NATIONAL CONSULTANT: Senior Evaluation Specialist-SRHR/Gender Equality Expert for the Summative Evaluation of the FAO-UNFPA Joint Programme on Resilient Livelihoods Development for Women and Youth Internally Displaced Persons in Maguindanao

TERMS OF REFERENCE  

Hiring Office:

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Philippines

Maguindanao Del Sur: Guindulungan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, and South Upi

Maguindanao del Norte: Datu Odin Sinsuat and Talitay

Consultancy Period

50 person-days

Background and Rationale

BARMM faces significant socioeconomic challenges, with high poverty rates, food insecurity, and limited economic opportunities, especially for youth and marginalized groups. Health indicators are among the worst in the Philippines, with widespread malnutrition, low access to reproductive health services, and a high prevalence of teenage pregnancy. Gender-based violence (GBV) and human trafficking remain critical concerns, particularly for internally displaced persons, who suffer from economic distress and human rights violations. Despite national laws supporting reproductive health and gender protection, implementation is weak due to resource constraints and governance gaps.

The region is also highly vulnerable to armed conflict, displacement, and natural disasters, which further disrupt livelihoods, education, and healthcare. Frequent conflicts in Maguindanao force families to flee multiple times a year, exacerbating instability. Climate-induced disasters worsen food insecurity, while the COVID-19 pandemic deepened economic hardships and increased gender-based violence. Weak local statistical systems make it difficult to track progress, highlighting the need for strengthened policy implementation and resource allocation to address these pressing issues.

To address these challenges, UNFPA and FAO are implementing a joint programme on The Resilient Livelihoods Development for Women and Youth Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maguindanao (RLD).  The RLD joint programme is funded by the Australian Government, represented by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), with funding of USD 1,427,552 (AUD 2.0 million). This initiative aims to address critical issues such as food insecurity, malnutrition, GBV, and barriers to agricultural livelihoods for women and youth IDPs in Maguindanao and has been implemented in two phases from 15 April 2022 up to 14 August 2025.

The lead agencies for this initiative are the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). FAO leads agriculture-based livelihoods, providing agricultural inputs, tools, and technical training to improve food security and build resilience among women and youth IDP partners. It also provides training to  local government units (LGUs) and BARMM ministries in formulating and implementing gender-sensitive and inclusive agricultural policies and programs. improve food security and build resilience among beneficiaries. UNFPA, focuses on addressing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs, preventing GBV, and building community capacities to ensure that health, protection, and livelihood opportunities are accessible to women and youth IDPs. Both agencies coordinate under a UN Joint Programme, with UNFPA serving as the Administrative Agent. The joint programme also collaborates with several strategic and  implementing partners to ensure community-driven and inclusive interventions. These include:

• Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR): Supporting agricultural production and policy alignment to promote resilient farming systems.
• Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD): Providing social services, including cash-based assistance and targeted support for vulnerable households.
• Ministry of Health (MOH): Addressing health outcomes, particularly maternal and reproductive health needs.
• Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress (MOSEP, Inc.): Facilitating community-based initiatives and empowering local communities through livelihood development.

Phase I of the RLD joint programme aimed to address the vulnerabilities faced by women and youth IDPs in BARMM, focusing on livelihood improvement and resilience building with the following objectives:

• Outcome 1: (Preparedness) Improved equitable access to agricultural-based livelihood interventions to improve food security and nutritional status of women and youth.
  • Output 1.1: Agricultural production inputs and food processing tools farm machineries provided
    • Intervention 1.1.1 Improving socio-economic capacities of women and youth 
  • Output 1.2 Capacity training in agricultural production, post-harvest handling, nutrition-sensitive  agriculture, and community organization development support delivered
    • Intervention 1.2.1 Improving socio-economic capacities of women and youth 
• Outcome 2: (Participation) Reduced SRH and protection barriers of IDP women and youth to meaningfully participate in agricultural livelihood activities.
  • Output 2: Building the capacities of IDP women and youth to access SRH and protection services and participate in agricultural livelihood activities.
    • Intervention 2.1 Improving women’s and girls’ GBV/SRHR accessibility to life saving services and linkages  to livelihood opportunities
    • Intervention 2.2 Informing and addressing barriers and challenges for young people on pPeace, fFood  sSecurity and SRH through communication
• Outcome 3: (Protection) Local agricultural policies and programs are gender-responsive, youth-sensitive, and promote resilient communities.
  • Output 3: Strengthening the capacities of local government units (LGUs) and BARMM ministries to formulate and implement gender-sensitive and inclusive agricultural policies and programs.
    • Intervention 3.1 Provision of technical support and capacity building on development of gGender- and age responsive, locally-inclusive and culturally-sensitive plans, budgets, policies and  approaches to local food security and livelihood interventions

Building upon the successes and challenges of Phase I, the RLD Project’s Phase II aims to further enhance the resilience of women and youth IDPs in BARMM through the following :

• Output 1: Women and girls in the Bangsamoro communities, actively engaged in productive social and economic activities, are empowered and demonstrate increased resilience, across the development, humanitarian, and peacebuilding continuum, especially for those left furthest behind
• Intervention 1.1. Comprehensive women's empowerment initiative in the Women-friendly Spaces
• Intervention 1.2 Strengthening capacities of Community-based organizations for sustainable livelihood development

• Output 2: Increased capacities of duty-bearers to coordinate, monitor, prioritize and develop gender-transformative and inclusive policies, plans and programs on local food security and livelihood interventions that are responsive to the HDP context and reach those left furthest behind
  • Intervention 2.1. Capacity building of MLGUs in formulating gender-responsive Annual Investment Plan.
  • Intervention 2.2. Coaching and mentoring  support to LGUs and BARMM Ministries on program implementation, management, and monitoring and evaluation of the Annual Investment Plan for LGUs, and the Annual Workplan for BARMM Ministries

The joint programme is implemented in six municipalities of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del sur in BARMM, including  namely, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Talitay, Guindulungan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, and South Upi. These areas were selected due to their high poverty incidence, food insecurity, and vulnerabilities related to armed conflict and displacement. The interventions are tailored to meet the specific needs of women and youth IDPs in these communities, focusing on sustainable livelihoods, food security, and protection services.

Purpose and Objectives of the consultancy:

Purpose:

The final evaluation will serve the following four main purposes: (i) enhance oversight and accountability to stakeholders by assessing progress towards results and resource use; (ii) support evidence-based decision-making to inform development, humanitarian preparedness and response and peace-responsive programming; (iii) promote organizational learning by identifying what works, what does not, for whom, under what circumstances, and why; and (iv) empower community, national and regional stakeholders. 

The objectives of this evaluation are:

1. To provide UNFPA and FAO Philippines Country Offices, national stakeholders, rights-holders, and the donor with an independent assessment of the RLD joint programme.
2. To broaden the evidence base to inform the design of future programming.

The specific objectives of this evaluation are:

1. To provide assessment of the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the RLD joint programme.
2. To provide an assessment of the role played by the UNFPA and FAO in the coordination mechanisms of the joint programme and contribution to development results in BARMM.
3. To assess the integration of rights-based approach, gender responsiveness and leaving no one behind (LNOB) in the programme interventions.
4. To document best practices, significant stories of change among IDP women and youth, specific contributions of institutional partners in the achievement of the programme’s outcomes, challenges in programme implementation including mitigation measures, and lessons learned. 
5. To draw key conclusions and provide a set of clear, forward-looking and actionable recommendations for future programming

Scope of work (Description of services, activities, or outputs)

The evaluation will be conducted by a team of two independent external evaluators, consisting of: 

1. A Senior Evaluation specialist and an expert on SRHR and/or gender equality and women’s empowerment (UNFPA); 
2. An Agriculture and Food Security Evaluation Expert (FAO)

The Senior Evaluation Specialist - SRHR/Gender Equality Expert is expected to collaborate with the Agriculture and Food Security Evaluation Expert to produce the following deliverables:

• Design report. The design report should translate the requirements of the ToR into a practical and feasible evaluation approach, methodology and work plan. 
• PowerPoint presentation of the design report. The PowerPoint presentation will be delivered at an ERG meeting to present the contents of the design report and the agenda for the field phase. 
• PowerPoint presentation for debriefing meeting with the CO and the ERG. The presentation provides an overview of key emerging findings of the evaluation at the end of the field phase. 
• Version 1 evaluation report, including standalone case study reports. The version 1 evaluation report will present the findings and conclusions, based on the evidence that data collection yielded.
• Recommendations worksheet. The process of co-creating the evaluation recommendations begins with a set of tentative recommendations proposed by the evaluation team
• Final evaluation report, including standalone case study reports. The final evaluation report (maximum 80 pages, excluding opening pages and annexes) will present the findings and conclusions, as well as a set of practical and actionable recommendations to inform future programming.
• PowerPoint presentation of the evaluation results. The presentation will provide a clear overview of the key findings, conclusions and recommendations to be used for the dissemination of the final evaluation report.

IMPORTANT: Please reference the  Detailed RLD Summative Evaluation Terms of Reference for the full scope of work

Duration and Delivery dates, Proposed Payment Schedule and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):

See Annex A for details on expected deliverables and timeframe

Place where services are to be delivered:

The main duty station for the consultancy is in Metro Manila. The evaluation will cover four (4) municipalities in the province of  Maguindanao del Sur (Guindulungan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, and South Upi) and two (2) municipalities in Maguindanao del Norte (Datu Odin Sinsuat and Talitay), and Cotabato City.

The consultant will primarily work remotely with regular in person and online meetings with the Evaluation Manager and M&E Team and will deliver outputs to the UNFPA Philippines CO. The RLD Programme Team will arrange travel for missions.

Monitoring, Supervisory and quality check arrangements: 

The evaluation team will be under the direct supervision of the Evaluation Manager and the RLD Programme Team. The UNFPA senior management team will closely monitor progress of all deliverables and the entire consultancy.

Expected travel:

UNFPA will cover travel costs (where applicable) in addition to the professional fee.

Supervisory Arrangements:

The UNFPA Country Representative will oversee the overall management of the consultancy, with day-to-day technical support provided by the Evaluation Manager, the Assistant Representative, the RLD Programme Team and the M&E Team. The consultant is expected to work closely with the agriculture and food security expert at FAO and UNFPA Implementing Partners for coordination purposes.

The Evaluation Manager and the RLD Programme Team will engage with the consultants regularly at different stages to:

• Provide a comprehensive briefing on the assignment, its process, and expected deliverables;
• Furnish key documents pertinent to the deliverables;
• Introduce and facilitate the consultant's collaboration with key stakeholders and counterparts as necessary; and
• Offer feedback and reach agreement on the subsequent steps of the assignment

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

A Senior Evaluation specialist and an expert on SRHR and/or gender equality and women’s empowerment

Senior Evaluation Specialist:

• Master’s degree in public health, social sciences, demography or population studies, statistics, development studies or a related field.
• 10 years of experience in conducting or managing evaluations in the field of international development.
• Extensive experience in leading complex evaluations commissioned by United Nations organizations and/or other international organizations and NGOs.
• Proven expertise in conducting assessments in humanitarian and conflict-affected settings (BARMM-related experience is an advantage), with experience in resilience-building, crisis response, and working with marginalized groups to ensure a context-sensitive and impactful evaluation.
• Demonstrated expertise in SRHR and/or Gender equality and women’s empowerment (see expert profiles below)
• In-depth knowledge of theory-based evaluation approaches and ability to apply both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and to uphold high quality standards for evaluation as defined by UNFPA and UNEG.
• Ability to ensure ethics and integrity of the evaluation process, including confidentiality and the principle of do no harm.
• Ability to consistently integrate human rights and gender perspectives in all phases of the evaluation process.
• Excellent management and leadership skills to coordinate the work of the evaluation team, and strong ability to share technical evaluation skills and knowledge.
• Experience working with a multidisciplinary team of experts.
• Excellent ability to analyze and synthesize large volumes of data and information from diverse sources.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and spoken).
• Work experience in/good knowledge of the region and the national development context of Philippines
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Filipino (fluency in and/or familiarity with at least one of the major local dialects in BARMM is an advantage)
• A sample evaluation report, preferably relevant to the evaluation scope and context, is required

SRHR expert

• Master’s degree in public health, medicine, health economics and financing, epidemiology, biostatistics, social sciences or a related field.
• 5-7 years of experience in conducting evaluations, reviews, assessments, research studies or M&E work in the field of international development, humanitarian, peacebuilding settings (BARMM-related experience is an advantage).
• Substantive knowledge of SRHR, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, maternal health, and family planning.
• Ability to ensure ethics and integrity of the evaluation process, including confidentiality and the principle of do no harm.
• Ability to consistently integrate human rights and gender perspectives in all phases of the evaluation process.
• Solid knowledge of evaluation approaches and methodology and demonstrated ability to apply both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working with a multidisciplinary team of experts.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and spoken).
• Work experience in/good knowledge of the regional development context of BARMM is an advantage.
• Familiarity with UNFPA or other United Nations organizations’ mandates and activities will be an advantage.
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Filipino (fluency in and/or familiarity with at least one of the major local dialects in BARMM is an advantage)
• A sample evaluation report, preferably relevant to the evaluation scope and context, is required

Gender equality and women’s empowerment expert

• Master’s degree in women/gender studies, human rights law, social sciences, development studies or a related field.
• 5-7 years of experience in conducting evaluations, reviews, assessments, research studies or M&E work in the field of international development, humanitarian, peacebuilding settings (BARMM-related experience is an advantage).
• Substantive knowledge on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, GBV and other harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation, early, child and forced marriage, and issues surrounding masculinity, gender relationships and sexuality.
• Ability to ensure ethics and integrity of the evaluation process, including confidentiality and the principle of do no harm.
• Ability to consistently integrate human rights and gender perspectives in all phases of the evaluation process.
• Solid knowledge of evaluation approaches and methodology and demonstrated ability to apply both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working with a multidisciplinary team of experts.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and spoken).
• Work experience in/good knowledge of the regional development context of BARMM is an advantage.
• Familiarity with UNFPA or other United Nations organizations’ mandates and activities will be an advantage.
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Filipino (fluency in and/or familiarity with at least one of the major local dialects in BARMM is an advantage).
• A sample evaluation report, preferably relevant to the evaluation scope and context, is required

Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g. support services, office, equipment), if applicable:

The evaluation team will work closely with RLD Implementing Partners for this assignment. This will include assistance in mapping relevant national and local policies, conducting data collection in the target areas, mobilizing local partners for consultations, and offering technical assistance throughout the assignment.

Further, the RLD Programme Team will manage logistics related to the consultancy and provide a document repository of relevant documentation that will be updated by the consultant as data collection progresses.

IMPORTANT: Please reference the  Detailed RLD summative Evaluation Terms of Reference for the full scope of work