Final Evaluation consultancy

Assignment title: Final Evaluation ConsultancyArea of intervention: SudanLength: 30 days of work during the period of April-AugustType of contract: ConsultancyRemuneration: Depending on seniorityDeadline to apply: March 20, 2026Promediation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization (under the French law of 1901), led by professionals who combine high-level expertise in mediation and negotiation with extensive field experience in Africa. Involved in various processes since 2006, the team has been working since 2012 in support of peace processes and conflict prevention efforts in Africa, particularly in the Sahel and the Maghreb, but also in the Gulf of Guinea.Promediation is looking for a consultant to implement an evaluation on a mediation project in SudanCONTEXT OF THE ACTIONTensions have increased in Darfur and East Sudan as a result of the conflict which broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023 between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Darfur and East Sudan are key, strategic regions, which have been affected heavily by the conflict, including through armed violence (Darfur), increase in intercommunal tensions and militarisation dynamics (East Sudan and Darfur).Darfur, along with Khartoum, has been the region most affected by the fighting and violence, resulting in several thousand casualties and more than one million displaced. The situation there is characterised by the collapse of law and order and the proliferation of competing armed actors. The RSF are the dominant armed actor, having taken control of four of the five Darfur states. The SAF retain a presence in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, and some small, remote garrisons. Several armed movements also have a heavy military presence in Darfur, including signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) and non-signatories.In the East the SAF have engaged in large-scale, tribal-based recruitment amongst several communities of East Sudan, in particular Nuba and Masalit in Gedaref. SAF’s recruitment in the region on a tribal basis and reliance on local militia leaders are contributing to a “militarisation” of the communities in East Sudan, including the dissemination of light weapons amongst civilians. The war and the competition between SAF and RSF for local support, in particular SAF’s alliances with some local tribes, have fuelled intercommunal tensions, as well as tensions between some of the communities and warring parties.THE PROJECTPromediation has been working in Sudan since 2019, focusing our activities on supporting the peace process in Darfur and in Eastern Sudan, and the country’s democratic transition.This project, “Supporting local dialogue initiatives for mitigation of tensions in Darfur and East Sudan”, ran from March 1, 2024, to November 30, 2025, under the contracting authority of European Union’s Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI).In this context, Promediation has developed an Action aimed to contribute to the mitigation of tensions in Darfur and East Sudan by supporting local dialogue processes driven by local stakeholders. In the conduct of its operations and in the face of a highly volatile national situation, Promediation regularly assessed new political and security developments and amended its programmes accordingly. Overall, the activities carried out were devoted to accomplishing a set of three key objectives:1. Ensuring the capacitation of targeted Darfurian armed groups on not engaging in fighting2. Ensuring capacity building for key local mediators3. Supporting the formation of several local coexistence initiatives OBJECTIVESThe purpose of this consultancy is to assess the results achieved by the project through a final evaluation. The purpose of this study is to collect various data to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the impact of the project on local mediation initiatives and target groups engagement in the areas of intervention and the perception of the project by all the actors involved.The specific objectives of the evaluation will be to i) assess the progress made towards the achievement of the expected results of the project, ii) assess the relevance of the theory of change (the logic of the approach) proposed by the project, as well as its effectiveness and efficiency, iii) evaluate the level of satisfaction of the various key players with the project itself and the results achieved, iv) identify the main lessons to be learned from the implementation of the project, as well as good practices that can be replicated. This last point requires particular attention from the evaluator, in order to benefit the organization's potential future projects.RESPONSIBILITIESWith this in mind, the consultant will be tasked with:• Developing research tools to assess the perception and satisfaction of target groups. These tools and questionnaires will be implemented by the consultant during its interviews with target groups and key interlocutors• Undertaking a mission to the region (Sudan if the situation allows it, Uganda, Egypt, etc.) to conduct semi-structured interviews with the target groups as well as interviews (KIIs) with key interlocutors in the implementation of the project. To do this, a mission to the region of about 10 days is to be expected. Transportation and living costs are not covered directly by Promediation and should therefore be included in the financial offer proposal. For stakeholders not available to meet in person, the consultant will carry out phone interviews.• Analyse all the data collected to identify trends and new areas of priority action for the future• Work in collaboration with the rest of the team to aggregate existing data.• Write the external evaluation study and present the conclusions to the Promediation team.• Knowledge of mediation and mediation work is an asset.EVALUATION QUESTIONSThis final evaluation should answer the following questions:A. Relevance• Are the interventions relevant to the context?• Do the objectives and expected results meet the needs of the target populations?• Is the results framework (indicators) defined relevant and suitable for measuring results?B. Effectiveness• Have the expected results been achieved?• What are the external factors that contributed to the achievement or not of the Outcomes?• What are the main difficulties encountered and what are the causes?C. Efficiency• To what extent have the resources (financial, human and informational) invested in the implementation of the activities been used in an optimal manner with regard to the results achieved? Were the resources sufficient in relation to the results achieved?D. Sustainability• What was the degree of ownership of the project by local authorities and/or communities?• To what extent will the positive changes in the field continue in the future?• To what extent have national capacities been strengthened? If so, at what level?E. Cross-Cutting Themes• To what extent has the project contributed to the promotion of gender in the interventions?• To what extent has the project contributed to the social inclusion of groups usually excluded from decision-making processes and consultation mechanisms?• Has the project contributed to the promotion of women's participation in the activities in question?METHODOLOGY AND EXPECTED DELIVERABLESMETHODOLOGYThe international consultant will decide on a combination of qualitative and quantitative method for data collection and analysis.* The project documents will be submitted to the international consultant for a documentary review: project document, minutes of meetings, monitoring and evaluation framework, various work plans, periodic reports, mission reports. * Data collection and data analysis will be done by the consultant and will aim to consult stakeholder groups at the community level. * Key informant interviews: the assessment should include interviews with key project stakeholders in the region, institutional partners, civil society experts, key project staff. * Structured and semi-structured telephone interviews: project staff and key informants residing outside the country can be approached by telephone, e-mail. Evaluators can also use these tools for other data collection.EXPECTED DELIVERABLESThe main deliverables of this evaluation are:• Work plan: the consultant will have to produce a simple document which presents the understanding of the mandate, methodology to be followed, distribution of tasks between the members of the team and chronogram of the intervention. This document will be based on initial consultations with the Promediation team to refine the methodology. This document will be submitted to Promediation for approval at the start of the consultancy.• Presentation of quantitative and qualitative collection tools• Weekly note: a regular progress report to update on the progress of the work, review the work plan if necessary, and identify the questions to be resolved during the duration of the consultancy. This weekly note will be brief and not exceed 1-2 page(s).• Presentation of preliminary results and draft evaluation report: the evaluator will make a presentation of the preliminary results to the Promediation team and submit a draft report for comments.• Final evaluation report: the Promediation team will take a maximum of 10 days to consolidate their comments for the evaluator, who will have a maximum of 10 days to finalize the report including a summary in English.SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED* Master's degree or equivalent in humanities or other relevant fields with a minimum of 5 years' professional experience * A minimum of 5 years of professional experience specifically in managing and conducting evaluations of peace and security, social cohesion, stabilization and peacebuilding projects. * Ability to demonstrate experience with formal and informal approaches to data collection and analysis. * Good understanding of the political-security context and dynamics in Sudan, good understanding of dynamics in Darfur. * Acute interpersonal skills, ability to establish a relationship of trust with interlocutors, open to change, able to receive and integrate feedback. * Fluency in Arabic would be an asset.HOW TO APPLYTo apply, please send the following documents to Promediation, [email protected], before March 20th, 23.59 (Paris time):* A résumé * A technical proposal indicating the understanding of the Terms of Reference, the proposed evaluation methodology, the evaluation matrix, a draft work plan. * A document of maximum 2 pages detailing the missions that the consultant has carried out in the past and that he/she considers the most relevant in relation to these terms of reference. * A financial offer