Summary
As we reach the end of a four year period of implementation of Christian Aid Adaptation (ADA) Consortium programme we are commissioning this research to understand, from the perspectives of the communities we are working with, the extent to which this investment has helped in strengthening adaptation and resilience to climate change. We are also interested to better understand the contribution we have made in mainstreaming climate change into county planning and budgeting processes and evidence of good practice, as well as what lessons we can take away from this programme.

1. Background
Christian Aid is a learning organisation committed to analysing and improving the quality of its work and the contribution it is making to the eradication of poverty. We are commissioning this impact study as an opportunity to research, learn and evidence the contribution (or not) that Christian Aid’s Disaster ADA project has made to the communities we work with in their ability to adapt to climate change, based on the last 5 years of project implementation.
The ADA Project (2013 – 17) has been implemented by the Climate Adaptation Consortium (comprising the UK Met Office, the Kenya Metrological Department (KMD), Christian Aid and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the governments of Makueni and Kitui Counties and local partners) and funded by DFID Kenya. Christian Aid initially focused on Kitui County, subsequently adding Makueni in 2013. The programme seeks to generate two key outputs – (a) county development planning and implementation that addresses climate resilience of economies and livelihoods and (b) an effective approach combining CIS with funding of local adaptation to support climate resilience of local economies and livelihoods. The first output has focused on the development of a climate adaptation funding window within the County Climate Change Fund (CCCF)whilst the second has developed systems to extend weather forecasts (weekly, monthly, seasonal) to rural livelihood operators through a system of primary (agricultural extensionists, water, etc.) and secondary intermediaries (farmer group leaders, religious leaders, etc.). By 2017, there were 1,200 secondary intermediaries in Kitui and 900 in Makueni Counties, each relaying CIS to about 40 users each, giving a total of about 80,000 forecast users (who also receive forecasts directly via SMS through a bulk transmission platform developed in partnership with Safaricom). An important part of ADA is to inform best practice at both national level and sub national level across counties as they develop and merge the national climate change activities with the counties. The main challenge has been the need to match speed of implementation to the speed the establishment and rollout of CCFS under the County system, which was established at the beginning of the project as part of Kenya’s decentralisation strategy. This effectively delayed the operationalisation of County Climate Change Fund regulations to 2015.
ADA Project Theory of Change

2. Rationale for Impact Assessment
While the project has received extensive monitoring and evaluation throughout its implementation, with regular annual reviews by independent external evaluators there has never been a more in-depth impact assessment. During the implementation period 1,149,130 people have been reached with climate information services and an estimated 44,462 direct beneficiaries of public good investments derived from the county adaptation fund worth £ 696,774.0.
Further the two counties of Makueni and Kitui have developed climate information services plans. Through the developed plans forecast products like the daily, weekly, monthly, alerts through SMSs and seasonal forecast are disseminated. The two counties now have climatological maps showing the different climatic zones. These maps have been used in developing CIS plans and will be shared out by CDMs for general information. Additionally, all counties are now using GeoClim / GeoCOF tools following a training undertaken by KMD to all CDMs in the course of the year. These tools help in providing spatial data even in areas which ordinarily have no meteorological observation station this spatial data helps in downscaling forecasts to county/ward levels for the benefit of decision makers at those levels. The different climatic zones. These maps have been used in developing CIS plans and will be shared out by CDMs for general information. With the completion of 21 public good investments projects across the two counties it expected that the number of direct beneficiaries will increase as the projects attain optimal use with time.
Despite massive and impressive reach in terms of numbers of beneficiaries the impact information remains limited. It is against this backdrop that hypothesis can be summarised as……………
Firstly, through enhanced access to anticipatory climate risk information, rural livelihood operators can make decisions that reduce their exposure to climate shocks and stresses, thereby increasing their productivity, reducing their costs and increasing the efficiency of use of inputs and enabling the mitigation of asset damage. Secondly, this together with enhanced access to investment through CCCF-based Climate Adaptation Funds has increased their resilience to climate variability, change and other related shocks and stresses. Increased resilience also strengthens access to markets, enhancing both diversification and returns to marketing. Thirdly, the learning derived from this process of transformation can then be used to inform the development of both practices and policies in the three counties, across other counties and up to national and international climate finance levels.
As the practical interventions (CIS + CCCF adaptation projects) progress and generate impact, there is a need to develop a body of evidence on the impact of Christian Aid/partners’ climate resilience work across the 2 counties, especially to inform this third part of the hypothesis.
3. Audience and how the document will be used
This study is primarily for Christian Aid and partners. However information gathered in this research will also be used to provide evidence to donors on our commitment to climate change adaptation and resilience in our programmes. It will also contribute to sector wide discussions on the value that introducing this resilience approach has (or not) to projects/programmes.

4. Process
A consultant will be identified and will work with the following CA staff (the steering group) for the duration of the project:
• Programme Officer Resilience, Kenya – Nicholas Abuya
• Programme Officer Finance, Kenya – Jimmy Wetindi
• Programme Manager Livelihoods, Kenya – Eston Njuki
• Richard Ewbank, Global – Climate Advisor
5. The proposed activities of the consultancy are:
• Review of the Christian Aid documentation for the ADA programme, and initial interviews with key CA/partner and government (County and national) staff as required. Key documentation will include, community level PVCA’s conducted and documented from May 2013 onwards, Quarterly reports, Annual review reports, County Climate Information Service Plans (CIS), County Climate Change Regulations for Kitui and Makueni, County Agent Operation Manual, Memorandum of Understanding for implementation of the project, routine documentation in the form of regular reports and a number of special studies, communications pieces and case studies.
• Review of sector wide approaches and climate change policy environment in Kenya.
• To work with the CA steering group to develop research questions and a detailed methodology for measuring the impact of ADA project; based on: the project data and information available; ADA project theory of Change; documentation and resources available across the sector; the consultants own experience. The methodology should deliver convincing empirical data (both qualitative and quantitative), of the impact (or not) of ADA project
• To utilise this methodology in conducting research in a sample of the communities we have been working with in Makueni and Kitui Counties. These communities could include those where ADA project was not implemented.
• Based on the experience of conducting the research the consultant will be asked to review the methodology based on this experience and provide us with recommendations on how we could utilise this methodology in other similar settings, and what we should aim to put in place in order to do this.
• To write a report on findings and recommendations from the research, and to provide a debrief to key CA staff and partners, both in the Counties and Nairobi.
6. Deliverables and timing
The total timeframe of this consultancy is anticipated to take something in the region of 6-8 weeks between April 2017 and June 2017, as outlined below:
1. Review of CA and key interviews – 24th April 2017
2. Methodology document (proposed approach, tools, field guide and field workplan) first draft by 1st May 2017 for comments, final draft 5th May 2017
3. Conduct field based research (approx. 2-3 weeks in total) April-May 2017 – exact dates to be finalised
4. Draft report and reviewed methodology – 5th June 2017
5. Final report and debrief to CA staff – 11th June 2017
6. Workshop to be facilitated in Kitui, Makueni and Nairobi to present study findings June 2017 – exact dates to be finalised.

7. Profile of the consultant
• Significant field experience in climate change and development programming (both are desirable) with at least masters qualification.
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English
• Knowledge of written and spoken Swahili is highly desirable
• Significant experience in designing and testing research methodologies
• Good knowledge and practice of participatory research methodologies
• Good communications skills
• Ability to manage the available time and resources and to work to tight deadlines
• Ability to write clear and useful reports (will be required to produce examples of previous work in the same field )

HOW TO APPLY:
**. Expression of Interest invited by 6th April 2017**
Applications are invited from suitably qualified consultants. Interested individuals should submit below to: nairobirecruitment@christian-aid.org
• A brief methodology and structure of how the research will be conducted over the evaluation period; as well as how the final report will be structured
• A description of how the consultant plans to spend the budget, splitting costs and time by research phase (planning, desk review, interviews, management, research and report writing). Total number of days planned and daily rate should be clearly outlined.
• CV(s)
• References of similar work conducted by the consultant

Annex –Abbreviations
CIS- Climate Information Services
CCCF-County Climate Change Fund
PVCA- Participatory Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments
KMD- Kenya Meteorological Department
CMD- County Meteorological Directors