Consultancy opportunity: Meta-evaluation of ZOA Evaluations (2020-2023)

ZOA is seeking a consultancy agency or consultant to conduct a meta-evaluation of ZOA’s evaluations from 2020 to 2023. The evaluation will focus on the quality and level of accountability of ZOA’s evaluations, as well as the extent to which these evaluations facilitate learning and programme adaptations. Additionally, the consultant or consultancy agency is expected to provide recommendations and insights on how existing evaluations can be utilised for larger impact studies and meta-analyses.

Specific objectives of meta-evaluations

1. Quality: This meta- evaluation is expected to provide insight into the overall quality of current evaluation reports, evaluation processes and ways to increase harmonization of reporting project results.
2. Accountability: The meta-evaluation will assess whether the achieved project results / results to key project indicators were clearly presented and met the expectations of donors and the people served, and whether the evaluation process was inclusive of perspectives from different population groups.
3. Learning: The meta-evaluation will assess the extent to which findings and recommendations from project evaluation reports have been addressed and/or instigated specific changes in project implementation. The meta-evaluation is also expected to provide lessons learned and recommendations on how to improve evaluation processes and increase the effectiveness of projects. Additionally, the consultant is expected to provide recommendations which (combination of) evaluations would be suitable for larger impact study/meta-analysis.

The deliverable will be an evaluation report of between 35-40 pages (excl. annexes). For more details, please refer to the TOR in the link below.

Qualifications

ZOA is looking for an evaluator who has:

• Demonstrable experience with implementing (meta-)evaluations, including evaluations for development and/or humanitarian projects and programmes;
• Masters or PhD in relevant field (e.g. social sciences, development studies/economics, political sciences)
• Strong research skills including a thorough grounding in quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and analysis; the ability to work with large datasets and distinguish key findings from details;
• The ability to be objective while considering the different contexts in which the reports were written;
• Excellent command of English (both spoken and written), knowledge of French is considered a plus;
• Experience in countries where ZOA works is considered an advantage;
• Able to work in a structured manner, strong coordination and communication skills;
• Ability to respond to comments and questions in a timely and appropriate manner.