ICTJ Consultancy: Evaluator ITJA Project

I. INTRODUCTION

Purpose

International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), the Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) and the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) seek the services of a consultant to conduct the final external evaluation of the EU-funded project “European Support for Transitional Justice in Africa”/ “Initiative for Transitional Justice in Africa” (NDICI AFRICA/2023/442-639).

The overall objective is to assess the results and impact of the project. The evaluation will be part of the final report as foreseen in the grant agreement. The findings and conclusions of the external evaluation will inform follow-up planning to ensure that future actions build on the results achieved through the project. The evaluation report will also be used by representatives of the European Union to inform current and future interventions in Africa Union member states.

II. THE PROJECT

The Initiative for Transitional Justice in Africa (ITJA) is a three-year project jointly launched by the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) to support AU member states to domestically incorporate and implement the African Union Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP). The project is implemented by a consortium of three organizations led by the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) working in collaboration with the African Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) and the Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR).

This initiative promotes and supports the domestic implementation of the AUTJP by providing technical assistance to the AU, its organs and member states; fostering transitional justice knowledge production and management; and strengthening the capacity of civil society and victims’ groups to popularize the AUTJP and advocate for inclusive and accountable transitional justice processes in Africa. Ultimately, the project aims to help societies across the African continent to become more peaceful, just, and accountable.

Main Objectives:

1. To strengthen relevant AU organs, Regional and Economic Communities (RECs) and AU Member States’ capacity to implement the AUTJP and to design and operate tailored gender-sensitive reconciliation and reparation mechanisms.
2. To make available rigorous and relevant knowledge on transitional justice experiences in Africa to inform the design of stabilization and reconciliation strategies consistent with the AUTJP.
3. To strengthen the accountability and popularization of African transitional justice mechanisms while ensuring wide consultations with the various strides of affected societies, in particular women and youths.

Main Activities:

• Provision of technical expertise to AU Member States, RECs and AU Organs on Transitional Justice
• Supporting African women’s engagement in transitional justice processes.
• Convening several cross-continental EU-AU Expert Seminars on Transitional Justice to discuss lessons learned and share best practices.
• Convening several continental forums on Transitional Justice to discuss, reflect on and assess the state of transitional justice in Africa.
• Increasing capacity and expertise on topical and emerging TJ issues through dedicated webinars.
• Production of new research pieces, case studies and policy briefs, including on the state of TJ in Africa, women and reparations and the use of technology in TJ.
• Supporting the establishment of a research network focused on developing African transitional justice knowledge.
• Supporting the establishment of an African Transitional Justice Expert Reference Group.
• Activating and strengthening the African civil society community of practice on TJ.
• Supporting civil society-led initiatives on transitional justice across the continent.

III. EVALUATION OBJECTIVE

To assess the results of the project “European Support for Transitional Justice in Africa” / “Initiative for Transitional Justice in Africa” (NDICI AFRICA/2023/442-639) and produce a final evaluation report.

IV. SCOPE OF WORK

The evaluation will cover the work done throughout the three-year implementation of the action across African Union Member States.

Evaluation Criteria and Key Evaluation Questions

The consultant is expected to address the key evaluation questions below and to provide recommendations for improving project effectiveness and sustainability going forward. The evaluation will be done in accordance with the EU evaluation guidelines and will follow the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria.

• Effectiveness
  • To what extent has the project achieved its intended results?
  • What factors have contributed to and hindered the attainment of the project’s objectives?
  • Have there been any unexpected outcomes of the intervention? Positive/negative.
• Relevance
  • To what extent did the project address beneficiaries’ needs and priorities? How well was the project designed to address them?
  • What are the beneficiaries´ perception of the relevance of the intervention?
  • How suitable have adaptations made during the project (if any) been in continuing to meet the needs and priorities of beneficiaries?
  • To what extent did the intervention take into consideration the context and was sensitive to the constraints, opportunities and challenges faced by its beneficiaries?
• Efficiency
  • Were the human and financial resources used appropriately? Were they fully utilized?
  • To what extent have results been achieved in a timely manner and within the intended timeframe?
  • Was the timeframe reasonably adjusted during the intervention where unintended obstacles emerged? How were delays mitigated?
• Impact
  • To what extent has the project generated significant positive or negative, intended, or unintended, higher-level effects?
  • To what extent has the project achieved its overall objective?
• Coherence
  • How did the project fit in Ethiopia’s wider political and transitional justice context?
  • Have contradictions or synergies been observed with other programs operating in the targeted regions? If so, which ones?
• Sustainability
  • To what extent are the positive effects of the project likely to continue over time?
  • How has the project contributed to creating an enabling environment for its benefits to be sustained over time, or how has it not?
  • What factors may inhibit or put the sustainability of the action at risk?

V. APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

The Consultant is expected to propose an evaluation design and select the appropriate methodologies for collecting and analyzing results.

VI. DELIVERABLES

Inception Phase

• Develop an Inception Report that describes in detail the overall evaluation framework, and that defines the methodology and protocols for data collection and analysis. This deliverable needs to be approved by the ITJA Consortium.

During desk/field work

• Conduct thorough interviews and other agreed-upon data collection methods.
• Store and secure all collected project information from interviews and the like in accordance with GDPR rules and regulations.
• Conduct routine check-ins with the focal point of the evaluation in Ethiopia and, if required, ICTJ’s Senior DME lead.

During data analysis and report writing

• Keep ICTJ’s focal point updated on the progress of the evaluation assignment.
• Validate with a designated evaluation committee composed of representatives of the ITJA Consortium the preliminary evaluation findings and conclusions.

By the deadline (agreed upon contract)

• A final evaluation report. The final report shall include the following sections:
• Executive summary: a description of the project, a summary of the targets and intended outcomes, a summary of the methodological approaches used, a description of the main findings, and a conclusion outlining the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, impact, and contribution towards the attainment of the final goal.
• Methodology: a description of the methodology used, and the target groups involved. Methodological constraints, challenges and limitations should also be discussed in this section.
• Findings: a section addressing the evaluation questions. The findings may be presented under evaluation criteria or by domain of impact. Findings must be supported by evidence**.** Relevant project indicators used to monitor implementation must be used in the analysis under this section. When evidence relies on perception or feedback of stakeholders interviewed during the evaluation, the consultant must illustrate key findings with selected quotes or careful summaries/translation of statements made by key informants.
• Recommendations and lessons learned.
• Annexes: final terms of reference, evaluation schedule, table of project indicators measured, list of people interviewed, list of documents reviewed, acronyms and abbreviations used, operational definition of terms, etc.

Evaluators are encouraged to include stories of change based on their findings to illustrate changes identified.

The final report should not exceed 40 pages (without annexes).

VII. SCHEDULE AND BUDGET

Time frame:

We estimate that preparatory work for this evaluation will commence no later than 20 November 2026 and end on 5 February 2027.

Proposals must include a timeline considering these deadlines.

Budget:

Proposals should include a preliminary estimated budget and an appropriate number of workdays according to the methodology and approach of their choice.

Said budget should include all costs to be incurred by the evaluator (e.g. consultant fees and per diem, accommodation, international and local transportation, communication costs, insurance costs, etc.). Relevant staff at ICTJ, CSVR and ATJLF will make their best efforts to assist the consultant to schedule in person or virtual meetings and interviews.

All evaluation costs shall be paid by the consultant as part of the budgeted amount.

VIII. REQUIREMENTS

Key qualifications to successfully complete this consultancy include:

• Solid experience in conceptualizing and conducting evaluations of transitional justice, democracy building, peacebuilding, or human rights programs in post-conflict contexts.
• Extensive experience conducting evaluations of complex programs in diverse settings.
• Previous experience in evaluating EU funded programs/projects.
• Solid knowledge of the African Union and its Member States’ context is required, particularly of the countries covered by the action. Examples of such countries include Ethiopia, The Gambia, Lesotho and South Sudan among others.
• An advanced degree in a relevant field.
• Excellent written and communications skills.
• English proficiency required. Working level French is also required.

How to apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to fill in the application form HERE by 15 November 2026: Please consider having the following information and supporting documentation ready to submit.

• A brief description of the proposed evaluation approach (candidates do NOT need to develop the full methodology at this point)
• Estimated budget for this evaluation, including the daily consultancy rate.
• CV (upload file)
• An excerpt or full report of a previous evaluation report, if available. (upload file)
• Brief Cover letter
• Any other relevant information demonstrating the suitability of the candidate for the assignment.

Should you encounter any issues, please email hr@ictj.org - include in the subject: "Evaluator AU-EU Project". Applicants must complete and submit an application form to be considered for the consultancy.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The application portal will close upon the selection of a qualified candidate on or before the deadline to apply. Applicants are encouraged to apply early.