Local Consultant – EU

###

Endline Evaluation for the EU-funded Project Securing Land for Sustainable Agribusiness (SLSA) in Nwoya, Northern Uganda

Terms of Reference for a local consultant

ZOA

ZOA is an International Non-Governmental Organization working in Uganda since 1998. Its mission is to assist people who are affected by human conflict or natural disasters in rebuilding their livelihood. ZOA operates in 16 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Its community-based programme in Uganda concentrates on food security and livelihood, education and land security and is implemented in close cooperation with local organizations and local governments.

Assignment

To conduct an endline evaluation for the project Securing Land for Sustainable Agri-business in Nwoya District, Northern Uganda

Background and goal of the project

In February 2018, ZOA Uganda started implementation of the SLSA project in Nwoya district with funding from EU Delegation Uganda and ZOA NL. The project builds on the achievement of the previous EU-NSA Skills, Employment and Entrepreneurship for Acholi project funded by EC which ran 01/01/2016 – 31/12/2018. The current SLSA project targeted to improve land security, income and to create employment opportunities in the green economy for poor and vulnerable youth (aged 15-25) and women in Nwoya. The project is about to end.

The overall goal of the project is to reduce poverty amongst vulnerable youth and women in Nwoya through enhanced land security and green job creation, to be achieved through two specific objectives:

1. Build capacity of the local government to provide customary land rights registration services and stimulate a low-carbon economy by 2020.

Result 1.1: The land administration structures at District level and in 4 sub-counties have built capacity to provide Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs) to farmer communities.

Result 1.2: Nwoya District Local Council 5 & 3 have increased capacity to promote sustainable natural resource management and delivery of green economic programmes to farm communities.

1. Increase the number of youth and women with gainful employment in the green economy by 2020.

Result 2.1: 1,500 youth (60% female), including 20% extremely vulnerable youth, have gained access to (self-) employment in sustainable agriculture through the development of green skills.

Aim of the assignment and expected results

The aim of the assignment is learning and accountability. In general, the objective of the evaluation is to establish the efficiency, effectiveness, coherence, relevance, and EU added value of the project, providing evidence of findings and recommendations for improved approaches. The assignment will highlight success results, challenges and lessons learnt.

Objectives of this assignment

Specific Objectives of the evaluation

1. Measure and assess the extent to which qualitative and quantitative outcomes of project interventions have been achieved against expected results.
2. Determine the status of the Land Administration Structures targeted/set up by the project – including functionality and accessibility (for PWDs and other vulnerable groups).
3. Determine the status of the Agricultural Support Structures targeted/set up by the project – functionality, accessibility.
4. Generate in-depth knowledge on people’s perceptions of the land tenure situation, recent developments in this regard and their knowledge relating to opportunities to secure their tenure and improve agricultural activities.
5. Determine the efficiency and effectiveness of land conflict resolution mechanisms through Area Land Committees, and mediation committees with special focus on protection of vulnerable land rights holder such as widows, women and persons with disability.
6. Determine the extent to which the project adopted the contextual changes of emerging needs/issues while attaining its intended outcomes
7. Establish the strategies and or mechanisms implemented by the project to ensure structures created/strengthened by the project and outcomes are sustained beyond the project life and generate recommendations on sustainability.

The evaluation should follow European Commission evaluation guidelines and be organized according to the OECD DAC criteria.

Effectiveness

• Measure and assess the extent to which qualitative and quantitative outcomes of project interventions have been achieved against expected results
• Determine the effectiveness of land conflict resolution mechanisms through Area Land Committees, and mediation committees with special focus on protection of vulnerable land rights holder such as widows, women and persons with disability.

Efficiency

• Determine the overall efficiencies of the project in approaches, value for money, and perceived short- and longer-term of the project.

Relevance

• Generate in-depth knowledge on people’s perceptions of the land tenure situation, recent developments in this regard and their knowledge relating to opportunities to secure their tenure and improve agricultural activities.
• Determine the extent to which the project adopted the contextual changes of emerging needs/issues while attaining its intended outcomes

Coherence

• Explore synergies and linkages between this project and other ZOA projects in Acholi with respect to EU initiatives.

Sustainability

• Explore and assess the strategies and or mechanisms implemented by the project to ensure structures created/strengthened by the project and outcomes are sustained beyond the project life and generate recommendations on sustainability

• Additional relevant questions or areas of enquiry can be proposed and formulated by the evaluator, and should be presented in the initial workplan.

Activities to be performed by the consultant

• To providing a detailed workplan with timeframe, methodology for data collection, analysis and budget
• Refine workplan following discussions with ZOA
• To organize travel to the field location and accommodation
• To organize training for data collection team and supervision during data collection
• Analysis, report writing and dissemination workshop

Outputs (expected deliverables)

By the end of the evaluation process, the consultant should have:

• Collected and documented achievements that the project has made regarding the outcome indicators of the target population.
• Collected qualitative research to verify and expand on what the quantitative data has determined.
• Established to what extent the project has achieved its objectives during the duration of the implementation.
• Analyzed data and produced a report providing brief and clear conclusions and recommendations based on the evaluation findings.
• Examined the extent to which the project interventions are sustainable once the project phases out.
• Documented significant lessons that can be drawn from the experience of the project and its results, particularly those elements that have worked well and those that have not for application in future programming

Other expected deliverables:

• Notes on interviews
• Report on findings
• Presentation and discussion of findings during knowledge sharing workshops

Qualifications

• A minimum of four years’ experience in programme/project implementation and monitoring and evaluation in recovery/development context, preferably within Uganda.
• Demonstrable ability and experience in working with communities.
• Demonstrable expertise in monitoring and evaluation methodology.
• Strong research and oral and written communication skills with the ability to respond to comments and questions in a timely, appropriate manner. Fluent in English.
• The ability to design and plan the evaluation approaches and research methodology, including quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Experience and understanding of the project implementation context and sectors of programming (land rights, mediation, agriculture, gender).
• Ability to work in remote areas for field visits and to work under pressure to meet set deadlines.

Place of the assignment

• Uganda (Kampala and Nwoya District, Acholi Region)

Approximate total working days

• 20 days

Period of the assignment

• 1 March 2021 – 26 March 2021

Payments

1. 40% on signing of contract and acceptance by ZOA of evaluation work plan including detailed time frame.
2. 60% on receipt of all evaluation deliverables