Terms of Reference

Country

Somalia

Title of Programme

Food Production for Improved Nutrition Outcomes for Internally Displaced and Host Community Households in Luuq District, Somalia

Project Start and End Dates

17 March 2020 – 16 March 2022

Partners

TROCAIRE, CERID

Proposed Assessment Dates

1^st May – 31^st May 2021

Duration of assessment process

21 Days

Midline Assessment for the Food Security Project in Luuq, Gedo Region Somalia

1. INTRODUCTION
   1. Background

Trócaire is an Irish development agency that works in over 20 countries across Africa (Somalia included), Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, reaching over 2.7 million people across a number of programme areas such as sustainable livelihoods, governance, gender and humanitarian relief.[1]

Trócaire’s work is best understood as taking a long-term developmental approach in a complex emergency, creating the conditions for recovery, by linking relief and development. In Somalia and particularly in the Gedo region, Trócaire’s continues to implement quality, sustainable and harmonised health and education programmes to addressing acute livelihood and humanitarian needs. This work is complemented with measured and targeted advocacy to support the opportunities and challenges facing the people of Somalia.

Decades of conflict and natural hazards have severely affected food production systems in Somalia with the worst affected segment of societies being women and children experiencing high displacement, enormous human, social and economic losses and severe levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. Trocaire in partnership with Centre for Research and Integrated Development (CERID) is targeting 100 women from IDP and host communities by engaging them in a range of activities to improve food production at the household level and increase their access to nutritious foods in the effort to curb malnutrition. Activities include land preparation for cultivation, provision of agricultural inputs include diverse crop seeds, trainings in climate sensitive and resilient agricultural and nutrition practices, and engagement in micro-gardening activities. The project also accommodates a Cash for Work scheme targeting 100 male participants and include rehabilitation of productive assets, which will also cushion beneficiaries from extreme food insecurity in the lean months of the year. Project beneficiaries are also provided with livelihood assets and informal financial services through savings and loaning groups, to encourage good financial planning and financial preparedness in the face of shocks and stresses. Additionally, 90 young students from the Luuq Agricultural Training Centre are benefiting from hands- on experience acquired from an attachment programme with the farming groups. Trocaire also seeks to improve the technical capacity of CERID as a local partner working to provide quality services to the communities in Gedo. This includes close, joint monitoring of the project, monthly sessions to evaluate quality of work, and on-the-job mentorship and trainings on key elements of effective delivery of services including safeguarding, financial management, and gender mainstreaming.

A graduation model will be considered as an exit strategy, where beneficiaries will be mentored through trainings, mentorship sessions on food production, preparation, storage and sale, with a component of Voluntary Savings and Loans for improved financial management. At the end of the project, at least 80 percent of beneficiaries will be expected to have sufficient produce for consumption at the household level. The project will be considered as even more successful if 60 percent of the beneficiaries will produce surplus for sale, and use income received to cater for other basic needs. The project will be considered sustainable if beneficiaries will use income received to invest in livelihood assets. Trocaire and CeRID will encourage beneficiaries to share the lessons they have learned from the project with their neighbours, and other members of the community thus increasing the number of indirect beneficiaries of the project and influencing positive behaviour on communities on a wider scale.

For sustainability of the project, Trocaire and CeRID began by working with the local authorities to create acceptance and avenues of nurturing the farming groups even after the project ends. For instance, acceptance by the local authorities validates the farming groups and provide an easy farm-leasing environment for IDPs who are the majority of the target households. In addition to project participants, local authorities and other stakeholders (as required) will be invited to participate in joint learning sessions during the quarterly meetings held in the second year of the project. This interaction will provide a platform for participant to network with these stakeholders and cultivate linkages creating room for sustainability.

1. The Rationale for the Evaluation

As the project has now reached the half-way point, a mid-term evaluation is being commissioned to assess the project progress toward achieving its objectives. The study will be required to track and ascertain progress against the outcomes of the project towards achievement of the overall goal, identify areas of improvement, lessons learnt, good practices and provide concrete recommendations for the refinement of the project approach, if necessary and inform subsequent implementation phase of the project in order to enhance adaptive programming for the project.

1. Main Stakeholders of the Evaluation

The evaluation will involve participation of various stakeholders at different levels to draw lessons, gather data on impact and relevance of the intervention, identify implementation challenges and success, context analysis and triangulation of information gathered. Stakeholders that will be involved include CERID staff, target beneficiaries, local authorities from specific district community departments, ATC teachers, students, community members/parents.

1. EVALUATION OBJECTIVES

Evaluation Objectives:

The objective of the evaluation will be to:

1. Assess the extent to which the project has achieved its purpose based on intended results and outputs.
2. Draw lessons learnt, good practice and recommendations to inform next half of implementation.

The evaluation will be guided by the project’s specific objectives and commitments in the proposal and log-frame. The project specific and intended results are:

The overall goal of the project is: to strengthen the resilience of communities in Gedo so that they are able to cope with recurring humanitarian shocks and stresses.

The Specific Objective (purpose): to improve food production and nutrition outcomes security for Children Under- 5 and pregnant and lactating women invulnerable IDP and host communities in Luuq District Somalia.

Expected Results:

1. Improved nutrition outcomes for targeted children Under- 5 and pregnant and lactating women from IDP and host communities.
2. Improved food security for target households.
3. Improved knowledge on food production by project participants, both targeted women, and students of the Luuq ATC.
4. KEY QUESTIONS

   3.1 Relevance

5. What do the beneficiaries think of the project?
6. What do other primary stakeholders and secondary stakeholders think of the project?
7. Are appropriate systems of downwards accountability put in place and used by the project participants? Did the feedback received, shape the project design and implementation?

3.2 Effectiveness

• To what extent were the planned outputs and results achieved?
• Do the project outputs significantly contribute to the achievement of the outcomes?
• To what extent were services and items delivered in a timely manner, and to what degree of service provision was adequately supported to achieve objectives on schedule?

3.3 Efficiency

• How well are the inputs (funds, people, materials, time) used to undertake activities?
• Has the scale of benefits been consistent with the cost?

3.4 Sustainability

• To what extent has the programme built on existing resources and capacities of communities?
• To what extent have the beneficiaries been involved in the project cycle?
• Was learning captured and acted upon during the first half of the project implementation?

3.5 Impact

• What changes has the project brought about on the lives of the beneficiaries?
• To what extent has the project contributed to the goal of the project in terms of comparative approaches to establish what could have happened without a particular intervention?

3.6 ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

• Is there an appropriate system of management and communication in place to support the project staff?
• Is there a robust MEAL and financial systems in place?

3.7 CONCLUSIONS

What were the key lessons learned? What should be replicated and what should not be replicated?

1. METHODOLOGY

The survey will be conducted in Gedo region, Somalia in Luuq district and with households supported by the project. The survey will employ both qualitative and quantitative methodologies including in-depth interviews with households in the targeted communities and document review, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and observations for triangulation, gathering information from beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders.

A sample of households will be drawn from project beneficiaries and a random sampling will be used to select households’ respondents for the survey to eliminate bias in selection. Household sample size will be determined by sampling proportionate to size, with a 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error.

The survey participants will include, but not limited to food production beneficiaries, CERID staff, local authorities from specific district community departments, ATC teachers, students, and community members/parents. The data will be synthesized and reported in line with the logical framework and commitments in the project proposal.

1. SCOPE OF WORK
2. Development of survey tools and upload to Kobo.
3. Field work: Training of enumerators and data collection
4. Data cleaning and analysis of information gathered.
5. Development of draft report.
6. Review of draft report by programme teams.
7. Development and submission of a final evaluation report following input from the review team and programme staff.
8. EXPECTED OUTPUTS

The consultant will be responsible for:

1. Development of a comprehensive survey protocol before onset of the assignment.
2. Development of a brief inception report.
3. Review of existing program documents (including but not limited to proposal, monthly activity progress reports).
4. Data collection and management, development of draft and final report.
5. General oversight of the assessment process.
6. Presentation on the evaluation including feedback of findings, to Trocaire management and programme team.

Expected tasks and outputs will include:

1. Inception meeting with project staff, review of key background documents and existing data collection tools
2. Develop and submit inception report (Protocol) which will include an interpretation of the tasks and study design & methodologies, sampling procedures, detailed work plan and financial proposal.
3. Develop appropriate tools and instruments for gathering information by and present to Trocaire MEAL Coordinator for approval.
4. Undertake KIIs and FGDs with key stakeholders in the field.
5. General oversight and coordination of the survey process including logistical arrangements for data collection in collaboration with the project coordinator and MEAL Coordinator.
6. Process and analyse the data, submit the draft report. Revise the report and based on internal Trocaire technical feedback, submit a final report to the project Coordinator and MEAL Coordinator.
7. The final report will follow report framework below:
8. Executive Summary
9. Background
10. Introduction
11. Context
12. Description of Methodology
13. Main findings
14. Conclusions
15. Recommendations
16. Develop actionable recommendations context based which include specific recommendations based on evidence from the evaluation findings.
17. PowerPoint presentation on the evaluation to Trocaire management and programme team.

7. REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

1. Minimum 5 years’ experience in livelihoods, humanitarian work, evaluation and/or related fields (Experience in Somalia context is desirable).
2. Demonstrated experience in conducting assessments of humanitarian programmes preferably agriculture/livelihoods (experience of a similar assignment in Somalia will be an advantage).
3. Proven strong qualitative and participatory approaches skills and experience is mandatory.
4. Solid analytical, result based planning, report writing, communication and diplomacy skills with ability to correlate different data sets to actionable conclusions.
5. English language skills (report should be written in English). Ability to make clear presentations and disseminate findings to both technical and non-technical audience.

   8. CONSULTANT’S PROPOSAL

Proposals should include:

• Consultants’ understanding of the scope of work and requirements.
• Proposed design and methodology of evaluation.
• A financial proposal.
• Attachment of previous work done and referees.

9. TENTATIVE WORK SCHEDULE

Activity

Timeline

Desk review

2 days

Travel to and from the field

2 days

Orientation in the field

1 day

Training and organizing research assistants/enumerators

1 day

Data collection

5days

Data analysis and 1^st draft

5 days

Final Report

1day

Final submission

4 days

Total

21 days

6. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The evaluators should:

• Take all reasonable steps to ensure that the evaluation is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of the people and communities involved.
• Ensure that the evaluation is accurate and reliable, is conducted in a transparent and impartial manner and contributes to organizational learning and accountability.
• Commit to adhering to Trócaire’s safeguarding Programme Participant policy and Code of Conduct.

All products arising from this evaluation will be owned by Trocaire. The evaluators will not be allowed without prior authorization in writing to present any of the analytical results as his or her own to make use of the evaluation results for private publication purposes.

7. HOW TO APPLY

Applications for interested candidates should present an application as follows:

1. A Technical proposal detailing: – Consultant/s profile, understanding of the tasks as stipulated in the TOR, proposed study design and methodology and proposed plan of survey execution.
2. A financial proposal with a detailed budget considering the details in the ToR and timelines therein.

The application should be submitted to procurement-som@trocaire.org indicating ‘Trócaire Somalia, Food Security Project Mid-line Evaluation’ as the subject. Deadline for submission is Close of Business on Thursday 22^nd April 2021.

[1] Founded in Ireland in 1973, Trócaire works in the areas of justice and human rights, women’s empowerment, food and resource rights and humanitarian response. URL: https://www.trocaire.org/