Introduction and background

VCA Tunisia is seeking a Monitoring & Evaluation Expert specialising in Outcome Harvesting (OH) to take on the role of OH consultant for the Voices for Just Climate Action program in the country. The OH consultant is expected to support country teams using this methodology to monitor the program results and provide advisory support to the regional team (RT) and designated outcome harvest coordinators in Tunisia.

About the VCA program

The VCA program is a Lobby and Advocacy program being implemented by the Worldwide Fund for Nature Netherlands (WWF-Nl), SouthSouthNorth (SSN), Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA), Slum Dwellers International (SDI), Fundación Avina and Hivos under the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ five-year strategic partnership: “Power of Voices”.

The VCA program aims to ensure that by 2025, local civil society and underrepresented groups will have taken on a central role as creators, facilitators, and advocates of innovative and inclusive climate solutions. The program’s overall approach is to work with civil society to build widespread societal support for locally shaped climate solutions through an inclusive and rights-based approach. This includes building a broad-based climate alliance at the country level, bridging divides (urban-rural, gender, youth) that amplify voices in unusual ways. In addition, it will influence national and global policies and financial flows (e.g., climate finance, private sector investments) in support of these locally shaped solutions. Finally, through a climate justice approach, the program intends to see an expanded civic space where civil society voices, particularly indigenous and marginalised people, are heard on climate action.

VCA PMEL Approach

VCA has adopted Outcome Harvesting as one of its monitoring approaches. This is based on the understanding that the conventional monitoring and evaluation approach, where Project process/performance is usually measured against pre-defined indicators, would not sufficiently monitor the program processes and results. In complex environments, VCA is operating in; however, results and the paths to achieve them are largely unpredictable, and relations between causes and effects are not necessarily linear or clear. In addition, the situations VCA is intervening are usually characterised by a range of stakeholders who do not necessarily agree on the problem or the solution (so-called ‘wicked’ or complex issues).

The objective of the assignment

The objective of the assignment is to provide support to the country teams and VCA partners in Tunisia to implement Outcome Harvesting processes to monitor, evaluate and obtain learnings for the program at a country level.

Scope of work

VCA is seeking the service of a consultant to work alongside the harvester coordinators to support the rollout of OH in their country, facilitate outcome write shops, and review and provide feedback on outcome statements.

It is important to note that the Harvesters’ Coordinators are responsible for implementing outcomes harvesting processes at country levels. This includes training harvesters, facilitating outcome write shops, reviewing and feedback on outcome statements, classification and storing outcomes, and sense-making workshops. The role of the consultant is to provide support to RT and the harvest coordinators in implementing the outcome harvesting at a county level.
this would include to

• Deliver training for the outcome harvesters at a country level using VCA OH guidelines and OH training materials
• Provide advice to the Harvest Coordinators on every step of the outcome harvesting cycle (six steps of OH) based on expressed needs
• Support the outcome harvesting writing shops and drafting outcome statements (the role of facilitation should be left to Harvest Coordinators
• Support Harvest Coordinators to finalise the outcome statements by reviewing (check for correctness completeness of statement) and providing feedback on outcome statements to harvesters
• Check and approve with the regional team the significance and relevance of harvested outcomes to ensure the quality of outcomes
• Provide advice to Harvest Coordinators and Regional Teams through the substantiation processes as external to/independent provide feedback to a sample of the outcome descriptions and contributions.
• Support the Harvest Coordinators and Regional Teams in the analysis and interpretation of the outcome statements
• Translation of VCA OH Guideline and training materials (English to French)

Deliverables for the assignment

A needs assessment will guide the deliverables to implement the OH in Tunisia program and delivery plan. Once there is an agreement with RT on the exact support required, the consultant will report on preparations, and delivery, for each agreed activity.

The deliverables for the assignment could include:

• Inception report including the outcomes of the needs assessment to implement the OH in Tunisia program and delivery plan in the English language
• Translation of the VCA OH guideline and training materials (30 mages max)
• Three days of outcome harvesting training delivered
• Advisory support to regional team and harvest coordinators provided on harvesting writing shops, review and feedback on outcome statements to harvesters
• Database of the collected outcomes using the excel file shared by the OH global trainer

Reporting

The Outcome Harvest Consultant will be working with Regional Teams and Harvest coordinators; however, for streamlined and clarity in reporting, reporting will be directed to regional team focal points assigned for the OH process. For additional guidance and alignment with the global program, the consultant will participate in potential events/meetings that might be conducted by the global team.

Applications

The VCA alliance encourages applications from consultants with relevant expertise, experience, network and relationships with a proven track record of working with partnerships and coalitions.

Who is eligible to apply?

• An advanced university degree (at least a master’s degree) in Public Policy, Economics, International Development Studies, or any related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience related to public policy or international development
• The consultant will need to be based in Tunisia and possibly be willing to travel locally.
• An applicant with English and French proficiency.
• Arabic will be an asset. (Must be ready to deliver the training sessions in French)
• An applicant with the relevant experience and capacity to take on this role
• Have a track record of delivering outcome harvesting training and providing OH support to organisations
• Have prior experience carrying out activities in priority areas related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, including (desertification, water, food security and sovereignty, deforestation, coastline, energy, policy

Application submission

Duration: 12 months – 12 working days
Submission deadline: 30/4/2022
Proposed start date of the assignment: 20/5/2022

To apply, kindly complete the below requirements and send documents to grantsmena@hivos.org and cc:
eguezzi@hivos.org
hbaccouche@wwfna.org
nyakato@akinamamawaafrika.org
lumonya@akinamamawaafrika.org
yared@southsouthnorth.org
tiffany@southsouthnorth.org

a) CV
b) Cover Letter
c) Technical offer including the methodology, the work plan and the schedule of implementation
d) Financial offer: rate per working day, VAT if applicable, per deliverable
e) Professional references in relation to OH former assignments
f) Certificate to proof OH expertise

For further information, questions or clarifications, please get in touch with yared@southsouthnorth.org