USAID Sauti Baseline Survey (data collection, analysis and reporting) to inform program monitoring and results measurement

BACKGROUND
Mercy Corps is leading a consortium of partners in the implementation of a three-year USAID funded
program known as USAID Sauti Yako, Amani Yako (USAID Sauti), a localized system-strengthening
approach to preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE) in Kenya (PCVE), that aims to
strengthen state and community institutions’ capacities to building sustainable resilience to violent
extremism (VE). The USAID Sauti program operates predominantly in the coast of Kenya, with
expansion into Garissa in future years. Work also takes place in Nairobi with national level
institutions. Mercy Corps partners with the Kenya School of Government, the Centre for Human
Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS) and Shujaaz Inc. to deliver this mandate.
The goal of USAID Sauti is that “locally-driven resilience to VE is strengthened in targeted
communities by establishing an inclusive, responsive and self-sustaining PCVE system in Kenya.”
The program seeks to achieve this goal through the realization of three objectives, each aligned with
levels within the system that Sauti seeks to change:
Objective 1: Strengthen the government and private sectors’ abilities to provide inclusive and
responsive socio-economic opportunities, psychosocial services, and security to marginalized
people.
Objective 2: Strengthen community leaders, particularly women, and interfaith institutions’
networks and collective abilities to address the social and individual challenges that drive VE
and advocate for more effective and inclusive government response.
Objective 3: Strengthen the agency of vulnerable, isolated young men and women to raise
their voices to local leaders and effectively participate in decision making on PCVE solutions.
USAID Sauti is grounded on the principles of localization, systems-strengthening, institutionalization
of PCVE approaches and the integration of gender sensitive approaches and learning in program
delivery. At its core, the program prioritizes the empowerment of local actors through a management
approach that engages local stakeholders and institutions, placing a strong emphasis on local
leadership, local decision making and local actions on PCVE matters within targeted county
localities. The program has special interest in women’s empowerment, women’s interests and
women’s leadership in PCVE, and capacity strengthening of faith-based institutions.
Aligned with a systems-strengthening approach, USAID Sauti seeks to enhance the capacities of
local systems, encompassing national and county governments, local CSOs, as well as individual
champions and influencers, empowering them to effectively engage in PCVE efforts. USAID Sauti is
committed to promoting whole-of-society (WoS) and whole-of-government (WoG) approaches,
fostering an ecosystem where the communities, government, civil society, and the private sector
collaboratively contribute to building sustainable PCVE resilience.

In terms of institutionalization, USAID Sauti seeks to support existing state institutions in embedding
PCVE knowledge, skills and considerations into government policies, budgets, and plans; while nonstate actor institutions and groups are supported to take leadership in PCVE action, and in providing
meaningful support and guidance to vulnerable groups within their communities. The program also
supports integration of existing and wider resources and assets (including human assets) into formal
and informal institutions through a PCVE mainstreaming approach, while supporting vulnerable
young men and women to engage in and shape PCVE conversations.
It is against this background that Mercy Corps intends to commission a baseline survey to establish
a basis for tracking changes that may occur over time due to the program’s interventions under each
objective.

PURPOSE OF THE BASELINE SURVEY

Mercy Corps is commissioning USAID Sauti’s baseline survey to gather data on the perceptions of
individuals in target communities across the program’s target counties on their trust in government
and the inclusivity and responsiveness of various institutional actors with regards to local PCVE
efforts, opportunities, and services. The survey will also gather the views of government officials,
particularly those who have previously undergone PCVE capacity building, on the responsiveness
of state institutions on PCVE actions. The study will establish the baseline for the program’s key
indicators and provide guidance on how to measure the program’s performance. In addition to
monitoring and evaluation, data from the study will inform the planning and implementation process
including the design of tools, manuals and activities.
The survey will focus on community perceptions and state & non-state actor institutions’ views
around the following areas of USAID Sauti’s exploration, within the context of respondents’ localities:
1. Provision of services by institutions
(a) What specific socio-economic opportunities are available to citizens in each county.
(b) The extent to which these socio-economic opportunities are available and accessible to
vulnerable and marginalized populations – men, women, male and female youth from
high-risk locations.
(c) The extent to which government services and opportunities are available and accessible
to vulnerable and marginalized populations – men, women, male and female youth.
(d) The extent to which government institutions address existing and emerging VE drivers
and social challenges faced by vulnerable and marginalized men, women, male and
female youth.
(e) The extent to which local CSOs, women led organizations, community groups and
individual community champions and influencers are involved in systematically
addressing existing and emerging social challenges faced by their communities.
(f) The status of funding and implementation of existing PCVE action plans by county
governments.
(g) The extent to which county level PCVE strategies, plans and services have been
implemented by county governments in collaboration with NGOs, CBOs, informal
structures and women organizations.
(h) The extent to which there is representation of women in community-level decisionmaking bodies, programs and initiatives aimed at PCVE.
(i) The extent to which women are present in leadership roles in local peacebuilding efforts,
programs and initiatives aimed at PCVE.

2. Community engagement & stakeholder collaboration
(a) The extent to which formal and informal institutions in each county engage women, men,
male and female youth in finding local solutions for addressing drivers and causes of
violent extremism.
(b) The extent to which youth (including male and female youth) in vulnerable communities
are engaged with local leaders in advocacy efforts and decision-making concerning
services, opportunities, and solutions that address the underlying social challenges
within their communities.
(c) The extent to which there is collaboration between government, private sector, local
CSOs and targeted community members in addressing PCVE causes and drivers in the
county.
3. Availability of psychosocial support
(a) The extent to which community or state institutions provide locally available and
accessible psychosocial services to community members in need.
(b) The extent to which respondents (men, women, male and female youth) have accessed
any locally available psychosocial services, inclusive of SGBV/GBV related services.
In responding to the above, the baseline study will establish what PCVE related strategies and
services are currently available, extent of access and what gaps exist in targeted government
ministries and departments (for example: Ministry of Education; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Youth
Affairs, Sports, and the Arts; State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action; Ministry of Interior
and National Administration; the county governments) at national level and within targeted counties,
and similarly with private sector, civil society organizations and community structures within each
county.
The baseline survey’s results will form the basis of measurement of change in community
perceptions on PCVE related institutional and normative change at the end of the program, through
the following key program indicators:
(a) Change in the percentage of respondents (women, men, male and female youth) from
targeted locations stating they have trust in government.
(b) Change in percentage of respondents who are aware of the government’s collaboration with
private sector and community organizations’ in providing or supporting PCVE focused
initiatives or services.
(c) Change in percentage of respondents who state that they have trust in government and
community organizations’ collaboration in PCVE.
(d) Change in the percentage of respondents who report improvement in access to services and
opportunities by government and private sector institutions.
(e) Change in the percentage of respondents who report improvement of service provision by
community institutions and groups over the past year.
(f) Percentage of male and female youth who perceive they are effectively engaged with local
leaders in PCVE related advocacy and are part of decision making.
(g) Change in percentage of respondents who state that women are represented in communitylevel decision-making bodies, programs and initiatives aimed at PCVE.
(h) Change in percentage of respondents who report that women are engaged in leadership
roles in local peacebuilding efforts, programs and initiatives aimed at PCVE.

SCOPE OF WORK

The baseline survey will be conducted in all five USAID Sauti target counties i.e. Kwale, Mombasa,
Kilifi, Lamu and Garissa, targeting community respondents (men, women, male and female youth),
non-state actors, private sector and select government officials. Specific locations within each county
will be determined at a later stage. The consultant’s technical scope of work will entail:
(a) Inception report: The consultant will prepare an inception report outlining her/his
understanding of the SoW and the methodology to deliver on the TORs.
(b) Desktop review: The consultant will conduct a review of available documentation and based
on the findings, provide inputs to enrich the survey tool questions.
(c) Work-planning: Prepare the baseline survey work plan in consultation with Mercy Corps.
(d) Study methodology: The consultant is expected to develop relevant and standard quantitative
and qualitative methodologies that can generate the highest quality and most credible
evidence of baseline data. The commissioned consultant is expected to: (i) use a mixed
method approach (quantitative and qualitative methods); (ii) develop relevant tools to conduct
a baseline study for the indicators listed; (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 baseline survey should be responsive to key program indicators.
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 survey and that the interview settings are
designed in a way to allow respondents to respond freely. The methodology of the baseline
study should be based on participatory approaches involving mainly but not exclusively the
following stakeholders: youth, national and county level government stakeholders, and nonstate actors, with emphasis on women groups and interfaith institutions.
The consultant will finalize plans to conduct the baseline survey including:
▪ Preparing a baseline survey tool to ensure accurate data is collected in response to the
survey’s objective.
▪ Develop a checklist to guide Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant
Interviews (KII).
▪ 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 evaluations.

(e) Training of enumerators: Lead a one-day training for survey team members to ensure a shared
understanding of the objectives of the survey, the baseline survey tool questions, data
collection techniques and expected deliverables. The training will also consist of pre-testing
and refining of data collection tools and sessions on conflict sensitivity and gender sensitivity.
(f) Field work: Field work will take place concurrently in the five counties over a one-week period.
The consultant will pre-test the baseline survey tool, and collect, collate and enter data.
(g) Data analysis: The consultant will analyze the collected data and consequently generate the
baseline survey report.
The Technical Proposal needs to include, but not limited to:
▪ Consultants’ CV, experiences and references including examples or excerpts of previous
community perception surveys undertaken.
▪ 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 survey team, if applicable.

DELIVERABLES

Four deliverables are foreseen under the consultancy. They include:
1. Inception report (10 pages maximum) to be submitted one week after signing the contract.
This will include, but not limited to: (i) brief findings of the desk review; (ii) the baseline survey
tool, with questions responsive to the program’s indicators (as an annex); (iii) refined survey
methodology, including, including methods for identifying respondents, data collections and
analysis; (iv) a refined work plan with clear timelines.
2. Draft report (25 pages maximum, excluding annexes): This is to be submitted within two
weeks after the fieldwork. The report will present the quantitative and qualitative findings of
the baseline survey and practical recommendations to Mercy Corps. The format for the draft
report will be agreed with Mercy Corps at the outset of the consultancy.
▪ The consultant is encouraged to use creative ways to present findings to enable ease of
understanding, including the use of charts and graphs as appropriate.
▪ The consultant will present the survey’s findings to the Mercy Corps team for discussion
upon delivery of the draft report.
3. Final report (25 pages maximum, excluding annexes): The consultant will produce the final
report a week after receiving and taking into consideration comments from the Mercy Corps
team.
All deliverables will be submitted to the Mercy Corps in editable electronic versions and presented
in English. The schedule of deliverables is as follows:

Deliverables Target Due Date

1. Inception Report Within 1 week of signing contract
2. Draft Report & Presentation Within 5 weeks of signing contract
3. Final Report Within 6 weeks of signing contract

TIME FRAME

The consultancy will be conducted over 30 days, staggered over a six-week period. The consultant
will prepare a detailed work plan. The consultancy will commence immediately upon signing of the
contract. Data collection for the assignment is expected to commence from the beginning of April
2024.

CONSULTANT MANAGEMENT

The consultant will report to Mercy Corps’ MEL Manager, and work closely with the Senior Program
Manager. The MEL Manager will monitor and track the progress of the various activities under the
consultancy.

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 consultant, with support from USAID Sauti’s MEL team, will be responsible for sourcing the
required enumerators. The 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 inception report acceptable to Mercy Corps 20%
2. Draft baseline survey report acceptable to Mercy Corps 40%
3. Final baseline survey report acceptable to Mercy Corps 40%

SKILLS, EXPERIENCES AND COMPETENCES

Mercy Corps is looking for a consultant who has the following requirements:
▪ A PhD or a masters’ degree qualification from a recognized university in any of the following
areas: peace studies, conflict resolution, sociology, peacebuilding, development studies or any
other relevant field.
▪ Demonstrable experience in leading teams in baseline surveys for similar themed resilience
programs.
▪ Must have a good understanding of peace, security and resilience programs. Preference will
be given to those who have a good understanding of PCVE programs.
▪ Technical experience/research experience working on Women, Peace and Security agenda
and gender mainstreaming in PCVE.
▪ Demonstrated working relationship with county level actors including local government, private
sector, women organizations, informal institutions, inter-faith institutions/
▪ Solid methodological and research skills, demonstrated through a list of research pieces and
evaluations.
▪ In-depth knowledge of the socio-cultural, economic and political context of the coast region of
Kenya.
▪ Excellent report writing skills, demonstrated by a list of published articles or reports.
▪ Excellent analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills.
▪ Proficiency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili. Proficiency in the local languages of
the Kenyan coast region will be an added advantage.
▪ Ability to work collaboratively with multiple individuals and groups.
▪ Ability to produce high quality work under tight timeframes.
▪ Knowledge and experience of gender, human rights and conflict sensitive approaches.
▪ Preference will be given to those who have conducted similar surveys in the coast region of
Kenya.

SCORING BASIS

Mercy Corps Tender Committee will conduct a technical evaluation which will grade technical criteria on a weighted basis (each criterion is given a
percentage, all together equaling 100%). Offerors’ proposals should consist of all required technical submittals to enable a thorough evaluation of the
criteria listed herein and assign points based on the strength of a technical submission.
Award criteria shall be based on the proposal’s overall “value for money” (quality, cost, delivery time, etc.) while taking into consideration donor and
internal requirements and regulations. Each individual criterion is assigned a weighting prior to the release of this tender based on its importance to
Mercy Corps in this process.
When performing the Scoring Evaluation, the Mercy Corps tender committee will assign points for each criterion based on the following (link provided below):

Scoring Criteria