28.07.25
Careers

Evaluation Consultancy for the Project: ‘United Against Torture: Action 1 (2023-2026)’

1. Introduction

The UATC

The #UnitedAgainstTorture Consortium (UATC) brings together the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), the International Federation of ACATs (FIACAT), Omega Research Foundation and REDRESS. Combining the expertise, capacity, and access to our respective network partners worldwide, the UATC, through the six leading anti-torture organisations, has been implementing, since June 2023, a collective programme of work to support, strengthen and expand the anti-torture movement.

The Consortium is not an independent legal entity, but the OMCT is carrying out the lead applicant's function and coordination responsibilities.

The Project: “United Against Torture: Action 1.”

The United Against Torture: Action 1 is taking place under the Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA) between the EU and the United Against Torture Consortium. This Agreement, signed in March 2023, sets out the broad challenges in the fight against torture and the trajectories of work undertaken under this project. This FFPA responds both to the vision, mission and theory of change of the UATC - based on over a decade of collaboration between its members and long term engagement with network members and other partners on the field - and seeks to address the European Commission’s priorities as set out in the Guidelines on EU Policy Towards Third Countries on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The overall objective identified for the Project is:

  • To establish a functioning holistic and global system of support to strengthen and expand the anti-torture movement and sustain its impacts toward eradication of torture and other ill treatment - benefitting everyone around the world, especially those most vulnerable.

The specific objectives of the project are:

  1. To strengthen the core pillars in the fight against torture, ensuring continuity and advances in preventing torture, prohibiting torture in law, combatting impunity, and providing justice and reparation, including rehabilitation to survivors and victims of torture;
  2. to empower and expand mobilization and diversity of local civil society anti-torture groups and initiatives through substantial and financial support and accompaniment in advocacy to strengthen protection against torture, including for those most vulnerable.

For further information about the UATC please refer to Annex 2 – UATC Work packages presentation. Information on its members can be found on their respective websites : APT, FIACAT, IRCT, OMCT, Omega Research Foundation and REDRESS.

Project External Evaluation

A provision was made in the project for an external evaluation to be conducted by an independent evaluator during the implementation of the project.

Relevant Staff, Partners, and Beneficiaries: The various actors in the programme will help evaluate the project, including but not limited to: the Staff from the six UATC organisations (APT, IRCT, FIACAT, REDRESS, Omega Research Foundation and OMCT) and their governing bodies, member organisations and other partners in the countries of implementation, victims and survivors of torture and other ill-treatment, members of the Working Group on torture and ill-treatment in the context of protests, experts and staff from international and regional anti-torture mechanisms (in particular the Committee Against Torture (CAT), the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT), the Special Rapporteur on Torture, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association) and EU staff from the Directorate general on International Partnerships of the European Commission and from the European Union External Action Service.

Relevant environment: The evaluation of the Project takes place in a highly diverse human rights and civil society milieu. On the one hand, the six UATC organisations have offices in different European cities including in Geneva and Brussels with access to and interaction with all of the United Nations Treaty Bodies, Human Rights Council, Office of the High Commissioner, the European Union and other international human rights organisations – making up an environment generally supportive of human rights and enabling a high level of access and good information. On the other, the Project is also implemented with our many network members and partners based in the capitals or other regions of their home countries (over 100 countries), including in highly challenging countries where torture may be considered systematic and/or where we see the so-called ‘closing civil society space’ tendency, characterized by diminishing fundamental freedoms, restrictive legal frameworks, and harsh backlash against civic organizations and activists, members of political opposition parties, and independent media. This also includes acute or emerging crisis situations in which torture and impunity may become key characteristics of the situation.

Funding source: The primary funding source for the Project is the European Commission. The maximum amount available for the evaluation is capped at EUR 30.000 for all required expenses (including missions), but competitive bids are welcomed.

Period covered: This evaluation is examining the work under this project during a global period from 1 June 2023 through the present and up until 30 November 2025. The evaluation should be completed by 31st January 2026.


2. Objective and Scope of the External Evaluation

The present evaluation is to assess the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of the project, including its value to the direct and final beneficiaries. The evaluation should seek to identify strengths, weaknesses, and lessons learnt from the Project’s establishment and implementation thus far, and provide practical recommendations that the UATC and our partners can implement to improve performance during the final months and in future iterations of the project. The UATC expects to be negotiating a future contract in the near future, and this evaluation will provide valuable input to this process.

The evaluation should be carried out in light of the objectives and the results of the project by using the Logical Matrix and indicators identified for the project, and should take consideration of the Project Application and the Contract agreement as well as the Financial Framework Partnership Agreement with the European Commission.

The evaluation has five key overarching objectives, namely:

  1. Identify and assess the Project’s progress in relation to the outcomes and outputs targeted in the original project proposal, and analyse any constraints and obstacles which affected the projects’ ability to achieve the expected outcomes and outputs during the period.
  2. Assess the role and function of the lead organisation (OMCT) and the coordination of UATC, including the administrative structure, both Secretariat and Board.
  3. Identify and assess the cooperation between each member of the UATC, with their Network members and partners in the countries engaged by the project, and with the global anti-torture movement as a whole, in line with the objectives of the project.
  4. Assess if the project activities have contributed to the strengthening and expansion of the anti-torture movement addressing the core pillars in the fight against torture, through a holistic approach.
  5. Make concrete, implementable immediate and long-term recommendations for the future of UATC’s work based on lessons learnt in United Against Torture: Action 1.


3. Evaluation Methodology

The proposed method and approach of the evaluation should include specification and justification of the design of the evaluation and the techniques for data collection and analysis. This evaluation envisages a process of desk review of documents, plans and reports, as well as interviews with the staff of the six UATC organisations involved in the project, members of the UATC Working Group on torture and ill-treatment in the context of protests, network members and other partners, survivors, as well as beneficiaries of the activities undertaken thus far in the project as mentioned above. Interviews should also include relevant institutional stakeholders such as representatives from the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), EU Delegations, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The method may take the OECD DAC Criteria and Standards for evaluation into account, as appropriate.

Upon selection and acceptance of the original summary bids being sought by this TOR, the Consultant(s) will be expected to review the project’s key documents and propose a simple evaluation method based on the Project’s Logical framework and implementation plan for consideration by the UATC, as well as a more detailed implementation plan and timeline for the main activities and completion of the evaluation.


4. Report and Recommendations

The Consultant(s) is expected to deliver to UATC a comprehensive written report of maximum 30 pages excluding annexes which highlights gaps, challenges, opportunities and lessons learnt for UATC in relation to the project’s objectives, the project partners, and the project beneficiaries. The conclusions drawn from the successes and challenges should be presented in a conclusions and recommendations section, including both immediate- and longer-term recommendations, which can be used for strengthening and developing the present and future Consortium projects. Taking into consideration the size and capacity of the Consortium and its member organisations, the evaluation should seek to prioritize the production of a shortlist of practical and implementable recommendations that can aid in learning what has been achieved, improving the implementation of project’s key strategies in targeting specific goals, as well as in highlighting what can be done better in future iterations of this programme of action.


5. Duration and Location

The tasks under this evaluation are to be undertaken for an estimated period of 40 working days, between 1st October 2025 and 31st January 2026. A draft report of the evaluation will be presented to the UATC coordinator at OMCT by the 15 December 2025, allowing for review and feedback prior to finalization, including by participating organisations and the UATC Board. The evaluation will require in-person interviews and other meetings in Geneva (Switzerland) and should include consultations conducted in-country on at least two occasions to be defined.

A breakdown of the expected activities is provided below.

  • Inception report for the Evaluation – see UNODC-IEU template;
  • Discussion of the inception report with UATC and incorporation of comments
  • Desk review of relevant documents, proposals and reports
  • Evaluation missions (ideally in person; these missions could be scheduled to coincide with relevant in-person gatherings, such as a UATC Board Meeting, a UATC Partners Meeting, or take place in a country where enhanced collaboration between UATC partners has been implemented);
  • Stakeholder engagement (both physical and virtual via online meetings);
  • Analysis of data collected;
  • Report compilation with list of recommendations and draft implementation plan;
  • Present and discuss the draft report, recommendations, and implementation plan with UATC;
  • First draft feedback;
  • Incorporating comments and final report compilation.


6. Requirements and Qualifications

A consultant with the following skills and competencies are encouraged to express their interest:

  • Post Graduate Degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. Social Science, Law, Politics, Economics and Human Rights);
  • At least 7 years of experience and additional training in project evaluation, including in the field of human rights, and including those of a multi-regional or international nature;
  • Specialisation and additional training in human rights and experience of working with victims of human rights violations;
  • Strong data collection, analysis and writing skills;
  • Competence in organisational development;
  • Demonstrable experience in evaluating programmes and projects across countries and also those of a regional nature;
  • Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the architecture of human rights organizations;
  • Fluency in English is required, and additional French and/or Spanish language capabilities may be an added advantage.


7. Eligibility, Applications, and Consideration

  • Applicants can be organisations or individual consultants.
  • Applications will be accepted up to the 24th August 2025, only via email, to applications@omct.org with the subject heading "Evaluation consultancy – UATC Project – Action 1 (2023 - 2026)" and the following attachments, in PDF:
    • A Letter of Interest summarizing the Bid and the possible start date;
    • A Bid for Contract, detailing the proposed methodology, time frame, and fee (max. 3 pages);
    • Individuals: a CV/resume, with relevant evaluations completed with dates (max. 2 pages);
    • Firms: a list of relevant evaluations completed during the past three years (max. 1 page).
  • Due to the volume of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

For more information, please refer to the full TORs and annexes.