Solidarités Somalia Project: Humanitarian Assistance for IDPs and Conflict/Drought Affected People in South Somalia

Midterm Evaluation

Terms of Reference
Country: Somalia
Project: Humanitarian Assistance for IDPs and Conflict/Drought Affected People in South Somalia
Location: Afmadow District – South Somalia
Starting date: 29th April 2010 (24 days consultancy)
Duration of the field mission: 19 days
Time dedicated to the desk review: 1 day
Time dedicated to report writing: 4 days
Under responsibility of: Deputy Country Director for Somalia
Funding Sources for the evaluation: DFID
Presentation of Solidarités 

Solidarités is an international humanitarian organisation which provides assistance to population affected by natural disaster or man-made crisis.
For over 30 years, Solidarités has concentrated its action on meeting three vital needs: Water, Food and Shelter. In the Horn of Africa, Solidarités is currently implementing food security, water and sanitation projects in Somalia and Kenya.

Solidarités has been coordinating various programmes in South Somalia (Afmadow and Bardera districts). These programs include Food Security and Water and Sanitation interventions as well as RRM for people affected either by the long conflict of Somalia or by recurrent climatic hazards.
Presentation of the project / program to be evaluated
Historic background

The Afmadow Rapid Response Mechanism for IDPs and conflict Affected population program began in May 2007 with the aim of directly assisting IDPs and displaced persons through the distribution of NFI kits and undertaking an IDP tracking program.

Secondly, the program has a strong component targeted at supporting hosting communities through water and sanitation activities. The program now is in its 3rd phase, started on the 1st of august 2009, and will end on the 31st of July 2010. 12 communities (Dobley, Hosingow, Bilis Coqany, Tabta, Diif, Godaya, Gelaf, Urungu, Delbuyo, Hayo and Mido) are covered in the Afmadow District / Lower Jubba.
Objectives and results (Phase III) 

Access to water and sanitation is improved through the reinforcement of local resilience capacity, and a rapid response mechanism is effective in Afmadow District / South Somalia, in order to respond to emergencies.

The following three results are expected at the end of the project:
Result 1: Sustainable access to better quality drinking water has improved for 124 000 direct beneficiaries living in the targeted area, Afmadow district/South Somalia (52 000 residents + 33 000 settled IDPS + up to 39 000 new IDPs), and for 239 000 indirect beneficiaries (pastoralists).
Result 2: Sanitation conditions have improved for 124 500 direct beneficiaries living in the targeted area, Afmadow district/ South Somalia (52 000 residents + 33 000 settled IDPS + up to 39 000 new IDPs, and for 239 000 indirect beneficiaries pastoralists).
Result 3: Livelihood is supported for 3 540 direct beneficiaries living in the targeted area, Afmadow District/South Somalia (590 households of 6 people).
Activities (Phase III)
In order to achieve result 1, the following activities are being implemented:

• Community mobilisation: program launch workshop and continuous mobilisation
• 4 underground tanks of 120m3
• 7 pans with innovative design to reduce evaporation are de-silted / constructed and capacity building trainings are performed
• 5 infiltration wells are built on rain water catchments to improve quality of water
• Standby Emergency borehole, Gen-set, spare parts for maintenance and repair of 6 boreholes are purchased and capacity building for borehole technical maintenance is enhanced
• Committees or individuals are mobilized and trained to manage the operation and maintenance of all supported water points
• 1 technician is trained/retrained to maintain equipment at each of the 6 viable boreholes in the targeted zone
• 2 x 45m3 storage tank and distribution kiosk are installed at Hosingo and Mido boreholes
• 1 generator for Hosingo borehole
• An early warning drought monitoring system is put in place
• Water trucking capacity is put in place during emergency drought phase
• Underground tanks and infiltration wells are disinfected using chlorine after construction and at intervals during the project period.

Result 2, will be achieved through implementation of the following activities: 

• Community mobilization : Program Launch workshop and continuous mobilization
• Mobile Hygiene promotion sessions and household visits are performed in the target area, including pastoralists semi-permanent settlements
• Hygiene kits are distributed during hygiene promotion sessions
• A cholera contingency plan is prepared with the communities and stock pre-positioned
• 650 family latrines are constructed in Somalia
• 100 family latrines are built in Liboï
• 2 public structures are rehabilitated / constructed in Somalia
• Solid Waste management training is provided to 12 local CBOs and Sanitation committees and these groups begin to manage waste in their community
• IDP tracking is performed continuously throughout the program duration

Result 3 will be achieved through implementation of the following activities:

• Community mobilization : opening workshop and on continuous mobilization
• Honey production : constitution of 200 new households, training, capacity building and strengthening the existing 20 households from the former project
• IGA Donkey cart: 40 vulnerable and IDPs, mainly female headed households to be given donkey carts (Delbuyo, Diif, Gelaf, Godaya, Hayo, Hosingo, Urungu). To be carried out in areas where water trucking is limited and the population is highly dependent on water collectors/pans, draw water from distant places for sale to get income and for fetching locally available materials.
• Cash for Work activities (Rainwater catchments) will target the 350 most vulnerable households

Purposes of the evaluation

The purpose of this evaluation is to meet donor requirement as well as to draw lessons from the experience that the programme team has built so far.

This evaluation will cover phase III of the project, evaluating each and every activity as per the proposal.

Recommendations from this midterm evaluation will help the team to reshape the intervention if necessary in regard to the evolution of the humanitarian context.

It is hoped also that ways of improving the strategy of implementing the activities (community mobilization, work organisation, implementing strategies) will be proposed.
Scope and focus

The evaluation will focus on the operation’s approach, the implementation process and the performance of the programme (Phase III).

The evaluation must give answers to the following questions:

• Did expected results fulfil the needs before the intervention? (relevance)
• Do expected results still meet the major current needs? (relevance)
• Does the program cover the initially targeted population? (coverage)
• Should the program widen or narrow its targeted population? (relevance and coverage)
• Is the time frame of the proposal respected? (effectiveness)
• So far are expected results being met? (effectiveness)
• Are the means used to lead activities well optimized? (efficiency)
• Were some means wasted during the implementation so far? (efficiency)
• Are results of activities sustainable and to what extend? (sustainability)
• What negative or positive midterm or long term impact can one already foresee? (impact)
• Is the program coherent with local authorities’ policies? If no, is this a bad or a good thing? (coherence)

The evaluation should also assess the appreciation of the programme by the beneficiaries as well as their participation at various levels of the project management cycle.

Finally, the evaluation should assess how the implementation of the programme is respectful of the ethic of humanitarian practice vis-à-vis the SPHERE standards and the Code of conduct for the Red Cross Movement and for NGO during emergency intervention.
Evaluation process and methods

• The evaluation methods should be clearly outlined in the report and their appropriateness, relative to the evaluation's primary purpose, focus and users, should be explained pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the methods. A description of the overall flow of the evaluation process (i.e sequence of the key stages) should be given in the evaluation report. The evaluation approach and the methods used to collect and analyze data should also be described. The nature (e.g., external or mixed) and make up of the team (e.g. sectoral expertise, local knowledge, gender balance) and its appropriateness for the evaluation should be outlined.
• The evaluation report should outline the sources of biases that might affect the evaluation and how these have been addressed.
• The evaluation report should also present the key constraints to carrying out the evaluation (e.g., lack of baseline data, lack of access to key information sources, use of translators), and the effect of these constraints.
• Whenever secondary sources will be referred to, the evaluator should indicate the level of reliability of the given information.
• After the field work, the evaluation team will present and discuss with the project team the preliminary findings and the proposed recommendations.
• A first draft of the evaluation report should be shared with the coordination team of Solidarités Kenya-Somalia before a final version is sent to the donor.

Procedures and logistics

• The evaluation team must comply with Solidarités’ rules and procedures related to security and relations with the media.
• The evaluation team must respect the ethic and the deontology related to evaluation practice
• While working in Nairobi, the evaluation team will find office space in the offices of Solidarités.
• Logistics, movement and security would be provided and organised by Solidarités team.

Deliverables

The evaluation report should include at least:

• One narrative report (max 40 pages) including an executive summary (2 pages maximum).
• A separate table summarizing the main findings and the lessons learned.
• A separate table showing the different recommendations and tips for their implementation (who will be in charge of implementing this recommendations, when? dead line? necessary means? who will be in charge of checking that the recommendations are being implemented and when? etc.).
• Relevant maps and photographs of the assessed zone and programme.
• A Power point presentation of the main findings and recommendations of the evaluation must be submitted to Solidarités in order to facilitate dissemination of the results of the evaluation to stakeholders.

Documents of reference (on request only)

• Proposal and LFA
• Last Interim report
• Current organizational chart
• Last Activity Progress Update of the programme
• Relevant maps

Qualification of the Lead consultant

• University degree in Project management, Water and Sanitation or related field
• Minimum 5 years of proven experience with NGOs
• Proven experience in similar evaluation context (Somalia)
• Strong methodology and writing capacities
• Somali speaker would be an added advantage

How to apply

Please send your proposal, highlighting the following:

• A brief introduction of bidding firm or person attaching relevant CVs
• Your understanding of the Terms of Reference
• Proposed methodology and approach
• Proposed work plan and budget
• Your availability

All relevant information (CV, cover letter, copies of testimonials, certificate of works and 3 contact references) should be sent to info @ solidarites-kenya-som.org before COB 19th April 2010. Please indicate the consultancy you are applying for in the title of your email. Only short-listed applications will be contacted.

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