Study on Equitable and Complementary Partnership within the Framework of the Ukraine and Turkey/Syria Funds

Terms of reference

Introduction/Background

Fondation Suisse de la Chaîne du Bonheur (Swiss Solidarity), created 79 years ago and based in Geneva, Switzerland, launches fundraising campaigns for the victims of major humanitarian crises, in partnership with the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SSR/SRG) and private media. With the funds raised, Swiss Solidarity supports relief projects in Switzerland and abroad. In 2024, Swiss Solidarity provided CHF 63 million to 172 projects. Among Swiss Solidarity’s key areas of focus were Ukraine and regions in Turkey and Syria impacted by the February 2023 earthquakes.

Swiss Solidarity works almost exclusively with its accredited Swiss partner organisations; most of whom work in return with local organisations. As part of Swiss Solidarity’s strategy for promoting locally led humanitarian practice, Swiss Solidarity has a desire for a more in-depth understanding of the partnership relations, which it considers crucial for the quality of interventions.

Objectives

The objectives of this study are threefold:

• Identify key indicators of a good partnership, drawing from existing frameworks and particularly from insights gained through discussions with Swiss partner organisations and local partners, and evaluate the importance of these indicators according to different types of partnerships.
• Assess the type of partnerships and evaluate the extent to which current partnerships are equitable and complementary, using an analysis of project documents alongside findings from a participatory evaluation involving Swiss and local partner organisations.
• Recommend measures for Swiss Solidarity and its Swiss and local partners to foster or enhance equitable and complementary partnerships, building on existing sector guidelines, and particularly the findings of this study.

Scope

The contractor is to implement and coordinate the process of evaluating the quality of the partnerships between Swiss partner organisations and its local organisations. This involves collaboratively developing indicators of what defines a strong partnership and key research questions with all stakeholders, evaluating both current and past partnerships through a participatory approach, and providing recommendations to Swiss Solidarity, Swiss partner organisations, and local partners on how to adapt their practices to foster equitable and complementary partnerships.

Both in Ukraine and in Syria, four (4) to six (6) Swiss partner organisations and its local partners should be participating in the study (in total eight (8) to twelve (12) Swiss partner organisations). While some elements of the study can be done remotely, workshops with both local partners and Swiss partner organisations should be undertaken in the place of implementation (e.g. Kiev, Damascus, and/or Gaziantep), and field visits to discuss with staff should also be considered. The contractor must have the capacity and be willing to travel to these areas. The contractor must also have easy access to locations in Switzerland where Swiss Solidarity’s Swiss partners are based, and if deemed useful, may want to undertake workshops in Switzerland.

Methodology

The methodology should be proposed by the contractor in the inception report. The following methods should be included:

• The approach must be participatory and could include elements of a peer review, potentially including staff from Swiss partner organisations and local partners.
• Already existing criteria and indicators within the wider sector and for the concerned contexts should be considered.
• An analysis of the documentation of the projects, including narratives, logical frameworks, and budgets, can provide an understanding of the local partners’ involvement in project design and give indications of the extent of equity and complementary in the partnership.

The methodology can subsequently be revised, in accordance with Swiss Solidarity and following the feedback and request of Swiss partner organisations and their local counterparts.

Expected deliverables

The contractor will be expected to submit the following documents in English:

1. Inception report

a) The inception report must include: the work plan, description of the technical approach and detailed and clear methodology proposed (including tools and technology to be used, sampling method, etc.), an elaboration of the risks and mitigation measures, and the outline for the internal and external report.

2. Preparation and elaboration of documents for the study

a) The documents to be prepared beforehand must include: a document outlining the indicators for evaluating the quality of the partnerships, detailed research questions, methodology, sampling, and timeline for the study.

b) These are the documents that need to be prepared before the study starts, and to be revised following feedback from the Swiss partner organisations and its local partners as well as following the workshops and the findings of the study. The process of developing these documents collaboratively with all stakeholders is a crucial part of this study on equitable and complementary partnerships.

3. Organisation and summary of workshops and field visits

a) Workshops must be organised in the area of implementation with the Swiss partner organisations, and their local organisations, and if deemed useful in Switzerland. Field visits can also be undertaken. Concise meeting minutes of the meetings and field visits must be delivered in the annex of the internal report.

4. Indicators for evaluating the quality of partnerships (max. 2 pages)

a) These indicators should be based on the already existing literature as well as on the findings of this study. The indicators must be clear and actionable for Swiss Solidarity to use in the future and should also consider the different types of partnerships that exist.

5. Internal report (max. 40 pages without annexes)

a) This report will be confidential and only accessible to Swiss Solidarity, the Swiss partner organisations and its local partners.

b) The report should highlight the different types of partnerships encountered, the main strengths and weaknesses of the current partnerships in view of equity and complementarity, and elaborate recommendations of how to improve the quality of the partnerships.

c) The section on recommendations must be detailed and outline actionable recommendations for Swiss partner organisations, local partners, and Swiss Solidarity.

d) Annexed to the report should be summaries of the workshop and field visits, summaries of key informant interviews (KIIs), and any other data relevant for the report.

6. Online presentations to the participating organisations

a) The online presentations should be approximately two (2) to three (3) hours and include a summary of the findings, recommendations, and provide space for feedback and questions (in total 2 presentations, one for each context).

7. External anonymised report (max. 10 pages)

a) This report is to be shared externally and should summarise the findings by anonymising the participating organisations.