TERMS OF REFERENCE

Baseline Study of the “Enhancing Food and nutrition security in the Southern Province of Rwanda.” Project

(2024-2026) Funded by the European Development Fund April 2024

1. Introduction

The Terms of Reference provides details on the Baseline study to be conducted for the “Enhancing Food and nutrition security in the Southern Province of Rwanda” project and outlines the tasks and deliverables that the successful consultant(s) will undertake.

2. Background

Tearfund is a Christian international aid and development agency working globally to end poverty and injustice, and to restore dignity and hope in the world’s poorest communities. Tearfund operates in more than fifty countries around the world, working with a network of local partners, churches and communities, speaking out on behalf of poor people, campaigning for justice and raising the profile of key poverty issues, as well as building the resilience and capacity of local communities to develop and respond to disasters.

Tearfund in Rwanda, in partnership with Association Mwana Ukundwa (AMU) have successfully secured funding from the European Development Fund, to implement a 3-year (2024 -2026) project “Enhancing Food and nutrition security in the Southern Province of Rwanda”. The project aims to promote food nutrition security and food systems resilience in the Gisagara and Nyaruguru districts, and increase the adoption of sustainable food production practices for smallholder farmers .

The project targets to improve productivity, income and dietary intake among 10,000 smallholder farmers across the targeted areas.

Project Situation analysis

More than 70 percent of the nation’s population is employed in some form of agriculture. Boosting food production in Rwanda, alongside strong local demand for high value crops, highlights the potential that improved food production and marketability can have on the nation’s economy. The Government of Rwanda (GoR) is keen on increasing food production as demonstrated in the Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PSTA4). However, a recent survey by Tearfund (October 2022) shows that there remains some significant gaps due to a large informal sector characterised by limited technical capacity of farmers, limited access to farm inputs, high post-production losses, lack of access to appropriate post-harvest handling infrastructures, poor access to markets and non-compliance to quality and food safety standards. Towards developing this proposed action, Tearfund and its co-applicant Association Mwana Ukundwa (AMU), carried out a comprehensive survey on SHGs to identify the risks and opportunities in the sector. The findings validated the challenges in the agriculture sector especially among smallholder farmers; access to finance, poor financial literacy, limited plots of land, and lack of collateral have remained obstacles limiting the abilities of the target communities to boost their food production. Food insecurity, due to climate change, poor agricultural productivity, environmentally harmful farming practices like slash and burn, and poor access to markets affect food production. Also, income for smallholder food producers, food security and food systems resilience options are limited for the poorest of the poor districts that this project is targeting. The Southern Province, where Tearfund is focusing on, has the second highest food insecurity prevalence which stood 22.2 Percent and particularly at 28.4 percent and 28.9 percent for Gisagara and Nyargururu respectively according to the last Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment (CFSVA, 2021).

Project Overview & Target Groups

Tearfund Rwanda in partnership with Association Mwana Ukundwa (AMU) are implementing KUNGAHARA: Enhancing Food and nutrition security in the Southern Province of Rwanda, running between 1st January 2024 and 31th December 2026, funded by the European Union.

Project Objectives

Overall Objective: To promote food and nutrition security and food systems resilience in Gisagara and Nyaruguru districts.

Specific Objective:

1. Increased adoption of sustainable food production practices for smallholder farmers Gisagara and Nyaruguru districts
2. Improved productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers including women-led and men-led SHGs (Self-Help Groups) and cooperatives
3. Improved dietary intake among small-holder farmers by July

Crosscutting Specific objective:To Strengthen Youth, people with disabilities and women's organisation and leadership in food security and food systems resilience in Gisagara, and Nyaruguru districts of Rwanda by December 2026.

To address the various barriers to food availability and nutrition, the project will implement locally-led and owned change at every level of the food system, including production, aggregation, processing, distribution, and consumption, through three outcomes:

Project result framework

3. Objectives of the baseline study

The Overall Objective is to provide a situation analysis at the start of the project activities, confirm indicators and targets, and establish baseline values for all performance indicators. The baseline study will lay the foundation for regular monitoring to measure progress against the output, outcome and impact indicators and provide a basis for mid-term and end line evaluation of the project. . This will enable the project team to assess implementation progress and achievements, identity gaps and areas of improvements as well as document lessons learnt and best practices. The baseline will comprise a gender-specific knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey on nutrition at the home level in the project's target area

Taking all of this into account, Tearfund is looking to recruit a consultant/firm who will be responsible for the design of the baseline assessment framework, lead and coordinate data collection including report writing.

Specific objectives of the study

During the baseline study the focus will be:

• Assess and confirm the appropriateness of the project performance indicators and targets and make recommendations for any alterations in the performance indicators as necessary and in line with the EU result-based management guidelines.
• Establishing baseline values and information for all indicators to facilitate regular monitoring. This should include prevalence of food insecurity, prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years of age, current yield levels, existing post-harvest management initiatives, value addition practices , agri-business and income of smallholder farmers and women and youth involvement in agriculture activities.
• Examine knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and practices towards equitable, sustainable, inclusive, productive and nutrition sensitive agricultural value chains in Gisagara and Nyaruguru districts.
• Examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards nutrition at household level and how they differ in men, women, girls and boys.
• Identify entry points to help local communities in the target districts understand and embrace adequate nutrition practices.
• Determine the consumption levels of various and nutrient-dense foods by vulnerable households, particularly women and children, in Gisagara and Nyaruguru districts.
• Provide a situational analysis documenting existing conditions at the start of implementation, description of the policy and regulatory framework, the institutional set-up to implement the project and key challenges.
• Assess and confirm the appropriateness of the project’s theory of change and the outlined assumptions
• Assess and rank the project risks and provide information on additional risks related to the project and suggest methods to mitigate risks.
• Assess the project monitoring needs on various social-economic aspects e.g. gender of the target population, and propose ways of collecting and documenting such information.
• Assess the project’s learning needs and recommend ways of mainstreaming learning throughout the project phases
• Examine the levels of financial inclusion (formal and informal) among small holder farmers and the different financial products available for farmers with the different financial service providers.

4. Scope of the study

The baseline study will be conducted in 2 Districts of the Southern province of Rwanda where the EU Kungahara project will be implemented which are Gisagara and Nyaruguru to improve food systems for smallholder farmers in a sustainable manner. The project targets women and youth-led farmer groups by providing them with the skills and resources they need to increase production and sell their crops more easily. This will result in more nutritious food availability for people to eat.

To collect the baseline benchmark it will be necessary to collect information from a variety of people, including those who will benefit from the project, volunteers, traders, and others involved in the food crop value chain.

The project’s target groups include:

• 10,000 Households (8,000 Female, 2,000 Male) divided into 500 Self Help Groups (250 in Gisagara and 250 in Nyaruguru, including 80% women-led SHGs and 20 cooperatives in both districts with each SHG having approximately 20 members each).
• 600 households with people living with disabilities
• 300 households with people living with HIV
• 60 Project community volunteers (10ToTs and 50 CFs)
• 150 most affected household with malnutrition cases selected among smallholder farmers

The study will focus on the Seven selected value chains: Gisagara district ( Maize, Banana, Avocado,

Onions, Cassava and Beans) and Nyaruguru district ( Irish potatoes, Maize, Onions and Beans)

5. Approach and Methodology

The Baseline study will adopt a consultative and participatory approach, using both quantitative and qualitative methods of enquiry to facilitate data collection, analysis and triangulation of data. The baseline will focus on gathering data against the results framework indicators, and the sampling for primary data collection should be statistically representative of the target population. The methodology will include but not be limited to secondary data review and primary data collection, participatory methods such as household/farmer survey, focus group discussions, key informant interviews with core stakeholders and observation during field visits. The study should apply a research methodology that is gender and youth sensitive and use data tools that enhance the reliability of data collected.

The following procedural steps will be followed to conduct the study;

• A project briefing meeting with Tearfund Rwanda and AMU to kick-start the baseline study process and discuss how the quantitative methods will be applied.
• Preparation of an inception report detailing the Baseline study methodology, the sampling techniques, schedule of activities, and budget.
• Desk review of relevant project documents - project proposal, and various sector documents for secondary data collection and analysis.
• Primary data collection and analysis - this will include individual interviews/ questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews with target beneficiaries etc.
• Submission of draft baseline report to Tearfund and partner for review and feedback.
• Debriefing meeting with Tearfund and Partner to present the findings of the baseline, and discuss emerging issues and recommendations from the findings.
• Validation workshops with key project stakeholders to validate the study findings and facilitate the preparation of the final evaluation report
• Submission of the final report incorporating feedback from all the stakeholders.

6. Assignment timeline

The baseline study will be conducted over the period of 60 working days between May and July 2024. The detailed calendar for the assignment will be agreed upon with the consultant(s).

7. Ethics and safeguarding of project beneficiaries.

The consultants undertaking the baseline study are responsible for safeguarding and ensuring ethics at all stages of the study (preparation and design, data collection, data analysis, reporting and dissemination). This will include, ensuring informed consent, protecting privacy, confidentiality and anonymity of participants, ensuring cultural sensitivity, respecting the autonomy of participants and ensuring fair recruitment of participants (including women and other vulnerable groups). Tearfund’s Safeguarding and Anti- Fraud policies will be annexed to the consultancy contacts.

Consultants are responsible for managing any potential ethical risks and issues and must put in place, in consultation with the Tearfund EU Kungahara Project Manager, processes and systems to identify, report and resolve any ethical issues that might arise during the implementation of the study. Ethical approvals and reviews by relevant national and institutional review boards must be sought where required.

The consultant(s) are required to set out their approach to ensuring complete compliance with international good practice with regards to research ethics and protocols. The consultant must show how they will comply with the Rwanda data privacy and protection law.

8. Governance and Accountability

8.1. Responsibility of the consultant/firm

The consultant(s) will have the following responsibilities;

• Preparation of the relevant study documentation - Inception report, data collection tools, draft and final reports for review by Tearfund and project partners.
• Conducting the field data collection activities - recruitment and training of enumerators, supervision of data collection, cleaning and analysis.
• The consultant shall be liable for ethical procedures including obtaining informed consent from respondents
• Preparation of presentation for the inception and validation meetings to facilitate discussions.
• Direct supervision of the study team ensuring the compliance to stipulated ethics and safeguarding policies
• Finalization of the study as per the agreed timelines, and quality considerations (Final inception and baseline study report).
• All documents and data collected will be treated as confidential and used solely to facilitate analysis.

8.2. Responsibility of Tearfund

Tearfund will have the following responsibilities to facilitate the consultant(s) to execute the assignment in the agreed timelines and quality;

• Hold an inception meeting between the consultant, Tearfund and the project partner (AMU).
• Share with the consultant(s) all the relevant project documents for the study.
• Review and provide approval to the study inception report and data collection procedures and tools.
• Overall data quality control and technical review report
• Facilitate acquisition of relevant approvals for the study - this is limited to the provision of supporting letters.
• Review and facilitate the compilation of feedback for project partners and key stakeholders on the draft report.
• Organise a validation workshop with key project stakeholders
• Approve draft and final report
• Execute timely disbursement of funds to the consultant upon the delivery of specific deliverables.

9. Deliverables

The consultant (s) is expected to provide the following:

1. An inception report (maximum 15 pages excluding annexes) including:
   • Research methodology including the technical approach, sampling methodology and the analysis framework.
   • Draft data collection tools and protocols
   • Data analysis plan
   • A detailed work plan outlining all tasks to be completed by each of the proposed consultant team members for the duration of the baseline.
   • Ethical approach, quality control plan, limitations to the study design and mitigation strategies, enumerator training plan,
2. Draft baseline study report - including the following sections
   • Cover page: Title page with date, logos, consultant name
   • Executive Summary : a brief of maximum two pages with description of the methodologies, main findings, conclusions, and recommendations. A third page will contain specific information from the gendered KAP analysis on nutrition.
   • Introduction/ Background
   • Objectives of the baseline study
   • Study methodology - reflecting the link to the ToR and justification for any deviation from the ToR
   • Analysis of the findings including a separate section for findings concerning the gendered KAP analysis on nutrition.
   • Baseline values against the Log frame milestones
   • Conclusion
   • Recommendations (specific, actionable and prioritized)
   • Annexes - including ToRs, data collection tools, good quality photos, list of interviewees (Households, KIIs, ..), list of sampled SHGs and respective sectors, cell and villages and list of all data sources referenced in the report.
3. Validation workshop/meeting
4. Final baseline study report incorporating feedback from all stakeholders in editable format (MS Word/ google doc) in English
5. Raw and cleaned data collected during the baseline study as well as all syntaxes and output files reflecting the analysis conducted.
6. Updated Logframe with all the baseline values for the indicators and adjusted targets where applicable.
7. Summary of the baseline report (maximum 5 pages)

10. Qualification and required experience for the assignment

The assignment team should comprise of a team leader and team members with the following key qualification and experience;

• The lead consultant should have a master’s degree (PhD preferred) demonstrating thematic and/or research qualifications and a significant working experience in evaluating/implementing development projects (experience of the Rwanda context will be an advantage)
• Strong experience in action research, and conducting surveys demonstrated through expertise in designing methodology, data collection tools and experience in leading similar studies
• Prior experience in conducting baseline studies, impact assessments, or research related to livelihoods, nutrition agriculture, agribusiness and food security programmes, women empowerment and emancipation or similar areas in Rwanda is strongly recommended. Copies of certificate of completion for three most similar tasks are desirable.
• Relevant subject matter knowledge and experience: knowledge and experience required on conducting research with youth, the agriculture sector, disability, gender equality and social inclusion to ensure that the evaluation design and research methods are as relevant and meaningful as possible given the aims and objectives of the project and the context in which it is being delivered.
• Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative data collection, data analysis and report writing,
• Statistical analysis: a range of statistical modelling and analysis of impact data; highly proficient user of: SPSS or STATA; and qualitative data analysis techniques.
• The team should be multi-disciplinary and include members with an appropriate balance of expertise and practical knowledge in agriculture,nutrition, food security, value chain development, agribusiness and statistics, and cross cutting issues such as youth/gender mainstreaming.
• Team members should ideally have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in their respective area of expertise.

11. Applications process

• Cover Letter expressing interest and suitability for the assignment
• Technical and financial proposal indicating Evaluation approach, methodology, sampling techniques, workplan, proposed team and budget in Rwandan francs. The proposed budget should be prepared using following template:

• Detailed Curriculum Vitae of the proposed team to carry out the assignment with clear roles and functions and 3 referees with their contacts and addresses. N.B:The proposed team must be available for the duration of the assignment; otherwise, a change of team afterward may result in contract termination.
• Evidence of the consultant’s experience in doing similar assignments: At least 3 Copies of similar assignments reports and their Certificate of good completion
• Valid Tax Clearance Certificate provided by RRA and RSSB certificate in case you are applying as a consulting firm

10. Application deadline

Applications should be submitted by 17:00 CAT on 4^th May 2024 to Tearfund Rwanda through the following email erica.muco@tearfund.org with a copy to john.bucyana@tearfund.org, with mention of “Consultancy to conduct a baseline evaluation for Kungahara project” in the subject line.

Applications will be assessed based on the technical quality (70%) and the proposed budget / value for money (30%). For technical quality, the following will be considered: Experience and qualifications of bidder/team; strength of proposed methodology; work plan and schedule of activities.

Tearfund reserves the right to negotiate the timeline and budget with the bidder before offering a contract.

Note: Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Kigali, April 18th, 2024.