Baseline Study: PRIME Program

Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Mercy Corps began working in Kenya in 2008 and has to date built a robust and diverse portfolio of programs aimed at sustainably improving the lives and livelihoods of Kenyans affected by poverty, resource scarcity and conflict. To do this, we deliver integrated programming to strengthen resilience, market, and governance systems, address the root causes of conflict, and equip vulnerable populations- in particular youth, women, adolescents and marginalized social groups- with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to be healthy, productive, and drive the development of their communities. Mercy Corps Kenya also collaborates with Mercy Corps teams and partners in neighboring countries to implement several multi-country and cross-border programs.

Mercy Corps seeks a consultant to conduct a baseline for Promotion of Resilience Inclusivity and Meaningful Engagements program. The baseline will interrogate the program’s theory of change with the pathways of change anticipated for initial recommendations on the key opportunities that align with the program’s goal. The survey will also establish baseline for programmatic indicators against which the intervention will be implemented, and its impact established.

Description of the PRIME Program:

Promoting Resilience , Inclusivity and Meaningful Engagements (PRIME) in empowering youth futures in Kenya program is a four-year (September 2023– September 2027) grant designed to build the resilience of young people living in the arid and semi-arid counties of Isiolo and Marsabit. This will be delivered by consolidating gains in adolescents empowerment and healthy communities achieved through previous interventions of GIRL (Girls Improving Resilience through Livelihoods) H1 and LMS (Livestock Market Systems) GIRL2 Programs while accelerating change through a stronger enabling environment that allows 10000 young people access opportunities, services, and support to achieve their potential and live healthier lives.

In pursuit of this goal, PRIME utilizes three key dimensions:

1) Life Skills: Adolescent girls, boys and young women attend safe spaces to strengthen their understanding of critical life skills, literacy/numeracy, Agri-Nutrition, safe motherhood, environmental awareness, sexual and reproductive health, financial literacy, savings, and transferable business skills.

2) Livelihood Skills and Transitional Pathways: Utilizing the skills and relationships built in the safe spaces, the program works with the participants to identify transitional pathways, such as a) support to remain in school, b) support to re-enroll in school and/or attend vocational/technical training, or c) support to start a business/engage in income-generating activities. These transitional pathways provide opportunities for girls and boys to grow educationally and economically, providing a framework for later contribution to improved health outcomes for themselves and their families.

3) Community Engagement and Enabling Environment: Working with stakeholders to facilitate behavior change regarding the role and importance of girls and boys within society while also ensuring that the resources and services available in these communities are appropriate, accessible, and relevant to adolescents. PRIME will also create opportunities for citizens to hold their leaders accountable in ensuring that services meet their needs.

Purpose and Objectives of the Baseline Study:

The process of developing the Baseline Study is part of the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (MEL Plan), which provides an early opportunity for program, and it’s implementing partners to collaborate and begin putting in place a results-based monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) plan for their program.

The purpose of the PRIME baseline study is to help key program stakeholders focus on achievement related to a limited set of expected outcomes; and to empower them to collaboratively measure and review these outcomes. Aligned with this purpose, the baseline study is designed to achieve four specific objectives:

i. To support a better understanding of the implementation context for the PRIME Program at the onset of the program

ii. To help validate the assumptions in the project’s Theory of Change (ToC) and targets of the indicators in the program’s Indicator Performance Plan

iii. To establish starting points or baselines for all indicators in the Performance Management Plan, suggesting revisions in their formulation if the need emerges; and,

iv. To provide recommendations for the implementation of the results-based monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) plan for the program.

v. To further enrich the baseline by answering the following key program learning questions;

a) Which transition pathways are more viable for adolescent and young people in the target locations, that provide the highest returns that can promote resilience in their households?

b) What capacities are core to enhancing individual and household resilience in the face of shocks, that are applicable to adolescent and youth?

c) What is the nexus between adolescent, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) strengthening and resilience building from the economic lanes?

The specific baseline values must be provided for all indicators in the Performance Management Plan as early as possible in the program’s lifecycle. Baseline data is intended to inform the establishment of realistic and achievable targets, provide a point of reference against which progress on or towards the achievement of outcomes can be monitored and evaluated, and provide suggestions for the review of indicators if and where necessary. Baselines provided in the Performance Management Plan must be accompanied by narrative to explain how this starting point data was collected, analyzed, and validated. In the MEL Plan, this narrative includes an explanation of baseline data limitations at the onset of program implementation, and how these gaps will be dealt with as part of the program’s first-year work plan.

Mandate of the Consultancy

The Consultant will serve as the lead coordinator of this baseline study and be responsible for its design, the development and use of appropriate data collection tools, analysis of collected data, and the writing of a final report summarizing the findings and updating the data in the Performance Management Plan. The Consultant will design and facilitate a plan in close collaboration with the PRIME program management teams based in the counties. Specifically, the mandate of the consultancy is to:

· Design – Work with designated PRIME Program Manager and Country PaQ (Performance and Quality) team during an inception phase to finalize a detailed methodology and work plan for this study.

· Lead and coordinate – Recruit and orient competent and well-prepared research teams, and act as lead technical coordinator for the baseline study

· Support cross-partner collaboration – Assure collaborative design and local ownership through the direct involvement of key program staff and identified implementing partner representatives;

· Assure quality control – Provide oversight and quality assurance during sampling (if needed), development of data collection tools, data collection and entry, analysis of the data collected, and report writing;

Scope and Methodology of the Baseline

The following elements should guide the design and implementation of this baseline study:

· The study should consciously apply research methods that are gender and youth-sensitive and highlight participatory approaches.

· The geographic scope of the study will be aligned with the targeted areas, partners, households, and individuals targeted by the project as laid out in the program description. Purposive and typical-case sampling can be used to assure that the scope of the study is consistent with the budget and timeline available.

· The data collection approaches, and specific tools used to establish indicator baselines should be adapted to assure the appropriateness and reliability of the data collected.

Outcomes, indicators, and data collection methods for each indicator, are included in the project’s draft Indicator Performance Plan (available upon contracting). The Consultant will be expected to review this Indicator Performance Plan with key project stakeholders and provide suggestions for revision of indicators. The project has a list of indicators that are presented in below. The baseline study is expected to collect data for these measures and for all other indicators in the Performance Management Plan. The final, integrated baseline study report produced by the Consultant will be expected to provide specific suggestions on how the project’s draft Performance Management Plan could be improved, and how the indicators might need to be adjusted.

Outcome Indicators

1. Indicator 1a: Percentage of women who earn cash.

2. Indicator 1b: Participation of women in household decision making index

3. Indicator 2a: Percentage of target participants reporting increase in the total amount of savings because of VSLA uptake

4. Indicator 2b: Percentage of participants transitioned into functional economic pathways.

5. Indicator 3: Percent of county government budgets that are allocated to promote skills acquisition for the youth (girls and boys)

While the Consultant, informed by discussions with field-based program teams is encouraged to suggest alternative methodologies that may be more appropriate, presently the Performance Monitoring Planout lines four data collection methods or evidence streams to establish a performance measurement baseline:

1. Literature search and document review (secondary data

2. Key informant interviews (primary data)

3. Facilitated small group or focus group discussions (primary data)

4. Household survey (primary data)

The Consultant will be expected to propose a methodology for assessing all PRIME program Indicators as indicated in the Performance Management Plan.

Consultant Activities

The baseline study will include four key phases: contracting, design of the inception report, data collection, and data analysis/report writing. After successfully completing the contracting process, the Consultant will immediately organize an initial round of consultations with key stakeholder representatives, as well as complete an initial document review to better understand the program and its needs. The Consultant will use this inception phase to assure a consensus on the baseline study’s design, outline the methodology for the study, and develop the data collection tools. Following this, the Consultant will begin data collection activities resulting in baseline data sets for each indicator in the Performance Management Plan. After data collection is completed, the report writing phase will consist of data analysis and consolidation, completing the updated Performance Management Plan, providing recommendations on targets whenever appropriate, and exchanging with Mercy Corps Program Performance and Quality team and Program Manager to refine the final report. As part of the context analysis, the consultant is expected to carry out the following key analysis as part of the baseline; Rapid Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) analysis; Safeguarding and Protection Issues analysis; and Stakeholder analysis.

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant will:

a) Inception report which should include a comprehensive work plan including a detailed methodology, report format and revised timeline if appropriate.

b) Data collection tools

c) Draft baseline report annexed with summarized 2-4 pager GESI analysis report; two-pager safeguarding analysis report; and a stakeholder analysis indicating all key relationships with the program for validation by Mercy Corps team.

d) Final baseline report with final annexes of c above together with all the raw data sets from the baseline.

Timeframe / Schedule:

The baseline study should be completed within a maximum of 20 working days from the commencement of the task. The consultant should submit the detailed breakdown of the assessment timetable based on the following major activities as a guideline or suggestion:

The Consultant will report to:

The baseline study will be managed by the Mercy Corps Program Performance and Quality Team with close collaboration with the PRIME Program Manager. A more exact consultative and decision-making management structure with clear roles and responsibilities will be determined during the inception phase of the study.

Required Experience & Skills:

· Lead researcher/firm must demonstrate a minimum of 10 years of experience in administering studies, collecting data, and producing quality baseline/end line study reports, preferably for international non-profit organizations or multilateral agencies;

· Demonstrated experience in designing baseline and end line studies including proven experience in sound sampling, mixed methods approach (quantitative and qualitative), tool development, enumerator training, etc.;

· Experience in Carrying out GESI analysis and action planning, Safeguarding and Protection Analysis and Action planning, and stakeholder analysis.

· Excellent facilitation skills and ability to recruit and manage facilitators for qualitative component;

· Demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis;

· Knowledge and experience with gender and health advocacy programming in Kenya;

· Knowledge and experience with livelihoods or skills training programs, ideally in a pastoral setting;

· Knowledge and experience in gender equality issues of sector is mandatory;

· Fluency in English is mandatory and Kiswahili or other relevant local languages (in Isiolo and Marsabit counties) an asset; and

· Ability to produce high quality work under tight time limits.

· The consultancy team should be diverse enough to possess expertise to carry out tasks in the consultancy.

Selection Criteria

Trade-Off

Method Mercy Corps Tender Committee will conduct a technical evaluation which will grade technical criteria on a weighted basis (each criterion is given a percentage, all together equaling 100%). Offeror’s proposals should consist of all required technical submittals so a Mercy Corps committee can thoroughly evaluate the technical criteria listed herein and assign points based on the strength of a technical submission.

Award criteria shall be based on the proposal’s overall “value for money” (quality, cost, delivery time, etc.) while taking into consideration donor and internal requirements and regulations. Each criterion will be assigned a weighting prior to this tender’s release based on its importance to Mercy Corps in this process.

The offeror(s) with the best score will be accepted as the winning offeror(s), assuming the price is deemed fair and reasonable.

When performing the Scoring Evaluation, the Mercy Corps tender committee will assign points for each criterion based on the following scale (the Project team should determine how they will assign points or categories for each firm submission):

Rationale;

1. Not acceptable; has not met any part of the specified criteria (0 Marks)
2. Has met only some minimum requirements and may not be acceptable (1-4 Marks)
3. Acceptable (5 Marks)
4. Acceptable; has met all requirements and exceeds some (6-9 Marks)
5. Acceptable; has exceeded all requirements (10 Marks)

Evaluation Criteria;

1. Experience of Applicant – Demonstrated experience in carrying out baseline studies, context analysis and evaluations. Combination of organizational and individual experience, profiles of key individuals on the project and provided demonstrations of work with expertise in Resilience measurements, Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Analysis, Safeguarding and protection analysis, stakeholder analysis, Market Systems Development (MSD) measurements. Expertise in evaluating livelihood, and gender programs. Strong mixed methods evaluation (qual and quant), and experience with evaluation in Kenya’s ASALs is highly desirable. (25%)

2. Technical Proposal –

   (i). Quality proposals will provide detail of the analysis approach and other relevant methodology for comparative analysis and duration of activities with strong emphasis towards a quantitative approach (30%)

   (ii). Local Consultant Networks: Applicant demonstrates working relationship with local data collection firms, teams, or individuals. Applicant demonstrates ability to quickly mobilize resources on the ground to support timely data collection. (15%)

3. Financial proposal – Cost/ Value (10%)

4. Related work: Two previous reports on similar or related work (10%)

5. References: Names & contact information of three references for similar work (10%)

   TOTAL POSSIBLE SCORE: 100%

How to apply

All applications should be submitted to tenders.mck@mercycorps.org with Baseline Study: PRIME Program as the Subject Line of the email:

Qualified and interested parties are asked to submit the following:

1. Detailed technical proposal (between 5-7 pages) clearly demonstrating a thorough understanding of this ToR and including the

i. Description of the Capacity and qualifications of the consulting firm, including previous relevant experience (maximum 1.5 pages)

ii. Description of the proposed approach and methodology, including data collection, sampling strategy, data analysis, integration of gender considerations and ethical standards, quality assurance (maximum 3.5 pages)

iii. A proposed schedule/work plan (i.e. a Gantt chart) (maximum 1 page)

iv. Team composition and level of effort of each proposed team member (maximum 1 page)

2. A financial proposal (in KES) with a detailed breakdown of costs for the study

i. Itemized consultancy fees/costs

ii. Itemized field data collection expenses

iii. Itemized administrative expenses.

iv. Validity period of quotations

v. Expected payment plan and method.

3. Curriculum Vitae(s) of all proposed staff outlining relevant experience.

4. Names and contact information of three references who can be contacted regarding relevant experience.

5. At least 2 copies of a previous reports of similar work undertaken.