A brief about the implementers
The Lay Volunteer International Association LVIA, Resource Conflict Institute (RECONCILE) and the Merti Integrated Development Programme (MID-P)have been funded by the European Union under the Kenya Rural Development Programme for a period of 48 months started on the 18th September, 2014 and ends in September, 2018. The three partners are working on various sectors including relief and rehabilitation activities, health, water and sanitation, protection, peace-building, youth/children support and gender-based violence. Others sectors include; livestock production in a sense, supporting productive pastoralism, policy advocacy and land and natural resources.
Context
The ASAL counties of North-East Kenya (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) continue to experience violent conflicts that constrain sustainable food security, livelihoods, and development in the region. Conflicts within the region are many, complex, and occur at different levels. They can be inter-ethnic, intra-ethnic, or cross border in dimension. Excluding inter-state wars, conflicts in the region mostly manifest themselves as pastoralist conflicts (livestock raiding or rustling, violent disputes at watering points, etc.), highway banditry, generalized insecurity, and other crimes.
Pastoralist conflicts are principally resource-based, revolving around livestock. These conflicts now involve the use of fire arms, making them even more violent (e.g.; indiscriminate killing) and destructive. Marginalization by post-independence governments has also compounded the pastoralist problem within the GHA. Over the years, pastoralist conflicts have become more frequent, more unpredictable, and exhibit marked escalation in violence and geographical spread
Specifically, conflict in Isiolo County is one of those that have existed over time, taking different shapes and faces hence getting complex each time it escalates. The conflict is centered on use, access and management of natural resources. Many divergence of opinions amongst communities on the access to, control and usage of land for pasture, have thus exacerbated clan politics as well as influencing different decision affecting resource and livelihood opportunities.
In addition to addressing resourced base conflicts, the project will address the ones arising from the devolved governments, the resort city, the international airport and the abattoir foreseen with the V2030. The merging of Sub-Counties and electoral boundaries under the county arrangement has generated new conflict avenues whereby local populations feel their control over territories and their resources are under threat. Although conflict prevention, management, resolution and transformation are the main crosscutting themes accompanying all projects, build institutional interventions through effective governance will be of key importance in this action.
Recognizing this, donor funding is increasingly prioritizing on the reduction of insecurity and community vulnerability to conflict and LVIA is therefore seeking a consultant to lead the study and develop a comprehensive resource-based conflict prevention and resolution study, designed integrating an engagement framework envisaging the full commitment of all NRM bodies such as the rangeland users, pasture, peace as well as water committees and associations are defined based on their statutory roles and community engagements.
The overall objective of the proposal is to enhance drought resilience of pastoral communities inIsiolo County.
To attain positive livelihoods outcomes pastoralists rely on specific strategies to manage their livestock effectively. Their livelihoods strategies have evolved over centuries in response to the local environment and climate, with low and erratic rainfall. Key strategies include accessing and managing natural resources (NR), mainly grazing land and water sources, and maintaining high levels of mobility across large tracts of land to make the most effective use of scarce resources and in response to environmental conditions. These sophisticated and dynamic strategies or ‘local livelihoods’ are sensitively adapted to the certainty that have allowed pastoralists to cope with the threats and risks that characterise their environment and to maintain a viable production and livelihoods system.
Drought is a major external shock and a primary trigger of livelihoods crises. Cyclical droughts are a defining feature of pastoralists’ way of life, however, in recent decades, it has become increasingly clear that pastoralists’ strategies have been significantly strained and pastoralists’ adaptive capacity to resist or recover from drought-related shocks has been progressively undermined. The project therefore will undertake the following activities that aim at improving the current situation by strengthening pastoralists’ drought resilience in Isiolo County supporting their livelihoods systems with timely and appropriate interventions aimed at protecting and strengthening livelihood assets and strategies. The action is expected to promote conflict sensitive interventions directly by supporting capacity initiatives for the Dedha Councils, Peace Building Committees and Local Authorities enhancing the conflict management and transformation skills.
The key results areas are;
Result 1. Pastoral communities dispose of instruments to reduce their vulnerability to drought and to transform conflicts over Natural Resources Management (NRM)
Result 2. Secured and improved revenue for livestock producers through animal disease control and value chain enhancement
Result 3. Improved resilience of pastoral communities through livelihood diversification focusing on NTPF value chain development
2.BACK GROUND OF THE CONSULTANCY/ ASSIGNMENT
The consortium is seeking a consultant to conduct a baseline survey process whose findings will inform and provide a better understanding on how the KAME project will be implemented. Indeed, the baseline is expected to help the programme set bench marks for reference and also in possible case scenario review the log-frame based on the current context on the ground. The main study areas will be Merti and Garbatulla sub-counties. It is intended that the baseline assessment will provide: a) Useful information and baseline data for sharing and dissemination; b) Confirm the KPIs present in the project’s LogFrame, cross-checking against verifiable data collected. c) Provide information that will assist in developing and designing future programme Monitoring and Evaluation plan. Most importantly, the process should be able to flag out community approaches to managing risks and building resilience as well as identify interventions and actors that can benefit and in retrospect of reciprocity actors benefit from it.
2.1Overall Objective
The overall objective of the baseline survey is to provide useful information that will help in setting benchmarks for the project identifying areas for intervention in integrating effective strategies for best practices in ASAL livelihood. This study will further form the benchmarks for measuring impact and progress in achieving set objectives in different phases/semesters of project implementation.
The survey specifically aimed at:
1. Carry out a thorough review and analysis of the project documents (proposal, log frame, action plans, and budget).
2. Analyze the KPIs for result 1 and 2 in the log frame, and identify the verifiability of the latters
3. Propose, when and if necessary, new KPIs to include in the Project outlining a clear M&E Framework (in strict collaboration with the project staff)
4. Realize qualitative and quantitative data collection, proposing a clear methodology, concerning the defined KPIs.
3.EXPERT PROFILE
It is expected that the team will be multidisciplinary, bring together experts from different fields. At minimum the consultant(s) must possess the following:
• At least a Masters Degree in Social Sciences, Environmental Studies, Agriculture, Development Studies or Land Use/Regional Planning or a related field.
• Good understanding of Kenyan development context and in particular areas of policy and legal context on development of ASALs regions, land use planning and sustainable resource utilization.
• Demonstrated experience in employing participatory approaches in undertaking studies in communities living in ASALs and engaging formal and informal institutions.
• Conversant with application of cross cutting themes like gender, climate change (Disaster Risk Reduction), conflict sensitive programming, and governance.
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Swahili. Knowledge of any of the local languages (Borana, Somali) will be an added advantage.
4.DELIVERABLES
The consultants will be expected to deliver the following;
A draft report which will be presented to the partners and a few stakeholder in a validation workshop.
The Baseline report;
Outline; baseline report outline should be produced by the consultant with the following elements:
a) Table of contents
b) A brief and clear executive summary with among others major findings of the Baseline and summary of conclusions and recommendations.
c) The objectives of the Baseline, methodology and any challenges encountered in the field.
d) A presentation of the findings and the analysis
e) Conclusions
f) Recommendations with clear guidelines of how they can be implemented.
g) Report annexes (including a Monitoring and Evaluation framework).
5.SIZE OF THE REPORT
The consultant is expected to produce the Baseline report covering all the aspects as outlined in the ToR. The Baseline report will be in English and maximum of 30 pages excluding annexes. The team will be liable to submit at least one hard copy and one electronic copy of the report by the agreed deadline.
6.DURATION
The entire period of this consultancy shall not exceed twenty (20) working days.
7.SUPPORT TO THE CONSULTANT
The Consultant will receive full support by the organization with the provision of all the project documents and files, and assistance in meeting up authorities and beneficiaries.
8.TERMS AND CONDITION OF PAYMENT
The consultant shall be paid in installments of 50% as down payment and 50% after LVIA and its partners receives and approves the final report. The fees will be liable to withholding tax to be remitted to the Kenya government.
HOW TO APPLY:
APPLICATION
Consultants who meet the above requirements should submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) not exceeding 10 pages, which should include the following:
i. A suitability statement including a demonstration of competencies to undertake the assignment.
ii. A brief statement of on the proposed study methodology including a detailed work plan.
iii. A detailed financial proposal inclusive of all costs foreseen and VAT included.
iv. Updated curriculum vitae of the consultant, inclusive of three references.
How to apply:
The expression of interest should be submitted to Mr. Tommaso Menini at:lvia.eu.projectcoordinator@gmail.com
The subject line should read BS-EOI for Isiolo , before the 12thof April 2015
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.