Cameroon: National Evaluation Consultancy - Evaluation of the Response to the L2 Humanitarian Crisis in Cameroon (2 Cameroon-based)

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Background

The population in both North-West and South-West represents nearly 17% of Cameroun’s total population. The perceived marginalization of the English-speaking population has been a feature of the economic and political dynamics since the country became independent (1960), reunified (1966) unified (1972) and centralized (1984). Geographically, these two regions cover 16,364 square kilometers out of the country’s total area of 475,442 square kilometers.

Before the conflict broke out, the South-West region played an important role in the national economy, especially with industrial agriculture and trans-border trade with Nigeria. Part of Cameroon’s crude oil, which accounts for one twelfth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), is pumped from wells located offshore of the South-West region (NW/SW). Since October 2016, historically rooted frustrations among the NW/SW population morphed into political demands, leading to protests and strikes (political demonstrations were organized against the Government of Cameroon around mostly issues of education and language). On October 1 2017, secessionists unilaterally declared the independence of the putative state of Ambazonia, leading to further deterioration of the conflict. This seemingly vicious cycle has led to unprecedented levels of violence in South-West and North-West regions. Since the start of the conflict, over 457,000 (UNOCHA estimations) people have been displaced within the two regions and the neighboring Littoral and West regions. Within the NW/SW regions, it is estimated that 60% of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are taking refuge in the forest, while 40% living in the urban/peri-urban settings. As the majority of the people affected are agriculturalists or agro-pastoralists, their displacement has resulted in the depletion/destruction of their livelihoods creating large financial burdens and also psychological distress. For those living in the urban/peri-urban setting, most displaced persons are staying with host families, whose means of survival are already stretched due to the crisis. With the displacements becoming prolonged, the situation is on the brim of an even greater crisis.

Health facilities, schools and other providers of social services have been targeted by both parties to the conflict. The conflict has dealt a devastating blow to education. Over 80 per cent of schools are closed or non-operational, affecting more than 609,000 children (Government of Cameroun, 2018). Schools have been targeted – at least 74 have been destroyed so far – and students, teachers and school personnel have been exposed to violence, abduction and intimidation. Education has become politized by non-state armed groups to put pressure on the Government and the international community to respond to their call for dialogue and independence.

Displaced populations as well as those who have decided to remain at home and those who fled to the bushes have nearly no access to health care and to other basic commodities such as sanitation and to potable water. Children have been the most affected, having had to flee their homes for the bush, as well as being unable to go to school.

In reaction to the evolving conflict, UNICEF declared a Level 2 Response for the two regions for an initial duration of 6 months (from 6 December 2018 to 31 May 2019). In June 2019, the Level 2 Response was confirmed for an additional period of 3 months.

Scope of work

Thematic Scope

The evaluation will gauge the vulnerable women’s and children’s access to and use of the interventions/services rendered in the areas where the response was put in place, namely in the following areas: health, WASH, child protection, education and C4D. It will also look at how UNICEF has managed to build access and acceptance among the various stakeholders.

The evaluation will focus on the following:

(Cf attached ToR for more details)

How can you make a difference?

Objectives

This evaluation will have two purposes: accountability and learning.

This evaluation will provide the UNICEF Cameroon Country Office, the UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa (WCARO), UNICEF Headquarter in New York and donors (vertical accountability) as well as the response expected beneficiaries and partners (horizontal accountability) with some solid evidence on the extent to which the response to the NW/SW crisis attained its envisaged objectives.

With respect to its learning purpose, this evaluation is expected not only to inform the current response implementation strategies come but it will also shed some light on some potential corrective programmatic actions that may want to be adopted in the near future so as to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the response. Special emphasis will be placed over the role that partnerships and collaboration with other parties engaged in the response played in the effort to solve the access issues.

More specifically, this evaluation is expected to generate findings and recommendations that will help UNICEF Country Cameroon programme staff as well as other in-country partners (see Table 3 in the attached ToR) to adapt the implementation of the humanitarian Programme to the emerging and specific needs of the affected population.

In order to fulfil its two envisaged purposes (accountability and learning), the evaluation will be guided by the 6 following criteria, in line with the OECD/DAC and ALNAP guidelines: Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Coordination, Coverage, Gender and Human Rights. A separate dimension on accountability to affected population will also be looked at. The impact criterion was not retained due to the challenge of estimating the causal attribution between the variety of activities implemented as part of the response and the effects attained on the ground.

Deliverables and Schedules

The consultancy will be 3 months in duration and will consist of three main phases:

Number of Days of Work

National Consultant 1

National Consultant 2

ACTIVITIES

Phase 1

Development of inception report (this will include the development of the evaluation design and the data collection tools) + Inception Meetings

5

5

Phase II

Data collection and Field work in Cameroon + Debriefing on preliminary findings on the last day of the country mission

15

15

Phase III

Data analysis, report writing (draft and final), validation and dissemination

10

10

Total

40

40

Deliverables

Applicants are strongly recommended to attach their technical and financial evaluation offers when applying.

Applicants without their technical and financial evaluation offers will not be considered.

UNICEF ins an equal opportunities employer

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Each one of the two National Consultants will need to have the following profile:

For every Child, hope

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

“UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.”

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Attachment for ToR_2 National Consultants CMR_Evaluation NWSW crisis_August 12 2019 Copy.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=526042