Consultant for Evaluation of the Blue Speeds for Shipping Campaign

End-of-Intervention Evaluation of the Blue Speeds for Shipping Campaign (2022–2026)

Location:Europe

Background

The Blue Speeds for Shipping Campaign is a flagship initiative of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) designed to address the growing environmental pressures associated with commercial maritime traffic. Grounded in emerging scientific evidence and IFAW’s longstanding commitment to marine conservation, the campaign promotes the reduction of commercial vessel speeds to 75% of their maximum design speed. This operational measure, often referred to as “Blue Speeds,” has been shown to deliver simultaneous multi-benefit outcomes for marine ecosystems: it can reduce underwater radiated noise (URN) by as much as 40%, lower the risk of fatal ship strikes involving cetaceans by approximately 50%, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 13%. These combined gains position Blue Speeds as one of the most readily actionable and cost-effective strategies for mitigating shipping impacts in the immediate term.

With the project now entering its final phase, IFAW seeks to commission an external evaluation to examine the overall performance of the campaign, the results achieved to date, and the extent to which its strategies have produced sustainable and transferable outcomes. The findings will provide critical insights for concluding this campaign funding cycle and shaping future EU and global efforts to reduce underwater noise, ship strikes, and emissions from commercial shipping.

Purpose of the evaluation

The general objective of the evaluation is to assess the overall performance and results of the Blue Speeds Campaign from 2022–2026 and generate evidence-based insights to inform future EU and global scaling and IFAW’s broader marine conservation strategy. Specifically, the evaluation will seek to:

• evaluate the effectiveness of the Blue Speeds Campaign in achieving its intended outcomes, including policy influence, commitments from the shipping industry, and mobilisation of public support.
• assess the extent to which the campaign contributed to environmental, behavioural, and institutional change, with a focus on reduced underwater noise, ship-strike risk, and strengthened governance pathways.
• analyse the efficiency and overall performance of campaign strategies and implementation, examining management approaches, stakeholder engagement, and use of financial, human and technical resources.
• identify key lessons, innovations, best practices and strategic recommendations that can support the future refinement and global scaling of Blue Speeds and contribute to IFAW’s wider marine strategy.

Methodology

The evaluation will be expected to employ a rigorous mixed-methods approaches, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques to ensure a comprehensive and credible assessment of the Blue Speeds Campaign. Interested consultants are expected to propose a robust methodology capable of capturing the complexity of the intervention, triangulating evidence across multiple data sources and stakeholder perspectives.

Qualifications of the consultant/ firm

• Proven track record in evaluating environmental advocacy, policy influence or marine conservation programmes
• At least 10 years of evaluation experience using OECD-DAC criteria
• Expertise in environmental policy (EU preferred), maritime governance, or ocean noise science
• Strong qualitative and mixed-methods research capabilities
• Experience evaluating multi-stakeholder campaigns and communication strategies
• Ability to work in English and engage EU stakeholders

Management and coordination

The evaluation will be commissioned by IFAW’s Marine Conservation Program. Day-to-day coordination will be through the Project Manager, with access to all relevant documents and stakeholders. The successful consultant will work very closely with the project manager on administrative and technical issues but also with the Director Impact Evaluation & Learning (IEL) on quality assurance and control.

Submission requirements

Proposal must include:

• Technical proposal including a proposed budget. This should be a maximum of 10 pages.
• CVs of all proposed team members specifying their roles for this assignment. Each must not exceed 3 pages.
• One example of similar past evaluations conducted in the last 3 years in the same sector.
• Contact details for 3 references in the last 3 years.

Closing date for receipt of applications: 7 April 2026

To apply, please submit materials to .