Consultancy - Mid-Term External Assessment. Project: Strengthening Legal Accountability and Inclusive Justice in South-East Asia

Background

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is seeking qualified applicants to conduct a mid-term assessment for its project on strengthening legal Accountability and inclusive justice in South-East Asia.

The project focuses on four interconnected result areas:

1. Strengthening legal aid provision.
2. Enhancing justice systems in project locations
3. Supporting gender-inclusive transitional justice and peacebuilding processes.
4. Strengthening international advocacy and accountability efforts.

As outlined in the project MEL Strategy, an independent assessment will be conducted at the project's midpoint to review progress against the approved logframe, assess implementation effectiveness, generate learning, and provide recommendations for the remaining implementation period.

• Overview of the ICJ

Composed of 60 eminent judges and lawyers from all regions of the world, the ICJ promotes and protects human rights through the rule of law, by using its unique legal expertise to develop and strengthen national and international justice systems. Established in 1952 and active on the five continents, the ICJ aims to ensure the progressive development and effective implementation of international human rights and international humanitarian law; secure the realization of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights; safeguard the separation of powers; and guarantee the independence of the judiciary and legal profession.

• Purpose of the Assessment

The purpose of the mid-term assessment is to:

• Assess progress towards achieving project outputs and intended outcomes
• Review the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and adaptability of project implementation
• Assess the extent to which project activities are contributing to improved justice and accountability efforts
• Review safeguarding, security, gender, and inclusion measures taken by project interventions
• Identify lessons learned, good practices, and implementation challenges
• Generate practical recommendations for strengthening implementation during Year 2 and Year 3
• Scope of Work

The assessment shall cover all project activities implemented during the first 15–18 months, including:

The assessment will cover project implementation during approximately the first 15–18 months, examining progress towards expected results, key achievements, implementation challenges and outstanding activities. It will consider the effectiveness and quality of activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of legal and justice actors, supporting access to justice and human rights protection, building knowledge and skills on relevant legal and policy issues, and contributing to research, analysis, advocacy and engagement with relevant stakeholders. The assessment will also review the quality, relevance and progress of key project outputs and deliverables, including capacity-building activities, technical resources, legal and policy analysis, and other project-supported initiatives.

• Key Assessment Questions

Relevance

• Is the project responding to the priority of justice needs identified by legal practitioners, survivors, and justice actors?
• Do project interventions remain relevant in the relevant country’s evolving political and security context?
• Are the selected implementation approaches appropriate for project operating environments?

Effectiveness

• To what extent have planned outputs been achieved?
• Have legal practitioners increased their capacity in documentation, fair-trial standards, and accountability mechanisms?
• Are trained practitioners applying acquired knowledge in legal aid, documentation, or advocacy work?

Sustainability

• Which project approaches and capacities are likely to remain after project completion?
• Are local actors developing sufficient ownership of project processes and outcomes?
• Methodology

The consultant should use a mixed-methods approach consistent with the project's security-sensitive MEL framework. The ICJ’s Regional Director for Asia and Pacific Programme (Project Lead) and MEL Officer will review the methodology proposed by the evaluator. Ideally, it will include (i) a desk review of pertinent project documents and records (including the project proposal, logical framework, amended project documents, quarterly reports, intermediate evaluation, and various records containing monitoring data); (ii) primary data collection (remote and in-person). The primary data should involve mixed quantitative and qualitative research methods – including but not limited to interviews with project staffs, project partners, targeted CSO, event participants, lawyers and other target groups, quantitative survey with project beneficiaries.

• Evaluation Implementation

The evaluation should take place in November – December 2026 with the final deliverables due and contract concluding by 23 December 2026.

The ICJ staff will provide logistical and technical support as appropriate throughout the evaluation process (compilation of project documents, assisting with scheduling meetings / interviews if desired, etc.).

A total of up to 22 working days (depending on national holidays in the incumbent’s country) will be available for:

• Evaluation preparation (including finalizing the evaluation methodology, performing the initial desk review of project materials, creating and testing data collection tools, compiling a brief inception note);
• Remote and in-person data collection;
• Data analysis and synthesis(including transcription, data aggregation, writing a draft report, presenting findings to the ICJ, and incorporating feedback from the ICJ into a final report).
• Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Inception Report

The Inception Report will set out the overall approach and methodology for the mid-term assessment and will include:

• Detailed assessment methodology;
• Assessment matrix;
• Data collection tools; and
• Detailed workplan and timeline.

Deliverable 2: Preliminary Findings Presentation

A virtual presentation of the preliminary findings to ICJ management and the project team, providing an opportunity to discuss emerging findings and obtain initial feedback.

Deliverable 3: Draft Mid-Term Assessment Report

A Draft Mid-Term Assessment Report presenting the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the assessment. The report should be maximum of 30–40 pages excluding annexes.

Deliverable 4: Final Mid-Term Assessment Report

A Final Mid-Term Assessment Report incorporating and responding to comments and feedback provided by the ICJ on the draft report.