Consultant - Mid-Term Evaluation: Jamaica Hurricane Melissa Emergency Appeal

The purpose of the Mid-Term Evaluation is to assess progress and performance of the Jamaica Hurricane Melissa Emergency Appeal at the midpoint of implementation and identify actions needed for the remaining operational period.

The Mid-Term Evaluation is intended to serve as a strategic management and learning exercise, rather than solely as an accountability mechanism. It will provide an evidence-based assessment of whether the approaches set out in the Operational Strategy remain relevant, effective, efficient, and sustainable as the operation transitions from recovery towards resilience. The evaluation will identify operational adjustments required for the remainder of the implementation period, assess the extent to which the operation is strengthening the Jamaica Red Cross as a sustainable and resilient National Society, and generate practical recommendations to maximise humanitarian impact, strengthen accountability and localisation, and support a lasting legacy beyond the closure of the Emergency Appeal.

The evaluation will be explicitly decision oriented. Across the evaluation objectives and criteria, findings and recommendations should help JRC, the IFRC Secretariat and relevant Movement partners determine:

• Continue: which approaches, systems and practices are performing well and should be maintained
• Change: which approaches, systems or arrangements require corrective action or adaptation
• Scale: which effective approaches, capacities or innovations should be expanded or further invested in
• Legacy: which capacities, systems, partnerships, and institutional gains should be consolidated so that they continue beyond the Emergency Appeal.

These four decision lenses should be applied across the evaluation analysis and reflected in the conclusions and recommendations.

Please review our full Terms of Reference here --> Terms of Reference (TOR) MidTerm Evaluation- Hurricane Melissa Emergency Appeal_2026.pdf

The Mid-Term Evaluation will pursue five strategic specific objectives:

Objective 1: Assess relevance, coverage and adaptation to evolving needs

• Has the operation adapted sufficiently to evolving recovery needs, emerging risks and community priorities?

Objective 2: Assess operational effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness and value for money

• What operational adjustments are required to improve delivery, accelerate implementation, and maximise results during the remaining implementation period?

Objective 3: Assess the transition from relief to recovery and resilience

• Is the operation on track to deliver sustainable recovery outcomes and strengthen community resilience beyond the Emergency Appeal period?

Objective 4: Assess localisation, National Society strengthening and sustainability

• What lasting capacities, systems and institutional gains are being created, what requires further consolidation during the remaining Appeal period, and what support from the IFRC Secretariat and wider Membership is required to sustain these gains beyond the Emergency Appeal?

Objective 5: Assess coordination, accountability, IFRC Network added value and organisational enablers and blockers

• How effectively has the IFRC Network enabled a coordinated, accountable, and National Society-led response, and what improvements are needed for the second half of the operation?
• To what extent have IFRC systems, processes, structures, and support mechanisms enabled or constrained timely, efficient, and effective delivery of the Hurricane Melissa Emergency Appeal, and what organisational improvements are required for the remainder of the operation and future emergency responses?

The scope of the evaluation is set out below.

• Time period: From the launch of the Emergency Appeal on 29 October 2025 to the agreed evaluation cut-off date. Relevant preparedness and readiness actions immediately before landfall may also be considered where they help explain subsequent performance.
• Geographic coverage: Jamaica, with primary data collection in a purposive selection of locations where Emergency Appeal activities have been implemented.
• Programmes: Shelter, cash and voucher assistance, livelihoods, health including MHPSS, WASH, community resilience, and preparedness, PGI, CEA and National Society strengthening.
• Operational functions: Logistics and supply chain, finance, human resources and surge, information management and PMER, coordination and operational management, including relevant IFRC systems, processes, policies, structures, and support mechanisms where these have enabled or constrained programme delivery or results.
• People and coverage: Progress against the target of 180,000 people, including who was targeted, who was reached, geographic and demographic coverage, vulnerability, barriers to access and available disaggregation by sex, age, and disability.
• JRC and IFRC network: JRC leadership and operational role, IFRC Secretariat support, and the contribution and coordination of participating National Societies and other Movement partners.
• Resources Funding, earmarking, expenditure, budget utilisation, donor commitments and relevant time-bound funding requirements, staffing, surge, procurement, and logistics in relation to implementation, timeliness, and results.
• Recovery and transition: Changes made as the operation moved from relief towards recovery, including alignment with the JRC Recovery Strategy, community resilience, preparedness and the transition of responsibilities and capacities to JRC systems.

Data collection: The evaluation will use a mixed methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative evidence. The final methodology will be developed during the inception phase and approved by the Evaluation Management Team.

Full details can we found here - Terms of Reference (TOR) MidTerm Evaluation- Hurricane Melissa Emergency Appeal_2026.pdf

The consultancy will span the period 1 December to 5 February 2027, with the final report to be submitted on or before 5 February 2027.

1. Inception Report- Remote
2. Secondary Data Review - Remote
3. Primary Data Collection and Fieldwork- Online & In Person
4. Data Analysis - Remote
5. Preliminary Findings Debrief- Online
6. Draft Evaluation Report- Remote
7. Validation Session- Online
8. Final Evaluation Report & Revisions- Remote
9. Management Response Matrix- Remote

Payment will be made against approved deliverables as follows:

• 30% upon acceptance of the inception report
• 70% upon approval of the final evaluation report

Application materials should include:

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV) outlining relevant experience in emergency response operations and evaluation of humanitarian
2. Cover letter summarising the relevant experience of the proposed consultant(s) and how it relates to this evaluation, including three professional references.
3. Short methodological proposal outlining the candidate’s understanding of the assignment and proposed approach. This should include the evaluation design, key data collection methods, sampling approach, data analysis methods and how findings will be triangulated across multiple sources.
4. Financial proposal presenting a clear and detailed budget in USD, including the total cost of the consultancy, daily rate, estimated number of working days, and any anticipated reimbursable costs such as travel, accommodation, local transportation, communications, translation or other operational expenses. The proposal should distinguish between professional fees and direct expenses, include a timeline of activities specifying what will be done remotely and, in the field, demonstrate overall value for money, and state whether all costs are inclusive of applicable taxes and any assumptions or conditions.
5. At least two examples of evaluation reports most similar to the assignment described in this

• The Team Leader should have a master’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience in evaluation, humanitarian assistance, disaster management, international development, social sciences or a related field.
• Other team members should have at least a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience in fields related to the assignment.
• Additional technical training or certification in evaluation, humanitarian standards, PMER, CEA, PGI, safeguarding, information management, disaster management, shelter or recovery will be an asset.

The team should collectively demonstrate the following technical experience:

• Designing and implementing evaluations of humanitarian operations, including emergency response, recovery, and institutional strengthening components.
• Assessing shelter, cash and voucher assistance, livelihoods, health/MHPSS, WASH, community resilience, preparedness, CEA, PGI and National Society strengthening, as relevant to the scope of the evaluation.
• Reviewing operational performance, including coordination, surge, logistics, finance, human resources, procurement, information management, PMER and decision-making arrangements.
• Analysing people reached, targeting, geographic and demographic coverage, vulnerability, barriers to access, data quality, disaggregation and risk of double counting.
• Conducting safe, ethical and participatory data collection with affected people, volunteers, National Society staff, IFRC personnel, Movement partners and relevant external stakeholders.

• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesise qualitative and quantitative evidence into clear, balanced and actionable findings.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills in English, with the ability to produce concise, evidence-based reports for operational and management audiences.
• Ability to develop practical recommendations that reflect operational realities, resource constraints, and the remaining period of the Emergency Appeal.
• Sound understanding of accountability to affected people, CEA, PGI, safeguarding, safe referral and ethical data collection.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with JRC, IFRC and Movement stakeholders while maintaining impartiality and professional judgement.
• Familiarity with Red Cross Red Crescent ways of working and IFRC disaster management, PMER or Emergency Appeal systems is strongly desirable.
• Knowledge of Jamaica, the Caribbean or comparable small island disaster contexts is desirable.
• Availability to complete the assignment within the agreed timeframe, including remote work, field data collection, and validation processes.

Full details can we found here - Terms of Reference (TOR) MidTerm Evaluation- Hurricane Melissa Emergency Appeal_2026.pdf