Protect Aid Workers: Mid-Term Evaluation ToR

Contact

For any questions about this project, please contact director@protectaidworkers.org

Background

The Protect Aid Workers (PAW) mechanism is an initiative designed to strengthen the protection of humanitarian personnel who face critical incidents such as violence, detention, or threats to life and well-being. It is structured around three interlinked pillars:

1.     Direct Support: rapid assistance to affected individuals through protection grants and legal aid.

2.     Capacity building and prevention: training for national NGOs, legal information sessions, and the development of communities of practice.

3.     The advocacy and policy influence pillar aims to promote systemic change by generating evidence, organizing learning events, and engaging with global stakeholders to improve the protection of humanitarian workers.

The project started in November 2023 and was initially piloted in the MENA region. It has since expanded to a global scope, with activities now implemented worldwide.

The project is implemented by a consortium coordinated by

–       An International NGO: Lead agency and secretariat of the mechanism. Responsible for overall coordination, grant management, and strategic direction.

–       Legal Action Worldwide (LAW): Provides legal support to beneficiaries.

–       Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF): Contributes to training activities, particularly around incident management response.

–       Protect Humanitarians (PH): Leads survivor-led initiatives, and hosts the Mental Health Community of Practice.

All consortium partners are actively engaged in the advocacy pillar, contributing to joint messaging, strategic outreach, and efforts to influence humanitarian protection policies and practices.

While the scope of implementation has been expanded due to additional funding, the project’s original objectives and expected results remain unchanged. The evaluation will assess progress against these initial objectives, while also considering the implications of the increased ambition on operational modalities and sustainability

Purpose

This evaluation has been planned from the outset of the project. As a pilot initiative, the mechanism was designed with a strong learning and adaptation component. The evaluation comes at a strategic moment: it will inform the end of the pilot phase and support the preparation of a new funding cycle.

The primary motivation for this evaluation is learning, with a strong emphasis on generating recommendations to improve the mechanism’s design, implementation, and impact. It also serves a secondary purpose of accountability, particularly toward the donor and the wider humanitarian community.

The evaluation is aligned with the donor’s expectations and is timed to ensure that its findings and recommendations can directly feed into the development of the next project proposal in 2026.

Overall objective

The mid-term evaluation aims to assess the overall relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the Protect Aid Workers mechanism. It will examine the project as a whole, including its design, implementation, governance, and operational modalities. This evaluation aims to provide stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the project’s performance, identify strengths and weaknesses, and generate recommendations for improvement.

The evaluation will also take a forward-looking perspective, identifying strategic opportunities for expanding the mechanism’s activities and partnerships, and providing recommendations for the creation of an advisory group to enhance accountability and stakeholder engagement within the direct support pillar.

Evaluation Scope

The evaluation will cover the entire scope of the PAW project, with a particular focus on the direct support pillar, which includes protection grants and legal assistance.

The evaluation will cover all PAW implementing partners.

The programming period to be covered by the review is November 2023 – November 2025.

Evaluation approach and questions

We propose using some elements from the OECD/DAC criteria as the primary analytical framework, which include relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, sustainability, impact.

While grounded in a classical evaluation approach, the methodology also integrates forward-looking elements to inform future programming and strategic positioning.

The 4 main evaluation questions are accompanied by suggested sub-questions. The inception process will help complete and refine this list, providing a better framework for the objectives and expected results.

1)  Is the PAW mechanism effective in addressing the needs of humanitarian workers affected by critical incidents?

–       Does the mechanism respond adequately to the diversity and urgency of needs encountered in the field?

–       Are the grants and legal support modalities appropriate, accessible, and responsive (eligibility conditions, grant size, eligible costs, etc.) ?

–       Are current outreach and communication efforts sufficient to ensure visibility and uptake of the mechanism’s services?

–       How this mechanism is fitting into the duty of care architecture?

2)  Are the systems and processes supporting the mechanism efficient, transparent, and fit for purpose?

–       Is the current human and partnership setup adequate to ensure effective case management?

–       Is the monitoring system effective in tracking cases, managing data, and informing decision-making?

–       How well is the protection approach mainstreamed, particularly in interactions with individual beneficiaries?

3)  Is the governance structure of the mechanism clear, functional, and conducive to effective coordination?

–       Are roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes clearly defined and respected across the consortium?

–       How well do partners collaborate across the three pillars? How could synergies be enhanced ?

–       Is the current consortium composition sufficient to achieve the mechanism’s strategic objectives, or would integrating additional partners strengthen its impact and reach?

4)  To what extent are the current orientations for scaling or adapting the mechanism aligned with field needs, and based on sound success factors?

–       Which activities, external referral pathways and partnerships could be strengthened or formalized to improve access to a comprehensive package of care and support for aid workers affected by critical incidents?

–       What structure and modalities could be envisioned for an advisory group to enhance accountability and partner engagement?

–       What are the options to ensure the sustainability of the mechanism, including its independence, continued impact, and long-term funding?

Methodology

The precise methodology will be defined by the consultant including sampling techniques, the method (quantitative and/or qualitative), and the tools to be used for data collection. The scope of work for the mid-term evaluation should include the following

–       Reviewing project documents, including the project proposal, work plans, monitoring frameworks, and progress reports.

–       Conducting key informant interviews with project staff, stakeholders, beneficiaries, and partners to gather qualitative data on project implementation.

–       Analysing data collected to assess progress towards achieving the specified result areas and to identify challenges and opportunities.

–       Conducting a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to project implementation.

–       Developing a comprehensive mid-term evaluation report summarizing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

An internal audit is currently underway and is expected to deliver its findings and recommendations prior to the start of the evaluation. These insights will be considered as a key input to the evaluation process. Efforts will be made to ensure complementarity and articulation between the audit and the evaluation, particularly in areas where both exercises address governance, financial systems, and operational effectiveness.

Key deliverables and timeline

The following are the evaluation deliverables the evaluator will deliver:

–       Inception Report (including the evaluation questions mapping tool, methodology and workplan)  – 15 December 2025

–       Presentation of preliminary findings – 15 February 2026

–       Draft Evaluation Report (including methodology, main findings, SWOT analysis, full evaluation of the scope, thematic  recommendations and conclusions) – 22 February 2025

–       Final Evaluation Report, incorporating feedback from the Steering Committee – 16 April 2026

Cost

Protect Aid Workers will accept proposals up to €20,000. Though price will not be the defining factor in selecting the successful consultant, it will be a significant one, so applicants should consider this in their proposal. A full list of the application criteria is detailed below.

Payment schedule

Payments will be scheduled against deliverables:

–       Signed Contract – 30% up-front.

–       Draft Evaluation Report including first presentation – 40%.

–       Final Evaluation Report – 30%

All deliverables should be provided in English.

Proposal Submission

If you are interested in submitting a proposal for this project, please submit the following documents to director@protectaidworkers.org with the subject “MTE consultancy” by 30 October 30 2025:

• A cover letter (max. one page) stating your interest and qualifications.
• CV(s) of the proposed team members.
• A financial proposal in Euros including consultancy fees and other eligible costs.
• A technical proposal outlining your understanding of the assignment, your proposed evaluation approach and methodology, and how it responds to the objectives and scope described in the Terms of Reference.
• 1 sample abstract of previous evaluation work.

All offers must be valid for at least 90 days from the submission deadline.

Application Analysis and Evaluation

We will consider several factors when analysing suitable proposals, including:

• Understanding of the ToRs (10%)
• Suggested methodology (30%)
• Experience of the suggested team (30%)
• Quality of submitted samples (10%)
• Financial offer (20%)

Selected applicants may be invited to supply additional information on the contents of their proposal during the evaluation period. After the first round of evaluation, there will be an interview stage to select the final candidate. If no suitable candidate is identified, the invitation for proposals may be reopened and advertised on a broader level.

Upon identification of the preferred candidate, the selected applicant will meet (virtually) Protect Aid Workers team to finalise the requirements and agree on contract terms.

 Contract Conditions and Payment Terms

Upon confirmation of success, the chosen vendor will sign a contract with Protect Aid Workers and must comply with all their policies.

The provision of this work will be undertaken in accordance with Protect Aid Workers’ standard payment terms, which is 30 days upon receipt of an invoice. Payment will be made in Euros following the completion of the project. The consultant will send an invoice at the appropriate time, which Protect Aid Workers will pay.

Ownership of the final product will reside with Protect Aid Workers. This includes copyrights and patents associated with the product.