Sign of Hope Baseline Study Consultant Jobs in Kenya
Background and Organisational Setting
SoH is a Christian motivated organisation for Human Rights, Humanitarian Assistance and Development Cooperation. From its base in Constance, Germany, SoH is committed to helping those in distress and exploited people worldwide.
This baseline study is commissioned, prior to project implementation, under the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) budget for development projects run by private organisations.
SoH will be the private German executing agency and the contracting party, with Caritas Marsabit (CM), Spiritan Community Outreach Ethiopia(SCORE), Diocese of Lodwar (DoL), and Coordination Office of the Social and Development Commission of the Ethiopian Catholic Church (ECC-SDCO) being the local implementing partners.
Baseline Study Objectives
The baseline study should inform SoH, SCORE, CM, ECC-SDCO and DoL about the initial situation in the project region and of the target group with reference to the project outcome and outputs – measured by their respective indicators provided in the project proposal (and also presented in the Performance Indicator Matrix). Through this the baseline study shall lay the foundation for further project implementation, the mid-term evaluation and the final evaluation.
Additionally, the study shall be used as information in the selection of project beneficiaries, identify potential risks to the project implementation and provide practical recommendations on how the project can adapt itself to reduce the impact of identified risks.
Furthermore, the survey serves to obtain information on specific needs of the target group and to identify possible newly emerging risks and opportunities in the target group and project region. The baseline study report will be used as a measurement to monitor the project progress against the set of indicators over the course of the project implementation.
Duties and Responsibilities
The selected Consultant will work in close cooperation with the responsible SoH Officer and the local implementing partner.
The duties and responsibilities of the consultant will include:
Develop a work plan outlining the proposed research methodology, geographical coverage, and schedule to conduct the baseline study,
Carry out a project site visit to the project location to conduct research, collect data and establish contact with the local implementing partner, potential beneficiaries and relevant project stakeholders,
Review existing policies and structures, government development strategies as well as relevant studies and research projects that could serve as a basis for the baseline study,
Identify relevant project stakeholders at various levels (local, district and national if applicable), including local governing bodies, academia and industry as well as lessons learned and best practises of similar on-going and implemented projects relevant to the project,
Evaluate all available data and sources providing background information on identified issues, the problem analysis as well as the selected intervention to address identified needs (baseline data with focus on the qualitative analysis),
Assess the proposed activities, as well as their timing and required financial resources.
Examine institutional, technical, staffing and financial capacities of the selected implementing partner, as well as its relationship with the target group. Based on the findings, determine if there are areas in which capacities of the local implementing partner need to be developed,
Review main governmental and non-governmental stakeholders with a purpose to see if there is a potential overlap or conflict of interest as well as opportunities for coordination with the aim of creating synergies and new cooperation partnerships,
Examine the identified target group, its needs and role in the broader social context as well as the relevance of the planned project activities for addressing their needs,
Identify potential obstacles and alternatives to overcome the foreseen challenges,
Review and analyse all available project design elements and draft documents related to the project concept, if necessary,
Critically review the planned project in terms of OECD/DAC criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability,
Prepare a report containing the findings on the above items, specific recommendations for the project concept with a view to planning and implementing foreseen project activities.
Expected Deliverables
The study will produce the following deliverables:
A baseline study outline, including the proposed methodology and data collection tools, table of content and a timeline of research activities (inception report) prior to the site visit to the project location,
A summary containing a brief overview and the main findings of the study,
A comprehensive report of a maximum of 30 pages with practical recommendations and relevant annexes,
A review of the main project design elements and provision of concrete recommendations for improvement,
An analysis of the institutional structure required for project implementation, stipulating the roles and responsibilities of staff members involved, a detailed problem analysis, a stakeholder analysis, a revision of the target group, an analysis of the potential risks and recommendations on how to mitigate these risks, a schedule of project activities, a financial plan (planning budget), a detailed project logframe with SMART indicators for the project objective and results listing related activities and required resources,
A “Do-no-harm analysis” including recommendations on how to mitigate potential harm and conflict situations that can potentially arise during or as a result of the project activities
A Gender mainstreaming analysis identifying potential risks and recommendations to ensure gender equality in all aspects of the project design and implementation.
A template will be provided to serve as a guide and suggested structure for the final report.
Process/Timeframe
A total duration of the assignment is up to 20 working days within the period of 4th March to 29th March 2024.
A planning meeting with CM, SCORE, ECC-SDCO and DoL handover of relevant documents 1 day
Initial document review and preparing inception report 3 days
Sharing inception report with SoH and CM, SCORE, ECC-SDCO, and DoL 1 day
Data collection site visit to a project location 5 days
Data analysis, draft report with annexes, presenting to SoH 5 days
Incorporating received feedback and finalising the report 5 days
Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
Minimum of 5 years of project evaluation and/or implementation experience in the result-based management framework
Proven experience of conducting baseline studies, evaluations and other research projects
Technical and methodological knowledge to conduct research projects and formulate conclusions based on a solid methodology, assessing projects for relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of projects
Experience working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and partnered projects
Fluency in written and spoken English
Desirable:
Experience in the relevant field
Fluency in written and spoken Kiswahili and/ or Amharic languages
Professional familiarity with the project country/region
Practical experience of working for and/or evaluating BMZ-funded projects
Academic Background
An advanced level university degree (Masters’ degree or equivalent) in social sciences, conflict prevention and peace building, disaster risk reduction, public administration, international development studies, law and/or RELEVANT FIELD. A first-level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted.
The consultant is to be independent and impartial with no liabilities to any other organisation or government entity regarding this evaluation.
How to Apply
Please submit the following documents as PDF files with the subject line “Baseline Study in Ethiopia-Kenya Cross Border region, DC-ETH23.03” to [email protected].
A résumé indicating all relevant experience (max. 2 pages),
Contacts of at least two professional referees,
A cover letter, including a brief description of the proposed research methodology (technical proposal max 1 page) and a comprehensive breakdown of costs (financial proposal), including professional fees and all other relevant costs such as travel expenses,
A writing sample of a document of similar research value (for example, a baseline study, an evaluation report).
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