International Consultancy: Evaluation of UNFPA ESARO Innovation Solutions Mobilization (Innovation HackLabs) Model

Background

UNFPA is the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency committed to delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The East and Southern Africa Regional Office works as an extension of the organization to realize the mandate and goals in the region.

It is estimated that more than 200 million girls and women have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM). 1 in 30 countries across three continents, with half of those cut living in Africa. More than three million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM every year, with most girls cut before the age of 15. FGM is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights and constitutes extreme violence against girls and women. Girls and women subjected to FGM are at risk of early marriage, dropping out of school, and reduced opportunities for growth, development, and sustainable incomes. FGM involves medical, emotional, social, legal, and economic repercussions at all levels of society. Given that 22 out of 30 FGM-affected countries are least- developed, these costs place a burden on the personal, household, community, and state economies. As a result of global efforts to meet the 2030 goals, critical progress is being made in ending FGM.

Ending the practice by 2030 – the target set out in the Sustainable Development Goals – would require redoubling evidence-based efforts and innovation.

UNFPA in ESAR has adopted innovation and digitalisation as an accelerator of UNFPAs Transformative Results (TR), which includes ending preventable maternal death, ending unmet need for family planning and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices. This is reflected in the new UNFPA Strategic Plan, the Regional Action Plan, Nairobi Declaration, innovation and digitalization strategies, and assessment report on the iAccelerator Program 2019, among other Programme reports.

Young people the world over are championing social innovation as an accelerator of solutions to the current political, social, and economic challenges they face. With support from the UNFPA East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) via the Innovation HackLabs project, young people are developing and scaling innovative solutions to support collective efforts to achieve transformative results, create jobs for themselves and others through their social impact projects. UNFPA in ESAR is committed to supporting the development of an enabling environment to grow innovation in the region.

UNFPA in 2021 initiated the Innovation HackLabs model to identify and support innovation idea generation on the one hand and also support existing ‘startups’ to scale their social innovation enterprises. The project has since achieved some successes including identifying over 300 innovation solutions, providing critical seed and growth funding, access to enterprise support services, investor relations, networks, dialogues and exposure to market opportunities. 

UNFPA ESARO is seeking to evaluate the project through determining an approach to crowdsourcing innovation solutions moving forward; determine the impact of the developed innovation solutions (2021-23), assess opportunities for enterprise growth/improvement and development of key recommendations to provide value for money as well as accelerate efforts to achieve the transformative results. The evaluation also seeks to assess the governance systems, the administrative arrangements, support offered, impact of and on recovery from COVID 19. 

The evaluation is expected to use innovative and adaptive approaches that offer a 360 degrees’ assessment of the project. 

Objectives

UNFPA ESARO is calling for a consultant to evaluate the HackLabs model used to crowdsource innovation (especially harmful practices) solutions from external stakeholders including young people and make strategic recommendations to accelerate efforts towards improving the SRHR innovation ecosystem across Africa. 

The evaluation will have four broad components: 

1. Review of the project design, structure and approach as well as the implementation processes over the two years of roll out. 
2. A forward-looking prospective assessment of the HackLabs project which will include a review of the impact of the innovators engaged, viability of the seed fund and business incubation support provided, implementation mechanisms (internal and external), communication and impact measurement and reporting systems including the skills, funding, market access, networking etc using adaptive evaluation approaches  
3. The evaluation will cover implementation at the country and regional level including the governance, administrative processes as well as engagement with external partners; i.e. AfriLabs as an implementing partner. 
4. Assess plausible application of the implementation of the HackLabs model to other thematic issue areas for example Child Marriage, Early and Unintended Pregnancies, Climate Change among others. 

Specific Objectives

1. Identify and document key learning to generate key recommendations for the RO and COs regarding HackLabs and its application to UNFPA’s mode of engagement in the ESA region 
2. Identify key opportunities and recommendations to improve the HackLab programme design, approach, governance, administrative and other implementation processes, and systems (including impact documentation and dissemination). 
3. Propose a viable design and structure for HackLabs implementation in the region aligned to the strategic plan, financial and programme policies and procedures. 
4. Identify opportunities for using innovation hacklabs as part of community resilience building including with COVID 19 recovery efforts.

Scope of work (Description of services, activities, or outputs)

Desk Review:

The evaluation is expected to conduct a desk review of relevant documents, including the HackLab project concept notes and other project documents, the operational processes and plans and any other relevant reports or documents related to the project. Other documents will include relevant innovation ecosystem publications by UNFPA and other stakeholders. The desk review will provide a foundation for understanding the context, objectives, and expected outcomes of the project.

Evaluation Design:

Based on desk review; the evaluation team will develop and submit an evaluation design and proposal that outlines the data collection methods, data sources, and analysis plan for the evaluation. The evaluation design will be tailored to the specific objectives of the evaluation and will be designed to provide reliable and valid data on the effectiveness of the reproductive health innovation HackLab project.

Data Collection:

The evaluation team will collect data using a range of methods, including surveys, interviews and focus groups among others. The data collection will be designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the project's impact on improving reproductive health outcomes, the feasibility of scaling up the solutions developed during the HackLab, and the effectiveness of the HackLab in promoting innovation and digital transformation.

Data Analysis:

The evaluation team will analyse the data using a range of quantitative and qualitative methods. The analysis will be designed to provide a detailed assessment of the relevance, potential impact, feasibility, and effectiveness of the HackLab in achieving its intended objectives. The analysis will also identify key challenges and opportunities for improving the effectiveness of future reproductive health innovation initiatives.

Reporting and Recommendations:

The evaluation team will prepare a comprehensive report that summarizes the evaluation findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The report will be tailored to the specific needs of the project stakeholders and will include an executive summary, introduction, methodology, results, conclusions, and recommendations. The recommendations will be based on the evaluation findings and will be designed to provide specific guidance for improving the effectiveness of future reproductive health innovation initiatives.

Presentation of Findings:

The evaluation team will present the evaluation findings to project stakeholders. The presentation will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions, provide feedback, and engage with the evaluation team on the key findings and recommendations. The presentation will also provide an opportunity for the evaluation team to highlight key areas of concern and provide recommendations for addressing these concerns.

Overall, the scope of work for the evaluation of a reproductive health innovation HackLab project will be designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the project's impact on improving reproductive health outcomes and promoting innovation and digital transformation in ending harmful practices against women and girls. The evaluation will provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the project and will provide specific recommendations for improving the effectiveness of future reproductive health innovation initiatives.

Minimum qualification required: 

1. Master’s degree or equivalent in development studies, sociology, economics, social studies, international relations or other related fields. 
2. 10 years of experience conducting or managing evaluations. 
3. Experience conducting different types of evaluations with UNFPA. 
4. Strong understanding of UNFPA’s policies and programming. 
5. Proven skills in evaluation methodology, research analysis, including quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques. 
6. Demonstrated expertise/experience in developing theories of change, results frameworks, and evaluation and monitoring systems; 
7. Be fully acquainted with results-based management orientation and practices; 
8. Excellent report writing skills, analytical skills, and computer skills. 
9. Excellent command in written and spoken English. 
10. Experience leading teams.