Consultancy – Baseline Survey (Remote)

Terms of Reference (TOR) Baseline Survey – Remote

Required: International Consultant – Remote

Project Title: Promoting Inclusive Markets and Economic Empowerment in South Kordofan and East Darfur States (PRIME)

Duration of Appointment: 37 days

Expected Start Date: 1 April 2024

Background to the Project

CARE International in Sudan received funding from the EU to implement the Promoting Inclusive Markets and Economic Empowerment project in South Kordofan and East Darfur States of Sudan (PRIME) project. The PRIME project aims to contribute to increased food security and livelihood resilience, sustainable income growth and job opportunities for rural women and youth including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in South Kordofan and East Darfur states, through inclusive value chain development. The project will target specifically women smallholder farmers by providing support for agriculture inputs, extension services, knowledge transfer, green technology, and provision of inputs to engage in off-farm income generation activities. The aim is to increase their productivity and access to income resulting in improved food security and resilience. Secondly, the action will work with the private sector to improve the functionality of the three value chains (mango, sorghum, and groundnuts) by forging viable market linkages. The private sector will play a vital role in the development of the three value chains to improve the quality of life of women smallholder farmers. Thirdly, the action will engage the community members to enhance women and youth leadership in natural resources management and conflict mitigation. Women and youth will have opportunities to contribute positively to natural resources management and conflict resolution structures.

To enhance socio-economic resilience and food security status of small-scale farmers specifically women in the most poverty and conflict-ridden areas of South Kordofan and East Darfur, the project will enhance improved agriculture practices by supporting the livelihoods of women farmers through inter cropping, improving production though green practices, enhancing access to input/output markets as well as access to finance to establish robust value chain investments and production systems in mango, sorghum, and groundnuts value chain sectors. The project adopts a market systems approach that seeks to address the root causes of why markets often fail to meet the needs of smallholders in the targeted localities. The focus of this intervention is to employ the market systems approaches, engage the private sector players, and mobilize other stakeholders in South Kordofan and East Darfur to actively support the small-scale producers thereby increasing food security and livelihood resilience, sustainable income growth, and job opportunities for rural women and youth including IDPs, particularly in the current context of the armed clashes.

Brief Description of Project Target and Results

Geographic location: Sudan, South Kordofan (Al Abassiya, Rashad, Abujubeiha localities) and East Darfur (Bahar Al Arab, Abu Karinka, El Daein localities)

Target beneficiaries: Direct Beneficiaries: 38,356 with at least 70% women and 230,136 Indirect beneficiaries: (55,233 men, 82,848 women, 36,822 boys, 55,233 girls)

Project Outcomes/Results

Project objective: To contribute to sustainable and resilient livelihoods and food security in rural communities of South Kordofan and East Darfur that are most affected by food insecurity, climate change, and conflicts.

Outcome 1: Sustainably increase productivity and profitability of female smallholder farmers in mango, sorghum, groundnut, and other nutrition-sensitive value chains using agroecological practices in South Kordofan and East Darfur States.

Outcome 2: Create sustainable decent employment and income-earning opportunities for female and youth small-holder farmers through viable market linkages and value chains in rural and food insecure areas of South Kordofan and East Darfur States.

Outcome 3: Increase women/youth leadership in managing community resources and sustainable access to natural resources, contributing to food security and mitigation of conflicts over resources in South Kordofan and East Darfur States.

Purpose/Objectives of the Baseline Survey

This baseline will be conducted to determine pre-project conditions from which a comparison can be made and for the purpose of informing the Project Implementation Plan, monitoring progress, evaluating performance, contributing to learning and research. It will be essential to gain in-depth understanding of the challenges related to resilient livelihoods and markets. The project performance will further be assessed against the targeted results at determined intervals and at the end of the project. The baseline survey will thus provide a reference point for assessing changes and impact by establishing a basis for comparison before interventions take place, at the midline and at the end of the project. The data will be collected in the following sectors: food security and livelihood, value chain development, market systems approach peaceful and inclusive coexistence, as well as natural resources management.

Baseline Methodology

The baseline survey will take place in South Kordofan and East Darfur states. The targeted areas in South Kordofan include: (Al-Rashad, Abujubeiha and Abbasiya localities) and East Darfur areas include: (Bahar Alarab, Abu Karinka, El Daein localities). The consultant will be required to review project documents and other secondary data sources; however, the major information sources will be direct field research and interviews with beneficiaries, key informants, and partners.

Taking into account conflict dynamics, the consultant is expected to propose and design the methodology for conducting the baseline survey using market systems approach lenses, with a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods such as surveys, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with key informants, and observation of the system will be used to collect primary data. Surveys and interviews are expected to take place at all programme sites (East Darfur and South Kordofan states). The consultant is expected to guide CARE team in the field during data collection considering that he/she will not be able to access Sudan and the targeted locations.

The data collection team should include both male and female members to avoid cultural barriers, moreover local languages speakers (if possible) should be considered among the team. When selecting the respondents/interviewees, accuracy in representation should be ensured in terms of women, men, youth and adults, disabled and all others community’s sectors.

The consultant is expected to articulate the baseline survey design, determine the appropriate sample size and sampling techniques/procedures, highlight tools/techniques that will be used, and illustrate the data collection and analysis methodologies that will be used. The data collected is expected to be disaggregated by gender, age group and location.

Documentation of all research (baseline survey) activities, especially through photos e.g. photos of focus group discussions, interviews, team meetings, sites from the area etc. is required. This also includes the FGD and observation notes.

The consultant is at liberty to recommend other appropriate methodologies that will be discussed and approved by Care International, ensuring that there is good technical quality that is reliable and systematic in nature and can serve the intended purposes and support relevant analysis.

Accountability and Responsibilities

Due to the difficulties in travelling to South Kordofan and East Darfur states the consultant is expected to work remotely in coordination with CARE staff at the field, state, field and national levels. All designs, preparation, and reporting should be done by the consultant, while data collection in the field will be executed by CARE staff in the field and share the data with the consultant. The quantitative data collection tool (HH questionnaire) should be designed by the consultant and shared with the Care team for review and uploaded to Kobo toolbox. The consultant will be responsible for analyzing the data, triangulation with the qualitative data and providing a good quality report.

Consultant’s Roles and Responsibilities

• Remotely establish working contacts with all field teams in South Kordofan and East Darfur States – Sudan.
• Review of the relevant project documents.
• Prepare and submit the baseline proposal including methodology, work plan schedules and budget: (the budget covers consultant fees for design of the proper methodology, Inception report including all required data collection tools, data analyses and reporting, etc.).
• Identify the appropriate sample size to achieve the survey objective.
• Design tools/questionnaire and methodology for data collection of both qualitative and quantitative data and share them with Care International for their review and approval.
• Supervision of data collection (primary data and review of secondary data) and guide the team in the field.
• Analyze and synthesize data; and prepare reports.
• Set the baseline targets for the outcome indicators.
• Submit data analysis and draft report to CARE International Sudan for review and feedback.
• Incorporate, compile, and submit final report.

CARE International’s Roles and Responsibilities:

• Review and approve the study tools and methodologies.
• Brief the stakeholders about the purpose of the Baseline.
• Manage and conduct all the data collection process in the field and submit the data to the consultant for analysis.
• Coordinate with State HAC & security to get permission.
• Assist in organizing all meetings.
• Hire enumerators for data collection in the field.
• Providing/renting vehicles for data collection in the field.
• Prepare and effect payment for the consultant upon completion of the assignments and acceptance of the final baseline.
• Ensure accuracy of representation in the research team and in the interviewees.
• Provide consultant with all supported documents.

Expected Deliverables

The consultant is required to deliver the following:

• Inception report including the operational methodology and detailed work plan (indicating all the stages of the study process, timelines and team/individuals involved with their CVs) and data gathering instruments (survey questionnaires, etc.) attached to the report.
• Write and submit the inception report, draft, and final baseline reports. The final baseline report should illustrate clear findings.
• Systematic baseline database produced and delivered with the final report along with recommendation of targets for performance evaluation.

Proposed Work Plan/ Activity Timeframe

Development of inception report including methodology and tools – 5 days

Review of secondary information + finalization of tools by the consultant team – 4 days

Conduct primary data collection – 14 days

Data entry, cleaning, and analyses – 4 days

Draft and submit baseline survey report – 5 days

Comments from stakeholders (CARE & partners) – 2 days

Finalization and submission of the final report – 3 days

Total – 37 days

Finance

The consultant is required to give the daily rate for conducting this assignment.

Intended Users of the Baseline Study Report

Along with the project team, other staffs of Care International in Sudan, government related partners, community members, local NGOs and the donor will be benefiting from this survey report.

Required Qualifications of the Consultant

• Relevant advanced degree in social sciences, International Development, Peace and Conflict studies, agriculture economics or other closely related field.
• 5 years’ experience conducting research and surveys in the areas of livelihoods, food security, market systems, agriculture, water resources management, and peace building areas.
• Demonstrated experience and skills in facilitating and conducting baseline surveys, midterm evaluations, and endline surveys.
• Extensive and demonstrated experience in HH surveys, feasibility studies, evaluations, needs assessments, etc.
• Extensive experience in working within development or humanitarian sectors and familiar with participatory approaches and the Sudan context.
• Experience with remote assessments and analyses is desirable.
• Working experience in the context of refugees and IDPs (culture consideration).
• Experience in using Kobo toolbox/ODK in conducting remote data collection.
• Supporting documents for proof of experience are required.

Data Disclosure

The consultant should deliver, at minimum, all files including quantitative data sets (raw and refined products), transcripts of qualitative data and others in an easy-to-read format and maintain naming conventions and labelling for the use of the project/program/initiative and key stakeholders. All documents should be compliant with the following conditions:

• It is understood and agreed that the Consultant shall during and after the effective period of the contract, treat as confidential and not divulge, unless authorized in writing by CARE, any information obtained in the course of the performance of the Contract. Care and its partners will be the sole owners of all information collected in this survey.
• CARE must be provided with a final template of any surveys, interview guides, or other materials used during data collection. Questions within surveys should be assigned numbers and these should be consistent with variable labelling within final datasets.
• In the case of tabular datasets variable names and variable labels should be clear and indicative of the data that sits under them. Additionally, the labelling convention must be internally consistent, and a full codebook/data dictionary must be provided.

Proposal Content

Those interested in the consultancy must include in their application a detailed technical and financial proposal with the following components.

Technical

• Technical proposal for conducting the baseline survey based on the given information and including methodology and work plan schedules. The consultant should attach sample studies and links to similar assessments performed in the past.

Financial

• Budget: A daily rate must be included for the duration of the assignment.