REFERENCE NUMBER HIHEA/021-2022/M&E
Title of project: Planet Friendly Farming for Rural Families
Project Implementation Area: Kenya: Kitui County
Task: Baseline Evaluation
Selection Type: Firm Selection; Independent evaluator
Type of Contract: Consultancy
Period: 30 days
Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HiH EA) is a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Kenya, working for the economic and social empowerment of its poorest citizens to enable program participants to lift themselves out of poverty. HiH EA is part of the Hand in Hand network. HiH EA works with the marginalized, vulnerable poor rural and peri-urban smallholder farmers (80% women) to help them lift themselves out of poverty through the power of entrepreneurship. The organization started operations in Kenya in October 2010 and is currently operating in 21 Field offices within 29 out of 47 Counties in Kenya. HiH EA has so far mobilized and trained over 300,000 members (80% women, 40% youth) who have created over 296,000 enterprises and over 400,000 jobs.
Hand in Hand International based in London provides support to Hand in Hand EA. The Hand in Hand 4-step model is based on setting up or mobilizing self-help groups that act as savings groups, delivering enterprise skills through training, promote financial access and provide linkage to broader markets.
The Planet Friendly Farming for Rural Families Project, funded by Base, will contribute to the local economy and improve household quality of life for 3,800 farmers in Kitui county, Kenya, over a period of 3 years (October 2021 to September 2024). The project will provide the farmers with the training on planet friendly farming practices, otherwise known as Circular Economy and Regenerative Agriculture (CERA) practices.
Planet friendly farming encompasses a range of methods that take carbon out of the air and put it into the soil, while replenishing and nourishing the land. Planet friendly practices increase soil biodiversity and lead to more resilient and healthier soils that are better able to withstand climate events such as floods and droughts. The result is more productive farms, healthier, more nutritious crops and stronger incomes for farmers.
The overall objective of the project is to build financial management and entrepreneurial skills of 3,800 members, enhance their ability to generate income, increase their financial resilience and improve their quality of life, thereby contributing to their ability to exit the poverty cycle.
The project seeks to achieve the following key result areas.
· 3,050 new and 750 carry over women and men trained in entrepreneurship and planet friendly farming
· 2,135 small businesses launched and run by project members
· 2,775 jobs created in these businesses
The Baseline Evaluation
Rationale
HIH EA is commissioning a baseline evaluation to assess the project against the OECD DAC Evaluation criteria[1] of relevance, effectiveness and coherence. This study will also collect baseline data for the project’s log frame indicators, to allow its effectiveness to be measured at midline and end line. The baseline data will provide a basis for comparison before and after implementation.
The key objectives of the baseline evaluation include;
· To assess the relevance of the project design, in terms of meeting the needs and priorities of the people it aims to serve.
· To assess the coherence of the project design, in terms of coordination with, or duplication of, other efforts in the area.
· To assess the extent to which the objectives are likely to be achieved.
· To point out the factors that might influence the achievement or non-achievement of objectives.
· To provide a reference point for the project indicators that will be used to inform program planning, determine progress and monitor project implementation.
· Where relevant, draw recommendations to strengthen the project.
HIH EA is seeking an independent evaluator firm to undertake this assignment in Kenya. The evaluator will design the study and prepare the data collection tools. The evaluator will then collect data with these tools.
The evaluator will clean, analyse, visualise, and report on the collected data, drawing on insights from both the qualitative and the quantitative datasets in one coherent, comparative report.
HIH EA will provide all supporting documents necessary to ensure the assignment is completed successfully, including the project proposal narrative, logic model, and MEL Plan; a survey template with our standard indicator questions and answer options; and the HiH evaluation report template. The data collection tools prepared by the consultant must align with the definitions provided in the MEL Plan.**Role of the consultant**
The consultant will be required to undertake at a minimum the following;
• Desk review of the project documents to understand the design
• Develop the sample design for the baseline survey and any qualitative data collection.
• Design/adapt/refine (as appropriate) the baseline data collection tools – both quantitative and qualitative.
• Conduct a pre-test of the tools and finalize, incorporating changes
• Train the field supervisors and enumerators
• Plan the field work logistics
• Prepare survey implementation and questionnaire user guide documentation where necessary e.g. enumerator supervision manuals, etc.
• Supervise survey implementation and ensure quality control
• Download all data from the Kobo/other server
• Clean and analyze all datasets
• Write a baseline evaluation report, bringing together the findings of the qualitative and quantitative datasets, using the HiH evaluation report template provided.
• Submit raw, cleaned, and worked quantitative datasets to HiH in .xlsx or .csv format as well as clean qualitative transcripts
• Submit the report for review and feedback
• Hold a validation workshop (virtual/physical)
• Incorporate feedback from HIHEA and HIHI
• Submit a final report
Approach and Methodology **
The methodology chosen should demonstrate attention to impartiality and reduction of bias by relying on mixed methods approach (quantitative, qualitative, participatory etc.) and different primary and secondary data sources that are systematically triangulated. The evaluation must also be structured around the OECD DAC criteria for evaluation (specifically: Relevance, Effectiveness and Coherence]. The evaluator must ensure all relevant project indicators are addressed.
Ethical Considerations
The evaluation must conform to International ethical guidelines for evaluations. Accordingly, the selected evaluation firm will be responsible for safeguarding and ensuring ethics at all stages of the evaluation process. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring informed consent, protecting privacy, confidentiality and anonymity of respondents, ensuring cultural sensitivity, respecting the autonomy of respondents, ensuring fair recruitment of participants (including women and socially excluded groups) and ensuring that the evaluation results do no harm to respondents or their communities.
The evaluation firm will be responsible for managing any potential ethical risks and issues and must put in place, in consultation with HIHEA, processes and systems to identify, report and resolve any ethical issues that might arise during the implementation of the evaluation.
Deliverables
Submitting Proposals
HiH EA requests consultants to submit proposals to respond to this Terms of Reference as outlined above. We expect the consultancy firm or consultant to demonstrate the skills and experience outlined below (or equivalent):
The proposal should include the following:
1) A short outline of evaluation approach, research design and methodology for the Evaluation. Max. 3 pages
2) A proposed process and timeframe for the Evaluation setting out the phases, the number of consultants and the number of days. Max. 2 pages.
3) The anticipated challenges and dependencies likely to affect the implementation of the Evaluation and how these should be addressed. Max. 1 page.
4) A description, in 1page max., of how to ensure data quality throughout the process/assignment.
5) A narration of how ethical issues will be mitigated/safeguarded throughout the evaluation process.
6) A description of how gender will be mainstreamed throughout the evaluation questions with consideration of how the perspectives of men, women and youths will be sought in the evaluation process.
7) A summary of the most relevant skills and experience of the proposed lead consultant and the consultant(s) together with her/his CV showing relevant previous assignments and clients. (Annex CVs separately). Max 2 pages per CV.
8) A detailed fee quote and rationale for the consultants and an estimate for the operational costs. Max. 1 page.
Budget and Payment
The evaluation of the quotations will be based on the best value for money, weighing up technical quality (the methodology and the qualifications of the consultant).
The assessment of the proposal paper will be based on the following criteria:
The assessment of the CV’s will entail the review of the appropriateness of the proposed consultants based on their stated skills and experiences as well as additional criteria outlined above.
The contractor will have to make provisions for covering all costs associated with the assignment including relevant taxes. Remuneration is based on submission of agreed deliverables.
Shortlisted applicants may be called to interview or requested to submit samples of work.
Management of consultant(s)
The appointed consultant will be managed by Hand in Hand Eastern Africa. The consultant will make themselves available for weekly coordination meetings with HiH EA throughout the duration of the contract, until the final report is delivered and signed off.
Timeline and Deliverables
Any questions before submission of the proposal should be sent directly to procurement@handinhandea.org latest 24th March, 2022.
Electronic submission of proposals will be made to procurement@handinhandea.org by end of day 31st March, 2022 using the TOR reference number as the subject line.
Tagged as: Hand in Hand Eastern Africa, Kenya
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