End of Project Evaluation “Waste to clean energy – Closing the Loop” project in Imvepi refugee settlement, Terego District, West Nile Region, Uganda At Cordaid

.0. Organisation Background

Cordaid is a Catholic organization for Relief and Development, headquartered in the Netherlands. We fight poverty and exclusion in fragile and conflict areas. Working with over 800 local partners we are ideally positioned to mobilize citizen (social) enterprises, NGO’s, and governments to bring about real change. Cordaid is a founding member of Caritas Internationalis and CIDSE. In the Netherlands, we are supported by 316,000 donors. Cordaid has been active in Uganda for over 25 years. Our programmes in the East African country focus on humanitarian aid and development, health care, and education system strengthening, as well as on food security and economic empowerment. After Cordaid and ICCO joined forces in January 2021, the Uganda office also hosts our regional office for Rwanda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. ICCO’s experience and extensive track record in food security, nutrition, and livelihoods complements existing Cordaid programming. For more information about Cordaid, please visit https://www.cordaid.ug/

2.0. Project Information and Implementation Approach

The focus of the project was to improve accessibility to energy by reducing distance for refugees, in particular women and girls, to be able to purchase quality and affordable clean energy solution or obtain after sales maintenance. The Circular Camps Consortium led by Cordaid and composed of Muni University, Caritas Arua Diocese, SEMiLLA, SkillEd and Wageningen University and Research are implementing the Waste to clean energy project in Imvepi Refugee settlement. In short, the CRC Consortium is committed to reducing the distance to clean energy for refugee populations by provide access to biogas for cooking and lighting, compost and irrigation water which would be used in raising tree seedlings that will be transplanted to grow trees for timber, fruit trees and woodlots to restore nature. This will be done through the following;

1. Build a biodigester to treat feacal sludge and generate biogas.
2. Collect feacal sludge from toilets and pit latrines to produce three products (i) biogas, (ii) compost and (iii) irrigation water.
3. Equip youth and women from the refugee and host communities with technical and business skills to set-up, operate and manage enterprises resulting from the biodigester.

2.1. Project Implementation period:

The project was implemented for 12 months i.e., January to December 2021.

The evaluation will focused on collecting data from The target population ,these will include locally selected entrepreneurs from the former project “Building Resilient refugees and host community Project in the North Western Uganda” (Project 200497), farmers, Landlords, Business community, participants from the business training and coaching, Muni University, Caritas Arua Diocese, SEMiLLA, SkillEd and Wageningen University and Research, community leaders, Refugee welfare Council Members, Local Council members, OPM, UNHCR, Livelihood partners CDOs, sub-county leadership and district officials such as District Community Development officer production officer, sanitation officers among others.

2.2. Long term Aim

To improve accessibility by reducing distance for refugees in particular women and girls to be able to purchase quality and affordable clean energy solution and after sales.

2.3. Short term Aims

1. Increase use of renewable energy for cooking and lightening through use of biogas
2. The project aims to build the capacity of refugees and hosts in Imvepi refugee settlement through technical, enterprise development and business skills.
3. The project also aimed to equip the community with one sustainable solution to support faecal sludge management
4. To ensure that 600 households are sensitised on the benefits of using renewable energy for cooking and lighting and use of organic compost in small scale and large-scale farming.
5. The project contributes to a reduction in cases of women and girls from zone 3 assaulted when collecting firewood; girls and women from 600 households.
6. 50 hectares of land regreened through setting up tree nursery
7. Creation of sustainable jobs through sales of biogas, tree seedlings, compose and vegetables.

2.4. Target population.

· Locally selected entrepreneurs from the former project “Building Resilient refugees and host community Project in the North-western Uganda” (Project 200497).

· Farmers,

· Landlords,

· Business community,

· Youths and women Entrepreneurs from Village 5 and surrounding areas

3.0. Purpose of the evaluation

· This evaluation will assess the level of achievement of the project outcomes.

· It will also gauge the level of community and other stakeholder participation and ownership of the implementation process.

· It shall document the intended and unintended outcomes, best practices, lessons learned as well as challenges arising from programme implementation.

· Assess the reliability of soil testing and use of compost in the production of vegetables and fruit trees.

· To assess the pros and cons of the locally led innovation process, and whether the partners involved feel the innovations funded by this call for proposals allowed them to better align with local context and locally defined problems.

· The evaluation will generate recommendations for future programming.

3.1. Evaluation questions: **

Evaluation Question 1: To what extent has the project achieved the intended results?

Evaluation question 2: Efficiency – do the outcomes of the program represent value for money? To what extent is the relationship between inputs and outputs timely, cost-effective and to expected standards?

Evaluation Question 3: Synergy – to what extent has Cordaid team collaborated successfully with its consortium partners?

Evaluation Question 4: Coordination – to what extent has the project consortium collaborated successfully with other relevant actors such as sub-county, district, local Government, Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), UNHCR and livelihood working group.

Evaluation Question 5: Which training activities and techniques have been the most successful at developing capacity of the target groups

Evaluation Question 6: Sustainability and impact – to what extent are the capacity building activities leading to lasting changes within the project beneficiaries? What are the long-term effects expected of project interventions? Include a section on unintended effects of the project.

Evaluation Question 7: Formulate key lessons learned and recommendations to inform future programming

3.2. Discuss the lessons learnt, conclusion and recommendation.

The evaluator shall on the basis of the data gathered, capture best practices and lessons learned from this project and draw conclusions and make recommendations to inform future intervention.

4.0. Geographical scope:

The end of project evaluation will be conducted in Imvepi refugee settlement, Terego district in Odupi Subcounty zone 3 village.

5.0. Methodology

The consultant will study existing secondary data sources such as the baseline, annual plan and reports, specific assessments (market/conflict/gender sensitivity) and reports for the overseeing bodies such as OPM and UNHCR, as well as the documentation on consortium meetings.

The objective of the evaluation is to assess the contribution of the locally led innovation process in solving the energy needs in the humanitarian setting, therefore the following approach to information gathering will be used: (a) gender inclusive FGDs (focus group discussion) with youth and youth groups, entrepreneurs, women, saving groups, cooperatives and community leaders, (b) key informant interviews with stakeholders, (C) individual interviews with beneficiaries. As ABSYR is implemented by a consortium, interviews with Caritas Arua, Muni University, SEMiLLA, SkillEd and Cordaid field staff will be required.

Fact finding and data gathering is followed up by identifying and documenting challenges, lessons learnt, opportunities, key achievements in terms of outcomes on the project beneficiaries from both the Refugee and Host community.

6.0. Timeline, supervision and reporting arrangements:

The consultant shall report to the Program Manager and the field coordination in Terego District, the M&E advisor will be available.

-17 March 2022: publication of terms of reference

-28 March 2022: deadline for submitting evaluation offers

-29 March 2022: evaluation of offers

-29 March 2022: contracting, availing secondary project data

-30 March 2022: start field work evaluation, inception meeting with the program team-field work, adaptation of evaluation approach if needed

-1 April 2022: debriefing

-18 April: first draft report for comments

-25 April 2022: final report

7.0. Deliverables of this assignment

The consultant is expected to:

Send in a detailed proposal of his/her understanding and operationalization of evaluation questions, proposed research design, methods of data collection and analysis, ethical considerations and Covid contingency planning.

Develop a detailed report of not more than 20 pages (excluding annexes) which should include experiences, opportunities, challenges, lessons gained during the implementation phase of project. The consultant will include key recommendations for improving future programming. This will be a maximum of two pages (additional to the 20 pages mentioned above).

8.0. Payment Terms

The consultant shall receive 60% of the contract value upon signing of the contract; 20% upon completion of field work and 20% upon approval of the report.

9.0. Qualification, Skills, and experience of Consultant/Team

The consultancy team/Firm should demonstrate the following skills and capabilities

1. Expertise and experience in carrying out End terms and baseline surveys/ studies, project Design, monitoring, and evaluation, (preferably, at national, regional and or international level with multi-lateral agencies and international NGOs).
2. Post graduate training in M&E, livelihoods, Development studies and gender or other relevant field such as WASH, Food Security and Livelihoods, Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction, Private Sector Development, Agriculture, Agro-forestry and Humanitarian aid projects in Uganda or West Nile region.
3. Experience utilizing and analysing different research methodologies including the collection of qualitative and quantitative data (surveys, Key informant interviews, focus group discussions etc.)
4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
5. Updated CVs with contact address of three referees.**

10.0. Evaluation criteria

The consultant will be evaluated against a combination of technical and financial criteria (combined scoring method). Maximum score is 100% out of which technical criteria equals 70% and financial criteria equals 30%.

The technical evaluation will include the following:

● Educational background as requested: 15%

● Extensive expertise, knowledge, and experience in the field of institutional review of international NGOs, capacity development initiatives, notably at the systemic and institutional levels: 15%

● Extensive conceptual and practical knowledge of local government operating and strategic principles: 15%

● Demonstrated experience and practical knowledge in working and collaborating with stakeholders including governments; civil society and communities in West Nile region: 15%;

● Overall methodology: 40%;