The evaluation covers the Sida-funded global program 2011-2020 of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC). The intention is that the evaluation should investigate a few pre-identified cases or results SSNC has contributed to, and to analyse what the key to success was and what we could have done differently. The evaluation should be participatory and SSNC will play an active role in the evaluation process. The consultant should be more of a facilitator than an external evaluator.
Part of the assignment is a separate evaluation of the subprogram for Sustainable consumption. This subprogram started as a standalone subprogram in 2017 but was before that part of the agricultural subprogram and chemicals subprogram.
Assignment Location: Stockholm. The consultant should be available for meetings with staff at SSNC office in Stockholm and should have contacts with sub-consultants in a few of the countries SSNC operate in, ie preferably in Uganda or Kenya, The Philippines and Brazil.
Posted: 30 of June 2020
Closing date for submission of tender: 17th of August 2020**
Assignment finalized: November 2020 December 2020**
Impact/results evaluation of the global program 2011-2020 of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
Terms of Reference
Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) is Sweden’s largest environmental organisation with 237 000 members and with local groups all over the country. SSNC was founded in 1909 and has contributed to many important victories regarding nature conservation and environmental policies and legislation in Sweden. Since the early 90s SSNC has also been working globally, co-operating with environmental organisations, including global networks, in various countries on various issues. Since 2005 SSNC has a frame-agreement with Sida CIVSAM. The current program period runs from 2017 to 2020. The program covers 10 countries[1] and 44 organisations, primarily environmental organisations. About 10 of these are global or regional networks, active on a global or regional level, most commonly with advocacy work and policy development. At the beginning of the evaluation period however, SSNC had partners in an additional seven countries[2]. The program is divided into six thematic sub-programs Agriculture, Chemicals, Climate, Marine issues, Sustainable Consumption and Tropical Forests. Each sub-program works with 6-9 environmental organisations in several countries.
Part of the assignment is a separate evaluation of the subprogram for Sustainable consumption. This subprogram started as a standalone subprogram in 2017 but was before that part of the agricultural subprogram and chemicals subprogram. See appendix.
SSNC’s strategy for the global program, The Global Compass, was adopted in 2011 and has been steering the priorities of the global program since then. The Global Compass contains the problem analysis the program is based on, the operational areas regarding geographic and thematic focus, the perspectives guiding the work and operational principles. The first Global Compass was developed and adopted by the board of SSNC in 2011, it was updated and again adopted in 2016.
In 2011 the Gender Policy for SSNC’s Global Program was adopted, its implementation period is 2011-2020. The policy is complemented with a results framework, defining objectives and indicators for results monitoring.
The program of today is in many ways the same as in 2011, when the first strategy was adopted. SSNC value long-term partnerships and most of the issues SNC work with are complex and require long-term engagement.
Since 2011 SSNC is working to achieve the overall program objectives through three strategies: 1) support to environmental organisations in selected countries, 2) joint advocacy work and 3) capacity building. The program is managed from SSNCs office in Stockholm, since SSNC does not have country offices. Around 20 members of the SSNC staff work within the global program.
The current program period, funded by Sida CIVSAM, is coming to an end in 2021, and planning has already started for the coming 5 years. Over the years SSNC has done many analyses of results and strategies and we have an idea of what works and what does not. However, this idea has not been tested and thoroughly scrutinized, which will be the focus of this evaluation. It is important for SSNC to reflect on previous experiences, learn and develop the work accordingly.
The intention is that the evaluation should investigate a number of pre-identified cases or results SSNC has contributed to, and to analyse what the key to success was and what we could have done differently.
The purpose of the assignment is to contribute to and provide broad learning from experiences in order to develop an even better program/-s. The focus will be on long-term and short-term results achievement and whether SSNC has employed the right strategies, the right analysis or theory of change. SSNC contributes to results within all its three strategies; organisational support, advocacy, and capacity development, are the different strategies relevant given the role and mandate SSNC has? In the results that SSNC has contributed to what difference (if any) did SSNC make? Analysing the selected results or cases, what was the success factors?
The evaluation should include an analysis of the role of SSNC and provide answers to these questions:
· What can be learned from the strategic choices SSNC has made regarding eg strategy, partner selection, cooperation principles, and other crucial factors in the development cooperation.
· Where/When things are going well; What did we do right?
· Where/When things did not work out, what went wrong?
· What can we learn from these experiences?
· How can SSNC be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances?
Based on the case studies the following issues should be discussed:
· Does SSNC work with the right issues, strategies and processes?
· What steps or adjustments are needed to be more relevant?
· What does SSNC do best in the global program?
· How is the rights based approach and the poverty perspective reflected and how can it be strengthened?
Gender should be mainstreamed in the evaluation, and a section should be set aside for an analysis of results that contribute to the objectives in SSNCs gender policy and gender results framework. For learning purposes it is of interest to know what it was that made SSNC’s partner organisations develop and/or expand their gender perspective, including gender specific activities as well as organisational changes (e.g. developing a gender policy, joining a feminist network or practicing affirmative action). What was critical for such change to happen?
The evaluation should be participatory and SSNC will play an active role in the evaluation process. The consultant should be more of a facilitator than an external evaluator. The consultant should be available for meetings at SSNC and should have contacts with sub-consultants in a few of the countries SSNC operate in, ie preferably in Uganda or Kenya, The Philippines and Brazil.
The tentative ideas for the evaluation and learning process are:
· The evaluation should consist of five – six case studies around themes, projects, partner organisations or co-operations that are interesting for one reason or another.
· Interesting results and achievements at local, national, regional or global level could also be of interest for a case study.
· All three strategies (organisational support, advocacy and capacity building) should be considered in the selection of case studies.
· Long-term partnerships and organisational developments could also be of interest for a case study.
· A majority of the case studies should be developed on site, provided that the Corona-situation allows that, otherwise other solutions should be suggested and discussed with SSNC.
· The role of the consultant is also to assist in identifying the most important and interesting learnings from the case studies, successes and failure are equally interesting.
· The case studies should be identified by SSNC and the consultant together.
· Each case study is developed and processed together with a working group consisting of SSNC staff and possibly also staff from partner organisations. Focus should be on learnings and strategic discussions around the question; “What can we learn from this?”
There is no need for a comprehensive description of the global program in the report, instead focus should be on analysis and recommendations on the way forward. Naturally, this does not mean that the consultant does not need to fully learn and comprehend the global program.
The assignment will start with an inception phase when the evaluation process is to be developed and discussed. The inception phase will be finalized by an inception report where methodology and time plan should be presented. When the inception report is approved by SSNC, the assignment can continue.
The case studies, findings and analysis will be presented in a report together with the main conclusions from the case studies, overarching conclusions and recommendations. The report should provide answers to the questions listed above. The report will offer guidance to strategic decisions in the development of a new SSNC program. The final report should not be more than 30 pages.
Communication between SSNC and the consultant will be frequent, and a close cooperation is sought after.
· Documented experience from working with results/impact evaluation.
· Documented experience from working with environmental issues.
· Experience from evaluating gender mainstreaming or gender equality programs
· Experience from facilitating learning processes
· Fluent English in speaking, reading, and writing,
· Structured and analytical
· Capacity to produce a qualitative text.
· Relevant academic qualifications
· Experience from engagement with civil society organisations.
Additional demands
· The tenderer shall not be bankrupt, not be convicted for a work-related crime, not been proved guilty to serious misconduct nor have outstanding tax liabilities.
· Ensure that possible sub-contractors meet the additional demands in this section.
· Swedish tenderers shall have a so-called F-skattsedel. International tenderers shall assure that they will fulfil tax obligations in their home country.
· Swedish tenderers should have an environmental policy.
The assignment should preferably be finalized by 1st of December 2020.
The available budget for this assignment, including the sustainable consumption part**, is maximum 500 000 SEK, including VAT.**
Please note that the assignment starts with an inception phase, when the methodology and evaluation process will be discussed in detail, thus making it un-necessary with a comprehensive description of methodology.
The tender shall include:
· The consultant’s understanding in brief of the assignment.
· A brief description of the intended work procedure/methodology and time plan for the work.
· CV of proposed consultant(s).
· List of relevant former assignments.
· Contact information for two references.
· The fee for the assignment with specification of VAT, operational costs, hours to be devoted to the task and a payment plan. NB that VAT should be included.
· Affirmation of compliance with additional demands
Last day for submission of tender is the 17th of August 2020. The two most interesting tenders will be interviewed online in the end of August. The tenders will be assessed by a group consisting of three members of SSNC staff and the decision on the winning tender will be issued at the latest on the 31st of August.
During the 3th of July – 3rd of August the Global department is closed. Preparatory material for the deskstudy phase will be sent out when signing the contract in the beginning of September.
[1] Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Brazil, Ukraine, China, India, Indonesia, The Philippines
[2] Tanzania, Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia
This vacancy is archived.