1. Background: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations.
It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
IUCN has three programme areas: Valuing and conserving nature; Effective and equitable governance of nature’s use, and; Deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development.
IUCN mandate is achieved by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.
IUCN’s Eastern and Southern African (ESARO) region comprises 24 countries in the Horn of Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean.
2. Project Overview: IUCN ESARO, with assistance from the European Commission, is implementing the Participation for Change Project which aims to ensure the development of appropriate pastoralist policies in East Africa that are based on local participation and knowledge which enhance food security for pastoralist communities.
Specifically the project aims to strengthen the engagement and coordination of indigenous pastoral associations in local and national food security related policy processes to promote participation, accountability and transparency in policy formulation and implementation.
IUCN is implementing this project in the cross border areas of Northern Kenya – Southern Ethiopia and Southern Kenya-Northern Tanzania in collaboration with local partners namely Community Initiative Facilitation and Assistance (CIFA), Pastoralist Development Network of Kenya (PDNK), African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) and Oromia Pastoralist Association (OPA).
The project intends to respond to the challenge of food security in the pastoral areas through enhancing the participation of local actors in decision making processes as it seeks to influence change in institutions through addressing the barriers to effective participation that exist at multiple levels of society.
The project specifically targets organized pastoralist groups, civil society and local government that are involved with drylands, food security and pastoralists’ issues.
IUCN approaches the challenge of food insecurity through an ecosystem-based lens, recognizing the role that healthy, well-managed drylands ecosystems play in enabling sustainable access to available food and in supporting the healthy utilization of those sources.
2. Objective and Scope of Work
The main objective of this consultancy assignment would be to conduct an end of project evaluation to determine the impacts and lessons from the project implementation.
Specifically the main objectives of the Final Evaluation are to:
Understand the extent to which the project’s main objectives have been achieved;
Identify the main broader impacts of the project and ways that these may be sustained;
Capture the key lessons from the project’s design and delivery for dissemination and sharing to other practitioners; and to assess whether the design of the project and its components have been appropriate in response to the context of nomadic pastoralism in relation to food security in the project countries;
To assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the project management and project delivery;
Verify project funds and resources were used effectively and efficiently to deliver results;
To understand how replicable the process that introduced the changes/impact was?
What aspects of the project are replicable elsewhere?
Under what circumstances and/or in what contexts would the project be replicable?
3. Outputs
The consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:
1. Evaluation Inception report, detailing out the workplan and methodology to be used to complete the evaluation
2. Final Evaluation Report, including completed ARS.
4. Methodology
The consultant will use the following methodology to undertake the evaluation:
1. Literature review of project documents and other relevant materials.
2. Focus group discussion and/or one-on-one interviews with key project partners and stakeholders.
3. Draft Report write up of key findings.
4. Feedback to the team – meetings with IUCN and partners to feedback and deliberate the initial findings of the evaluation.
5. Final report – production of a final report document taking into account feedback and comments from IUCN and project partners.
5. Proposed period and duration of consultancy:
The entire work is expected to be completed on or before 17th December 2016 from the date of signing of the contract.
This period includes visits to project partners, project sites and reporting. IUCN and partners will be available to assist in the field whenever needed. IUCN will cover transport, accommodation and other relevant costs and logistics for field visits.
5. Required Qualifications
The consultant(s) should have a good background and/or significant experience with natural resource management, community development, or relevant field with demonstrable sound knowledge of East African drylands food security and policy issues (especially in a pastoralism context).
The consultant(s) should have experience in conducting similar assignments.
The consultant(s) should have a background/understanding of pastoral issues and dynamics.
The consultant(s) should have good skills and competency in report writing. He/she should be fluent in English, both written and spoken. Knowledge of Kiswahili, Maa, or Borana/ Oromiffaa languages will be an added advantage.
6. Applications
IUCN invites proposals from suitable candidates with substantial experience to submit their application with the following:
Cover letter;
Updated CV;
Proposal with their interpretation of the ToRs, methodology and work plan, and suggested consultancy fees.
Consultant(s) based in Kenya are preferred.
Applications should be sent to Akshay Vishwanath (akshay.vishwanath@iucn.org) by Monday, 28th November 2016.