Tender document for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) evaluation of the “Food security, livelihoods, and WASH response for vulnerable households

Islamic Relief Worldwide

Islamic Relief is an international aid and development charity, which aims to alleviate the suffering of the world's poorest people. It is an independent Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) founded in the UK in 1984.

With an active presence in over 40 countries across the globe, we strive to make the world a better and fairer place for the three billion people still living in poverty. As well as responding to disasters and emergencies, Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities - regardless of race, religion or gender.

We are signatories to the Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, and the Red Cross Code of Conduct, which sets ethical standards for organisations involved in humanitarian work and commits us to the important principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence. We are also firmly committed to the People in Aid Code of Best Practice. The high quality and impact of our work means we are among only 5 UK-based charities to have been certified against the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS). As full members of the INGO Accountability Charter, our excellence in transparency, good governance and social responsibility is recognised.

Our vision:

Inspired by our Islamic faith and guided by our values, we envisage a caring world where communities are empowered, social obligations are fulfilled, and people respond as one to the suffering of others.

Our mission:

Exemplifying our Islamic values, we will mobilise resources, build partnerships, and develop local capacity, as we work to:

• Enable communities to mitigate the effect of disasters, prepare for their occurrence and respond by providing relief, protection and recovery.
• Promote integrated development and environmental custodianship with a focus on sustainable livelihoods.
• Support the marginalised and vulnerable to voice their needs and address root causes of poverty.

At the international level, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council and is a signatory to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Code of Conduct. IRW is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) through raising awareness of the issues that affect poor communities and through its work on the ground. Islamic Relief is one of only 13 charities that have fulfilled the criteria and have become members of the Disasters Emergency Committee (www.dec.org.uk), and is certified by CHS.

IRW endeavours to work closely with local communities, focussing on capacity-building and empowerment to help them achieve development without dependency.

Please see our website for more information http://www.islamic-relief.org/

Project background

Islamic Relief has been working in Afghanistan for more than 24 years, providing emergency relief and implementing life-changing development projects for the most vulnerable people in the country. Islamic Relief set up its Afghanistan field office in 1999. It worked in 49 districts across the country and sectors as diverse as sustainable livelihoods, education, health & nutrition, child protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, and emergency response. IR Afghanistan has a presence in Kabul, Nangarhar, Herat, Kunar, Bamiyan, Kandahar and Balkh to support the most vulnerable populations, such as women, girls, people with disabilities and the elderly. More than 300 staff is supporting to delivery of the projects and programmes.

IR Afghanistan works in partnership with the UN World Food Programme, UNOCHA/ Afghanis Humanitarian Fund (AHF), UNICEF, DEC, Start Network and IR fundraising partners. IR Afghanistan is implementing 26 projects, including development and emergency response projects.

Since the political changes that began in August 2021, Afghanistan has faced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Afghanistan’s food security situation continues to be one of the worst in the world, with a 92% prevalence of insufficient food consumption, according to Hunger Map Live and WFP. The IPC Acute Food Insecurity Analysis Report (March - November 2022) reports that nearly 20 million Afghans were classified in Crisis or Emergency (IPC Phases 3 or 4), between March and May 2022 (the lean season) with approximately 6.6 million people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and 13 million in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and, for the first time since the introduction of IPC in Afghanistan, Catastrophe conditions (IPC Phase 5) were detected for 20,000 people in one of the most remote, vulnerable provinces of Afghanistan.

The 2021 Seasonal Food Security Assessment (SFSA) cites causes of the increased food insecurity as; the La Niña drought, the economic crisis following the political transition in August 2021, higher prices and increased debt and displacement either due to conflict or to decreased livelihood opportunities. The report also remarks that food insecurity is affecting both rural and urban areas and that vulnerable groups continue to suffer disproportionally from the food insecurity crisis.

DEC Phase 1: Key Outcomes/Outputs

No. Of beneficiaries

1

Outcome A: Reduced potential for immediate starvation or hunger for 5000 households (35,000 individuals)

Output 1.1: Most vulnerable households will have received standard food packages.

5000 HH

2

Outcome B: Reduced hygiene-related disease and morbidity for 2000 households

(14,000 individuals)

Output 2.1. vulnerable households will have received culturally appropriate hygiene kits.

2000 HH

Output 2.2. vulnerable households will have received Afghanistan WASH cluster standard water kits.

2000 HH

Output 2.3. Number of households will have received information about hygiene awareness and COVID-19 mitigation measures

5714 HH

DEC Phase 2: Key Outcomes/Outputs

No. Of Beneficiaries

1

Outcome A: Food Security and Livelihoods: reduced suffering and vulnerabilities of 4408 most vulnerable households in Kabul, Bamiyan and Balkh provinces

Output 1.1. food insecure and most vulnerable households in the target areas are provided cash for food assistance for one month.

2558 HH

Output 1.2: most vulnerable households will have received livelihoods grants* to support income-generating activities.

1000 HH

Output 1.3: vulnerable households will have received multipurpose cash to support basic needs.

850 HH

2

Outcome B: WASH: Increased good hygiene practice for 52,400 individuals in targeted areas

Output 2.1: vulnerable households will have received culturally appropriate hygiene kits.

2000 HH/ 14000 individual

Output 2.2: 1920 hygiene promotion sessions will be conducted in order that 38,400 individuals will have received information about hygiene awareness and COVID-19 mitigation measures through hygiene promotion sessions.

38400 Individual

Objectives of the evaluation

Islamic Relief Worldwide has commissioned this evaluation (IRW) in line with agreed internal policies (IR MEAL framework) and external policies (Evaluation Policy in DEC Accountability framework). The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the overall performance of the project with reference to the outcomes and outputs, as well as draw lessons for future programmes. This evaluation should take into consideration the OECD/DAC Evaluation Criteria to assess the performance of the project, as well as use the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) to evaluate the quality of the interventions and the aspects of accountability.

The focus is on:

1. Assessing the extent to which planned outputs and outcomes have been achieved using the OECD DAC criteria for evaluating humanitarian responses: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability.
2. Evaluating the appropriateness and extent of application of quality standards, with a particular focus on the CHS.
3. Identifying lessons and good practices from the project to inform IR Afghanistan’s future response and the wider sector. This report will be externally published.

The scope of the evaluation

The scope of the evaluation should cover the various activities funded through DEC Phase 1 and Phase 2 allocations. The geographical scope of the evaluation includes the Kabul, Balkh and Bamiyan provinces in Afghanistan.

The technical scope of the evaluation is to:

• Examine the response’s relevance and appropriateness, with specific reference to the design of the project and the progress in achieving the planned objectives (i.e. the outcomes and outputs).
• Uncover the gaps in provision or unintended positive or negative impacts and provide commentary on the primary and secondary effects of the intervention, along with any direct and indirect contributions, including changes to the policy and political environment.
• Analyse the coherence with other actors and the extent of engagement and collaboration with stakeholders, and the strategic linkages made.
• Review the effectiveness (financial and programmatic) and efficiency of the mode of operation.
• Examine the strategic value addition and distinctive contribution of IRW and IR Afghanistan.
• Identifying lessons learned and good practices, improving current operations and marking the way forward for future programming.

In addition, IRW is a certified CHS agency and therefore uses the CHS standard as the foundational approach to undertake evaluations, which ensures that we focus on communities. We believe this can be integrated with the DAC criteria in the following way:

Relevance

• CHS Commitment 1: Humanitarian response is appropriate and relevant.
• CHS Commitment 4: Humanitarian response is based upon communication, participation, and feedback.

Effectiveness

• CHS Commitment 2: Humanitarian response is effective and timely.
• CHS Commitment 3: Humanitarian response strengthens local capacities and avoids negative effects.
• CHS Commitment 5: Complaints are welcomed and addressed.
• CHS Commitment 8: Staff is supported to do their job effectively and are treated fairly and equitably.

Efficiency

• CHS Commitment 6: Humanitarian responses are coordinated and complementary.
• CHS Commitment 7: Humanitarian actors continuously learn and improve.
• CHS Commitment 9: Resources are managed and used responsibly for their intended purpose.

For more guidance on CHS evaluation questions, refer to Annex 1.

Methodology and approach

We are looking for an evaluation team to meet the above objectives and scope through a mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) approach of:

• Desk review of secondary data and IRW project documentation.
• Household surveys of a statistically representative sample with a minimum 95% confidence level and 5% margin of error.
• FGDs with communities – with proportionate sampling.
• Key informant interviews with IR staff, peer agencies, technical staff, UN and government authorities (local and national).
• Case Studies to see the most significant change in the rightsholder's life and livelihood.

We would like the evaluators to outline their proposed methodology and requirements for this particular consultancy. The evaluation will require visits or remote interviews with IRW leadership and staff and physical visits to meet key stakeholders in Afghanistan.

Required competencies

The successful team will have the following competencies:

• Demonstrate evidence of experience in evaluating humanitarian action/development projects and programmes.
• Have experience in evaluating DEC humanitarian response interventions.
• Possess sectoral experience and knowledge in evaluating food security and livelihood, cash voucher assistance (CVA), and WASH.
• Possess deep knowledge and practical experience in using quality standards such as CHS and Sphere.
• Possess strong statistical/quantitative and qualitative research skills.
• Have excellent written skills in English.
• Have the legal right to travel to the disaster zone and able to conduct evaluations in Afghanistan.
• Be able to communicate fluently in English and the local languages (e.g. Dari and Pashtun). If local translators are required, this should be budgeted.
• Working experience and knowledge about the context in Afghanistan and having a presence/representation in Afghanistan.

The chosen evaluation team will be supported by IRW Programme Quality (PQ) team, the IRW Disaster Risk Management Department (DRMD), the IRW Regional team and IR Afghanistan Country Team.

Expected outputs of the assignment

The consultant is expected to produce:

• A detailed work plan and inception report developed with and approved by IRW and set out the exact methodology, data collection tools (checklist, questionnaire), data collection protocols/guidelines, and deliverables prior to commencing the desk review.
• The work plan, inception report, draft report, final report, presentation, etc., and communication language must be in English.
• Conduct remote/physical interviews with IRW leadership and physical interview (FGD, KII, , etc.) with IR Afghanistan management, programme team, logistics and procurement team, MEAL team, key stakeholders, community leaders, rightsholders, field staff etc.
• Orient the HH survey team on the HH survey questionnaire data collection process and protocol.
• Develop quantitative data collection tools and checklists (questionnaire) in KOBO, data quality checking, support the data collection team, data quality management, and data editing and analysis.
• Collation and analysis of evaluation data and submission of the first draft to IR Afghanistan/IRW for comments and share the initial presentation of findings to IRW and IR Afghanistan.
• A full report with the following sections:

1. Title of Report: The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Evaluation of Food Security, Livelihoods, and WASH Response for Vulnerable Households in Kabul, Bamiyan and Balkh Provinces in Afghanistan, September 2023
2. Consultancy organisation and any partner names
3. Name of the person who compiled the report, including a summary of the role/contribution of others in the team.
4. The period during which the review was undertaken.
5. Acknowledgements
6. Abbreviations
7. Table of contents
8. Executive summary
9. Main report – max 40 pages – (Standard reporting structure will be shared at the inception stage, but the consultant is invited to propose most suitable report structure layout)
10. Annexes

• Terms of reference for the review
• Profile of the review team members
• Review schedule
• Documents consulted during the desk review.
• Persons participating in the review.
• Field data used during the review.
• Additional key overview tables, graphs or charts etc., created and used to support analysis and inform findings.
• Bibliography

1. The consultant will be required to communicate IRW international office and provide feedback on and answer questions about the findings from the desk review. This meeting can be attended remotely by the consultant via video conference in Microsoft Teams, where the consultant is outside the UK or based on the request from the consultant.
2. Consultant will facilitate a findings-sharing meeting with IRW (DRMD, IR Afghanistan management, programme quality team, head of the region, desk coordinators and officers, technical advisors), respective IR field office staff, and relevant staff.
3. Risk assessment (security and access) with proposed mitigation measures related to conducting this evaluation, setting out different contingencies in case of challenges to the review due to security or other issues.

Timetable and reporting information

The evaluation is expected to run for 30 days, starting by the 1st of October 2023 and ending before the 28th of December 2023

Date

Description

Responsibility

3rd September 2023

Tender live date

IRW

18th September 2023

Final date for submission of bid proposal

Consultant

18th – 21st September 2023

Proposals considered, short-listing and follow-up enquiries completed

IRW

22nd September – 2nd October 2023

Consultant interview and final selection (+ signing contracts)

IRW

3rd – 6th October 2023

Meeting with the consultant and agreeing on an evaluation methodology, plan of action, and working schedule

IRW

7th – 12th October 2023

Submission of Inception Report (at least seven days before commencing the evaluation)

Consultant

13th -19th October

Review and feedback on the inception report

IRW

20th October– 20th November 2023

Evaluation/Data collection

Consultant

30th h November 2023

Collation and analysis of evaluation data and submission of the first draft to IR Afghanistan/IRW for comments

Consultant

1st December

Initial Presentation of Findings

Consultant

13th December 2023

IRW/IR Afghanistan responses to the draft report

IR Afghanistan /IRW

23rd December 2023

Final report submitted to IRW

Consultant

28th December 2023

Final Presentation with IR key stakeholders

Consultant

Reporting information:

Contract duration: Duration to be specified by the consultant.

Direct report: Global Programme Impact & MEAL Manager

Job Title: Consultant; DEC Evaluation of Food Security, Livelihoods, and WASH Response for Vulnerable Households in Kabul, Bamiyan and Balkh Provinces in Afghanistan September 2023.

The consultant will communicate in the first instance with and will forward deliverables to the IRW Programme Quality team.

Proposal to tender and costing

The consultant interested in carrying out this work must submit the following items as part of their proposal/bid:

1. Detailed cover letter/proposal outlining a methodology and approach briefing note
2. Résumé(s) or CV(s) outlining relevant skills and experience possessed by the consultant who will be carrying out the tasks and any other personnel who will work on the project
3. Example(s) of relevant work done of similar evaluations in PDF
4. The consultancy daily rate (fill in appendix 1)
5. Expenses policy of the tendering consultant. Incurred expenses will not be included but will need to be agreed in advance prior to contract award (fill in appendix 1)
6. Be able to complete the assignment within the timeframe stated above
7. Be able to demonstrate experience of outcome reviews, mapping and impact assessment/evaluation approaches for similar work

Terms and conditions

The consultant would provide financial proposal outlining detailed break up of costs and charges. There would be formal agreement on payment schedule and funds transfer process once the consultant would be selected. Payment will be made in accordance with the deliverables and deadlines for this project so are as follows:

• • 40% of the total amount – First upfront payment - 30% of the total amount – submission of the first draft of the evaluation report - 30% of the total amount – submission of the final evaluation report including all outputs and attachments mentioned above

We can be flexible with payment terms, invoices are normally paid on net payment terms of 30 days.

Additional information and conditions of contract

The following additional information will be expected from the consultant and be pursuant to the conditions printed beneath as well as the terms and conditions in the consultancy contract.

1. The ToR document is between the consultant and Islamic Relief Worldwide.
2. Islamic Relief Worldwide is a legally registered charity under the laws of the United Kingdom charity registration number 328158.
3. This document covers the consultancy project identified and described in this document and related correspondence and may not be expended for any other purposes without the prior written approval of Islamic Relief Worldwide, Head of Programme Quality.
4. The consultancy will be carried out under the auspices of the Islamic Relief Worldwide, Programme Quality. The lead consultant will be working in the capacity of a freelance consultant, an individual or for an organisation.
5. Collected data, information, reports and reference documents should be submitted, along with any audio files and transcripts collected.
6. Intellectual Property Rights to all research, and data, conducted and collected and the final proposal belongs solely to Islamic Relief Worldwide.
7. In case of contraventions or breach of any of the terms of the agreement, any outstanding payments to the Lead Consultant or the organisation will be withheld.

During the consultancy period,

IRW will only cover:

Consultancy fees

Any travel costs to visit IRW or any of our country offices if required.

IRW will not cover:

Tax obligations as required by the country in which he/she will file income tax.

Any pre/post assignment medical costs. These should be covered by the consultant

Medical and travel insurance arrangements and costs. These should be covered by the consultant.

To access or download the tender documents please follow the link below;

https://www.islamic-relief.org/tenders/category/open-tenders/

How to apply

Consultancy contract

This will be for an initial period that is to be specified by the consultant commencing in October 2023 (exact date to be mutually agreed). The selected candidate is expected to work remotely and report to the Head of Programme Quality of IRW.

The terms upon which the consultant will be engaged are as per the consultancy agreement. The invoice is to be submitted at the end of the assignment and will be paid on net payment terms 30 days though we can be flexible.

All potential applicants must fill in the table beneath in Appendix 1 to help collate key data pertaining to this tender. The applicant must be clear about other expenses being claimed in relation to this consultancy and these must be specified clearly.

For this consultancy all applicants are required to submit a covering letter and CV’s of all potential consultants including the project lead.

A proposal including, planned activities, methodology, deliverables, timeline, and cost proposal (including expenses) are expected.

Other relevant supporting documents should be included as the consultants sees fit and this may include examples of similar work done.

All applicants must have a valid visa or a permit to work in the UK (if travel is required to the UK). A valid visa/work permit is also required for those areas required to be visited as part of this consultancy.

This consultancy is open to any persons, freelancers, sole traders, research firms, consultants, policy and research think tanks, universities, academics, SME’s, large organisations and corporations including NGO’s.

Tender dates and contact details

All proposals are required to be submitted by Monday 18th September 2023 at 1.00pm UK time pursuant to the attached guidelines for submitting a quotation and these be returned to; tendering@irworldwide.org

For any issues relating to the tender or its contents please email directly to; tendering@irworldwide.org

Following submission, IRW may engage in further discussion with applicants concerning tenders in order to ensure mutual understanding and an optimal agreement.

Quotations must include the following information for assessment purposes.

1. Timescales
2. Full break down of costs including taxes, expenses and any VAT and be able to demonstrate best value for money
3. References (three are preferred)
4. Technical competency for this role
5. Demonstrable experience of developing a similar piece of work including a methodology

Note: The criteria are subject to change.

Please note, Islamic Relief Worldwide has changed the way it now manages tenders and as all vendors should now submit their bid like you normally do to the email address which is; tendering@irworldwide.org.

Additionally all applicants/bidders must also fill in appendix 2 which is a new mandatory requirement for suppliers to be registered onto our system and for their bids to be accepted and processed.

Please ensure you provide this data in appendix 2 for the expression of interest for this tender by Thursday 14th September 2023 and the bid can follow later before the deadline date above.

For any issues relating to the tender or its contents please email directly to; tendering@irworldwide.org. This address is for queries and advice only.

Appendix 1

Please fill in the table below. It is essential all sections be completed and where relevant additional expenses be specified in detail. In case of questions about how to complete the table below, please contact; tendering@irworldwide.org

Cost evaluation for consultancy on Tender document for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) evaluation of the “Food security, livelihoods, and WASH response for vulnerable households in Kabul, Bamiyan and Balkh Provinces in Afghanistan, August 2023

Full name of all consultants working on this project

Full company trading name

No of proposed hours per week

No. of proposed days

Preferred days

Non preferred days

Earliest available start date

Expected project finish date

Day rate (required for invoicing purposes) £

Total cost for consultancy in GBP (less taxes and expenses) £

Expenses (flights) £

Expenses (accommodation) £

Expenses (transfers) £

Expenses (in country travel) £

Expenses (visa) £

Expenses (security) £

Expenses (food) £

Expenses (print/stationary) £

Expenses other (please specify) £

Total expenses £

Total VAT or taxes £

Total cost for consultancy in GBP (inclusive of taxes and expenses) £

Note

The applicant is expected to take responsibility for paying full taxes and social charges in his/her country of residence.

Appendix 2

To express your interest in this tender or to register your interest simply fill in the information in the table beneath and return to tendering@irworldwide.org.

The information beneath in green is mandatory and must be supplied without fail otherwise you will not be registered on our system. If in doubt contact us on the email address above.

Expression of interest or to your register interest

Tender name

Full company name/consultant name

Full name of contact person

Full telephone number (including country code)

Full postal address

Property Name/Number

Address Line 1

Town/City

Country

Postcode

Complete email address

Company VAT number

Company registration number

Please ensure you provide this data for the expression of interest for this tender by Thursday 14th September 2023 and any of this information received after the above date will not be accepted.

To access or download the tender documents please follow the link below;

https://www.islamic-relief.org/tenders/category/open-tenders/