CALL FOR TENDERS and TERMS OF REFERENCE
Evaluation
South-North Peaceworker component in Civil Peace Service Sudan project of KURVE Wustrow
KURVE Wustrow – Centre for Networking and Training in Nonviolent Action is looking for an external consultant to provide an evaluation of the impact, opportunities and challenges of the SouthNorth peaceworker component in the context of the Civil Peace Service programme for Sudan.
Timeframe: May 2025 - September 2025
I. BACKGROUND
The Civil Peace Service (CPS) is a programme funded by the German government that aims to promote peace by sending "International Peace Workers" (IPW) from all over the world with different expertise to crisis regions, where they work with local partner organizations for 3-6 years in different fields of action. KURVE has been running this programme for 20 years in 7 different regions, Sudan being the youngest cooperation context since 2021. In the year 2020, there was a process among the 9 German organizations running CPS to advocate for a reverse sending direction in the programme, i.e. sending peace workers from crisis regions to Germany to advocate for their concerns and to break up classic North-South hierarchies. Since then, several peace workers from crisis regions have been sent to Germany as part of exceptional admissions granted by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. In KURVE’s CPS Sudan project, a south-north peaceworker has been contracted since 2022.
Over the years, the project context itself and the working constellation in the Sudan project have undergone several profound changes, such as the change of the partner organization in Germany or the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023. With this evaluation, KURVE Wustrow intends to reflect on several aspects of this working constellation from an external perspective and gather lessons learned for a new project proposal to be submitted by the end of 2025.
II. GOALS OF THE EVALUATION
KURVE Wustrow wants to identify challenges and opportunities of working with the South-North Peaceworker component by analyzing it on different levels:
a) Analysis of contributions of SNPW to the project goals: effectiveness of South-North component in terms of impact. What is SNPW’s added value? Analyze SNPW’s role, taking into consideration the changes in the Sudanese context during the project period 2021-25 (transitional period vs. open war).
b) Analysis of the different deployment constructs in Germany since start of the project: considerations for KURVE Wustrow’s internal working structures in terms of administrative implications and demands for human resources, including security management.
c) Examination of existing power dynamics in the CPS Sudan programme. Potential of SNPW instrument to address and/or change these and capability of KURVE to handle this.
III. TIMELINE (tentative)
Tasks, Timeline
Call/ Handing in of bids, May 2025
Interviews and selection of consultant, May/June 2025
Preparation / desk research, June 2025
Kick-off evaluation process, field research, interviews, June-July-August 25
Presentation of findings in online meeting with project team of KURVE, Beginning of september 2025
Submission of first draft report; feedback loop, By 15th of september 2025
Submission of final report, By 30th of september
Further information: The proposed timeline is tentative. Alternative schedules can be agreed upon with KURVE Wustrow. The language of working and writing is English. Costs for translation of interviews that cannot be conducted in English, can be covered.
VI. APPROACH / METHODOLOGY
Preparation/Desk Study:
• Review of internal documents / concepts / mandates / project agreement with objectives and indicators / narrative reports, activities of SNPW / documents of partner organizations, etc.
Interviews (to be conducted online or in written form):
• Selection of project relevant formal instances: South-North-Peaceworker, Project and administrative staff and management of KURVE Wustrow; project relevant staff of partner organizations in Germany/Sudan/Uganda
• Travels outside of Germany are not part of the budget. Costs for translation of interviews that cannot be conducted in German or English, can be covered.
Presentations of preliminary findings:
• After main part of interviews, before editing final report
Reporting:
• Written documentation of outcomes and insights, including further recommendations relevant to KURVE Wustrow
• Executive summary
Expected results/outputs
• Insights that provide clarity and answers to the above-mentioned guiding questions and themes, are shared with KURVE Wustrow and Sudan team.
• Comprehensive report, approx. 30 pages of text (excluding cover, table of contents, executive summary and annexes), in English
• Executive summary approximately 4 pages, in English
• Deliverables:
➢ Inception Report
➢ List of activities along timeline
➢ one oral presentation of findings
➢ Final report (as detailed above), due by 30 th of september 2025
V. REQUIREMENTS OF APPLICANTS
• Strong experience in qualitative, empirical social research, considering ethical standards
• Strong experience in conducting strategic and Do No Harm analysis and evaluations
• Experience in and knowledge of the field of conflict transformation / peacebuilding in civic international cooperation. Familiarity with Civil Peace Service structures is a plus.
• Knowledge of the working modalities and challenges of civil society organizations or grassroots activist movements in human rights
• Master ́s degree in conflict studies, social or political science (or relevant other)
• Experience with conflict sensitivity tools, methods and power sensitive approaches.
• Willingness to build trust and handle information with high sensitivity, understanding the security challenges of human rights defenders
• Good understanding of the social and political context of Sudan, with a focus on nonviolent resistance and/or human rights is an advantage
• Very good written and spoken command of English language, Arabic is a plus
• Willingness to use online communication tools that meet KURVE Wustrow’s digital security requirements
Team applications are possible. As nonviolence is one of KURVE Wustrow’s core values, we are currently in the process of raising awareness and sensitizing our organisation to discrimination. We want to counter (global) social inequalities with practical steps within our organisation. Therefore, we strongly encourage people who are structurally disadvantaged or discriminated against in society (e.g. because of their gender identity, sexual orientation, disabilities, class, their religious, cultural or ethnic backgrounds, or being otherwise negatively affected by racism) to apply. They will be given special consideration in the selection process.
VI CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF OFFERS
• Economic efficiency/Price (50%)
• Suitable methodological approach, as presented in a short written application and online interview with KURVE Wustrow (30%)
• Special contextual and academical experience concerning the above listed requirements (20%)
Please note: The tendering procedure is based on the framework of “Negotiation award without competitive bidding” ("Verhandlungsvergabe ohne Teilnahmewettbewerb", for up to 15.000 EUR)
V THE OFFER
If you are interested in this assignment, please submit the following documents:
• Your offer with details of your fee expectations, tentative schedule and time availability. Travel costs will be reimbursed in accordance with the German Federal Travel Expenses Act (“Bundesreisekostengesetz”)
• Curriculum vitae with presentation of relevant work experience
• Proposed methodology and draft plan (short overview)
• Work sample
• Relevant references
Please send your bid via email (subject: “Evaluation South-North Component”) by 31st of may 2025 to:
Nina Harder, CPS project advisor, nharder@kurvewustrow.org
KURVE Wustrow – Centre for Training and Networking in Nonviolent Action / Peacebuilding Unit
