Youth researcher

1. Overview

The Jordan Coalition of Generation G Programme is looking for a youth researcher to conduct an end-term evaluation of Generation G Jordan according to the terms of reference set out herein.

Key details:

Post title Youth researcher

Program Locations: Jordan

Application Deadline: 4 September 2024

Timeline Contract: 1 October 2024 – 30 September 2025

Consultancy Budget: 3,500 EUR, depending on experience

Reporting to: Global end-term evaluation consultant

The Generation G partnership strives towards creating social justice, equality, and violence-free societies with and for young people in their full potential. The partnership raises public support, advocates for improved policies and laws, and strengthens civil society to contribute to achieving social justice. It thrives on the strength, and collaboration of experts, evidence-based and evaluated approaches, cross-country learning, and global advocacy. Program activities are running in seven countries in the Global South: Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda, and will conclude at the end of calendar year 2025. As the end-term date of the program approaches, the organizations and institutions involved in the program are eager to investigate the results of their work, and document lessons about the successes and challenges of the program to inform our future programming and the lobby and advocacy field as a whole.

1. Programme Background

The Generation G partnership raises public support, advocates for improved policies and laws, and strengthens civil society to contribute to social justice and equality. More specifically, this partnership engages an innovative strategy that equips youth leaders and civil society organizations to address the root causes of inequality and power imbalances. Engaging (young) men in promoting justice and equality is a key component of this strategy.

GenG approach focuses on the following elements: a) investing in amplifying young feminist voices; b) strengthening the role of young men as allies in equality between women and men; c) promoting human rights and youth agency; d) analyzing and addressing harmful norms and unequal power relations; e) embracing diversity.

Next to a social justice approach, this partnership has fully embraced the principles of inclusiveness, meaningful and inclusive youth participation, do-not-harm, and accountability. As young people are our key actors and key impact group, they are actively included in decision-making processes, as well as the design and implementation of key strategies.

Lobbying and advocacy for social justice and equality happen at the individual, community, institutional, and policy levels. The different levels of lobbying and advocacy for social justice are embedded in three mutually reinforcing long-term outcomes (LTOs), described below:

• LTO 1 aims at increasing and mobilizing public support for gender justice and rejecting gender-based violence. This LTO also feeds into the other two LTOs as mobilized individuals can become part of organized civil society or might use their voice or voting power to pressure decision-makers towards more gender-transformative policies and legislation.
• LTO 2 focuses on strengthening gender-transformative and youth-inclusive policymaking and legislation. This LTO feeds into the other two LTOs as decision-makers directly influence the availability of civic space and have a strong influence on the general public through discourse, legislation, and policies.
• LTO3 envisions a strong, inclusive, and resilient civil society that can fight for gender justice. This LTO also feeds into the other two LTOs as a strong civil society can advocate for gender-transformative laws and policies and can foster and stimulate public support.

Our strategic objective is to create societies that are just and violence free, with and for young people in their full potential. By saying just, we imply systemic change at the level of root causes of discrimination, and harmful norms that impede full access to rights for young people on the mere basis of them being men and women. By violence-free, we imply our ambition to actively contribute to a decrease in gender-based violence in the countries where this program is active.

1. Objectives

The end-term evaluation of the Generation G program has two-fold objectives: programmatic-focused and collaboration-focused. Detailed objectives are:

1. Evaluating the effectiveness of the program: evaluate the results (including unexpected or unintended results) of the program, which changes occurred, how changes happened, and the contribution of the program to these changes:
2. To assess and validate the country program progress towards the achievement of the 5-year targets at output and outcome levels;
3. To assess the country program strategies regarding:
   1. sustainability (what is the likelihood that the program results will be sustainable, in terms of systems, institutions, policies, financing) and institutionalization (e.g. on GTA and MIYP);
   2. operationalization of program principles (do we live up to our principles?);
   3. capacity strengthening (Is the program sufficiently sensitive and responsive to capacity strengthening needs? Is the country’s capacity strengthening plan effective and likely to lead to sustained capacity improvements in the long term?)
4. A mapping of funding in relation to budgets vs. expenditures at activity, thematic and geographical levels, as well as an evaluation of financial resource management (e.g. appropriateness of budget planning, whether grant allocation has been appropriate, whether there were any bottlenecks in the system of financial disbursement between consortium, national lead partner and coalition partners.
5. Additional country-specific evaluation and/or learning objectives.
6. Evaluating the partnership collaboration focusing on coherence, localization/leading from the South, partnership with the Ministry and the Embassies, lessons learned, and good practices.
7. Evaluating the relevance and validity of the theory of change: evaluate the programs’ theory of change including assessing the validity of the assumptions underlying the TOC in the different country contexts by providing evidence of which mechanisms of change worked, which did not, and why.

The Generation G country coalition of Jordan calls for a youth researcher to address these objectives clearly and comprehensively. Further details are presented below.

1. Methods and approach

For the Generation G end-term evaluation, the realist evaluation approach will be used. See for example: https://www.intrac.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Realist-evaluation.pdf. The realist evaluation focuses on understanding what works, for whom and under what circumstances, and will be informed by the program’s theory of change and context at country and global levels. It is particularly useful for understanding complex interventions and how context influences programs. A realist evaluation works by going back to the theory of change, mapping how we assume the programme works (i.e. who is doing what and what outcomes do we assume these interventions have), then gathering data to understand if these assumptions are in fact true, and how context has an influence. Data will be collected around these assumptions. A range of data collection methods can be included in a realist evaluation. For this end-term evaluation interviews, focus group discussions, outcome harvesting, and observations will be used, with scope for further methods to be included as needed.

1. Scope of Work

The main tasks of the youth researcher are as follows:

• Attend an orientation meeting with the global consultant and Generation-G team;
• Attend an end-term evaluation planning meeting in Rabat Morocco, which will be held from 2 – 6 December 2024. Participation is mandatory, you must be available for this week, and eligible to fly to Morocco. All costs such as flight and hotel will be reimbursed by the lead agent Rutgers. Per diems and visa costs will be paid by the global consultant;
• Attend training on a) the Realist Evaluation approach (most likely this will integrated into the planning meeting week in Morocco), and b) data collection, including pre-testing the tools;
• Assist the national consultant on logistical planning and arrangements of the data collection activities;
• (Co)facilitate focus group discussions, key informant interviews and story of changes interviews at the country level;
• Check the quality of the transcriptions of interviews and discussions.
• Provide input for the preliminary findings;
• Provide input for the final report.

Expected Deliverables (jointly with the national consultant)

1. Recording of each interview and FGD session conducted;
2. Summarised transcripts of interviews and FGD sessions in English;
3. Field notes of how the fieldwork was implemented (including supporting and hindering factors during the fieldwork, observation notes);
4. Part of the draft report related to the assigned work – will be discussed further during the data collection;
5. Other deliverables that are needed by the global consultants – will be discussed further during the online training.

Duration:

Approximately 25 days (spread between November 2024 – September 2025)

Travel:

The youth researcher will work in their home country, with travel to the sites. The global consultant will cover the travel expenses, including accommodation and per diem. Attendance at the end-term evaluation planning meeting in Rabat Morocco, 2 – 6 December 2024 is mandatory. All costs for this meeting such as flight and hotel will be reimbursed by the lead agent Rutgers. Per diems for this meeting will be paid by the global consultant.

Qualifications and specialized knowledge, experience, and skills required

• University degree in a relevant subject e.g. development studies, social studies, public health;
• Between 15 and 32 years of age;
• Experience in the area of GBV, advocacy, campaign, and civil society strengthening;
• A solid understanding of the social, political, and cultural context in Jordan;
• Experience working with vulnerable communities, including youth, women and girls;
• At least 5 years of experience in conducting qualitative research, including key informant interviews and focus group discussions;
• Written and spoken fluency in English and Arabic.

How to apply

Applications for this role are open until 4 September 2024. Please send your application in English, through email, with the below information to: a.sarras@rutgers.nl

Please limit the proposal text to no more than 3 pages. The proposal text should be a narrative demonstrating the following:

• Your skills and background make you suitable for this assignment.
• Your track record on the evaluation of advocacy programs, gender justice, meaningful and inclusive youth participation, gender-transformative lobbying and advocacy, youth-inclusive policy making and legislation; send two examples of recent evaluations with your application;
• Your approach to conducting research and evaluations, including methodologies you have used;
• Your experience working with diverse youth populations and ensuring their active participation;
• Examples of your ability to communicate findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences;
• Your ability to work within specific and manage deliverables;
• Any relevant certifications or training that enhance your qualifications for this role.

In addition to the proposal text, please submit supplementary materials including the following:

• CVs, highlighting relevant experience and personal profile*.*
• At least one, preferably two recent studies/writing examples on similar themes with the applicant as significant/primary author.

For inquiries, please contact Abir Sarras (Senior Programme Officer) by email at: a.sarras@rutgers.nl