CONSULTANCY – BASELINE SURVEY OF THREE-YEAR NEW PROJECT IN KISUMU

1. Background

Habitat for Humanity Kenya (HFHK) is among the 70 country affiliates of HFH International. In Kenya, we were registered in 1982 as Non-Governmental Organization, with the goal of enabling low income families access decent and affordable shelter. In the last 40 years, HFHK has supported more than 56,000 families across 9 counties in Kenya through housing micro-finance and direct construction. Our Business Plan (2020-2025) has outlined four Programmatic Areas namely: Financing for owner-led construction; Settlement-Based Practice; Secure Land Tenure; Disaster Risk Reduction & Response (DR3). We are currently operating in Laikipia, Homabay, Kisumu, Tana River and Machakos.

In Kisumu County, HFHK is initiating a 3-year BMZ funded project along the flood plains of River Nyando in Ahero Ward (Dec 2021-Dec 2024). We are focusing on 6 villages within the sublocation of Kochogo South, supporting 881 households (4,000 villagers) to cope with the frequent cycles of drought and floods through social structures and physical infrastructures that will be established for management of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services. The Kisumu Project has the following components:

Water will be supplied from a solar powered borehole serving 5 water kiosks and 2 schools through a 10km pipeline. Sanitation marketing model will be applied towards sustaining the demand and supply of flood resilient latrines. Hygiene promotion will be conducted through Children’s Hygiene and Sanitation Training (CHAST) in schools, Participatory Hygiene And Sanitation Transformation (PHAST) in villages and Home-to-home visit by Community Health Volunteers (CHVs). Flood control will be achieved through desilting and embankment of water canals to enhance their drainage capacity. Villages affected by perennial floods and drought will be enabled to set up and maintain sustainable community structures.

Kochogo Location has three sublocations (North, Central and South). Our project area in Kochogo South sublocation, stretches across 6 km from the border with Ahero Town in the East towards the Nyando Delta formed around the mouth of Lake Victoria in the West. The project area borders directly on the river bank in the south (protected by a dyke) and Ahero Rice Irrigation Field in the North. Flooding is majorly caused by 3 artificial canals that convey water from the rice irrigation schemes, stretching 4 km as they drain water back into the lake. Kochogo Location is among the areas vulnerable to flooding in Nyando Sub county. Combined with two other Locations (Kakola/Ombaka and Onjiko), the total area vulnerable to flooding is estimated at between 15,000 and 20,000 hectares. Nyando Sub-county, which covers the larger part of the greater lower Nyando, is one of the Kisumu County’s seven sub counties. For a long time now, an estimated 400 sq. km of the Kano Plains in this sub-county has been prone to frequent flooding from the River Nyando. Lake Victoria is also overflowing its banks with several villages, facilities, and infrastructure already submerged for months. Both flood and drought events are serious issues in the River Nyando basin, impacting livelihoods, public health and the environment. For instance, Nyando sub-county has been the most affected by floods, yet has the least capacity for safe water, which is presently estimated at just 2.3 percent of its requirement of 5,005 cubic meters. According to the Kisumu County Government, Nyando has the largest deficit in water storage capacity[1]. Hence the need to increase the capacity of poor rural communities in lower Nyando for effective water management for increased climate resilience (access to WASH services and habitation) is an important priority at household level and the community.

2. Purpose and Rational

The purpose of the baseline survey is to set a benchmark on the initial values for measurement of specific set of monitoring indicators pre-determined by the project. There has been a significant time difference since February 2021 when the Needs Assessment was conducted during the project proposal formulation stage. More so, the earlier Needs Assessment focused more on generic issues within a wider area. The baseline survey is intended to be more focused on the project site and the specific results of the project (impact, outcomes and outputs).

By providing benchmarks among the target groups, the baseline survey will initiate a process for continued monitoring of the results of the planned interventions The baseline survey will allow HFH Kenya to understand how the capacities created or strengthened by the project will be used by the target groups. We will know the extent of the change caused in the lives, behavior, knowledge and capacity of the target group by various activities and recommend modifications overtime. The development and implementation of the baseline survey will also accompany the overall design of monitoring tools and guidelines, based on the recommendations of the consultant. The baseline report will to be used as the benchmark for evaluating the project’s achievement in future

3. Objectives

The specific objectives of the survey in Kochogo South sublocation, is to generate baseline information and data on the following:

Water Supply

• Number of functional and non functional boreholes and shallow wells producing safe water
• The minimum per capita availability of safe water in the 6 villages
• The average distance per household from clean and safe water sources
• The cost payed by households to access this water
• The percentage of family disposable income being used to purchase water
• The number of functional water committees in the area with skills and knowledge on effective, transparent, and accountable water point management (water quality tests annually, the charging of water fees, execution of the necessary maintenance and repair works, safekeeping of financial resources)
• The number of water storage tanks in the various schools
• The number of primary schools connected to piped water supply
• The number of Boards of School Management (BoM) with skills on sustaining school infrastructure and knowledge on life cycle costs that should be integrated in the Free Primary Education (FPE) capitation grant

Sanitation Coverage

• Number of Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages
• Percentage of households with latrines
• The household demand for affordable, durable and sustainable latrine components (slabs, culverts and bricks)
• The number of Artisans with equipment and tools that have capacity to produce enough latrine components to meet the household demands
• The number of Artisans groups possessing skills and knowledge necessary for pre-casting latrine components and assembling them at household level
• The number of poor and vulnerable households with flood resilient latrines
• The number of groups with knowledge and skills necessary to de-sludge flood resilient latrines and to recycle faecal waste into briquettes for sale
• The number of groups equipped with a briquette making machine
• The number of boys and girls and sex aggregated latrines in each of the two targeted schools
• The pupil-latrine ratio for boys and girls in each of the two targeted schools
• The number of girls’ friendly latrines with private changing rooms containing sanitary pads for menstrual hygiene management used by girls who have been trained
• The knowledge of school administrations on how to maintain latrines and plan financially for sustainable maintenance

Hygiene Improvements

• The general hygiene knowledge, attitude and practices of households in 6 villages and children in the two targeted primary schools
• The percentage of households with adequate knowledge of hygiene
• Percentage of household members practicing handwashing at least 3 out of 5 critical times
• Percentage of school children practicing handwashing at least 2 out of 3 critical times during school sessions
• Percentage of adolescent girls in the two primary schools are adequately and safely taking care of their menstrual hygiene management in school
• The number of Menstrual Hygiene Days conducted by girls’ clubs from each of the two targeted schools
• The number of Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) with knowledge on Participatory Health And Sanitation Transformation (PHAST)
• The number of School Health Clubs patrons (Teachers) with knowledge and skills necessary for successful dissemination of Child Hygiene and Sanitation transformation (CHAST)
• The number of School Health Clubs members (pupils) with knowledge and skills necessary for successful dissemination of Child Hygiene and Sanitation transformation (CHAST)
• The number of handwashing campaigns mobilised by school health clubs during international days

Flood Mitigation

• Existence of communal structures for management of water canals against siltation
• Number of villages that have attained self reliance in the monitoring and maintenance of water canals within their areas of jurisdiction
• The amount of information on community participation in flood management, included in WARMA trainings and how this has contributed to sustainability
• The level of awareness on best practices of water canal maintenance by the County Government of Kisumu
• The level in which the Water Department in the County Government of Kisumu are working with WRUAs in promoting community participation towards the development of water resources in the sub catchment area of Lower Nyando River
• The status of social structures and physical infrastructures that hep residents to cope with frequent cycles of flood and drought
• The number of households aware of flood risk and flood protection protocols
• The number of committees established to support in monitoring and maintenance of water canals
• The number of committees mobilizing community action towards desilting and embanking of water canals
• The number of water canals will be desilted and embanked. The total distance of water canals desilted and embanked
• The number of women groups with skills on nurturing fruit tree nurseries suitable for buffer zones of water canals
• The number of women groups with stock of certified fruit trees, fruit tree seedlings and, tree nurseries equipment
• The number of water canals having fruit trees planted on the buffer zones of water canals for floods control
• The information gap in the training manual used by the Water Resources Authority in training the Water Resource Users Associations
• The number of personnel in the Department of Water in Kisumu County who can conduct a Training of Trainers (ToT) course for the Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs)
• The number of Nyando-WRUA members with skills and knowledge necessary for effective, transparent, and accountable water point management
• The number of representatives from Kochogo South Sublocation incorporated in the WRUA in charge of lower River Nyando

4. Methodology

HFHK is seeking to hire a consultant to work on the baseline survey for a BMZ project being initiated in Nyando Sub-county of Kisumu County. The survey is intended to provide HFHK with detailed baseline data on key project indicators to be measured over the course of the project. All data, qualitative and quantitative, collected through the assessment must be disaggregated by village, age and sex.

Baseline research will involve collecting:

• Secondary documentation: the consultant will be in contact with HFHK staff who will share key documents and required literature, but may also use any other official documents, national or international
• Qualitative data: the qualitative will allow verifying the perceptions, and experiences of respondents on WASH and flood control, in the different locations of intervention. The consultant should use qualitative approaches, such as focus group discussions and key informant interviews, as well as participatory exercises and approaches.
• Quantitative data: will used to measure indicators of the project expressed in terms of numbers/percentage/proportion (quantitative indicators)

Triangulation of information gathered during the quantitative and qualitative research is crucial in this study, with reflection on how the findings relate to the secondary documentation.

1. Scope of work (tasks, outputs and suggested timeframe)

The study will focus particularly on 6 villages (Borda, Kagola, Kokech, Kabonyo, Upper Kaswa, Lower Kaswa) and 2 schools (Nyomwaro primary, Disi primary) in Kichogo South Sub-location.

Task/Output & Suggested Timeframe

0.5 days – Inception meeting with Senior Program Manager and a review of key background documents and existing data collection tools

1 days – Detailed inception report including detailed work plan, detailed draft methodology and sampling approach for quantitative data collection, quantitative and qualitative tools finalized in agreement with the Senior Program Manager

0.5 days – Recruitment and training of additional data collectors/enumerators

5 days- FGDs and KIIs, quantitative data collection and data entry

5 days – Data analysis and draft baseline study report submitted for comments

4 days – Project staff comment on first draft

3 days – Final baseline study, responding to comments above

0.5 days – Oral presentation/meeting and de-brief with project staff

HFHK field staff will prepare the field visits for the consultant and data collectors ahead of time. We will ensure respondents are prepared and ready to participate in interviews and FGDs for data collectors, and, if required by the consultant, will accompany the consultant and enumerators on data collection visits.

1. Deliverables

• Detailed and professional reporting that addresses both the overall and specific objectives of the survey, and which includes specific recommendations on issues related to WASH. The report must be in English, clearly and concisely addressing the information outlined above. Documentation will include the following:
  • Work plan and Inception Report (with key parameters and indicators to be considered for the baseline survey including the methodologies for data collection and dissemination).
  • Data Collection based on the three key outcome areas of the Project as elaborated in the Impact Matrix
  • Present results of the baseline and prepare a draft report for HFH Kenya’s review—clearly identifying information relevant to the outcome areas of our impact matrix; as well as data gaps and areas that may require further assessment
  • Finalize the draft report with inputs form all stakeholders, including HFH Kenya personnel.
• Reporting will include:
  • A comprehensive and well organized Final Report complete with standard reporting formats (main body of the report should be a minimum 50 pages in length, excluding TOC, tables and annexes).
  • An Abridged Report synthesizing the main findings and indicators of the survey (not to exceed 7‐ 10 pages in length).
  • Case studies with testimony from victims of floods and inadequate WASH; institutions/organizations working and/or addressing issues of WASH and flood control
  • A set of recommendations on suitable indicators for program monitoring during the implementation and scale up of activities. Recommendations should consider the needs of specific stakeholder groups, and be relevant to the effective impact measurement of programme objectives and outcomes
• The research firm/organization will present findings/recommendations in a meeting organized for key project staff, program partners, and key stakeholders:
  • Production of a report summary document to supplement the final report

1. Qualification and Experience

HFHK is seeking is looking for a consultant/team with the following skills and qualifications:

• Demonstrable expertise on WASH, especially in Kenya
• Track record in developing and conducting various types of evaluation including qualitative and quantitative data collection
• Experience in managing and coordinating evaluation/research exercises, delivering agreed outputs on time and on budget
• Experience in data collection and analysis using participatory methodologies
• Previous experience working with communities using participatory approaches
• Excellent and demonstrated understanding of ethical issues in research, including child protection
• Ability to work with communities in relevant local languages would be an advantage
• Strong quantitative data entry and analysis skills and previous experience using statistical analysis software
• Ability to respond to comments and questions in a timely, appropriate manner

Ability to write high quality, clear, concise reports in English