Evaluation Services for Water at the Heart of Climate Action project of the Netherlands Red Cross

## Find the Complete folder TD 2026 1247\_ Evaluation WHCA with all supporting documents including the Terms of Reference and Tender Dossier: NLRC TD 2026-1247 Evaluation WHCA.docx

*Please note that NLRC expects to launch an open tender in June 2026 for the establishment of Framework Agreements for Monitoring and Evaluation Services. Interested bidders are encouraged to retain this proposal and all supporting documentation, as many of the required submission documents are expected to remain the same.*

## Introduction

Water at the Heart of Climate Action (WHCA) is a programme designed to address systemic issues in early warning systems for water related hazards, stemming from a lack of community-centric early warning systems, a lack of investment in hydro-meteorological capacity, and a lack of coordination and siloed approach in planning and decision making. To address this, a consortium of United Nations and Red Cross Movement partners, in collaboration with national counterparts and government actors in five countries in the Eastern Africa region are implementing the WHCA programme between 2023-2028. The programme is structured around five Technical Focus Areas (TFAs): 1) water related disaster risk knowledge and governance, 2) observations, monitoring, analysis and forecasting of water related hazards, 3) water specific early warning systems, disseminations and communications, 4) anticipatory action and locally led adaptation, 5) crosscutting activities. Through the combined focus areas, the programme aims to increase the resilience in communities most impacted by water related disasters in Eastern Africa.

This evaluation will take place during programme implementation and aims to assess

1. The validity of the intervention logic (Theory of change at global level and country levels).
2. The added value of the consortium partners (in breaking down the siloed approach in early warning systems).
3. Early indications of successes or best practices, challenges and related recommendations for the remainder of the programme and/or future initiatives.

The final evaluation report is to be submitted to NLRC by 30th April 2027.

## 2. Context & Background

WHCA is a unique collaboration of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC), the Red Cross Climate Centre (“the Climate Centre”), the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and is well positioned to integrate their ways of working and collaborate with governments and communities to reduce climate vulnerability in Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda for end-to-end community-centered Early Warning Systems (EWS). The consortium aims to achieve the objective of accelerating and scaling up water actions to reduce impacts and increase resilience of vulnerable communities in the five selected countries through an integrated, systemic, silo-breaking approach.

Five technical focus areas are central to the consortium-level theory of change:

TFA 1: Water-related risk knowledge and governance – Weather- and water-related disaster risk information system(s), established through participatory and inclusive processes, and effectively applying local, national and global level data, inform(s) decision-making to support affected communities with community-centered solutions for risk management.

TFA 2: Observations, monitoring and forecasting of weather- and water-related hazards – Improved production of and access to climate, weather and water observation, monitoring and impact-based forecasting/prediction products in order to deliver flood and drought warning services to various stakeholders for decision-making.

TFA 3: Water-specific early warning systems dissemination and communication – Most at-risk communities access relevant, timely, understandable, and actionable water-related alert/early warning messages that could enable them to take actions to protect lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure.

TFA 4: Anticipatory action and locally led adaptation – Strengthened preparedness to take anticipatory action in response to warnings and enhanced locally led water-related climate adaptation capacities that could contribute to the reduction of water-related risks.

TFA 5: Cross-cutting – Cross-cutting enabling activities are implemented to ensure effective community and stakeholder engagement, response to protection-gender-inclusion needs, strong inter-TFA linkages, a cross-fertilization of learning, efficient knowledge management and high-quality actions.

These outcomes hav