Baseline Assessment of Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change

Islamic Relief Worldwide is an international humanitarian organisation that provides development programs and humanitarian relief around the globe, regardless of race, political affiliation, gender or belief.

Scope and Methodology
An appropriate mix of qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to gather and analyse data/information, in order to give a diverse perspective to the baseline, and to promote participation of different groups of stakeholders. The selected consultant should propose appropriate data collection methods, including sampling strategy, and survey tools for each type of stakeholder that follow established ethical guidelines. The baseline study must ensure that the data collected is disaggregated by geography as per the country specific governance structure, sex (male, female, other), age (children & youth, elderly), and people with disabilities (PWD). If applicable the data should also highlight if the respondent is an IDP, Refugee, or a member of the host community. This project will reach approximately 200,000 directly and 10,000 indirectly.

The data collected should be supported by the written documentation. Consultants are encouraged to suggest creative approaches beyond those mentioned in the TOR. However, the baseline assessment should encompass the following:

Reviewing existing literature, reports, and data relevant to food security, livelihoods, climate patterns, and socio-economic conditions in the target regions.
Conducting surveys in selected communities to gather primary data on household demographics, income sources, food access, agricultural practices, water availability, and coping mechanisms during crises.
Engaging with key stakeholders, including community leaders, government officials, NGOs, and other relevant entities, to gather insights into local dynamics, challenges, and opportunities.
Analyzing the collected data to develop a comprehensive baseline report outlining the current situation and trends related to food security and livelihoods in the project areas.

The key questions that must be answered by the baseline report. The list is not exhaustive. The Consultant is required to develop relevant questions that capture baseline data for each of the above stated project logic
Socio-Economic Context:

What are the demographic profiles of the targeted communities, including household sizes, age distribution, and gender composition?
What are the main sources of income for households within these communities, and how stable or diversified are these income sources?
What are the prevalent livelihood activities (agriculture, pastoralism, trade, etc.) and how do they contribute to household food security and income generation?

Food Security and Nutrition:

What is the current status of food security in the targeted regions, including access, availability, utilization, and stability of food sources?
What are the dietary patterns and nutritional status among different demographic groups, particularly vulnerable populations like children, women, and the elderly?
How do seasonal variations and climate-related factors impact food availability and access for households?

Climate and Environmental Context:

What are the prevalent climate-related challenges faced by communities in the targeted areas, such as droughts, erratic rainfall, or other environmental factors affecting agricultural productivity and water availability?
How do these climate challenges impact livelihoods, particularly among pastoralists and farmers, and what coping mechanisms are employed during periods of crisis?

Access to Resources and Services:

What is the accessibility and availability of water resources for household and agricultural purposes within the communities?
How accessible are markets, financial services, and extension services to support agricultural practices and livelihood diversification?
What are the existing infrastructural limitations (roads, storage facilities, etc.) that hinder access to resources and markets?

Vulnerability and Coping Mechanisms:

What are the main drivers of vulnerability within these communities, including conflicts, displacement, and socio-economic disparities?
What are the primary coping mechanisms adopted by households during food shortages, climatic crises, or economic shocks?

Community Capacities and Perceptions:

What are the existing capacities, skills, and knowledge within the communities regarding climate-smart agriculture, disaster management, and adaptive strategies?
How do community members perceive and prioritize their needs and challenges related to livelihoods and food security?

Gender Dynamics and Social Structures:

What are the gender-specific roles and contributions to livelihood activities and decision-making processes within households and communities?
How do social structures and cultural norms impact access to resources, opportunities, and participation in livelihood-related activities among different genders?

Management of the Consultancy

The consultant will be responsible for conducting the activities and delivering the outputs set out in this terms of reference and will coordinate all activities with and through the IRW EARO Regional MEAL Officer. The IRW EARO Regional MEAL Officer is responsible for facilitating access to all relevant and available documents (proposals, donor reports and evaluation reports etc) and wider staff necessary for the consultant to conduct these activities and deliver the outputs. The IRW EARO Regional MEAL officer will also coordinate consultant engagement with country offices particularly to support the oversight of data collection, and ensure to ensure seamless consultancy procedures and fulfillment of contractual responsibilities.

The consultant will report to the IRW EARO Regional MEAL Officer, who will be supported by the Global Accountability & Learning lead based in UK and the in-country MEAL coordinators.
Deliverables
Deliverables for this project would be:

Written inception report and schedule agreed with IRW within one week of commence
Baseline assessment report: A detailed report outlining the findings, analysis, and key recommendations derived from the evaluation.
Executive summary incorporated in the above, not exceeding 3 pages.
Data sets: Raw data collected during surveys and assessments in a format accessible for further analysis anonymized.
FGD score sheets/ reports/recordings and key informant interview forms/ reports.
Related codebooks, and data analysis files (SPSS syntax files,)
All field notes which should guarantee anonymity for the interviewees
Presentation slides of findings to IR East Africa regional team, East Africa country teams and IRW representatives.

Key Responsibilities of the consultant
The consultant is expected to produce:

A detailed work plan and inception report developed with and approved by IRW, setting out the detailed methodology, relevant technical standards to be used as reference for the evaluation, sampling strategy and deliverables prior to commencing the desk review.
Develop quantitative and qualitative data gathering tools in consultation with IRW EARO Regional MEAL Officer
Conduct training for the data collection teams including pre‐testing of data collection tools
Plan and coordinate quantitative and qualitative data collection
The work plan, inception report, draft report, final report, presentation, etc., and communication language must be in English.

A full report with the following sections:

Title of Report: Baseline Assessment of Building Resilience and Adaptation To Climate Change (BREAC)
Consultancy organisation and any partner names.
Name of person who compiled the report including summary of role/contribution of others in the team.
Period during which the review was undertaken.
Acknowledgements.
Abbreviations.
Table of contents.
Executive summary.

Main report – max 32 pages

A description of the project, including the results framework and theory of change – 1 page
Purpose and Objectives of the baseline study - 1 page
Key study questions or objectives and a statement of the scope of the study, with information on limitations and delimitations – 5 pages
An overview of the study approach, methodology and data sources – 3 pages
baseline findings – 20 pages
Conclusion based on baseline findings – 3 pages
Recommendations based on baseline findings – 2 pages

Annexes

Terms of reference for the baseline.
Profile of the review team members.
Baseline schedule.
Documents consulted during the desk review.
Persons participating in the baseline – with appropriate consent for names to be published or specific names should be anonymised highlighting just role, organisation and gender.
Quality media images demonstrating IR EARO work in the region.
Additional key overview tables, graphs or charts etc. created and used to support analysis inform findings.
Bibliography.


Anonymised copies of all data collected in Excel or appropriate format which would enable cross-checking and any additional analysis.
A presentation of draft findings and recommendations will be made by the consultant

Capability statement: How the consultant or firm is structured for the assignment and CVs of the key personnel who will take part in the consultancy.



Schedule, Timelines and Logistics

The consultant should describe the evaluation’s overall schedule that should end in February 2024 (i.e., duration, phasing, timing) as well as work hours, required preparation work, conditions that might affect data collection, meeting-arranging procedures, and needed and available office space (e.g., interviewers).

Logistics

Include your logistics and other disbursements costs in the financial proposal as IRW EARO shall not cater for the consultant’s logistics and incidentals costs. IR Country offices led by the MEAL coordinators shall carter for the logistics costs [hiring of enumerator, venue for training of enumerators and vehicle hire]. The consultancy term of payment will be 40% upon approval of the inception report and the remaining upon submission and approval of final baseline report.

Products rights and ownership

The ownership of the evaluation reports and associated products will belong to IRW, and any documents or publications related to this evaluation will not be shared externally except with the consent of the IRW EARO Regional Director.

Requirements
Applications Requirements

Technical Proposal: The consultant’s understanding and interpretation of the Terms of Reference (TOR), a detailed methodology on how the data collection and analysis will be done and detailed implementation schedule for the study as well as any other proposed approaches the consultant may deem fit for this endline assessment.
Financial proposal: Itemized budget proposal that should include the consultancy fees and operational/logistic costs.
References: Names, addresses, telephone numbers of three organizations that you have conducted baseline/evaluations for within the last three years, that will serve as your professional referees.
List of Evaluation reports: Final reports for the assessments/evaluations conducted for the three reference organizations provided.

Desired Qualifications and abilities

A minimum master’s degree in social sciences or relevant field; Statistics, M&E
At least 10 years’ experience undertaking assessment for Climate Change projects, Food security, livelihoods and Cash transfers programs.
Expertise in food security, livelihoods, climate change and resilience programming
Must have led at least two to three similar/assignments in the past 4 years
Strong analytical skills with proven experience in collecting and analysing qualitative, quantitative methodologies.
Extensive experience in undertaking baselines/evaluations in the Horn of Africa
Excellent conflict sensitive approaches and able to work in highly sensitive environments