TOR- Midline evaluation for ‘Promoting Resilience and Peaceful Co-existence for Climate Crisis Affected Communities in Somalia’ At Lutheran World Federation

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR): Outcome Mapping – Midline evaluation for ‘Promoting Resilience and Peaceful Co-existence for Climate Crisis Affected Communities in Somalia’ project.

Duration: One month.

Area of Assignment: (Puntland, Somaliland, Jubaland, South west state and Banadir region) of Somalia.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Lutheran World Federation World Service (LWF WS) is the globally recognized humanitarian actor of the LWF, with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. LWF’s Kenya-Somalia program has been in operation in Kakuma since 1992, in Dadaab since 2008, and in Somalia since 2017, with the head office in Nairobi. LWF WS had operations in Djibouti from 2009 until 2020, when it successfully handed the operations to the Djiboutian government. Apart from the long-standing experience in Kenya, LWF has operations in refugee/IDP settings in the region (Somalia, Uganda, South Sudan, and Ethiopia).

Somalia’s prolonged humanitarian crisis is marked by recurrent climate shocks like droughts, floods and tropical storms, compounded by conflict and insecurity. Extreme weather events destroy crops and kill livestock, disrupting livelihoods. This worsens hunger and drives internal displacement, as people abandon failed farmlands and pastures – as in the 2020-2023 drought, which caused 1.8 million displacements from December 2020 to May 2023. In late 2023, with Somalia still suffering the after-effects of drought and a quarter of the population still facing acute hunger, the El Niño climate event brought flash floods that swamped communities along the Juba and Shabelle rivers.

It is against this background that the ACT Alliance Somalia Forum (ASF), comprising of the LWF WS, DKH, DS, FCA, NCA and Bread for the World (BftW), is committed to support community’s capacities to mitigate the effects of climate change, focusing on their respective thematic sectors. Through a Consortium Project, ASF seeks to intervene in the crisis employing a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach, leveraging resources, skills, and expertise of individual members and linking with local partners and institutions (including community-based organizations and government institutions) as key partners in advancing the initiative

OVERALL, PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

The primary objective of this Request for Proposals is to identify potential bidder(s) for the execution of an Outcome mapping, mid-line evaluation. The evaluation aims to comprehensively map outcomes and document the changes attained during the first year of implementation, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative measures. This involves a comparative analysis of project indicators from the baseline survey.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The assignment has the following objectives;

1. Harvest outcomes realised in the first year of the project.
2. To assess the extent to which the project has achieved its objectives. (indicators progress)
3. Assess the project progress towards achieving relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability with special emphasis on the following Key evaluation questions:

Relevance: is the project responding to community/beneficiary felt needs? How relevant is the project to institution needs, policies, and priorities? Is the project still relevant today?

Coherence: is the project aligning with donor plans, and other ongoing interventions in the program areas? Internal and External Coherence?

Effectiveness: is the project achieving its objectives? To what degree is each thematic area achieving its specific outcomes?

Efficiency: How are the resources being used? Could there be a better way to achieve more with the same resources?

Impact: what changes have been realized among target groups, duty bearers, systems, norms, etc., in the first year of the project? Positive, negative, intended, unintended? Why?

Sustainability: What structures and measures have been implemented to ensure the change lasts beyond the program? i.e. transfer of skills, etc.

The results of this evaluation will influence implementation of the project’s in the second year.

SCOPE OF WORK

Period under review; The evaluation is anticipated to encompass the project duration from 1st September 2022 to 31st December 2023.

Geographical Coverage: The evaluation will cover the following specific areas:

State -Region -District

• Puntland -Bari -Iskushuban
• Southwest -Bay -Baidoa
• Somaliland -Waqooyi Galbeed-Hargeisa
• Jubaland -Lower Juba -Kismayo
• Gedo -Beledhawo-Banadir
• Banadir -Kaxda and Garasbaley
• Southwest state-Lower-Shabeele -Afgooye

Thematic Priorities: Outcomes will be harvested from all project components implemented across project areas, from the four identified thematic priorities; Education, Livelihood, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), and Peace building.

Target Beneficiary Category and Stakeholders: All target beneficiary categories and relevant stakeholders outlined in the project documents. This includes a thorough evaluation of the impact on and engagement with these groups throughout the project implementation.

APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

LWF proposes a blend of quantitative and qualitative approaches for the Evaluation – the OECD DAC criteria. The consultant is encouraged to expound on these criteria using Key evaluation questions that will help assess the various aspects of the criteria. Potential methodologies may encompass an expanded application of outcome harvesting methods, including household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, a comprehensive review of documents, analytical assessments, case studies, participatory observations, feedback gathered from fieldwork, and the documentation of case studies, best practices, and lessons learned. The consultant will be expected to recommend a preferred methodology that prioritizes inclusivity, active participation, and adherence to ethical considerations. LWF being a CHS-certified organization, the nine (9) Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) commitments will guide and complement the above OECD/DAC criteria during the evaluation ref. https://corehumanitarianstandard.org

DELIVERABLES

The consultant will be responsible for preparing and submitting the following deliverables;

• An inception report.
• A draft report of the findings submitted to LWF program team for feedback (including related materials from interviews conducted).
• A final report written in English (soft copy), maximum 50 pages including findings, best practices, lessons learned, recommendations. The structure and format of the final report will be agreed upon by LWF and the consultant.

SUBMISSION CRITERIA

PART A: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

• The Technical Proposal shall be straightforward and concise, describing how the consultant intends to carry out and deliver on the abovementioned task. No cost or pricing information is to be included in the technical proposal.
• Technical proposals are limited to 15 pages in total. Organizational Information, CVs of proposed personnel, and examples of previous relevant work are to be included in an Annex. The page limitation does not include key personnel resumes, dividers, and past performance report forms. Bidders are encouraged to provide an Annex, or “portfolio,” of samples demonstrating experience performing similar activities. The Annex can include copies of photographs, other visual representations, and media/social media clippings. The Annex should not exceed ten pages.

The technical proposal shall be formatted using the following sections:

Technical Approach– Narrative not to exceed five (5) pages.

• The bidder shall demonstrate his/her understanding, ability, and overall approach to perform the requirements described in the Scope of Work/Tasks/Activities. S/he shall clearly explain how they propose to structure, design, manage, and execute the work required that meets LWF objectives.
• The Technical Approach must include a timeline or Gantt chart of the deliverables required to execute this project.

Capability Statement – Narrative – not to exceed two (2) pages.

• The bidder shall demonstrate his/her specialized competence about the requirements of the tasks/activities. S/he shall demonstrate they have the necessary personnel to successfully comply with the contract requirements and accomplish the deliverables.

Past Performance – Narrative not to exceed five (3) pages.

• The Bidder shall provide at least three (3) examples of past performance of implementing similar projects. The past performance examples must be within the last three (3) years and similar in scale and relevance. S/he must provide references for each example, including the reference’s name, title, phone number, and email address.

Personnel/Staffing – A narrative not to exceed two (2) pages.

• A summary describing the proposed staff for the project, including up to three team members. The summary shall include names, relevant qualifications of similar experience, and the proposed role for each individual. A Project Manager must be identified with a minimum of five years’ experience in related project management.
• The bidder must also include the CVs of the key staff members involved in the Project, including the Project Managers and up to 3 Team members. Each CV should not exceed three (3) pages.

PART B: Financial PROPOSAL

• The bidder shall propose a realistic and reasonable cost for this work.
• The cost should be in dollar and include all applicable local taxation. The financial proposal shall list all costs associated with the assignment.
• Items described in the technical proposal but not priced shall be assumed to be included in the prices of other items or at the consultants own cost.

  EVALUATION CRITERIA

• This solicitation is open to individuals or local firms/companies registered in Somalia, specializing in research.
• The selected Consultant will be responsible for designing and executing all activities outlined in this Request for Proposal in coordination with LWF.
• Proposals will be evaluated using the quality and cost-based selection, with a total score calculated out of 100% of which 80% is the weight of the technical proposal and 20% is the weight of the financial proposal.
• Proposals meeting the mandatory requirements will be evaluated for technical merit based on the criteria in the below chart. Those proposals scoring 65 points or higher (out of 80 points) will be considered for cost-effectiveness

Section

Description,Maximum Points,Technical Approach

Proposed structure, design, and approach to conducting the survey. (25 points)

Timeline or Gantt chart of the activities required for execution.(10 points)

Capability

Statement

Demonstrate the necessary organizational systems and personnel to successfully comply with the contract requirements and accomplish the expected results. (15 points)

Past Performance

– Inclusion of at least three relevant past performance examples of similar projects. (10 points)

– References provided by past clients for these examples and their evaluation of the bidder’s ability to deliver on time and within quality and budget expectations. (5 points)

Personnel/Staffing

Qualifications and past relevant experience of the lead consultant and up to 3 team members proposed to perform the requirements of this scope of work. (15 points)

**Technical Evaluation Threshold (**Only offers that receive a technical evaluation score of 65 and above points (out of 80) will be considered for cost evaluation.)

Cost Evaluation

The financial proposal will be evaluated using the following formula:

FS=20*lowest price/F, where FS is the financial score, and F is the proposal’s price under consideration.

**Total Points(**100)

MANAGEMENT OF THE CONSULTANT

The program manager will assume the overall responsibility for contract management, and the consultant will work directly and closely with the ASF Forum coordinator who will coordinate the same with consortium project focal persons.