Real-time Evaluation of the Humanitarian Response to the
Darfur Crisis(September 2004)
TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Background

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs/Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC) in a joint effort with agencies of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) has comissioned a real-time evaluation aimed at assisting with strengthening the immediate and future humanitarian response in Darfur and future crises of a similar nature.

2. Purpose and scope

The objectives of this real-time evaluation will be: 1) recommend actions that may be taken to improve the operational response now and in the immediate future; 2) identify broader lessons learned in Darfur for future humanitarian action there and elsewhere. The evaluation will review the response from January 2003 onwards, and will aim to inform future processes of strategic planning for humanitarian action in Sudan.

3. Issues to be addressed

1. Leadership and coordination: What are the factors that have either inhibited or enhanced leadership, coordination and planning in responding to the Darfur crisis?
2. Operational response of the UN agencies, OCHA and NGOs: What are the specific and systemic problems in responding to the Darfur crisis?
3. Advocacy work of the UN and OCHA: What advocacy has been carried out? With whom? What are the factors affecting advocacy?
4. Donor response: How has the timing and level of aid affected the humanitarian community's response to the Darfur crisis?

Given the nature of the conflict causing forced displacement and the widespread breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law and standards, special attention will be paid to the human rights dimensions of the crisis as it affects humanitarian assistance.

4. Use of evaluation

The evaluation will recommend actions that the Country Team, the USG/ERC and the wider international community may undertake to address both specific and systemic challenges, in particular in the areas of planning, protection and coordination, as they affect the quality of the overall response, with the aim of improving the ongoing response to the crisis in Darfur.

5. Approach to the evaluation

As this is a collaborate initiative, a core learning group composed of IASC member agencies has been formed. This group will: 1) facilitate the team's access to the agency-specific information needed to perform the assessment; 2) support the evaluation team's work, and 3) ensure that agency expertise on issues relevant to the evaluation are reflected 4) support internal agency feed-back and lesson learning.

The evaluation will take place over five phases and three field visits. The evaluation started in August 2004 and is expected to issue the final report in May 2005. It will be based on reviews of the existing documentation and discussions with key stakeholders at headquarters and in Sudan (including the affected communities).

The first two field visits will be as non-intrusive and take as little of the UNCT's time as possible, in order not to hinder the work on the ground. Towards the end of each field visit, the evaluation team will identify key findings which may inform both the work of the UNCT and others and the next phase of the evaluation.

The purpose of the third field visit will be determined largely by the current response to the situation in Darfur, the evaluation team's previous observations and recommendations, and the actions taken as a result of the feedback provided during the first two visits.

6. Evaluation Team

The team is led by Bernard Broughton, and also includes Sarah Maguire, independent consultant, and Susanne Frueh, OCHA. The team can be reached at cell phone 0912160992 while in Sudan.