L’évaluation d’assistance humanitaire internationale

INVITATION – EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
1. PURPOSE
To provide information to industry regarding an upcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Evaluation of Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Humanitarian Assistance Program.
2. DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT
Through its International Humanitarian Assistance Program, Canada aims to save lives, alleviate suffering while maintaining dignity of those affected by conflicts and natural disasters. Canada provides humanitarian assistance through appropriate, timely, and effective responses through financial support to experienced humanitarian partners through individual humanitarian projects, the Central Emergency Response Fund, the Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank Food Assistance Fund, and the Canadian Humanitarian Assistance Fund.
The International Assistance Evaluation Division (PRA) of GAC is undertaking an evaluation of DFATD’s humanitarian assistance program to fulfill the accountability requirements set out in the Financial Administration Act and the Treasury Board Policy on Results; and to provide information to improve the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and connectedness of the Humanitarian Assistance Program. Consequently, PRA is undertaking this evaluation for accountability and learning purposes to:

Improve the relevance and quality of future programming in humanitarian assistance;
Document results and lessons from past policy dialogue and programming delivery; and
Account for humanitarian aid expenditures to Parliament, Canadians and partners.

The intended users of the evaluation are GAC senior management and the International Humanitarian Assistance Program.
The proposed evaluation questions are the following:
Relevance
1) To what extent has the International Humanitarian Assistance Program remained relevant to the changing humanitarian emergency context?
Effectiveness
2) To what extent did the Program’s engagement in policy dialogue contribute to:

The provision of timely and appropriate needs-based humanitarian assistance?
The development and use of new tools, best practices and lessons to strengthen the international humanitarian system?

3) To what extent has the International Humanitarian Assistance Program’s funding contributed to achieving results? Are there opportunities to improve the effectiveness of the delivery model?
Cross-cutting themes
4) To what extent has international assistance programming achieved cross-cutting results (Gender Equality, Environmental Sustainability, and Governance)?
Connectedness
5) How can Global Affairs Canada ensure stronger linkages between its humanitarian assistance and long-term development programming in protracted conflict situations?
Coherence and Coordination
6) What is the degree of internal coherence and coordination among GAC actors involved in humanitarian assistance? How can internal coherence and coordination be improved?
7) From the perspective of partners and other donors, is GAC a good humanitarian partner and how could it be a better partner, including ensuring that the Department continues to abide by the Principles and Good Practice of Humanitarian Donorship?
Efficiency
8) Are there opportunities to improve the efficiency?
3. EVALUATION TEAM REQUIREMENTS
The following information is only provided as guidance for potential bidders. Details of specific evaluation requirements shall be made available in the respective Request for Proposal (RFP). Any information made available in the Request for Proposal document shall take precedence over this Notice to Industry.
Bidders will be invited to propose an Evaluation Team. The members of the Evaluation Team should possess a mix of evaluative skills and thematic knowledge appropriate to the needs of this evaluation. The Bidder should propose at least two individuals as Evaluation Sector Specialists who have evaluated donor level international assistance programming in the following areas: humanitarian assistance, and gender equality in humanitarian action. The team should also have expertise in the areas of fragile states and development assistance. The Evaluation Team Leader may double as one of the Evaluation Sector Specialists. An Evaluation Sector Specialist may cover up to two specialist areas. It is the responsibility of the Bidder to determine the composition of the team (i.e. sector specialists, local consultants and advisors, other supporting staff).
The Evaluation Team will be responsible for, but not limited to conducting the following activities:
Complete field assignments, where required;

Conduct interviews with relevant personnel;
Produce analytical reports in their areas of speciality;
Produce recommendations for appropriate action, based on analytical findings;
Support the Evaluation Team Leader; and
Provide specialized advice on key issues of the evaluation.

The Evaluation Team is expected to have:

Experience in performing donor level international humanitarian assistance program evaluations from conceptualizing the overall approach to work assignments, and to planning, managing and conducting complex evaluations;
Knowledge of evaluation design and methodology;
Experience in conducting evaluations in complex humanitarian emergencies,

Experience as team members on multi-disciplinary teams;
Experience and knowledge of the principles of humanitarian assistance, gender in humanitarian action, working in fragile and conflict affected states, development assistance , and good practice of humanitarian donorship;
At least one team member with a demonstrable high proficiency in oral and written French; and
Relevant higher academic degrees.

Canada has provided humanitarian assistance in a range of contexts. To provide richer information, the evaluation will include case studies of program delivery in:

Hurricane Matthew in Haiti; and
The protracted situation in Ethiopia.

4. GENERAL
It is expected that the price of the contract will be between $375,000 CAD and $475,000 CAD.
This notice is for industry information and planning purposes only. All detailed requirements, certifications and instructions will be specified in the resulting Request for Proposal (RFP).
It should be noted that the descriptions of the Requirement and Evaluation Team Requirements are subject to change between now and the official publication of the RFP, if necessary.
This notice must in no way be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government of Canada to publish an RFP. This notice does not in any way authorize prospective Bidders to undertake work, the cost of which could be claimed from Canada.
For guidance, the RFP is anticipated to be released in the Fall of 2017, and it will be made available electronically upon its release to www.buyandsell.ca. Several factors may influence this date, or even lead to the cancellation of such a publication.
Canada is not seeking any information from potential Bidders at this time. Any requests made to Canada by potential Bidders seeking clarification, or additional information regarding the requirement prior to the publication of the formal RFP shall go unanswered.