Baseline Survey Consultant 82 views0 applications

Position Summary

Department – Program

Country (ies) – South Sudan

Duty Station – Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan

Expected Start Date – 1st April, 2024

Duration of Contract – 1 Month

Reporting to – Project Manager

Contract Type – This is a National Consultancy

Background

VSF Germany (VSFG) and Enjojo Foundation (EF), referred to as the project team in this context, have partnered to implement the project “Fostering Peace and Natural Resource Governance in NaturAfrica- supported landscapes in South Sudan”.

VSFG is the consortium lead and is responsible for the Livelihoods Component of the project; and EF is in charge of the Peacebuilding Component. The project is led by a Consortium Coordinator and supported by a Project Steering Team (PST).

VSF Germany is an international Non-Governmental Organization providing humanitarian aid and development assistance to pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and vulnerable rural communities in areas where livestock is of importance in the Greater Horn of Africa region.

Within South Sudan, VSFG partners with the government and various donors to support development and humanitarian programs animal health, climate smart livestock production; climate resilient agriculture, food security and nutrition; market systems and agricultural value chains in general. VSFG’s programs are embedded in rural communities spread across seven (7) out of the ten (10) states in South Sudan.

Local level capacity building as well as institutional strengthening are the cornerstones of VSFG’s programming approaches that mainstream peace building, conflict resolution and mitigation.

Enjojo Foundation is a non-profit conservation organization that manages protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities through a conservation model that fosters peace, supports sustainable community livelihoods and enterprises and enables socioeconomic stability.

In South-Sudan, Enjojo Foundation has a Co-management Agreement with the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism for the conservation, rehabilitation and management of Kidepo Game Reserve and Lantoto National Park.

Enjojo Foundation is currently in the process of receiving a full management mandate from the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism for the Kidepo Game Reserve and Lantoto National Park.

1.The Project

VSF Germany and Enjonjo Foundation secured 30-months’ funding from the European Union to implement the project “Fostering Peace and Natural Resource Governance in NaturAfrica- supported landscapes in South Sudan” covering:

• Kidepo Game Reserve (Ikotos & Budi Counties, Eastern Equatoria State); and
• Lantoto National Park (Yei & Maridi Counties, Central and Western Equatoria States).

The project contract was issued at the end of December 2023 and the project implementation period scheduled as 1st January, 2024 to 30th June. 2026 under the EU instrument: ACT-60408 “Peace, rule of law, and reconciliation” (NDICI AFRICA/2023/446-389 – Fostering peace and natural resources governance in NaturAfrica-supported landscapes in South Sudan-13.10.2023).

Project Objectives

The overall objective is “to contribute to an inclusive and peaceful society in South Sudan that respects the rule of law and human rights; through enhanced social cohesion, reconciliation, and sustainable management of natural resources.

The specific objective aims to promote peace and enhance resilience in NaturAfrica-supported landscapes in South Sudan, specifically Kidepo Game Reserve and Lantoto National Park.

The action will build on the overall objective through the following three outcome areas:

1. Local initiatives / mechanisms for conflict resolution, reconciliation and trauma healing are strengthened.
2. Community resilience is strengthened through increased economic opportunities and sustainable livelihoods.
3. Communities, including women, youth and disadvantaged groups are empowered and increasingly able to meaningfully participate in local and broader political, peace and security processes.

The project seeks to adopt a holistic approach linking non-violent conflict resolution and peacebuilding to livelihood recovery and economic opportunities to enable sustainable peace and social cohesion.

It is also aimed at reducing food insecurity through diversifying livelihoods and provision of economic opportunities as peace dividends.

Concurrently the project will strengthen social cohesion through inclusion of marginalized groups, advocacy and capacity building aimed at strengthening inter and intra community relations through awareness on conflict resolution and reconciliation.

The active participation of community members in peace building activities through the establishment of peace committees and the facilitation of community dialogues will strengthen trauma healing.

In particular, the three outcomes will be delivered through various activities and related outputs in the results chain. Broadly, these will include but not limited to:

• Capacity building of the local leaders (village chiefs, Payam administrators and executive directors) from the 35 bomas neighboring Kidepo Game Reserve in human rights, peaceful co-existence, conflict sensitivity, sustainable environmental management and the role of women and local leaders in peace building.
• Skills transfer to various cadres of local leaders (representatives of the youth, women, religious leaders, elders, handicapped etc.) at village level on the benefits of a peaceful environment. In turn, they will sensitize the wider community.
• Establishment of 43 peace committees with clear roles and responsibilities (1 per boma; 1 per Payam level); paying special attention to equal representation of women and men in the Payam peace committees.
• Restructuring peace committees on county level to accommodate for representation from the members of the Payam peace committees.
• Institutionalizing the establishment of peace committees via by-laws made by the Local Legislative Councils of Ikotos & Budi Counties under the Local Government Act.
• Developing an early warning system in consultation with the Payam and County peace committees Local Government Officials, the Wildlife Service and the Police.
• Training of police officers in the 8 Payam Police Posts to transfer skills in community policing, ethics and integrity.
• Equipping Payam Peace Committees and 2 County Peace Committees as well as the Police on Payam and county level with High Frequency (HF) radios for ease of communication among themselves, the police and the project team.
• Training of peace committees on community dialogue skills and conflict resolution
• Training of 35 selected youth (one from each of the 35 bomas of Kidepo Game Reserve) as peace scouts to address tribal conflicts, intercept retaliatory attacks, gather information, mitigate livestock theft, lead reconciliation initiatives, and promote peace in their communities. In collaboration with the Peace Committees, they will take the lead in identifying and organizing cultural or sport events, that unite different ethnic tribes to build trust among the communities in the Kidepo Game Reserve.
• Empowering the peace scouts to host a weekly 2-hour radio program on Voice of Eastern Equatoria Radio FM 95.5 in Torit to sensitize the wider community on the need for peace building, reconciliation and conflict resolution. This will be achieved through interviews with national and local community leaders, religious leaders, marginalized groups, women organizations, talk shows, quiz, etc.
• Provision of peace dividends in the form of livelihood recovery and economic opportunities to enable sustainable peace and social cohesion and reduce food insecurity.
• Active engagement intensively with the youth cattle keepers to identify their needs of grazing land, waterholes, and other challenges. In the Lantoto National Park, the project will focus on increasing the resilience of the communities through livelihood support and support to the honey business.
• Map livestock, livestock migration routes, location of water resources, grazing areas, cattle camps, disease risk zones in Kidepo Game Reserve
• Strengthening social cohesion through inclusive consultative meetings involving all stakeholders so that project ownership is created
• Holding regular coordination meetings with members of the National and State Legislative Assembly originating from Budi and Ikotos Counties

2. Purpose of the Baseline Survey Consultancy

The project team requires a consultant to undertake a comprehensive baseline study to benchmark the project and collect primary data for each of the project indicators that will be used to monitor and evaluate the progress of the project; update the project’s MEAL framework and inform any needed revision of key project documents as accurately informed by the baseline findings.

3. Specific objectives of the Consultancy

1. To assess the project’s theory of change, identify, and clarify the priority needs of the communities within the context of the project.
2. To develop baseline information for all the indicators in the log frame that will be used as a benchmark in project monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning.
3. To support the development of an effective and a robust MEAL plan for the project.
4. To update the project log-frame and MEAL matrix with accurate baseline data; and to standardize all progress indicators.
5. To generate a high-quality baseline survey report that will provide an accurate reference framework for both mid-term and end-term evaluation.
6. Identify conflict hotspots in Kidepo GR and document the main drivers of communal conflicts, their pattern, seasonality and typology.
7. Identify other peacebuilding initiatives, if any, and main challenges faced.

4. Scope of work

The scope of the baseline survey is limited to collecting data and generating information that will be used to assess the performance of the project against key indicators at various stages. The geographic focus will be all the named project locations in Kidepo GR and Lantoto NP. The scope of the work to be undertaken includes desk review of key base documents, meetings with the project team, key stakeholders and partners as well as EU staff directly involved in the action. The consultant will also propose appropriate data collection tools ensuring accuracy and reliability of baseline data collected. The consultant will also generate a stand- alone set of project baseline data as well as updated versions of the logical framework (with authentic baseline indicators built in) as well as MEAL plan updating in close liaison with the project team.

5. Proposed methodology

An appropriate mix of qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to gather and analyse primary data/information to obtain accurate perspectives of the existing baseline situation; and, concurrently, promote broad participation of different groups of stakeholders. Data triangulation is required to ensure the credibility and accuracy of data/ information gathered through various tools. In addition, the consultant/ team must provide a well-articulated sampling plan to ensure the required thresholds are met for accurate inferences, conclusions and recommendations to be generated.

The final detailed baseline methodology will be developed in close consultation with the project team.

While preparing the application for submission, the consultant team is expected to propose a well-thought-out methodology and survey plan for this baseline study. The same will be approved by the project team led by VSF Germany’s Country Programs Manager for the Resilience component of the project and EF Project Coordinator for the Peace component of the Project.

6. Key Tasks and Outputs

Baseline assessment will consist with three key phases namely a) Inception, b) data collection and c) report writing and submission

a) Inception phase:

• Consultant team will have a kick off meeting together with the project team to ensure complete understanding of the project and to collect all the required reference docs.
• Read and understand the project documents, which include; project proposal narrative, theory of change, project budget, EU guiding documents, approved project log-frame.
• The consultant team shall submit an electronic copy of the draft inception report.
• Before finalizing the inception report, the consultant shall engage with the client to agree on the assessment methodology, sampling frame, field itinerary, survey tools, etc.
• The draft inception report should include a detailed methodology including tools, baseline framework along with tools to be used to gather data/information, quality assurance mechanism of data /information collection, sampling, pilot testing, roles and responsibilities of proposed team members, key milestones and detailed work plan.
• The consultant team will be asked to make an oral presentation of their proposed methodology and instrumentation.
• The inception report and draft survey tools will be approved by the client (VSF Germany’s Country Programme Manager and EF Project Coordinator) before commencement of field work/ data collection.

b) Data collection phase:

• The consultant team will be facilitated by the project team to undertake all the required field work in various locations.
• The field teams will arrange various interviews, meetings, etc. in line with the duly approved field itinerary
• The consultant will be wholly responsible for ensuring that all interviews are conducted as scheduled

c) Report writing

• Presentation: the preliminary results of the baseline assessment to be shared for validation by the project team after completion of data/information analysis by the consultant team. The venue will be mutually agreed between the project partners.
• The preliminary results will be presented to the client in the form of an Aide Memoir vide a workshop setting.
• After that, the consultant will work on and submit a Draft Baseline Survey Report which will be shared after incorporating feedback provided during the workshop presentation.
• After receiving the draft final baseline assessment, the project team will provide feedback to the consultant
• The consultant will prepare a Final Baseline Survey Report based on several iterations as outlined above; ensuing that the highest quality standards are appropriately met.
• The Final Report format will be agreed during the inception phase and the specs included in the inception report.

7. Outputs

The following outputs will be produced:

a) Draft inception report clearly outlining the agreed survey approach, methodology, tools and analytical framework. The report will also include the baseline survey report format

b) Both soft and hard copy of the final inception report including final translated survey tools, sampling, methodology and analytical framework;

c) Draft soft copy of the final baseline survey report including data sets. The final baseline report should not exceed 30 pages, excluding annexes. If necessary, the baseline report should also provide concrete recommendations for project re-adjustment.

d) A stand-alone summary of conflict hotspots in Kidepo GR and document the main drivers of communal conflicts, their pattern, seasonality and typology

e) A revised log-frame with indicators that are SMART-er and gender specific. A stand-alone pull-out of log-frame indicators, with baseline data fully built in; and

f) A brief report on the revised/ updated MEAL system

8. Time Frame

Considering the vastness of project area and the poor infrastructure, it is expected that the assignment will take approximately 28 days, broken down as follows: 4 days of travel, 1 day to review the project documents, 18 days in the field to collect data, meet stakeholders, and produce the draft report, and 5 days to produce the final report. It is also expected that the consultant will deploy different teams to work concurrently in the different project locations to ensure the entire baseline survey in conducted and reported on within the stated time period.

9. Qualifications and Experience of the Consultant

A multidisciplinary team is required with proven delivery of high-quality baseline surveys preferably in the context of South Sudan. It is foreseen that the following mix of skills will be needed:

1. Postgraduate degree in statistics, economics or applied statistics;
2. Postgraduate degree in either socioeconomics, agribusiness, pastoralism, conflict resolution/ security studies, natural resources management, development studies or anthropology/ sociology
3. Specialized training in survey techniques, MEAL, etc.
4. Excellent understanding of PRA techniques
5. Superior skills in research, analytical thinking as well as critical thinking
6. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
7. Ten (10) or more years’ experience undertaking baseline surveys, outcome mapping, results- based monitoring, participatory MEAL, statistical analysis, etc.
8. Evidence of similar studies (comparable magnitude and clientele) undertaken over the last ten (10) years in South Sudan and similar landscapes