Technical Proposal to conduct Mid-term Evaluation of Hintalo-

Wajirat Rural Livelihood Improvement Project

Submitted by: Development Studies Associate [DSA]

Submitted to: Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter

church Aid Commission [EOC-DICAC]

February 2019
Addis Ababa

Project background
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter church Aid Commission [EOC-DICAC] is implementing a
project dubbed “Hintalo-Wajirat Rural Livelihood Improvement Project” under the auspices of Protestant Agency
for Diakonie and Development/Bread for the World-Protestant Development Service (PADD). It is a two-year pilot
project which runs from October 1, 2017-September 30, 2019.
The project has an overall goal to have communities livelihood status in Hintalo-Wajirat woreda is improved. This
will be realized through achievement of the following specific objectives:
The average duration of food shortage of 416 irrigation user households [129 female headed] is reduced from 6 to 4
months per year.
The average annual income of 180 unemployed youths [100 female] is raised by 5000 ETB\year from the baseline
average income of 3600 ETB\year.
200 ha of degraded land in the project area is rehabilitated
Geographic Scope
The geographic scope of this evaluation covers Amdi Woyanie and Dejen kebeles in the Hintal-Wajirat district,
located in the South-Eastern zone of Tigray National Regional State.
Target beneficiaries: The project aims to benefit 2160 poor and medium income households [950 female headed] in
Amdi Woyanie and Dejen kebeles.
Objectives and Purpose of the Evaluation
The objective of the task is to evaluate the project in terms of its relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and
trend for sustainability. The purpose of the evaluation is to measure the success of the project against its targeted
objective and indicators. The evaluation aims to pull the key lessons learnt and to formulate evidence-based
recommendations which can be applied within the remaining project period and beyond. Also the quality of
governance and management of the project and organization shall be assessed. The planned evaluation is, therefore,
meant to track the changes made in the livelihood conditions and food security status of the target beneficiaries as a
result of the project interventions and evaluating the attainment of intended objective. Moreover, it is expected to
review the project’s role in addressing marginalized groups, gender equity and the fairness of benefits among the
various community groups. Furthermore, the project evaluation shall suggest strategies on the way forward.
Sampling Technique
The consultant will apply a purposive sampling strategy to select respondents for FGDs, KIIs, and case stories.
Evaluation Methodology
The consultant will apply the program theory evaluation (PTE) guided by the impact pathway with milestones on
the route which begins with the project outputs, followed by outcomes that are then followed by the wider and often
longer-term outcomes. This will be dragged from the projects approval logical framework upon which the project
has been conceived, the strategic objectives, the inputs, assumptions, the intended activities and
nature of support envisaged to achieve these objectives.
It begins with an assessment of the logical framework and whether the different project components
and activities proposed to achieve the objectives are appropriate, viable and its flexibility to respond
to contextual institutional, legal and regulatory settings of the project. It will also assess the
indicators defined for guiding implementation and measurement of achievement and whether lessons
from other similar previous relevant projects are incorporated into project design. This goes to the
extent of modification and amendment/updating of logical framework formulated. Further
demystification, de-construction, and unpacking of project results are envisaged.
The next step is to undertake evaluation of the project per the set specific objectives.
Specific objective1: The average duration of food shortage of 416 irrigation user households [129
female headed] is reduced from 6 to 4 months per year.
For this objective, the consultant conduct a stock-take of information collated during the baseline survey
and based on that makes assessment on capacity building training and technical assistances provided,
level of improved production and productivity among households, use of improved seed varieties, inputs,
adoption and use of irrigation farming, farm planning like tilling, weeding, sowing/planting, swathing,
winnowing, harvesting, post-harvest management, pest management, marketing, etc. furthermore, support
of seeds support like vegetable seeds and irrigation tools/kits like shovels, axe, gate-valves, and so forth
will be assessed.
Also, irrigation water governance for upstream and downstream users and those on the opposite banks of
the watershed will be assessed to reduce conflicts.
Specific objective 2: The average annual income of 180 unemployed youths [100 female] is raised by
5000 ETB\year from the baseline average income of 3600 ETB\year.
Informed by the baseline survey results, the consultant will evaluate available income sources and
expenditures, linkages to micro-finance institutions like credit and saving associations, village saving and
lending associations, income generating activities like gardening/fruits and vegetables, self-help groups,
value chain-enhancing activities, linkage to markets, level of youth job creation, youth engagement and
established youth-based initiatives, if any.
Specific objective: 200 ha of degraded land in the project area is rehabilitated.
The consultant will assess the level of improved practices for natural resources conservation. Specifically,
we evaluate the, catchment based conservation, rehabilitation of water sources and indigenous forests and
the level of joint management, soil fertility management like actions for gully and sheet erosion, the
materials/kits supported for this initiative, level of awareness and community mobilizations made,
community structures established and capacitated for participatory and joint natural resources
management.
The consultant will assess women/gender inclusion as a transverse/cross-cutting issue across the three
specific objectives to ensure that women have greater voice and decision-making power at household
level and in local institutions. This helps women more confidently engage with a range of issues of
fundamental importance to them.
As stipulated by the terms of reference, the evaluation also aims to pull the key lessons learnt. To foster
learning and change, the consultant will make deep distillation of best practices and best-fit results to
document them using one or combination of innovation histories, appreciative inquiry, social network
analysis, most significant change and impact pathway analysis whichever is appropriate.
For the specific objective 3 above, the consultant will provide decision-support guide for prospective
adaptive management planning of watersheds.
Evaluation Tools
The consultant will adopt a combination of qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary
resources.
Desk review: the consultant will make intensive and extensive distillation of secondary data
from project related and organizational documents like contract\approval documents, baseline
survey reports, progress reports, audit report, monitoring and annual review meeting reports, and
summary project budget. These documents will also be complemented with data from regional,
zonal, and district sector offices, census bureau documents.
Focus Group discussions [FGDs]: the consultant will undertake two FGDs in each kebele. The
participants of the FGDs will be from Irrigation and water users groups, natural resources
committees, development committee, and members of women associations, farmer-based
organizations such as cooperatives, Productive Safety Net [PSNP] and GRAD II committees.
Key Informant Interviews [KIIs]: The consultant will undertake eight KIIs per each kebele.
KIIs will be made with representatives\experts at district food security desk or office, irrigation
desk, environment conservation and natural resources office, women affairs office, youth affairs,
labor affairs, micro-finance institutions, farmer-based organizations like cooperatives, unions,
agricultural input providers, nutrition desk, woreda cooperative office, woreda small and micro
enterprise, and others as appropriate.
The consultant also interviews EOC-DICAC staffs, NGOs operating in the areas like REST, and
others with similar thematic interventions.
The consultant will conduct ten KIIs with selected households which are not target beneficiaries
of this project to facilitate focused-comparison: This is to count the differential impact of the
intervention apparently considering the non-intervention kebeles as counterfactuals.
Case Stories [optional]: the consultant will document two case stories per each kebele supported with
photo voice if deemed necessary *since it is a pilot phase, we do not expect that much!]
Physical observation: The consultant will take a transect walk to catchments\watersheds rehabilitated by
the project, irrigation sites and live farmlands cultivated.
Evaluation Questions
The terms of reference has already provided evaluation questions which can be made more
specific during the inception report. It is copied from the ToR to the table below for elaboration.

S\N OECD-DAC parameter Evaluation Questions

1 Relevance: Assess the extent in which the  To what extent are the objectives of the project still valid?
project activity is relevant or suited to the  Are the activities and outputs of the project consistent with the
priorities of beneficiaries and the existing development goal and the attainment of its objective?
government policies and strategies  Are the activities and outputs of the project consistent with the
intended impacts and effects?

2 Efficiency: Evaluate the project’s results in  Were project activities cost-efficient

terms of project efficiency  Were project objectives achieved on time
 Was the project implemented in the most efficient way compared
to alternative approaches to achieve the same outputs
3 Effectiveness: Measure the extent in which  To what extent were the project objective and indicators are
the project activity is effective in attaining its achieved
objectives  What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-
achievement of the objectives.
4 Impact: Assess the impacts of the project  What has happened as a result of the project
towards the achievement of the project’s  What real difference has the project activity made to the
objective and the wider scope of beneficiaries
developmental goal.  How many people have been affected
5 Sustainability: Assess the trend for  To what extent did the benefits of a project continue after donor
sustainability of the project’s outcomes funding ceased
 What were the major factors which influenced the achievement or
non-achievement of sustainability of the project
6 Organizational effectiveness and efficiency  In how far are human resources, quality of work and internal
environment including governance adequate in relation to
program and external relations
 How effective have management strategies been adopted and
implemented how is second line leadership developed
 What has been the role of staff in the planning, monitoring and
implementation of the organization
 How effective is the organizational structure and the internal
communication\coordination system, the division of roles and
functions, the decision making procedures as well as the
representation and participation of staff and beneficiaries in
decision making and policy development
 Examine the partnership with and role of stakeholders [target
beneficiaries, government offices, district development
committee, NGOs, etc.] in the project implementation ,
monitoring, handing over of outputs and continued follow-up
 Examine how far cross cutting issues such as gender, HIV\AIDS,
 traditional malpractices were addressed by the project
 Examine to what extent external factors, such as socio-economic,
political, infrastructure, availability of inputs, natural incidences
etc. have adversely affected the implementation of the project

Time Table
The consultant proposed 43 days to complete the assignment detailed as underneath table.
S/N List of Activities
1 Carrying out a literature / desk review of secondary data including 5 days
from the stakeholders and partners.
2 Carrying out a desk review of the project and the parameters used 3 days
for the measurement of indicators of the project. Review documents
on implementation of the project.
3 The full development of the evaluation study methodology: 5 days
• Parameters used for measurement of specific project results and
outputs (Including stakeholder’s participation; disaggregated by
gender, age and location)
• Evaluation data as per the specific output and outcome indicators
of the project as stipulated in the Log frame.
• Parameters used for the measurement of the various aspects of the
project in the key result areas

4 Impact and long-lasting changes in the lives of the beneficiaries.

• Parameters used for measurement of diverse aspects such as
geographical spread, socio-economic (gender, and poverty levels) 5 days
and their impacts.
• Evaluation questions, indicators and data collection tools to
identify beneficiaries and stakeholders needs for the project.
• Evaluation questions, indicators and data collection tools to
identify and examine constraints and opportunities of the project
• Evaluation questions, indicators and data collection tools to
analyze dynamics of implementation of the project.
• Evaluation questions, indicators and data collection tools to
identify the underlying policy (internal and external ), institutional,
and infrastructural issues that affected the implementation of the
project.
• Mapping and stakeholders’ analysis of institutions and partners
that are working with the project.
Parameters used to analyze gender mainstreaming / sensitivity
during project implementation
• Review the methodology with project team and project
consultants/experts to test all developed study tools and revise them
accordingly before the start of data collection process. Add other
tools that may have been left out.
5 Review and Validation of Methodology and tools adopted by the 1 day
 client ()
6 Field survey including data collection through in-depth interviews 12 days
and focus group discussions with youth, parents and community
structures, and relevant stakeholders
7 Producing draft report and consultation with project team and main 8 days
project stakeholders.
Completing full report based on study findings, stipulating clear 4 days
parameters for measuring results (output and outcome), impact, and
long-lasting changes.
Total 43 days

Deliverables
The consultant will make the following outputs as deliverables to the client (EOC-DICAC):
Since, this project is a pilot phase, the consultant found that two substrates are very essential for
the project prospect and leveling (the management response and decision support guide)
 Inception report
 Draft and complete mid-term evaluation report both in hard copy, soft copy (pdf and PPt
formats).
 Management Response (added by the consultant)
 Decision Support Guide (added bythe consutant)
Structure of the report
As stipulated in the terms of reference, the mid-term evaluation report should be synthesized
with the formats consisting of:Information Page, Executive Summary, Introduction, Evaluation
Design/Methodology, Key results/Findings, Conclusions, Recommendations, Lessons Learnt,
and Annexes.

Financial Proposal
The consultant requested 150,200.00 (one hundred fifty thousand two hundred) Ethiopian Birr to
complete this Mid-term Evaluation.
S\ Cost heads Unit Quantity Unit cost Total cost
R
1 Inception reports, 2 researchers Days 5 2,000.00 20,000.00
2 Desk Review, 2 researchers Days 2 2,000.00 8,000.00
3 Per-diem for field survey, 4 local data Days 6 300.00 7,200.00
collectors\moderators
4 Research consultants for fieldwork, 2 Days 10 2,000.00 40,000.00
consultants
5 Report write-up [draft plus final],2 Days 10 2,000.00 40,000.00
consultants
6 Transport by the client\ EOC-DICAC
7 Accommodation Days 10 3,000.00 30,000.00
Administrative costs like telephone, Lump 5,000.00
print, copy, internet, etc. sum
Total cost 150,200.00