TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)

“External Terminal Evaluation (ETE)”

Enhancing Access to Legal Aid for Vulnerable Women in Ethiopia’s Criminal Justice System, UNODC project 

Background

The Ethiopian Women Lawyers’ Association (EWLA) was established at the federal level in 1995 by female legal professionals and was registered as a civil society organization. For the last 30 years, it has worked to advance justice and equality for Ethiopian women. It implements 5 major programs, including Advocate for Women’s Rights, Public Education and Capacity Building, Comprehensive Free Legal Aid Service, Empower Female Legal Professionals and Foster Networking in the Legal Sector, and Professional Ethics and Quality Legal Services. The Association has its headquarters in Addis Ababa, and regional branch offices in Adama, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Gambella, Asosa, Jigjiga, Semera, and Dire Dawa. Moreover, it has established 57 volunteer committees at zonal and district levels and launched a multilingual Toll-free Hotline center “7711” which provides services in Amharic, Afaan Oromo, and Tigrigna.

As part of its initiatives, EWLA has been implementing a project titled “Enhancing Access to Legal Aid for Vulnerable Women in Ethiopia’s Criminal Justice System,” funded by the UNODC, starting from February 1st, 2025, to July 2026. The project aims to enhance equitable access to justice and raise awareness within the criminal justice systems of the two federal administrations (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa City administrations) and the two regional states (Benshangul and Amahar regional states). It particularly focuses on empowering marginalized groups,  women, and other vulnerable populations through improved access to legal aid support services. This objective will achieve  by strengthening legal awareness, development and dissemination of awareness-raising materials, increasing the availability and accessibility of legal aid services, and engaging the community to promote human rights in the criminal justice system. 

The project  obtained the  main outcomes to be achieved by the end of its lifetime, such as  “Enhance Awareness of Targeted Vulnerable Women Regarding Their Rights  and  the Legal Process  and Increase Access to Proper Legal Assistance and Representation for Targeted Groups.” The target groups of the project are women detainees and prisoners in police stations and prison facilities, women in IDP camps, Police officers in police stations and prison facilities, and host communities. The initiative seeks to create a more equitable criminal justice system that empowers marginalized groups, particularly women, to advocate for their rights and access the justice they deserve

As the project enters its phase-out stage, EWLA must evaluate the project by external consultant, the ‘External Terminal Evaluation” need to be evaluated critical areas by linking the project’s Theory of Change (ToC), which maps the project’s pathways from activities to long-term impact. The report will rigorously assess performance using the Performance Indicator Tracking Sheet (PITT) to measure progress against predefined targets, such as legal aid services delivered, advocacy outcomes, shifts in gender norms and improvement of the stakeholders’ capacity and changing the structures for gender responsiveness. 

Crucially, the report must demonstrate the result chain (linking inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact) while triangulating data (e.g., surveys, case studies, stakeholder interviews) to distinguish EWLA-UNOD’s direct attribution (e.g., specific policy changes) from its broader contributions (e.g., heightened public awareness of gender justice) within the region’s socio-political context. 

Therefore, external evaluation is required to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, impact, and sustainability of the project and to provide recommendations for future programming. 

Purpose of the Evaluation

The primary purpose of the evaluation is to:

• To evaluate the extent to which the project has achieved its objectives and outcomes.

• Examine the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of resource use.

• Determine the impact of the project on beneficiaries and the community.

• Assess the sustainability of results and institutional capacities strengthened by the project.

• Provide lessons learned and actionable recommendations for improving current and future interventions.

Objective

To conduct external terminal evaluation and develop a high-quality terminal report for the seventeen-month (February 20225-July 2026) project by identifying best practices, documenting success stories, integrating storytelling, and measuring progress through the Performance Indicator Tracking Sheet (PITT). This will be achieved by aligning the report with the project’s Theory of Change (ToC) to ensure a clear linkage between activities, outcomes, and long-term impact.

Specific Objectives:

• Review annual reports, collect success stories, document best practices, review evaluations, and compile advocacy workshop materials, training data, and pre- and post-test results.

• Review and link the Theory of Change (ToC) of the project, triangulate strategic assumptions, and integrate indicators from the project’s outcome.

• Measure and track progress using the PITT to ensure alignment with project goals.

• Identify and develop best practices, success stories, and storytelling materials structured around the project’s specific outcomes.

Scope of the Evaluation

 The evaluation will cover:

• The project is operated from February 1st, 2025, to July 31, 2026, in Amhara Region (Debre Birhan, Weldiya, and N. Gonder), Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Benishangul-Gumuz Region.

• Key project components include legal aid services (in police stations, women's prison center, and IDP camps), community dialogues, and training programs.

• Before-and-After Analysis: Apply retrospective design approaches to track changes among target groups and assess the project’s influence.

• Gender-Responsive Justice Systems: Assess progress in government sectors on gender equality, including reforms such as revising, amending, or adopting laws/policies related to women’s empowerment.

• Documentation: Produce best practices, success stories, and storytelling narratives aligned with the project’s findings and outcomes.

• Community Impact: Assess improvements in awareness and behavior among communities, faith-based organizations, and community-based organizations regarding gender equality and women’s empowerment, linking findings to project outcomes.

• Evidence-Based Reporting: Collect survey data from implementing regions to ensure robust validation of results.

• OECD DAC Evaluation: Assess the project against the seven OECD DAC criteria (Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, Sustainability, and Equity).

Sample Evaluation Questions

The evaluator should address the following core OECD DAC evaluation criteria questions:

Relevance:

• Are the project objectives and activities aligned with the needs of target communities and national development priorities?

• How relevant are the interventions to UNODC development objectives and international standards on gender equality and SGBV?

Effectiveness:

• To what extent have the planned outputs, outcomes, and objectives been achieved?

• Which factors contributed to or hindered the achievement of objectives?

Efficiency:

• Were project resources (financial, human, and material) used efficiently?

• Was the project implemented according to the planned timeline and budget

Impact:

• What changes (positive or negative, intended or unintended) have occurred as a result of the project?

• How have beneficiaries’ lives or communities improved in terms of access to justice, awareness, and empowerment?

Sustainability:

• Are the project outcomes likely to be sustained beyond the project period?

• Have institutional and community capacities been strengthened to maintain interventions?

Cross-cutting Issues:

• Gender equality and inclusion of marginalized groups.

• Environmental and social considerations in project implementation.

Methodology

The evaluator is expected to use a mixed-methods approach, including:

• Desk review: Project documents, progress reports, financial reports, monitoring and evaluation data, UNODC reporting guidelines, and relevant policy frameworks.

• Qualitative methods: Key informant interviews (KIIs) with stakeholders, focus group discussions (FGDs) with beneficiaries, and observation of project activities where possible.

• Quantitative methods: Analysis of project data, surveys, and metrics to measure outputs and outcomes.

• Triangulation: Cross-checking data from multiple sources to ensure the validity and reliability of findings.

• Participatory and Inclusive Approach: Engage marginalized and disadvantaged groups in data collection and analysis.

• Before-After Analysis: Use retrospective methods to assess improvements among target groups.

• Case Study Analysis: Complement quantitative data (e.g., surveys, PITT) with qualitative case studies and best practices.

• Document Review: Analyze, interim, and rapid assessment reports to validate results.

• Survey Data: Collect and review survey questionnaires from all implementation regions and programs

• Attribution vs. Contribution Analysis: Differentiate direct project attribution from broader contributions using result chain tracking.

• Key Informant Interviews: Engage purposefully selected stakeholders, including religious leaders, law enforcement, ministries, IDPS, police stations, and prison centers

The evaluator should also consider contextual factors affecting project implementation, including socio-political, cultural, and economic factors.

Stakeholder Engagement

The evaluation should actively engage with:

• Beneficiaries of project interventions (women, girls, one prison, IDPs).

• Project staff and implementing partners.

• Local authorities, government agencies, community structures, selected police stations, and IDP camps in Amhara and Benishangul regions

• UNODC representatives and relevant donor liaison officers.

The evaluator should ensure stakeholder participation is inclusive, ethical, and gender-sensitive, and that informed consent is obtained for interviews and data collection.

Deliverables

The evaluator is expected to produce the following outputs:

1. Inception Report

   • Detailed evaluation plan, methodology, work schedule, and data collection tools.

   • List of stakeholders and sites to be consulted.

2. Draft Evaluation Report

   • Preliminary findings, conclusions, success stories and recommendations for feedback.

3. Final Evaluation Report (following UNODC reporting standards)

   • Executive summary.

   • Introduction and context.

   • Methodology.

   • Findings organized by evaluation criteria.

   • Conclusions and actionable recommendations

   •  PowerPoint presentation with the main conclusions and recommendations  to validate the draft report

   • Annexes: Tools used, list of stakeholders consulted, tables, and graphs.

The final report should be submitted in both electronic and print formats.

Qualifications and Experience

The evaluator should possess:

• Advanced degree in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Law, Human Rights, or related field.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in project evaluation, preferably in gender, SGBV, legal aid, or human rights.

• Demonstrated experience with EU and UNODC-funded projects and familiarity with EU and UNODC reporting requirements.

• Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative research methods.

• Excellent report writing, communication, and presentation skills.

• Knowledge of the socio-cultural context in project regions is an advantage.

Confidentiality and Ethical Considerations

• All information obtained during the evaluation is strictly confidential.

• The evaluator must adhere to ethical standards in data collection, including obtaining informed consent, ensuring voluntary participation, and protecting vulnerable groups.

Reporting and Coordination

• The evaluator will report to both the UNODC and EWLA and coordinate with the M&E team. 

• Regular updates on progress should be shared during fieldwork and report preparation.

Selection Process 

• Candidate selection will be based on the following criteria:

• The ability to respond to and meet the essential and desirable specifications outlined in these terms of reference

• Demonstrated capacity to undertake the type of services sought.

• Relevant academic and professional qualifications and experience.

Interested applicants can send their technical and financial document along with supporting documents within 7 working days through email at ‘ewlajobs2025@gmail.com’

In-person: EWLA Head Office: Bulgaria Mazoria, Behind St. Michael Church

Contact person cell phone: +251 91 229 1094/+251 911 17 76 39

NB! Please write the consultancy title “External Evaluator for  UNODC Projects” on the Subject of your email or Envelope  Job Requirements Advanced degree in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Law, Human Rights, or related field of study with relevant work experience out of with Minimum of 10 years of experience in project evaluation, preferably in gender, SGBV, legal aid, or human rights. How to Apply Interested applicants can send their technical and financial document along with supporting documents within 7 working days through email at ‘ewlajobs2025@gmail.com or In-person: EWLA Head Office: Bulgaria Mazoria, Behind St. Michael Church