Project title: Right Here Right Now (RHRN) programme end-term evaluation

Duration  Approx. 15 days between Sept – November 2020

Countries/regions: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Bolivia, >Honduras & Caribbean region

Background

Aim of consultancy: YUWA and the international evaluation team seek: a national level consultant to carry out in-country interviews and draft a Story of Change (SOC) in Nepal as part of a larger external evaluation of the Right Here Right Now (RHRN) Programme.

At the global level, Right Here Right Now is a strategic partnership between Rutgers (lead), the Asian-pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality (CHOICE , Dance4life, HIVOS, International Planned Parenthood Federation African Region (IPPF AR), the Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Health Network (LACWHN) and the Netherlands

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The programme’s implementation period is five years: from 2016 to 2020. The overall goal of the Right Here Right Now (RHRN) programme is respect for, and protection and fulfilment of the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people. The programme is implemented in 10 low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and in the Caribbean sub-region. The programme focuses on: freedom from stigma, discrimination and violence access to comprehensive youth-friendly services; access to comprehensive information; and space for young people’s voices. The RHRN programme is developed around two key strategies: advocacy and capacity strengthening for advocacy. At the national level, each country involved has formed an advocacy platform (a coalition of different CSOs) to achieve its own aims.

Wereld in Woorden Global Research and Reporting (WIW), a Netherlands based consultancy firm (also the international evaluation team), is currently carrying out the overall external end-term evaluation of the RHRN programme (2016-2020). The end-term evaluation will assess the relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of the RHRN programme, and will identify lessons for learning and adaptation This evaluation will be carried out at all levels of programme implementation: national, regional and international level.

At country-level, together with a national consultant in each country/region, the international consultants will develop in 10 country-based stories plus 1 story on the linkages different programme levels 11 stories of change (SOC) in total. The SOC will be based on document study and interviews with external stakeholders and relevant RHRN programme staff and platform CSOs.

For Nepal, YUWA and the international evaluation team from WIW are looking for a national consultant with good writing skills to carry out in-country interviews and write a Story of Change (SOC) about a selected outcome in Nepal. Details concerning this assignment are listed below.

Purpose of the consultancy

The national consultant is expected to carry out in-country research (desk study and interviews) and deliver a well-written Story of Change.

Stories of Change: Stories of change are in-depth, lively presentations of a change process, using journalistic narrative techniques (like quotes, reportage, dialogue, monologue). A Story of Change will usually not be shorter than 1,000 words and not longer than 2,000 words. If possible, the story will include pictures and/or other visual aids. The stories focus on the change processes leading to the outcome. This will provide insight in the ‘how’ of change processes and the contribution of several actors, including those involved in the programme. By their narrative and lively character, Stories of Change are transparent and easy to read, explaining the event in the language of those who have been involved.

Each country-based story will shed light on a specific aspect of the RHRN programme and bring the programme to life. The national consultants will be responsible for preparing and conducting in-depth mostly open interviews with national stakeholders involved in the change that is the topic of the story. For each Story of Change some 5 to 10 interviews are expected. The in-depth interviews will include questions that relate to effectiveness, relevance, sustainability of the change process.

Interviewees will include project officers (from the platform and/or CSO), lobby targets and other actors involved in or targeted with the intervention (e.g. media, other CSOs, civil servants, influencers etc).

Wherever possible and relevant (especially in light of Covid-19), the national consultant will visit the people and/or sites that have played a crucial role in the interventions. By doing so he/she will get a feel of the ‘playing field’. This will contribute to a lively and detailed description of the lobby process and circumstances. If not possible to carry out face-to-face interviews, the consultant will interview the stakeholder via telephone or an online meeting tool (e.g. Skype).

In addition, the national consultant will conduct desk research to provide background and context to the story. The local consultants will write the context paragraph of the story and they will draft an outline of the story itself, including drafts of elements that may be integrated in the story-line (e.g. quotes descriptions, dialogues etc). The national consultant will also collect and/or produce visual material to be presented with the story: simple pictures (of interviewees), posters, newspaper-clippings infographics etc). The consultant will adhere to ethical procedures of data collection, such as acquiring informed consent.

This material, together with transcripts of the interviews, will be handed over to the international consultants The international consultants will review the first draft and return it with feedback. The national consultant is expected to write a second draft based on the first review. The international consultants will edit the context paragraph and add a paragraph with an analysis of the place of the story with the strategic lenses and within the TOC.

The PMEL focal points will introduce the national consultant to the national programme and support the process of sharing contact details and connecting with external stakeholders. The PMEL focal points will brief the national consultant on the context of the topic of the story, including any sensitivities power differentials within the platform (if any) as well as security issues that might hamper the evaluation.

Scope of work

The main tasks of the consultant are as follows:

• Participating in an (online) training on the methodology (2 working days; spread out over multiple days) around (mid-)September 2020 with the international consultant(s)
• Studying programme documentation
• Identifying and contacting the (5-10) external and internal stakeholders to interview
• Carrying out the interviews (transcripts will be sent to international consultants); and taking photos or collecting other visual materials (e.g. newspaper clips).
• Contributing to regular updates with the international consultant(s)
• nalysis and writing a compelling Story of Change (SOC) of max 2,000 words.

Planning & availability: Approx. 15 days between mid-September – November 2020
Region country of origin: Consultants are preferably from or based in Nepal
Region country of work: Nepal
Travel: Data-collection will be in consultants’ home country/region, with national travel depending on situation and availability of respondents.

Expected Deliverable

• A well-written Story of Change (SOC) report (in English), including a context description and describing the change process of a selected outcome of the RHRN programme.
• Transcripts of the interviews;
• Visual materials collected, such as photos.

The national consultant will work closely with and report to the international consultants. In order to ensure consistency in data collection among all national consultants, a global (online) training will be organised at the start of the assignment.

At the national level, the PMEL focal point of the RHRN platform will be the main contact person. National consultants will be contracted by YUWA.

• Proven narrative writing experience (storytelling/reporting/communications). You may be asked to show a piece that you have written as part of the recruitment process.
• High level (written) proficiency in English and Nepali is required.
• Affinity or experience with SRHR/human rights/youth participation, and in lobby and
• advocacy (policy influencing) is an asset.
• Experience in conducting qualitative research, including key informant interviews, is an asset.
• Ability to commit to at least 15 working days between September and November 2020.

Furthermore, national consultants should not have a Conflict of Interest, e.g. involvement in implementation of the RHRN programme in the last 5 years and should have a progressive stance on sexual and reproductive health and rights, specifically young people’s sexual rights and diversity.

In addition, we require all consultants to embrace the following key principles/values: human rights- based approach, inclusivity and diversity, youth/LGBTIQ participation and gender transformation. Furthermore selected candidates will be asked to sign and endorse the confidentiality code of conduct – in order to assure safeguarding and confidentiality of all information and respondents involved in this evaluation.

• At least 5 years of relevant working experience (civil society organisation (CSO)/ research /PME / independent consultancy / communications / journalism).
• A University Degree in the field of Social Sciences, Public Health or International Development is an asset.