Consultant

Description:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Assignment Description

IRC is implementing the "Building Resilience of Afghan Refugees and Host Communities through Integrated Protection, Health and Education Assistance in Balochistan Province" project in Killa Abdullah, Chaman, and Pishin Districts, funded by ECHO and aligned with the Afghan Regional Refugee Plan (RRP) 2024–25. In response to limited community access and inadequate public services, the project delivers integrated protection, education, and health support to Afghan refugees and host communities, including men, women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Protection services include case management, GBV and child protection, cash for protection, and community protection committees. Education support enrolls children in ALPs with transitions to formal schools, backed by trained teachers and parent engagement. Health services cover primary care, MNCH/BEmONC, MHPSS, nutrition, immunization, and facility rehabilitation through government health facilities.

2.1 Assignment one: Closing Project ( Endline Evaluation)

IRC is implementing the “Building Resilience of Afghan Refugees and Host Communities through Integrated Protection, Health and Education Assistance in Balochistan Province” project in Killa Abdullah, Chaman, and Pishin Districts, funded by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) Office. The project is aligned with the Afghan Regional Refugee Plan (RRP) 2024–25 and targets 460,237 unique clients, comprising 60% Afghan refugees and 40% host population.

The project is implemented with two sub-partners: Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF), supporting health services across 8 health facilities, and Taraqee Foundation (TF), supporting education across 71 Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) centres. Protection programming includes Women and Girls Safe Spaces, helpdesks, hub centres, and community protection committees

The Four Key Results Are

 Provision of protection services to prevent and respond to violence and lifesaving assistance.
 Increased accessibility and availability of essential, lifesaving quality healthcare services.
 Improved access to safe, inclusive, and quality education through formal and non-formal services.
 Crisis Modifier for rapid response to onset emergencies across Pakistan.

2.2 Assignment Two: Starting Project (New Project —Baseline Evaluation)

A new ECHO-funded project building on the gains of the completed project is commencing in the same three districts (Killa Abdullah, Chaman, Chaghi, and Pishin) of Balochistan. While operating in different villages/communities from the ongoing project, the new project retains the same integrated thematic focus across protection, health, and education for Afghan refugees and host communities, and uses a substantially overlapping indicator framework.

The baseline evaluation of this new project is required at the outset to: (a) establish verified baseline values for all key outcome and result indicators; (b) characterize the current situation of target communities; and (c) provide a foundation against which mid-term and endline evaluations will be measured.

Purpose of the Endline EVALUATION

The Combined Assignment Serves Two Complementary Purposes

Assignment 1 (Endline): To conduct an independent, objective, and evidence-based endline evaluation assessing the overall performance, achievements, and impact of the project across protection, health, and education components in the three target districts.
Assignment 2 (Baseline): To establish a rigorous, credible, and comprehensive baseline for the new ECHO-funded project, generating verified starting values for all key indicators and characterizing the socioeconomic, health, education, and protection status of target communities in the new project villages.

Specific Objectives

Endline Evaluation

Determine the extent to which planned results were achieved across protection, health, and education sectors.
Assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact of project interventions.
Examine the contribution of the project to strengthening health and education systems through integrated protection services and referral mechanisms engaging government and non-government stakeholders.
Assess the post-IFRP situation and its impact on achieving project goals, and the current Afghan refugee situation.
Identify lessons learned and good practices to inform future programming in the context of Afghan refugees.
Provide actionable recommendations for sustaining and scaling up successful approaches beyond the project’s lifespan.

Baseline Evaluation

Establish verified baseline values for all key outcome indicators (KOIs) and key result indicators (KRIs) of the new project.
Document the current protection, health, and education situation of target communities in the new project villages.
Identify existing gaps, risks, and vulnerabilities among Afghan refugees and host communities in the new villages.
Provide a reference point for measuring progress at mid-term and endline stages of the new project.
Offer early recommendations to inform project implementation and adaptive management.

The consultant will undertake both assignments as an integrated engagement while producing separate deliverables. The geographic scope covers Killa Abdullah, Chaghi, Chaman, and Pishin Districts in Balochistan Province, Pakistan, with distinct community/village-level sampling for each assignment.

Methodology

The Consultant Is Expected To Propose a Clear, Practical, And Ethically Grounded Methodological Framework For Both Assignments. While An Integrated Fieldwork Approach Is Encouraged For Efficiency, The Two Assignments Must Maintain Distinct Analytical Frameworks, Sampling Strategies, And Reporting Outputs. The Methodology Shall Address The Following Elements For Each Assignment

Evaluation/study design: outline the overall design and approach for each assignment.
Mixed-methods approach: combining quantitative surveys (household/individual level) with qualitative methods (focus group discussions, key informant interviews, case studies) as appropriate.
Sampling strategy: separate sampling frames for the project villages (endline) and new project villages (baseline), ensuring statistical representativeness and purposive inclusion of key subgroups.
Data collection tools: survey questionnaires, FGD guides, KII guides, and observation checklists tailored to each assignment’s indicators and questions.
Data quality assurance: pre-testing, enumerator training, supervision protocols, and data validation procedures.
Data analysis framework: quantitative analysis aligned with indicator targets; thematic qualitative analysis.
Ethical standards: informed consent, confidentiality, do-no-harm, child protection and GBV safeguarding protocols must be strictly applied.
Reporting structure: separate inception, draft, and final reports for each assignment (see Section 8).