2. Background

2.1 The Sudanese Red Crescent Society

SRCS is Sudan's largest humanitarian organisation, working through branches in all 18 states and a large network of trained volunteers. As an auxiliary to the public authorities, SRCS delivers health, disaster response and community resilience programmes, guided by the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Since the conflict began in April 2023, SRCS has continued to serve communities facing displacement, disrupted health services and rising needs, including in states hosting large numbers of internally displaced people.

2.2 The project

With funding from Music Aid and technical support from SRC, SRCS has implemented a maternal health project in White Nile and Northern State. Both states host many displaced families, and pressure already limited maternal and newborn health services has grown since 2023. The project aims to improve access to, and use of, maternal health services for women and their communities, working through SRCS volunteers, community structures and local health facilities.

2.3 Evaluation approach

The final evaluation is a donor requirement. In line with its commitment to transparency and accountability, SRCS is commissioning it externally through an open, competitive process. The evaluation follows a collaborative model that SRCS and SRC have used successfully in previous evaluations: the external evaluator leads the design, analysis and reporting; trained SRCS branch volunteers and staff collect the data; and the PMER teams at SRCS HQ and SRC provide technical support. It also includes a Participatory Project Review (PPR), a method used across SRCS–SRC joint programmes.

3. Purpose, objectives and intended users

3.1 Purpose

The evaluation will assess how well the project responded to the needs of women and communities, what it achieved, and what is likely to last after it closes. It has two purposes:

• Accountability: to Music Aid, to the women and communities the project served, and to SRCS and SRC governance.
• Learning: to give SRCS and SRC practical lessons and recommendations for future maternal and community health programming in Sudan. Taking part in the process will also build the evaluation skills of SRCS branch and PMER staff.

3.2 Specific objectives

1. Assess how relevant the project's design and activities were to the needs, priorities and access barriers of women, including pregnant and lactating women, displaced women and women with disabilities.
2. Measure progress against the logframe outputs and outcomes, using baseline, monitoring and endline data.
3. Assess how far results, community structures and volunteer capacities are likely to continue after the project ends.
4. Identify lessons learned, good practices and challenges, including the effects of the conflict context on delivery.
5. Provide practical, prioritised recommendations that SRCS and SRC can act on.

3.3 Intended users

The main users are the SRCS Health Department and branches, SRC, and the donor. Findings will also be shared with the targeted communities, local health authorities and Movement partners.

4. Scope

The evaluation covers the whole project as a single intervention, from its start until the time of the evaluation in November 2026.

• Geographic scope: SRCS HQ, the White Nile State branch, the Northern State branch and all targeted localities and communities in both states.
• Stakeholders: women who used project services (pregnant and lactating women, women of reproductive age), husbands and other family members, community leaders and committees, SRCS volunteers and project staff, health facility staff, and State and locality Ministry of Health focal points.
• Cross-cutting areas: protection, gender and inclusion (PGI), community engagement and accountability (CEA), and the influence of the conflict and displacement on implementation.
• Out of scope: an impact evaluation or statistical attribution of health outcomes, a financial audit, and a full value-for-money analysis. Basic observations on the use of resources are welcome where the evidence allows.

5. Evaluation criteria and key questions

The evaluation uses three OECD-DAC criteria: relevance, effectiveness and sustainability. The evaluator will refine the five questions below during the inception phase.

6. Methodology

The evaluator leads the design, analysis and reporting. Trained SRCS volunteers and branch staff collect the data on KoBoToolbox, with support from SRCS PMER and SRC.

The Participatory Project Review (PPR) follows a one-day format used in previous SRCS–SRC reviews: participants map the project timeline, identify what changed, then score successes, challenges and recommendations by voting, and end by agreeing who should act on each recommendation. The PGI Minimum Standards scorecard (IFRC tool 4.2, adapted to health) is completed in the same session. PPR is participatory, not independent, so it complements the other methods rather than replacing them. Facilitators will use picture and verbal cards where literacy is low, and make sure women's voices are not overshadowed by more powerful participants. Participants will be told when and how they will hear the results.

Analysis. Data will be disaggregated by sex, age, state and displacement status where possible. Qualitative data will be coded against the evaluation questions. Preliminary findings will be shared in an online validation session.

Ethics. The evaluator signs the SRCS Code of Conduct, including PSEA and child safeguarding, and a conflict-of-interest declaration. Every participant gives informed consent, and personal data stays confidential. Women are interviewed by female data collectors where possible, and data collectors are trained on safe referral.

Expected limitations, based on SRCS experience with similar evaluations:

• A very short timeframe, so the tools must stay few and short.
• Long distances and limited transport between communities. Branches will plan logistics before training day.
• Staff turnover may limit institutional memory. The desk review and the PPR timeline exercise will help fill gaps.
• Data collectors' FGD skills vary. The training includes a practice session, and the evaluator follows up remotely.
• Self-reported data may be biased. Findings will be triangulated across methods and groups.

7. Deliverables

All deliverables are in English, submitted electronically to the SRCS PMER and Health Departments and copied to SRC.

Report structure (max. 25 pages, excluding annexes): executive summary (max. 3 pages); introduction and project background; methodology and limitations, findings by evaluation criterion; conclusions; lessons learned; and prioritised, practical recommendations, each with a suggested responsible party and timeframe. Annexes include this ToR, the tools, the list of people consulted (without personal identifiers of community members), the logframe with achieved values, and the clean datasets.

After the final report, SRCS and SRC will prepare a joint Management Response Plan setting out actions, responsibilities and timelines for each recommendation. This is not part of the consultancy.

8. Timeline and work plan

All work must be completed by 30 November 2026, when the project closes. The indicative plan below assumes contract signature by 15 November 2026. The selected evaluator will confirm the detailed work plan in the inception report.

9. Management and roles

An Evaluation Reference Group made up of the Health Department, PMER and SRC will review each deliverable and send one set of consolidated comments.

Financial terms. The financial proposal should state an all-inclusive daily rate and total fee in EUR, covering professional fees, communication and any travel the applicant proposes. Data collection costs in the branches (data collectors, transport and workshops) are covered by SRCS and should not be included. Payment follows SRCS finance procedures: 30% on approval of the inception report and 70% on approval of the final report. Applicable taxes are handled in line with Sudanese law and SRCS procedures.

Insurance and security. The evaluator is responsible for their own health, life and travel insurance. The assignment can be delivered remotely or with travel inside Sudan; any field travel must be agreed with SRCS in advance and follows SRCS security rules.

10. Evaluator profile

This assignment suits an individual consultant or a small team with a named team leader.

Required

• Master's degree in public health, maternal and reproductive health, social sciences, development studies or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience evaluating health or humanitarian programmes, including at least two final evaluations as team leader.
• Proven skills in mixed methods: survey design and sampling, KoBoToolbox or similar, quantitative analysis (Excel, SPSS, Stata or R) and qualitative coding.
• Experience with participatory, gender-sensitive data collection with women and communities.
• Excellent written English and working Arabic.
• Availability to start immediately and deliver within the timeline above.

Desirable

• Experience in Sudan or similar fragile and conflict-affected settings.
• Experience with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, including SRCS or SRC.
• Knowledge of IFRC evaluation standards, PGI and CEA.

Applicants who have worked with SRCS before are welcome to apply. They must declare any past or current relationship with the project or its staff, and the selection panel will assess it for conflict of interest.

11. How to apply

Please send the following, in English, to hiba.osman@rc-srcs.org with the subject line "Final Evaluation – Music Aid Maternal Health Project" by 12 November 2026, 17:00 Sudan time:

1. A technical proposal (max. 5 pages): understanding of the assignment, proposed approach and methods, and a work plan that fits the timeline.
2. A financial proposal in EUR: daily rate and total fee.
3. An up-to-date CV (and CVs of any team members).
4. One recent evaluation report written by the applicant, or a link to one.
5. Two professional references.
6. A signed declaration of availability for 15–29 November 2026 and of any potential conflict of interest.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Proposals will be scored 70% technical and 30% financial, and only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. SRCS does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process. SRCS is an equal opportunities organisation and particularly encourages applications from women.

12. Ownership and confidentiality

All data, tools and reports produced under this assignment belong to SRCS and SRC. The evaluator may not share or publish any material without written permission. The final report may be shared with the donor and published by SRCS or SRC.