Mid-Term Evaluation Consultant at SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

Job Description

About the ICSIAPL project

SNV Kenya and Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) in collaboration with County Governments - are implementing the Integrated & Climate Smart Innovations for Agro-Pastoralists Economies and Landscapes Kenya’s ASAL project (ICSIAPL). The project is implemented under the EU’s Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA) action. The project’s lifetime is from 1st January 2021 – 31st December 2023. The project works in the Counties of Narok, Kajiado and Taita Taveta and is funded by the European Union and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The project applies research towards building more resilient and market-based solutions for improved forage production and livestock husbandry through climate smart innovations and sustainable landscape management. The overall objective of the project is to enhance livelihoods of agro-pastoralists communities through improved forage production and livestock husbandry, building on commercialisation of climate smart innovations and sustainable landscape management in Taita Taveta, Kajiado and Narok counties.

The project has defined three interrelated strategic outcomes, which are aligned with the three 3 main pillars of the EU’s DeSIRA initiative:

• Research applied and commercialised: increased resilience of agro-pastoralists and SMEs against climate shocks by the adoption of technology and upscaling of appropriate grazing and feeding innovations.
• Capacities strengthened, and coordination realised: capacity of county governments and other stakeholders improved in planning, implementation and coordination of integrated landscape and grazing management and drought resilient livestock feeding strategies.
• Policies applied, and strategies developed: county governments better able to domesticate national policies and develop local strategies/frameworks for drought resilient livestock sector development.

Objective and scope of evaluation

The long-term goal of the project is to build resilience of communities in the three ASAL counties hence increasing their incomes, gender inclusion in livestock and forage value chains while reducing the effects of climate change and landscape degradation. The work of this project will contribute to improvement in agriculture and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through addressing the following barriers:

• Low rates of technology adoption in agriculture by agro pastoralists
• Lack of market-based knowledge among agro-pastoralists
• Limited collaboration among stakeholders of forage and landscapes
• Weak policy environment especially at the counties
• Low participation of women and youth in fodder value chain
• High risk of climate change shocks.

This midterm evaluation shall be conducted according to the guidance, rules and procedures established by SNV and its donors. The objective of the evaluation is to assess the achievement of the project results which will prompt midterm adjustments and draw lessons that can improve the sustainability of benefits from this project and help in the overall enhancement of SNV programming.

The midterm evaluation will assess the implementation and performance of the project by looking at the potential impact and sustainability of results. This includes contribution to capacity development to achieve effective integrated and climate smart innovations in fodder and sustainable landscapes management approaches in attainment of project goals. In addition, the evaluation is expected to review the project´s progress on partnerships with key stakeholders: KALRO, County Governments of Taita Taveta, Kajiado and Narok and similar projects e.g., KCSAP and ASDSP among others.

Finally, evaluation is considered as a significant opportunity to provide donors, government, and project partners with an independent assessment of relevance and progress in achievement of outcomes.

Qualifications 

•  A Master’s degree in field of economics, livestock production, NRM/range management, or other closely related fields.
• Over 10 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis in areas of value chain analysis, result-based management evaluation methodologies.
• Knowledge of climate smart and or resilience building programs with measurement of resilience sensitive indicators.
• Experience applying SMART indicators and reconstructing or validating baseline scenarios; competence in adaptive management as applied to fodder, beef and dairy value chain development with market systems approach.
• Experience in conducting EU, DGIS funded project surveys including household studies, agricultural value chain analyses, Mid Term, and end term evaluations especially in ASALs contexts.
• Experience in implementing evaluations remotely with field logistics and guiding enumerators to assure high quality data as an asset.
• Previous experience with Akvo Flow, Log Alto, ODK, Survey CTO platforms for online and off-line data management would be considered a plus.

Additional Information

Required

The following is required from the consultancy firm in response to these terms of reference as a basis for evaluation and selection of the suitable consultant:

•  A technical and financial proposal
• CV(s) of the firms lead consultant and support or technical staff/consultant to be engaged
• Reference list of previous clients and a sample final report for the same
• Company registration certificate
• Tax compliance certificate and PIN