Cash for Shelter Response Evaluation

Organizational Context The war in Ukraine continued to escalate throughout 2023, with relentless strikes and ground fighting destroying lives, livelihoods and part of the country’s civilian infrastructure, increasing humanitarian needs. Although attacks on energy infrastructure that had driven needs during the winter months decreased in February 2023, homes, schools, water systems and hospitals continued to be attacked in the following months. From March to June 2023, fighting intensified in front-line communities making humanitarian assistance increasingly difficult to provide in an area where needs are acute. In the south, attacks on port and grain infrastructure since the termination of the Black Sea Initiative in July 2023 created additional challenges for agricultural exports from Ukraine. (UNOCHA sitrep). It is estimated that by the end of 2023 the conflict had affected 24 million people in Ukraine, while the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance increased from 2.9 million before 24 February 2022 to 17.6 million in January 2023. Humanitarian organizations in Ukraine have dramatically scaled up their operations, reaching over 15.8 million people through the end of 2023, including 1 million in areas under the temporary military control of the Russian Federation, where access was a challenge. Furthermore, an estimated 8.3 million people, including IDPs, non-displaced conflict-affected people and returnees needed Shelter and Non-Food Items (SNFI) support in 2023. The majority were in the central, southern and eastern oblasts, including in areas near active hostilities and in areas under the temporary military control of the Russian Federation. While the impact of the crisis crosses all sectors, the key challenge for winter preparedness is the damage to housing and the energy sector. In the summer of 2022, URCS, IFRC and MCTD signed an agreement to provide cash assistance to households hosting IDPs throughout Ukraine, scaling up the programme and becoming the only partner of the Ministry for its implementation covering 23 Oblasts1 from September 2022 till August 2023 (the cash for shelter project) and providing UAH 450 per month for each IDP hosted, (approximately CHF 12). On September 2022, the parties signed an amendment to increase the cash transfer amount to UAH 900 (approximately CHF 24) for the winter months effective from October 2022 to March 2023 to ensure that affected populations have access to warm, safe, and dignified living conditions, with access to essential social services.

Job Purpose The project evaluation aims to provide organizational learning and improvements that can inform future cash interventions in Ukraine and identify key lessons, recommendations, and highlight potential areas for strengthening response capacities of implementing partner national societies and local communities. While the exact evaluation criteria will be determined later, as a minimum it will cover the effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the project.

Job Duties and Responsibilities The cash for shelter project evaluation process aims to assess the implemented activities’ effectiveness, impact, and sustainability. It will analyse the program's effectiveness in addressing the shelter needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) by supporting households financially to be able to host IDPs in Ukraine with the aim to cover increased utility costs. Additionally, the evaluation will focus on reviewing the program's efficiency in terms of administrative processes and cost-effectiveness, while ensuring transparency and accountability in fund utilization. The assessment will measure the program's ability to provide short-term support to the affected population and identify key learnings applicable for future cash for shelter initiatives. By identifying any gaps or challenges in the program's implementation, the evaluation will provide actionable recommendations and learnings that can inform future programs, emphasizing improvement to financial management practices and adherence to international Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS).

Communities and people affected by crisis:

• Receive assistance appropriate and relevant to their needs.
• Have access to the humanitarian assistance they need at the right time.
• Are not negatively affected and are more prepared, resilient and less at-risk as a result of humanitarian action.
• Know their rights and entitlements, have access to information and participate in decisions that affect them.
• Have access to safe and responsive mechanisms to handle complaints.
• Receive coordinated, complementary assistance.
• Can expect delivery of improved assistance as organisations learn from experience and reflection.
• Receive the assistance they require from competent and well-managed staff and volunteers.
• Can expect that the organisations assisting them are managing resources effectively, efficiently and ethically.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued) The evaluation consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs: • Inception Report: The inception report will be a scoping exercise for the review/evaluation and will include the proposed methodologies, data collection and reporting plans with draft data collection tools such as interview guides, the allocation of roles and responsibilities within the team, a timeframe with firm dates for deliverables, and the travel and logistical arrangements for the team.
• Debriefings / feedback to management at all levels: The team will report its preliminary findings to the EMT prior to leaving the country. This will include a presentation to key stakeholders as determined by the EMT, a detailed PowerPoint presentation and sufficient time for discussion and suggested edits.
• Draft report: A draft report identifying key findings based on facts and including recommendations and lessons for the current and future operation, will be submitted by the evaluation consultant within a reasonable time (one week) of presenting the initial findings.
• Final report: The final report will contain a short executive summary (no more than 1,000 words) and a main body of the report (no more than 10,000 words) covering the background of the intervention evaluated, a description of the evaluation methods and limitations, findings, conclusions, lessons learned and clear recommendations. Recommendations should be specific and feasible. The report should also contain appropriate appendices, including a copy of the ToR, cited resources or bibliography, a list of those interviewed and any other relevant materials. The final report will be submitted two days after receipt of the consolidated feedback from EMT. Details of the final report are outlined in the table below. The final evaluation report will be made public and will be published on the DEC and other websites, such as ALNAP and ReliefWeb.

Education • University degree or equivalent

• Post-graduate degree in public health, development, or other major post-graduate qualification in the relevant field

Experience The external evaluation consultant must fulfil the qualifications outlined below.

• Proven expertise in public health and profound experience conducting evaluations and reviews
• Ability to manage relations with representatives from national Red Cross Societies and beneficiaries
• Experience working at community level, gathering beneficiary feedback through a variety of methodologies
• Strong interpersonal and organisational skills required
• Knowledge and experience of working in Ukraine is an asset
• In case of a multi-member evaluation team diversity and gender balance should be ensured.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages • Excellent written and spoken English and Ukrainian or Russian skills required, as well as excellent analytical and presentation skills