Consultants for Baseline Survey

Terms of Reference
Consultants for Baseline survey

Project: Economic Empowerment & Social Inclusion for Farmers and Agriculture Producers

Countries: Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam

Organisation: We Effect, Southeast Asia Programme 2018-2022

Contact: Programme Director, Tuan Trinh Quang ([email protected] [1])

Address: Capital Place Building, 6 Thai Van Lung Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

1. Background

We Effect was founded in 1958 to support the development of democratic organisations and societies, working together with partner organisations to build capacity to articulate the rights and needs of their members. Our vision is a sustainable and just world free of poverty. We Effect’s global strategy, “Equality First”, emphasises the importance of gender equality to reach our results in 13 Programmes spread over 24 countries in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Southern and Eastern Africa.

We Effect’s work in Southeast Asia stretches a decade back, of strengthening member-based organisations to fight poverty and injustice in rural areas. Since then we have supported agriculture cooperatives, self-help groups (SHGs), village savings and loans association (VSLAs), producer groups, community forest groups, and those groups members. We believe that when these groups are strengthened they will act to address the needs and rights of their members.

We found that farmers are still in need of organisation to address their challenges and issues of limited access to and control over productive resources, with low productivity and quality of small-holding agriculture, and high risks related to climate and environmental instability, leading to crop failure and contributing highly to poverty. We also found that farmer organisations and rural community-based organisations struggling to promote strong collective voice and actions, and that women are faced with specific constraints in fulfilling their needs and equal rights.

In We Effect’s Southeast Asia Programme (SEA) 2018-2022 (multi-country programme, incl Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam) the overarching goal is to ensure small-holder farmers and agriculture producers in poverty are economically empowered and socially included to reach equitable growth and equal rights. To achieve this, the SEA Programme has designed strategic intervention with five objectives: 1) Promoted sustainable and climate resilient agriculture production; 2) Improved access to gender-sensitive and inclusive financial services; 3) Promoted Women entrepreneurship and gender equality; 4) Strengthened farmer organization in market linkage and representative member rights; 5) Farmer rights protected by an enabling policy environment.

To effectively implement the programme and set up a smart and effective monitoring system for results and intended outcomes We Effect SEA Programme is now commissioning a call for consultant/s, which may consist of three teams in three different countries for a baseline survey.

2. Objectives of baseline

The overall objective of the baseline is to set up a clear benchmark relating to the expected impact, outcomes and results in the We Effect SEA Programme 2018-2022, on the basis of already the identified indicators and logical framework. Specific objectives of the baseline are to utilise data as a reference for programme planning and adjusting targets, as well as monitoring, mid-term review and final evaluation. We Effect will also utilise the baseline data to measure annual progress and intermediate outcomes in reporting to donors. Benchmark, progress and results will be further used for resource mobilisation purposes and to raise awareness to a general public in Sweden, in Asia and globally.

3. Objective of assignment

• To collect field information both qualitative and quantitative (#/%) as baseline data related to goal, objectives, outcomes and indicators of SEA programme 2018-2022 as well as its partner projects and develop baseline data for the SEA’s and partner’s log- frames.
• To describe and to reflect on situation from implementation up to policy and planning levels if there are any issues and challenges for each outcome at the early stage.
• To make practical recommendations on what and how We Effect should do to achieve the expected results of each outcome.

4. Main Task/s

• Desk study and design of baseline study.
• Conduct baseline survey in each of three countries (Vietnam – Cambodia – Myanmar).
• Presentation of the findings and develop baseline study report.

5. Scope of work

• The assignment covers 10 projects in the three countries of SEA Programme 2018-2022, four projects in Vietnam (Yen Bai, Bac Kan, Hanoi and one province not yet identified), three projects in Cambodia (Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Otdar meanchey, Preah Vihea and Stung Treng provinces) and three projects in Myanmar (in Bago, Ayeyarwady and Yangon regions; and in Ywangan, Pindaya, Aungban, Nyaung Shwe, Pinlaung townships of Southern Shan State).
• Main reference material includes We Effect Global Strategy 2017-2021, SEA programme document and the ten project documents from partners and other documents provided by We Effect for developing a questionnaire for data collection to make sure that We Effect will have rich information to evidently show and compare the progress against situation at beginning 2018 to results by 2022.
• The information will be collected from relevant key stakeholders (m/w) of the programme such as leaders and members of cooperatives, SHGs/VSLAs, producer groups, community forest groups, authorities at project implementation area (village-commune-district-provincial level).
• The consultants shall also interview and sample a number of representative households to identify the level of development in each outcome by using agreed structure questionnaires.

6. Deliverables

The main deliverable of the assignment is the baseline report for SEA programme with the following annexes:

• Sheets of baseline data (of all related indicators) for SEA program and for 10 partner projects;
• Summary sheet from findings in each project;
• Information list of individuals, groups met/discussed and their identities (The recorded information in Excel shall include, but not limited to: age, gender, household size, education, income level, size and types of production land, farm production and other sources of income that easy to find when doing baseline follow up and spot check on progress against baseline);
• Map/GIS for those interview/met Questionnaires;
• Questionnaires and survey plans.

7. Methodologies

The methodology will include desk study of documents, dialogue with We Effect staff and Partner staff, field visits including interviews and focus group discussions. Desk study will include, but not exclusively, documents provided by We Effect. In addition, relevant Government strategies for poverty reduction, agriculture development, gender equality strategies of each country. In-depth interviews shall be carried out with representatives of the relevant local authorities (Provincial/District/Commune/Village level) and representatives of the CBOs members. The focus group discussions shall be carried out with local representatives and members. SEA Programme Partner Organisations in collaboration with the We Effect staff will support organise the focus group meetings for consultant to lead and manage the discussion and data collection.

8. Supervision

The consultant will work closely with SEA Programme Director during the assignment from preparation till end report submitted. We Effect staff based in each country will, together with project partners, support the consultant during data collection at basic logistic level. The consultant will be requested to submit draft versions and final version once the report is qualified that will be accepted by We Effect.

9. Workplan and Time schedule

The assignment will start from the 15th July 2018 to 30th September 2018.

Please propose plan and time table to us from meeting and clarify with We Effect on the assignment to ensure well understood on what We Effect expect and quality intended, document review, draft questionnaire and tools, discuss on tools and questionnaires proposed, data collection, data encoding, draft reports.

10. Report format

The final baseline study report should include the following points:

• Acknowledgement
• Glossary/Acronyms
• Introduction
• Executive Summary
• Methodology
• Limitation
• Findings
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• Appendices/Annexes

11. Researcher Competencies, Experiences and Skills requirement

• Agriculture expertise; Graduate degree in rural development studies, agronomy science, economics studies or relevant degrees;
• Proven experience working with sustainable and climate resilience agriculture, financial inclusive and gender sensitivity, women entrepreneur and leadership,
• CBO’s business development and market linkage, organisational development, policy analysis and dialogue.
• Excellent experience from qualitative and quantitative research and data collection.
• Proven experience in undertaking baseline survey.
• Proven experience of collecting sex-disaggregated data.
• Excellent writing, speaking and reading skills in English. Knowledge of languages in project areas is a merit.

12. Application

Proposals should include 1) cover letter, 2), CV/s, 3) technical proposal, and 4) proposed budget and timeline for fulfilment of assignment in each country. Proposal should include how the consultant will lead and coordinate/sub-contract research/data collection in each country in a cost-efficient manner.

Selection of applicants will be based on competence and expertise, relevant experience, time-and cost-efficiency.

Deadline for applications to be received is 10/7/2018. Applications should be emailed to Huynh Le Truc Ly ([email protected] [2]) and Trinh Quang Tuan ([email protected] [1]).