SSADP II END OF THE YEAR 2021 ACTION RESEARCH

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR

SSADP II END OF THE YEAR 2021 ACTION RESEARCH

1.1 Organization background:

Stitching CORDAID is an international NGO registered in the Netherlands with over a century-long history of emergency and development aid in several countries, including South Sudan. The organization is implementing programs on sustainable livelihoods, agriculture and food security, emergency response and recovery, health, and Peace and Justice in South Sudan. The experience and knowledge gained in the target counties have been used for the development of this project (SSADP II).

1.2 Project background:

The Food Security Through Agribusiness in South Sudan Project (SSADP II) is a five-year project that runs from late 2018 to July 2023 funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in South Sudan. The overall goal of the project is to improve food security, income, and employment of 10,000 farmer households in selected counties, based on the Making Markets Working for the Poor (M4P) approach and aims at enhancing food security, buying power, and employment position of vulnerable population in Yambio, Torit and Bor counties. It supports the strengthening of market functions and market players to make the local markets more inclusive and more enabling for agribusiness to thrive. Moreover, the project strives to increase farmers’ and agribusiness’ (MSMEs, Cooperative, VSLA) access to the organization, technology, markets, and finance. **

This project is being implemented by the following international organizations, Cordaid, Agriterra, and SPARK. Cordaid is the lead agency, and it works closely with the relevant line ministries of the Government of South Sudan, and key stakeholders, including local and international NGOs, UN agencies, and the private sector. Through this project, 10,000 farmers will directly benefit from increased production and productivity through Farmers Economy and Market Association (FEMA), 1000 youths & women and 750 MSMEs will benefit from Business Development Services, 230 Farmers Cooperatives, and 120 Village Economy, Market and Social Association (VEMSA) will directly benefit from Cooperative Development and VEMSA Development Support. Also, the project will create access to finance in partnership with Rural Finance Initiative (RUFI) in a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) scheme for agribusiness development in the project target counties. The selected value chain includes Maize, Sorghum, Cassava, and Groundnuts. The conceptual model of the project is shown in the diagram in the right.

2. General objective

The objective of the consultancy is to carry out an Action Research to gain insight information on how the project is performing and establish reasons behind successes or failures, which will inform the project management team on the level at which the project is achieving its set objectives (outcomes).

Therefore, the conduct of the Action Research shall be done within the parameters of the project’s intermediate outcomes, guided by the below objectives. Thus, the below are the general objectives of the Action Research.

i. To generate lessons learnt and recommendations for adoption in the programming

ii. To identify programming gaps for better understanding and timely information sharing to improve action.

iii. To enhance informed communication between the project management teams and the project implementation staff.

iv. To motivate project management staff to gain the required confidence and ability to carry out research for solving their own project-based problems.

Specific questions for this Action Research 2021

(a) Based on the mid-term evaluation (2021) results, analyze the key success and constraint factors (both internal and external) for each outcome.

(b) Recommend on strategies and approaches for enhancing project impact.

(c) From the Market Development perspective:

a. What are the opportunities in expanding/ improving the markets along the whole value chains for our target groups?

b. what are the opportunities that we can tap on to enhance project impact?

(d) How do different genders experience of the project differ?

(e) Are there ways/recommendations for us to further our impact by considering gender relations?

3.0. Break down the scope of work

The following will be the specific Activities to be accomplished by the consultant in close collaboration with Resilience PMEL Manager, Regional PMEL Advisor and the Senior Project Manager for the SSADP II.

· Development of the study methodology including sampling techniques and sample size

· Development of data collection tools

· Training of enumerators (virtual)

· Data collection, cleaning, and analysis

o A desk review of relevant project reports

o Meeting and interview stakeholders and partners

o Meeting with CORDAID management (Country and Global Office) and project staff members

o Meeting with Project Consortium Partners

· Report writing, presentation of findings

4.0. Development of the survey methodology and tool

The consultant will develop the Methodology of the study.

5.0. Key Results of the assignment

· Simple methodology developed

· Enumerators, supervisors, and project staff virtually trained

· Online support to data collection teams across the 3 counties

· Online debriefing on key findings and recommendations done to the project team

· Comprehensive report submitted to Cordaid

· Submission of all the data sets and databases of the collected data done timely to Cordaid

6.0. Duration of Assignment

Considering the remote management of this assignment by the consultant, the whole assignment is estimated to take 18 working days starting from mid-November 2021, which is broken down as follows:

Key Activity

Number of days

Dates

Desk review of data/design of methodology/tools development, 3 November 22nd -24^th, 2021

Data collection 5days November 25th-December 1^st, 2021

Data analysis and sense-making 3 days – December 2nd-6^th, 2021

Report writing, 4days – December 7th -10^th, 2021

Debriefing.1 day – December 13th, 2021

Final revision and submission 1 day – December 14th, 2021

Budget guideline

11. A GUIDE TO THE EVALUATION BUDGET DEVELOPMENT

Item Description Unit Quantity Unit cost Total cost in USD Remarks

**

Professional fees (with breakdown by role/person)

Travel cost (International travel cost if any)

Accommodation and meals

Tax (applicable to international consultants, which is 15% of the cost of the assignment)

Note: The domestic flights and local road transport will be covered by Cordaid South Sudan.

7.0. Qualifications and experience of the consultant

· Master’s degree in a relevant field related to the assignment

· At least five years’ experience in conducting similar surveys and assessments in agribusiness, CMDRR, Market system development, food security and livelihood

· Demonstrated understanding of South Sudan’s political, socio-cultural, and livelihood contexts.

· Demonstration of analytical, and good writing skills