Consultancy for Endline Evaluation in Mandera Under RACIDA’s ILSP Project

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Reference No: RACIDA/USAIDBHA-MDR2023/2024-005

Consultancy for Endline Evaluation in Mandera

Under RACIDA’s ILSP Project

Rural Agency for Community Development and Assistance (RACIDA) in Partnership with USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)

Document Release Date: 3rd April, 2024

Deadline for Submission of Bids: 18th April ,2024

Submission Method: Email

Disclaimer: RACIDA reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party

Synopsis of the Request for Proposal (Individual Consultant / Registered firm)

Solicitation Reference No:RACIDA/USAIDBHA-MDR2023/2024-005

**Title of Solicitation:**Consultancy for Endline Evaluation in Mandera

Under RACIDA’s ILSP Project

Issuing Office & Address: Rural Agency for Community Development

Assistance Website: www.racida.org

Point of contact for clarifications, questions and amendments: RACIDA General Procurement, Procurement@racida.org

**Email Address for submission of Proposals/ Quotes:**RACIDA General Procurement, Procurement@racida.org

**Solicitation Issue Date:**3rd April,2024

Initial Deadline for Submission of Proposals; 18th April,2024

Agreement: Consultancy

Submission and Evaluation Criteria:

Bidder must provide the below listed information:

Mandatory Eligibility Requirement

• Must be an Individual Consultant/ Registered Consultancy Firm

• Must submit CV of Key Personnel

• Must submit a certificate of Incorporation/ Business Registration

• Must submit a certificate of Tax Compliance.

• Must Submit a business/individual KRA PIN

• The firm/individual shall not be sanctioned or blacklisted by any government or institution

Technical Evaluation Criteria

i. Consultant Academic and Professional Qualification-20%

ii. Consultant’s Prior Work Experience- 35%.

iii. Methodology/Approach- 25%

iv. Language and analytical skills -20%

NB. The minimum technical score shall be 75%. Only the best candidate shall be engaged for financial negotiations.

1. Background and Rationale

RACIDA in partnership with USAID/BHA is implementing integrated humanitarian response interventions in the sectors of WASH, Nutrition, Agriculture, and Food Assistance to respond to the high humanitarian needs arising from the drought experienced in Mandera County. The project, entitled “Integrated Life Saving Project in Mandera County (ILSP)” is built upon both an independent assessment conducted by RACIDA in Mandera County in 2023, RACIDA’s close collaboration with stakeholders in government (including the Mandera County Steering Group, the Mandera County Ministry of Health, local community leaders, and others), and other government-led assessments conducted in the county.

The Target communities in Mandera County, have faced a significant economic and social crisis due to recurrent conflict and climatic shocks. Since 2019, the County has been exposed consecutively to drought, conflict, and more recently, the impact of increased global fuel prices on global food and commodity markets. Even with the above-average performance of the 2023 October to December short rains, the county has a long way to go to recover from the past shocks. The recent drought has affected the livelihoods and household food security of the population, therefore, compromising their nutrition and health status. Largely, communities exhausted their local coping strategies and largely relied on humanitarian aid. In the first half of 2023, there was an estimated 433,728 people in need of humanitarian assistance in the county including, access to water, food, nutrition, WASH NFIs, fodder for livestock, and livestock vaccinations. Further to that, communities had incurred debt and reduced household consumption as coping strategies to survive these challenging times. It is in this context, that ILSP was designed to support communities experiencing high rates of food insecurity and malnutrition, poor access to water for household and livestock use, as well as poor livestock health outcomes. To ensure that the project was well implemented, targeted, and measured, RACIDA has issued this Terms of Reference (ToR) to measure the changes effected by the interventions within the ILSP project.

Objective: To increase access to clean, safe, and potable lifesaving water, nutrition, food, and livelihood support through the provision of integrated nutrition, WASH, food assistance, and Livestock emergency interventions.

1. Scope of Evaluation:

The scope of the Evaluation will be designed around the following specific Objectives:

1. Establish endline information against which the project log frame indicators for this project can be used to assess progress, outcomes, and impact.
2. To document the perception of RACIDA and the project from relevant stakeholders, including the following: Community members, project beneficiaries, government authorities, and coordination mechanisms.
3. Produce an Endline Report that will be used to evaluate the impact of the project using the OECD criteria, to gather and present the challenges, lessons learned, key opportunities, and guide future project designs

Evaluation Type:

A summative approach will be adopted to assess the outcome of the program and if the intended goal was achieved. The consultant is required to adhere to a strict code of conduct guiding the collection, analysis, and dissemination of evaluation data in a humanitarian context.

Evaluation Questions:

Key questions to be addressed under the Endline Evaluation are as follows:

1. What is the state of water sources targeted/supported through USAID BHA assistance?
2. What percent of water points targeted for rehabilitating are clean and protected from contamination?
3. What percent of water points in target communities have free residual chlorine (FRC) levels of > 0.2 mgl/L?
4. What percent of targeted community beneficiaries have access to improved water sources, as per USAID BHA guidelines and definitions?
5. How has the project impacted the current hygiene practices embraced by the target community beneficiaries and what are the consequences/impacts of these practices on their health?
6. What is the prevalence of waterborne diseases in the target communities and how has the intervention changed/impacted this?
7. What is the current food security status of the targeted communities (using indicators of food security including household dietary diversity, dietary diversity of children 6 – 23 months, Food Consumption Score, Coping Strategy Index, household purchasing power, Household Hunger Scale (HHS), women in decision making on the use of the food assistance, and others as deemed relevant by RACIDA and the Consultant.
8. What is the current status of malnutrition rate in the targeted communities, among children under five, PLW, and how did the project contribute to the improvement of the nutrition status?
9. What are the current IYCF practices among caregivers in the target communities, and how did the project improve these practices?
10. What are the factors limiting access to health and nutrition services in the target communities and how did the project address these challenges?
11. What is the current status of livestock disease surveillance and vaccination efforts in Mandera County and how did the project contribute to improvements in these key areas, if any?
12. How have community livelihood assets been affected by ongoing disasters and how did the project interventions contribute to the protection of livelihood assets?
13. What was the level of engagement of the target community members and stakeholders in this project?
14. How does the community feel about the relevance of the interventions implemented in the different sub-sectors? ·
15. Has the type of transfer provided created any challenges or opportunities for contributing to the safety of recipients? Are there other preferred transfer alternatives?
16. How does the type of cash transfer contribute to the dignity and integrity of recipients?
17. What was the appropriateness of cash assistance to address food insecurity and malnutrition in the targeted communities?
18. What are the channels that communities prefer for communication and feedback?

NOTE: All the indicators should be measured using BHA/USAID guidelines**.**

3. Endline Target Audience

The populations of interest for this Endline study are people living within the areas targeted under this project, with a special focus on caregivers of children under 5 years, women of reproductive age, livestock owners, youth, IDPs, people living with disabilities, and relevant government/partner stakeholders.

4. Evaluation Methods:

4.1. Methods Overview

Methodology: The consultant is expected to utilize a mixed-methods approach collecting quantitative and qualitative data from the target locations and relevant stakeholders in Mandera County. The methods are summarized below:

1. Households Surveys
2. Focus Group Discussions
3. Key Informant Interviews
4. Observation

Data Sources: Household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, observations, program records, and other sources as deemed relevant by RACIDA.

Location: The consultant will gather data from the field at the household level, community level, and county level.

4.2. Quantitative Data Collection

The core of the assessment will consist of a randomized quantitative survey. The survey will collect data from the population in the project target sites in Mandera County (Mandera North, Mandera West, Mandera South, Mandera East, Banisa, Kiliwaheri, and Lafey sub-counties).

All data will be disaggregated by sex, age, and disability where possible. The consultant is expected to propose a methodology that is scientific, and culturally appropriate, and will use both qualitative and quantitative data.

Note: all the analyses must provide the confidence interval and the (N) value.

4.2.1. Household Questionnaire

The consultant will administer a household survey tool, the content and scope of the household survey tools will be determined based on consultant expertise and RACIDA’s priorities and will be finalized through consultation between RACIDA and the consultant.

4.2.2. Sampling Framework

A sample of respondents, stratified by gender, will be randomly selected in each target area for the quantitative survey. The sample will be statistically representative of the populations living in each target area based on acceptable statistical sampling techniques as per the BHA guidelines. This should be in line with various contextual factors and the proposed project site.

4.2.3. Sampling Approach

RACIDA expects the consultant to employ a sampling framework that utilizes a two-stage cluster sampling with a probability proportionate to size (PPS) design.

4.2.4. Survey Administration

The survey will be administered using ODK/Kobo or other relevant data collection application. Several checks will be put in place to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data collected. These will include but are not limited to:

• A thorough testing process for the data collection tool in line with standard operating procedures for tool development and testing, involving multiple layers of testing to ensure that the tool functions fully.
• A pilot phase in the field during which the tool is thoroughly checked and tested before final use.
• Daily checks of data collected to ensure that it is comprehensive and does not contain any mistakes.
• Daily debriefs with the data collection team to ensure that any problems encountered during data collection are identified and resolved.
• Regular spot checks on the field during data collection to ensure data collectors are properly administering survey questionnaires.
• A final, thorough, data cleaning process which will include verification of any potentially inaccurate data and revisits to the field if necessary. A log of data cleaning will be kept by the consultant and shared with RACIDA to ensure that all steps in the process can be replicated.

4.3. Qualitative Data Collection

Qualitative data collection methods will include Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with community members, leaders, RACIDA staff, ministry officials, and other relevant partners deemed appropriate. The consultant team is expected to propose KII and FGD participants based on their knowledge and guidance from RACIDA.

4.3.1. Focus Group Discussions

The FGDs will have the following goals:

• Gather qualitative data to triangulate, explain, and expand upon the quantitative data gathered.
• Explore in more detail the community's perception of the implemented project and the perceived gaps in intervention.

4.3.2. Key Informant Interview

KIIs will also be conducted as part of the qualitative data collection to aid in the triangulation of the quantitative data collected. The KIIs will include a diverse range of key stakeholders in the county. The KIIs should be conducted using both closed questionnaires and open-ended questionnaires, depending on the Key Informant.

5. Survey Quality and Ethical Standards

5.1. Ethical Standards

The consultant shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that the survey is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of the people and communities involved and to ensure that the survey is technically accurate and reliable, is conducted in a transparent and impartial manner, and contributes to organizational learning and accountability. Therefore, the survey team shall be required to adhere to the survey standards and applicable practices as recommended by IFRC.

• Utility – Surveys must be realistic, diplomatic, and managed in a sensible, cost-effective manner.
• Ethics & Legality - Surveys must be conducted in an ethical and legal manner, with particular regard for the welfare of those involved in and affected by the survey. Consent should be sought from all survey respondents.
• Transparency – Survey activities should reflect an attitude of openness and transparency.
• Accuracy – Survey should be technically accurate, providing sufficient information about the data collection, analysis, and interpretation methods so that its worth or merit can be determined.
• Participation – Stakeholders should be consulted and meaningfully involved in the survey process when feasible and appropriate.
• Collaboration – Collaboration between key operating partners in the survey process improves the legitimacy and utility of the survey.

It is also expected that the survey will respect the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross Red Crescent: 1) Humanity, 2) Impartiality, 3) Neutrality, 4) Independence, 5) Voluntary Service, 6) Unity, and 7) Universality

5.2. Future Use of the Data

All data collected will be the sole property of RACIDA and USAID BHA. The consultant must not use the data for their research purposes, nor license the data to be used by others, without the written consent of RACIDA and USAID BHA.

6. Obligations

6.1. Obligations of the Consultant

• Give leadership to the technical team throughout the assessment
• Inform the Program Manager, and M&E Officer promptly of the progress made and any challenges encountered.
• Conduct the consultancy as per agreements in TOR, and contract, and if modifications are necessary, bring to the attention of the Program Manager before making any changes.
• Report on a timely basis as per the ToR and the contract agreement
• Declare any possible conflict of interest before signing the contract.
• Participatory share draft report and discuss the feedback and general findings with the RACIDA team.
• Cater for his/her transport to the site or within his/her bid or can indicate RACIDA to provide i.e., transport to the communities and exclude costing on the same within the bid.
• Organize for his/her accommodation and cater for other expenses they may likely to incur during the assignment.

6.2. Obligations of RACIDA

• Make sure the Consultant is provided with the necessary and required resources i.e. the project documents- proposal, reports, and any other documents that the consultant may need.
• Give logistical information and attend to any concerns that may arise during the Evaluation exercise Facilitate the work of the consultant in accessing beneficiaries and other local stakeholders
• Monitor the daily work of the consultant and bring to the attention of the consultant /RACIDA any concerns that may arise
• Provide technical oversight in the review of all deliverables
• Provide timely comments on the draft report

7. Qualifications and Experience of Consultant

The lead consultant must have a background and experience in economics, DRR, community development, M&E, public health, project management, Monitoring and Evaluation, humanitarian aid, or any other related field. Past experience in conducting similar assignments as well as in Emergency Response and Recovery programming, with a broad understanding of WASH, nutrition, food security, and livestock will be an added advantage.

7.1. Key Selection Criteria

The independent consultant/consultancy firm must demonstrate experience and expertise as follows:

• Master’s Degree in Economics, statistics, social sciences, community development, Public Policy, agriculture, livestock, public health, nutrition, or any other related field.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting endline evaluation or related projects in the past three years, especially with USAI/BHA projects (sample reports are required during the bid analysis).
• Experience in Monitoring and Evaluation with more than 5 years of proven experience in undertaking project evaluations, monitoring, and assessments in the target sectors.
• Experience working in Kenya is preferred.
• Fluency in English is Mandatory.
• Experience and knowledge of political, social, and cultural context in ASAL counties in Kenya is essential
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• The consultancy team must have a statistician able to analyze quantitative and qualitative data. It is preferred that this person have both professional and academic background in statistics and econometrics.
• Ability to write clear and useful reports (please provide examples of previous work). - Attention to details is essential

7.2. Application Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria Sub criteria/Description Score

Consultant Academic and Professional Qualification

Master’s Degree in Economics, Statistics, Social Sciences, Community Development, Public Policy, agriculture/livestock, M&E, or another related field. Demonstrated experience in place of the master's degree will be considered.

20%

Consultant Prior Work Experience

Detailed and specific experience in undertaking similar roles highlighting;

1. Demonstrated experience in conducting USAID/BHA endline evaluations or related projects in the past three years (one sample report is required during the bid analysis).
2. Experience in Monitoring and Evaluation with more than 5 years of proven experience in undertaking project evaluations, monitoring, and assessments in the sectors of Agriculture, Food Security, Nutrition, WASH, Agriculture, and Livelihoods/CVA.
3. Experience working in Kenya is preferred.
4. Fluency in English is Mandatory.
5. Knowledge and experience in emergency response and humanitarian response in East Africa are preferred.
6. Understanding of political, social, and cultural context in ASAL counties in Kenya is essential
7. Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
8. The consultancy team must have a statistician able to analyze quantitative and qualitative data. It is preferred that this person have both professional and academic background in statistics and econometrics.
9. Ability to write clear and useful reports (please provide examples of previous work). - Attention to detail is essential

Bidder must attach a detailed CV

*35%

Methodology/Approach

Understanding of the terms of reference that include:

1. Outline of methodology and approach of implementing this assignment.

2. Proposed assignment plan that includes clear timelines for the assignment that demonstrate the understanding of the assignment expectation.

3. Firm/individual Experience Sample work done: Citation (web link) of at least 3 knowledge products developed and disseminated

   *25%

Budget

4. Detailed budget breakdown based on expected daily rates and initial work plan.

Language analytical skills and Demonstrated capacity for high-level analysis and report writing, includes:

• Strong analytical and information presentation skills

• Fluency in English is mandatory.

• Organizing and facilitating capacity-building activities.

• Mentoring and coaching colleagues at work.

• Writing/reviewing strategic documents, monitoring and evaluation reports, systems and tools, and action plans.

• Networking and partnership building.

• Developed analytical skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to communicate and work with a wide range of stakeholders in a participatory, respectful, collaborative manner, and to enhance effective work relationships.

• Commitment to team building and a consensus-led approach to work.

  *20%

7.3. Application Requirements

Application materials should include the following:

• A Technical Proposal detailing the consultant’s understanding of the task, proposed methodologies, expected activities and deliverables, proposed work plan, and the composition of the consultancy team to be engaged. The outline of the Technical Proposal is outlined in 7.3.1 and the team composition requirements are outlined in 7.3.2.
• A Financial Proposal detailing the costs that the consultant expects to be required to complete the assignment. The consultant is expected to account for all logistics and travel costs associated with the assignment.
• Detailed CVs of all professional staff who will work on the consultancy team.
• Must submit a certificate of Incorporation/ Business Registration
• Must submit a certificate of Tax Compliance
• Must Submit Business/individual KRA PIN
• Must Submit Business CR12 certificate
• At least three professional references from previous clients and full contact details of the referees.

7.3.1. Technical Proposal Format

1. Introduction: description of the firm, the firm’s qualifications, and statutory compliance. (1 page)
2. Background: Understanding of the project, context, and requirements for services, Key questions (2 pages max)
3. Proposed methodology - Indicate methods to be used for each indicator and highlight any areas where indicators may need adjustment. The targeted respondents should be indicated for each indicator. Proposed detailed questions should be indicated. A detailed sampling procedure needs to be indicated. (5 pages max)
4. Firm experience in undertaking assignments of similar nature and experience from the geographical area for other major clients (Table with Name of organization, name of the assignment, duration of the assignment (Dates)) reference person contacts. (2 pages)
5. Proposed team composition (As per 7.3.2). (1 page)
6. Work plan (Gantt chart of activity and week of implementation). (1 page)

7.3.2. Proposed Team Composition Format

• Name of Team Member
• Qualifications
• Years of Experience Related to Consultancy
• # of Days to be Engaged
• Roles(s) under this assignment

7.4. Duration of the Consultancy

The Evaluation will be conducted within 30 days (N/B 25 billable days) from contract signing to delivery of the final report.

7.5. Deliverables

The following deliverables are expected from the consultant:

1. Inception report, detailing the Evaluation survey design, sampling methodology, and framework, survey tools, and agreed-upon and workplan.
2. Draft evaluation report that will contain the following elements:
   • Table of contents
   • Executive Summary including a summary of key findings
   • Introduction/background
   • Methodology - including limitations of the survey.
   • A presentation of the findings and the analysis.
   • Conclusions
   • Recommendations with clear guidelines on how they can be implemented.
   • Report Annexes:
   • Success Stories
3. Copies of original and cleaned data sets (with a codebook for both quantitative and qualitative data), including original field notes for KIIs and FGDs, as well as recorded audio material, if available, should be submitted with the draft report.
4. 2-binded and signed Final Evaluation Survey Report and a signed digital copy submitted to RACIDA by the agreed submission deadline.

7.6. Corruption or Fraudulent Practices

RACIDA requires that Bidders observe the highest standards of ethics during the procurement process and execution of contracts. A tenderer shall sign a declaration that he has not and will not be involved in corrupt or fraudulent practices. RACIDA will reject a proposal for award if it determines that the tenderer recommended for the award has engaged in corrupt or fraudulent practices in competing for the contract or completing any contract awarded.

A tenderer who is found to have indulged in corrupt or fraudulent practices risks being debarred from participating.

Please report any malpractices to complaints@racida.org.