Application deadline: 6 April 2017

Background and Context

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 at work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. The IRC has been operating in Thailand since 1975 and currently provides assistance to displaced persons in Tak, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi and Mae Hong Son provinces.

Since 1984, refugees have been fleeing from Myanmar into Thailand, seeking asylum from political unrest in the country. As of January 2017, there are 102,553 refugees of which 52,214 are unregistered population and 50,339 are registered population residing in nine camps along Thailand-Myanmar border. A number of state and non-state actors, including governmental agencies, intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) have provided humanitarian aid to the displaced people ever since.

The IRC project titled, “Promoting sustainable protection measures for vulnerable displaced people across Thailand-Myanmar border” ultimately ensures that vulnerable displaced people living in five target camps in Mae Hong Son, Ratchaburi, Kanchabanuri, and Tak Provinces on the Thailand-Myanmar border as well as in Karen (Kayin) and Karenni (Kayah) States in Southeast Myanmar are safe in their communities and receive necessary support when they experience harm.

The project aims to deliver three key results as summarized per below:

1. Increased safety and power of women and girls through promoting community leadership and innovative livelihoods opportunities in Thailand and Myanmar;
2. Improved sustainable and equal access to justice for displaced people along the Thailand-Myanmar border;
3. Enhanced cross-border protection coordination to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable displaced people

1. Targeted Areas and Population Groups

The geographical focus of the project implementation activities include refugee camp along both sides of the Thailand-Myanmar border and local communities in Southeast Myanmar. These selected communities consist of target beneficiaries from the following provinces/regions and population groups:

In Thailand

• Displaced people in five temporary shelters → Sites 1 & 2, Mae Hong Son; Mae La Camp, Tak; Tham Hin camp, Ratchaburi; and Ban Don Yang camp, Kanchanaburi

 In Myanmar

• Conflict-affected local communities in Karen/Kayin State and Karenni/Kayah State

2. Purpose of the evaluation

This final project evaluation encompasses the entire project implementation period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017. The evaluation activities will take place over a short-period timeframe jointly agreed by the evaluation consultant and the IRC Thailand upon the approval of the terms of reference.

In particular, the purpose of the final project evaluation is sought to

• Evaluate the said project in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact, with a strong emphasis on key results at the outcome level;
• Recalibrate key lessons learned and identify doable practices for future learning;
• Generate knowledge that can be adapted to new protection focus areas, and recommend programmatic adjustments for the continuation of other similar cascading projects;
• Assess the performance of IRC’s and local partners’ project implementation in line with the project goal and objectives, logframe indicators and set targets.

The IRC will incorporate the evaluation findings and recommendations into the future programming design and implementation, and share with stakeholders to obtain feedback, challenges and lessons learned.  

3. Methodology

This evaluation will consider a ranging use of qualitative and quantitative survey methodology, including semi-structured interviews with key informants and through focused groups discussions, as well as desk review of existing secondary quantitative data. The following methods and respondents are proposed in this terms of reference. However, in-depth evaluation design could be revisited after the discussions with the selected evaluation consultant:

1) Desk review of quantitative data of program monitoring document, progress reports and relevant secondary data

2) Semi-structured interviews and/or FGD with the IRC beneficiaries from WPE, Protection and KLAC

3) Semi-structured interviews and/or FGD with KNWO, KWO and MWO management and LAC staff

4) Semi-structured interviews and/or FGD with key service providers e.g. KnHD RCT, IRC Health Program, IRC Legal Assistance Centre Program, KLAC and KNLHRC

5) Key informant interviews with UNHCR, Provincial One-Stop Crisis Centre and/or local implementation partners

4. Key Deliverables and Timeline

The timeline of the evaluation starts from early April 2017 to late July 2017, in total of 30 working days, including the preparation for evaluation design, questionnaire development, data collection, data analysis and the report composition. A final evaluation report must be submitted to IRC at the end of June 2017. The reporting format of which will be agreed between the consultant and the IRC Thailand.

5. Evaluator’s qualification

• A minimum of 5 to 10 years of experience in project evaluations (both qualitative data collection and desk review of quantitative data analysis), preferably in protection sector and demonstrate flexibility in using non-traditional and innovative evaluation methods
• Regional/Country experience and knowledge: good understanding of the context of Burmese refugees in Thailand is highly desirable; in-depth knowledge of gender issues, particularly violence against women and girls in the context of refugee camps is required.
• Good communication skills to articulate ideas and concepts with various stakeholders and proficiency to administer qualitative data collection within a submission deadline
• Strong fluency in writing and speaking in English; Burmese/Karen/Karenni is an asset

6. Budget

The allocated budget will cover consultancy fees, travel per diem, domestic economy air tickets, materials and supplies during the course of project design, data collection and data analyses, as well as report writing.  The boarding pass and original receipts must be retained for internal audits.

How to Apply: Application letter and most recent CV in English stating qualifications and experience should be submitted to the IRC Human Resources Department at Thailand.HR@rescue.org

All applications will be treated confidentially and not returned. The IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, national origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or physical or mental disability. The IRC is an equal opportunity employer.