Call for Tenders: Final Evaluation of “Fight for Facts!”

n-ost, a European network for cross-border journalism, is seeking a team of at least two evaluators or an evaluation organisation to conduct the final evaluation of the 3.5-year project “Fight for Facts!”.

The evaluation will take place from 12 October to 31 December 2026 and comprise a maximum of 30 working days. The total budget available is up to €15,000 gross.

Project Background

“Fight for Facts!” is a joint project of n-ost (Berlin), Lviv Media Forum (Lviv), and Institute of Mass Information (Kyiv), aimed at strengthening regional media in Ukraine and their capacity to counter disinformation and provide reliable information to their communities.

Over 3.5 years, 16 regional media outlets across Ukraine have received tailored support through training, mentorships, exchange visits, mini-grants, and other formats addressing their specific needs.

The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and runs from 1 November 2023 to 30 April 2027.

Objective of the Evaluation

The evaluation aims to:

• assess the project's performance against its objectives, expected results, and indicators;

• evaluate its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, coherence, and sustainability;

• identify intended and unintended results and key lessons learned;

• provide practical recommendations for future multi-year media development projects.

Scope of Work and Methodology

The evaluators will:

• review relevant project documentation and quantitative and qualitative monitoring data;

• assess progress against the objectives and indicators defined in the project's logical framework;

• conduct interviews and other participatory data collection with project staff, partners, participating media, and other relevant stakeholders;

• examine the project's contribution to organisational and structural changes within participating media outlets;

• identify factors supporting or limiting the sustainability of project results;

• formulate evidence-based conclusions and recommendations.

The methodology should be participatory, gender-sensitive, and inclusive. Applicants may propose additional methods where appropriate.

n-ost will provide access to relevant documentation, monitoring data, and stakeholders.

Key Evaluation Questions

The evaluation should address the following questions:

• Relevance: To what extent did the project respond to the needs and priorities of participating media and their audiences?

• Effectiveness: To what extent were the project's objectives and expected results achieved?

• Efficiency: Were the available resources used appropriately and efficiently?

• Impact: What significant changes did the project contribute to within participating media organisations and their work?

• Sustainability: To what extent are the project's results and capacities likely to be sustained beyond the project period?

• Coherence: How well did the project's activities and approaches complement each other and other relevant initiatives?

Deliverables

1. Inception Report – methodology, timeline, and data collection tools;

2. Draft Evaluation Report – findings, conclusions, and recommendations;

3. Final Evaluation Report – revised based on feedback from n-ost, in English and not exceeding 20 pages excluding annexes;

4. Presentation of Findings – virtual presentation and discussion with the n-ost project team.

All deliverables must be completed by 31 December 2026.

Required Qualifications

Applicants should demonstrate:

• proven experience in evaluating BMZ-funded or comparable international development projects;

• experience in evaluating media development projects;

• knowledge of media development, journalism, and the Ukrainian media context;

• strong skills in participatory evaluation and qualitative research methods;

• excellent command of English; Ukrainian is a strong asset;

• independence from the implementing organisations, with no personal or family relationships with employees of n-ost, Lviv Media Forum, or the Institute of Mass Information.

Application

Please submit one PDF file containing:

• CVs of the proposed evaluators;

• proposed methodology and work plan;

• proposed structure of the final report;

• preliminary budget, including working days and daily rates.

Please send your application by 20 September 2026 to Kateryna Kovalenko at kovalenko@n-ost.org. Questions about the tender, project, or evaluation can be addressed to the same contact.