Tender: Final Evaluation of WWF-Norway's Tropical Forest (NICFI) Portfolio 2021-25

This Terms of Reference (ToR) is for a final evaluation of the four programmes and the overall portfolio under the WWF-Norway "Sustaining tropical forests for Climate, Nature and People” grant portfolio. Through this programme portfolio, WWF-Norway supports the development of sustainable commodity and finance markets in Brazil, China, Colombia and Norway with an aim of halting deforestation and conversion in the Congo Basin, Amazon and Cerrado.

The portfolio is supported by funds from the Norwegian International Forests and Climate Initiative (NICFI) through Norad and totals approximately NOK 100 million. The overall purpose of NICFI’s support is to reduce and reverse the loss of tropical forests and in turn contribute to a stable climate, the protection of biodiversity, and sustainable development.

In 2021, WWF-Norway received a grant from Norad to work on the programme portfolio. WWF-Norway originally aimed to achieve three programme outcomes before the end of the programme implementation phase, but had to revise to two portfolio outcomes as a programme in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was phased out:

• Outcome 2: By 2025, key commodity and financial markets stimulate deforestation-free production in tropical forest in Brazil, Colombia and DRC.

• Outcome 3: By 2025, all programme elements incorporate Climate Smart and Inclusive Conservation, and awareness is raised in Norway on DCF issues, solutions and results.

The programme underwent a mid-term review in 2023. As per WWF-Norway and WWF Network standards a final evaluation of the programme portfolio is required.

The main purpose of the final evaluation is to provide WWF and stakeholders with an independent assessment of a) the four programmes against their outcome and impact targets, and b) the programme portfolio, against the outcome and impact targets in the overall results framework, focusing on impacts achieved by the programmes and the portfolio and identifying lessons learned.

The evaluation will be carried out against the set targets and three of the OECD DAC criteria for evaluation1, which will enable a clear assessment of the programme's achievements and potential legacy. Typically, that means Effectiveness, Impact and Sustainability, as per the rational below:

• Effectiveness: This criterion is fundamental in determining whether the programme achieved its intended objectives. It provides a measure of the programme’s success by examining if it delivered the expected outcomes and made progress toward the primary goals. In a final evaluation, effectiveness offers a clear picture of the program’s accomplishments.

• Impact: Impact is crucial because it assesses the broader, often long-term, effects of the programme on the target groups and beyond. This criterion helps identify unintended consequences (both positive and negative) and broader changes that the programme may have catalysed. Understanding impact is essential to gauge the program's lasting influence on development challenges.

• Sustainability: As the programme concludes, sustainability becomes especially important. It examines whether the programme’s benefits are likely to endure over time, even without continued support. A final evaluation that emphasizes sustainability can reveal the programme’s potential for lasting change and its likelihood of building self-reliant systems or capacities within the target groups or sector.

These three criteria combined give a comprehensive view of the programme's immediate success, its long-term impact, and its potential for continued influence, making them the most valuable for this final evaluation. The other three OECD DAC criteria will not be assessed in the final evaluation, as they have been reviewed previously in the mid-term evaluations and the findings are largely still valid.

As such, the specific objectives of the final evaluation are to:

1. Assess the four individual country outcomes and impact against the following three OECD DAC criteria for evaluation – 1) Effectiveness, 2) Impact and 3) Sustainability and make recommendations relevant for future similar programmes
   
2. Assess the overall portfolio outcomes and impact against the following three OECD DAC criteria for evaluation – 1) Effectiveness, 2) Impact and 3) Sustainability and make recommendations relevant for future portfolios of this nature.
   
3. Assess the extent to which cross-cutting issues (gender equality, human rights, environment and climate, anti-corruption), have been factored into and influenced programme implementation and identify any specific positive or negative impacts related to these.
   
4. Building upon the analysis in the Mid-Term Review (MTR), analyse how WWF-Norway and partner WWF offices managed the rapid changes during the implementation period, including Covid and others changes relevant either at programme level or across several programmes, as well as adjustments implemented since the MTR. What learnings for future work can be identified?
   
5. Assess the added value and related costs of WWF-Norway and the WWF Network, i.e. in addition to the role of the implementing offices to the achievements of the portfolio, and how this could be further enhanced in the future.
   
6. Identify key lessons learned and recommend ways to promote future application of these.
   
7. Address a limited set of specific questions that each of five individual programmes may wish to add to their specific programme-level evaluations.

The key users and target audience for this final evaluation report are the WWF-Norway programme advisors and managers, the partner WWF offices who have lead implementation, programme stakeholders and Norad. The final report will be included as a basis for analysis in WWF Norway’s NICFI Grant portfolio final results report, and it will feed into future work undertaken by WWF-Norway and partner WWF offices.

Interested candidates should send their application clearly indicating how they meet the above ‘Requirements of the evaluators’, including application letter, proposed methodology, budget, availability timewise to undertake the work and relevant resumes, to tender@wwf.no by 16.00 hrs Oslo time on 21st February 2025.

Interested candidates can email questions for clarification to Steven McQueen (smcqueen@wwf.no) and Inger Karoline Hovstein (ihovstein@wwf.no), and a written response will be provided, which will also be shared publicly on a Q&A on this web page.