Terms of Reference for an Independent Evaluation Consultancy for the Project: “RESILIENT – Reinforcing Stakeholders in Libya to Engage against Torture (2020-2024)”

About the OMCT

The World Organization Against Torture (Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture – OMCT), founded in 1985 and based in Geneva, with offices in Brussels and Tunis, works through its large and active SOS-Torture Network with around 200 member organisations in more than 90 countries and together, we make up the largest global group actively standing up to torture and all other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in the world. The mission of the OMCT is to contribute to the eradication of torture, summary executions, disappearances, arbitrary detention and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and to provide protection to victims and potential victims through a global network of civil society organisations working in partnership and solidarity.

Context

Since the 2011 uprising, Libya has faced significant instability marked by political fragmentation, civil wars, foreign intervention, and widespread human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions, torture, and extrajudicial killings. Refugees, migrants, and Libyans are subject to torture and inhumane treatment, both inside and outside official and unofficial detention centers and prisons. Civil society efforts to address these issues are often hindered by security challenges and restrictive measures from various factions. Torture-related stories are rarely covered by journalists, activists, and civil society workers due to poor documentation, fear of retaliation, and the dangers of operating in a complex security environment.

The project

The project “RESILIENT – Reinforcing Stakeholders In Libya to Engage against Torture” aims at creating and empowering local Libyan actors to form and develop a platform that addresses and challenges the use of torture and institutional violence in all its forms in Libya. It planned to train civil society organizations and professionals on documentation, legal assistance and advocacy tools, so they could together define and develop strategies on a local and international level to call for an end of violence and the absolute prohibition of torture in Libya.

The overall objective of the project was to contribute to the prevention and protection against torture and ill treatment in Libya through the empowerment and mobilization of civil society and broader awareness across Libyan society of the torture phenomenon in Libya and its absolute prohibition.

The specific objectives to be accomplished within the project period were to enable diverse local stakeholders in Libya to effectively collaborate on documentation, assistance, and advocacy against torture and ill-treatment; and to raise awareness of community and international actors to support the absolute prohibition of torture and state violence in Libya. Facilitating effective communication with international stakeholders and connecting them to the outputs of local organizations operating in this field. Additionally, a technical support plan was provided to enhance the institutional capacity of the partners.

Scope and key questions

A provision was made in the original project for a final evaluation to be conducted by an independent evaluator. In addition to being used to ensure accountability towards the project’s key stakeholders, including donors and target groups, the evaluation will be essential to inform future planning and the development of a follow-up project.

The goals of the evaluation are to:

• Assess the performance of the project against the outputs, outcomes and impact in relation with the specific objectives and against the background of the challenging context of the project’s implementation;
• Identify unexpected results and major external factors that influenced or had an impact on the implementation of the project;
• Provide an objective view of the project’s relevance and impact to the intended beneficiaries;
• Provide an overview of the OMCT’s and partners’ competence in implementing the project;
• Identify lessons learnt and provide clear, concise and practical recommendations for future projects.

The evaluation should consist of a comprehensive written report with a maximum length of 25 pages excluding annexes. The evaluator is expected to utilize and respond to the OECD-DAC criteria and assess the relevance, effectiveness, impact and coherence of the project. Additionally, the evaluation should address cross-cutting criteria such as gender, adherence to the Do No Harm principle, and conflict sensitivity. The consultant will develop and finalize key specific and complementary questions with support from designated focal points at OMCT. In line with this, the following key questions should also be addressed by the evaluation:

Relevance:

A. How is the idea and vision behind the project relevant to the global fight against torture and the context in Libya?

B. How relevant have the project’s objectives and activities been for its direct and indirect target groups?

Effectiveness:

A. To what extent has the project objective been achieved?

• Are diverse local stakeholders in Libya collaborating on documentation, assistance and advocacy against torture and ill treatment?
• Are international actors and targeted communities aware of the issue of absolute prohibition and state violence in Libya to the level that they are supporting the prohibition of torture and state violence due to program activities?
• Have local organizations communicated to international stakeholders about the outputs of their activities?
• Have partners increased their institutional capacity to the point that they made changes within their organizations in line with the technical support?

B. To what extent have the strategies, approaches and activities implemented contributed to achieving the project objectives?

• Was training civil society organizations and professionals on documentation, legal assistance and advocacy tools the most effective vehicle for change to achieve objectives?

C. What factors contributed to or hindered the OMCT’S implementation?

Impact:

A. How and to what extent has the project contributed to empowering and mobilizing civil society to prevent and protect against torture and ill treatment?

• Did program activities lead to the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in any tangible way?

B. Were there any unintended changes (positive or negative)?

Coherence:

A. How well does the project fit in the socio-political context in Libya?

B. How well did the project complement other interventions in Libya which are addressing civil society?

C. What is OMCT’s and the project’s comparative advantage within the context?

Timeframe, Methodology and Deliverables

The evaluation will involve a desk review of academic and grey literature in regard to the program’s theory of change as well as internal documents such as the project application (including the Logic Model and the Monitoring and Evaluation plan) and the quarterly reports produced as part of the regular monitoring. It will also include interviews with the staff responsible for the project and the partners will be part of the data collection phase.

The tasks under this evaluation are to be undertaken for an estimated period of 35 working days, between October 01, 2024, and November 15, 2024, with submission of the final draft on November 30, 2024. While the desk study phase can be conducted remotely, the evaluation will include face-to-face interviews with key informants in Tunisia.

Expected activities and key deliverables:

• Inception phase (desk review of relevant documents).
• Deliverable: inception report.
• Discussion of the inception report and incorporation of comments.

• Data collection phase. Travel to Tunisia to conduct informant interviews with key stakeholders.

• Data analysis.
• Reporting phase.
• Deliverable: draft report.
• Presentation and discussion on the draft report.
• Final report compilation.
• Deliverable: final evaluation report, including recommendations and an executive summary.

The evaluation may include additional elements and approaches as appropriate. Applicants are encouraged to suggest a comprehensive methodology that includes these elements and others to meet the evaluation objectives.

Requirements and Qualifications

Consultants with the following skills and competencies are encouraged to express their interest by submitting a bid which also satisfies the below:

• Post-graduate degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., fields of Social Sciences, Law, Politics, Economics, and Human Rights).
• At least 7 years of international experience and additional training in project evaluation, including in the field of human rights, civil and political rights and/or human rights defenders.
• Strong data collection, analytical and writing skills.
• Competence in organisational development.
• Demonstrable experience in evaluating programmes and projects in different regions and with different institutions and organisations. Experience conducting evaluation of projects funded by the EU or the US State Department is a plus;
• Knowledge of the socio-economic and political dynamics of MENA region;
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the architecture of human rights organisations;
• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

Eligibility, Applications, and Consideration

Bids should be addressed to OMCT International Secretariat with the subject “OMCT Evaluation Consultancy – RESILIENT / Libya project”, by email to applications@omct.org, with the following attachments, in PDF:

• A Letter of Interest summarising the Bid (max. 1 page)
• A Bid for Contract, detailing the proposed methodology, timeframe, and fee (max. 4 pages)
• Individuals: a CV/resume, with at least two references (max. 2 pages)
• Firms: a list of relevant evaluations completed during the past three years (max. 1 page)

Applications will be accepted up to September 08, 2024.