Review of the Food Security and Natural Resource Management component of the ‘Empowering Rural Afghanistan’ Program

The Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC) will conduct an external review of its ongoing Empowering Rural Afghanistan (ERA) program with the overall objectives detailed in Annex II. The review will provide a basis for the development of the second phase of the ERA Program (2022 to 2025).

The review aims to:

1. Assess to what degree the food security and natural resource management component of the ERA program, have contributed to the goal of reduced poverty (SDG 1) and improved food security (SDG 2) in rural Afghanistan.

2. Assess the outcome of the program with regard to income generation and economic empowerment of low-income male and female farmers

3. Assess the effectiveness of NAC’s current approach in terms of reaching low-income households of the partner communities in Badakhshan and Ghazni provinces; and to what extent and in which ways NAC’s approach has addressed the needs of women, youth (boys and girls).

4. Assess the relevance of the program according to farmers needs and national and subnational plans and priorities within the agriculture and natural resource management sectors

5. Assess to what extent the complementary programs funded by other donors has added value to the food security and natural resource management component of ERA, and to what extent NAC succeed in its efforts to link the humanitarian response to longer term development.

6. Assess to what degree the food security and natural resource management component has benefited from integration with other component of the ERA program (integrated rural development) and how the cross-cutting themes of Gender, Human Rights and Climate Change adaption are maintained.

7. 1. Assessing to what extent NAC succeed in its efforts to link the humanitarian response programs supported by other donors to longer term development initiatives to improve food security.
8. Assess the sustainability and exit strategy of the activities under the food security and natural resource management component.

Background

NAC Vision: NAC shall contribute to a peaceful Afghanistan, free from poverty, where rural communities are empowered and resilient, valuing equality and diversity.

The Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC) is a member-based solidarity organization with the long-term program goal of reducing poverty in rural Afghanistan.

NAC has, since 1980, worked towards this goal together with the Afghan people. What started out as a grassroots movement in Norway, has grown to become a professional and humanitarian development organization working in some of the most challenging and insecure provinces of Afghanistan. NAC currently works in 9 provinces and has offices in Badakhshan, Faryab, Ghazni, Kapisa, Khost, Nangarhar and Paktia, with the country office located in Kabul. NAC has more than 300 national staff across Afghanistan, 2 international staff based in the country office in Kabul, and 4 staff working in the Head Office in Oslo. Volunteers organized through the Board of Directors and Program Committee are involved in supporting and monitoring programs in Afghanistan.

After 40 years’ presence and development interventions in Afghanistan, and in light of the protracted security, political, economic and health crises, as well as the global development and humanitarian agenda, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it is important to reassess: NAC’s added value; the impact of its programs and the extent to which these programs respond to the needs of local communities and the Afghan development agenda; the relevance of NACs approach to development; and NAC’s comparative advantage as a development partner to national and sub-national governance structures, civil society and local communities.

Outputs: The consultant will provide the following:

· Work plan

· Inception report

· Brief summary reports for each stakeholder meeting

· Workshop reports and presentations

· Final report not exceeding 50 pages (excluding annexes), including an executive summary

For deliverables see, Annex III.

THE INVITATION TO TENDER WITH ANNEXES TO BE UPLOADED AT www.afghanistan.no/en