Background

Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa, with a highly diverse population of about 110 million (50.5 percent male and 49.5 percent female) and an annual population growth rate of 2.6 percent. According to population projections, Ethiopia’s population will increase from the current 112 million to 145 million in 2030 and 205 million in 2050. This is due to multiple factors incl. a large youth population (62% is below the age of 25) and a fertility level of 4.6 live births pr. woman. The high fertility level is a result of several contextual factors of gender inequality, lack of education, early, forced and child marriage, teenage pregnancies and of the fact that 22% of currently married women in Ethiopia have an unmet need for family planning . About 83 percent of the population live in rural areas, and depend entirely on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods.

Ethiopia is ranked 174 out of 188 in the Human Development Index (HDI). Eighty-seven percent of the population (89 million people) are multi-dimensionally poor, and struggle with food insecurity, malnutrition, insufficient access to adequate education and health services and insufficient employment opportunities for newly-graduate youth.  In particular, the pastoral and lowland areas, mainly in the Regional States of Somali, Afar and Oromia lag behind on virtually all social indicators.  Gender inequalities further limit the economic and social development of women, constraining the progress of society as a whole.

In the last two decades, the country has made significant progress through investments in its infrastructure, the modernization of the agricultural sector, social protection programmes and increased access to essential basic services including water, health, sanitation and education. This has led to notable social and economic developments eradicating extreme poverty and hunger rates by half, and stunting rates falling from 57 percent to 38 percent.

Despite these remarkable developments, Ethiopia faces high levels of food insecurity with around 30 million people having inadequate access to food and 32 million people being undernourished. Persisting developmental challenges are grounded in a slow pace of transformation of the economy, vulnerability to climate shocks, and a low level of human development – partly caused by strong gender inequality and limited access of women to skills development, productive assets and financial services.  The country ranks 116 out of 159 countries on the gender inequality index.

Ethiopia is particularly vulnerable to climate shocks and has been hit by a series of erratic rain patterns, including the 2015/6 El Nino drought, which was considered the worst in 50 years. In 2017/2018, persistent drought in the lowland areas of Southern and South Eastern Ethiopia caused significant livestock losses, resulting in at least 8.5 million people requiring food assistance. In all regions where stunting is already severe, it is estimated that climate change will increase stunting by 30–50 percent by 2050, specifically as a result of reduced crop production, compared with a scenario of no further climate change.

By recognizing all these challenges, Danish Family Planning Association (DFPA) with strategic partnership agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark/Danida has been supporting Ethiopia to address these challenges since 2009. Since, 2019 DFPA has made agreement with Population Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortium (PHE EC) to implement a project called “Accelerating Community Resilience through integration of SRHR with Climate Change Adaptation in Ethiopia”. The project is being implemented in Oromia region, Jimma zone, Dedo Woreda as well as at national and international level.

At national level, the project aims integrating SRHR/Family planning, population dynamics, gender and climate change adaptation into national, sub-national, regional and global policy framework for sustainable development. For this, Ethiopian decision makers and authorities are targeted for advocacy.

At grass root level, the project intends to target vulnerable communities in Sito Kebele, and show improvement in their resilience to climate change through the integration of SRHR/FP into sustainable development practices.

To tangibly verify the same, PHE EC wants to hire a consultant with proven experience to conduct baseline survey in order to set a bench mark for the assessment and evaluation of the project progress and impact here after.

Objectives of the consultancy

The general objective of the baseline survey is to assess the current status of resilience of households in Sito kebele, Dedo Woreda Jimma zone, Oromia in order to set bench mark for evaluation of the project progress and impact. The study will have the following specific objectives:

• To assess status of resilience of Households in Sito Kebele, Dedo woreda, Jimma Zone Oromia with more detailed focus on 80 targeted HHs using coping strategy index
• To determine the number of HHs in Sito kebele and communities with knowledge of the link between SRHR and climate change adaptation
• To determine the number of key government stakeholders at kebele, and woreda level with knowledge of the link between SRHR and climate change adaptation

Tasks

• Develop a detailed work plan, indicating the time in which the study results will be produced and delivered;
• Review relevant literature and publications and consult relevant institutions to discus and learn about the subject matter, to over view the national policy strategy context.
• Develop relevant community engagement tools for community conversation ensuring comparability of data
• Facilitate and coordinate data collection in the targeted Kebele, Sito kebele in Jima Dedo woreda, and consolidate results
• Conduct series of interviews with relevant key government stakeholders at Kebele and woreda level and produce a summary of stakeholders view and perspectives regarding the subject matter.
• Conduct data analysis and provide result segregated by HHs, Women, and government stakeholders.
• Develop and submit draft baseline report for review
• Receive feedback, comment and suggestions; both from PHE EC and the international partner, DFPA; incorporate the same and submit final baseline report

Expected deliverables 

1: Detailed inception report/work plan which explain the process to follow, methodology to be used and time frame. Feedback provision, incorporation and approval will be followed to the report

2: Submission of community engagement tools to be used for the base line study. Feedback provision, incorporation and approval will be followed

3: Draft baseline report which specifies resilience status of 80 HHs in Sito kebele (using coping strategy index), # of HHs, communities and key government stakeholders with knowledge of the link between SRHR and climate change adaptation

4: Final baseline report with feedback and comment incorporation

 Timescale

The total time required for this assignment is two months maximum (December 25, 2020 – February 25, 2020). But the consultant will not be working throughout all this time and this should be clearly given in the detailed technical proposal

Criteria for selecting the best offer

Upon the advertisement of the Procurement Notice, qualified consulting firm is expected to submit both the Technical and Financial Proposals. Accordingly; firms will be evaluated based on Cumulative Analysis as per the following scenario:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. In this regard, the respective weight of the proposals are:
  • Technical Criteria weight is 60%
  • Financial Criteria weight is 40%

Consultant qualification

Consultant should:

• Be a consulting organization/institution/firm with a team of expertise from social, economic and environment background
• Have team member with an appropriate post-graduate qualifications and appropriate experience in baseline survey, cooperative concept, climate change, with at least five years relevant experience;
• Be a registered firm under the set of legal provisions or under any valid legal cover
• Have a commitment to meet the deadlines,
• Have a basic communication skill in local language, Affan Oromo.