TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONDUCTING An EVALATON STUDY IN YABELLO, WOREDA, OROMIYA REGIONAL STATE SOS ETHIOPIA IN COLLABORATION WITH GAYO PASTORAL INITIATIVE (GPDI)

Title: Provision of Critical Emergency Gap-Filling Interventions and Livelihood Support for Vulnerable Households Impacted by the Recurrent Drought in Borena zone of Oromia Regional State

Post Level: Consultancy

Duty Station: Yabello Woreda

Department/Unit: SOS CVE HRP Unit

Reports to: SOS Hawassa MEAL Department

Project Context & Background Information

As part of the donor compliance requirement, the project will have two phased evaluations where the first phase of the evaluation will be led and carried out by the local government which in this case the prime office supporting such service is the Zone Finance department in collaboration with other key government offices supporting this project. This evaluation is scheduled to take place in the month of February and the findings are to be shared in the first to second week of May so the project could be able to take stock of the major findings while compiling the final interim report to be produced and shared with the donor in the last week of March 2025. The last stage of the evaluation will be conducted by local consultancy firm and is scheduled to take place in the month of May 2025 so that a final project evaluation report taking stocks of both evaluation findings (the first and second phase) will be produced and shared with both the donor and the local government by the end of June 2025(plus handover of major hardware of the project in the same month).

SOS CVE is therefore seeking to hire a consulting firm to conduct an evaluation of its current Project titled as “Provision of Critical Emergency Gap-Filling Interventions and Livelihood Support for Vulnerable Households Impacted by the Recurrent Drought in Borena zone of Oromia Regional State” a Project funded by Luxemburg MFA.

Undernutrition is estimated to be the cause of more than 3 million child deaths per year and is an underlying cause of 45% of child mortality. Without immediately addressing this underlying factor through health treatment, health education, improved food security to prevent re-admission, the child remains vulnerable. Due to the multi-sectoral needs of the Borena community and lack of adequate resources, SOS CVE will concentrate its efforts in supporting the poorest of the poor or nutritionally vulnerable groups such as PLW, the elders, children under-fives. SOS CVE will scale up the implementation of therapeutic nutrition treatment at the health posts and centers using Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) approach, put in place Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) intervention to provide preventive services, provide technical and logistical assistance to Yabello Woreda health bureau to also cover hard-to-reach areas (HTR) of the Woreda with mobile health and nutrition services. The two interventions will help restore the health seeking behavior & basic primary health care service to contribute to the reduction of malnutrition rates as well as lower morbidity and mortality rates because of the current cholera outbreak in Yabello Woreda. This is further achieved by working with a local partner, Gayo Pastoral Development Initiative (GPDI), which is both sub-grantee & last mile community outreach arm. GPDI is going to raise awareness within the Borena communities on where, how and when to access essential life-saving health, nutrition and livelihood or recovery assistance to selected project direct beneficiaries.

The proposed program intervention was designed based on the outcome of the multi-sectoral needs assessment conducted in the Borena zone, project insights and discussion noted during the project formulation as well as in line with the recently unveiled 3-month action plan or road map[1] that identified seven sectors (health, nutrition, education, food (+cash), Essential Non-Food Items, WASH, agriculture & livestock and protection) requiring additional fund amounting to $208,401,203.54. Any planned emergency response or support to the zone will have to be a gap-filling in nature and must complement the gaps identified in this road map or activities that would also support the gaps noted both during the multi-sectoral needs assessment as well as project formulation exercise. It is, therefore, with this background in mind that the proposed project title was named after “Provision of Critical Emergency Gap-Filling Interventions and Livelihood Support for vulnerable households impacted by the recurrent drought in Borena zone of Oromiya Region.”

As described above, the proposed intervention will quickly provide capacity building (technical, logistical and financial) to Yabello Woreda health bureau so as to enable the health office to manage the current public health emergency with confidence and ease while minimizing unnecessary loss of lives. The priority set of tasks as explained above will be to contain the cholera and measles spread that is very contagious and could spread like unattended wildfire in the context of the poor primary and secondary care service.

The project has the following expected impact and outcome:

Impact: To contribute to a reduction in morbidity and mortality prevalence in Yabello Woreda caused by malnutrition & communicable diseases amongst PLW, the elders and children under 5 years of age

Outcome1: Quality Public Health Emergency & IMAM programing supported by optimal Maternal and Young Child Feeding (MICYN) Intervention improves the health and nutrition outcomes of the project beneficiaries (direct & indirect)

Outcome 2: Direct Project Beneficiary’s household food security and economic wellbeing is restored, and beneficiaries continue to live with some dignity.

Outcome 3: Effective and efficient programme management

Objectives of Assignment
The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, relevance, and impact of the project in addressing the needs of affected communities following a disaster, by analyzing whether the project achieved its intended outcomes, identified areas for improvement, and provided valuable insights to inform future emergency response and recovery efforts; essentially, it aims to determine if the project is achieving its goals, or well-designed, and is making a positive difference for beneficiaries while also identifying areas where adjustments can be made to improve future interventions.

The evaluation should also answer the following additional questions in reference to the different components of the project (health, nutrition, protection and livelihood or recovery) in the target areas;

1. What is the current level of knowledge, attitude, and practice as well as behaviors of care givers or mothers under five years of when it comes to positive health seeking behavior and adhering to recommended or healthy diet eating practice?
2. What is the current prevalence of wasting, underweight and stunting in Yabello Woreda?
3. What is current minimum dietary diversity score for women and under-fives?
4. What is current household food insecurity for Yabello Woreda (food insecurity Experience Scale, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, copying strategy index, etc?
5. What is the current prevalence of morbidity, mortality, EPI coverage for Yabello Woreda?
6. What is the gender, cultural, socio-economic factors and policy/socio-economic that influence the adoption of healthy dietary practices and positive health seeking behavior?
7. What is the status or change in knowledge and skills of Woreda Health workers & project staff before and after the provision of the different capacity building, technical and logistical support provided by the project?

Scope of Work

The evaluation study covers 16 Kebels of Yabello Woreda and will need to look into the different investments made to the health and nutrition, protection and livelihood/recovery components of the project.

Methodology & proposed sampling

The evaluation study must use both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques to source for appropriate information from the respondents through longitudinal study. Thus, data can be collected using a mixed method in the target areas, including desk review, qualitative and quantitative and a combination of methods desirable to maximize the reliability of the data. Key data collection methods expected to use in this survey are: (1) KAP survey among mothers or care givers and their infants (children under-fives), 2) Household nutrition and mortality survey that uses SMART methodology -depth interviews, (3) Focus group discussions, (4) Health Facility Assessment (HFA) and (5) Observation and (6) Desk review. Poorest households with children under 5 years of age that who are either identified as having complicated or uncomplicated SAM will be considered as the sample size for the KAP and Household survey (nutrition and mortality survey).

The Consulting firm however can propose an appropriate sample size and sampling methodologies, based on the information on the Project beneficiaries and its capacity. The sampling should be “representative‟. When selecting data collection methods, the context of the intervention needs to be taken into consideration – e.g. cultural aspects (i.e. conduct separate Focus Group Discussion amongst men and women or amongst only elders when situation permits).

Tasks and Responsibilities

The Consultancy firm will be responsible for the following deliverables:

• An inception report will be prepared by the consultancy firm and shared with SOS CVE HRP unit. The report should include a detailed methodology, including sample size, sampling plan, data collection tools, plan for field work, and data analysis.
• Following the data collection, the consultancy firm will also prepare a draft evaluation report.
• The consultancy team will also prepare a Powerpoint presentation and two-page baseline Brief to facilitate sharing of the key findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The Brief will include project information; baseline background (baseline purpose, baseline team, baseline timeframe, methodology); and baseline results: key findings and/or conclusions, and key recommendations.
• Once feedback is provided by the HRP team, Emergency Nutrition Consultant, the consultancy team will prepare the final report. The report will follow the same presentation logic and include, at a minimum: executive summary, list of acronyms, introduction, baseline context and purpose, baseline framework and methodology, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

Annexes should include the TOR, inception report, programme evaluation indicators with baseline values.

SOS CVE will be responsible for the following.

• Introducing and facilitating the fieldwork in Yabello Woreda
• Provide beneficiary list or roster of the 120-project direct benefcarries examined during the baseline
• Provide copy of the technical and finial proposal of the project
• Provide copy of the preliminary findings from the baseline suvey & the recently Gov’t led evaluation

Facilitate and coordinate a debriefing session (virtual and an in person either in Addis Ababa or in Yabello Woreda)

Institutional Arrangements

The consultancy firm willwork a maximumof 45 working days. Applicable administrative and logistical support will be provided. 1. Timeline and Products The expected duration of the consultancy is 30 calendar days upon signingof the contract. The tentative schedule of deliverables are as follows:
Activities	Consultancy Days	Deadline	Weeks
			1	2	3	4
Inception meeting on Evaluation planning and design	1	19 May, 2025	x
Submission of inception report	4	23 May, 2025		x
Sampling and field work (including training & standardization)	13	6 June, 2025			x	X
Data processing and analysis	7	12 June, 2025
Submission of draftreport	3	16 June, 2025
Validation meeting	1	17 June, 2025
Final report anddissemination	2	19 June, 2025

Ethical Considerations, Confidentiality and Proprietary Interests

The Consultancy Firm holder needs to apply standard ethical principles during the course of the assignment. Some of these must deal with confidentiality of interviewee statements when necessary, refraining from making judgmental remarks about stakeholders.

The incumbent shall not either during the term or after termination of the assignment, disclose any proprietary or confidential information related to the service without prior written consent by the contracting authority. Proprietary interests on all materials and documents prepared by the contract holder under this assignment shall become and remain the properties of SOS CVE.

EVALUATION TEAM COMPOSITION AND REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

The personnel requirements for this project include:

Core survey team: The consultancy firm must provide a minimum of:

• (1) Full-time Project Manager – Nutrition Expert
• (1) Full-time Field Manager – Survey specialist
• (1) Full-time Data Manager

Field Team: Although the Consultancy Firm will determine the NUMBER of field teams in consultation with the HRP Team and SOS LU Nutrition & Food security Advisor/consultant, each field team should be comprised of:

• (1) Supervisor
• (2-8) Interviewers

REQUIRED SKILLS/ EXPERIENCE

As the consultancy is multifaceted, the consultancy team is expected to have a mix of skills relevant to the assignment. The required background and experience for the consultancy team is as follows:

• Legal status recognized by the Government of Ethiopia, enabling the organization to perform the above-mentioned tasks under the laws of Ethiopia.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience managing household-level surveys specifically on Nutrition SMART surveys (SMART+), KAP surveys, baseline design, and evaluations and must have demonstrated experience with research and participatory methods.
• Strong capacity and experience in planning and organizing survey logistics
• Good network of experienced enumerators, supervisors and data entry clerks.
• Strong capacity in data management and statistics.
• Strong knowledge in the following software: STATA, CS-Pro, SPSS and STATA
• Strong interpersonal skills and a team-oriented spirit.
• Team should have gender, legal (international law related to child protection) and statistics expertise
• Knowledge of Nutrition specific and sensitive programing.
• Strong writing and analytical nutrition survey report (a sample of recent analytical report is requested).
• Demonstrated ability to establish good and effective relationships with national partners.
• Knowledge on issues of Child protection and violence against children will be an added advantage including knowledge on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
• Strong knowledge of the local language (Afaan Oroomo)
• Have excellent proven written, spoken English and communication skills.
  In the technical proposal, the firm must also indicate the proposed staff and qualifications for each of the three key managerial positions based on the following minimum requirements:

Project Manager: (Nutrition Expert)

1. Master’s degree in public health or Nutritional science. The project Manager must have excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to engage at various levels including local communities and strong analytical skills. Plans, supervises, and manages the entire survey with the assistance of the Survey and data managers; Should have strong experience in epidemiology with special training on SMART nutrition and mortality surveys, KAP survey, HEA surveys.
2. The Project Manager must be based in-Yabello for the entire duration of the survey and must have experience in managing at large-scale household baseline/midline/end line surveys.
3. Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in nutrition specific and sensitive programing
4. Have relevant experience in working with governments and/or international organizations on consultancy assignments, especially in public health programing and nutrition analysis,
5. Experience in supervising and managing teams
6. Knowledge in data management software and statistical skills

Field Manager (Survey Specialist):

1. Masters in statistics: with advanced knowledge of Monitoring and Evaluation.
2. Advanced knowledge study design, analysis and reporting
3. Specific training in evaluation management.
4. The Field manager must have experience in conducting training and developing training materials
5. Responsible for training field staff; plans, supervises and manages the field work.
6. The Field Manager must be based in Yabello for the entire duration of the survey and have experience in managing field work of large- scale household surveys of over 500 households

Data Manager:

1. Master’s degree in social sciences with advanced knowledge inStatistics, demography or other relevant discipline.
2. The Data Manager must also be based in Yabello for the entire duration of the survey, in data entry for household survey management and must have experience in managing data entry of SMART surveys; experience in managing data entry for surveys of at least 500 Households. schools and communities.
3. Specific training and experience in using and programming SMART/ENA software, SPSS, STATA and similar programs; plans, supervises and manages data processing and consolidation of data including coding of questionnaire; data analysis and cleaning, ability to compile data from different sources and merging sets, ability to query data, visualization and reporting.

Language Requirements:

• All deliverables are to be written in English and meet good language standards.
• Knowledge of a local language (Afan Oromo) is an advantage

Additional requirements

• Strong intercultural competences
• Awareness and sensitivity of gender and social inclusion
• Ability to work with minimum supervision and in a team
• Abilities to collect data using mobile data collection (Kobo toolbox) and provide other equipment required for the survey (anthropometric kits, tablets, etc.)