Baseline Survey and Feasibility Study Consultant

‘Enhancing Resilience of drought and conflict-affected communities of Borena and Bale zones of Oromia Region Ethiopia’**

1. Introduction of Helpage International

HelpAge International Ethiopia is part of the HelpAge Global Network and has over two decades of experience in Ethiopia, intervening with partners in emergency, disaster risk reduction, and development contexts. HelpAge re-registered locally in July 2019 and is unique in its focus on older people and collaborations with organizations working with people living with disabilities. In this project, HelpAge will provide technical support and capacity building with a focus on mainstreaming inclusive programming with all partners and stakeholders and facilitating advocacy and policy engagement.

2. Background of the planned project

Ethiopia faces climate-induced disasters annually (UNOCHA Report 2016, 2017, 2018). Borena and Bale pastoral areas, experience recurrent humanitarian crises, affecting community livelihoods. Communities have limited access to scientific data to support their decision-making on herd movement for water/pasture, which reduces their capacity to access essential resources to maintain their livelihoods. Pastoralist women bear a disproportionate burden of poverty and food insecurity. Many women care for older individuals, children, and people with disabilities at home, while the patriarchal clan system inhibits their autonomous decision-making. An assessment by the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce estimated women-owned businesses are 2.5 times more likely to fail than those owned by men. Women are often unable to obtain loans, lack management, and technical skills and training, and have low levels of education. These factors collectively undermine women’s access to resources, reducing community and household resilience and food security. A HelpAge study in 2018 highlighted the steady increase in the ageing population without access to care or support and with little capacity to resist livelihood shocks and hazards.

The proposed project will increase the resilience of pastoralist communities through the introduction of a Satellite Assisted Pastoral Resource Management (SAPARM) system and livelihood support for targeted communities. SAPARM, an innovative system tested in Ethiopia, is designed to effectively gather, analyze and disseminate climate information to assist pastoralists to make informed decisions before moving their herds. The system values local knowledge alongside scientific information to share with the wider pastoralists. In addition to this innovation, vulnerable households will be supported to develop context-appropriate livelihood options, aloe vera, and honey production & marketing, selected for complementarity with pastoralist culture and available markets.

Project stakeholders will build their capacity for inclusive programming to ensure older people and at-risk groups participate in and benefit from the program. The project will use established links with communities, NGOs, and government to influence policy and replicate project initiatives to improve community resilience and disaster risk management.

3. Objectives and tasks

3.1. Objective of the feasibility study and establishing project benchmarks (baseline)

The objective of the feasibility study is to provide Helpage International with sufficient information to justify acceptance, modification, or rejection of the anticipated project, while establishing project benchmarks is aimed at generating baseline information on certain project indicators identified and listed in this TOR to serve as a benchmark for future monitoring of the project. Furthermore, the study will provide Helpage with a well-founded basis for the further development of the project proposal, in which the prerequisites, opportunities, and risks have all been clarified. By going through this process, the effectiveness of the project will be increased, benchmarks will be established for measuring project performances on reliable and basic data, and unsuitable investments will be avoided at an early stage.

3.2. Tasks of the consultant

The consultant will be responsible for planning and implementing the baseline survey and the feasibility study and establishing project benchmarks. Close consultation with Helpage at every step is required. The consultant will receive the drafted project proposal at the beginning of the assignment. (detail to be shared upon request).

A. Guiding questions/General

· What is the (baseline) situation in the region, the country? What is the socio-economic, political, and cultural context?

· What problems have been identified? What are the causes for these and what impact are they having on the living circumstances of the population and on which sections of the population in particular?

· What need has been derived from the analysis of problems? How has this been/is this being determined?

· What is the background and the previous history of the planned development measure and the rationale for the desired impact? Whose idea was the project?

· Are there any alternatives to the planned project or to component parts of it?

· Household income (how much is the annual income of HHs in the intervention woredas) and (productive) assets?

B. Review of staffing concept, including:

· Number and profile of experts and support staff

· Number of man days / man months needed for each staff

C. Recommendations for Capacity-building measures necessary for Helpage staff and local implementing partners.

D. Review of project budget based on the work plan and staffing concept.

E. Verification of the feasibility of the planned project according to OECD criteria in reference to the guidance from BMZ. Criteria and Guiding questions will be available after signing the contract.

3.3. Baseline Assessment Expected Results

The baseline assessment must focus and provide necessary information on the project’s expected results. HelpAge will share the impact matrix at the start of the assignment.

3.4. Methodology

The methodological design of the feasibility study and establishment of baseline data will be proposed by the consultant and must include a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods such as literature review, data collection, and analysis, semi-structured interviews, focus groups discussions, key informant interviews, and workshops to complement or triangulate it and for making deeper/in-depth analysis of the collected data.

The choice of method must take into account the needs and capacities of the different target groups and stakeholders (children, youth, older men/women, companies, staff of Helpage International Ethiopia and local partners, local and district government representatives, etc.)

4. Intended users of the feasibility study and establishing bench marks ( baseline data)

The feasibility study and baseline data will be used by Helpage International as well as designated implementing partners, Helpage Deutschland, and BMZ.

5. Geographical scope

The feasibility study and baseline survey is to be undertaken for a programme that will be implemented in Ethiopia (East Bale and Borena Zone).

6. Deliverables

• Inception report having detailed study design data collection tools.

• Draft report (max. 30 pages), based on tasks mentioned above.

• 1 page report summary

7. Timeline

The consultancy period will be one month starting from the agreement contract sign-off date and ending when the final feasibility study report has been formally approved by Helpage International.

Activity

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Kick off with Helpage International

X

The fieldwork of the consultant

X

X

X

X

Submission of the first draft to Helpage International

X

Report revision by consultant

X

Submission of the final report

X

8. Mode of payment

Upon the agreement.

9. Qualification and experience required

The proposed team by the form for the assignment needs to have the following educational background and experience.

• MSc degree with at least 7 years experience or BSc degree with 10 years experience with demonstrable expertise

• Excellent track record in designing and conducting quantitative and qualitative research, baseline survey project or program evaluation, in conducting a feasibility study, and also outcome evaluations especially in the area of food security project management and promotion of different livelihood options

• In Economics, Agriculture, Social development, food security, and related fields is desirable. Ability to conduct high-quality research, meet deadlines and respond to requests and feedback provided timely and appropriately.

• Knowledge of Ethiopian governance and cultural context

• Previous experience conducting research with vulnerable groups will be considered an asset

• Knowing the region’s language (Oromiffa) will be a plus.

• Excellent written and verbal communication and reporting skills in English

10. Permissions

The consultant is responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions to implement the data collection at the respective level.

11. Ethics

The consultant is obliged to respect the following ethical requirements:

· Fair and inclusive: The consultant should seek the views of various stakeholders: Oldaged people, people with disabilities, youth and their families, community, partners and government actors and be able to identify and address potential conflict of interest and unequal power relationships. Special efforts should be made to make the research process sensitive to gender and inclusion.

· Conflict of interest: The consultant must demonstrate the necessary independence and declare any conflict of interest and potential biases, including bias towards any of the stakeholders, target groups, types of research methodologies or approaches, social, political, or religious prejudice.

· Based on rights and ethics: The consultant must respect the rights and dignity of participants as well as comply with relevant ethical standards, Helpage Protection Policy, and Code of Conduct. The research must ensure: appropriate, safe, non-discriminatory participation; a process of free and un-coerced consent and withdrawal, and confidentiality and anonymity of participants. The informed consent of each person participating in data collection should be documented.

12. Submission of proposals and criteria for evaluation

The interested consultant/consultancy firm is invited to submit the following application documents: Proposal, not exceeding 6 pages, outlining how the consultant(s) meet the selection criteria and how they intend to implement the tasks 1-10 mentioned above.

• A proposed work plan with a time frame

• Financial proposal detailing consultant(s) itemized fees, data collection, and administrative costs

• CVs of the consultant(s) who will undertake the study

• 3 references need to be provided.

Criteria for the evaluation of the technical proposal:

Criteria

Experience of the firm in doing a similar task

Quality of the technical proposal including workplan

Financial proposal

The technical proposals must achieve at least 60 points in order for the respective financial proposals to be opened.

Please submit all the above documents via email to: [email protected]

In case you require any clarifications, please contact: [email protected]

The deadline for proposal submission is Sunday 10^th April 2022 at at 24:00