Geneva, July 5th, 2023
Evaluation of two projects carried out by the NGO RIWAQ –Center for Architectural Conservation:
Rehabilitation of Ali Salem Mansion, Part of the Palestinian Historical Rural Heritage of Beitillu, West Bank
&
Heritage for Resilience: Restoring El-Wehidi House in Gaza
Terms of Reference
As part of its evaluation policy, ALIPH seeks a reviewer to evaluate two projects carried out by the organization RIWAQ: “Rehabilitation of Ali Salem Mansion, Part of the Palestinian Historical Rural Heritage of Beitillu, West Bank” and “Heritage for Resilience: Restoring El-Wehidi House in Gaza, Palestine” .
The Ali Salem mansion is in Beitillu, Palestine. This project is part of a broader program by RIWAQ that aims to revitalize historical centers in rural areas of Palestine. The El-Wehidi house is located in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in the center of Gaza, which was heavily impacted by the unrest of May 2021.
Both of these projects were carried out by RIWAQ and its local partners within the framework of funding provided the ALIPH Foundation.
I – Objectives of the evaluation
The evaluation will focus the following issues:
a. Project management by RIWAQ:
• Management and evaluation of tenders for local operators.
• Follow-up of the operations, preparation of interim reports.
• Security of the operators on sites.
• Management of co-funding.
b. Quality and sustainability of heritage conservation and protection measures of both projects:
• Technical quality of both projects, evaluation of compliance with technical standards, methodology and the team’s expertise, quality of material used, and of the projects’ result
Evaluation of RIWAQ’s projects in Palestine
• Sustainability of the conservation and rehabilitation outputs as well as of the capacity-building activities related to heritage protection (for instance, as it relates to the maintenance of the restored monuments).
c. Contribution of the project to socio-economic development and capacitybuilding.
• Assessment of the number and quality of training opportunities
• Assessment of the number and quality of job opportunities
• Did the projects contribute to improving the issue of inequalities with the local population and communities?
• Did the projects contribute to further integrate heritage in the communities’ lives?
d. Contribution of the projects to community needs:
• Did the projects contribute to raising awareness of the need to protect cultural heritage for its potential role in dialogue and mutual respect?
• Did the projects improve community resilience?
II – Methodology of the evaluation
The evaluation will need to define a clear methodological framework and analyze the main learning components to identify lessons learned and extract clear recommendations. See the list below:
a. Create a methodological framework that identifies the standards of reference for the evaluation. The reviewer may employ any appropriate quantitative or qualitative method as needed.
b. Carry out a comprehensive desk review of relevant documents related to both projects.
c. Carry out field visits at the two sites to produce technical evaluations.
d. Carry out interviews with members of the RIWAQ staff, and, if necessary, representatives of relevant ALIPH’s staff, as well as local community leaders involved in the project.
e. Analyze the main lessons learned and identify potential indicators. Identify the strengths of the projects.
f. Highlight projects’ aspects that could become references for future projects of a similar nature.
g. Identify weaknesses and provide recommendations on how to address them later.
III – Proposal
a. Required experience.
• Scientific assessment of conservation work using the data available.
• Evaluation of cultural heritage projects involving capacity building.
• Creation and implementation of an evaluation methodology relying on quantitative and qualitative data.
• Availability to carry out fieldwork in Palestine.
• Demonstrated ability to carry out interviews with a diversity of stakeholders
• Compilation and analysis of the collected data into a coherent report.
b. Elements of the proposal
• Description of the applicant’s approach and methodology tailored to the project and the needs of the evaluation
• Brief description of the applicant’s track record in relevant projects
• CV of the lead applicant
• Budget with daily fees and planned travel expenses
IV – Administration
a. Timeline
The timeline will be as follow:
• 5 July 2023: publication of the RFP
• 26 July 2023: deadline for submission of proposals
• 1 August 2023: attribution of evaluation by ALIPH
• Late August 2023: signing of the review contract, beginning of work
• October 2023: submission of inception report
• February 2024: submission of a draft final report, feedback from ALIPH and online meetings with ALIPH’s staff
• April 2023: final report
b. Budget
ALIPH estimates a total of 20 to 30 days to carry out this project. The budget of this evaluation will need to remain at 21,000 USD, inclusive of taxes and travel expenses, and be paid in two instalments (50% at signature, 50% at approval of the final report).
c. Deliverables
The reviewer will be requested to produce an inception report that presents the methodology of the evaluation, and work plan and a list of the tools and information necessary for the project. Towards the end of the evaluation, a preliminary report will be presented and will need to be approved by the team at the ALIPH Foundation. A final report will be presented to the ALIPH Foundation to share the main lessons learned.
d. Language
The reports will be written in English. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.
V – The organization
The International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH) is the principal global fund exclusively dedicated to the protection and rehabilitation of cultural heritage in conflict and post-conflict zones. It was created in response
to the massive destruction of cultural heritage that began to escalate 20 years ago, predominantly as a result of terrorism and war in the Middle East and the Sahel.
ALIPH was founded in 2017 as a private-public partnership. Based in Geneva, this Swiss foundation has the privileges and immunities of an international organization.
Since 2018, ALIPH has supported about 180 projects in 35 countries on 4 continents. Wherever possible, ALIPH strives to finance projects that are carried out on the ground. In all cases, ALIPH’s objective is to work hand in hand with local partners, authorities, and communities.
ALIPH offers grants through competitive calls for application and through a rolling emergency support mechanism.
For questions, please contact Bastien Varoutsikos.
bastien.varoutsikos@aliph-foundation.org
Evaluation of RIWAQ’s projects in Palestine