End of project evaluation of the Agri-Business Skilling for Youth in a Refugee context (ABSYR) programme.

Terms of reference

Project Name: Agri-Business Skilling for Youth in a Refugee context (ABSYR)

Client: ICCO Cooperation

Place of Assignment: Yumbe District, Bidi-Bidi Zone 5 settlement

Manager of the Assignment: Project Manager

1.0 Introduction

Agri-Business Skilling for Youth in a Refugee Context (ABSYR) program is implemented in Yumbe district (Ariwa and Odravu sub-county) by ICCO Cooperation in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Uganda. The three years project runs from 2018 to 2020, and aims to create sustainable (self-) employment in agribusiness for 5,000 youth from Yumbe district (50% refugees, 50% Uganda nationals). Project partners include War Child Holland and ZOA, providing psychosocial training and agribusiness training to 5,000 youth respectively. ICCO Cooperation supports the groups of 25 youth during business plan development and selects 20% of the groups with the best business ideas and plans through a business plan competition. The selected 1,000 youth receive additional support from ICCO, including additional training, coaching, market linkage facilitation, financial linkage support and valley tank construction for water for production.

1.1 Overall objective

1. Increased socio-economic well-being for youth in Yumbe District, West Nile sub-region, Northern Uganda. The relevant indicators are as follows

OO1.1. By the end of the project, the index of productive and non-productive household assets in the target area has increased by at least 50% (disaggregated by m/f head of HH).

OO1.2. By the end of this project 80% of the youth experience improved social well-being.

1.1.1 Specific objectives

SO1. Targeted youth are engaged in gainful (self-) employment in agri-business by 2020. Relevant indicators are:

● SO1.1. At the end of the project, 75% of HHs of targeted youth have increased their cash spending on basic services. The PPI (poverty probability index) as measured in the baseline study will have undergone significant positive change (plus 25%).

● SO1.2. 50 youth-managed agri-businesses are operational, of which 25 are profitable by the end of the project.

● SO1.3. Average food production in terms of grain equivalent has increased for targeted youth HHs.

● SO1.4. 90% youth are applying newly acquired skills (life skills, agronomic skills & business skills).

1.2. Key result areas

The project has three key result areas:

R1: 5,000 youth (200 groups) equipped with skills for gainful (self-) employment by 2020.

Specific indicators are:

R1.1 200 youth groups trained in life skills, agronomic skills & business skills

R1.2 160 (80%) youth groups have formed VSLAs

R1.3 5,000 youth supported with community-based environmental protection initiatives

R1.4 200 youth groups (5000 youth) received production start-up kits

R2: 1,000 youth (40 groups) supported with advanced business development services

Specific indicators are:

R2.1 40 groups supported with seed funding

R2.2 40 groups received coaching and mentoring support for business development plan implementation

R2.3 40 groups supported in forming producer organizations

R3: 5,000 youth benefit from support to reduce their impact on the environment.

Specific indicators are:

R3.1 10,000 households will benefit from improved access to water for production

R3.2 10,000 households will access community-based environmental protection grants

R3.3 the community at large will benefit from improved resilience through economic development and life skills

1.3. Target population and beneficiaries

● 5,000 direct beneficiaries and 20,000 indirect beneficiaries.

● 200 youth groups with 5,000 individuals.

● Youth aged 18-30 years with at least 60 percent females and 50 percent refugees.

2.0 Specific objectives of the consultancy

The consultant will be contracted specifically:

1. To identify and document the effects of ABSYR’s interventions on the individuals and youth groups in the project area.
2. Identify and document if the psycho-social support component of the ABSYR project has contributed to the achievement of overall and specific objectives of the project.
3. To document and share recommendations, ideas, experiences, lessons, opportunities for sustaining ABSYR beyond 2020.

3.0 Evaluation questions

Evaluation Question 1: To what extent has the project achieved the intended results under each of the three result areas?

Evaluation question 2: Efficiency – do the outcomes of the program represent value for money? To what extent is the relationship between inputs and outputs timely, cost-effective and to expected standards?

Evaluation Question 3: Synergy – to what extent has ICCO’s ABSYR team collaborated successfully with its consortium partners, has synergy been created by the three consortium partners.

Evaluation Question 4: Coordination – to what extent has the ABSYR consortium collaborated successfully with other relevant actors such as sub-county, district, local Government, OPM, UNHCR and FAO livelihood working group .

Evaluation question 5: Compare competition winners performance as with the non-winners. Did the business booster efforts among the former pay off?

Evaluation Question 6: Which training activities and techniques have been the most successful at developing capacity of the youth and producer cooperatives? To what extent have psycho-social support interventions contributed to the results of business related components. To what extent have other techniques such as ERI, the introduction of savings groups, formation of cooperatives and the MEAL system, contributed to the project’s performance. Which training activities and techniques have not been effective?

Evaluation Question 7: Sustainability and impact – to what extent are the capacity building activities leading to lasting changes within the project beneficiaries? What are the long-term effects expected of ABSYR’s interventions? Include a section on unintended effects of the project.

Evaluation Question 8: Formulate key lessons learned and recommendations to inform the design of a follow-up phase (ABSYR ll)

4.0 Deliverables of this assignment:

The consultant is expected to:

Send in a detailed proposal of his/her understanding and operationalization of evaluation questions, proposed research design, methods of data collection and analysis, ethical considerations and Covid contingency planning.

Develop a detailed report of not more than 20 pages (excluding annexes) which should include experiences, opportunities, challenges, lessons gained during the implementation phase of ABSYR. The consultant will include key recommendations for improving ABSYR II programming. This will be a maximum of two pages (additional to the 20 pages mentioned above)

5.0 Methodology

The consultant will study existing secondary data sources such as the baseline, annual plans and reports, specific assessments (market/conflict/gender sensitivity) and quarterly reports for the overseeing bodies such as OPM and UNHCR, as well as the documentation on consortium meetings.

The objective of the evaluation is to compare with the baseline that was conducted, therefore a similar approach to information gathering will be used: (a) gender inclusive FGDs (focus group discussion) with business people, saving groups, cooperatives and community leaders, (b) key informant interviews with stakeholders, MFIs, banks, etc, (C) individual interviews with beneficiaries. As ABSYR is managed by a consortium, interviews with ZOA, WCH and ICCO’s supervisory staff will be required. In order to address the value for money and the comparative analysis between winners and non-winners a quantitative survey and comparative statistical analysis can be part of the approach.

Fact finding and data gathering is followed up by identifying and documenting challenges, lessons learnt, opportunities, key achievements in terms of outcomes and impact on the project beneficiaries from both the Refugee and Host community in Bidi-Bidi zone 5 settlement.

6.0 Timeline, supervision and reporting arrangements:

The consultant shall report to the Country Manager and the field coordination in Yumbe District, the M&E advisor will be available. Oversight, support and supervision shall be done by the ABSYR Project Manager.

01 October: publication of TOR on relevant websites

21 October: deadline for submitting evaluation offers

22 October: evaluation of offers, contracting, availing secondary project data

26 October: start field work evaluation, inception meeting with the program team-field work, adaptation of evaluation approach if needed

6 November: debriefing

13 November: first draft report for comments

18 November: final report

7.0 Required skills and experience of the consultant

● The consultant/firm should be readily available and in a position to accomplish the assignment in the stipulated period, while allowing for compliance with COVID-19 measures locally in force. A mix of international and national consultants is preferred. Travel restrictions travelling to and from Uganda need to be taken into account, therefore preference is given to consultants/firms who dispose of in-country presence.

● The consultant/firm should have an advanced degree and proven experience in agricultural development or business development and with experience in similar work with refugees and vulnerable populations, that focus on youth development, agribusiness and climate smart agriculture for a period of not less than 7 years.

● The consultant/firm should demonstrate skill in writing high-profile reports, briefing papers, fact sheets, especially for international agencies and for policy practice and engagement. The consultant/firm should have a very good understanding of the youth led agribusinesses, refugee programming, and psycho-social programming.

● The consultant/firm should have experience with international NGOs carrying out similar work.

● Have experience in planning, collecting and analyzing qualitative and qualitative data, financial data for efficiency analysis, and triangulating (see par. 6).

8.0 Evaluation criteria

The consultant will be evaluated against a combination of technical and financial criteria

(combined scoring method). Maximum score is 100% out of which technical criteria equals 70% and financial criteria equals 30%.

The technical evaluation will include the following:

● Educational background as requested: 15%

● Extensive expertise, knowledge, and experience in the field of institutional review of international NGOs, capacity development initiatives, notably at the systemic and institutional levels: 15%

● Extensive conceptual and practical knowledge of local government operating and strategic principles: 15%

● Demonstrated experience and practical knowledge in working and collaborating with stakeholders including governments; civil society and communities in West Nile region especially in Yumbe District: 15%;

● Overall methodology: 40%