Consultant – Youth Advancement for a Peaceful and Productive Tomorrow

Project: Youth Advancement for a Peaceful and Productive Tomorrow (Peace-Pro) Activity Name: Support Peace-Pro team in final evaluation of program activities (Quantitative) Location: Amman Anticipated Start Date: 22-May-18 End Date: 05-Jul-18

1. Introduction and Background

We are looking for a highly qualified and experienced consultant to evaluate an EU funded project addressing youth vulnerabilities to joining violent extremist groups implemented in Jordan’s Ma’an, Russaifa/Zarqa, Salt and East Amman between 2016-2018. The consultant will lead on quantitative evaluative methods (the ‘Quantitative Evaluation Consultant’) . The consultant should have relevant background in evaluating Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) projects, and/or projects addressing youth vulnerabilities to recruitment into non-state armed groups. Experience in evaluating projects/programs on mental health and/or psychosocial support is particularly desirable.

Youth Advancement for a Peaceful and Productive Tomorrow (Peace-Pro):

To address the vulnerabilities and risks that youth in Jordan currently face, local Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in partnership with Mercy Corps and other selected Jordanian civil society Organization are implementing “Youth Advancement for a Peaceful and Productive Tomorrow” (Peace-Pro) based on the following Theory of Change: If young people develop strong positive relationships with families and communities, and develop the skills needed to make difficult decisions and cope with stress, then they will feel less hopeless, more protected, and less frustrated, in turn reducing their vulnerability to support and to be recruited by violent groups.

In support of the Theory of Change and in light of the identified drivers of youth vulnerability to joining violent extremist groups, the project focuses on three interlinked expected results:

1. Establish Community Action Hubs in targeted communities to improve response by local authorities, government agencies, community leaders, civil society and private sector actors to the risk of youth radicalisation
2. Improve youth psychosocial well-being through multifaceted advocacy platform and targeted life skills programming
3. Equip families and local communities to support vulnerable youth with knowledge, skills and resources to counter violent extremism in their homes and communities

“Peace Pro” targets youth ages 15-25 years old through age and gender appropriate activities^[1]. Programming is geared towards youth who are at risk of radicalisation due to a variety of drivers including, among other things, isolation or social pressure from peers or family, a gang mentality, participation in armed groups, in conflict with the law or have been released from jail. At the root of the Peace-Pro project is Mercy Corps’ integrated, holistic model of youth programming that rests on the Profound Stress and Attunement (PSA) framework (see below) and, recognises the factors that contribute to vulnerability are diverse.

The Peace-Pro project was implemented across four locations in Jordan: Ma’an, Salt, Russaifa/Zarqa Governorate and East Amman.

Profound Stress and Attunement

The foundational and key innovation of Mercy Corps’ approach is the Profound Stress and Attunement (PSA) framework that uses neurological science to understand the impact that long term stress has on the emotional brain (limbic system). This in turn affords the ability to use the lens of profound stress to develop programing that assists in a person’s ability to recognise the emotional context for themselves, their family and their community. Mercy Corps’ psychosocial programme methodology helps people better manage the feelings of injustice and anger that commonly result from exposure to family or community-level conflict, propaganda of violent ideologies, and hopelessness which have been used to mobilise young people into violent extremist movements. The methodology connects youth who are dislocated from their networks to peers and positive role models through a reconnection back to self, family and community. The development of advocacy platforms, community service campaigns and awareness programs linked to Hubs further support adolescents to develop alternative methods for expressing themselves and have impact on a broader social justice context.

2. Consultancy Scope of Work

Geographical scope

The consultant will be based in Amman in Mercy Corps’ Country Office

Consultancy Objectives

The objectives of the final evaluation are:

1. To evaluate the performance and impact of the project: “Youth Advancement for a Peaceful and Productive Tomorrow (Peace-Pro), through analyzing project’s quantitative data.
2. Provide recommendations to improve future planning and how to adjust programmatic approaches to the complex and evolving context.

Scope of Work

The evaluation will examine Peace-Pro Project implemented in Jordan 2016-2018. The consultancy will be focused on tasks B&C below:

Task A: Design, collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data to measure effectiveness, relevance, coordination and coherence, impact and sustainability of project activities through highlighting achievements, lessons learned, and recommendations for future actions in the different Governorates of Jordan with a strong focus on countering violent extremism.

This will be conducted by the Qualitative Consultant under a different scope of work, which runs from 20 March to 15 July. Upon accepting the Scope of Work, the Quantitative Consultant will be linked to the Qualitative Consultant in order for them to decide on the best way to share insights throughout the evaluation.

Task B: Complete pre-post analysis and interpretation of quantitative data collected throughout the course of project implementation – to measure impact of project activities (structured intensive workshops) on youth

• Refer to Peace-Pro’s analysis plan and develop further for quantitative data in consultation with project team <strong
• Complete pre-post analysis and interpretation of quantitative data that was collected throughout the course of project implementation based on agreed upon analysis plan: The consultant is expected to receive quantitative data sets collected throughout the course of the project (directed towards measuring the reduction of youth’s vulnerability to violent extremism). The consultant should in this case use statistical packages to undertake this task.

DATA SCOPE

There are 10 datasets collected through the ONA platform that require analysis. They are divided as follows:

• 3 Survey Datasets: the questions in this dataset range from 55 to 100. These datasets contain questions pulled from globally validated tools to measure wellbeing indicators
  • Brief Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ), Psychometric and Behavioral Evidence for an Efficient Measure of Trait Aggression
  • The Need for Cognition Scale
  • Adapted Belonging Scale from Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Smollan, D. (1992). Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale and the structure of interpersonal closeness
  • Adapted Meta-Perception scale from the ‘Mutual liking and meta?perception accuracy’
  • Adapted Social Power/Powerlessness scale from Anderson, C., & Galinsky, A. D. (2006). Power, optimism, and risk?taking
  • Adapted Stress scale from Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior
  • Custom Victimhood scale adapted from 2 studies (Determinants of radicalization of Islamic youth in the Netherlands: Personal uncertainty, perceived injustice, and perceived group threat and A sense of self-perceived collective victimhood in intractable conflicts)
• 3 Attendance Datasets – CLEAN: These are in log form
• 2 Test Result Datasets: These are done to capture knowledge increase
• 2 Misc. Datasets: For logistics purposes

Task C: Compile main findings and recommendations in both comprehensive and brief report based on analysis and interpretation of data collected under Task B.

The evaluation report should describe the project being evaluated, as well as the purpose, procedures, and findings of the evaluation, as requested from the analysis plan. The findings should then be shared with the qualitative evaluater in order to support his final report through numerical evidence.

The consultant is required to present the findings in narrative, visuals, and other means as applicable in a detailed report, (not exceeding 25 pages without the annexes) and an executive summary of key findings. The report should cover the hypothesis testing that is outlined in the analysis plan, along with the methods used, interpretation of results and significant conclusions.

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES, DELIVERABLES, TIMEFRAME AND LEVEL OF EFFORT

The consultant will work over a period of 6 weeks up to “28 working days” around May to July 2018. The assignment’s detailed work plan will be determined in consultation with the Youth Program Manager and Peace-Pro Project Manager in Mercy Corps Jordan or their designates. The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks and deliverables at different stages of the assignment: <p

Task

Activity

Suggested Start Date

Suggested End Date

LoE

Task A

Qualitative Evaluation

This task will be assigned and conducted by qualitative evaluation consultant

Task B

Read project material and research papers around the phenomenon of violent extremism as agreed with MC team members. Includes project documents and reporting: pre-project assessments, Log-frame, quarterly and annual reporting, other project documents (list to be provided).

22 May 2018

24 May 2018

3 days

Review analysis guiding questions already prepared by Peace-Pro M&E team for quantitative data collected during the course of project implementation and suggest amendments if necessary. Present to MC Youth Programme key staff and qualitative evaluation consultant and amend according to feedback

25 May 2018

31 May 2018

5 days

Run statistical analysis as outlined in the agreed data analysis guiding questions.

1 June 2018

9 June 2018

6 days

Task C

Compile results of analysis (Task B) in detailed report, (not exceeding 25 pages without the annexes) including an executive summary of key findings.

10 June 2018

20 June 2018

8 days

Present and review draft with MC Youth Programme key staff and receive feedback for any amendments.

21 June 2018

24 June 2018

1 day

Amend draft report based on feedback from MC Youth Programme key staff and prepare second and final draft of the report to be submitted to MC Youth Programme key staff

25 June 2018

29 June 2018

3 day

Produce a brief summary report 8 – 10 pages highlighting main findings and recommendations (based off the longer version of the report)

30 June 2018

5 July 2018

2 day

TOTAL

28 days

READING MATERIALS

The Consultant shall read the material including, but not limited to, the following to fully understand the work specified under this consultancy. A detailed reading list will be provided at outset of consultancy.

• Baseline, endline surveys of the project, as well as monthly and interim reports assigned by the program.
• Program proposal and materials including but not limited to the detailed M&E plan and pre-analysis plan;
• Program publications, brochures, booklets etc.
• Documents on globally validated tools used in the surveys
• Any other document necessary for the successful execution of the assignment as assigned by MC project team

The Evaluation team shall have the following minimum qualifications (selection criteria):

Interested consultants are required to submit the relevant documents as follows:

• Essential: Evaluation consultant with advanced degree(s) in Statistics, Psychology, Sociology and/or any other related field (Detailed CV)
• Minimum 5 years of experience in research design (Evidence of relevant experience)
• Minimum 5 years of experience in data analysis and interpretation using advanced software packages (provide relevant evidence)
• Minimum 5 years of experience in local community development work preferably in the Jordanian context and in relation to the phenomenon of violent extremism (provide relevant evidence)
• Proven track record of successful work in similar field; providing documents or links as well as professional reference for relevant work will serve the purpose
• Priority for candidates who published research in the domain of mental health psychology or sociology (provide documents or links or a professional reference to evidence that)
• Advanced Arabic and English written proficiency is necessary

The evaluation consultant are subject to Mercy Corps’ code of conduct any violation of this code of conduct or any failure to perform as per the scope of work will result in immediate termination of this contract.

BUDGET:

The budget for this task is 14,280 JOD which is 20,169 USD

The consultant will report directly to:

Peace-Pro Project Manager

The consultant will work closely with:

M&E Coordinator, Youth Program

MEAL Advisor, Mercy Corps Jordan Office <p

^[1] Mercy Corps refers to youth as the age range 12 to 30 years and disaggregation into the following age segments will be applied: Early Adolescence = 12-14 yrs, Later Adolescence 15-19 yrs, Youth = 20-24 yrs, Older Youth = 25 – 30. This disaggregation allows for an inclusive approach to adolescents and youth, age ranges that capture important early adolescent indicators, and aligns with best practice of designing program activities for segments no broader than 5 years. Please apply via our careers site https://www.mercycorps.org.uk/u/careers with your CV (and a cover letter if desired).

Apply Here

PI102435696