2021-06-13

Terms of Reference (ToR) for Final Evaluation of Integrated Somalia Relief and Recovery Program-ISRRP Somalia/Somaliland

Somalia/Somaliland
Posted on June 13, 2021

CARE international

Terms of Reference (ToR) for Final Evaluation of Integrated Somalia Relief and Recovery Program-ISRRP Somalia/Somaliland

CARE INTERNATIONAL IN SOMALIA/SOMALILAND

Terms of Reference (ToR) for Final Evaluation of Integrated Somalia Relief and Recovery Program-ISRRP

Introduction

CARE is a leading humanitarian NGO reaching approximately 6.8 million people in the largest crises around the world. CARE’s programming is implemented with strict adherence to international quality standards, as referenced throughout this proposal. In Somalia, CARE is a leader in food security/livelihoods (mainly cash and voucher assistance – CVA), water, sanitation and hygeine (WASH), education, nutrition and protection. Since 2018 CARE also started health sector activities when it adopted the multi-sectoral and integrated approach to humanitarian assistance in order to meet the multiple needs of the disaster-affected population. CARE has access to isolated communities and works through local partners, such as Daryeel Bulsho Guud (DBG), WARDI Relief & Development Initiatives (WARDI), and Wajir South Development Authority (WASDA), to reach communities where other international NGOs cannot reach. It seeks to maximize synergies and complementarity with programs funded by donors such as WFP, UNICEF, ECHO, Global Alliance Canada (GAC) and USAID/FFP, and avoid duplication. CARE Somalia draws upon the global technical expertise and resources of the organization’s experts and proven methodologies.

About the Project

CARE Somalia’s Integrated Somalia Relief & Recovery Program (ISRP) was designed to serve at least 226,300 beneficiaries in disaster-affected areas of Somalia (Bari, Galgadud, Hiran, Lower Juba, Mudug, Sanaag, Sool, and Togdheer regions) over a 10-month period. The program would save lives and alleviate suffering of vulnerable Somalis, prioritizing women, children, Internally Displaced Populations (IDPs), returnees and pastoral host and agro-pastoral communities affected by natural and man-made disasters. CARE re-designed its earlier implemented Somalia Relief & Recovery Program in the same regions based on the evolving needs of the target population, gained through years of USAID-funded response. This 2020/21 Integrated Somalia Relief &Recovery Program (ISRP) would enhance and improve the following: (a) increase integration of activities for scaled impacts on beneficiaries (b) use of ICT to improve the efficiency of services, (c) strengthening accountability to beneficiaries to better serve the vulnerable population, (d) digitalization of program data through use of modern technology for quality reporting, and (e) increased use of gender-sensitive approach to cash and voucher assistance (CVA).

About 4.6 million people are currently in need of life-saving assistance in Somalia^[1]. The protracted crisis has been compounded by a series of acute crises, creating a fragile humanitarian context. Strain on food production and livelihoods has left many Somalis unable to meet basic needs and dependent upon humanitarian assistance. FEWSNET categorized all the targeted regions of CARE’s ISRP program as IPC Phase 2 or worse^[2] which implies acute food shortage, and projections showed worsening conditions through May 2021^[3]. Food insecurity was/is especially acute for IDPs and returnees whose savings and coping mechanisms were/are depleted. FEWSNET projected that between April and June 2020, food security would deteriorate further, moving some parts of northern and central Somalia to IPC Phase 3 (Crisis).

The ISRP Project aimed at enhancing and improving the following (a) increased integration of activities for scaled impacts on beneficiaries (b) use of ICT to improve the efficiency of services, (c) strengthening accountability to beneficiaries to better serve the vulnerable population, (d) digitalization of program data through use of modern technology for quality reporting, and (e) increased use of gender-sensitive approach to cash and voucher assistance (CVA).

This 10-month project was designed to build on the achievements of the 2019 – 2020 USAID/OFDA-funded program. The project specifically targeted IDPs, pastoralists, returnees and vulnerable groups of host communities prioritizing women-headed households, persons living with disability, the elderly, and adolescent girls.

Project Objectives

*Goal:* Reduced suffering, morbidity and mortality for vulnerable Somalis affected by climate-related & conflict disasters, with particular emphasis on children under five and pregnant & lactating women (PLWs).
*Sectors/Subsectors*	*Objectives*	*Number of* *Pple targeted*	*Number of IDP targeted*	*Geographical area*
*Sector1:* Economic Recovery and Market Systems	Livelihoods are restored for households who have experienced severe economic shocks (i.e, climate-related and conflict-related).	14,556	2,911	Bari, Galgadud, Mudug, and Togdheer regions
*Sector2:* Health	Morbidity and mortality is reduced among children under 5 and pregnant or lactating mothers.	66,000	13,200	Sanaag and Sool regions
*Sector3:* Humanitarian Coordination and Information Management	Improved outcomes are achieved for beneficiaries through leveraging of synergies and effective coordination of humanitarian aid actors.	93 International/Local NGOs	NA	All regions
*Sector4:* Nutrition	Improved health outcomes are achieved for vulnerable children (under 5 years old) and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) as well as prevention of malnutrition-related morbidity and mortality.	36,603	7,320	Bari, Lower Juba, Sanaag, and Sool regions
*Sector5:* Protection	Vulnerable, disaster-affected Somalis—especially women, girls, and IDPs—have access to enhanced protection services that seek to prevent, mitigate, and respond to harm, exploitation, and abuse	18,000	10,000	Bari, Sanaag and Sool regions
*Sector6:* Water Sanitation and Hygiene-WaSH	Improvements in WASH knowledge, practice, infrastructure, & reduce the environmental sources of health threats to the beneficiary population	91,000	18,200	Bari, Togdheer, Hiran, Galgadud, Mudug, Sanaag, and Sool regions

Evaluation Purpose

Evaluation Questions

The specific evaluation questions are as follows

What are the changes in terms of knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviors in WASH, Protection, Health and nutrition compared to baseline information? how have/did the ISRP project interventions influence them.
What changes have been observed in regard to the current coping and livelihoods status for households and communities in targeted areas? How have the project interventions influenced them?
What are the changes in markets and local trade (inflation, quality and quantity of goods, incentives for traders to remain in business in time of crisis etc.)?
What are changes in protection and empowerment of women’s and girls’? What opportunities exist for the project to contribute to improvements in this, in particular, the cash assistance and protection activities aspects?

Evaluations Methods

This end-line study is a performance evaluation that adopts a non-experimental design for simple pre-post comparison of results using mixed-methods involving both quantitative and qualitative data. Data collection will involve a quantitative beneficiary household survey; document reviews, beneficiary and stakeholder interviews. A comparative analysis approach will be used to report on project achievements for selected indicator values.

Its expected for the consultant to propose a suiting and detailed evaluation methodology encompassing the appropriate evaluation method, sampling, data analysis, presentation and reporting and ethical consideration of the evaluation.

Deliverables and Reporting Requirements

The evaluation deliverables are:

Inception Report: For review, the evaluation team should submit to CARE an inception report presenting findings from the desk review and/or examination of data to date. The inception Report should include
1. Demonstrate clear understanding of the ToR for the assignment
2. Detailed evaluation methodology
3. Proposed sample size with specific detail on sampling approach and methodology
4. Evaluation Matrix
5. Procedures for ethical consideration
6. Revised work plan
7. Data collection methodology, including data collection tools for all indicators
8. Proposed data analysis methods and the tools and technologies to be used.

Draft Evaluation Report: The evaluation team should share a draft evaluation report that addresses all the questions identified in the TOR and any other issues the team considers to have a bearing on the objectives of the evaluation as well as clear sector recommendations. Once the initial draft evaluation report is submitted, CARE will have 5 working days in which to review, comment on the initial draft and submit the consolidated comments to the evaluation team. The evaluation team will then be asked to submit a revised final draft report within 5 working days, and again CARE will review and send comments on this final draft report within 3 working days of its submission.

Final Evaluation Report: The evaluation team will be asked to take no more than 7 working days (or as agreed upon in the work plan) to respond to and incorporate final evaluation report comments from CARE. The evaluation team lead will then submit the final report to the Emergency Director of CARE International in Somalia/Somaliland. A fact sheet (one page) for each thematic area and a succinct presentation should accompany the final report.

Submission of Dataset(s) to the Development Data Library: The consultant must submit the report to CARE in a machine-readable, non-proprietary format, any dataset created or obtained in performance of this award. The dataset should be organized and documented for use by even those not fully familiar with the intervention or valuation. The data sets to be submitted include
All data collection tools used for the assignment
Raw and cleaned data sets (Qualitative and Quantitative)

Generated codebooks and syntaxes preferably in SPSS or STATA formats

Qualitative codebook, audio types, transcriptions and translations.
All Photos documented for evaluation purposes
GPS Coordinates for all sampled locations

Presentations

Evaluator Profile

The evaluation will be external. The consultant/s will have to be a team or persons with vast experience in performing evaluations for similar projects funded by USAID as well as someone with vast experience in Somalia/Somaliland to better understand the context. Other qualifications for the consultant/s are listed below.

10 years’ international humanitarian and development experience for each member of the consultancy team
Proven humanitarian evaluation experience
Solid experience and understanding of cash policy and delivery, including various delivery mechanisms
Solid experience and understanding of CVA and its inter-connectedness to other sectors especially food security, nutrition and livelihoods.
Strong knowledge of the drivers of malnutrition and poor health in the Somalia context and experience in evaluating health and nutrition programs.
Strong knowledge and experience in the Somalia context (teams including Somali speakers are desirable and if unfeasible, it should be outlined how the team will obtain local feedback in their methodology.
Knowledge and understanding of the World Humanitarian Summit’s Grand Bargain and OECD DAC Criteria
Strong experience and knowledge in application of humanitarian standards like SPHERE and Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS)
Good understanding of integrated approach to programming and ability to make recommendations based on the evaluation findings
Ability to see the big picture and make practical recommendations for delivery and improvements on the ground
Ability to absorb, consolidate analyse and communicate large amounts of data and information simply and concisely
Experience and ability to operate in security volatile environments
Experience of working with local partners and private sector in particular the financial/payments sector
Willingness to travel to Somali/Somaliland under the CARE international security framework.
Excellent English report writing skills

Evaluation Team Composition

This assignment is open for both individuals and companies who deem to have the required technical and professional capacity to apply, however, the consultant must provide information about evaluation team members, including their curricula vitae, the roles and responsibility for each while also explaining how they meet the requirements in the evaluation TOR. They are also required to demonstrate appropriate team structure that can enable timely and quality data collection and submission of required deliverables.

Application Requirements

The bellow requirements will be considered as part of the selection process and therefore, all interested applicants are encouraged to send;

A technical and financial proposal highlighting their understanding of the ToR and how they propose to respond to the ToR requirements including the evaluation design, tools and technologies in place for them to perform the assignment, implementation plan etc and financial quote.
Team structure: details of consultant’s capacity and how they structure the evaluation team. This also includes the CVs of key evaluation teams including the lead consultant(s).
Sample work: at least three (3) samples of similar work (evaluation reports) performed for peer organization in Somalia or in the Horn of Africa region for the last 3 years.
References: Names and contact details of at least three (3) organizations that has been performed similar work.

NB: Proposed key personnel used for bidding are expected to be the people executing the work of this contract.

Duration of the Assignment

The duration of the assignment is 35 working days after signing of contract. Days are inclusive of travelling, fieldwork and reporting. The field data collection is expected to take place in June, 2021. The first draft of the evaluation report is to be submitted no later than 10 working days after data is completed.

How to Apply

All applications MUST be accompanied by a technical and financial proposal including a brief outline of the proposed methodology, 3 references with contact details, a tentative work plan and the candidate’s availability.

Interested consultants or firms are expected to submit their applications, updated CVs of individuals to conduct the study or profile of applying company to: SOM.consultant@care.org and indicate FINAL PROJECT EVALUATION OF “ISRRP PROJECT” as the subject heading than Sunday, 27^th June 2021.

^[1] https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/unicef-somalia-humanitarian-situation-report-no-12-31-december-2019

^[2] International Phase Classification or IPC describes the severity of food emergencies. (https://fews.net/IPC)

^[3] https://fews.net/east-africa/somalia

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