Call for external evaluator(s)- open

MusicAIRE-EAC-2021-0090-externalevaluation_v1.1

DEADLINE

15 September 2023 – open

1. Introduction

MusicAIRE is co-funded by the European Commission Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture as part of the Call for Proposals EAC/S15/2020. Grant agreement nº EAC-2021-0090, and co-funded by the Music Moves Europe Preparatory Action of the European Union.

2. Project Description

MusicAIRE (An Innovative Recovery for Europe) aims to provide tailored-made instruments for the sector and contribute to a green, digital, just, and resilient recovery of the music ecosystem. The project timeframe is of 30-month journey, which includes a needs-analysis phase (involving an online survey with 113 respondents and think tank meetings with 50 participants), and the launching of two open calls for applicants established in one of the 27 EU Member States and non-EU countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme.

The projects funded under MusicAIRE are aimed to provide strategies, methodologies, and actions for the music sector to address the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis in one of the following thematic fields:

  • GREEN recovery: increasing the sector’s environmental sustainability and ecological awareness with a view to greening the music industry, in particular live acts, festivals and touring, as well as supporting innovative start-ups aiming at decreasing the environmental footprint of online data storing and music distribution.
  • DIGITAL recovery: adapting to new emerging trends in digital music consumption, distribution and promotion and developing and promoting sustainable business models that enable monetisation and guarantee remuneration of artists.
  • JUST and RESILIENT recovery: better-harnessing music’s potential as a distinct cohesive force, with a view to contributing to increased solidarity, active citizenship, and social cohesion.

3. Beneficiaries

MusicAIRE´s two open calls for proposals saw an outstanding success, having received over 700 applications, with the number of awarded projects being 51.

 Micro strand (Lump sum EUR 15.000)Small strand (Lump sum EUR 30.000)Medium strand (Lump sum EUR 55.000)Total
GREEN 358
DIGITAL1157
JUST AND RESILIENT451726
GREEN, JUST AND RESILIENT2 24
DIGITAL, JUST AND RESILIENT2136
Total9103251

The evaluation process was carried out by an independent group of experts composed of 10 members in each of the calls.

MusicAIRE targets a wide range of public or private organisations with legal entities representing players from the Music Sector established in one of the 27 EU Member States and non-EU countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme.

4. Consortium

The two partners forming MusicAIRE’s consortium are INOVA+ and the European Music Council (EMC). INOVA+ is the Portuguese leading company in promoting and managing international projects of innovation, education & training and research & technological development. The EMC is the broadest network of music organisations across Europe. With 74 members in 28 countries, it is dedicated to the development and promotion of all genres and types of music in Europe.

5. Evaluation Purpose, Criteria and Questions

Ex-post analysis of the effectiveness of the redistribution scheme and estimated impact of “sustainability actions” funded. The evaluation should cover the following criteria, answering the respective evaluation questions:

  1. Effectiveness: How successful was the intervention in achieving (or progressing towards) its objectives? What have the quantitative and qualitative effects of the intervention been? Are they as expected when introducing the intervention?
  2. Efficiency: was the intervention cost-effective and proportional to actual costs to benefits?
  3. Relevance: To which extent did the project´s objectives and design respond to current and emerging needs? To what extent do the needs/problems addressed by the intervention continue to require action at the EU level?
  4. Coherence: To what extent is this intervention coherent with other EU that have similar objectives? To what extent is the intervention coherent with (current) wider EU policies and priorities (e.g., Commission policy priorities)?
  5. EU added value: Could the identified results/outputs/impacts have been achieved without EU intervention? Is it still valid to assume that the objectives of the intervention can best be met by action at the EU level? What would be the most likely consequences of stopping or withdrawing EU intervention?

6. Evaluation Approach And Methodology

Overall evaluation approach and data collection methods proposed:

  • Consultation with members of the MusicAIRE Consortium
  • Data Review (documentation to be provided by MusicAIRE Consortium)
  • Briefing and Data Gathering with project applicants, beneficiaries, think tank members, jury members and other stakeholders

The evaluation should be based on a participatory approach, aiming at collecting feedback and perceptions amongst projects’ partners, beneficiaries, and pertinent stakeholders during the entire life of MusicAIRE. The sources of information on which the External Evaluation will be based include all relevant external and internal documents that are available in different forms, both online and offline.

7. Sample size

Project participants to be engaged. Regarding the quantitative analysis, the target groups below should be addressed in their entirety.  For in-depth qualitative analysis, the following sample size should apply:

  • Project Beneficiaries (min. 30% of the supported beneficiaries) 15
  • Project Applicants (min 2% of the applicants) 14, 7 of each call
  • Think Tank participants (min. 10% of the participants) 5
  • Members of the Jury (min. 15% of the jurors) 3
  • Consortium Members (min. 1 staff per partner) 2
  • Steering Committee (min. 1 representative)

8. Deliverable

The following deliverables are expected:

  • Inception report from the evaluators, finalizing the methodology (e.g., sources of information and tools for collection), work programme and timetable for the evaluation. The methodology should be agreed between the MusicAIRE Consortium and the evaluator with respect to the objectives, scope, and timeline.
  • Report on the ex-post analysis of the effectiveness of the redistribution scheme and the estimated impact of the ´sustainability actions´; recommendations.

9. Competencies

The external evaluator(s) should meet the following required skills and competence profile:

  • Demonstrable experience (at least 5 years) in research/evaluation of EU-funded projects within the thematic scope of music
  • In-depth knowledge and understanding of the music sector, including its various sub-sectors, stakeholders, and trends. Familiarity with EU policies, regulations, and funding programs related to the music sector
  • Proven experience in engaging and collaborating with project stakeholders
  • Demonstrable expertise in analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data using appropriate statistical and analytical techniques
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex evaluation concepts clearly and concisely
  • Fluency in oral and written English

10. Level Of Effort

55 working days

11. Duration

The expected time frame for conducting the evaluation is estimated between October 1st and December 15th (11 weeks), starting after the signature of the contract.

12. Terms, Condition And Payments

A maximum budget of EUR 16,000 has been allocated for this evaluation activity. Any necessary travel and accommodation expenses for participation in meetings or activities foreseen will be covered by this budget. Payments will be made on the basis of invoices sent by the evaluation expert and on the presentation of the documentation detailed as follows:

  • 30% upon submission of the final inception report (mid-October)
  • 40% upon submission of the draft final evaluation report (third week of November)
  • 30% upon submission of the final evaluation report (mid-December).

13. Submission Process

Interested and qualified experts should submit their application to [email protected], specifying “MusicAIRE – Evaluation Application” in the subject line no later than 11:59 PM CET on September 15, 2023. All applications should include:

  • Expression of Interest Letter
  • A proposed methodology, presenting the overall approach and methods suggested for the conduct of the evaluation
  • Proposed budget (with the daily rate specified) & work plan for the assignment.
  • CV(s) and/or Portfolio

All together the documents submitted shall not overpass 15 pages, excluding CV(s) and/or Portfolio.

14. Evaluation Of Proposals And Selection Process

The selection procedure will consist of an assessment of the applications performed by MusicAIRE´s Consortium against the following criteria:

  • Prior experience in similar services: 40 points (min. 20 points)
  • Proposed methodology and work plan: 40 points (min. 20 points)
  • Cost-effectiveness: 20 points (min. 10 points)

The applications will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee consisting of four Consortium members. The application scoring the highest will be selected for contracting. Prior to contracting, MusicAIRE may conduct a short interview or coordination call with the pre-selected applicant to clarify certain details, experience, motivation, or budget.

All applicants will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by e-mail after the contract is concluded with the selected applicant.