English.

Limitations

Details and logistics of site visits, interviews, and focus group discussions will be dependent on any COVID-19-related mitigation measures initiated by the government and IOCC, IFH, and the contractor’s risk assessment. Remote methods of data collections should be prepared in case in-person visits are not possible. All COVID-19 mitigation methods should be taken during visits including social distancing, use of personal protective equipment, and the like.

Deliverables and Reporting Requirements

  • Evaluation Design/Inception Report: August 15
  • Data collection:  September 6 – 17
  • Draft Report: October 5
  • Final Report: October 22

Evaluator Profile

The evaluation will be conducted by an external evaluator with the following qualifications:

  • University degree in social sciences or relevant fields
  • At least five years of experience, with familiarity for standards of ethical conduct in research/evaluation settings.
  • Expertise in evaluation/research relating to persons with disabilities, education, and health
  • Experience in conducting external evaluations in mass displacement settings, such as Jordan
  • Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism
  • Sound and proven experience in conducting learning-focused evaluations, qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques
  • Ability to self-obtain a visa for Jordan
  • Excellent English writing skills
  • Fluent in English and Arabic
  • Proven ability to collect data remotely.

Proposal Requested

Interested candidate(s) are expected to submit their narrative and financial proposal to IOCC via email. Offers should include:

  • Narrative: cover letter summarizing experience in relation to this ToR, the proposed methodology, CV (of all proposed parties), writing sample from similar assignment, and three professional references with contact information.
  • Financial (in USD): detailed budget, including evaluation fees (with daily fees and expenses), travel costs, and all other anticipated costs.

Deadline for Offers

 All tenders must be submitted in English by email. Offers should be submitted no later than July 23, 2021, 17:00 Eastern Standard Time (New York) to: Kevin Meadowcroft, International Orthodox Christian Charities kmeadowcroft@iocc.org