Terms of Reference for Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis in Togdheer and Sanaag Regions, Somaliland

Terms of Reference for Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis in Togdheer and Sanaag Regions, Somaliland

1. Introduction

The Agricultural Development Organization – ADO – was established in 1993 and had worked throughout the Somaliland regions, implementing emergency, recovery, and long-term rural development projects, including agriculture, environment, and climate change adaptation, resilient livelihood building for the poor agro-pastoralists, watershed, and irrigation management, nutrition, community innovations, and entrepreneurship support. Besides, the ADO had empowered rural women through the needs-based small business projects and Self-Help-Group initiatives. Working directly with community associations, the ADO had supported more than 776,000 households, including IDPs, returnees, farmers, and women living throughout the Somaliland regions.

The ADO has its Head Office in Hargeisa with the regional branch offices in Burao, Borama, and Erigavo of Togdheer, Awdal, and Sanaag regions. Besides, the ADO is currently expanding its programs and presence in the Somali Ethiopia Region, South-central, and Southern Somalia. ADO is an active member of the main local umbrella groups, namely, NAGAAD, SOLPAF, and SONSEF. As well as the ADO has strong networks with academic institutions in Europe and Africa and collaborates with diverse institutions in the development and agriculture research sectors. The partners of the ADO include but are not limited to the European Union, UNHCR, UNDP, WFP, UNEP, Oxfam, Care International, ISF Finland, NDF Norway, NORAD, UK AID, WHH Germany, Somaliland Development Fund (SDF), KNH Germany, and LUKE of Natural Resource Institute of Finland.

However, in partnership with the International Solidarity Foundation (ISF), ADO is currently planning a ‘New,’ namely, “Strengthening women’s livelihood for economic development and climate change adaptation project” in Togdheer and Sanaag regions. The project’s overall goal is to strengthen women’s livelihood for economic development and climate change adaptation. The project’s expected outcomes will contribute to the project purpose of agro-pastoral women’s and men’s economy and the capacity to adapt and mitigate the impacts of shocks and stresses. The project suits the ADO and ISF country program by addressing the adverse effects of climate change and the unprecedented natural resource depletion that pose serious food security and nutrition threats, especially for small-scale food producers.

2. Project Background

Due to droughts, the proposed intervention will tackle the environmental and climate shocks that make entrepreneurship extremely difficult. Moreover, this project will capacitate the agro-pastoral households in the project areas to help them adapt and mitigate the extreme weather conditions that are the biggest reason for poverty, food insecurity, reduced household income, and increased internal displacement in Somaliland. Furthermore, ADO will enhance the beneficiaries’ resilience by introducing smart agriculture and providing green agriculture technologies (water harvesting, greenhouses, drip irrigation) to enable farmers to survive droughts.

Besides, the project will improve gender equality, women’s economy, and entrepreneurship to address the rural women’s primary needs because they have more limited access to productive resources, credit services, education, and employment opportunities while experiencing excessive workloads and limited decision-making power. Increasing women’s awareness and access to information and knowledge about climate-smart agriculture options that will lead to greater uptake of these technologies and practices and enhance the resilience of entire households and communities and food systems to climate-related shocks, stressors, and changes are notable aspects of how this project suits ISF country strategy.

Therefore, the ADO will address the main risks that may affect the project outcome, including the climate and socio-cultural factors. ADO understands that a particular climate hazard, such as drought, does not equally affect all people within a community – or even the same household – because some people have greater capacity than others to manage climate change crises. Women are more vulnerable to shocks, stressors, and adverse climate change effects than men are. Besides, the inequitable distribution of rights, resources, and power and repressive cultural rules and norms constrains women’s ability to take action on climate change, especially for women.

The ADO will utilize its’ risk management measures to minimize the risks related to achieving the project goals and outcomes. ADO will apply climate-smart agriculture, which involves farming practices that improve farm productivity and profitability, help farmers adapt to climate change’s negative effects and mitigate climate change effects. Introducing these climate-smart practices will boost production and make farmers more food secure. It is worth mentioning that ADO will also be conducting some studies to find baseline data regarding climate change-related vulnerabilities and capacity gaps in the operational and intervention targets.

3. Purpose and Objectives of the Study

3.1 Purpose of the study

The purpose of the analysis is to identify the main gaps and problems in adapting to climate change and the opportunities to promote adaptation within realistic climate predictions. The important purpose of this is to ensure active participation of women and men beneficiaries in the planning process to increase local ownership and sustainability.

3.2 The objective of the study

The major objectives of this analysis are the following:

1. To screen existing and future climate risks,
2. To assess and understand the vulnerabilities or barriers of women and men (knowledge, skills, services, resources etc.), and the ecosystem (overexploitation of natural resources, land degradation etc.) to adapt to climate change.
3. To identify possibilities and opportunities for climate resilience.
4. To train the project team in participatory tools and methods that they will use for the assignment of climate vulnerability and capacity analysis.

Methodology of the Study

The methodology of this study focuses on understanding the context through secondary, literacy review and stakeholder interviews, and participatory research tools. The key issues that the ADO and ISF will expect the consultant to explore will be the following steps:

1. Climate, disaster risk and ecosystem degradation screening

• Climate context by focusing on extreme weather events affecting the community, observed changes in weather and seasonal patterns, observed changes in temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events, projected changes in temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events.
• Ecosystem context in terms of ecosystem services that are important for livelihoods and resilience, changes in ecosystem services (over time and in different places) and drivers of ecosystem degradation.
• Livelihood context by exploring primary and secondary livelihood strategies most important assets needed for the different livelihood strategies, livelihood assets affected by scarcity, and why as well as opportunities for livelihood diversification.
• Climate impacts in terms of Impacts of climate-related shocks, stresses and uncertainties on people’s livelihoods, household and/or community assets, ecosystems and natural resources, access to services.
• Community strategies to increase climate resilience by identifying adjustments to livelihood strategies to make them more climate resilient, new livelihood strategies people would like to explore, Strategies to protect assets from climate risks, changes in household division of labor and decision-making power and information needed for adjustments.

1. Analysis based on collected information and writing a draft report including climate risks and changes, existing resilience capacities, barriers to resilience, possible ways to increase resilience.
2. Validating the analysis with beneficiaries and other relevant actors including feedback session with beneficiaries and outlining the project focus areas as well as sharing results with ADO and ISF.
3. Finalizing the report

Finally, the ADO and ISF expect the consultant to utilize appropriate tools to collect information.  The consultant should collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data through the following tools:

1. Participatory tools such as hazard map, historical timeline, seasonal calendar, vulnerability matrix, ecosystem assessment, impact chains and adaptation pathways.
2. Train project staff and study team on participatory training materials.
3. Desk study and review of all relevant project documents;
4. Observations during field visit(s)
5. Must include a stakeholder meeting for secondary data collection, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC), and the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD).

Timing and duration of the study

The Exercise will last 17 days, including fieldwork and traveling days, and start on April 14, 2022. The draft study report will be delivered to ISF and ADO by April 30^th, and the final report by May 4, 2022.

Requested information:

The applicant should include the following information: A draft research plan (2 – 3 pages) includes a short description of the methods used. The duration of the facilitation will be seventeen days as specified in the ToR, and the cost of the assignment: facilitation fee/day other costs.

Criteria for approval: 

The ISF and ADO shortlist the candidates according to these main criteria:

1. The consultant’s capability to conduct the facilitation;
2. The Understanding level of the ToR and work advertised
3. Proof and submission of similar works done
4. The plan of work and cost submitted by the applicant;

Qualification of the consultant

• University master’s or Ph.D. in Climate Change, Environmental Science, Agriculture, or development studies
• Minimum 8-10 years proven experience in research work or impact evaluations
• Proven experience including application of participatory methods and tools
• The consultant must understand Somaliland’s agriculture context, climate change, and drought effects on the livelihoods.

How to Apply

Only the selected candidate will be notified of the selection process results.  The tender must be submitted not later than April 10, 2022 at 2:00 pm  to ADO using the flowing email  adosomalia@yahoo.com . 

Cc:  <abdirahman@adosom.org>

ADO will contact the selected candidate based on his/her proposal, experience, and time-frame for the consultancy, and the selected candidate will be announced by April 12, 2022 at 2:00 pm.

 

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