END TERM ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROJECT "STRENGTHENING CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEMS IN RWANDA: IN THREE REFUGEE CAMPS AND IN GATSIBO DISTRICT "

AVSI in Rwanda (www.avsi.org) would like to realize a consultancy to assess the impact of the project STRENGTHENING CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEMS IN RWANDA: IN THREE REFUGEE CAMPS AND IN GATSIBO DISTRICT, implemented in 11 sectors of Gatsibo District and 3 refugee camps (Kiziba, Nyabiheke and Gihembe) during the period October 2010 to June 2013

Background and Context AVSI Foundation is a global NGO with its HQ in Italy. Its mission is to support human development in developing countries according to the social teaching of the Catholic Church: every person, as a unique being, should not be reduced to a number within anonymous categories like “the poor, the sick, and the disabled”. Furthermore, any person and any community represent a resource, regardless of their vulnerability. This is why AVSI works to help people in becoming aware of their own value and dignity. AVSI is involved in more than 100 cooperation projects in 38 developing countries worldwide. AVSI’s main activity areas are socio-education, urban development, healthcare, labor, agriculture, food security and water, energy and environment, humanitarian emergency and migration, reaching more than 4.000.000 direct beneficiaries. AVSI has been in Rwanda since 1994. The main office is located in Kigali in addition to five field offices in Since October 2010, AVSI has partnered with UNICEF to implement the project "Strengthening Child Protection Systems in Rwanda: In Three Refugee Camps and in Gatsibo District ". This project is the second phase of a pilot project between AVSI and UNICEF to introduce a system’s approach to Child Protection at the local level in Rwanda. The pilot project aims to build the capacity and improve coordination of key formal and informal actors in child protection in Gatsibo and the refugee camps to establish and maintain effective child protection systems to better address challenges such as violence, exploitation, abuse or neglect of any child. The second phase of the pilot project aims to build on the approach initiated and build on the momentum established towards further strengthening the system towards a sustainable and holistic approach to child protection in these areas. Three complementary areas of intervention continue to need attention: (1) Protection that will aim to foster a clear framework of regulation and supervision to ensure that the interests of children are protected, (2) Prevention that will aim to reinforce the capacities of the community and refugees for its commitment to build a safe and protective environment for all children, particularly vulnerable children who are at risk of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, (3) Response which aims to improve the holistic rehabilitation services for child victims of abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation. Component 1: Gatsibo district: The goal of the component is to guarantee the optimal safety and protection of children in Gatsibo District and to ensure that holistic rehabilitation services for children victim of violence are in place. To achieve this AVSI has focused on strengthening the capacity of local authorities and key Child Protection actors to strengthen the child protection system, which has enabled them to take greater responsibility of the problems of child protection in their own community. Child protection commissions were established in JADF at sectors level in order to facilitate the coordination of interventions through the development of a common action plans based on sectors priorities. The main goal is to integrate child protection in District priorities, so that after AVSI's intervention, the District itself is able to plan, to implement and monitor child protection activities or to advocate for it whenever necessary. Component 2: Refugees camps: Nyabiheke, Gihembe and Kiziba: The objective of the component is to improve the capacities of refugee community in Rwanda to enhance the safety and security of children in refugee settings. Further, the project aims to ensure that care models and holistic rehabilitation services for survivors of child rights abuses are in place. Protection of children against violence requires a holistic approach with the involvement of all stakeholders in and around the camps. This is the logic behind the establishment of Child Protection Systems, which comprise different structures and mechanisms that work with the common goal of creating a safe protective environment for all children living in refugee settings. In order to respond to children who have been violated in a holistic coordinated approach, AVSI has collaborated with the relevant stakeholders in medical, justice, security and psycho-social services existing in the camps to properly address child protection issues. The assessment of these two components is expected to identify lessons learned, achievements made, and any gaps in the program implementation compared to the outcomes stated in the project document after two years of implementation. The findings would contribute to develop recommendations on how these lessons learned could inform future programming and how gaps can be addressed to overcome in future implementation. Further, it seeks to assess the level of sustainability of the initiatives, and draw lessons from the CPS approach to date in the two areas to provide guidance to AVSI and UNICEF for future implementations of interventions to strengthen local child protection efforts in Rwanda.

Specifically, the assessment will answer the following key questions:

Effectiveness: i. Did the program achieve its outcomes/objectives as planned in the project agreement with UNICEF? ii. Did the interventions contribute to strengthening the Child Protection System in the specific project locations? iii. How effective and relevant are the implementation methodologies used by AVSI in terms of inputs, process and outputs?

Sustainability: i. What is the level of impact of the program in terms of sustained results? ii. What mechanisms were/are put in place to promote government and local ownership for long-term sustainability, including building stakeholders’ capacity to manage the child protection system mechanism set in place?

Lessons Learned and recommendations: i. What specific factors contributed to delays or difficulties if any in implementation and how might these be addressed in the future? ii. Are there any examples of good practice or especially sustainable innovative approaches developed under the initiative which should be highlighted? iii. Provide recommendations for future ways of monitoring the interventions and results of the program. iv. Identify any gaps in the program and provide recommendations on how those gaps could be overcome in future construction programs. v. Assess the level of sustainability of the initiatives, and draw lessons from the program to provide guidance to future interventions.

Products/Deliverables • An inception report on how the assessment will be conducted including a detailed time frame and budget • Assessment tools developed to collect information during the field visits, interviews, focus group discussions and observations. • Draft report prepared and shared with AVSI/UNICEF • Final assessment report (Maximum 40 pages) addressing the specific assessment questions outlined in this ToR, including executive summary with key findings. • Power point presenting key findings

Skills and background required; (a) Extensive knowledge of, and experience in assessment: applying qualitative and quantitative assessment methods; and in data analysis skills (b) 5- 7 years’ experience working in the area of child protection (c) Experience in designing and leading evaluations/assessments;
(d) Language proficiency in English a must, French is added value; (e) Experience with conducting assessments in various cultural settings and knowledge of Rwanda socio-cultural context is an asset.

How to apply:

Applicants should: Submit an application stating their interest in and qualifications for the position (in English) to kigali@avsi.org ;

The deadline for the deposit is fixed at May 31st, 2013