Due to the persistent shortage of food in Turkana and Samburu counties, a significant proportion of children are put at risk. The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) indicated almost 15.1% of the children were at risk in June 2019. To reduce the risk faced children and vulnerable population emanating from food and nutrition insecurity, there is need for creation of safety nets assets to bolster sustainable food production systems. The SMART Survey team of both counties proposed that this can be achieved though promotion of Agri-nutrition farms through irrigation; improving skills and awareness on agriculture technology; scaling up service delivery in hard-to-reach areas and managing and strengthening of food value chain. Other proposed interventions would include strengthening agricultural production and stabilizing food markets.
It is within this context that the Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) project was borne so that it would provide nutritious food to most children at risk of nutritional disorders and vulnerable groups. Sweet potato, the seventh most important staple food globally, produces more edible energy per hectare per day than wheat, cassava or rice (Woolfe, 1992). Orange fleshed sweet potato varieties provide carotene, a precursor for vitamin A, that reduces vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children and lactating mothers (Low et al., 2001). The crop is consumed as fresh roots or as leaves and is also processed into animal feed, starch, flour, candy and alcohol (Chiona, 2009). According to Woolfe (1992) sweet potato can be substituted for wheat in bread, cereals and in many tasty, nutritious recipes. Unlike cereals, sweet potato is harvested all year-round providing a long-term solution for vitamin A deficiency (Mwanga & Ssemakula, 2011). The crop is adaptable to diverse environments because it tolerates high temperatures, low fertility soils, can grow in areas with low annual rainfall and is easy to propagate (Stathers et al., 2013). Orange fleshed sweet potatoes offer an alternative means of addressing vitamin A deficiency because they contain high levels of beta carotene. Through a project it implemented in the dry parts of Makueni county, ChildFund Kenya found that good yields of OFSP can be obtained even in areas that receive less rainfall. Results of the project also showed that consumption of OFSP has potential for reducing Vitamin A deficiency thus reducing chances of malnutrition among children and lactating mothers. This project aimed at scaling up the OFSP project success in Emali area of Makueni to two sub-counties in Turkana and one sub-county in Samburu counties.
2.About ChildFund Kenya
ChildFund is an international child-centered development organization. We are a member of the ChildFund Alliance; a global network of 12 organizations that assists more than 15 million children in 58 countries around the world. ChildFund works throughout Asia, Africa, and the Americas to connect children with the people, resources, and institutions they need to grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe, wherever they are. The organization is a member of the ChildFund Alliance; a global network of 12 organizations that assists more than 15 million children in 58 countries around the world.
ChildFund’s vision is a world in which every child realizes their rights and achieves their potential. Our three-fold mission is to help children living in deprivation, exclusion, and vulnerable situations to improve their lives and become adults who bring positive changes to their communities; to promote societies that value, protect and advance the worth and rights of children; and to enrich supporters’ lives through their support of our cause.
In Kenya, ChildFund works through 11 Implementing Partners (IPs) and 2 Direct Implementing Partners in 27 counties. Our thematic focus areas are Child Protection, Household Economic Strengthening, Early Childhood Development, Education, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Emergency Response, Health, and Nutrition. The programming of interventions in each of these sectors is informed by three Life Stages. These are Life Stage 1 (0 – 5 years), Life Stage 2 (6 – 14 years), and Life Stage 3 (15 – 24 years). Child protection, disability mainstreaming, and gender inclusion are cross-cutting interventions implemented across the life stages.
2.About Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Project
ChildFund Kenya is partnering with BMZ-Germany and implementing a project on Sustainable Production and Consumption of the Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes Project (SEWOH-BMZ Grant). The overall objective of the OFSP or SEWOH project is to build the resilience and livelihoods of women and children of vulnerable farming households in Turkana and Samburu counties. The project is implemented through collaboration between three local non-governmental organizations (Frontiers Children Development Organisation (FCDO), Samburu Children’s Program (SCP) and SAPCONE) that work with women, children and youth in Turkana and Samburu Counties. They are supported by ChildFund Kenya, which oversees the project activities. The project was anticipated to reach 2,460 households, directly or 17,200 people, including women, children and youth. It is expected to have an indirect impact on about 40,000 people who live in the same areas. Most of the direct beneficiaries (69%) are children under five years old, who are vulnerable to vitamin A deficiency (VAD). The project is expected to empower about 3,000 women and 2,200 youth by involving them in the OFSP value chain system, thus improve their livelihoods.
2.1. Project Goal
Enhanced resilience and livelihoods of women and children of vulnerable farming households in Turkana and Samburu counties.
2.2. Project Outcomes
Economic and nutrition status of 12,000 children, 3000 women and 2,200 youth are improved through adoption of OFSP innovative technologies in Turkana and Samburu counties by August 2023.
2.3. Project Outputs
3.Purpose of the Evaluation
3.1. General objective: This endline study seeks to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, impact and sustainability of the project.
3.2. Specific objectives
4.Scope of Work
The evaluation will cover all project activities from September 2020 to March 2024 implemented in Turkana Central, Loima and Samburu North Counties.
5.Methodology
The consultant should propose the appropriate study design and data collection techniques for the evaluation. The identified approach should facilitate data validation, reduce likelihood of bias and enrich the findings based on the evaluation questions and objectives. The tools may include household surveys, Key Informant Interviews (KII) and FGDs. In each case a detailed description of the tools should be provided and the relevance in the data collection process. Other areas of interest would include sampling design, data collection and analysis procedures, quality assurance and ethical considerations.
5.1. Evaluation Questions
The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the progress against the goal and to provide a body of evidence for the donor about the impact of the project. The following questions should guide the evaluation.
Relevance
Coherence
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Impact
Sustainability
6. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
Inception report: The inception report shall outline the key scope of the work and intended work plan. The inception report will provide ChildFund kenya the opportunity to verify that they share the same understanding about the Terms of Reference and should therefore detail the consultant’s understanding and interpretation of the TOR, methodology, implementation schedule, and data collection – encompassing: structuring of study; review of documents; quantitative/qualitative data collection; and data collection instruments design (sample size, field Work Planning and implementation, data collection plan, data entry and analysis plan), and budget forecast. The inception report will be discussed and agreed upon with ChildFund Kenya and project partners.
Draft Endline Report: The report shall consist of executive summary, background, methodology, findings by objective/evaluation criteria, conclusion and recommendations. The annexes should be attached including updated M&E impact matrix, raw datasets, analyzed data sets, a copy of the TOR, list of stakeholders consulted.
Validation Workshop: The draft report will be validated through a centralized workshop organized by ChildFund Kenya to corroborate the findings.
The final report: This will be presented 5 days after the validation workshop and receiving comments on the draft report.
7. TIME FRAME
The assignment will take place within 30 days. It is expected that the evaluation should be completed by 29TH March 2024.
8. MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION
The key people that the consultant will be working closely with include the OFSP/SEWOH Project Coordinators and the respective Project coordinators of FCDO, SCP and SAPCONE. The consultant will also work with the ChildFund Country Office teams i.e. DRR and Food Security Livelihoods Specialist, the Post Award Compliance Specialist and MEL Manager. The day-to-day management of the consultants is the responsibility of the OFSP Project Coordinator and M&E Officer
9. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CONSULTANT
ChildFund Kenya seeks to engage the services of qualified and experienced consultant with adequate experience in research and appraisal of development programmes in Food Security/Household Economic Strengthening in similar value chains to undertake the assignment.
Desired Qualifications & Experience
The Consultant(s) must have the following qualifications and experience: –
10. BUDGET, LOGISTICS AND PAYMENT
The consultant shall submit the proposed Financial Proposal with broken down costs for items, for the assignment, including breakdown and justification. Payment of the consultant will be in two batches; an initial 40% of the total agreed consultancy amount will be paid to the consultant upon submission and acceptance of an inception report and the final 60% will be paid upon submission and acceptance of the final report by the consultant.
11. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
The Technical and Financial proposals MUST be prepared in line with the implied standards and be submitted in a timely manner as indicated in this TOR. A Technical Team at ChildFund Kenya will review the proposals based on pre-determined objective criteria. Upon selection, the consultant(s)/consulting firm would be invited for a discussion and requested to submit a detailed inception report and work plan prior to starting any data collection exercise.
The proposal from firms/individual should comprise technical and financial proposal. The Proposal will be accepted preferably in soft copy through email and mentioning subject line; “ENDLINE SURVEY STUDY – SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF ORANGE FLESHED SWEET POTATOES (OFSP) PROJECT IN TURKANA AND SAMBURU.
Technical proposals should include the following:
ChildFund Kenya is committed to safeguarding the interests, rights, and well-being of children with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children.
Interested Firms/Individuals who meet the above qualifications should send their applications to kenyaprocurement@childfund.org by 16th February 2024. Only shortlisted firms/individuals will be contacted.
Tagged as: ChildFund International, Kenya
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