Summary
Date Posted: Saturday, October 02, 2021 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Job title: Consultant

Introduction
In the Luanshya district, WeForest works through the LFCA with hundreds of small-scale farmers, providing them with training and tools in return for setting aside part of their lands (a minimum of 0.5Ha) to regenerate the miombo woodland. As a result, they receive higher incomes, diversify their economic activities and learn new skills. The project also links them to local companies to ensure their honey gets sold. This way, the project becomes more sustainable, which makes the beneficiaries less dependent on WeForest’s contribution.
In June 2021, a successful third-party audit took place and means the project is now verified to the Forest Ecosystem Restoration standard. This standard was developed by Preferred by Nature to enable projects to demonstrate alignment with and support for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and covers technical, environmental, social, and economic criteria.
Project objective: To scale up sustainable Miombo woodlot management on smallholder farms is scaled up throughout the Copperbelt region, Zambia.
Project outcome: In compliance with the Forest Management Plan and Association Rules of Engagement, smallholder farmers transition to sustainable forest management, increasing forest cover and securing sustainable, forest-friendly livelihoods.

Project outputs:
Output 1:
Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) and sustainable forest management practices increase forest cover across smallholder farms.
Output 2:
Alternative livelihood activities are in place, providing reliable and regular sources of subsistence and income, and decreasing the pressure on forest resources.
Output 3:
The Farmers Association is financially independent and can sustainably support economically, forest-friendly viable value-chains.
Output 4
Shift to sustainable energy production and consumption.

Project Working Areas
This project is working in six farming blocks of the Luanshya District namely; Fisenga, Kafubu, Maposa, Mikomfwa, Mpatamato, and Roan. The total number of direct beneficiaries is 800 households.

Purpose of the End line study
The whole thrust of the end line evaluation is to assess the performance of the project against the baseline and capture achievements, best practices, and challenges to inform future similar programming.

Specific objectives:
• To assess the project’s overall performance against the outcome and outputs of the COP_LUA project as described in project documents. Also, analyze how and to what extent the COP_LUA project achieved the results towards these indicators against the baseline.
• To assess the project’s overall performance against the six OECD DAC evaluation criteria[1]: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.
• To assess and highlight key lessons learned, innovations, challenges and draw recommendations for future programming.

Scope of the work
Following activities shall be carried out by the consultant:
• Review of the project logical framework, baseline report, project reports, and other project documents relevant to the end line evaluation/survey.
• Develop end-line survey information collection method, tools and techniques, and reporting framework and work scheduling and take approval from WFZ.
• Training to enumerators.
• Conduct field level study (household survey, case study, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Key Informant Interview (KII), participatory evaluation, etc.) and validation of the collected information.
• Data management and analysis.
• Comparative analysis of the field results with the benchmark indicators.
• Develop a comprehensive end-line report of the project.
• Presenting key findings of the end-line evaluation of the project.
• A draft report shall be submitted to WFZ, and a meeting with/ presentation to WFZ shall be conducted before finalizing the report incorporating suggestions and comments of the meeting.
The following, but not limited to, specific areas must be analyzed and included in the proposal and report.
• Changes in farmer’s level practice of the improved agricultural practices/technologies after project intervention. Identification of the key determining factors for technology adaptation and replication of the demonstrated technologies.
• Changes in the forest/agricultural (beekeeping/vegetable/chicken sector) production and productivity in the project area. Changes in the value of the product along with changes in the marketed quantity at the household level. Changes in the household level income are generated from the selling of the products to the market.
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the efficiency, relevance, effectiveness of the irrigation scheme. Contribution of the irrigation scheme to the livelihood of the beneficiaries. Sustainability aspects of the irrigation scheme in the local context.
• A case study based on the socio-economic analysis of the key agricultural technologies like improved vegetable and chicken production. The factors determining to adaptation and replication of these technologies.
• Level of the effectiveness of the project support like forest & agricultural tools, to the individual HH as well as group level and mechanism of the utilization of the common properties like machine and tool support, etc.
• What should be future inventions for the same beneficiaries? What are the external factors influencing the livelihood of the beneficiaries of the project area?
• Project contribution and relation in cross-cutting issues like the environment, social change, gender, climate change, women empowerment, etc.
• An assessment of the capacity of the community-based extension delivery system for project sustainability.

Methodology
End-line evaluation of the LUA project will adopt the survey research approach and methodology. The sampling frame of the study will be project sites and project-supported beneficiaries. The sample size of the household survey will be determined from the sampling frame. Household survey and FGD will be from the same sample frame. Whereas KII will be conducted with the relevant stakeholders and actors of the project interventions. Several case studies for the key interventions with efficiency and economic analysis should be included in the process. Whereas validation and data triangulation processes will be carried out simultaneously.
The methodology will be developed by the consultant, as well as relevant tools and presented to WeForest in an inception report before approval is given to go ahead.
The data collection should include the use of several approaches to gain a deeper understanding of the outcomes of a project and triangulate information, including:
• Desk review of background documents (project document, project monitoring data, progress report, review reports, field visit reports, etc)
• End line evaluation survey with participating farmers in the project area
• Key informant interviews to gather substantial qualitative evidence on the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of project activities implementation and delivery
• Focus group discussions
• Two learning events to disseminate lessons learned through a presentation and a workshop facilitated by the consultant. One event will be convened physically for local stakeholders, and one will be held online in webinar format for WeForest.

Key deliverables
The consultant is liable for the following deliverables during the service period:
a. An inception report will serve as an agreement between parties on how the evaluation will be conducted. It will include:
a. An understanding of the issues and questions raised in the ToR
b. Data sources
c. Research methodology including suggested sample and size
d. Schedule of activities and traveling
e. Proposal for a learning event/validation of evaluation findings
f. Appropriate validated draft data collection tools
g. Raw data preferably in SPSS/STATA format and transcribed qualitative scripts
b. A max 35-page draft and final evaluation report, excluding annexes and in English. Results will be illustrated by appropriate graphs, visuals, tables, and/or dashboards with accompanying explanatory text. The report should consist of:
a. Executive summary
b. Introduction
c. Methodology, including sampling and limitations
d. Analysis and findings according to objectives
e. Stories of change and quotes from respondents
f. Conclusions for each of the end line evaluation objectives
g. Recommendations for future projects
h. Annexes:
i. Maps and photographs of the evaluation areas where necessary
ii. Bibliography of consulted secondary sources
iii. Finalised data collection tools
iv. List of interviewees
c. PowerPoint presentation of preliminary findings to WeForest
d. Learning event report
All data, information, and reports will be WFZ property, and the research team cannot use these data and information for any other work without WFZ’s permission.

Work schedule
WFZ expects the study to be able to start by the 1st of November and be completed by December 22nd, 2021.
• Submission of inception report: by 11th November 2021 followed by a meeting with WFZ on 13th November 2021
• Learning events: by 8th December 2021
• Submission of draft report: by 15th December 2021
• Submission of final report: by 22nd December 2021
8. Team composition and competency of Consultants
The consultant or consultancy company can make a team of research/evaluation and can choose a team and team composition depending on their internal system, ideas, and logic but team members must fulfill competency criteria and be cost-efficient. WFZ recommends developing a survey/research team with an evaluation expert who will lead the team of research assistants and enumerators. The expert should possess extensive work experiences and depth knowledge on the socio-economic and agricultural research field and conducting evaluation surveys of development agencies.
• Education in relevant fields (forestry, agriculture, rural development…)
• At least 8 years experience in project management, preferably in conducting project reviews and evaluations
• Demonstrated experience with quantitative and qualitative research, database management, and statistical data analysis
• Experience of working in Zambia, preferably in Copperbelt province
• Experience in evaluating forestry, agriculture, or rural development programs
• Ability to assess and develop evaluation tools
• Familiar with action-oriented and evidence-based approaches and a strong drive for results
• Highly developed self-management and communication skills

Education Requirement: No Requirements

Job Experience: No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

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Job application procedure
Submission of Technical and Financial Proposal
The potential and interested firms/consultants must submit technical and financial proposals sharing their keenness to conduct the end-line evaluation in Luanshya District. Following documents are expected to receive as a technical and financial proposition by 15th October 2021, to be submitted to recruitment.zambia@weforest.org.
• Composition of the evaluation team including their CVs
• Technical proposal (max 4 pages) detailing their comprehension of the ToR and how they would approach this assignment, summarising the methodologies and approaches they plan to use, including a timeline
• A financial proposal outlining expected fees and costs for travel, data collection, and workshops
The applicant is allowed to request more information to develop his/her proposal by sending an email to recruitment.zambia@weforest.org.
10. Evaluation Criteria
Firm/Consultant will be evaluated based on the following criteria: The weight for the technical portion of the proposal will be 70% and financial 30%. The key factors stated below will be taken into consideration during the evaluation process
• Previous work experience and expertise of the consultant (20%)
• Methodological/technical aspects of the proposal (40%)
• Timeline/work plan and team composition (10%)
• Financial aspects (consultant fees, breakdown of activity costs, etc) (30%)
[1] https://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/daccriteriaforevaluatingdevelopmentassistance.htm

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