AGRICULTURAL GOVERNANCE RESULTS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (A-GRIP): DISTRICT CAPACITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR LAND MANAGEMENT INSITUTIONS.

Terms of Reference for local consultant

(to be carried out in Elgon and Lango regions)

Background information

Introduction

ZOA, in partnership with Cordaid is implementing the Agricultural Governance Results Improvement Project (A-GRIP) with the overall aim to “Strengthen, food secure and resilient farming systems through increased accessibility, availability and quality of land tenure security, agriculture and food security services in selected districts of the Busoga, Elgon, Kigezi, Lango, and Rwenzori regions in Uganda”.

A-GRIP focuses on the main obstacles to public service delivery and their uptake by Local Governments (LG) in land tenure management, agriculture, and food security (FS) services whose removal will create the largest impact for Small Holder Farmers (SHF) and communities in terms of reduced risk of land grabbing, increased sustainable agricultural production, improved resilience against climate and market shocks and enhanced food security. The main causes identified resulting in the lack of access to quality land tenure and food security related public services in Uganda include lack of funding, knowledge and skills, coordination and autonomy in deciding priorities and motivation to broadly deliver quality services. The A-GRIP project aims to address these root cause through applying the Results Based Financing (RBF) methodology in combination with two complementary strategies focused on capacity building, coaching and mentorship and advocacy for enabling environment and adoption of RBF.

Through the RBF approach, the project will work towards ensuring availability of more funding for the execution of land tenure security procedures at the local government (LG) levels, stimulate available levels of funding for extension services, increase the availability of funding for inclusive drafting processes and implementation, facilitation and enforcement of bylaws and regulations in the targeted districts and ensure overall availability of funding for the Environment Natural Resources (ENR) and Department of Production and Marketing (DPM) at district and sub county level. In combination with the complementary strategies, the RBF approach will increase knowledge of Certificate of Customary Ownership (CCO) issuance processes and procedures, increases knowledge and skills levels with LG staff on good agricultural practices and support LG management to address general management gaps to ensure a coordinated strategy and approach across the district. The A-GRIP project will incentivize retention of technical and managerial skills and will work on increased motivation of LG staff to deliver quality services within their entire mandated geographic area. On the demand side, the project will increase the demand for CCO registrations, increase application of good agricultural practices by smallholder farmers, and ensure availability of regulatory frameworks that answer to the needs of communities. Ultimately, this will lead to strengthened and resilient farming systems.

Combined, A-GRIP will aim to achieve within its lifespan:

• 400,000 CCOs issued in 5 years.
• 40% increase in delivery of extension services
• Improvement in the inclusivity, quality and implementation, facilitation and enforcement of regulatory frameworks.
• 15% average increase in budget availability for DPM, ENR and CAO at LG level.

This will be achieved through working on the following four (inter-related) Outcome areas:

1. Increased formal and equitable land ownership under customary law, especially for the most vulnerable populations.
2. Increased sustainable agricultural smallholder farmers production by enhanced take-up of effective, quality and equitable agricultural food production and natural resources management services.
3. Strengthened regulation and enabling policies for better agricultural and food security (FS) sector performance to match SHFs’ and communities’ needs.
4. General good governance and management at district level in support of improved performance by the DPM and ENR.

The capacity development complementary strategy which aims at “Increased formal and equitable land ownership under customary law, especially for the most vulnerable populations” will ensure there is improved technical knowledge and practical skills required are present within the necessary personnel (assuming they are in place at the time of training). This, alongside the incentives and material support from Cordaid, including equipment such as tablets, printers and storage facilities to enable CCO issuance, will empower stakeholders in the target sub-counties and Districts to issue the target CCO numbers.

In this context, ZOA Uganda is seeking a qualified consultant or consultancy firm to undertake a comprehensive capacity needs assessment and develop tailored capacity development plans for the following districts: Alebtong (4 sub counties) and Lira (4 sub counties) in the Lango region, and Mbale (4 sub counties), Bulambuli (6 sub counties), Bududa (6 sub counties), and Kapchorwa (3 sub counties) in the Elgon region.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE CAPACITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

Objective of the assessment

To conduct a capacity needs assessment in the districts of Elgon and Lango, identifying gaps and challenges to be addressed through target capacity building trainings within district and Sub County land administration and management structures hence enhancing support to increased formal and equitable land ownership under customary tenure. The assessment findings should translate into the development of tailored capacity development plans for each of the district based on the identified gaps and priority needs.

Specific activities:

• Conduct interviews and focus group discussions with key district and sub county land management officials to gauge their understanding, motivation, and willingness to support CCO issuance.
• Map existing land dispute resolution mechanisms and structures at the sub-county level through consultations with local leaders and land institutions.
• Conduct an infrastructure audit of district and sub-county land offices to assess the availability and functionality of office space, equipment, and tools required for CCO issuance.
• Analyse existing documentation and case files related to CCO issuance and land conflict resolution to determine current practices.
• Using the information gathered from the assessments and analysis, collaborate with district stakeholders to develop a capacity development strategy and plan.

Methodology for the Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA)

The capacity needs assessment will employ a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. This will ensure a comprehensive understanding of the existing capacities, gaps, and needs of the district and sub-county land management institutions. The methodology will be structured in the following phases; however, the consultant/consultancy firm if free to suggest /recommend additional as considered appropriate:

1. Inception and Preparatory Phase

Inception report and workplan development:

• Draft and submit the inception report and detailed work plan for assessment.

Onboarding and training of Research Assistants.

• Orientation, training and retooling with data collection tools and CNA methodology

Desk Review:

• Review existing reports, policies, and frameworks on land management, customary land tenure, and the Certificate of Customary Ownership (CCO) processes.
• Analyse previous assessments, training reports, and any relevant documents related to district and sub-county land management practices.

Stakeholder Mapping:

• Identify and map key stakeholders, including district and sub-county land management teams, local leaders, land management committees, and community representatives involved in CCO issuance and land dispute resolution.

2. Data Collection Phase

Qualitative Methods:

• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): Conduct interviews with key stakeholders, including District Land Office, District Land Board, Ministry Zonal Office, sub-county officials (sub county chiefs, S/C CDO, LC III chairperson), chairpersons of Area Land Committees and ADR teams. This will help assess their motivation, current practices, challenges, and support for CCO issuance and land dispute resolution.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Organize focus groups with local sub county land management teams to gather insights on the challenges faced in land ownership, conflict resolution, and the use of physical and IT resources.
• Field Observations: Conduct site visits to district and sub-county land offices to assess physical infrastructure, IT systems, and equipment for managing CCOs.

Quantitative Methods:

• Surveys/Questionnaires: Administer structured questionnaires to district and sub-county land teams to quantitatively assess their capacities, resources, and training needs in areas such as CCO issuance, land dispute resolution, and use of technology (e.g., GIS systems).
• Capacity Assessment Tools: Use standardized capacity assessment tools to score and evaluate the skills, knowledge, and operational efficiency of land management institutions.

3. Data Analysis Phase

Qualitative Data Analysis:

• Transcribe and code data from KIIs and FGDs to identify key themes, gaps, and areas for improvement.

Quantitative Data Analysis:

• Analyse survey data using descriptive statistics to quantify the existing capacities and gaps in skills, knowledge, and resources.
• Use statistical tools to assess relationships between different variables such as infrastructure availability, technology usage, and CCO issuance success rates.

4. Validation Phase

• Validation Workshops: Organize validation workshops with respective district land management teams to present the findings from the needs assessment. Solicit feedback and incorporate stakeholders’ perspectives into the final analysis.

5. Report Writing and Capacity Development Planning

• Draft report submission: Submit the draft report , including capacity gaps and recommendations
• Development of Capacity Development Plans based on feedback, finalize capacity development plan for each district.
• Finalization of report and approved plans: Finalize and submit the final report, including approved capacity development plans.

TIMEFRAME AND DELIVERABLES

The consultant will summarize the capacity needs assessment work plan using the table below. The duration of the assignment is 30 working days. The capacity needs assessment will begin on 28th October 2024.

1. Inception and Preparatory Phase – (5 days)
2. Data Collection Phase – (12 days)
3. Data Analysis Phase – (4 days)
4. Validation Phase – (6 days)
5. Report Writing and District Capacity Development Plan – (3 days)
   

   BUDGET

All costs related to the capacity needs assessment will be submitted to ZOA Uganda by the consultant in form of financial proposal in response to this ToR. Payment will be issued in instalments and final payment to the consultant will be made after the final capacity needs Assessment and Capacity Development Plans are approved by ZOA Uganda. The budget should cover costs for: professional fees, related taxes, costs related to field operations, transportation among others.

DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES

Roles and Responsibilities of the Consultant/consulting firm.

• Submit the technical and financial proposal with clear proposed assessment methodologies.
• Review documents and submit Inception report with detailed survey methodology and design and separate data collection tools (Interview, FGD, KII, and Observation).
• Develop a field workplan.
• Review and improve existing data collection tools on Kobo toolbox and using own mobile equipment as required.
• Hire, train, and manage research assistants for data collection.
• Administer and supervise data collection, data entry and analysis of the assessment.
• Analyse both qualitative and quantitative data and report in a clear and accessible format
• Provide regular progress updates to the ZOA project team (including the MEAL team and land advisor).
• Provide all deliverables including final report and capacity development plans to ZOA Uganda as per the agreed timeframe.
• The consultant will be required to adhere to ZOA policies and Code of Conduct.

Roles and Responsibilities of ZOA Uganda

• To ensure that the consultant facilitates field research assistants.
• Guidance and provide technical support as required throughout the assessment.
• Coordinates all phases/stages of the assessment.
• Effect payments of the services as per the contract agreement.
• Review and approve inception reports, tools, and other relevant documents/requirements.
• Review the draft report and provide feedback to the consultant / consultancy firm.
• Approve all final deliverables and disbursement of payment to the services as per the contract agreement.

EXPECTED RESULTS/DELIVERABLES

The consultant shall deliver the following,

RESULTS

• Present findings in tables, graphs, and charts with clear interpretations.
• Clear findings depicting the identified gaps and priority needs of the different categories that informs development of the Capacity Development Plan.
• Concrete recommendations for the project actions.

DELIVERABLES

1. Inception Report: The consultant should prepare and deliver a comprehensive inception report (4 – 6 pages for main context without the front page, table of content and annexes) that outlines the scope, objectives, and methodology and detailed workplan for the capacity needs assessment.
2. Draft Assessment Report: The consultant will prepare a draft assessment report based on the initial analysis of the collected data. This report should include preliminary findings, such as identified gaps, challenges, and strengths within the land management institutions at the district and sub-county levels.
3. Final Capacity Needs Assessment Report and Approved District Plans: After incorporating feedback from the draft report and validation workshops, the consultant should prepare and deliver the final capacity needs assessment report. This report should provide a detailed and validated analysis of the findings and approved actionable capacity development plans for each district.
4. Data Collection Tools: The consultant should provide all the approved data collection tools used during the assessment, including structured questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group discussion guides. The consult will share these tools as annexes to the final assessment report.
5. Raw Datasets: The consultant is required to deliver the raw datasets collected through surveys, interviews, and observations. These datasets should include all original responses and data points, providing a complete record of the information gathered.
6. Photos: The consultant should provide a digital file with photos of the assessment. The informed consent of the persons presented is a prerequisite.
   

   QUALIFICATION OF THE CONSULTANT / CONSULTANCY FIRM.

Qualified consultant / consultancy should:

1. Be a reputable organization/ group/ team with a minimum of 8 years of proven track record in conducting capacity needs assessments and developing capacity-building plans, specifically within the context of land management and land tenure systems.
2. The consultants’ group/ team may comprise a minimum of 3-5 members, of which at least one team member must be a female. The Consultants’ team shall be headed by a Team Leader. The Team Leader will have:

• At least Advanced university degree (Masters) in the field of land management, rural development, social sciences or a related field.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to plan, execute, and oversee project activities, manage timelines, and ensure deliverables are met according to scope and quality standards
• Extensive knowledge of land management practices, customary land tenure systems, and processes related to Certificate of Customary Ownership (CCO).

3. Expertise in designing and implementing data collection methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative techniques.

4. Work experience with multinational NGOs and their working environment.

5. Extensive experience in preparing comprehensive and clear reports, including inception reports, draft and final assessment reports, and capacity development plans.

6. The team members must have background in social sciences and management with extensive experience and knowledge in conducting institutional capacity assessment and experience in designing and implementing data collection tools, including structured questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group discussion frameworks.

7. Have team members with extensive working experience and in depth knowledge of engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders, including district and sub-county land management teams, local leaders, land management committees, and community representatives.

8. Have extensive experience in successfully completing similar assessments or capacity-building projects, preferably in the context of land management and customary tenure systems.

9. Proficiency in English and local languages for the context areas (Elgon and Lango) to ensure effective communication with stakeholders and accurate interpretation of data.