: Monitoring and evaluation - consultancy

VSF Germany, Piedmont Plaza, Piedmont Plaza, Ngong Road, 2nd floor, Opp KSTC Nairobi. Kenya. P. O. Box 25653, 00603. Nairobi, Kenya. E mail: admin_hr@vsfg.org

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES MONITORING & EVALUATION Ref: Improved Community Response to Drought III(ICRD III) ECHO/-HF/BUD/2010/01000 & IFA PROJECT ZIVIK P-67/11 About us: VSF Germany, is an international Non Governmental Organization, providing humanitarian aid and development assistance to pastoralists and vulnerable communities in areas where livestock is of importance. In the region, VSF Germany implements activities in southern Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

With support in animal health, agriculture, marketing, food safety but also with developing the capacity of communities and governmental institutions or initiating peace and conflict resolution we work towards food security and strengthened livelihoods of pastoralist communities. VSF-G seeks to hire the services of qualified and experiences persons/ firms to carry out the above consultancy for the below outlined project. Background: In the arid and semi-arid lands of the Greater Horn of Africa, drought is the most important natural hazard in terms of impact on lives and livelihoods. Although drought used to occur on average in one out of every five to six years, it has been happening more frequently and more intensely over the last 30 years. In Kenya, between 1975 and 2007, there have been at least eight serious droughts (1975, 1977, 1980, 1983/84, 1991/92, 1996/97, 1999/2001, 2004/06), three of which took place over the last 12 years (Kenya National Disaster Policy, 2004). Droughts cause a decline in food production, they change migratory patterns of pastoralists, exacerbate resource-based conflicts, result in large losses of livestock assets and acute food insecurity among vulnerable households. Its impact is greater for pastoralists and subsistence farmers. The vast majority of people within the project area are pastoralists, their livelihoods depend on livestock. In times of drought, pastoralist households have been used to applying a number of coping strategies including changing their consumption pattern, switching to lower quality cheaper cereals, seeking forms of social support etc. But, in the past decade, pastoralists’ own ability to respond to drought has become increasingly limited, due not only to increasing frequency and intensity of droughts leaving less time for recovery, but also due to increasing demographic pressure, dwindling resource base, conflict, changes in access to land and water and other shocks like floods and disease outbreaks. This has in many instances decreased livestock assets to unsustainable levels and eroded traditional support mechanisms, forcing thousands to depend on food aid. The livelihoods of some of the targeted communities are further complicated by international borders which divide ecosystems and cut across traditional boundaries restricting their mobility. Mobility is further constrained by the conversion of the better watered land to agriculture and escalating inter-clan conflict.

Objective of the Monitoring & Evaluation The general aim of this consultancy is to ensure internal backstopping and monitoring and evaluation services to the project implementation of the Increased Community Response to Drought Project (ifa Project zivik.P-67/11) in order to provide professional support towards the ongoing process of effect oriented monitoring and evaluation within the context of non-violent conflict transformation. This is to ensure that the project will be relevant, efficient and effective in terms of its stated objectives as well as lead to the envisaged outcomes and impacts and encompassed sustainability, - having in view capacity development for all stakeholders involved in regard to addressing the concrete conflict; - having in view how far project strategies, methods and approaches contribute to non-violent conflict transformation.

The Task To realize the above objectives, the consultant will undertake the following tasks: a) Develop together with all partners a monitoring and evaluation system based on the monitoring and evaluation chart of the conflict sensitive programme component of the project, considering ifazivik Terms of Reference for Evaluation as well as DAC evaluation standards and UNISDR Hyogo framework which form an integral part of these terms of reference; b) Develop together with all partners work plans for project implementation in line with the monitoring and evaluation chart submitted. c) Support all key actors in developing specific monitoring systems for their own organizations and activities. d) Carry out quality assurance and checks in ‘on site’ visits with reference to indicators, project charter and project implementation progress. e) Collaborate closely with all VSF G staff involved in project monitoring (Head of Programmes, Internal Auditor, Compliance Officer, Project Manager, Field Officers). f) In collaboration with the finance department, forecasts, expenditure/activity planning (activity budgets), expenditure reporting submitted by the PM, is reviewed monthly and efficiency discussed monthly in the senior management meetings

Approach The assignment will be carried out using participatory and conflict sensitive approaches in all consultations. The backstopping will be based on a continuous dialogue with all stakeholders involved in realization of the project, namely the project manager, the DRR/Peace Building Trainer, the local peace committees, Pastoral Field School Groups and Water Committees involved, the representatives of Siboloi National Park Administration and Kenya Wildlife Services Department. Additional documents will be provided to the consultant to support the exercise namely, ifazivik ToRs for Evaluation; DAC Evaluation Standards; Project implementation chart

Expected Main Outputs a)Monitoring and Evaluation Matrix for ICRD/IFA ZIVIK Conflict sensitive Programming component. b) Internal Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. c) After each visit, a monitoring Reports using the said matrix and giving a feed back on the progress achieved the following issues: o changes in the current conflict situation, key driving factors, influential actors, factors dynamics and groups relevant to the conflict dynamic; o changes in the commitment and interest of addressing peace and conflict issues of stakeholders involved, especially organizations; o integration of key actors in the concrete conflict addressed; o achievements so far reached through project activities in regard to project outcome, milestones/process indicators and action plan; o tangible and perceived benefits of project activities by local population; o update on assumption and risks in regard to current conflicts; o update on unintended effects.

d) After each visit, updated matrix and recommendations agreed upon in a final meeting with representatives of the key actors.

Proposal from Interested consultants or firms Interested & qualified professionals / institutions may submit bids. Applications should include a proposal entailing the following:

a. Work plan & Methodology b. Costing c. Profiles of consultants. d. Recommendations letters.

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