Training Evaluator Consultant

The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) is an independent, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights. We achieve this by supporting human rights defenders, strengthening human rights systems, and leading and participating in coalitions for human rights change.

Background information

ISHR seeks to engage one or several independent consultant(s) to conduct an evaluation of its flagship training programme, the Human Right Defenders Advocacy Programme (HRDAP) which has for over 10 years providing support to human rights defenders (HRDs) in understanding and engaging with the international human rights mechanisms, primarily those of the United Nations. HRDAP has over that period trained more than 200 human rights defenders working on diverse topics such as advancing women’s rights; defending the rights of LGBTQI+ persons; combatting racism; working on human rights issues in highly restrictive environments; or working on environmental issues, Indigenous communities or corporate accountability.

HRDAP training programme

The Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP) is an intensive capacity development programme created by and for human rights defenders. The programme brings together committed activists who seek to build their international advocacy skills, expand their networks and leverage them to achieve change in their respective communities.

Through ISHR’s flagship learning programme, defenders get a chance to:

• gain new knowledge and tools to ensure their voice is central in international human rights decision-making particularly at the United Nations

• explore and compare the benefits of engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Procedures, the Universal Periodic and the Treaty Bodies, and examine how they can use them to bolster their work at the national level

• develop strategies and techniques to increase the potential of their national and regional advocacy work and contribute to human rights change on the ground.

HRDAP hybrid model combines 2 months of interactive online learning using our virtual platform, completed by an intensive 10-days training in Geneva for on average 16 defenders.

The programme is a whole organizational effort, led by ISHR Training and Advocacy Manager with multiple staff providing support and dedicated coaching and supervision sessions to human rights defenders based on their thematic or regional focus.  More information about the programme and its last 2024 edition can be found here and here.

Objectives of the external evaluation

The overall objective of this study is to assess the relevance, effectiveness (including impact), efficiency and sustainability of HRDAP and take stock of lessons learnt to establish recommendations for future strategic planning.

HRDAP has changed in its format since 2014 and has proven to be successful for its primary audience in terms of global satisfaction. The programme has evolved significantly in terms of delivery methods, scope and management due to external factors such as the development of online learning, the covid-19 pandemic and also internal factors such as ISHR growth and staff turn-over. Although for most of the time, global surveys have been conducted among participants and within programme staff, ISHR has not conducted a dedicated external evaluation of the programme.

The primary users of the evaluation report will be the ISHR staff (in particular the programme team and directors’ groups) who will use the findings and recommendations to inform ISHR strategies and future programming, including the building of a training strategy. The secondary users will be the institutional donors and human rights defenders interested in the programme.

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