ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
Adeso is an expanding and vibrant African based international development and humanitarian organization. At Adeso, we work with African communities who are yet to realize their full potential; working inside these communities to create environments in which Africans can thrive. Our belief that economic, social and environmental security is the bedrock of a healthy community drives the nature and intent of our programming. We work to prevent and overcome situations that adversely affect community well-being by: reinvigorating the economy, developing skills for life and work, providing humanitarian aid, and influencing policy.**
For the past 20 years we have strengthened rural livelihoods through environmental awareness, training, technology transfer and innovative humanitarian projects in pursuit of a peaceful, self-reliant, and greener future.
Adeso is an exciting and dynamic organization experiencing managed rapid growth. It offers sound employment conditions with opportunities for personal growth and development.
PROJECT SUMMARY
The goal of this consultancy is to document the achievements, lessons learned and successes of the BDSESES project with the goal of producing literature and a short documentary detailing the findings of the consultancy.
BACKGROUND FOR CONSULTANCY
Adeso in partnership with ACH and The University of Birmingham School of Business has designed an innovative approach to empower youth, facilitate entrepreneurship and accelerate youth active participation in the economy and stability. The Baidoa district stability, employment skills and entrepreneurship strengthening (BDSESES) is an international partnership approach designed to catalyze the development of new approaches and partnerships within a well-balanced framework of risk. It brings together Adeso who has over twenty-five years’ experience delivering projects effectively on the ground in Somalia and ACH, who is leading provider of integration support for excluded and marginalized groups and communities through training and enterprise development. In addition, we will bring on board the University of Birmingham School of Business who offer world leading expertise in enterprise development within excluded communities.
The Baidoa District Stability, Employment Skills and Entrepreneurship Strengthening (BDSESES) project – implemented via an international partnership between Adeso, ACH and The University of Birmingham School of Business – employs innovative approaches to empower youth, facilitate entrepreneurship and accelerate youth participation in the economic prosperity and stability of Baidoa District. BDSESES targets over 6,000 young persons from host communities and marginalized groups, such as IDPSs/Returnees, with business development trainings, professional skills development, and other interventions to increase economic prospects and capacity.
The theory of change envisioned in BDSESES is that Personal development + enterprising skills development and capital + employment skills development = self-directed economic development and societal stability.
The overall objective of BDSESES is to strengthen the social cohesion and community-government relations in target areas, and the specific of objectives of BDSESES are as follows:
- Deliver demand-led TVET training with a focus on employment and international accreditation,
- Cod-design business and entrepreneurial support that is sensitive to the specific needs of local entrepreneurs.
- Establish a Job Club and Growth Hub to support young people in finding employment or self-employment,
- Strengthen the networks between public and private sector stakeholders with civic society organizations.
BDSESES has the following expected outputs:
- An enterprise hub in Baidoa that is a low cost, sustainable base for small and micro business development.
- A job club network in Baidoa to offer long term access to support and networks for career advice, job search assistance and labor market entry.
- A training infrastructure with a cohort of locally-based trainers and certified training methodologies that relate to business development and labor market entry.
- New financial instruments for boosting microbusiness start-ups and business scale ups.
- New approaches and tools for rural development through community led infrastructures and other support.
- Strengthened stakeholder capacity and networks, especially between public and private sector stakeholders and civic society organizations.
METHODOLOGY
The analysis shall be carried out by an independent consultant(s) or firm who will further review the methodology as appropriate with concurrence of the BDSESES project team leader. The learning materials will combine a desk review of program documentation and primary research to be conducted in BDSESES intervention locations in Baidoa. The precise methodology will be agreed upon between the consultant(s) and Adeso BDSESES project team before assessment and review activities commence, with the methodological outline provided by the consultant(s) as per this hiring being a starting point.
The assesment and review design should consider both the ex-post and ex-ante scenarios to analyze the impact of BDSESES. A combination of appropriate methods of data/information collection analysis will be employed including but not limited to:
- Use of Participatory Learning Action technique such as mapping, community meetings, Focus Group Discussions with specified groups etc.
- Structured questionnaires and Semi-structured interviews
- Direct observation of the conditions of beneficiaries for evidence of programme support.
- Photographs of household who have been beneficiaries of programme
- Documentation of case studies of beneficiaries whose lives have been impacted by the project.
- Key informant interviews held with local authorities and other relevant persons identified at field level.
- Video documentation of selected interviews with relevant project beneficiaries, staff, and stakeholders, including ministry officials, private sector actors and relevant community officials.
The Adeso BDSESES team will provide a copy of relevant technical documentation deemed essential for effective review of the program. The consultant(s) are expected to use diverse and innovative methods in obtaining required qualitative and quantitative data. The methods should be as participatory as possible and feasible within the time period and context. The methods include:
a) Literature review
The consultant(s)(s) will be expected to review programme documents and reports as a way of familiarizing with the project and to assess the extent to which project outputs have been achieved:
§ Programme Documents including: Narrative Proposal, log frame, activity plans and budget.
§ Program narrative and financial reports including quarterly reports/updates, Interim/ annual reports, annual surveys and baseline Reports.
b) Data collection methods.
Adeso envisages a participatory approach in data collection to be employed throughout the assessment. An open atmosphere that can also accommodate unexpected information and critical remarks should be created by the team. The assessment is expected to suggest data collection methods that provide both quantitative and qualitative information. It is very critical that information is triangulated in order to increase the validity of findings. Possible methods include in-depth interviews, focused group discussions and questionnaires in collecting information.
c) Dissemination of findings
The consultant(s) will be expected to debrief Adeso BDSESES project team, SSF and other stakeholders as determined by Adeso on the findings. Upon obtaining feedback from the team, he/she will finalise and submit a final set of documents and files.
Scope of the Consultancy
The learning consultancy shall be limited to analyse BDSESES project impact in select locations in Baidoa District where BDSESES project interventions were implemented.
Analyze Results and Reporting Format
A comprehensive final assessment report fully addressing all the specific objectives outlined above and should address all the components mentioned in the final report section below.
Deliverables
The consultant(s) will be responsible for four key deliverables:
- Inception Report: The Inception Report will detail the agreed upon methodologies to be employed in the learning assessment to achieve the objectives outlined above. The Inception Report should also include the finalised activity plan and a structural outline of the learning consultancy documents. The inception report should be shared and approved by Adeso BDSESES project team before commencement of the data collection.
- Draft Report: In addition to addressing the aforementioned consultancy objectives, the draft report must contain:
- an introduction including programme summary and purpose of the learning documentation;
- a detailed methodology including limitations,
- key findings covering research, data collection, success stories, and lessons learned,
- recommendations,
- a conclusion
A soft copy of the Draft Report will be shared with Adeso within 10 days of completing field site visits.
- Final Report: The Final Report in UK English (no more than 40 pages excluding references and annexes) with photos and infographics should be submitted to Adeso no later than one week after the consultant(s) has received feedback from all relevant programme staff, following this format below:
a) Title Page
b) Contents page
c) List of acronyms used
d) Executive summary
e) Introduction and background
f) Methodology
g) Findings, analysis and conclusions
h) Case studies
i) Lessons learnt and recommendations
j) Study limitations
k) References
l) Annexures
i. All data collection tools (full versions to be attached)
ii. List of persons/CBOs/partners/organizations interviewed
iii. Consent form(s)
iv. Assessment work plan schedule
v. List of key documents reviewed
vi. The final dataset used for analysis and production of final report in an accessible electronic format *. (sav, dta, csv, xlsx).
- Final Documentary: Final documentary should highlight and complement the findings of the Final Report, with particular emphasis on the successes, case studies and lessons learned in the implementation of BDSESES project.
SCOPE OF WORK
The consultant(s) will be expected to do the following;
· Analyze the extent to which the project achieved its objectives with special emphasis on the outcomes and impact and/or most significant changes attributable to the project.
· To analyze the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of BDSESES project approach with special emphasis to;
o Community needs at the time of project identification.
o Capacity building of target groups and its relevance to project implementation.
o Results as articulated in the project log frame
o The external environment (context) within which the programme was operational and its influence on project successes and/or failures.
o Cross cutting issues/themes of Gender and inclusion, etc.
· Analyze the extent to which the economic empowerment activities and private sector engagement have impacted the targeted community.
· To make key observations, draw conclusions and make recommendations to inform future interventions of a possible scale up of BDSESES project.
CONSULTANCY PERIOD
INDICATIVE TIMEFRAME
Action
Time Frame and Location
Desk review of relevant literature and BDSESES documents
2 days
Design survey tool
1 day
Enumerator training
1 day – Baidoa, Somalia (Consultant may conduct training remotely)
Interviews with project team, beneficiaries, community officials and stakeholders in the private and public sectors
3 days – Baidoa, Somalia (Consultant may conduct interviews remotely)
Data Analysis
2 days
Documentary Film Editing and Finalization
2 days
Report Writing
2 days
Presentations
2 days – Nairobi, Kenya
QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
- Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Social Sciences, or related field
Work Experience:
- A minimum of five (5) years of experience in Results Based Management.
- Experience must primarily relate to senior levels of program management, change management and the monitoring and analyze of program and reform interventions.
- Experience with business development and employment is considered a strong asset.
- Experience with documentary film making and best practices is considered a strong asset.
Languages:
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Somali is an advantage.
Technical Competencies:
- Strong understanding of Results Based Management principles.
- Excellent understanding of enterprise development and market systems.
- Logic modeling/logical framework analysis.
- Understanding of Participatory approaches.
- Familiarity with livelihoods development.
- Experience with/understanding of business development.
- Design and management of assessment processes, including with multiple stakeholders.
- Good understanding of gender considerations.
- Good understanding of market monitoring.
- Good understanding of film making and learning documentation.
- Quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
In consideration of the fees paid, the Consultant expressly assigns to Adeso any copyright arising from the works the consultant produces while executing this contract. All images (whether used for online or print purposes) must however bear the consultant’s photo credit, as specified by international intellectual property rights. The consultant may not use, reproduce or otherwise disseminate or authorize others to use, reproduce or disseminate such works without prior consent from Adeso.
How to apply
All applications should be sent to consultancy@adesoafrica.org by the 6th March 2020 with Consultancy title on the subject line. The selection committee will review all applications as they arrive. All applicants must meet the minimum requirements described above, and those unable to meet these requirements will not be considered.**
Each application package should include the following:**
- An application letter addressing the selection criteria including how the consultant’s previous experience matches the consultancy objectives as well as the interest for the position. It should also indicate the candidate’s availability and consultancy rates. The letter should be no longer than two pages;
- A sample of recent work;
- Updated CV including relevant work experience and qualifications;
- Contact details of 2 references.
Applications not including all of the above information will not be reviewed. Adeso is an equal opportunity employer.