Endline Assessment: Promoting and Protecting Freedom of Religion and Belief in Nigeria” (PP-FORB Nigeria)
Search for Common Ground (Search) seeks a consultant to conduct an Endline Assessment of the PP-FORB Nigeria project. This project, implemented across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, aims to empower actors to prevent and address conflicts along religious lines and advance Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB).
The endline assessment will measure the relevance, effectiveness, impact, sustainability, and coherence of project interventions, following the Search for Common Ground evaluation criteria. The findings will help assess the project’s overall impact and inform recommendations for sustaining and scaling successful interventions.
Context
Search is an international conflict transformation NGO dedicated to shifting conflict resolution approaches from adversarial tactics to collaborative solutions. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USA, and Brussels, Belgium, Search operates through 52 field offices across 35 countries. The organization designs and implements multifaceted, culturally relevant, and conflict-sensitive programs. Leveraging a diverse array of tools, including media and training, Search aims to promote dialogue, enhance understanding, and foster positive behavioral change. With funding from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Abuja, Search is implementing a 36 month project titled “Promoting and Protecting Freedom of Religion or Beliefs. Implemented across the 6 geopolitical regions, the project seeks to empower stakeholders to prevent and address conflicts rooted in religious differences, promote Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), and enhance public awareness of interfaith issues in Nigeria. It takes a comprehensive approach that includes early warning and early response (EWER) systems, support for individuals at risk, and improved public communication through strategic media engagement. By fostering collaboration among community members, religious leaders, security agencies, civil society, and media practitioners, the project aims to create a more peaceful and inclusive society.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has a population of approximately 231 million people. Around 46% identify as Christian, while another 46% are Muslim. About 8% of the population practices African traditional religions. Smaller religious communities, such as Baha’is, Buddhists, Hindus, and atheists, collectively account for less than 1% of the population (USCIRF, Annual Report, 2024). In Nigeria, religion is profoundly ingrained in every aspect of citizens life, influencing not only the moral values of its people but also their broader understanding of the world, particularly during periods of crisis. Also, religious affiliation is an important identity in the lives of most Nigerians, this is because it plays a big role in the society, going beyond just personal beliefs. It shapes values, builds communities, and encourages ethical behaviour. Religious and cultural pluralism is the daily experience of millions of Nigerians. Notwithstanding the existence of religious tensions, the reality is that most Nigerians want to live in harmony with their neighbors of different faiths.
The project is now in its final year of implementation. As a result, Search is recruiting a consultant or team of consultants to conduct a comprehensive endline assessment. This assessment aims to draw lessons learned from the project and provide actionable recommendations for future religious interventions. Additionally, it will evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of the project strategy, noting the alignment or otherwise of the approaches and interventions implemented with the needs and realities of the people targeted. The findings will serve to refine future initiatives, enhancing their impact and sustainability in fostering peace and coexistence.
The Project
Search is executing a 36-month project aimed at empowering stakeholders to prevent and address conflicts along religious lines while promoting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Nigeria. The project is now in its final year of implementation
The overall goal is reinforced by three specific objectives, accompanied by six intermediate results and three expected outcomes, which steers the project's activities which are:
Objective 1:
To establish effective Early Warning/Early Response (EWER) and referral mechanisms for addressing FoRB violations and violence along religious lines in Nigeria.
Intermediate Result 1.1
: EWER mechanisms for detecting and responding to emerging cases of FoRB violations and violence along religious lines (including blasphemy-related violent incidents) are improved
Intermediate Result 1.2
: Collaborative action between local, national, and regional actors to respond to FoRB violations and violence along religious lines is improved.
Expected Result 1
: Implementation of FoRB norms and principles are improved, contributing to a decrease in religious-based persecution and discrimination.
Objective 2:
To strengthen support mechanisms for individuals at risk of FoRB violations.
Intermediate Result 2.1:
Legal practitioners and other actors have enhanced capacities to support persons whose rights to FoRB have been violated.
Intermediate Result 2.2:
Survivors of FoRB violations have increased knowledge of and access to support services.
Expected Result 2:
Security agencies, human rights defenders, civil society, and faith-based actors (FBOs) provide more inclusive support to victims of FoRB violations and violence along religious lines
Objective 3:
To enhance public understanding of interfaith conflict and the importance of FoRB.
Intermediate Result 3.1
: Journalists and social media influencers have improved capacities to produce conflict sensitive reporting on inter faith and FoRB related issues
Intermediate Result 3.2:
Target communities have greater access to neutral and conflict-sensitive information related to inter-faith harmony and cohesion
Expected Result 3:
Citizens have increased access to information on the importance of FoRB and a more diversified, pluriform media landscape.
Theory of Change:
The proposed project is premised on the following Theory of Change (ToC):
IF
Religious Leaders, Security Agencies, civil society actors and other key stakeholders leverage new and existing platforms to anticipate, prevent, respond to, and address religious-based conflicts and their root drivers
AND IF
citizens have access to effective and trustworthy FoRB support mechanisms,
AND IF
capable and conflict-sensitive media practitioners enhance public understanding of FoRB
THEN
there will be a decrease in religious-based divisions, tensions, and violence
BECAUSE
citizens will be equipped to implement a holistic series of prevention, response, and support mechanisms, addressing every aspect of the ‘violence cycle’, including both long- and short-term drivers of religiously-motivated violence.
Goal and Objectives of Study
As the project enters its final year of implementation, we are seeking a consultant to conduct an endline assessment alongside a comprehensive evaluation of the project's impact. The consultant will document the perspectives of key stakeholders, including the National Human Rights Commission and legal professionals, analyze lessons learned over the years of religious conflicts in Nigeria, and evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of the project strategy. Additionally, the consultant will measure key project indicators and provide actionable recommendations to further enhance the project's outcomes. The objectives of the endline assessment are as follows:
Assess whether the project has achieved the outcomes envisaged in the theory of change, as well as evaluating the project's relevance, coherence, effectiveness and sustainability according to the evaluation criteria of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Analysis of these criteria should pay particular attention to the participation of young people and women in all phases of project implementation.
Assess the overall impact of the project on the basis of evidence of results, whether intended (in line with the project's log frame) or unintended (positive or negative), and determine Search's contribution to the changes identified.
Identify and document successes, good practices, shortcomings and lessons learned, as well as constraints and opportunities related to project implementation.
The final results of this evaluation should also help Search to guide the design of its future programs. The results should also contribute to Search's communication efforts to support religious engagement efforts in promoting peace and religious tolerance in Nigeria, with the intention of continuing to advocate the importance of peacebuilding and stabilization in situations of crisis and conflict.
To apply, interested candidates (individuals or teams) must submit the following two documents:
A curriculum vitae along with an example of a previous baseline study or evaluation conducted.
A combined technical and financial proposal, including a methodology for the evaluation, along with a short cover letter.
Note: Only two documents can be submitted, so the technical and financial proposals must be merged into a single file, alongside the cover letter.
Deadline: July 18, 2025