TOR: Baseline Survey for the Creating Shared Value in the Maize Value Chain Project for Solidaridad East and Central Africa

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Solidaridad Network is an international solution-oriented civil society organization working through eight regional expertise centers to transform markets to make them more sustainable and inclusive. Our eight regional expertise centers include Asia, Eastern and Central Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Southern Africa, South America, West Africa and our global Secretariat in the Netherlands. Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa, one of the regional centers, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with country offices and programmes in Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. We bring together supply chain players and engage them with innovative solutions to improve production, ensuring the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy that maximizes the benefit for all. We facilitate strengthening of local capacity in developing countries, support the creation of enabling environments for economies to thrive, and improve market access.

1.1The Creating Shared Value in the Maize Value Chain Project.

This is a project supported by the Louis Dreyfus Foundation in an anticipated 3-year period upon confirmation of the intended project’s viability. The goal of the action is to improve the livelihoods and the resilience of 3,000 individual smallholder maize farmers (50% youth & women) in Bungoma County. This will be achieved by improving the production and the business environment for maize stakeholders through improved maize production and productivity, quality and collective marketing systems.

The project has the following specific objectives;

1. To increase the availability of sustainably and safely produced maize by 20% for both household consumption and commercial purposes.
2. To increase access to markets for smallholders in Bungoma County through efficient aggregation systems.
3. To establish strong youth and farmer institutions that provide services to maize farmers.

1.2 Creating Shared Value in the Maize Value Chain Project Consortium:

The consortium comprises of the following organizations;

1. Solidaridad East & Central Africa (ECA): is part of the Solidaridad network and is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Solidaridad ECA operates across East and Central Africa in agricultural, industry and mining supply chains. The organization facilitates local actor’s capacity strengthening, supports the creation of enabling environments and promotes market transformation initiatives. Sustainable land-use, improved working conditions and livelihoods, food security and strong dynamic producer organizations are key priorities for Solidaridad ECA. The organization’s delivery strategy combines boots and brains on the ground, interactive dialogue across platforms, community based initiatives and public-private partnerships in championing sustainable supply chains.

2. Cereal Growers Association (CGA): is a national non-profit member-based farmer organization with 25 years’ experience in bringing together commercial cereal farmers to promote collective action for the sustained improvement of their farming enterprises and in addressing industry challenges in Kenya. CGA works with industry stakeholders such as government bodies, agricultural input suppliers, financial institutions, insurance companies, output buyers, development partners, NGOs, and others to provide services to its members. Key services that CGA delivers to its members include; farmer representation in various platforms, training research and advisory services, linkages to inputs, finances and markets and information services.

2.0 Creating Shared Value in the Maize Value Chain Project

2.1 Background

Similar to many African countries, Kenya is mainly an agricultural country with maize providing a basic diet to millions of people in the country. Maize remains to be the most important cereal crop in sub-Saharan Africa because it is a staple food to an estimated 50% of the total population of Sub-Saharan Africa. Increasing household incomes, through intensive and sustainable maize production in the country is severely constrained by several factors such as; Low production and productivity mainly as a result of poor crop production practices, degraded soils out of over use of agrochemicals, high post-harvest losses, poor waste management, and heavy losses associated with disease and pests. Most of the soils continue to degrade due to continuous farming, high population density and limited soil fertility management decisions.

The Creating Shared Value in the Maize Value Chain Project seeks to support the sustainable maize production in Bungoma County by addressing the maize production ecosystem challenges, promote technologies that reduce overuse of chemicals both at production and address post-harvest challenges while also improving yields and guaranteeing food safety. The project also prioritizes the establishment of strong & inclusive farmer institutions and also favorable business ecosystems that provide efficient access to finances, inputs, markets and information.

2.2 Expected Project Outcomes

1. Improved sustainable production of maize through input linkages, technology transfer, and improvement in knowledge.
2. Improved incomes for smallholder farmers (50% women and youth) in Bungoma County as a result of increased productivity, application of new technologies, capacity building, and access to market.
3. Improved local and export markets for maize as a result of improved production, quality market options diversification and product aggregation.
4. Strong and inclusive producer and marketing groups that effectively and efficiently serve their members.
5. Market access and linkages improved, providing linkages to 3,000 smallholder farmers in Bungoma County leading to stable and transparent product supply chains.

2.3 Baseline Study Objectives:

The main objective of the baseline survey is to prepare a pre‐programme / baseline information of the target beneficiaries as per the indicators of programme objectives and expected results specified in the project document and the project results framework.

The specific objectives of the baseline survey are:

● To collect and analyze verifiable indicator data from the project results framework

● To collect and analyze data on the current state of the project’s targeted beneficiaries (maize farmers, maize farmer organizations, maize related CSOs and umbrella bodies, maize regulators, service providers and stakeholders).

● To produce information to use as a basis for their overall project monitoring and evaluation against the set indicators over the course of the project implementation period.

● To identify key implementation strategies, modalities and input for the project implementation phase

2.4 Survey Methodology:

The methodology for this study will include both direct and indirect data collection, analysis and cross-referencing, and formulating recommendations thematically and as area/site-specific. The Consultant will finalize the methodology to undertake this study in line with the scope of the assessment, presented and refined with the management during the inception meeting.

The methodology used during this assessment will overall, include, but not be limited to the following:

● Review existing relevant secondary information and reports related to the maize production in Bungoma County.

● Review of previous Solidaridad related project level documents and reports.

● Discuss with key Solidaridad staff, partners, and key informants at Office and field implementation levels.

● Carry out field visits in the implementation areas for data collection, observations, and triangulation.

● Hold community-level participatory meetings and focused group discussions for data collection and information gathering.

● Carry out a household-level survey for data collection through structured questionnaires.

● Data collection will also entail analysis of climate risks and vulnerability where both secondary data and primary data through qualitative and quantitative methodologies will be done.

● Use of data from local institutions or organizations.

● Data analysis and verification of analyzed data.

2.5 Responsibilities of Consultants/Scope of Work:

The composition of the survey team is left up to the consultant/ organization based on their internal system, ideas, and logic. However, Solidaridad recommends that the team comprise one Team Leader (TL) to coordinate/conduct the overall study and liaise with Solidaridad. To collect information from the field using an adequate number of Field Enumerators (FEs). Supervision of the fieldwork and quality (reliability and validity) of the data/information collected from the field is the primary responsibility of the TL. The TL will work closely with Solidaridad M&E Officers and the project team. In each step and process, consultation with the Project Manager and the M&E Officer are vital. The survey will be conducted in Mt. Elgon (Cheptais, Kapkateny and Elgon wards), Kimilili (Kamukuywa and Kibingei wards) and Bumula (Siboti, Kimaeti, Bumula, South Bukusu, and Khasoko wards) sub counties in Bungoma County, Kenya.

The consultancy/consultant team will be primarily responsible for:

● Development/design baseline survey tools including questionnaires for HH survey and checklist and tools for group interaction including FGD with target beneficiaries at village levels.

● Share the study design including process, methods, and questionnaires/checklist with the project team, collect feedback and finalize the study design.

● Pre‐test questionnaires and other tools in one of the project sites.

● Submit an inception report.

● Debrief/discuss with the project team about effectiveness of questionnaire, checklists, and other tools used in the pre‐test, collect feedback and finalize them.

● Orient, train, and supervise the enumerators.

● Carry out fieldwork together with enumerators.

● Ensure the quality of information collected from fields, cross-check with the validity of information collected and verify/revise where needed.

● Update progress of the study on a weekly basis to the M&E Officer.

● Analyze data and prepare quality reports.

● Give a presentation of the draft report to Solidaridad, and;

● Submit a final report (a compiled version of the report ‐ both hard copy and electronic version in word format) to the project after incorporating the feedback and suggestions from Solidaridad and CGA.

2.6 Deliverables:

I. Work plan and expression of interest (EOI) for the baseline survey, outlining;

● A detailed methodology for implementation of the survey, including proposed sample sizes.

● Draft data collection tools (The Consultant shall refine proposed standard indicators in reference to the proposed project indicators and other guidelines provided by Solidaridad)

● A detailed work plan for the study.

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II. Presentation of survey methodology to Solidaridad team in an inception meeting and later incorporate suggestions in the final inception report.

III. A draft report of the study for feedback and comments from Solidaridad and partners involved.

IV. Presentation on the main findings of the study for validation involving project teams, and other stakeholders as agreed with the project team.

2.7 Expert/Consultant’s Profile:

Consultancy firms/companies with verifiable research work in the cereals value chains and who fulfil the following requirements are encouraged to express their interests.

● Relevant degree(s) in social sciences, Agriculture or development studies,

● Strong experience with and knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods and sampling strategies

● Experience in designing and conducting studies using experimental or quasi-experimental techniques.

● Experience with longitudinal study designs desired.

● Statistical analysis skills and strong proficiency with data analysis packages.

● Proven experience in conducting baseline study surveys, impact studies and evaluations, preferably on the cereals industry in Kenya.

● Research experience with maize farmers is an added advantage

● Excellent communication and written skills in English and Swahili.

2.8 Consultancy Period:

The overall time frame of the survey will be 30 days (including Saturdays and Sundays), which will include inception meetings, finalizing the survey methodology, training of enumerators, data collection, data analysis, report writing, and presenting findings of the survey.

1. Interested parties should submit a Technical and Financial proposal, Budget proposals should include logistics costs (transport, communications, meals and accommodation) by 2nd Aug 2021, 5:00pm (EAT)

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1. Decision on selected consultant – only selected candidates will be contacted by 9th August 2021

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1. Inception report and meeting (virtual or in-person depending on covid19 situation) by 16th August 2021, 5:00pm (EAT)

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1. Draft report submitted by 19th August 2021, 5:00pm (EAT)

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1. Validation meeting and final report (virtual or in-person depending on covid19 situation)by 26th August 2021, 5:00pm (EAT)

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