A Feasibility Study for Implementing Livelihoods, Resilience and Natural Resources management interventions in the Eastern Jabal Marrah locations of Darfur-Sudan.

Required: Competent National or International Consultant

Location: South Darfur- Eastern Jabal Marrah

Country: Sudan

Duration of Assignment: 28 Days

Expected Start Date: 15 April 2020

1. CARE Overview

CARE International Switzerland has been operational in Sudan since 2009, providing humanitarian aid, early recovery, food security and peace building support to communities in need. The main sectors that are covered through CARE International in Sudan’s interventions include Peace Building, WASH, Health & Nutrition, Livelihood & Food Security and Economic Empowerment. Through funding from the following donors: UNDP DCPSF, the Dutch Embassy, WFP, SHF, EU, GAC, German MOFA, USDAID-OFDA and UNICEF to mention a few , CARE has been supporting different projects across different states in Sudan, including East Darfur, South Darfur, Khartoum, Kassala and South Kordofan. The programs support community based conflict resolution, youth and women inclusion in community decision making, value chain development, food security, agriculture, Village Saving and Loans Associations (VSLAs), community leadership and economic empowerment. CARE also strongly support and work with national NGOs, Community Based Organizations, Government line ministries and universities to enhance the sustainability of its interventions. Currently, CARE is one of the first organizations to gain access to the Eastern Jabal Marrah communities and plans to expand its interventions to meet the livelihoods and food security needs of the larger proportion of local population in that region.

2. Background of the assignment:

Jabal Marra areas in Durfur region of Sudan have been subjected to a prolonged period of conflict over the past years hence affecting the local people’s livelihoods, nutrition, food security and income status. Also the natural resource base has suffered so much due to the absence of governance structures that can help to monitor and enforce the local by-laws to sustain the natural resources. Access of humanitarian organisations to this region has been a challenge hence limited support has been provided to the area leaving the majority of the people suffering and struggling to meet their basic needs. Food security is threatened by erratic rainfall patterns, damaged agricultural infrastructure, and unavailability of agriculture markets, poor water resources management, poor extension services and insecurities that prevent normal agricultural activities as well as inhibiting strong interaction with the external communities. Agriculture accounts for almost ninety percent of the local people’s livelihood needs and marks the foundation of all recovery activities that seek to empower these communities. The magnitude and the protracted nature of the crisis, its impact on the local population, the limited scope to end the localized conflicts and the non-consistent access to those in need, all reinforce the belief that giving humanitarian food handouts is not a sustainable solution to limit the suffering of the local communities. Therefore, promoting self-reliance and resilience interventions becomes very key alternative to support people in need. This can be addressed by supporting people’s livelihoods and strengthening coping mechanisms hence diversifying their options. However, the infrastructure damage, poor governance and limited access to basic services negatively impact any emerging opportunities that people may have. Support to income-generating activities and viable value chains, is important to improve food, income and nutrition security. The survival of civilians in relation to their food security is a key problem which could be addressed by supporting local food production, water management, conflict resolutions and conservation of the natural resources. There is however limited information/ literature about the region and it is against that backdrop that CARE is seeking a Consultant to carry out a detailed feasibility study for implementing Livelihoods, Resilience, Food Security and Natural Resources management related interventions in the mentioned communities and provide an analysis of the needs, demographics, potential activities to support, coping strategies and recommendations. There a number of potential Donors that CARE would like to reach out to once there is a detailed understanding of the needs and feasibility to expand in East Jabal Marrah.

3. Purpose of the study:

The Consultant will conduct a detailed study in order to gain a sound basis for developing a Livelihood, Resilience and Natural resources management project concept and identifying project prerequisites, needs, opportunities and risks. At the same time, the study shall lay the foundation for the detailed project and the required information regarding the potential to implement livelihoods and resilience interventions in Jabal Marrah serving as a basis for further base-line and evaluation reports. The study’s purpose is to enhance an initial understanding of the situation in Jabal Marrah, identify the needs, potential areas for support and provide recommendations that will help CARE to communicate with the Donors.

The assignment will focus on 4 specific themes:

· Agriculture (Crop and Livestock): The Consultant should analyze the gaps, needs and challenges that the communities face. Assess the major agriculture activities, value chains, off-farm activities and other income generating enterprises that can be supported in the region. The intention is to identify the livelihoods activities that can enhance both income and food security status of the population with an inclination towards value chain development.

· Natural Resources and Water Resources management: The Consultant should assess the available natural & water resources, the gaps, challenges and the existing needs. Then explore the opportunities for support and recommend how CARE can assist the communities to benefit while sustainably managing the natural resource base. The study should highlight the key activities that can be undertaken to develop and sustain water resources for the benefit of the communities without further degrading the natural resource base. This should look at the whole water sector for both human and agriculture consumption i.e water harvesting, irrigation and water points.

· Livelihoods productive asset creation: CARE acknowledges that, for community livelihoods to be strengthened, the general population should have access to productive assets i.e. irrigation infrastructure, processing facilities, livestock, water points and any other assets that are specific to the communities for resilience. The Consultant will be required to assess the potential assets that that can be supported or established through CARE’s interventions or proposed to the Donors for support.

· Gender and Protection: The Consultant will be required to assess the gender dynamics and norms in Jabal Marrah to understand the different social groups and their access to livelihoods opportunities. The study should be able to unpack the current challenges that women and youth are facing and assess the possible solutions that can be adopted to improve their quality of life.

The above mentioned specific areas will guide the framework of the study, although the Consultant can include any pertinent issues that he/she might identify during the analysis.

4. Methodology:

This ToR does not exhaustively spell out the methodology that will be adopted by the Consultant(s) when undertaking this assignment, but it will be the responsibility of the interested Consultant or Consultancy group to identify how s/he/they would propose to undertake the assignment. It is however, expected that mixed methods will be employed i.e. qualitative and quantitative methodologies to come up with a comprehensive report. The sampling procedure should be designed by the Consultant with support from CARE staff. Below is a list of the social groups that should be considered:

1- Farmers (Men and women).

2- IDPs and Host community.

3- Community leaders and VDCs

4- Business people.

5- Youth groups- girls and boys.

6- Government, INGO and UN agencies.

Tools

The Consultant will be required to develop specific methodology/proposal for this assignment and submit for review by CARE team. The study tools can include the following:

· Desk review

· HH survey tool

· FGD Tools

· KIIs tools (targeting specific stakeholders)

· Any other tools deemed necessary to achieve the objectives of the study.

Profile of the Consultant:

The consultant should be specialized in the area/s of Livelihoods & Food Security studies which include agriculture, rural economics /development, international development, Natural Resource Management (NRM), water resources management or any related background with relevant experience in carrying out needs assessments. The Consultant or Consultancy group should possess strong statistical analytical skills and will be expected to coach data enumerators, lead and coordinate the data collection, entry and analysis and generate a comprehensive report. All expenses related to individuals/enumerators involved directly with the Consultant during data collection will be covered by the Consultant. CARE can assist to identify potential enumerators and does not bear responsibilities and liabilities to the enumerators.

· Specific requirements:

§ An advanced degree in Agriculture, Development studies, Economics, Social Science or any other relevant field. Master’s degree is however desirable.

§ Demonstrated skills in statistics and data analysis.

§ Diverse set of skills to satisfy the key thematic areas and also the understanding of the languages.

§ Expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

§ Proven track record of conducting livelihoods and food security studies.

§ Advanced knowledge of theoretical concepts and practical issues in M&E and data collection

§ Experience in M&E and management of projects in an NGO setting will be a distinct asset.

§ Fluency in English both written and oral. Arabic will be an aided advantage.

§ Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

§ Experience in Sudan or working in hostile environments.

· Other conditions:

§ The consultant will adhere to the CARE’s Code of Conduct and CARE Security Protocols during the entire duration of the assignment.

§ CARE may provide the Consultant with accommodation in the field in its guesthouse, if available. CARE will also avail office space, internet connectivity in CARE premises and field logistics for data collection. For International candidates CARE will support with in country logistics and travels excluding hotel expenses.

§ CARE will not provide per-diems or allowances. All out-of-pocket expenses must be taken into consideration while proposing daily fees.

§ The Consultant should budget for enumerators and translators and present it as a separate section in her/her proposal. But s/he must take into account local scale for similar work.

§ CARE will consider reasonable rates and number of such hires.

5. Reporting Requirements/outputs and deliverables:

The consultant is required to submit the following deliverables:

1- Inception Report: A detailed inception report which explains the Consultant/Team approach to conduct this assignment including clear methodologies and tools to be used.

2- Submission of 1st Draft of the report: A detailed report that includes the following should be submitted: a stand-alone executive summary, Methodology, Analysis of main findings, Conclusions and recommendations. (Not more than 20 pages).

3- The Final comprehensive summary report: The main outputs will be comprehensive report incorporating all the feedback/comments from CARE team.

6. Work Plan and Time Schedule:

The completion of the whole assignment will take no more than 15 days. The schedule described in the ToR (link

8. Logistics and other Support

CARE will support with field arrangements mainly related to Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), transport to the field during data collection. National Consultants are expected to report to the field offices through own means. CARE’s team will work with the consultant(s) to achieve the objective of the study. The Program Director, Livelihoods and Resilience Program Coordinator and Head of Program and Operations will be available to provide support. The consultant(s) will be supported by the field team during the entire duration of the study. CARE will also provide basic demographic profiling of the selected locations and support in arranging meetings with stakeholders and communities structures.

9. Other notes:

1- The Consultant is responsible for paying the enumerators, printing and data entry and analysis cost.

2- The Consultant will be responsible for any tax or other fees related.

3- The payments will be in two installments, 30% at the time of submitting the inception report/data collection and 70% after the completion of the task and submission of final acceptable report to CARE.

The deadline for submitting applications is as indicated on the advert. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Annex: Key questions to be asked surrounding the 4 thematic areas mentioned in the TOR

Full ToR document (link)

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications/proposals detailing how they will carry out the study together with curriculum vitae. The proposal should include the financial budget. Application’ mentioned in the subject to the following addresses:

Procurement: adam.ali@care.org

Program: ruvaro.takunda@care.org and eatizaz.mohamedyousif@care.org.