Background about Oxfam in Uganda Program
Oxfam is a global movement for change that empowers people to create a secure future, just and free from poverty. We believe that everyone has a right to safety, security, a livelihood, and a say in decisions that affect them. We seek a world in which everyone can speak up to power, demand and claim their human rights, and build a better future for themselves. We recognize that we cannot achieve this on our own but as a collective power. We, therefore, work in partnership with local and grass-root organizations, civil society, individuals, volunteers, the private sector, and the Government.
Our Vision is Uganda free of inequality and Injustice: A society where people, particularly women and young people, claim and exercise their rights and responsibilities and influence decisions that affect their lives. Our work is guided by the Country Strategic Framework (CSF) (2021-2030) which is organized around four themes: Governance and Accountability, Resilient Livelihoods, Humanitarian preparedness and response and Gender Justice and Women Rights. All the themes work towards influencing policy and practice, youth and women empowerment, inclusive participation in decision making at various levels, and capacity strengthening of national and local actors.
Oxfam is an international confederation of seventeen (17) organizations collaborating with partners and local communities in more than ninety (90) countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. Oxfam in Uganda started work in the 1960s delivering development and humanitarian support as part of the Oxfam confederation, a global movement of people fighting to end inequality and injustice. Today, we continue to tackle the inequalities that make and keep people poor. We save and protect people’s lives in times of crisis. We collaborate with people to build their resilience and rebuild their livelihoods. We enable vulnerable people’s voices to be heard and campaign for genuine, durable change.
About the ICSP-RISE-K Project
OXFAM in Uganda received funding from Irish aid intends to implement the ICSP-RISE-K that is the Irish Aid Civil Society Programme, Resilience, Inclusiveness, Stability and Empowerment of communities in Karamoja sub-region 2023-2027. The project is geared towards. an empowered, inclusive, just, and resilient community in Karamoja sub region of Uganda (goal). Specifically geared towards improve governance and accountability for effective service delivery in Karamoja sub region, improve gender relations and respect for the rights of women and other marginalized groups, enhance local capacity for effective people-centered, climate and conflict -sensitive, gender-responsive and inclusive disaster preparedness and response and enhance adaptive capacity of women and youth to shocks and stresses for improved income, food, and nutrition security.
The interventions shall embrace one of the key shifts and approaches of the One Programme approach (OPA) – Triple Nexus in the new Country Strategic Framework (CSF) (2021-2030) in collaboration with the Resilient Livelihoods theme, Governance & Accountability theme, and the Gender justice & Women’s Rights theme will be implemented in Karamoja sub-region in Uganda, in Moroto, Amudat and Nakapiripirit districts, primarily targeting women, youth and other vulnerable people. Women living in extreme poverty, women small holder Agro-pastoralists, women with disabilities (WWD), women artisan miners and widows will be targeted across the different interventions. In addition, youth out of school, especially boys and girls working in the mining and pastoralism in both rural and peri- urban will be a key target of the programme interventions. Women and youth will be the primary target group because of their confounding needs and vulnerabilities. Women in Karamoja are the furthest behind, suffering from extreme poverty, with limited access, control and use of productive resources and facing food insecurity, water scarcity, landlessness, scarcity of energy resources, limited knowledge, and access to information.
WWD will be specifically targeted because disability compounds the daily inequalities they experience as women who face gender discrimination on access to existing opportunities, education and government programmes and other social services. Women artisanal miners work with their children of school going age yet facing untold labor rights violation. Addressing their labour rights and encouraging children out of the mines back to school will reduce their vulnerabilities. The programme will target the youth in Karamoja as they have limited income opportunities, mindsets driven by negative cultural practices of cattle raids, gun violence and violence against women and girls (GBV). The youth have limited knowledge and information as they are excluded from digital technology access, yet they are the biggest source of insecurity.
Purpose and Objectives of the Assessment
The purpose of the baseline study is to gather relevant baseline data for key project indicators to depict the actual situation in the project areas in order to create a benchmark for evaluating the project, measuring results and impact through and at the end of the project period. The baseline study is intended to provide program staff with detailed baseline data on key project indicators to enable changes in the outcomes be measured over the course of the project period.
Specific objectives of the Assessment
- To determine baseline values as per project indicators upon which progress, and project impact can be measured. That is to measure the ICSP-RISE-K grant indicators at the start of the grant.
- To provide consistent, clear, and credible information on grant indicators that will enable to set realistic targets to work towards achieving during the project for the 5 years (2023-2027).
- To identify any required changes that need to be made to our indicators and measurement approaches to inform ongoing MEAL on the grant.
- To identify the information needs of individuals and communities as well as their preferred channels for receiving information and providing feedback/complaints.
- To identify and explore the information gaps for future planned monitoring exercises, and evaluations.
Scope of Work
The baseline study will cover the proposed project geographical scope where Oxfam and partners will be implementing in the Karamoja sub-region in Uganda, in Moroto, Amudat, and Nakapiripirit districts, primarily targeting women, youth, and other vulnerable people. In the sampling frame, the study shall prioritize Women living in extreme poverty, women, smallholder Agro-pastoralists, women with disabilities (WWD), women artisan miners, and widows will be targeted across the different interventions. In addition, youth are out of school, especially boys and girls who work in the mining and pastoralism in both rural and peri urban.
Study/Assessment Methodology
In the ICSP-RISE-K grant, indicators for the long-term and intermediate outcomes have been decided at the grant level and informed by the Oxfam Uganda thematic framework papers and MEAL/Results frameworks. The consultant will use the project M&E framework indicators and the relevant data collection methods and tools that are associated with the project outcomes selected.
A mixed methodology will be adopted consisting of quantitative and qualitative methodology. The baseline study sample will be taken from the participants intended to be reached by the project in the 03 districts including the study shall prioritize Women living in extreme poverty, women smallholder Agro-pastoralists, women with disabilities (WWD), women artisan miners and widows will be targeted across the different interventions. In addition, youth out of school, especially boys and girls working in the mining and pastoralism in both rural and peri-urban, households involved in agroecological activities.
For the quantitative methodology, a reliable sample size will be calculated for each of the 3 targeted districts. The baseline survey will entail qualitative methodology in every district to produce reliable information on key trends and themes to accompany quantitative information on indicators. The baseline results for relevant indicators must be disaggregated by age, gender, and disability per the ICSP Grant and Oxfam Uganda programme quality & learning requirement for each ICSP grant indicator.
Expected Outputs/Deliverables
The consultant is, expected to lead, accomplish, and submit the following deliverables within the agreed timeframe and budget, The following outputs are compulsory from the baseline process:
- An expression of interest with a well-documented proposal by the consultant in response to the TOR describing their understanding of the TOR and describing how they intend to carry out this assignment.
- Baseline Inception report including proposed data collection tools for all long-term, intermediate, and immediate outcome indicators.
- Draft Baseline report
- Final Baseline Report – consolidating feedback from the review of the draft.
- Updated Logic Model including assumptions, ToC, and Results Framework including baseline data, end of programme targets, and intermediate milestones for each indicator.
Timeframe and estimated working days
The assignment will be undertaken from 20th March 2023 to 21st April 2023, lasting a total of twenty-five (25) working days from the date of signing the contract. ICSP baseline shall follow the timeline below for the baseline process:
- Consultant to sign a contract for the assignment: 1 day
- Review of documents and development of the inception report and study instruments: 3 days
- Presentation of Inception report and data collection tools: 1 day
- Training of research assistants and pre-testing of study instruments: 2 days
- Primary data collection (field work): 8 days
- Data analysis and report writing: 6 days
- Submission of the draft study report to Oxfam in Uganda:1 day
- Incorporating comments on a draft report: 2 days
- Submission of the final project study report to Oxfam in Uganda: 1 day
Qualification and experience of the consultant/team
Oxfam in Uganda seeks to engage the services of qualified and experienced consultants with the following qualifications and experience to deliver on these tasks:
- Over 5 years of expertise in governance and accountability, food security/Nutrition, agroecology, resilient livelihoods, women’s Economic Empowerment, and safe programming, Climate change & climate adaptive approaches, disaster preparedness and response in both humanitarian and development contexts
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in evaluations/ assessments/ research in both humanitarian and development contexts
- Proven strong skills and experience in quantitative and qualitative methodology with participatory approaches.
- Solid analytical skills with the ability to correlate different data sets to actionable conclusions.
- Experience in result-based planning, and report writing.
- A strong team leadership and management track record, as well as interpersonal and communication skills to help ensure that the evaluation is understood and used.
- English language skills (report should be written in English).
- Ability to make clear presentations and disseminate findings to both technical and non-technical audience.
- Experience in the Ugandan context especially from Karamoja is desirable.
Supervision/management of the assignment
The study shall be technically supervised and coordinated by Programme Quality and Learning Coordinator. The consultancy team shall report to the PQL Coordinator who directs the exercise in terms of information requirements, backstopping and corrective actions during the study.
Payment
The consultant will be paid in accordance with Oxfam consulting policy which stipulates 30% upon submission of the inception report and 70% upon successful completion and acceptance of the final products. The professional fee shall be subject to a 6 % withholding Tax deduction for local consultancies or companies and 15% for international companies or consultancies.
Mode of Submission
Firms or consultants who meet or exceed the requirements should submit their technical and financial proposals as follows.
- A technical proposal explaining, their comprehension of the ToR, and how they would approach this.
- A financial proposal outlining their expected fees, costs of return flights, visas, meals, and life insurance.
- Past experience of similar assignments
- Their availability
Submission of Technical and Financial Proposal
For interested applicants, please submit your technical and financial proposal clearly breaking down the budget. Also include other supporting documents including the CVs of the team that will be engaged on the assignment (please ensure that the CVs and names of the team included will be the ones conducting the assignment), samples of past work preferably links and recommendations to Ugandalogistics@oxfam.org with email subject: Internal System Compliance Assessment, not later than 5:00 PM (EAT) on 4th April, 2023.
Note:
- Oxfam reserves the right to accept any proposals that meet or exceed expectations or reject all proposals that will not meet the expected requirements.
- All forms of canvassing will lead to the automatic cancellation of the proposal in question.
- Only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted.