International Solidarity Foundation (ISF)
The International Solidarity Foundation (ISF) is an experienced Finnish development cooperation organisation which implements development cooperation projects in Nicaragua, Uganda and Somaliland with the aim of furthering issues pertaining to gender equality, poverty alleviation and civil society. The values that guide our work are solidarity, equality, equity and participation. Through long-term projects in the partner countries, ISF aims at improving the living conditions of the poores sectors of society, particularly women and children
In all projects, ISF encourages women to participate in the development of their own community
The main objective is to strengthen women’s social, economic and political status and to provide the poorest people with opportunities for decent work.
1. Background
The International Solidarity Foundation (ISF) is a Finnish development organization founded in 1970. ISF’s 2022-2025 program aims to strengthen the bodily integrity and livelihood resilience of women and girls in Kenya, Somaliland, and Ethiopia. The program consists of development projects implemented by local partners.
International Solidarity Foundation, in partnership with YOVENCO, implemented the project “Promoting Inclusive Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Fisheries Sector in Berbera, Somaliland” in 2024 - 2025. The project is designed to enhance the entrepreneurial capabilities of women engaged in the fisheries value chain in Berbera, through technical skill-building, cooperative establishment, and economic empowerment initiatives.
The project’s goal is to strengthen women’s livelihood resilience, contributing to inclusive economic growth and gender equality in Berbera. The project outcomes are, as follows:
· Women have improved economic returns.
· Community members and duty bearers support Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) interventions in the target locations.
· Management and staff of YOVENCO have enhanced understanding of their roles in implementing the organizational strategic plan.
The project was implemented in Berbera City and its sub-villages (Barwaaqo, Daroole, Wadajir, Magaalo-Cad & Burao-sheikh), and it has reached 1,125 final beneficiaries (468 women, 157 men, 250 girls, 250 boys). The project has directly supported:
· 65 women operating in the Berbera fish market through building their skills in fish processing and value addition that comply with national food safety standards, and in cooperative development.
· Provision of tools and equipment to enable market functionality, sustainability, and operational resilience.
· Legal establishment and governance development of the Tacab Women’s Fish Cooperative.
· 35 women trained in YOVENCO vocational training centre in necessary skills to be employed in fish factories in Berbera.
· Violence prevention interventions in sub-villages to promote safer community environments for women.
2. Purpose and scope of the evaluation
The overall purpose of the evaluation is to analyse the project implementation strategies, coordination, and resource utilization; assess the project’s contribution to women’s socio-economic empowerment and gender equality; and examine the sustainability mechanisms, particularly the functionality of Tacab Women’s Cooperative and employability of trained women.
The evaluation will cover the entire project period (2024-25) and the data will be collected from the direct beneficiaries and the following stakeholders:
· Berbera Municipality Department of Social Affairs
· Ministry of Fisheries Development and Marine Resources in Berbera office
· Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs in Berbera office
· Ministry of Justice in Berbera office
· Tacab Women’s Fish Cooperative in Berbera Fish Market
· YOVENCO Vocational Training Centre in Berbera
· Badmaal Fish Harvesting Cooperative in Berbera
· Somtuna Fish Factory, Berbera
3. Specific objectives and key questions
The evaluation will use the OECD DAC evaluation criteria: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. The following key questions will guide the project evaluation.
Relevance
· To what extent do the achieved results remain relevant to the needs of women and their families?
· How appropriate were the selected implementation strategies in promoting women’s livelihood resilience and wellbeing?
· Was it relevant to combine Ending Violence Against Women (EVAW) interventions with the livelihood project? If yes, what was the added value?
Coherence
· How well is the project aligned with national policies and Berbera Municipality development plans?
· To what extent is the project harmonized and complementary with other local interventions, and avoiding duplication?
Efficiency
· Were human, financial, and material resources utilized efficiently to achieve results?
· Were information-sharing and communication methods effective and cost-efficient?
Effectiveness
· To what extent has the project achieved its intended outcomes and outputs?
· How effective were the implementation strategies, including stakeholder cooperation and equipment investments.
· How the cooperation with the Berbera Municipality supported the project effectiveness? What were the gaps in the cooperation?
· What added value did the project's collaboration with the Berbera Municipality and the fish factories bring to the project's effectiveness? What could have been done better?
· Could alternative approaches have yielded better results?
· What factors facilitated or hindered achievement of the project outcomes?
Impact
· To what extent has the project achieved its goal to strengthen women’s livelihood resilience?
· How has the project improved targeted women’s opportunities to generate income and affect family decisions (e.g. expenditure, use of livelihood assets, time)?
· What is the impact on the expansion of women’s businesses and market access?
· What is the impact on women’s employability, gender equality, and inclusion in the fisheries sector?
· Have there been unintended positive or negative outcomes?
· How have external social, economic, or political factors influenced the project’s impact?
Sustainability
· What is the economic sustainability of women’s businesses and the Tacab Women’s Cooperative?
· How do new collaboration linkages support sustainability of women’s economic activities?
· Does the project have sustainable effects on vocational training and women’s employment opportunities?
· Are there effective exit and handover mechanisms to local institutions?
· What factors may influence sustainability, and what strategies can strengthen long-term impacts?
4. Methodology
The evaluation will adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. The detailed data collection plan will be completed in cooperation between the selected consultant and ISF. Proposed methods:
· Desk Review: Analysis of project documents (proposal, annual reports, work plans, monitoring data, steering committee minutes).
· Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): With key stakeholders and institutional partners.
· Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): With project beneficiaries (women entrepreneurs, trained workers, cooperative members).
· Surveys: Individual or group surveys to gather quantitative beneficiary feedback.
· Participatory Observation: During field visits to Berbera fish market, vocational training centers, and cooperative facilities.
5. Timing, duration and expected deliverables of the evaluation
The evaluation is expected to start in November 2025, and the estimated duration is 20 working days. This will include
· Development of tools and Inception Report (3 days): The consultant will produce an inception report outlining the proposed methodology, data collection tools, timeline, and travel plan. The consultant is also expected to to conduct a desk review.
· Data Collection (6 days): Conduct interviews, focus group discussions, and site visits in Berbera.
· Data Analysis and Draft and final Reports (9 days): Analyse the collected data and produce a draft report that includes key findings, conclusions, and recommendations. finalisation of the report incorporating feedback from ISF.
· Validation workshop to validate initial evaluation findings (1 day)
· Submission of the final report (1 day)
Based on the project documentation, the consultant shall submit an inception report to ISF within 3 days after signing the contract. The inception report serves as an agreement between parties on how the evaluation will be conducted, covering the following items:
· Research methodology, including data collection tools (e.g. FGD and KII questions), suggested target groups and sample sizes, and ethical considerations
· Proposal for a learning event to validate the findings of the evaluation of findings.
· Schedule of the evaluation activities incl. travelling (timeline)
The final evaluation report, which incorporates the ISF comments and suggestions done to the draft report, should be submitted to ISF within 20 days after signing the consultancy agreement.
The profile of the individual consultants needs to meet the qualification requirements below:
· University degree in economics, Business Administration, Project Management, gender equality or any other relevant science
· Extensive (more than 7 years) working experience in relevant fields, experience in gender issues is prerequisite
· More than 5 years of experience in research and/or project development/management and review
· Experience of working with international organizations
· Evidence of quality outputs from previous assignments
· Fluent English
· Good qualitative and quantitative analytical skills
· Good reporting and presenting skills
· Punctuality and availability to complete the work on time
