Short-term consultancy for Feasibility Study, Climate Project 86 views1 applications

Vacancy Notice

Organization

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V.

www.hoffnungszeichen.de, www.sign-of-hope.org

Position

Feasibility Study Consultant

Type of Contract

Short-Term Consultancy

Location

Home-based with field mission travel to Kigembe, Rwanda

Languages required

English, French, asset: Kinyarwanda

Application deadline

18^th December 2019

Starting Date

February 2019

Project Title

Green energy supported access to clean water and basic sanitation in Kigembe cell, Rwanda

Total Project Budget

650.000 €

Background and organizational setting

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. works to protect the rights of people in distress and to meet their needs for assistance. The organization is headquartered in Konstanz, Germany. Our work is informed by spiritual beliefs, yet not affiliated with any denomination.

This feasibility study is commissioned, prior to project implementation, under the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) budget for development projects run by private organizations.

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. will be the private organization and contracting party, while ARDE/Kubaho will be the local implementing partner.

The project aims to provide access to safe and affordable water to 1.500 households in Kigembe Cell by expanding the WASAC network by building a solar powered pumping unit, a distribution tank and 8 water kiosks. Additionally, 60 households shall receive UDDTs and kitchen gardens while further 300 households shall build basic hand washing installments. All project components shall be implemented in an integrated approach with corresponding capacity building measures to increase sustainability and ownership. Apart from the general target population, hygiene promotion measures will specifically target 3 schools.

Feasibility Study Objectives

The purpose of the feasibility study is to provide Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. with a sound basis for developing a project concept, by identifying project prerequisites, opportunities and risks.

This comprehensive study will verify relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the proposed project intervention. The study will provide concrete and practical recommendations that will assist with finalization of project design elements, including local implementing partner assessment, problem analysis and relevance of the proposed project intervention, stakeholder analysis, among others.

The study will support the project quality assurance measures implemented by Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V. and contribute to the decision-making process in regards to funding of the proposed project activities.

Duties and Responsibilities

The selected Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Head of the International Aid and Cooperation Department, in close cooperation with the responsible Desk Officer and the local implementing partner.

The duties and responsibilities of the consultant will include:

· Develop a work plan outlining proposed research methodology, geographical coverage, and schedule to conduct the feasibility study.

· Carry out a project site visit to a 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 feasibility study.

· Identify relevant project stakeholders, local governing bodies and industry, as well as lessons learned and best practices of similar on-going and implemented projects relevant to the project.

· Evaluate all available data and sources providing background information on identified issues, problem analysis, as well as selected intervention to address identified needs.

· 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 identified target group, their needs and their role in the broader social context, as well as relevance of the planned project activities for addressing their needs.

· Identify potential obstacles and alternatives to overcome the foreseen challenges.

· Examine existing feedback & complaints mechanisms of the project executing agency or of relevant local stakeholders.

· Review and analyze 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, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability (please see

https://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/49756382.pdf )

· 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 feasibility study outline, including proposed methodology and data collection tools, table of content and a timeline of research activities prior to site visit to a project location

· a comprehensive report of appr. 15 pages with practical recommendations and relevant annexes

· a review of the main project design elements and provision of recommendations, including a local implementing partner assessment and 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, a detailed project logframe with SMART indicators for the project objective and results, listing related activities, and required resources, suggestions for the implementation of a responsive feedback mechanism.

This template will provide guidance and suggested structure for the final report.

Timeframe

A total duration of the assignment is up to 18 working days within period from 27^th Jan to 28^th February 2020.

A feasibility study outline/proposed methodology 3 days

A planning meeting with SoH (remotely) 1 day

Data collection site visit to a project location 6 days

Draft feasibility study with annexes 5 days

Final draft 3 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 feasibility 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, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of projects

· Experience working with Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and partnered projects

Desirable:

· Experience in the relevant field

· 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, public administration, international development studies, law and/or water engineering. A first-level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted.