ToR to conduct baseline study for Resilience After War (BMZ) Project in Mekele city and Enderta Woreda

he SOS CVE Mekelle Programme Location was established in 1974 and primarily implements Alternative Care and Family and Community Strengthening Programmes. In addition, the programme location manages education facilities including a kindergarten and the Hermann Gmeiner School (primary and secondary levels).

Following the conflict in Northern Ethiopia, Mekelle and the surrounding areas of Enderta Woreda have experienced extensive disruption to social services, livelihoods, protection systems, and community cohesion. Children, young people, women, and caregivers were exposed to displacement, psychosocial distress, protection risks including gender‑based violence (GBV), and loss of livelihoods.

In response the above-mentioned challenges, SOS CVE has expanded its interventions beyond regular development programs to include Humanitarian response, recovery, and resilience‑building initiatives focusing on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), protection, livelihoods, and community systems strengthening. The Resilience After War (BMZ) Project is implemented within this post‑conflict recovery context in Mekelle city and neighbouring parts of Enderta Woreda.

Rationale and Overall Objective of the Baseline Study

SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia, in partnership with MuMs for MUMs (MfM) is implementing the Resilience After War Project to address the multidimensional impacts of conflict on vulnerable children, young people, women, and communities in Mekelle and Enderta. The project is designed for a 41‑month implementation period and focuses on strengthening protection systems, improving mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, enhancing livelihoods, and reinforcing community structures.

A baseline study is required to establish baseline values for all outcome and output indicators in the project Result Framework, Validate and assess the current conditions related to MHPSS, protection, GBV, child protection, livelihoods, and community systems – Provide evidence for realistic target setting, monitoring, and end‑line evaluation

The baseline will ensure credible measurement of change and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

Objectives of the Baseline Study:

General Objective

The overall objective of this baseline study is to measure the baseline situation of the indicators identified in the result framework at outcome and output level before or at the start of the project implementation in the target intervention areas, Mekelle city and Enderta Woreda.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of the baseline study are:

• To stablish baseline values for all indicators in the project Result Framework and recommend improvements where necessary
• To assess the psychosocial wellbeing, protection status, livelihood conditions, and socio‑economic situation of target communities
• To assess awareness of GBV, child rights, coping mechanisms, and existing protection systems – Determine the current situation of caregivers, women, youth, and children prior to project interventions – Identify key vulnerabilities, capacities, risks, and service gaps
• To propose realistic and achievable indicator targets – Map existing MHPSS, protection, TVET, and livelihood systems in the target areas

Project Goal, Outcomes, and Outputs

Project Goal

To improve the mental health, protection, and socio‑economic living conditions of vulnerable community members affected by war in Mekelle and surrounding parts of Enderta Woreda.

Project Outcomes and Outputs

Outcome 1: Awareness, knowledge, and capacity to act on GBV, child protection, and the rights of women and children among target communities are sustainably improved.

Outcome 2: Vulnerable children, young people, and adults have access to continuous, needs‑based MHPSS services and strengthened stress‑management skills.

Outcome 3: Vulnerable youth and adults have sustainable skills enabling engagement in income‑generating and livelihood activities.

Outcome 4: Local community structures have strengthened capacities to promote protection, rights, and social integration of children, youth, and women.

(Detailed outputs and activities are outlined in the approved project proposal and Result Framework.)

Major Baseline Survey Questions:

The commissioned consultant should list relevant and possible baseline survey questions by referring to the project document and the project result framework and present them clearly during/on inception report presentation.

Scope of the Baseline Study

Geographic Scope

The baseline study will be conducted in the following project implementation areas: – Mekelle City: Semien, Ayder, and Hadnet sub-cities – Enderta Woreda: Adiazmera, Didiba, and Mesebo kebeles

Target Groups and Beneficiaries

The baseline study will cover both direct and indirect beneficiaries of the Resilience After War (BMZ) Project, as defined in the approved project proposal.

Table 1: Direct Project Beneficiaries (as per approved BMZ Project Proposal)

Target Group	Female	Male	Total
Children	1,440	960	2,400
Youth	1,500	1,000	2,500
Adults	1,380	920	2,300
Total Direct Beneficiaries	4,320	2,880	7,200

Note: The above figures are consolidated from community-level disaggregation (Ayder, Hadnet, Semien sub-cities and Enderta Woreda) as presented in the approved project proposal. For baseline and evaluation purposes, beneficiaries are summarized by sex and age group to support sampling, analysis, and reporting, while avoiding unnecessary geographic duplication.

Institutional and Community-Level Participants

In addition to individual beneficiaries, the baseline will include data collection from relevant community and institutional stakeholders, including: – Local government offices (Women and Social Affairs, Youth and Sports, Health) – Schools, health centres, TVET institutions, and civil society organizations – Community-based protection and support structures

The baseline study will ensure that all data are disaggregated by sex, age, disability status, and population category (IDP, returnee, host community), in line with the project Result Framework.

Baseline Study Methodology

The consultant is expected to develop relevant and standard quantitative and qualitative methodologies that can generate the highest quality and most credible evidence. The commissioned consultant should use a mixed method approaches (quantitative and qualitative methods) to answer the baseline survey questions. As much as possible, the consultant should disaggregate data by sex, age, disability while collecting and analysing data. The consultant should also clearly explain which questions will be answered using which methods. Data collection methods proposed by the consultant should be linked to the specific target group question(s). The target groups include women, men, youth, children. In addition to the data collection methodology, the consultant should refer relevant documents. Moreover, the consultant is expected to explain the design and process of data collection tools, data collection plans and data analysis instruments and techniques in details.

Under Quantitative Methods, the consultant is expected to use the following methods.

• Structured household surveys
• Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) surveys
• MHPSS and trauma screening tools aligned with WHO SH+, EASE, and GPM+ guidance

Under qualitative methods, the consultant is expected to use the following methods.

• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with local authorities, service providers, community leaders, and implementing partners
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with women, men, youth, children (using age‑appropriate tools), persons with disabilities, IDPs, returnees, and host communities
• SWOT analysis to assess institutional and system capacities

All data must be disaggregated by sex, age, disability status, and population category (IDP, returnee, host community).

Sampling:

The Commissioned consultant is expected to use appropriate sampling techniques and set acceptable sample size for both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods based on the project objectives, results, the baseline survey equations. The consultant should produce best sampling methods and ensure representativeness of the sampled households or respondents, and the sampling frame should include targets from women, men, youths, boys and girls.

Work Plan and Deliverables

Duration and Work Plan

The baseline study shall be completed within 30 days of contract signing. The consultant is expected to develop her/his detailed work plan based on the following table.

Activities	Dates	Time frame	Location (if necessary)

Deliverables:

The commissioned external consultant must deliver the baseline survey findings within 30 days of the contract signing. Based on the work plan, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia, national MEAL staff and SOS CVE Mekele programme location staff expect the following deliverables:

• An inception report of maximum 8-10 pages on the baseline survey design, methodology, sampling frame, sampling technique, sample size, assessment tools and work plan
• Draft baseline survey report of maximum 25 pages.
• The consultant is expected to present findings (both draft and final findings) by intervention areas of the sampled locations.
• Final baseline survey report – The findings of baseline study report including an executive summary and data collection tools in both electronic and hardcopy formats should be submitted.
• Raw data, which has been cleaned (both qualitative and quantitative, including original field notes for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and recorded audio material), should be submitted with the report. SOS CVE will have sole ownership of all final data, and any findings shall only be shared or reproduced with the permission of SOS Children’s Village in Ethiopia.

Report criteria

The reporting criteria for the baseline survey shall be in line with the SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia’s result-based management (RBM) toolkit and the project framework which will be shared with the winner consultant along with the data review process and/or for the preparation of the inception report.
Child safeguarding and ethical issues.

SOS Children’s Villages is committed to ensuring that all research, evaluation and data collection processes (i.e. evidence-generating activities) undertaken by SOS Children’s Villages and its partners are ethical and respect child safeguarding policy and procedure.

The consultant must respect the rights, dignity and protection of children and other vulnerable population groups and should ensure special protection for children and other vulnerable groups during any data-generating activities to minimize any potential risks. Any research, evaluation and data collection SOS Children’s Villages is directly carrying out or is involved in as a partner.

Ethical practices need to be ensured in the following circumstances:

• Any research, baseline, midterm or final evaluations and data collection SOS Children’s Villages has commissioned for ethical oversight of these processes.
• Any research, evaluation and data collection carried out by researchers/consultants on SOS Children’s Villages program and participants.

Hence, relevant organization staff ensure that any researchers, evaluators and data collectors should receive awareness training on, sign and adhere to SOS Children’s Villages core policies:

Obtaining consent from research participants is central to the research relationship and signals respect for the research participant’s dignity, their capability to express their views and their right to have these heard in matters that affect them. Informed consent is an explicit agreement which requires participants to be informed about and understand the research/assessment. This must be given voluntarily and be renegotiable, so that participants may withdraw at any stage of the research process.

Logistical arrangements:

The awarded consultant shall present feasible logistical arrangements for the assignment as part of the technical proposal. National or location-level staff (SOS CVE) will be available to help organize the interviews including contacting SOS, announcing and local preparation of evaluation, and linking to community duty bearers and national authorities if required.

Duration of the contract and terms of payment

Payment will be made only upon SOS Children’s Villages’ acceptance of the work performed in accordance with the above-described deliverables. Financial proposals should include proposed stage payments. Payment will be transferred by bank transfer in birr.

Funding and Payment: The consultant will be paid by SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia as follows:

• 30% on the submission and approval of the inception report.
• 30% on completion of the draft report.
• 40% on completion of the final report.

Duration of contract: the contract is effective from the moment it was signed until the acceptance of work by the SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia management team.

Notice of delay

Shall the successful bidder encounter a delay in the performance of the contract which may be excusable under unavoidable circumstances; the contractor shall notify SOS Children’s Villages in writing about the causes of any such delays within one (1) week from the beginning of the delay.

After receipt of the Contractor’s notice of delay, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia shall analyse the facts and extent of the delay and extend the time for performance when in its judgment the facts justify such an extension.

Copyright and other proprietary rights

SOS Children’s Villages shall be entitled to all intellectual property and other proprietary rights including, but not limited to, copyrights, and trademarks, with regard to products, processes, inventions, ideas, know-how, or documents and other materials which the Contractor has developed for SOS Children’s Villages under the Contract and which bear a direct relation to or are produced or prepared or collected in consequence of, or during the course of, the performance of the Contract. The Contractor acknowledges and agrees that such products, documents, and other materials constitute works made for hire for SOS Children’s Villages.

All materials: interviews, reports, recommendations, and all other data compiled by or received by the Contractor under the Contract shall be the property of SOS Children’s Villages and shall be treated as confidential and shall be delivered only to SOS Children’s Villages authorized officials on completion of work under the Contract. The external consultant is obliged to hand over all raw data collected during the assessment to SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia.

Termination:

The termination of the service agreement for the assignment will be in accordance with the contractual agreement to be included at the formal agreement’s actual signing.

Qualification of the researcher / research team

• The consultant’s team shall have at least one master’s degree holder in a relevant field of study such youth empowerment, youth livelihoods programme, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, development studies, Economics, Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation and other related fields per the required assignment. Training and qualifications related to social behavioral change communication approach are a plus.
• The team lead should have at least 5 years of relevant work experience & proven competency in assessments, monitoring, and evaluation, including baseline assessments or organizational/program evaluation (baseline, midterm, and final evaluations). The incumbent shall attach at least one sample baseline or final evaluation report produced by the candidate on peace building and related topics.
• A good understanding of peace building programs logic and conceptual framework
• Proven experience also on Integrated Landscape Management
• A good understanding of youth empowerment, youth livelihoods programme, child protection, women rights/safeguarding & other issues affecting vulnerable children and girls/women in the Ethiopian context.
• Proven experience in working with conceptual frameworks and data collection methods (including age-appropriate data collection methods)
• Strong skills in coordination, good facilitation, organizational, and interpersonal skills
• Proven experience in participatory processes
• Strong skills in coordinating teamwork
• Analytical and conceptual skills on market and livelihood assessment
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English. Tigrigna language is plus.
• Ability to transfer complex concepts and ideas into practical and simple language.
• Experience in organizing research processes with women, children and youth focused organizations.
• Experience of assessing conflict sensitive projects operated alongside of borders of conflict prone areas
• Experience in managing baselines, final evaluations, youth empowerment and livelihood assessment in respect of the participating communities’ culture, social norms, values, and behavior; and maintain appropriate relationships with participants.
• Legally registered firms with renewed license, VAT registration and TIN number