Request for Expressions of Interest to conduct an external review of the Research for International Tobacco Control (RITC) Program of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Source: IDRC RFP
IDRC will assemble a panel of 2-3 reviewers from individuals or teams.
Individual or joint expressions of interest should be submitted by the
end of November and contain a brief (maximum 2 pages) description of
experience that meet the criteria outlined below with a relevant CV.
Expressions of Interest and further enquiries should be sent to Luis Caceres: [email protected]
Information on RITC’s program is available at: http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-83280-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
1. Purpose
IDRC wishes to commission an external review to assess the performance of RITC’s programming during the period 2005 - 2010. This external review will occur in two stages: RITC will prepare a final report on how it implemented its strategic plan with a focus on the outcomes achieved. External reviewers will use this report and supplementary material to verify these outcomes and comment on RITC's performance, and will provide comments on future plans.
The primary users of this external review will be the program staff, the IDRC Board of Governors and RITC funding partners. The primary purpose of this external review is to provide input to programming for learning and improvement and for accountability to IDRC’s Board of Governors and funding partners for the implementation of the program strategy
2. Scope of Work
RITC is writing a results report reflecting on the past five years of work. The reviewers (a panel of 2-3) will verify and probe the content of the final report which will describe the most significant outcomes of the program. The reviewers are asked to evaluate the implementation of the RITC strategy 2005-2010, rather than the content of the strategy itself. A limitation of the review is that it is to be carried out before the end of the strategy.
To formulate their views, the reviewers will carry out a document review, conduct interviews, participate in teleconferences and travel to Ottawa for an in-person meeting with staff at the beginning and end of the process. During the Ottawa meetings, the reviewers will prepare a short report on their conclusions and any recommended issues for consideration by the Centre.
External reviews will be posted online on IDRC’s public website, including RITC’s final report and the external reviewers’ report.
3. Experience / criteria
The review panel will include expertise in tobacco control, extensive experience with development initiatives in low and middle income countries, and program evaluation.
4. Brief Terms of Reference
The reviewers will assess RITC performance in terms of the following:
a) To what extent has RITC achieved the objectives of the strategy, 2005-2010? Validate the coherence and appropriateness of: 1) the choices made and priorities set by the program to adapt or evolve its approach from what was outlined in the RITC Strategy 2005-2010, considering the changing external environment, needs and opportunities that developed during this period; and, 2) the strategic lessons that RITC drew from its experience.
b) To what extent are the program’s research findings and outcomes significant, relevant and valuable? (For example, relevance to policy change, contribution to global knowledge on a specific theme, information developed for a specific or broad audience.) Verify the significance, relevance and value of the outcomes described in the final report according to Southern partner institutions and affiliated researchers, other donors, and IDRC program staff and senior managers. Document any important outcomes (positive/negative, intended/unintended) that were not noted in the final report.
c) What are the key issues for the program, RITC major funding partners, and IDRC’s Board of Governors? Identify any issues for consideration, particularly in terms of theory or implementation failures, niche, gaps in evidence, gaps in outcomes that could have been expected, issues for the future evaluation strategy, and recommendations linked to findings, etc.
5. Time Commitment
IDRC anticipates that up to 20 person-days may be needed to complete the work between late January 2009 and March 2010.
6. Methodology
a) Background Documents
The reviewers will be provided a set of documents that contextualize the work of RITC. This documentation will include inter alia IDRC’s Corporate Strategy 2005-2010, the RITC Strategy 2005-2010, the 2004 external review, and a list of the program staff (biographies and contact information). This documentation will also include lists of research outputs completed for the period under review.
b) RITC Final Report
The reviewers will be sent a copy of the final report as soon as it is completed. This report (20-25 pages) will focus on the implementation of the Strategy 2005-2010, covering what the RITC did, what it accomplished, and what it learned. This report will include:
Background (including any significant evolution or adaptation the made in the strategy was approved)
Findings in each of the categories outlined in the RITC Strategy and their significance to the field of evaluation
Outcomes with briefly explanations of their significance.
Lessons and Conclusions that can be drawn from the experiences of the RITC (drawn from opportunities and challenges, successes and failures).
An annex of this report will include preliminary lists of key documents and potential informants (with location / contact information) associated with each outcome.
c) Documentation and Interviews
The reviewers will verify the outcomes by reviewing the documentation and conducting interviews with key informants. The reviewers may select from, and/or go beyond, the informants identified in the RITC final report. The reviewers will be provided a purposeful sample of outputs illustrative of the diversity of completed activities. The reviewers can request additional documents and/or choose to interview additional informants, including past members of the program staff.
d) Meeting and Report
The reviewers will travel to Ottawa for up to five days following completion of the document review and interviews. The meeting has three purposes: to gather additional data and triangulate preliminary findings; to meet in-person with the members of staff; and to prepare the final report.
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