Consultancy services: Rural Water Project Baseline at Vita | Amhara, Ethopia

INTRODUCTION

Vita is an Irish-based international development charity organization founded by Father Kevin Doheny in Ireland in 1989 under the original name of Refugee Trust International with blessed Mother Teresa as Patron.

Vita has been legally registered in Ethiopia in 2005 under the Ministry of Justice, later re-registered under Charities and Societies Agency, and recently registered as permanent NGO based on the new Ethiopian Charities and Societies Law. Currently, Vita is implementing various climate-smart projects in Ethiopia in Gamo, Wolayita and Silte Zones of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR), and in South Gondar Zone of Amhara Region. Vita’s mission is to deliver innovative, scalable models of community-led rural development Projects in Africa. Accordingly, the majority of the people that we reach live in rural and pastoral areas and are heavily reliant on agriculture.

Vita-Ethiopia, as part of its Green Impact Fund Program, has planned and will recently launch a 4-years (2023-2026) project named by: South Gonder Water Project. To this end the organization intends to conduct a baseline study to bench mark project indicators at the start of project implementation using external consultants.

Hence, this ToR aims to provide brief information of the assignment and seek consultancy service at individual or firm level to manage the assignment as per the given brief.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The South Gonder water project that has been planned to implement from 2023 to 2026 mainly aiming to benefit 110,202 households through safe water supply and related interventions in addition to repair of 1500 non-functional water schemes in 13 targeted woredas. The project will be implemented in collaboration with regional, zonal and woreda level government offices. Accordingly, the action has framed and described in the following intervention logic:

Problem statement: Lack of access to safe, sufficient water collectable within a 30 minute round trip inhibits every aspect of human development, affecting the health and economic status of households and inhibiting the participation of women in all aspects of life. Consumption of fuelwood to purify unsafe water through boiling contributes to global carbon emissions and undermines the adaptive capacity of communities.

Project goal:

• Significant contribution to global climate change mitigation goal of staying within 1.5°C (Climate Mitigation)
• Increased climate resilience and enhanced social and economic well-being of rural communities in Ethiopia (Climate Adaptation)

Project Impact:

• Adaptation: Communities where VGIF has supported water point repair have climate-resilient water supply systems
• Mitigation: VGIF supported water point repair programmes have contributed to climate change mitigation through reduced or avoided Co2 emissions

Long-term Outcome-1: Health status of households improved where water points have been repaired

Long-term Outcome-2: Economic status of households improved where water points have been repaired

Long-term Outcome-3: Women in communities where water points have been repaired increased sources of well-being as a result of increased discretionary time

Intermediate Outcome-1: Households and communities where water points have been repaired are practicing improved WASH behaviour

Intermediate Outcome-2: Households are accessing safe, sufficient water on a continuous basis

Intermediate Outcome-3: Water points are managed at community level by effective, functioning local structures and water safety and hygiene is promoted by community actors

Intermediate Outcome-4: Households and communities where water points have been repaired are equipped to maintain effective water supply system in event of climate-related emergencies

PARTRNERS

The partners involved in this baseline study include beneficiary communities, WASH Committees, Regional, Zonal and Woreda level Bureaus of Finance and Economic Cooperation, Water and Energy, Health, Women Children and Youth, and Environment and Forest Protection and Vita.

BASELINE TYPE

This TOR is for a combination of impact and outcome assessment. This will be the basis for assessing effects of project interventions on the target population at mid and end-line. And hence, the study expected to do a thorough assessment of project indicators that are detailed in the project design document.

BASELINE PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE

The overall objective of the assessment is to provide an information base against which to monitor and assess progress and effectiveness of the intended water project during implementation and after the action is completed. The baseline study will therefore establish current figures/values for project outcome and impact indicators and where possible, compare these to national averages. Specifically. the survey will aim to:

• Estimate baseline values for each outcome and impact indicators in intervention areas that will be used for comparison with subsequent reviews and studies.
• Generate a pre-intervention data on socio-economic and demographic features of the target community.
• Review the logic of intervention and project indicators and suggest areas of improvement as required.
• Provide recommendations on specific areas of focus that the project should consider based on the findings.

SCOPE OF WORK

The baseline will involve a desk review of programme documents, household survey, FGDs, direct observation, KIIs and other appropriate tools. The study will involve interviews and interaction with a range of stakeholders including beneficiaries, local administration/ government representatives, religious and community leaders, health professionals, teachers, etc as appropriate. The consultant will review, collect and analyze primary and secondary data to set baseline values for each of the project outcome and impact indicators outlined in the Project’s Result Framework. These indicators include but are not limited to those listed below:

IMPACT

1.1. Rural water supply systems established with VGIF support are climate-resilient across six domains (composite indicator – How Tough is WASH Framework)

1.2. Tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (t CO2eq) reduced or avoided as a result of VGIF-funded water projects (N.B. The baseline value for this indicator will be taken from Water Boiling Test that Vita will conduct)

LONG TERM OUTCOME-1

1. Reduced prevalence of water-borne disease among households in communities where water points have been repaired
2. Reported prevalence of water-borne disease among any household member within the previous two weeks
3. Reduced incidence of water borne disease among households in communities where water points have been repaired

LONG TERM OUTCOME-2

1. Household savings from reduced expenditure on healthcare and recovered opportunity cost from reduced time spent collecting water

LONG TERM OUTCOME-3

1. Improved participation of women primarily responsible for HH water collection in social, civic and religious life as a result of increased discretionary time
2. Improved participation of women in economic life as a result of increased discretionary time
3. Women have reduced fear for personal safety when collecting water
4. Reduced incidence of spinal/back pain reported by women with primary responsibility for household water collection

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOME-1

1. Improved hygiene, sanitation and safe water chain management practiced by households
2. Households have sufficient knowledge of optimum personal hygiene behaviour
3. Households are practising optimum personal hygiene behaviour
4. Households are practising safe water chain management
5. Community-based safe water chain management awareness promotion is established in communities where water points have been repaired
6. Households have access to basic or improved sanitation facilities

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOME-2

1. Households are accessing safe water
2. Households are accessing sufficient safe water
3. Households have continuous access to safe water
4. Households spend reduced time collecting water per day

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOME-3

1. WUAs/WASHCOs are actively mobilizing contributions from willing client community
2. Functional WUAs/WASHCOS are operating in communities where water points have been repaired
3. WUA/WASHCOs are actively implementing water safety management strategies
4. WUA/WASHCOs have capacity to undertake basic maintenance and repairs
5. WUA/WASHCO are operating transparently
6. Supply Chains for spare parts are operating effectively

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOME-4

1. Households have knowledge to manage household WASH practices adequately in event of climate-related emergencies.
2. WUA/WASHCO are equipped to manage water supply in climate related emergencies.

The survey will cover at least 50% of the project target 13 woredas. The survey woredas shall be selected based on the implementation timeline, magnitude of the intervention, and their representativeness in terms of location (geographic location, topography, elevation or other variables related to location that could influence access to water) and water scheme type. Vita suggests to consider a minimum of randomly selected 350HHs for individual interview for this specific survey.

BASELINE METHODOLOGY

This is an external consultancy, however, a high level of collaboration and engagement with the project core partners and key stakeholders is anticipated and expected. The survey process will make use of mixed tools that will be designed by the consultant. These may include household survey with a form of random sampling targeting the communities where the repairs are planned, focus group discussions (with female water users, male water users, children, existing WASHCOs as appropriate), key informant interview (with Community Health Workers, Health Clinic staff, experts from office of water etc.), observation and desk review. The consultant is expected to present a detailed methodology covering the entire baseline scope in the technical proposal submission which will be further refined in consultation with Vita during the inception phase. This should involve a robust selection of quantitative and qualitative methods applied at the various points in the exercise and with different sampling units (individual, household, group, government stakeholders etc.). One of the critical tasks will be to match the methods selection with the diverse range of information/data that needs to be collected and to determine the appropriate sampling frames, selection method and sample sizes at each point in the study.

Furthermore, the consultant will be expected to work with the survey team led by Program Quality Manager (PQM) under Vita and stakeholders to refine a set of key questions for the baseline study. This should lead into the development of an indicator matrix (the indicator checklist against tools to be developed), designing of data entry templates as well as developing data analysis plan. The consultant will also work with team members in the project to derive the best possible accuracy and relevance of the questions used in the focus group discussions, household survey and the data collection forms.

All data, qualitative and quantitative, to be collected through the assessment must be disaggregated by gender. Triangulation of information gathered during the quantitative and qualitative research is crucial in this study, with reflection on how the findings relate to the secondary documentation.

The baseline should ensure that the respondents are representative of diversity in terms of location, agro-ecology, use of water structure type (like borehole; spring), etc.

Use of electronic data collection for this specific assignment is highly favourable.

AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

The consultant shall report directly to the survey team led by Program Quality Manager under Vita Ethiopia Country Office. The team is comprised of the PQM, Head of GIF and Gender Officer. The survey team in close collaboration with a team at Dublin shall be responsible for approving the quality of the work (including the tools and methodology to use during the study) and the extent to which the deliverables fulfils the requirements stated in the TOR before payment. In case the work is substandard and/or does not fulfil the requirements stated in the TOR, Vita Ethiopia country office reserves the right to adjust the payment accordingly.

KEY TASKS OF THE CONSULTANT

The following key tasks, but not limited to, are expected from the consultant

• Meetings with the survey team, programme staff, partners, stakeholders and participants
• Carry out a desk-review of relevant project documents including, the project Result Frame Work and other relevant documents prior to the implementation of the study
• Submit a technical and financial proposal on how the baseline survey is going to conduct
• Provide an inception report detailing the proof of concept and methodology for sampling and data collection.
• Recommend the appropriate sample design, which involves developing the sampling methodology (sampling stages, strata etc.), the sample frames, the system for selecting the sampling units, sampling weights, and sample size
• Develop a work plan for field data collection
• Train male and female enumerators
• Design/adapt/refine the questionnaires, ensuring the questionnaire is:

1. • appropriate for the local situation
2. • adequate to collect baseline data on the selected indicators
3. • questions are clear, complete and accurate
4. • response options are relevant and clear
5. • respondents understand what is being asked of them.
6. • clear the final version of the questionnaire with Vita.

• Prepare all support documentation including coding guides, interviewer and supervisor manuals and the data entry manual. Also, submit hard and electronic copies of all documents including audio records of FGDs and KIIs to Vita
• Pre-Testing and Piloting Questionnaire and share a brief report on the results of piloting
• Assign appropriate staff for the assignment
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative data collection
• Assure proper application of the How Tough is WASH field guide as appropriate to the project How tough is WASH Field Guide – Water supply – University of Bristol.pdf
• Undertake data analysis using appropriate software and write draft report with findings, written in English
• Regular progress reporting to Vita Ethiopia based on the agreed schedule
• Present preliminary findings to concerned Vita staffs and key stakeholders as organized by Vita for feedback and verification
• Submit draft report to the country office for feedback and verification.
• Write final report incorporating any agreed changes.

The following are the expected supports provided by Vita for this assignment.

• Share the relevant project documents on demand basis.
• Facilitate and support the whole survey process based on the joint action plan developed with the consultant.
• Support in availing transportation logistics for the consultant to travel as required (OPTIONAL)
• Review and provide feedback on each of the deliverables on time and a continuous basis
• Facilitate and effect payments based on the payment modalities and upon the request of the consultant
• Other tasks shall be identified and agreed during the joint action plan development period

DELIVERABLES

The following are the list of deliverables as part of this assignment:

1. An Inception Report outlining the methodology and approach to the exercise, including suggested data collection tools, training plan for enumerators, sampling approach, proposed timelines for data collection, analysis and reporting
2. Short report on training of enumerators and piloting of questionnaire so that Vita will have an opportunity to re-review the practicability of survey tools before actual application
3. Draft Baseline Report following data collection and analysis, this should include:
   1. All collected data including HH survey data sets interviews and FGDs summaries or transcripts. All collected data including reports and transcripts, pictures taken as part of the study & contact list of interviewees, audio recordings of the FGDs & KIIs and workshop/debriefing session participants (as required).
   2. Baseline values as per the indicators in the results frame
4. Final baseline report, which should include the analysis of the findings, photos of the baseline survey, lessons learnt as well as recommendations.

The draft and final baseline study reports need, as a minimum, to contain the following components:

• Cover Page
• Table of Content
• Abbreviations and acronyms’ page
• An executive summary that can be used as a document in its own right. It should include the major findings of the baseline and summarise conclusions and recommendations
• Baseline findings – provide the detail of each indicator and current status that includes a table of results for indicators
• A short introduction to the project and baseline background
• Methodology deployed
• Findings of the study
• Lessons learned from data collection – to inform follow up and end line study process
• Recommendations and conclusion.
• Report appendices that include: the Terms of Reference; the data collection tools; the techniques used for data collection (including list of informants and locations visited); etc

QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES

The candidate to conduct the baseline survey should have the following qualifications, experience and competencies:

Required:

• A recognized university degree in rural development, development economics, social science or in related fields of studies (at a minimum of Masters Level).
• At least 10 years of experience in relevant technical areas in research/impact evaluations of a WASH and any livelihood related projects using experimental designs
• In-depth knowledge and experience on research methods (household survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions) and in quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods.
• Practical and theoretical understanding of water programming
• Excellent analytical, communication and report writing skills
• Excellent communication and writing skill in English
• Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods
• Experience in SPSS, STATA or similar software applications
• Sensitivity to and knowledge of gender issues in the context of WASH

Desirable:

• Oral skills in local languages spoken is an advantage
• Knowledge of and familiarity with project implementation area, is an added advantage