Women’s sustainable Networking and Solidarity Leading towards Gender Equality in BiH

Organisation:             Association “Medica” Zenica

Place:                         Bosnia and Herzegovina

Evaluation period:    max. 25 days from end-September to mid-November 2023

Mandated by:             cfd – the feminist peace organisation

1. Information on the mandating organisation: cfd

The Swiss NGO cfd (cfd – The Feminist Peace Organization, www.cfd-ch.org) is a peace and development organisation working towards gender equality, the empowerment of women and participation of women in conflict resolution and peace building efforts. Its regional focus is around the Mediterranean (Southeastern Europe, Maghreb and Middle East).

cfd’s engagement in South-Eastern Europe goes back to 1996 and remained ever since a key element in the international cooperation program of the organisation. cfd cooperates with local NGOs, mostly local women’s organisations, human right’s organisations, organisations engaged in inclusive economic development and other NGOs with already defined gender- sensitive approaches or who are interested to further developing their inclusive intervention strategies. Cfd engages in the following sectors: prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), income generation and social and political inclusion. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, cfd is supporting projects in all three thematic fields.

Association “Medica” Zenica is a specialized women’s organization which has been responding for three decades to the needs of most vulnerable categories in the society. This includes women and children who survived war rapes and sexual violence, gender based and other forms of violence in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina, including human trafficking. “Medica” adopted comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary approaches depending on individual needs and based on participation of survivors, while nurturing feministic principles and international standards. The mission of “Medica” Zenica is to contribute to the decrease and elimination of violence, discrimination of women and children, and to ensure their equality in family and society.

The two projects “Economic Empowerment and Peer to Peer programs of Prevention of Gender Based Violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, implemented from 2017-2019, and “Women’s sustainable Networking and Solidarity leading towards Gender Equality in BiH”, implemented from 2020-2022, build up on the results of the previous project phases carried out from 2009 – 2016. The focus of the previous phases was economic and psychosocial empowerment of women from rural areas and women survivors of GBV that was also implemented with support of cfd. The two phases (2017-2019 and 2020-2022) aimed at enhancing income generation of women, strengthening their capacities and building up an Informal Network of Rural Women. The projects focus on economic empowerment, psychosocial strengthening and awareness raising for gender equality. Additionally, the second phase 2020-2022 focused on a transformative approach, in which solidarity, friendship and interethnic respect and dialogue were promoted as values among women in everyday life. The project has therefore contributed to dialogue, empowerment, and increased awareness of gender equality among different groups through joint activities and mutual support in form of an informal network of rural women.

The overall objective of both project phases is to contribute to prevention of gender-based violence, advancement of gender equality and changes of patriarchal influences in society in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Phase 2017-2019

Outcome 1: Women from rural areas and survivors of violence are better equipped to be economically independent.

Output 1.1.: Qualified women and girls for appropriate jobs create better opportunities for employment and self-employment and become competitive labor force at labor market.

Outcome 2: Strengthened capacities of rural women, potential victims of gender-based violence and discrimination, to actively participate, take a stand and have an active role in their families and communities through psychosocial strengthening and peer-to-peer educational program and the work of Informal Network.

Output 2.1.: Improved psychological strength of women after a course of group psychoeducational group work and individual therapy sessions. Strengthened capacities of women to recognize different kinds of violence, openly speak about the violence and motivate other women to speak up.

Output 2.2.: Women and girls, leaders from rural areas strengthened and empowered through peer-to-peer educational program become active agents of change and advocate for equality and better representation of women in family and community.

Output 2.3.: Women and girls from rural areas create better opportunities for gender equality, breaking gender stereotypes and prevention of GBV in their families and communities and broaden cross village cooperation and networking.

Outcome 3: Women and girls from rural areas have better opportunities for active participation of women and girls in business and income generating activities, public-political, and social spheres of life in local communities.

Output 3.1.: Strengthened cooperation among Informal Network of Rural Women and local community authorities and visible women’s entrepreneurship potentials create better opportunities for women and girls to generate income through their small business and in –home activities.

Output 3.2.: Strengthened capacities of women from rural areas to take more active role in the public, economic and social life in the local community and to motivate others to support and give opportunity to women in holding public, social- political and decision-making positions.

Phase 2020-2022

Project Long-Term Outcome: To contribute to prevention of gender-based violence, advancement of gender equality and changes of patriarchal influences in society in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Outcome 1: Women from rural areas and survivors of violence are better equipped to be economically independent.

Output 1.1: Qualified women and girls for income-generation, self-employment and employment, to become competitive labor force at labor market.

Output 1.2: Enhanced women’s entrepreneurship potentials enable women and girls to start income generation through their small businesses and in – home activities.

Outcome 2: Strengthened psychosocial capacities of rural women and survivors of violence to actively participate, take a stand and have an active role in their families and communities and in improving gender relations.

Output 2.1: Improved psychological strengths of women and strengthened capacities of women to openly speak about violence and motivate other women to speak up.

Output 2.2: Strengthened capacities of the Informal Network of Zenica Doboj Canton for implementation of sustainable and functional exit strategy.

Output 2.3. Women and girls from rural areas become agents of change for improved gender equality, breaking gender stereotypes and prevention of GBV in their families and communities.

Outcome 3: Increased public and institutional awareness of equal opportunities and rights.

Output 3.1.: Women’s entrepreneurship and women’s equal rights are publicly promoted and strengthened in public and private sector.

Output 3.2.: Improved co-funding scheme for the Safe house of Medica Zenica in Zenica Doboj Canton

The project periods to be evaluated are from 2017 to 2019 and from 2020 to 2022.

The general objective of this gender-responsive evaluation is to provide an in-depth reflection on the project’s strategic and operational planning, achievements, successes, challenges, and performance, building on the accumulative experience of project intervention in the last 6 years (2017-2022). The evaluation is envisaged to be a summative evaluation that intends to provide a reflection process and in-depth analysis to inform further efforts in the area of gender and SGBV.

The evaluation should focus on two main aspects:

1. To evaluate the extent to which the two project phases have contributed to combating gender-based violence and discrimination in all its forms and to women awareness and empowerment processes.
2. To assess support and collaboration between cfd and Medica Zenica identifying the extent of collaboration between the two organizations to improve project implementation and to analyze/assess effects of this collaboration on Medica Zenica’s growth while lessons learned from this process for both cfd and Medica Zenica.

The evaluation can be based on OECD/DAC evaluation criteria. It should provide an in-depth analysis focusing on aspects of social empowerment, increased gender equality, social transformation and economic strengthening.

Relevance and Coherence: Was the intervention relevant and coherent to achieve greater gender equality, generate income for women and women’s empowerment in the community? How have project activities contributed to the change of attitudes and acquiring new skills? Are women in the targeted communities mobilised and enabled to participate as aimed at in the project? What is the added value/comparative advantage of the project compared to similar interventions?

Effectiveness: Assess effectiveness and organizational efficiency in progressing towards the achievement of the project’s goals. Is the project designed in a coherent and realistic way to achieve the originally defined objectives? What are the changes produced by the project at local level? What are the changes that project participants experienced at the individual level – how do project participants experience and describe the changes they underwent during the project implementation? What has been the progress made towards achievement of the expected outcomes and expected results?

Efficiency: Were the project funds managed effectively? Could the activities and outputs have been delivered with fewer resources without reducing their quality and quantity? Have “Medica” Zenica’s organisational structure, management and coordination mechanisms effectively supported the programme and its goals? In what way were project participants and other stakeholders involved in the project design and steering?

Sustainability: Assess the sustainability of the intervention in prevention of gender-based violence.

Key questions for sustainability:

• Were the interventions designed in a way to achieve women’s rights in the long run?
• To what extent was the intervention designed to achieve greater gender equality in the targeted areas by the project?
• How did the project help build sustainable partnerships and/or support for the Informal Network of Rural Women with local authorities at cantonal, municipal and communal level?
• What are the possible partnerships and cooperations needed for Medica to continue supporting women in rural communities?

Impact    (road    to):    Determine    the    (road    to)    impact    of    the    intervention               regarding

1. Gender equality: What were the intended and unintended, positive and negative, long-term effects of the project? What was the most significant change that the project contributed to for the project participants?
2. Cooperation between cfd and “Medica” Zenica: How was cfd able to support the implementation of the project? What was the effect of the cooperation on “Medica” Zenica as an organisation? What are lessons learned from the cooperation on both sides?

Define what changes/adaptations need to be envisioned in order to address the identified gaps, challenges and obstacles and to improve long-term benefits of the project. Propose measures and formulate concrete recommendations for the project adaption in the longer run.

Desk study – Review of secondary sources (to be edited accordingly):

1. Media reports/articles
   1. Statements from the participants’ families
   1. Representatives of local authorities

Review important available information of the above-mentioned project of the project evaluation period (2017-2022) including:

1. Project documents
2. Focus groups and interviews to gather information around project outputs and process to inform the evaluation, and to help determine if and how the project can adapt to the needs of rural youth in new developments.

The inclusion of qualitative methods of data collection is required. The consultant will propose the methodological approach as a part of his/her motivational letter. Detailed methodology will be finalized in participation with the partner organization and cfd staff.

• Submission of draft report in English and executive summary in English and Bosnian.
• Realization of feedback session in English for cfd and “Medica” Zenica.
• Preparation of final report in English and an executive summary in English and Bosnian, incorporating results from the feedback session

Evaluator shall present at final report findings to cfd, participants and involved stakeholders (see target group) in Bosnian.

The participants in this evaluation project include:

• Director and project staff members of the partner organization
• Direct project participants
• External partners/stakeholders
• cfd Program Coordinator and Local Coordinator.
• Timeframe and time schedule: approx. 25 days in the timeframe of up to 1.5 months starting in end-September, final report submission latest mid-November 2023.

Timeframe needs to include the following steps:

• Document review and preparation of inception report, including detailed evaluation scope and methodology.
• Presentation of draft inception report and incorporation of feedback from cfd and “Medica” Zenica
• Data Collection including qualitative methodologies.
• Data Analysis
• Completion of draft report
• Presentation of draft report for comments, data cross check and suggestions in feedback session
• Incorporation of comments and additional findings into a finalized version of the report
• Official presentation of evaluation findings to cfd, “Medica” Zenica, and relevant stakeholders

The output will be a Gender Responsive Evaluation Report in English, with summary and recommendations in English and Bosnian.

The final evaluation report comprises:

• An executive summary of not more than 3 pages in each language
• Inception report with proposed methodologies
• Draft final report for cfd’s & “Medica” Zenica’s feedback

• The final report of the assessment will contain analysis, findings / lessons learnt, conclusions and recommendations. The report will also incorporate the results of the feedback session. The report should not exceed 20 pages (excluding the annexes in which the questionnaires and instruments developed are included).

• University Degree in Social, Gender, Human Rights or Political Science
• Profound knowledge and experience in the Balkans; understanding of the specifics of the current context, its challenges and the dynamics of political, economic, social and technological transition
• Practical experience of advising non-government organizations on designing, implementing and evaluating projects from a feminist perspective
• Proven experience in women’s rights, gender-based violence and discrimination
• Excellent social scientific methodological data collection skills (qualitative and quantitative)
• Excellent writing and analytical skills
• Fluency in English (oral and written) and BiH constitute languages/Bosnian required

Obligations of cfd and Medica Zenica

Consultant fee: agreed after submission between cfd and consultant.

1. Local travelling and tentative workshop costs are included in the consultant’s fee.

Obligation of Consultant

• Execute all tasks as agreed in the contract and adhere to proposed methods.
• Submit the above specified deliverables in time.
• Organize the data collection and field visit in coordination with Medica Zenica and according to availabilities of participants.

Interested consultants/teams of consultants are asked to provide a written proposal (max. 5 pages) including the proposed methodology, time schedule, financial offer, as well as the CV of the consultant(s) until September 7^th, 2023, by email to:

[email protected], [email protected], and [email protected].

Questions can be submitted to the same email no later than September 1^st, 2023.

Criteria for the selection of the offer will be: 1) Previous experience of consultant (specifically in gender responsive evaluation 2) quality of proposal; 3) proposed methodology; 4) proposed timeframe; 5) financial offer.