Job Description
1. Context and Background
Ethiopia remains one of the poorest Countries in the World, with more than 85% of the population residing in rural areas and relying on largely subsistence and fragile agricultural livelihood system. This is matched by high population growth, increased levels of competition over scarce resources and out migration in search of alternative employment options.
The country is currently experiencing a broad deteriorating situation with multiple complex crises due to conflict and natural disaster affecting millions of people with limited institutional and financial capacity to respond. According to Ethiopia’s 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan, 30 million people nationwide were estimated to have humanitarian needs and of these 22.5 million need food assistance, 4.7 million IDPs, 1.95 million returnees and alarming levels of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) in drought and conflict affected regions with increasing conflict hotspots and unprecedented displacements.
The North Gonder zone of Amhara Region is one of the areas severely affected by the conflict and natural disaster in the country. These has left the zone with high levels of chronic malnutrition and poor health status. Most households have a limited asset base and are affected by frequent and recurrent natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change. Institutional capacity to address both the underlying structural deficits as well as reoccurring shocks is limited, as is the meaningful engagement of civil society groups or traditionally marginalized members of these communities (e.g., women and youth).
HELVETAS, Concern Worldwide and the North Gondor Zonal Administration and its Clusters, have formed a strategic partnership bringing together complementary competencies to address the complex nature of poverty in the North Gondar zone. The overall aim of SEGORP is to strengthen household and community resilience to climate change through the development of adaptive, absorptive and transformative capabilities. Five domains of change or outcomes including an outcome on lifesaving emergency response are outlined in the project log-frame to realize this with detailed outputs and processes.
The first outcome is improving the management of eco-systems and brining those changed practices to scale. To realize this, the project will work to improve land management practices, introduce climate smart agriculture and improve early warning and response strategies, Improving market opportunities and within and across livelihood zones through diversified economic opportunities for income, enhanced smallholder access to markets and improved livestock practices. The third outcome is around strengthening systems for improved human condition (health, nutrition and women’s empowerment) through promotion of improved health and nutrition practices and women’s agency, structure and relations. The outcome strengthening institutions for improved governance and accountability is mainly to build government service providers and civil society group capacity. The final outcome is mitigation of man-made and natural emergencies through cash distribution to affected communities and ensure complaints are handled safely and responded to.
The overall programme’s direct target groups are 2,000 rural households (10,000 people) live in 10 micro watersheds in target woredas. With additional 4,360 beneficiaries of emergency response.
2. Purpose and objective
This is the Final Evaluation of the 2 years (March 2021 – February 2023) ADA supported Simien Gondar Resilience Project in North Gondar, Ethiopia. The evaluation will be led by an external evaluator recruited through this TOR. The main purpose of the evaluation is
To assess the relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency of the project in achieving its overall objective
To identify challenges, opportunities and lessons learned during project implementation.
To draw recommendations for future programming
The findings from this evaluation will be used by Helvetas and Concern Worldwide for compiling key learnings to provide evidence-based recommendations for the second phase of the project.
3. The Scope
The evaluation will be conducted between March and April 2023 covering the 2-year (March 2021 to February 2023) project implementation in Debark and Janamora woredas of Amhara regional state. The thematic areas of the evaluation include eco-system management, market system, livelihood, gender, health and nutrition, institutional capacity building, governance and responding to emergencies. The evaluation will only be confined to assess the relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency of the project as the project period is short, and its implementation were challenged by the conflict in the north.
4. Evaluation questions
In line with implementing partner’s commitment to learning the consultant will design an appropriate methodology based on proven participatory review methodologies. Questions that guide the consultant and key issues for review as identified as follows:
4.1 The relevance of the project:
a) Considering the changing local context (i.e., influx of refugees), was the project adequately addressing the needs of the target group(s)?
b) To what extent is the cash assistance provided aligned with Government, the Ethiopian Cash Working Group (ECWG) and relevant donor policies or strategies?
4.2 The effectiveness of the project:
a) What are the perceptions of the project stakeholders concerning the desired and unexpected results?
b) To what extent were results and specific objectives achieved,
c) Were the implementation strategies applied appropriate and intended outcomes attained?
d) Was the cash transfer modality and value, achieving its objectives and outcomes of protecting lives and livelihoods in emergencies and stabilized or improved food consumption over assistance period for targeted households and/or individuals respectively?
e) What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the outcomes/objectives of the intervention?
f) Have appropriate measures for climate change adaptation been implemented by the project? To which extent can it be assumed that the local population has improved capabilities to cope with climate change impacts?
g) To which extent has equal and meaningful representation of women in planning, implementation and monitoring of the project as well as in decision-making processes?
h) To which extent and how have particular vulnerable groups (e.g., persons with disabilities) been able to participate in a meaningful manner.
4.3 The efficiency of the project:
a) To what extent has the management of the project/cooperation with partners contributed towards project implementation and results in an efficient way?
b) To what extent was the timeframe of the project realistic?
c) Has the project been efficient in achieving the intended objectives and outputs?
d) What were the external and internal factors influencing efficiency?
4.4 The adherence to the Program Participant Protection Policy with reference to accountability to program participants:
a) Were appropriate mechanisms developed to enable communities in particular women and other disadvantaged/vulnerable groups to actively participate in the design, planning, implementation and monitoring of the project?
b) Were the targeted communities informed throughout the implementation of the project about what was planned and done, including sharing about results?
c) Did communities have the opportunity to provide feedback and/or complaints about the intervention?
5. Design and Approach
The evaluation will use mix of quantitative and qualitative research method design. The consultant is expected to do qualitative data collection and analysis and present in detail their approach, method and tools with an action plan and timeframe that addresses the expected results in relation to objectives.
The Consultant can use beneficiary interviews, FGD with program participants and KII with regional/zonal government and target woreda Offices identified as stakeholders and will continue to adapt the methods as needed throughout the evaluation process. With regard to quantitative data for indicators, the consultant should use the findings of the baseline and end-line surveys and triangulate or verify with available empirical or secondary data.
The consultant is also expected to make a desk review of annual action plans, annual/quarter progress reports, monitoring data, baseline, end-line, assessment reports, project proposal, log frame and M&E plan, partnership agreements, relevant organizational policies, strategies, country strategic plan, government policies and strategies, organizational structure and Human resource profile and other relevant documents.
Data collection and Analysis
The data collection and analysis should be participatory and focused on obtaining qualitative information.
Desk review – project documents, individual interview of project and Government staffs, partners, reports etc.
Qualitative information gathered through participatory rural appraisal (PRA/RRA) methodology or any other method that enhances engagement of audiences/participation
Actions/suggestions obtained at the spot through observation.
Triangulation
As mentioned above the consultant will use information both from primary and secondary sources which are directly related to the project. For triangulation purpose, the consultant is expected to refer documents from national agricultural sector reports, national statistics, research findings, donor guidance, associated documents relevant to this project and key interviews. These sources will be used to validate the results and triangulate successes and failures for lessons documentation.
6. Work plan
The consultant will undertake a participatory evaluation and write report a maximum of 30 pages including annexes. In undertaking this, the consultant will:
Prepare an evaluation plan with an appropriate methodology (process related not necessarily requiring tools) and associated tools and present this to the Consortium partners for comment, development and coordination of field movements
Conduct a desk study work to review program and non-program documents
Complete field work in sample program areas in order to collect primary data on the program delivery and associated end line and household data
Debrief project steering committee, project team and partners ahead of writing the report of the main findings
Develop a full report of the consultancy work following feedback by the steering committee, project team and partners.
Organize appealing PowerPoint presentation for dissemination of the findings through relevant platforms
Avail both soft and hard copies of field data collected and document reviewed
Lesson learned included in a separate self-explaining section if captured by the evaluation.
Coordinate with all project team at all level and closely work with Program Coordinators, sectoral advisors and MEAL team to undertake the evaluation
The evaluation is expected to be completed within Six weeks including a final report incorporating feedbacks and comments received from the appropriate consortium members. All the data collection tools, and information collected both in soft and hard copies belong to the client.
7. Evaluation Management Arrangements
The evaluation process will be conducted by the external consultants with an oversee role by a team of experts from both organizations composed of the SEGORP Project Manager and MEAL experts of Helvetas and Concern Worldwide. They will be supported by the project staff, and other staff from country offices of both organizations.
Job Requirements
1. Requirements for the Evaluator(s)
The team leader (lead consultant) should have a minimum of post-graduate degree in Agriculture, development economics/studies, NRM, Food Security and other relevant qualification with sound knowledge of evaluating livelihood or agricultural programs and projects.
At least 5 years of proven experience in undertaking consultancy services of similar complexity, particularly in the area of project evaluations, end-line surveys and assessment using participatory methods
Excellent understanding and experience of Ethiopian Food Security, Livelihood, Market, NRM and Agricultural sectors polices and strategies
High quality writing and reporting skills of English language
2. Specifications for the Submission of Offers
Technical and final proposal need to be submitted in a separate sealed envelope within 15 days of these announcement
The consultant should provide all the legal documents (License, certifications, VAT & TIN registration numbers) and reference from previous assignments
Technical proposal is weighted out of 80% while financial is 20%
Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by sending their application and Expression of Interest with the above mentioned documents, and send applications through HumanResources.ETH@helvetas.org.
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