Terms of Reference for mid-term review of the SaWeL Project, Ziway-Shalla site (Ethiopia) and the Programme Implementation Unit  of the period from  1st of July 2019 to 30th of June 2021  (two years)

Background and rationale for the SaWeL programme, Ziway-Shalla Implementation site and Programme implementation Unit.

SaWeL Project

Many smallholder-agricultural producers in the Sahel have limited linkages to value chains and markets and insufficient opportunities to generate income. This trend affects the resilience of community livelihoods, reduces the capacity of small-scale producers to invest in more efficient and environmentally sustainable food production practices, and widens the gap between their aspirations and prospects. In addition, access to options for improving agricultural practices is unevenly distributed among different groups; women, youth and other vulnerable groups often do not have the same opportunities for access to finance, information, technology, land and water, and policymaking like men and wealthier and influential groups.

The SaWel Project addresses these issues. The project with the overall goal " to improve Food Security and Nutrition in the Sahel through the Conservation of Wetlands through Ecological and Sustainable Water Management for Agriculture" is being implemented in Mali (Lake Wégnia and the Sourou Basin plains), Ethiopia (Ziway-Shalla) and has a national and international, linking and learning and outreach component through the Program Implementation Unit (PIU).

PIT Ziway-Shalla

The Project Implementation Team (PIT) Ziway-Shalla carries out the SAWEL project around Lake Ziway in the Central Rift Valley in Ethiopia. In the rift valley, the traditional management of wetland agroecological systems is being lost and replaced by unsustainable systems characterised by excessive exploitation of natural resources through an increasing population. A combination of inappropriate agricultural land and water management and unsustainable use by smallholders and producers is leading to rapid degradation of the wetland system on which they depend for their livelihoods. Water use is rapidly increasing through the installation of small-scale pumps on Lake Ziway. This overexploitation of water resources could lead to the lake becoming unusable for irrigation and drinking water, which threatens food security in the region.

On the catchment scale, under-capacitated water resources authorities also complicate the ecological balance of the region. Lake Abijatta, an important biodiverse hotspot for migratory birds, is dependent on the flow of water from Lake Ziway. This flow however is not guaranteed, due to the overexploitation of water resources and the building of a weir on the Bulbula river that connects the two lakes. If water does not flow out from Lake Ziway to Lake Abijatta, then this can lead to Lake Abijatta decreasing in size. On top of this, this flow is vital for Lake Ziway in order to flush the chemical elements building up in the lake such as salts. The site's intervention area comprises an approximate population of 245,160 inhabitants (121,450 males and 123,710 females) according to the 2015 census, with a growth rate of 3.6%.

For More detail :TOR MTR PIT ZS and PIU.docx

Composition of the evaluation team and skills required

The principal consultant (m/f) is responsible for the conduct of the evaluation mission. As such, he/she is responsible for meeting the deadline and producing the results of the mission. He/she must organize the team and be the contact person for WIGO in person of Jeroen Jurriens, project coordinator. He/she prepares the details, coordinates the mission, sets the timetable and is responsible for the finalization of the reports (draft report and final report).

The consultant(s) (m/f) must demonstrate experience and training in evaluation methodology and participatory research techniques (interviews, questionnaires, methodological elections, operationalization of indicators, etc.).

We therefore propose a principal consultant, with at least seven years of experience in evaluating international development projects in the Global South with in-depth knowledge of:

• design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects executed through international NGOs and with donor support
• development projects on matters of food security, agricultural production, value chains and participatory natural resource management;
• development projects that take a participatory approach with communities, local development partners and governments
• development projects that address gender and social inclusion and conflict sensitivity
• Support to development through NGOs, especially with regard to sustainability and replicability of projects and institutional capacity building.
• Analytical and writing skills.