Job Description

Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest, privately held, non-denominational and politically independent German non-governmental organisations in development cooperation and emergency relief. Primarily, in cooperation with local partner organisations, it is tasked with contributing to the improvement of the nutritional and income status of the poorest rural populations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Welthungerhilfe has been implementing projects in Zimbabwe almost continuously since 1980. Currently, the organisation together with its partners is having projects in all provinces in Zimbabwe. Sector focus is on, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Food and Nutrition Security, Livelihoods, and when required Emergency response.
Bio-Innovation Zimbabwe (BIZ) is registered in Zimbabwe as a not-for-profit trust since 2011. The BIZ mission is to create wealth amongst rural producers and provide consumers both in Zimbabwe and external markets with high-quality products through the commercialization of underutilized species that are resilient to the effects of climate change.
Position Summary: Welthungerhilfe is seeking for a Mid-Term Evaluation Consultant.
Please kindly refer to the Terms of Reference below for more information on this advert

Terms of Reference

Project Overview
BIZ, with support from WHH, and funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic and Development Cooperation (BMZ), is implementing a three-year project entitled “Transforming Food Systems Through the Production and Use of Underutilized, Indigenous Crops and Plants in Zimbabwe”. The project is implemented in five wards each in Mudzi and Rushinga Districts during the period 1st of November 2022 to 31st of December 2025. The overall project goal is to develop a resilient food system that increases sustainable production and consumption of diverse nutritious foods, improves local incomes and conserves natural resources. At least 4000 households participating in the project engage in a diversified, profitable and resilient food system through improved production, harvesting, processing, marketing and consumption of indigenous underutilized crops and non-timber forest products. Specific outcomes of the project are:

i. Improved and sustainable production and storage of target plants.
ii. Improved dietary diversity as a result of increased consumption of local foods by communities
iii. Increased national and regional demand for local products and improved link of producers to safe and lucrative markets.
iv. Improved knowledge about traditional plants and their use through research and exchange forums.

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose of the Evaluation
The purpose of the mid-term evaluation is to assess the progress of project implementation, the delivery of planned outcomes, and impact as well as the extent to which the project has achieved the set objectives. The evaluation should also highlight the enabling factors and challenges, good practices and lessons on the implementation process. The evaluation should bring forth conclusions and recommendations to inform the current project and future programming. The evaluation will pursue the following specific objectives:

1) Assess the progress the project has made towards the achievement of its objectives against the planned outcomes and impact indicators in the log frame and identify significant changes attributable to the project.
2) The evaluation should also be guided by the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, impact and sustainability of the project.
3) Evaluate cross-cutting issues of gender, social inclusion, protection, and environmental safeguarding, and strategies that enhance sustainability.
4) To generate lessons learnt and document good practices, as well as draw practical recommendations to inform changes to the current project and future program design and establish how the project paid attention to cross-cutting issues in the local context,
5) Determine the synergies of the project with other BIZ and other partners’ implemented projects within the geographical area and the coordination with other stakeholders and make evidence-based recommendations aimed at achieving strengthened synergies.

Evaluation Scope and Methodology
The evaluation shall cover the two districts of implementation: Mudzi and Rushinga. A mixed-method evaluation approach encompassing quantitative and qualitative methods and ensuring the inclusion of vulnerable groups is recommended.

The proposed evaluation techniques should explicitly demonstrate the contribution of the indigenous crops and wild plant species to food systems that promote sustainable food, nutrition and income security as well as sustainable natural resource utilization.

Evaluation Questions
The mid-term evaluation should mostly utilize the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria which assesses the project’s progress in terms of its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, coherence, and sustainability. The evaluation should include the following questions, in addition to the ones the consultant formulates:

Relevance:
• Are the objectives and activities implemented by the project in Mudzi and Rushinga districts addressing the food security, nutrition security, income generation and natural resources management needs of the targeted communities and locations?
Effectiveness:
• What opportunities for collaboration have been utilized and how have these contributed to the effectiveness of the project? What other opportunities have been identified and are proposed to enhance collaboration?
• To what extent has the project influenced formulation/reviews of local policies and by-laws on sustainable harvesting of natural resources.

Efficiency:
• How efficient are the management and accountability structures of the project?
• What are the major factors contributing to or hindering implementation efficiency?

Impact:
• What are the immediate impacts (intended/unintended) of the project, taking into consideration the social, economic, technical, cultural and environmental impact on individuals, gender and age groups, communities, and institutions?
• What changes are the project activities implementation making to the project participants’ community in terms of institutional policies, practices, and food systems?

Sustainability:
• What are the prospects for sustainability of the project results, and the potential for scaling-up?

Coherence and coordination:
• What are the problems (internal, external, macro and microenvironment) being encountered in delivering the project in the current phase? What problems will likely be encountered in delivering the project in the next phase?

Key Target Groups and Stakeholders
The evaluation key stakeholders to include, but not limited to:
• Direct project participants (farmers, lead and follow-on farmers, NTFP association members, Care Group members, NFTP and crop buyers, men, women, and youth), focusing on vulnerable groups .
• Local authorities (Mudzi, Rushinga) Development Coordinators, Rural District Council Natural Resources Management Officers, local leaders.
• Local community leaders and representatives of the vulnerable groups.
• Key government line ministries and structures: ARDAS, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Forestry Commission, Environmental Management Agency, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Ministry of Youths, Food and Nutrition Council, Food and Nutrition Security Committees at National, Provincial, District and Ward levels etc.
• Project implementation staff.

Evaluation Approach
The consultant is expected to adopt an inclusive and participatory approach in which key project staff and stakeholders have a chance to meaningfully participate in the evaluation process, as a learning and sustainability strategy.

The Evaluation Process
Literature Review: The consultant will be required to do a critical and objective review of key project documents and other literature that may be relevant to the project and the assignment.
Inception Report: The consultant is expected to produce and present an inception report demonstrating an understanding of the assignment and detailing the methodology, sampling, evaluation questions, identified stakeholder groups for interviews and discussions, and survey time frame for approval by the project team. Data collection tools and the Evaluation Matrix should be submitted as annexes to the inception report.

Preliminary findings: The evaluator will present preliminary findings and recommendations to the project team.

Draft report: The evaluator will produce and submit a draft report for review by the project team.
Final report: The evaluator will submit the final evaluation report to WHH in a recommended format.

Expected Deliverables/Outputs of the Evaluation
i. Inception Report:
ii. Draft Report
iii. Final Evaluation Report
iv. Documentation of most significant change stories
v. Field Pictures accompanied by signed consent forms. provided by WHH.
vi. Data Sets

Qualifications and Experience

The consultant or evaluation team is expected to have the following qualifications and competencies:
• A relevant academic background with at least an MSc or equivalent in the field of Nutrition, Agriculture, Monitoring and Evaluation, Development Studies, Natural Resources management or any other relevant fields.
• At least 5 years of practical experience in monitoring and evaluation of nutrition, agriculture, and natural resource management projects.
• Experience with CommCare in data collection, management and reporting.
• Strong communication and analytical skills, including communicating with various stakeholders, ensuring that the evaluation is understood and generates valuable output.
• Advanced knowledge in participatory appraisals, interviewing, documentation and reporting skills.
• Commitment to delivering timely, high-quality results, ensuring the evaluation report is credible to all stakeholders.

How to Apply

Interested Consultants who meet the above criteria are requested to submit:
• A technical proposal detailing the consultant’s understanding of the terms of reference, proposed methodology, work schedule, and team structure.
• A financial proposal detailing the proposed budget for conducting the assignment. This should include professional fees, transport costs and other relevant costs.
• A capability statement demonstrating how the consultant/team meets the required qualifications and experience requirements.
• Samples of similar previous work done in the past three years.
• Copies of all relevant Curriculum Vitae (CVs). Only CVs for the specific individuals that will form the proposed evaluation team should be included; two references (including one from the evaluator’s last client/contractor)
• Valid tax clearance certificate

Application Procedure
During the application process, WHH will not charge any fee nor will it require any payment for an application to be considered. WHH is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to race, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, language, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status and or physical handicap: Persons with disability are encouraged to apply:

Interested candidates should submit proposals via email to: [email protected] indicating “ZWE1165 Mid-Term Evaluation Consultancy” on the subject of the email by the 13th of September 2024.