Inception Assessment: Resilient Approaches in Natural Rangeland Ecosystems (RANGE Program)

Background:
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Mercy Corps began working in Kenya in 2008 and has to date built a robust and diverse portfolio of programs aimed at sustainably improving the lives and livelihoods of Kenyans affected by poverty, resource scarcity and conflict. To do this, we deliver integrated programming to strengthen resilience, market, and governance systems, address the root causes of conflict, and equip vulnerable populations- in particular youth, women, adolescents, and marginalized social groups- with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to be healthy, productive, and drive the development of their communities. Mercy Corps Kenya also collaborates with Mercy Corps teams and partners in neighboring countries to implement several multi-country and cross-border programs.
Mercy Corps seeks to carry out an Inception Assessment data collection and analysis for its Resilient Approaches in Natural Rangeland Ecosystems (RANGE) program in Marsabit, Isiolo and Samburu counties in Kenya. The Inception Assessment will evaluate a pre-determined set of conditions, which are outlined in greater detail below, and which will be used by the program team to inform (and adapt) subsequent program activities and interventions.

Description of the Resilient Approaches in Natural Rangeland Ecosystems Program
The RANGE program is a 5-year initiative implemented by Mercy Corps in Marsabit, Isiolo and Samburu counties. It aims to strengthen the resilience of communities to improve sustainable economic and social development in a well-managed landscape of the three targeted ASAL counties. RANGE proposes an integrated package of activities and interventions that will: strengthen rangeland management and encourage regenerative practices, ensuring migratory and sedentary livelihoods can peacefully co-exist; improve herd management and market access for small-scale producers; strengthen the institutions and policy frameworks that govern the livestock sector, and prioritize the development of robust spatial-temporal data sets to strengthen outcomes and help mitigate the impact of climate change and prevent further land and rangeland degradation.

Purpose and Objectives of the Inception Assessments
The Inception Assessments play a critical role in ensuring that program activities are informed by conditions on the ground in the target counties. These assessments will allow the programme team (and others) to make more informed decisions about how to adapt programme interventions to stimulate positive impact.
Although envisioned as a single data-collection exercise, the consultant is expected to develop a diversity of individualized assessment reports (that, due to the complementary nature of the assessments, also build on the unique and shared context / conditions of other assessments in this work package.) These include:
• Gender Analysis Report with gender sensitive program recommendations and strategies for promoting gender equality in programming interventions
• Stakeholder Vulnerability Analysis with in-depth understanding of the diversity of vulnerabilities across a spectrum of contextual elements
• Climate Risk Analysis to evaluate the current (and future) climate risks and hazards to RANGE implementation, including social, legal and economic factors
• Energy Landscape Analysis to identify opportunities where access to and use of clean energy technologies could help improve livestock and crop value chains, and contribute to climate mitigation efforts.
• Biodiversity Analysis which captures the current status of biodiversity in the target counties, including potential threats and opportunities, with particular attention to linkages with climate and conflict
• Conflict Analysis with an in-depth understanding of conflict drivers in the target counties, including the impact of current conflict, the potential for future conflicts and any adaptation/mitigation strategies in place

Mandate of the Consultancy
The Consultant will serve as the lead coordinator of the Inception Assessments and will be responsible for the design, deployment and analysis as well as the drafting of the final reports (noted above). The consultant will design and facilitate the analyses / reports in close collaboration with the RANGE program team and Mercy Corps country leadership.

Scope and Methodology of the Inception Assessments
The final methodology for diversity of Inception Assessments will be discussed with, and agreed upon by, the RANGE program team. The Consultant’s will be expected to prepare a kickoff report detailing the approach and methodology of the various assessments, including questionnaires, list of interviewees and field data collection work plan. The Consultant will use different data collecting methods such as desk review, direct observation, survey, in-depth interviews with key informants and focus group discussions.
Assessments methodology: The consultant / Consultancy firm is expected to develop relevant and standard quantitative and qualitative methodologies that can generate the highest quality and most credible information and evidence of the assessments. The commissioned consultant is expected to: (i) use a mixed method approach (quantitative and qualitative methods); (ii) develop relevant tools to conduct the outlined assessments (iii) provide sex and age disaggregated data to track progress throughout the program and measure gradual achievement of the indicators.

The consultant should propose appropriate sampling techniques and set an appropriate sample size. Questions in the assessments should be responsive to key program indicators and specific assessment objectives. The methodology is expected to be further refined during the inception phase. The applied methodology has to ensure gender and context sensitivity and that the respondents in all their diversity get equal opportunity to participate in the assessments and that the interview settings are designed in a way to allow respondents to respond freely. The methodology of the assessments should be based on participatory approach by all key stakeholders. The consultant / consultancy firm should engage a team of experienced enumerators, in consultation with Mercy Corps, consisting of residents from the counties in which data is being collected to enable ease of access to, and responsiveness of community members. Preference should be given to those who have previously conducted similar themed assessments.

Consultant Activities
The Inception Assessment will include four key phases: identification, design of the kickoff report, data collection, and data analysis/report writing. After successfully completing the identification process, the Consultant will immediately organize an initial round of consultations with key stakeholder representatives, as well as complete an initial document review to better understand the programme and its needs. The Consultant will use this initial phase to ensure a consensus on the Inception Assessment design, outline the methodology for the analyses and develop the data collection tools. Following this, the Consultant will begin data collection activities. After data collection is completed, the report writing phase will consist of data analysis and consolidation, again with specific mentioned of the diversity of individual reports required. Mercy Corps Kenya team members will actively participate in the refinement of the final analysis reports.

Consultant Deliverables:
a) Kickoff report detailing approach, methodology, sample size estimation, sampling strategy, associated planning, logistics, quality assurance, risk management and specifics of data collection and analysis relevant to diversity of Inception Assessment reports highlighted above
b) Finalized work plan for the assignment: Provide a detailed work plan incorporating all relevant tasks and milestones from the start to the end of the Inception Assessment
c) Data collection tools: Develop detailed data collection tool to cover all the components of the assignment.
d) Draft reports of all analysis reports, with assessments findings, analysis, and recommendations
e) Present the findings to the program stakeholders for validation
f) The final Inception Assessment reports, which should consider how the activities of the program will interact with conditions on the ground and importantly how Mercy Corps should pivot its interventions, as relevant and required.
g) All raw data: The consulting team will fully clean quantitative datasets in an agreed file format, and any codes used to carry out the analysis and variable codebook if applicable. Transcripts of all qualitative interviews plus any photographs accompanied by signed consent forms.

The Technical Proposal
The technical proposal submission must include, at a minimum, the following:
• Consultants’ CV (highlighting what lead role each will play), experiences and references including examples or excerpts of similar assessment undertaken before.
• An outline of the approach and methodology including a justification on the methodology proposed and clearly indicating the sample frame from where a representative sample size shall be drawn.
• Information on how inclusive participation, safeguarding & ethical standards in the research process is ensured.
• A detailed work plan.
A division of work within the assessment team, if applicable.

Required Experience and Skills
The consultant is expected to possess and/or leverage the following skills and experiences
Master’s degree or equivalent experience in social sciences, research, or related field
At least 10 years of experience working in international development, including 5 years work in conducting research/evaluation / assessments for development projects.
Strong methodological experience in quantitative research, including panel surveys.
Experience conducting similar research/evaluation/assessments studies in Northeastern ASAL Counties, including Isiolo, Marsabit and Samburu.
• Detail oriented to ensure quality and consistency.
• Ability to remotely manage and coordinate with evaluation stakeholders and implementers.
• Strong work ethic and the ability to work well independently and as part of a team.
• Written and oral fluency in English required.

Additional Requirements (preferred)
• Prior experience with similar surveys / assessments – Gender analysis, Stakeholder Vulnerability analysis, Climate risk analysis, biodiversity analysis, Energy landscape analysis and Conflict analysis. A Team composed of team members with these expertise will be an added advantage.
• Familiarity with Resilience measurement and Natural resources management approaches
• Consultants/firms with experience in pastoral areas in similar contexts, especially in the Northern/ North Eastern Kenya highly preferred.

Timeframe / Schedule:
The Inception Assessment Reports should be completed within 30 working days of the task’s commencement, beginning from the date of contracting.

Reporting / Management
The RANGE Program Manager is ultimately responsible for the success of the Inception Assessments. The RANGE Programme Manager reports to the Kenya Director of Programs and works in close collaboration with the Mercy Corps Performance & Quality team and other senior leaders. A more defined decision-making and management structure relating to the Inception Assessment reports will be determined before the study.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND AUTHORSHIP
Ownership and copyright of all data, drafts and final products of the survey will be the sole and exclusive property of Mercy Corps. The consultant will submit all original documents, materials, and data to Mercy Corps. Therefore, all the outputs of the survey will not be disseminated in part or whole without express authority from Mercy Corps. The consultant shall not produce information in these materials in any form (electronic, hard copies, etc.) to a third party without written permission from Mercy Corps.

ADMINISTRATION AND PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS
The lead consultant, with support from RANGE Program team, will be responsible for sourcing the required enumerators. The lead consultant will make necessary arrangements pertaining to the consultancy, including organizing for enumerator’s training and transport costs within the counties.
Applicants are therefore expected to submit their financial proposals, inclusive of withholding tax, for the entire exercise. All withholding tax amounts will be deducted from the total amount at source (i.e. by Mercy Corps) as per the Government of Kenya regulations.
The payments will be effective to the successful bidder upon the achievement of the corresponding milestones and for the following amounts;

Deliverable % Payable

1. An kick off report acceptable to Mercy Corps 20%
2. Draft Assessment reports acceptable to Mercy Corps 40%
3. Final Assessment reports acceptable to Mercy Corps 40%

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Can be viewed on the below link

Evaluation Criteria