Consultant – Baseline study: We Effect Zambia Country Office

Terms of Reference for conducting a Baseline Survey for the Women Economic Empowerment Project

Introduction

We Effect is a Swedish development organization with a regional office in Southern Africa and country offices in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  It supports development powered by people who themselves live in poverty and works with local organizations. We Effect’s vision is a sustainable and just world free of poverty. To succeed, it has to start by changing the situation for the most vulnerable – women and girls, who constitute 70% of those living in poverty. To achieve gender equality, We Effect has global and regional strategies, whose main focus is Equality First and prescribes gender equality as the core of all We Effect work.

Project Background

We Effect Zambia and partners (Heifer International and Women for Change) with support from Sida through the Swedish Embassy in Zambia began implementing the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Project in December 2019.  The project will end in July 2023. It is being implemented in eight districts namely Chipata, Lundazi and Chadiza in Eastern Province, Choma/Kalomo, Zimba/Kazungulu and Pemba/Monze/Gwembe in Southern Province, Kaoma/Nkeyema/Luampa in Western Province and Mumbwa in Central Province.

The overall objective of the project is to advance women’s economic empowerment to ensure the capacity of women to participate in, contribute to and benefit from agricultural value chains and processes in ways that affirm the value of their contributions, respect their dignity, promote equality in Eastern, Western, Southern and Central Provinces.

The project-specific objectives are:

1. To increase women’s agency and decision-making power at household and community levels to address barriers to women’s economic empowerment.

2. To reduce institutional barriers that limit women’s economic advancement in agricultural value and market chains.

3. To strengthen women’s voice and collective power at community level to increase access to, control of and ownership of productive (e.g. physical assets, land) and financial assets among women through women-led cooperatives, land tenure and financial inclusion.

Baseline Objectives

The main objectives of the baseline are to:

1. Establish the status of the project outcome and output indicators as outlined in the project logical framework;

2. Set benchmarks/targets of the various indicators ;

3. Ascertain the relevance and sustainability of the set objectives; and.

4. Provide recommendations for the project implementation.

Methodology, Data Collection and Analysis

The baseline study will use a mixed approach (qualitative and quantitative data). To meet the objectives of the baseline, the study will be undertaken through various methods including observations, KABP survey, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), and Key Informant Interview (KII). Further, data collection should be done in a participatory and inclusive manner where all groups i.e. girls, boys, men, women and other marginalized groups fully participate.

The baseline should be designed to meet the objectives and the theory of change (ToC) approach which will entail  careful analysis of the intended outcomes, outputs, strategies and activities, and the contextual factors and their potential to achieve the desired outcomes.

Data is expected to be collected through secondary and primary sources. This will include documentary review, group and individual interviews with key stakeholders, such as representative of line ministries both at national and district level, civil society organizations, implementing project partners, community leaders, Community Based Organizations, beneficiaries (Boys, girls, men, & women), National Offices, Management and project staff.

Sample

The consultant is expected to develop and suggest a sampling strategy including a description of:

1. Sample size (or expectations of the consultant (s) in calculating it)
2. Necessary respondent disaggregation
3. Sampling approach
4. Participant selection and recruitment

Stakeholder participation at various levels in the baseline will be critical. The consultant will ensure that stakeholders are meaningfully involved in the baseline process. These will include; Youth (boys and girls), men and women including those with disabilities and the marginalised. Additionally, it should involve families, local authorities, district and national level government, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, service delivery institutions and project staff.

Deliverables

1. Inception Report – The inception report shall include; timeline, detailed methodology, including draft sampling methodology and size. Draft data collection tools; ethical considerations, consent forms for any primary data collection, methods for data analysis, brief justification of the methods and techniques used (including relevant underlying values and assumptions/ theories) with a justification of the selections made (e.g. of persons to be interviewed). The inception report should be submitted and presented to the WEE Project Consortium partners to facilitate feedback;

2. Draft Baseline Report – including an Indicator Tracking Table with baseline data to be submitted and presented to We Effect and partners highlighting main preliminary findings, conclusions and recommendations at a validation meeting.

3. Final Baseline Report  maximum 35 pages excluding  the executive summary and annexures (data collection tools and consent forms).

4. Cleaned data set (e.g. Excel, SPSS), transcripts of qualitative data, syntax/ code books etc.

Duration and Timing

The whole duration of the assignment will be for 30 days. The Consultant will be required to commence work by 15th April 2020 and complete the baseline by 29thMay 2020.

Proposal to be submitted via email only, to [email protected]  no later than close of business (17:30Hrs) on 13th April, 2020

Qualifications and Experience of the Consultant(s)

• An advanced degree in social sciences, gender studies, development studies, agricultural economics, or any other relevant qualification.
• At least 7 years’ experience in conducting complex country programme evaluations/gender evaluations in the field of development or other international organisations with experience in leading evaluations.
• Expertise and knowledge of the thematic areas relevant to the WEE Project. The baseline team should preferably be conducted by a team comprised of  expertise in agricultural extension, women economic empowerment, gender-based violence,governance/women leadership, agricultural value chains, business development/cooperative development/women led organisations, among others.
• Excellent analytical, writing and communication skills.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Remuneration, logistics and duration of the contract

The consultants will be paid an agreed daily rate based on qualification and experience. Workdays will be distributed between the date of contract signature and end date of baseline.

Payment fees will be based on the delivery of outputs, as follows:

• 30% upon approval of the design/Inception Report.
• 40% upon submission and presentation of the draft baseline report
• 30% upon submission of the final baseline report.

Travel costs (perdiem) will be settled separately from the consultancy fees following We Effect standard rates. The Consultant will work from their premises, using their own equipment.

Application Procedures

Applications consisting of:

• A cover letter summarising suitability and qualifications for this assignment
• List of relevant similar assignments or actual outputs from these assignments
• CVs of the team members
• Technical and financial proposal with indicative work plan showing consultant’s planned approach to the assignment
• Company profile and compliance to the Laws of the Republic of Zambia, if registered as a company
• Any other support documents.

Documents indicating “WEE Project Baseline” should be sent before close of business on 13th April 2020 to [email protected]