RECONCILIATION AND REINTEGRATION PROJECT 2010-2012
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE END PROJECT EVALUATION
I. BACKGROUND International Alert is a 25-year old independent peacebuilding organisation. We work with people who are directly affected by violent conflict to improve their prospects of peace. And we seek to influence the policies and ways of working of governments, international organisations like the UN and multinational companies, to reduce conflict risk and increase the prospects of peace. We work in Africa, several parts of Asia, the South Caucasus, the Middle East and Latin America and have recently started work in the UK. Our policy work focuses on several key themes that influence prospects for peace and security – the economy, climate change, gender, the role of international institutions, the impact of development aid, and the effect of good and bad governance. International Alert has been active in Rwanda since 1996. An office was opened at the end of 2001 to provide technical support for partners and follow the implementation of the programme. Since 2007, International Alert has supported national reconciliation through a project entitled ‘Fostering social and economic reintegration and reconciliation in Rwanda’, which contributes to the reconciliation of Rwandans by improving the livelihoods of those most affected by the genocide, against the Tutsis, and its consequences Reconciliation and Reintegration is an initiative from International Alert jointly with 5 Rwandan NGOs namely PROFEMMES/TWESE HAMWE, DUTERIMBERE (not-for-profit), DUTERIMBERE Microfinance Institution, ARCT-RUHUKA and UMUSEKE. In 2010, these 6 organisations embarked on the second phase of this project with the support of the American People through USAID and that of German Ministry of Cooperation through MISEREOR. The project seeks solutions to the challenges identified across Rwanda, notably: - The ongoing mistrust and hatred between the families of genocide victims and the authors of genocide, - The lack of joint vision in the handling of the consequences of genocide and other problems of national interest such as the Gacaca Tribunals, reconciliation, the request and granting of pardon, the reinsertion of former prisoners guilty of genocide and former combatants, etc. - The persistence of a genocide ideology within Rwandan society, - Poverty that accentuates, or is accentuated by, the social and psychological vulnerability of a significant part of the population and the feeling of marginalisation.
This project focuses on how groups affected by the genocide and its consequences (survivors; ex-prisoners; ex-combatants; young people) can be given the opportunity to interact, thus building up trust and confidence between them and by identifying common ground for cooperation and co-existence through both dialogue and microfinance, these often conflicting groups can better understand and appreciate one another and will prefer to resolve conflicts peacefully. The project cooperates with various organisations including the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), IBUKA responsible for defending the rights of genocide survivors, the Rwandan Commission for the Demobilization and Reinsertion of former Combatants (RCRC) as well as the authorities from the project area composed of 8 sectors from 3 Districts; Dialogue Clubs for Peace (DCPs) created by the target groups and community/school facilitators selected from the target groups. Project objectives The Reconciliation and Reintegration project aim is to improve living conditions and reconciliation between groups (genocide survivors, former prisoners, ex-combatants and youth) by:
- Fostering reconciliation and promote tolerance and understanding within communities divided by conflict.
- Creating a culture of peace among the wider population, particularly young people, to alter attitudes about the costs of violence and the benefits of tolerance.
Areas and actors involved The project is being carried out in height sectors from 3 Districts, namely Kinyinya and Kimironko in Gasabo District; Save, Kigembe, Muganza and Mukindo Sectors from Gisagara District in South Province; Gatumba and Nyange from Ngororero District, West Province. The partnership with the 5 Rwandan NGOs mentioned above is based on a shared vision of objectives, results and activities, as well as collective management through the coordination committee set up to this end. The Committee meets monthly to share the project progress, the results achieved and coordinate plans. This committee is chaired by PROFEMMES/TWESE HAMWE while minutes are taken by rotation. The project relies on relays known as ‘Community and school Facilitators’ elected by members of the target groups made up of genocide survivors, former combatants, former prisoners and young people. These community/school facilitators intervene in facilitating the reconciliation process between the target groups through Dialogue Clubs for Peace, trauma therapy groups and solidarity groups for microfinance services.
II. OBJECTIVES OF THE EXTERNAL EVALUATION This external evaluation aims to simultaneously bring a retrospective and a prospective view of the project relevance, effectiveness and efficiency.. This implies - Facilitate a critical analysis on the pertinence of the project's objectives, taking into account the Rwandan evolving context as well as the expectations and priorities of the target group; - Check the coherence of the approach against expected results; - Identify and assess achievements and significant progress, overall and of each component in particular, including any unexpected outcomes, either positive or negative - Examine the experience gained in reconciliation in the pilot zone; - Examine the project's strengths and weaknesses; - Draw the main lessons in terms of best practices in the project; - Draw conclusions and recommendations in regard to extending or expanding the project and any changes required to its operation.
III. EVALUATORS The team of evaluators will include two external consultants, one hired on a local contract and the other on an international one. The latter will play the lead role; therefore he/she will be mandated to coordinate the evaluation and will also be in charge of the report.
Consultants profiles The international/lead consultant should: • Possess a Master’s degree in social sciences • Possess a good knowledge of 'peace building' field in general and particularly in connection to the Rwandan context; • Possess a good knowledge of programme management; • Proven experience in programme evaluation (have done at least three evaluations of peace building programmes or projects) • Possess a critical mind and be capable of writing reports
• Knowledge of economics and peace and/or psycho-social rehabilitation and peace would be an asset
The international consultant should be independent of the project and be able to collect and combine the points of view of the various stakeholders. The local Consultant or Assistant Consultant is required to have: - Possess a University degree in social sciences - Conducted evaluation in the field of unity and reconciliation; - Knowledge on projects planning and management; - Proven ability to facilitate group discussions and be capable of synthesising people's opinions; - Ability to carry out a critical and objective analysis.
The assessment of consultants falls to International Alert together with the project's Coordination Committee based on the technical and financial proposal and the consultants' CV.
IV. METHODOLOGY Consultants should refer to the project documentation and any other document concerning the project. Consultants are advised to hold a series of meetings, particularly with the organisations in charge of the project and the team directly involved in its implementation including community and school facilitators; direct and indirect beneficiaries of the services provided by the project in the 8 administrative sectors; the authorities and the technicians in the zone of intervention and the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission; the Rwanda Commission for the demobilisation and reinsertion of former combatants (RCRC) ; IBUKA and other resource persons. If possible, the senior evaluator should expect to meet the Democracy and Governance Team at USAID as well as the Great Lakes Team at MISEREOR before and/or after carrying out the fieldwork. An analysis will be made of the various data collected and a report drawn up. Two stages for restitution of findings are scheduled; one at the start of report preparation and another once the first draft has been completed. The final document will take into account observations/comments put forward during the restitution session. The evaluation will therefore be broken down into three main stages, namely: 1. Preparatory groundwork: • Discussion on the terms of reference with International Alert • Review of literature/documentation • Interview of staff involved in the implementation of the project's activities within Pro-Femmes/Twese Hamwe, Duterimbere (not-for-profit), Arct/Ruhuka, Duterimbere MFI Ltd, Umuseke and International Alert
Gather data in the field • Interview Community/school Facilitators • Interview local authorities (Districts + Sectors) • Interview target groups • Interview other stakeholders in the national reconciliation process
Report • Initial feedback and discussion on the report outline with the project's coordination committee • International consultant draws up the report using English (with the approval of the local consultant) • Report is presented and handed over to International Alert • Finalisation: amendments, additions and annexes are added • Formal submission of final report to International Alert
V. TIMING AND ORGANISATIONAL ASPECTS The evaluation mission will be carried out early October 2012. The consultancy will be for a maximum of 35 person/days; 25 days for the international consultant and 10 days for the local (assistant) consultant. The deadline for handing in the final report will be 15 November 2012 at the latest.
Potential International candidates for this evaluation are invited to submit their technical and financial proposals no later than 31st August 2012 at 5pm to Jean Bosco Siborurema at jbsiborurema@international-alert.org
Potential International candidates for this evaluation are invited to submit their technical and financial proposals no later than 31st August 2012 at 5pm to Jean Bosco Siborurema at jbsiborurema@international-alert.org
No comments: