Terms of reference Final evaluation of project “Land and Corruption in Africa at Transparency International tender job

Title of Consultancy: Final evaluation of project “Land and Corruption in Africa Phase II” Application Closing Date: 4 August 2025.
Consultancy Start and End Date: August – November 2025
Location of Consultancy: remote/home, with possible travel to the final project meeting in September / October 2025, and/or to a selection of project-implementing countries in the Sub- Saharan region.

BACKGROUND

Transparency International (TI) is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption. Through more than 100 Chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin, Germany, TI raises awareness of the damaging effects of corruption and works with partners in government, business, and civil society to develop and implement effective measures to tackle it.

The Transparency International Secretariat (TI-S) in Berlin is seeking an evaluator or a team of evaluators for an independent final evaluation of the project Land and Corruption in Africa Phase II (LCA II).

The Land and Corruption in Africa Phase II (2021-2025) project builds on the solid foundation of knowledge, networks and learnings acquired from the implementation of the previous Land and Corruption in Africa project (2015-2019). Under LCA II, the Transparency International Secretariat and 8 Transparency International national Chapters in Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe aim to ensure that corrupt practices involving land are addressed, contributing to improved livelihoods of men and women.

Specifically, the project contributes to ensuring that (1) change in behaviour - networks of women, men and youth in Africa are better equipped and mobilized to demand transparency and accountability in the land sector; (2) change in practice - a diverse and inclusive set of stakeholders from civil society to private sector advance anti-corruption initiatives to promote fair and transparent land governance; (3) change in policy - national and local decision-makers adopt anti-corruption laws, policies and measures to prevent and redress corruption in land distribution, acquisition, dispute management and sanctions.

At the outset of LCA II, TI-S engaged an external consultant to develop a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework (Annex 1) in close collaboration with project Chapters. This resulted in the revision of project indicators, creation of practical monitoring tools, and training of staff on their application. The MEL framework, grounded in TI’s Impact Matrix and the LCA II theory of change, incorporates around 30 performance indicators and a strong stakeholder focus.

Since Phase I, the project has regularly conducted surveys within communities affected by land corruption. At the beginning of Phase II, a baseline report of ‘households survey in sentinel communities’ was conducted (see in Annex 2). It surveyed 13 communities in 6 of the LCAII countries through 15 questions (mix of multiple choice and open questions). The report assessed the extent to which land corruption affect communities in selected geographical areas, explored the nature of the corruption taking place, identified differences between countries and intervention areas, and established a benchmark against which change over time can be assessed.

To assess initial progress under LCAII, TI-S contracted external consultants in 2023 to carry out a mid- term evaluation of LCA II. This independent review evaluated progress towards expected results, the effectiveness of MEL practices, and the relevance of the project’s strategy and assumptions. It provided actionable recommendations to strengthen implementation in the second half of the project. Following the finalization of the mid-term evaluation, TI-S published its management response to the findings and recommendations, which effectively informed key adaptations in programme delivery and monitoring.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE FINAL EVALUATION

In complementarity with what has already been assessed through the mid-term review, this final evaluation will examine the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of the project. It shall also provide an external and independent assessment, prioritising the project’s impact, sustainability and overall performance.

The overall objectives of the evaluation are the following:

• Provide an independent, systematic and objective assessment of the achievements of the objectives and outcomes as specified in the project’s MEL framework and the extent to which the project has contributed to its objectives.

• Assess the overall impact of the Land and Corruption in Africa project (taking into account phase I), with attention to long-term changes in behaviour at the community level, as well as land governance and anti-corruption practices and policies.

• Examine how the project influenced key stakeholders, including state and local institutions, civil society organisations, private companies, medias and journalists, as well as community groups, and the extent to which it contributed to shifts in behaviour, practice and policy.

• Assess achievements against the baseline, including against the 'households survey in sentinel communities' baseline (i.e. percentage of people in sentinel communities who are willing to advocate on, report and act against corruption in land matters).

• Identify internal and external factors that shaped the project’s outcomes, including strengths, innovations and limitations, and challenges encountered during implementation.

• Generate practical recommendations to support sustainability and enhance future programme design, at the national or multi-country levels.

  The results of the evaluation will be shared with the donor (the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development or BMZ) and with participating Chapters and will be published on our website.

  KEY ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED

  The following questions could be addressed during the programme evaluation but are subject to discussion and agreement with TI-S during the period of designing the evaluation approach. The evaluator(s) is/are free to further prioritize these questions in the proposal and suggest others it deems necessary. However, the overall evaluation should be based on the six OECD DAC criteria These criteria should be contextualised and applied in consultation with TI-S staff and TI Chapters. The criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability will only be assessed from the perspective of elements that were not covered in the mid-term review, or in relation to any developments that have occurred since.

  RELEVANCE & COHERENCE

• Did the project address the needs of those impacted by land corruption, including marginalised groups? How has the sentinel community baseline process been helpful in building and adapting the intervention around communities’ needs?

• To what extent did the project align with and complement the Chapters’ existing land-related work, including national programmatic priorities?

• To what extent did the project’s Theory of Change hold true in practice? Which assumptions proved valid or not, and why?

• How did the project complement other ongoing initiatives and partnerships in the land and anti- corruption sectors, locally, nationally, regionally and globally? In particular, how aligned was the project to TI’s 2021-2030 Strategy, as well as with AU regional frameworks on land governance and BMZ’s land governance strategy (including GIZ’s work)?

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EFFECTIVENESS & EFFICIENCY

• How did project interventions contribute (or not) to the intended outcomes, including expected pathways of change? Where were the most significant outcomes observed?

• What approaches, mechanisms and innovations have proven especially important to contribute or hinder project outcomes, e.g. partnerships with civil society or the academia, multi- stakeholder dialogue, ALACs, digital tools, GESI good practices, mediation? To what extent did the project adapt its strategies and allocate resources based on ongoing assessments of areas with the highest potential for impact?

• To what extent have TI-S and Chapters followed up on the agreed management response actions from the project mid-term review? How far has the mid-term review led to changes in the project’s implementation or strategic direction (e.g. supporting Chapters to achieve policy change, additional learning opportunities, strengthened focus on extractives industries etc.)?

• What internal or external factors most strongly influenced the achievement of intended outcomes (e.g. political context, capacity)? What main barriers have been identified as well as strategies to mitigate their impact? Did any innovations prove useful to address the contextual and emerging needs?

• Were resources (financial, human, technical) used in a cost-effective, timely and strategic manner? Was the environmental footprint justified by the project's outcomes?

• How efficient were project management and coordination mechanisms at TI-S and Chapter levels, including reporting, monitoring, and communications? To what extent was TI-S’ support to national Chapters effective?

  SUSTAINABILITY

• How significant and durable are the behaviour, policy and practice outcomes recorded?

• To what extent have TI-S and Chapters institutionalized project outcomes, tools, and learnings into their organizational strategies and operations (including creating linkages with other areas of work), and how well positioned are they to sustain and scale them beyond BMZ funding?

• To what extent are the partnerships established through the project likely to continue beyond the project period? How deeply engaged are stakeholders, including duty-bearers, partners, and community groups in ensuring continuity? Have any locally owned strategies emerged through the project or particular efforts been done by TI-S and Chapters to ensure knowledge and capacity transfer?

• What are the main sustainability risks, and what mitigation actions were/could be implemented by TI-S and Chapters?

• To what extent does TI’s work on land corruption align with TI’s 2021-2030 Strategy and TI’s regional objectives in Sub-Saharan Africa? To what extent does it align with the priorities of national Chapters?

• To what extend has project seeds other initiatives by generating greater evidence of the need to act? What lessons and models should be prioritised for future donor programming (e.g. BMZ)?

  IMPACT

• What impacts has the project contributed to since 2021, and since 2015 (Phase 1 and Phase 2 jointly), at local, national, regional, and global levels? Were there unintended (positive or negative) impacts of the project? What other factors have led to these impacts?

• What impacts did the project contribute to towards the final beneficiaries, including the sentinel communities?

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• Are there any notable linkages or dynamics that can be identified across the local, national, regional, and global levels? For instance, to what extent has the work at the international and regional levels influenced or supported progress at the national level?

• How has the partnership approach around specific agendas (land, extractives, climate) contributed to strengthening long-term impact?

  METHODOLOGY

  The evaluator(s) is/are ultimately responsible for the overall methodological approach and design of the evaluation and is/are expected to propose methodologies that they consider most appropriate to achieve the aims of this evaluation.

  However, the evaluator(s) is/are encouraged to use impact assessment methodologies as well as participatory and GESI-sensitive approaches, engaging relevant staff at TI-S and Chapter, as well as those impacted by the project activities, through structured methods. Both quantitative and qualitative data should be utilised to assess the project. The evaluator(s) is/are encouraged to consider the following data collection methods: review of key documents, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, surveys, participatory validation of key findings with relevant stakeholders

  The evaluator(s) is/are encouraged to integrate an assessment of progress against the LCAII baseline 'households survey in sentinel communities,' potentially through participatory monitoring approaches that engage communities in tracking their own changes and conducting follow-up surveys with sentinel community samples, working directly with or through TI Chapters. Due to feasibility, the eligible countries would likely be Zambia. Zimbabwe, Uganda and Ghana.

  The evaluator(s) is/are expected to refine the scope and methodology of this evaluation during the inception phase in cooperation with TI-S and provide a detailed inception report.

  EXPECTED DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE

  The evaluator(s) is/are expected to deliver:

• An inception report, not exceeding 10 pages, outlining the proposed methodology, stakeholders for interviews and focus group discussions, data collection tools and timeframe of planned actions by 5 September 2025.

• A draft evaluation report for review and comments by TI-S, not exceeding 30 pages, along with its annexes, by 31 October 2025. While considering the comments provided on the draft, the evaluator(s) shall use their independent and impartial judgment in preparing the final report.

• An online validation meeting with key stakeholders to discuss findings and feedback on draft report, with design, facilitation and documentation of a participatory workshop, incl. PowerPoint presentation, to discuss and validate the draft report, by 14 November 2025.

• A final evaluation report documenting the evaluation process and results following a clear structure (see structure below), not exceeding 40 pages (excluding the annexes and the executive summary), by 28 November 2025. It should be accompanied by a summary PowerPoint presentation. The evaluation report will contain the findings, conclusions, and recommendations as well as lessons learned with action-oriented recommendations. All presentations and reports should be submitted in English, in electronic form, in accordance with the deadlines stipulated above. The evaluator(s) is responsible for editing and quality control of language. Annexes to the Final Report should be kept to an absolute minimum, only those annexes that serve to demonstrate or clarify an issue related to a significant finding should be included. Existing documents should be referenced but not necessarily annexed.

  Please note that the timeline is indicative and will be confirmed during the inception phase with the selected evaluator(s).

  Guidance and quality assurance:

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• The findings should be referenced.

• The evaluator(s) approach should be guided by the TI's Impact Matrix methodology

• The research should abide by ethical protocols including participant confidentiality and privacy,

  and by data protection regulations.

  The TI Secretariat retains the sole rights with respect to all distribution, dissemination, and publication of the deliverables.

  SELECTION CRITERIA

  The evaluator(s) should have the following qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, international development, public policy, or

  related field

• Proven experience in international development, with demonstrated expertise in Monitoring,

  Evaluation and Learning of complex multi-country projects and programmes

• Strong command of mixed-methods research, including advanced quantitative and qualitative

  data collection, analysis, and interpretation

• Substantial knowledge and hands-on experience working with advocacy-oriented

  organizations, civil society networks, and governance programming

• Deep understanding of good governance and anti-corruption

• Extensive experience working in and with Sub-Saharan African contexts, including

  understanding of local political, social, and institutional dynamics.

• Demonstrated track record in conducting rigorous evaluations using DAC criteria, impact

  assessment methodologies, participatory and GESI-sensitive approaches

• Command of written and spoken English, with proven ability to produce high-quality analytical

  reports for diverse stakeholder audiences

• Strong commitment to principles of transparency, integrity, and ethical evaluation practice

• Proficiency in English

• Availability from August through November 2025 for fieldwork, stakeholder engagement, and

  report delivery; including to participate in person in the final project meeting at the end of September/beginning of October.

  The following qualifications would be an advantage:

• Experience working in and with some of the eight target countries

• Knowledge of land governance

• Proficiency in French

• Familiarity with the activities of TI

• Experience in results-based management and impact monitoring approaches.

  REMUNERATION AND COST

  The evaluator(s) should provide their estimated total fee as a lump sum or as standard daily rates before any VAT or other charges. The total budget should cover for per diem for any potential field trips and participation in the end-of-project in-person meeting. The plane tickets and hotel accommodation for these trips will be organized and covered directly by TI-S. The budget available for this evaluation (plane tickets and accommodation excluded) is EUR 27,000 (including VAT).

  For candidates based in the EU, EEA, UK, and Switzerland

  Transparency International e.V. (Secretariat), (TI-S) is registered as a Business Entity in Germany with VAT identification number DE273612486. EU reverse charge applies. Service providers should issue invoices with zero VAT.

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Candidates who are based in Germany and do not charge German VAT must confirm their small entrepreneur status.

HOW TO APPLY

The application should include the following documents in English:

• Technical proposal including a detailed statement of the proposed review methods with

  quotes

• Motivation letter and Curriculum Vitae

• One sample of relevant previous work (confidentiality guaranteed).

  Interested applicants must submit the required documents listed above in English consolidated into a single PDF file in the same order.

  Please indicate “Final evaluation of project “Land and Corruption in Africa Phase II”” in the subject line of your email application. Applications should be sent in English by email to Claire Leduc at landcorruptiontendertransparency.org and complete the application form available here https://forms.office.com/e/1rjeVX5j3e by close of business of 4 August 2025.

  Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted and that it is unfortunately not possible to provide individual feedback on applications.

  The Transparency International Secretariat is committed to creating an inclusive work environment where diversity is valued and where there is equality of opportunity. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and therefore welcome applications from qualified candidates of all regions, countries, cultures, and backgrounds.

  Selection of candidates is made on a competitive basis, and we do not discriminate based on national origin, race, colour or ethnic background, religious belief, sex, gender identity and expression or sexual orientation, marital or family status, age, or ability. We kindly ask applicants to refrain from including in their application information relating to the above as well as from attaching photos.

  Data protection

  When you respond to this tender and submit your application, you provide consent that Transparency International e. V. keeps your application materials for the period of ten years according to German legal requirements. Afterwards Transparency International will delete your application and any personal data included in it. If you have any questions, please reach out to dataprotectiontransparency.org

  Guidelines for handling overhead and travel expenses

  Overhead

  Regular overhead expenses associated with the Consultants maintaining their place of business, such as rent, telephone, utilities, or stationery, are included in the Consultants’ professional fee, except where explicitly agreed otherwise in the contract.

  Travel

  Travel and accommodation expenses will as far as possible, and where applicable, be recovered from the institutions and companies hosting events or using the outputs provided by the Consultant.

  Where such cost recovery is not possible, all travel is subject to prior approval by TI-S staff responsible for the financial management of the Project or TI Budget Line that will support the costs of travel. TI shall not issue travel advances to the Consultants. For accommodation or travel by air, rail, or coach, they will instead have to contact TI-S that will make travel arrangements on the Consultants’ behalf.

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All travel booked by TI-S will include travel health and accident insurance with worldwide coverage and Economy class only; accommodation will aim to achieve best value for money up to a 4-star category .

Consultants shall be entitled to invoice TI-S only for local transportation and visa cost (if applicable). Subsistence allowance (per diems) and expenses for individual meals cannot be claimed. These are part of Consultants’ business expenses.