St. John Eye Hospital Group conducted the second Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) in 2019. This is in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  The results showed that the prevalence of blindness within the Palestinian population is 2.8%; 1.6% for Severe Visual Impairment (SVI), 11.3% for Moderate Visual Impairment (MVI) and 12.4% for Early Visual Impairment (EVI). The main cause of blindness and visual impairments are Diabetic Retinopathy and Diabetes Mellitus cases among the Palestinian population.

 

While the prevalence of visual impairment and avoidable blindness in Palestine are significantly high, UNRWA - United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the PA – Palestinian Authorities, MoH – Ministry of Health, considered the 2 largest healthcare providers in Palestine lack sufficient infrastructure. Moreover, blind or visually impaired Palestinians are at even more disadvantage, often marginalized from society and lacking resources for self-sufficiency.

 

To respond to the above-mentioned needs, Johanniter International and its implementing partner, St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem initiated the project “Prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment in the West Bank.

1. Improved the comprehensive ophthalmic care for UNRWA refugees in the West Bank with a focus on vulnerable groups (women’s, elderly and PwD- People with Disabilities).
2. Strengthened the capacity of the UNRWA centers for basic medical care to provide primary eye care services.
3. Offered Mobile services for primary eye care in West Bank and a referral system by women's organizations, DPOs Disabled People Organization, and community-based rehabilitation programs (CBR) to the SJEHG is in place.
4. Important and comprehensive primary, secondary, and tertiary eye medical services are offered to ophthalmic patients at the principal hospital in Jerusalem and at the centers in Anabta (North West Bank) and Hebron (South West Bank).

Johanniter International Assistance (JIA) is a German non-governmental organization, and together with people all around the world, JIA strives for life in good health, with secure livelihoods and dignity in times of crisis and for a better future. JIA develops its international programs together with local communities in a culturally and gender-sensitive way, based on the community’s needs. The Federal Headquarters is based in Berlin, Germany.

 

JIA has been active in the Middle East since 2006, opened its regional office in Amman, Jordan in 2015, and started its operations in Palestine in 2004. The programs in the Middle East region focus on three thematic areas; emergency preparedness and response, health including mental health, and livelihoods.

1. The PEC (Primary Eye Care) Curriculum was developed during the 1st year of the project implementation in consultation with the Fred Hallow Foundation and UNRWA. It was approved by the Ministry of Health and, has been used to train the UNRWA Doctors and Nurses. The curriculum was printed in 30 copies and available for distribution to Doctors and Nurses who are willing to further the care and treatment of people who are requiring primary eye care.
2. Comprehensive ophthalmic care for UNRWA refugees in the West Bank has improved, through the capacity building of 24 Medical Practitioners to perform a diagnosis for people with a common eye disorder, and 12 Nurses were trained to perform DR (Diabetic Retinopathy) testing.
3. Provision of Diagnosis and Treatment:
   • UNRWA Level: 53,531 patients were diagnosed and provided treatment for primary eye care and 1,400 for Diabetic Retinopathy.
   • Mobile Clinic: 22,809 examined with a special focus on vulnerable groups such as women, individuals with disabilities, and older people
   • SJEHG hospital – 58,429 patients were diagnosed and provided treatment for primary eye care.
4. Referral: In summary 12,531 patients were referred to SJEHG for advanced diagnosis and treatment including surgery.
5. Awareness raising: 17,513 patients attended and participated in health education on the prevention of blindness, diagnosis and treatment for primary eye diseases.

 

This final evaluation is to assess the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, and sustainability of project implementation in particular, to document the results of the project in relation to its overall objectives and expected results, and identify the good practices and lessons learned, both of which can be used when designing similar interventions in the future. At the end of the final evaluation, the following objectives will be fulfilled:

• To assess the performance and achievements of the project versus the project overall objectives.

• To generate lessons learned from the implementation of the project's activities and outcomes achieved that will be useful for similar projects in the future for the Health sector.

• To develop specific recommendations and majors anchored on the conclusions of the different groups of targeted communities through their own recommendations and insights.

• To promote sustainability and long-term impact with the people we work with.

 

2.     Scope of the evaluation, approach, and methods:

All activities, engagement, and dialoguing with relevant stakeholders most importantly with the people we work with will be grounded and based on the JIA Code of Conduct to guarantee effectiveness and the integrity of this piece of work.

 

The identification of interviewees, and respondents, tools for evaluations, and processes will be gender-sensitive, inclusive, culturally sensitive, and participatory in nature. The necessary consent will be solicited before the engagement with relevant interviewees, and responders, this includes taking photos and personal information and testimonies.

 

The final evaluation will utilize qualitative and quantitative methods to collect and analyze both primary and secondary data.

 

·        The sources for primary data will include responses from key informant interviews with the UNRWA doctors and nurses who completed their training in PEC – Primary Eye Care and DR - Diabetic Retinopathy including the SJEHG project team and people that the project served.

 

·        The Secondary data sources will include data and information relating to the primary eye care services in Palestine and data and information related to the UNRWA capacity building of eye care.

 

The data collection method will include the following:

 

·      Key informant interviews (KII) with partners, and stakeholders including open-ended questions.

·        Focus group discussion (FGD) with people we work with (Open-ended questions).

 

·        Data validation (training attendance sheet, training provided topics, and referral system)

3. Process and timeline:

The final evaluation process will commence on 2nd October 2023 and conclude on 24th November 2023 with the full and final report submitted to and approved by the HoM of the Johanniter International Assistance – Middle East.

 

3 working days, 15th to 17th October

·        Preparation and work plan development (with detailed deadlines)

·        Review of key program documents and reports; introduction with program partners and stakeholders; and refining the evaluation framework and methodology

3 working days

·  Meeting with project partners; review theory of change; present findings of document review and confirm data collection tools

·        Finalize data collection tools

7 working day

·        Secondary data collection

2 working days

·        Field work; community, partner and stakeholder consultation (Primary data collection)

4 working days (including travel time, as required)

·        Present preliminary findings to the JIA Team and partners for comments and suggestions to proceed to comprehensive analysis and report writing.

2 working days

·        Analysis and draft report; validating findings with partners (and beneficiaries) – details to be discussed with the selected candidate

10 working days

·        Submit the final initial report to Johanniter International assistant

 

·        Johanniter provided feedback to the consultant on the first initial report

2 working days

·        After receiving Johanniter feedback the consultant must finalize a clean final report and submit it by 28th November 2023

 

4.     Products to be delivered by the consultant

The consultant shall deliver, within the time schedule presented in chapter 4, the following products

• The work plan includes a detailed methodology and data analysis plan (evaluation design, data analysis steps, and detail, operational work plan)
• Inception Report (with key parameters and indicators to be considered for the final evaluation including the methodologies for data collection and dissemination).
• Data Collection tools for final evaluation based on the project objectives as elaborated in the project document.
• Cleaned final dataset containing all data collected for the final evaluation, including KII/FGD analysis.

The Final Evaluation Report (incorporating inputs from the review) will include:

• An executive summary. It should include the major findings of the final evaluation and summarize conclusions and recommendations.
• Methods and techniques used (including relevant underlying values and assumptions, theories) with a justification of the selections made (of persons interviewed).
• Analysis and findings, to address the status of outcome indicators and changes to project assumptions
• Conclusions
• Lessons learns

 

Evaluation Design: The evaluation design will include OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development DAC development aid organizations - six criteria as per requirements by the donor.

 

1. RELEVANCE; The appropriateness of project objectives to the problems that it was supposed to address, and to the physical and policy environment within which it operated. It should include an assessment of the quality of project preparation and design.
   1. Was the action adequately designed to respond to the needs of the direct people we work with?
   2. Were the project methodologies and activities relevant to achieve the project objectives?
2. EFFICIENCY; The fact that the project results have been achieved at a reasonable cost, i.e. how well inputs/means have been converted into activities, in terms of quality, quantity, and time, and the quality of the results achieved. This requires comparing alternative approaches to achieving the same results, to see whether the most efficient process has been adopted.
   1. Was the project managed in a cost-efficient manner (in terms of human, financial, and other resources versus the results)?
   2. Were synergies capitalized on with other actors (local and international) involved in similar projects?
3. EFFECTIVENESS; An assessment of the contribution made by results to the achievement of the project purpose, and how assumptions have affected project achievements. This should include a specific assessment of the benefits accruing to target groups.
   1. Were the expected results realized?
   2. Did the achievement of the results conduct to the achievement of the project-specific objective?
   3. What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of set objective? If there is a gap between the benefits brought by the activities and the objective of the project, how can it be explained?
   4. During the project, how well did SJEHG provide information to communities and people served by the project, the principles it adheres to, how it expects its staff to behave, the project and what they intend to deliver.
4. IMPACT; The effect of the project on its wider environment, and its contribution to the sector objectives (as summarized in the project’s overall objective).
   1. What evidence is there that the project contributed to the achievement of its overall objective?
   2. What, if any, were the unintended impacts of the project intervention, both positive and negative?
   3. Was the project able to monitor, mitigate and respond to any unintended negative effects?
5. SUSTAINABILITY; An assessment of the likelihood of benefits produced by the project to continue to flow after external funding has ended (probability of continued long-term benefits).
   1. What evidence is there to suggest the project’s interventions and/or results will be sustained after the project end?
   2. What are the possibilities for replication and extension of the project’s outcomes? Human, organizational (including policies and institutions) and financial factors, as well as environmental and gender viability, are the main sustainability factors
6. COHERENCE: To what extent were the project interventions and implementation strategies complementary and coherent to bring about desired changes? What procedures and measures did the project consider to avoid overlap or duplication?

5.     Responsibility: This section clarifies the roles, tasks, and responsibilities of each stakeholder in regard to the evaluation process.

 

• Consultant or consulting firm roles and responsibilities:
  • Facilitate desk review of the relevant project documents such MMT Monthly Monitoring Tracking, quarterly report, annual report, project proposal.
  • Facilitate key informant interviews (KIIs) with project-relevant participants from the UNRWA/Mobile and SJEHG clinics, MOH, INGO like CBM and Fred Hallows and JIA ME team
  • Facilitate Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with people served by this project.

• Johanniter roles and responsibilities:
  • Review the consultant tools and provide inputs/ comments
  • Review the work plan and make sure linked with the timeline.
  • Provide all key documentation relevant to the evaluation (project proposal, Reports “monthly, quarterly, and annual).
  • Review the analysis of collected data
  • Review the first draft of the Final Evaluation report.

 

• John Eye Hospital Group (SJEHG):
  • Provide essential information about project participants, referral system and other relevant information.
  • Facilitate coordination with project participants relating to meetings, interviews and focus group discussions.
  • Provide logistic and administrative (including permit if necessary) support in terms of visiting the project site.
  • Provide inputs and comments in the initial draft of the evaluation result.

 

6. Management of the Consultant Contract:

The consultant will be commissioned by the Johanniter International Assistance in the Middle East and to be supervised by the Senior Program Manager who is responsible for day-to-day coordination and will also be the primary focal point of contact from JIA. SJEHG will support and facilitate the mission of a consultant team during the evaluation process.

7. Intellectual property and data protection

All intellectual property generated by the consultancy will be owned by Johanniter and implementing partners, who will retain the rights to disseminate and publish the final report. The agency will follow the data protection policy of Johanniter while collecting, processing, and storing the program-related data.

 

1.     Budget

The indicative budget for this consultancy is 10,000 EUR including VAT and Withholding Tax (WHT).

This budget includes the consultant’s fee and taxes, any travel and expenses that might be required for data collection (depending on the proposed methodology), and any costs related to telephone or Skype use, transcriptions, software licenses, and office materials.

 

2.     Payment for the service:

Payment will be made as follows:

• Milestone 1: On signing of the contract and upon submission of the work plan - 25%
• Milestone 2: On providing the draft report – 50%
• Milestone 3: On providing the final Report –Final 25%

 

Note: There will be a withholding tax that shall be deducted as per the Jordanian government regulation: if the consultant is from Jordan, a 5% withholding tax shall apply, and if the consultant is out of Jordan a 10% tax is applied.

 

In the situation that the consultant does not meet the agreed deadlines (without advance agreement from Johanniter), the second payment will be reduced by 5% for each calendar day the submission is late.

Interested applicants should submit the application along with:

• Cover letter- with the name, position, phone number, email and address of the company
• Full Technical proposal. This includes detailed budget, activities, time frame, human resources, and

·        CV of all suggested team members

• Sample reports- Please include two similar reports as sample work, completed by the consultant (dated after 2017)
• Tender Declaration Form - with signature
  • The quotation should be on an official head letter signed and stamped with the date clearly indicated (scanned in PDF-Format). https://1drv.ms/w/s!AoItaouuoj6ZsmFrrZK85jFA5tOH?e=lX2ZpF
  • A financial proposal with a detailed breakdown of costs for the study. (Definition of the expected services, schedule, and costs must be included in the quotation: listing and explanation of the products, services, and activities (e.g. in tabular form) to be provided by the consultant, including time frame and detailed cost breakdown.)
  • The quotation should contain the gross daily rate and the total cost inclusive (with Tax if applicable) in EURO currency.

           Mention the contact person in the quotation

 

Please send your email applications to [email protected] and Barbarawi, Hala [email protected]

Queries regarding the consultancy can also be directed to this email address.

Interested applicants are requested to apply by 8th October 2023 and must be flexible to be immediately available from 15th October 2023 onwards, as the deadline for the consultancy completion is on the 24th November 2023 upon the approval of the final report.  Due to time constraints, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.