Uganda: Livestock Pilot Baseline Consultant - GHG

Title : Livestock Pilot Baseline Consultant – GHG

Background:

The purpose of this consultancy is to establish a baseline measurement for a Livestock Pilot‘s projected objectives, results and indicators. A clear survey methodology, including tools, will also be established for monitoring purposes as well as for use during the endline assessment.

Purpose / Project Description:

Mercy Corps recently launched a Livestock Pilot as part of the agency’s USAID funded Growth, Health and Governance program in Karamoja, Uganda. The goal of the 24 month pilot is to identify interventions that can later be scaled to increase productivity and competitiveness of the Karamoja livestock sector, thereby building resilience capacities (Absorptive, Adaptive and Transformational). With this goal there are three strategic objectives:

SO1: Increase livestock productivity and household incomes

SO2: Improve household food security/nutrition from livestock production

SO3: Lay the foundation for a strong enabling environment for the livestock sub-sector

Resilience, gender and youth will be cross-cutting issues throughout each SO. Also embedded across the SOs is a focus on climate-smart agriculture and sustainable natural resource use, noting the importance of bio-diversity and the critical issues surrounding water resources and use.

Activities are implemented in the Karamoja sub-counties of Kalapata and Loleila in Kaabong District, and Kacheri and Renegen sub-counties in Kotido District, and two sub-counties of Amudat and Karita in Amudat District, and Namalu and Nabulatuk in Nakapiripirit District, as well as in the emerging livestock trading nodes of Moroto, Amudat, Kaabong and Kotido Towns.

Mercy Corps is a secular INGO that has worked to alleviate poverty and oppression in transitional environments since 1979. Operational in Uganda since 2006, Mercy Corps implements programs designed to promote, good governance, peace, food security, and economic development across Northern Uganda.

Consultant Objectives:

Mercy Corps seeks a consultant who can design and conduct the baseline survey for the Livestock Pilot in close collaboration with the Livestock Adviser, team members, and Mercy Corps M&E staff. The purpose of this is to:

• Finalize the baseline survey design and tools adopting a mixed-method quantitative and qualitative approach;


• Oversee and conduct the baseline survey;


• Produce a baseline report for internal and external communication;

Consultant Activities:

• Define key research questions to be answered, geographic & beneficiary universe and targets


• Finalize and design the proposed methodology, sample size, survey protocols and questionnaire


• Train field supervisors and enumerators


• Supervise and actively participate in data collection


• Compile, review and analyze data collected


• Finalize and submit a baseline report to Mercy Corps based on the survey findings

Consultant Deliverables:

· Tools for the baseline survey, including key research questions and survey;

· Baseline report in an agreed format based on the data collected and an updated indicator matrix and associated baseline numbers;

Timeframe / Schedule:

Activity

Date

Travel to Kampala

14^th August 2016

Travel to Moroto

15^th August 2016

Develop survey tools & define research questions

16-19^th August 2016

Translation of tools

20^th-21^st August 2016

Train Enumerators & Staff

22^nd-23^rd August 2016

Data collection

24^th-31^st August 2016

Compile, review and analyze data

1^st-4^th September 2016

Travel to Kampala

5^th September 2016

Draft report

6-15^th September 2016

Submit report to Mercy Corps

16^th September 2016

The Consultant will report to:

Tebeje Kibru, Livestock Adviser

The Consultant will work closely with:

Livestock Pilot team, Martin Oloka, M&E Manager, Enumerators

Qualifications

· Technical expertise in data collection and survey design

· Four year university degree in social or biological sciences that includes statistical methods and analysis

· Knowledge of and experience with USAID Feed the Future Indicators including gross margin

· Strong participatory facilitation skills

· Five years previous relevant experience, including designing and conducting baseline and/or endline assessments, development of M&E systems, program startup M&E activities, evaluation of livestock/food security/agricultural/market systems programs, technical assistance, consultancies, etc.

· Fluency in English with highly professional report writing capabilities (samples will be requested)

· Experience with livestock/market systems development programs strongly preferred

· Experience in Uganda, in particular Karamoja, preferred

· Cultural sensitivity Locally based consultants are encouraged to apply.