Terms of Reference (TOR) for suitably qualified consultants to conduct End of Project Evaluation for Enhancing the Capacity and Participation of Small Scale Farmers and Civil Society Organisations in Decision Making and Governance Processes Related to Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Rwanda.

1. Introduction

Bids are invited from suppliers who wish to be considered for selection as the supplier of below services and/or goods for Trócaire.

This request of EOI document deals with:

• Section 2: Confidentiality
• Section 3: Profile of Trócaire
• Section 4: Scope of services required
• Section 5: Content and format of bids
• Section 6: General Terms and Conditions
• Section 7: Conflict of Interest
• Section 8: Safeguarding
• Section 9: Contract Period
• Section 10: Intellectual Property
• Section 11: Termination of Contract
• Section 12: Evaluation of bids
• Section 13: Submission of bids

 2. Confidentiality

Trócaire will treat the content of all bids as strictly confidential and information provided in the bids will be used solely for the purpose of deciding on the award of a contract as described in this document.

3.Profile of Trócaire 

Trócaire is the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland, established in 1973, and currently has presence in more than 17 countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia including Rwanda. Trócaire has been operating in Rwanda since 1994 and is currently focusing on 3 Programme pillars: Resource Rights, Women's Empowerment, and Preparing and Responding to Emergencies. Trócaire does not implement programmes directly. Instead, the organisation works in partnership with local civil society Organisations.  More information about Trócaire can be found on http://www.trocaire.org/.

Trócaire, in collaboration with Caritas Gikongoro, Conseil de Concertation des Organisations d'Appui aux Initiatives de Base (CCOAIB) and Initiative Pour la Promotion de la Faille et du Genre (IPFG) is implementing the project entitled: Enhancing the capacity and participation of small-scale farmers and civil society organizations in decision making and governance processes related to sustainable agriculture and food security in Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe and Nyagatare Districts. This project is co-financed by European Union for 3 years (August 2018-July 2021).

The specific objective of the project is to promote the effective participation of small scale farmers (particularly women) and civil society organizations in the development, implementation, and monitoring of agricultural policies and strategies in view of the fact that levels of engagement of farmers in policy and strategy design to date has been minimal, despite the existence of legislation and policies underpinning the rights of citizens to participate in local governance and decision making.  As part of the project plan, lessons learned and best practice document is to be produced around project deliverables and its impact.

4. Scope of services required

4.1 Rationale of End of Project Evaluation

Trócaire is requesting suitably qualified consulting firms and individuals to submit proposals to carry out End of Project Evaluation for the project, “Enhancing the Capacity and Participation of Small Scale Farmers and Civil Society Organisations in Decision Making and Governance Processes Related to Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Rwanda”.  It is expected that this project Evaluation aims to assess the relevance of planned intervention and the progress made in achieving project objectives since the Baseline was conducted in 2018 and well as the MTR conducted in October 2020. It will also provide an opportunity to highlight key successes, lessons learned, and recommendations.  

4.2 Key Audience

The evaluation will apply a gender-sensitive participatory approach and will include a wide range of different stakeholders to gain a deep insight into the key evaluation questions. The key audience for the project evaluation will be:

• 11040 Individuals rural men and women farmers from 92 villages
• 1226 Members of local agricultural community  structures
• 33 CSOs including the 3 implementing partner organizations
• 99 Local authorities
• Relevant directors in Rwanda Agricultural Boards and Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and
• Trócaire technical and leadership teams.
• Non-participants of the project from the project areas or adjacent areas.

4.3 Methodology

This evaluation should be conducted in a participatory manner involving a representative sample of the following:

• 11040 Individuals rural men and women farmers from 92 villages
• 1226 Members of local agricultural community  structures
• 33 CSOs including the 3 implementing partner organizations
• 99 Local authorities
• Non-participants of the project from the project areas or adjacent areas.
• Relevant directors in Rwanda Agricultural Boards and Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Civil society organizations at district and at a national level;

• Sector and District Directors of Agriculture and natural resources;

• Members of technical and leadership teams from Trócaire and implementing partners, including Trócaire’s Programme Manager, EU project coordinator who is the focal point of the project; Trócaire’s Resource Rights Technical Advisor, Executive Secretaries for CCOAIB, IPFG and Caritas Gikongoro, and
• Other relevant stakeholders.

4.4 Key questions the End of Project Evaluation should address

End of Project Evaluation will seek to address the following questions related to Relevance and design, Efficiency, Effectiveness and management arrangement, Impact, and sustainability.

 Relevance of design:

• How are the proposed interventions responding to the project context at different levels
• How has the project adapted to changes in the context?
• What were the actual project end values for impact and outcome indicators as set out in the original project result framework?
• How appropriate and useful are the indicators described in the project result framework in assessing the project’s progress? Were the targeted indicator values realistic and can they be easily tracked?
• Make recommendations for re-design considerations for a follow-up phase/ similar project after this project phase if necessary, how would the modifications be more useful? Was the design empowering in itself?
• Are there other more effective ways to approach rural people’s empowerment, particularly women, that could have been tried in this project?
• What mix of practical food and livelihoods support should be combined with leadership and advocacy support to reach maximum voice and empowerment success?
• What balance of interventions at individual, household, community, and national level would optimize success in empowerment objectives?
• Could other structures, spaces, and or networks have been used/established to enhance effectiveness and sustainability?
• Could the project participants have been exposed to alternative models of food and agriculture systems to be able to compare the Rwandan system to alternatives?

Efficiency

• Based on actual progress, has the project been able to achieve its planned objectives at completion?
• What are the main constraints, problems, and areas in need of further attention?
• Were the planned resources adequate to meet expected results……..? What steps were taken to ensure that the project participants got the most out of the resources that were deployed?
• Have project funds and activities been delivered in a timely manner?

Effectiveness of management arrangements

• Did project management facilitate good results and efficient delivery? Is there a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities by all parties involved?
• Did project implementing partners receive conducive environment, technical and administrative support from Trócaire and EU?
• How effectively did the project management monitor project performance and results?
• How have stakeholders been involved in project implementation? How effective has the project been in establishing community level and national level ownership?

 Impact

• To what extent has the project achieved its impact as outlined in the results framework?
• Besides the impact outlined in the results framework, have there been any unintended changes (negative or positive) in target population that are directly or indirectly attributed to the project?
• Have the rural people/farmers actually got a greater voice in agricultural policy forums and in agricultural and food security decisions? How is that visible? Is there any difference between project participants and non-participants in their capacities and enthusiasm to engage in debate about agricultural policies and budgets?
  • Have women achieved greater voice in influencing agricultural policies and budgets? If so, what proportion of women and at what levels? Provide examples.
  • Have youth achieved a greater voice in agricultural policy and budget decision-making at any level ?
• Have there been any changes in practice and/or government policy or strategy at micro, meso or macro level for the farmer–participants in this project? Are there any indications that the model of agriculture has shifted in any way towards the interests of women farmers and household nutrition providers?

 Sustainability

• What are the project interventions that are likely to remain in the community after the project lifetime? And what are the measures taken to ensure this?
• What project impacts are likely to remain? Why?
• Did the use of technology (phones, Radio, social media) enable the project to achieve intended results? What is the level of adoption of such technologies among woman and men participating in the project?

 NB: Trócaire is committed to mainstream gender across all the programmes and for the sake of this end of project evaluation, all research questions should seek to establish the end of project situation for men and women, boys and girls.

4.5 Roles and Responsibilities

Trócaire will establish an evaluation team to oversee the EPE exercise. This will consist of the Project coordinator, Programme Manager, and Resource Rights Technical Advisor. They will be responsible for:

• Providing guidance to the consultant and stakeholders throughout the evaluation process;
• Approval of all deliverables; and
• Overall responsibility and accountability for end of project evaluation.

In consultation with partners the evaluation management team will also undertake the following tasks:

• Identify key sources of secondary information that can be used to supplement primary information gathered;
• In collaboration with the consultant, conduct fieldwork to gather data; and
• In collaboration with the consultant, select sample communities based on a clear sampling strategy.

The external consultant/s will be expected to:

• Participate in briefing and consultative meetings on the assignment; 
• Develop a work plan and inception report that will operationalize and direct the End of Project Evaluation addressing:

• Expectations of the evaluation exercise;
• Roles and responsibilities of consultants, Evaluation management team, and partners;
• Evaluation framework and methodology;
• Data collection and analysis; and
• Work scheduling and reporting.

• Develop data collection tools such as questionnaire surveys, focus group discussion questions and key informant interview questions which will be reviewed by the evaluation management team and Programme partners;
• Enter the questionnaire in a digital data collection tool in phones/tables to be used by enumerators. 
• Train enumerators and the evaluation management team on data collection, entering and processing using CommCare in relation to this End of Project Evaluation;
• Carry out fieldwork, analyze data, and draft a preliminary report for feedback from the evaluation management team;
• Finalize the data analysis and submit a final report setting out End of Project Evaluation key findings;

• Suggest/recommend the basis for a follow up phase/ similar project after this project phase

• Present the information formally at a workshop with women and men farmers village representatives, partners and key stakeholders; and,
• Deliver on all agreed deliverables (inception report, data collection tools, database, and evaluation report)).

5. Content and Format of bids submitted

Consultants/firms should enclose the following documents with their proposals:

• Letter of interest addressed to the Country Director of Trócaire Rwanda;
• The technical proposal that will provide the following:
• Description of the consultancy company, proving the good understanding of these TOR, experience of the consulting company in the domain of global agriculture seed and food systems, agricultural policies and discourse in Committee on Food Security (FAO), smallholder farmers rights, implementation, and monitoring;
• Detailed methodology, and time plan for all proposed activities;
• CVs of the 2 senior officials who will take the lead on the End of project study as annex;
• Copy of similar evaluations done;
• Contact details of 3 references to facilitate reference checks; and
• At least 2 certificates of good completion of services for similar work with international organizations, donor organizations or government agencies.
• A financial proposal detailing the cost for each planned activity and related logistics in RWF and clearly indicating VAT cost. VAT registration certificate issued by RRA and Company registration certificate from RDB should be presented as an annex.

6. General Terms and Conditions of this request for EOI

• Trócaire does not bind itself to accept the lowest-priced bids.
• Trócaire does not guarantee exclusivity and reserves the right to engage other companies for the same services (if required) during the term of the contract.
• Trócaire shall be free to:
  • To accept the whole, or part only, of any bid;
  • To accept none of the proposals tendered;
  • To republish this Request for Bids.
• In the event of not accepting any of the bid submissions received on foot of this RFT, Trócaire shall be free to make such arrangements as it considers necessary in relation to the provision of the goods/services.
• Trócaire will not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred in the preparation of a bid;
• The Contract shall be considered as a contract made in Rwanda, according to Rwanda law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Rwanda
• The Standard Terms and Conditions to which Trócaire expects all of its supplier to respect is found on the Trócaire website - https://www.trocaire.org/about/work-with-trocaire/supply-chain.

7. Conflicts of interest

Any conflicts of interest involving an applicant must be fully disclosed to Trócaire. Failure to disclose a conflict may disqualify an applicant or invalidate an award of the contract. Applicants are required to declare any current or past work which might reasonably be considered to represent a conflict of interest. It will be for Trócaire to decide if a material conflict of interest exists and applicants in doubt in this regard should seek the advice of Trócaire.

8. Safeguarding 

Trócaire is committed to safeguarding Programme participants from any form of exploitation or abuse as a result of our programmes or activities.  Anyone working for or on behalf of Trócaire must share this commitment. Trócaire’s Position Statement on Exploitation and Abuse and Trócaire’s Child Safeguarding Policy Summary document outline expectations in this regard, including a Code of Conduct.   All consultants, representatives, and volunteers of Trócaire will be expected to sign these documents along with a Declaration Form and a Self-Declaration Form.

 9. Contract Type and Period

The consultancy contract is a fixed term contract and will commence at a date to be determined by CMT, and at the end of this date, the Consultant is expected to have submitted the final report to Trócaire Rwanda. The contract duration will have a maximum of 30 working days assigned to this end of project Evaluation.

10. Intellectual Property 

Any concept, guidelines, or other material developed during the contract will be considered the property of Trócaire and may be used by Trócaire at any time.

11. Termination of Contract

a) Trócaire reserves the right to terminate the contract at any stage on payment of reasonable and agreed costs accrued to the date of termination. The contract may be terminated by either party on giving appropriate written notice.

b) If at any stage during the contract, the goods/services delivered by the consultant is found to be unsatisfactory, the contract may be terminated by Trócaire. In the event of such a termination, the consultant will only be entitled to receive payment in relation to the acceptable goods/services rendered at that time.

12. Evaluation of Bids

a) All suppliers should at least meet the relevant and demonstrable experience in the following areas:

• Programme/project planning and evaluation;
• Participatory research techniques;
• Extensive experience in digital/mobile data collection and processing applications. Knowledge of Survey CTO and CommCare platforms preferred;
• Developing high-quality monitoring and evaluation systems for similar programmes;
• Strong background and experience of working in the region/country and Programme context;
• Knowledge of relevant thematic Programme such us public policy cycle;
• Extensive knowledge about agricultural policy implementation and monitoring;
• Knowledge of Trócaire’s work;
• Producing high-quality reports;
• Working to demanding deadlines; and

• Digital data collection and management.

b) The successful  Consultant will be the one who, in the opinion of Trócaire, submits the most economically advantageous proposal applying the following award criteria:

• Understanding of the Terms of Reference;
• Proposed methodology and planning of the assignment;
• Experience of developing evaluations for similar programmes;
• Past experience supported by at least one example of similar of the company in working with evaluation exercises for international NGOs or for donor organisations;
• Relevant qualification and experience (e.g in agriculture, food systems, rural development, women’s empowerment, gender, advocacy/lobbying) of 2 senior consultants proposed for this assignment, with a balance of female and male experts
• Overall quality of the proposal;
• Cost, RRA and RDB company registration and applying electronic billing machine while issuing invoices; and
• The work plan must clearly outline which individual will actively lead and deliver the assignment. The senior consultant/ team leader will be responsible for the successful and timely delivery of the assignment. The financial proposal should be inclusive of tax and in quoted in Rwanda Francs (RWF) clearly indicating the cost per day. Demonstrable experience and Value for Money (VFM) will be key considerations in evaluating proposals submitted.

c) During the evaluation, period clarification may be sought in writing from prospective consultants/firms. Responses to requests for clarification may not materially change any elements of the bids submitted.

d) No unsolicited communications from prospective consultants/firms will be accepted or entertained during the evaluation period. Any such unsolicited communications will result in disqualification of bids.

A shortlist of those who have submitted bids will be drawn up by the Procurement Committee and a certain number of those who have submitted bids may be invited to make a final presentation of their bids.

13. Submission of Bids

Your proposal clearly marked: “End of Project Evaluation for Enhancing the Capacity and Participation of Small Scale Farmers and Civil Society Organisations in Decision Making and Governance Processes Related to Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security project” should be submitted online to Trócaire offices– Kacyiru BHC building, 260 Boulevard de l’Umuganda, Kacyiru, Kigali, Rwanda or through email submitted to inforwanda@trocaire.org

Any queries relating to this request for Quotation should be directed by e-mail only to inforwanda@trocaire.org and fred.ntakirutinka@trocaire.org; the staff member who will follow up on this ToR.

The financial proposal should be inclusive of tax and quoted in Rwandan Francs (RWF) clearly indicating the services/goods in the subject heading Demonstrable experience and Value for Money (VFM) will be key considerations in evaluating proposals submitted.  Only suitably qualified consulting firms will be considered. Any questions regarding this consultancy should be directed to the same email addresses.  Only suitably qualified consulting firms will be contacted for further engagement.

The deadline for the receipt of bids is 13:00 PM on Wednesday 13 October 2021.

Marleen Masclee

Country Director

Trócaire Rwanda