Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) invites applications for CONSULTANT – MID-TERM EVALUATION for the Feminist Entrepreneurs Growing Green Economies (FEGGE) Project in Tanzania.

MEDA’s work is built on a foundation of Mennonite business roots and faith-based values, within the global context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We believe business solutions are effective interventions to address poverty. Through a market-systems approach and strategic partnerships, MEDA enables access to finance and provides business and technical expertise to build transformative agri-food market systems that create decent jobs, allowing traditionally excluded groups to become active participants in a sustainable economy. MEDA welcomes all who share our values and want to join us in our mission. To find out more about MEDA, please visit our website at www.meda.org.

Job Details: Job Status: Consultant (Short Term)

Duration of Engagement: August to October, 2024

Location: Hybrid – Tanzania (Open to East-African, Swahili-proficient consultants)

Application Deadline: 15 July, 2024 @ 5:00pm EAT.

Background

Since 2021, MEDA has been implementing the Feminist Entrepreneurs Growing Green Economies (FEGGE) Project in ten (10) regions in Tanzania. FEGGE is a six and half year’s initiative (May 2021 to March 2028), funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) with a value of $ 25 million CAD. The project focuses on an improved business enabling environment and facilitation of opportunities for women-owned businesses in the dryland and semi-arid regions of Tanzania. FEGGE partners with businesses and service-providers that are operating in Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara, Dodoma, Shinyanga, Simiyu, Singida, Tabora, Iringa, and Njombe regions. These business partnerships aim to strengthen value chain linkages to foster inclusive and sustainable work opportunities for small and medium size farmers. The priority value chains are honey, rice, maize, sunflower and dairy. FEGGE is in partnership with 40 lead firms and 10 business associations and/or accelerators, with a goal of supporting 270 BDS-SMEs and 22,500 SEs.

The project is committed to gender responsive and environmentally sustainable approaches, which include:

• Access to agrotechnology to reduce time and labour in processing activities.
• Technical assistance to Small Scale Businesses to help them grow their market share; and
• Access to finance to support growth of businesses and entrepreneurial efforts.

MEDA is seeking the services of an East-African, Swahili-proficient consultant with research and evaluation expertise especially in economic development in the agribusiness sector.

Evaluation Purpose: MEDA is committed to assessing its initiative’s performance and ensuring that results and lessons are documented and utilized for program decisions and improvements.

The purpose and scope of the mid-term evaluation are to:

• Assess progress against the Project’s targets and intended outcomes;
• Assess the Project’s Theory of Change (intervention strategy) to ascertain whether the initial assumptions and component areas are valid (relevant and appropriate) to address the identified issues for SEs within the targeted value chains and regions in Tanzania;
• Assess the Project’s associated indicators of success to whether the Project is measuring the right things;
• Assess the program management strategy with a focus on FEGGE’s human and financial resourcing capacity;
• Identify the factors and constraints within the project and enabling environment that are contributing to or diminishing the achievement of results;
• Document lessons learned and provide recommendations to improve FEGGE’s efficiency, effectiveness and impact.

The OECD DAC criteria of relevance, efficiency, effectiveness (specific to the Project’s design, allocation and management of its resources and furtherance of its intended results), impact and sustainability will also be a guide for the analysis.

The results of this evaluation are intended for use by MEDA and key project stakeholders, including the donor, lead firms and BDS providers.

Review Approach and Methodology: The evaluation will use the principles of Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach that maximizes shared learning. The evaluation will use multiple lines of evidence, both qualitative and quantitative, to triangulate findings. The study will make use of existing project monitoring and results data (e.g. baseline and outcome reporting) to develop data collection instruments and make comparative assessments.

An Evaluation Advisory Committee (EAC) will be formed, comprising key project stakeholders, to provide technical guidance to ensure alignment with industry and MEDA’s research and evaluation standards. We expect the evaluation study to employ advanced statistical analyses to measure project performance. The consultant is highly encouraged to suggest innovative evaluation approaches and methodologies in their proposals.

Tasks and Responsibilities: The consultant will report to MEDA’s corporate Impact and Knowledge Management Director (Lead Evaluator) and the Evaluation Advisory Committee. The Consultant will manage the preparation of a detailed work plan that details the proposed methodology including the sampling techniques, the timelines of the different stages of the evaluation, and deliverables.

Phase 1: Inception

Initial Desk review and discussion with EAC and key MEDA staff.

Responsible Party/ies: Consultant, with support of Lead Evaluator and EAC

Deliverable: Inception Report (evaluation work plan with research and sampling methods detailed; activity timeline and commitments; data collection tools)

Expected Delivery Date: Within 2 weeks of contract signing

Phase 2: Data collection

Interviews, discussions, sector analysis

Responsible Party/ies: Consultant with support of FEGGE country team

Deliverables: Data gathering instruments; raw data gathered from key stakeholders

Expected Delivery Date: Within 4 weeks of contract signing

Phase 3: Reporting and Validation Phase

Validation Workshop

Responsible Party/ies: Consultant with feedback from EAC

Deliverables: Draft Report; Incorporating feedback for the sector and project stakeholders

Expected Delivery Date: Within 8 weeks of contract signing

Phase 4: Final Reporting and Recommendations

Responsible Party: Consultant

Deliverable: Final Report

Expected Delivery Date: Within 12 weeks of contract signing

The Evaluation Advisory Committee will meet with the consultant at the end of the first three phases and be available as needed for technical guidance.

Logistical Arrangements: The local project team will be responsible for making logistical arrangements for field visits and scheduling interviews with key stakeholders.

Application Template

The Expressions of Interest may take the format below: A. Contact Information

• Organization’s Legal Name:
• Mailing Address:
• Main Contact Person and Title:
• Telephone:
• Email address:
• Website, if available (Facebook, twitter):

B. Proposal Outline

• Introduction (maximum half page): provide understanding of the ToR and how your organization or company can respond to the ToR’s requirements. Proponent to add a brief explanation on their motivation to partner with MEDA.
• Capability Statement (maximum of three pages):
• Briefly describe your organization or company’s business services provided, in relation to the expertise required by this ToR, in the last three years with specific information on the clients, contracting company/organization, and results of your engagements.
• At minimum 10 years experience working in program research and impact evaluation;
• Market system analysis within the agriculture sector (considering women’s economic empowerment and integration in the development field);
• Strong familiarity with the Tanzanian context, especially in the Project’s priority regions; eRB7h2H B2wwdc
• Knowledge of results-based management, strong qualitative and quantitative research skills;
• Competency in Swahili and English (writing and speaking);
• Advanced statistical analysis competencies
• Experience of conducting cost benefit and cost effectiveness analyses
• Advanced knowledge and skills in conducting impact evaluations
• Ability to build rapport and collaborate with FEGGE partners
• Please include the contact details (contact person, phone, and email) of at least three (3) organizations/companies/cooperatives who can speak to the capability and credibility of the consultant/consultancy firm.
• The following needs to be spelt out in the expression of interest:
• When applying as an individual Consultants: the applicant should demonstrate the capacity and capability to undertake the assignment with high levels of professional and technical competence. They should have sufficient and related experience in undertaking similar assignments.
• When applying as a consulting firm: the firm should demonstrate that it has carried out related consultancy services indicating key technically qualified professional staff.
  • The firm should provide a list of similar services successfully executed, the firm should also demonstrate further that it has a set of professional staff with a sound technical qualification and competence who have successfully carried out similar projects/ services in the past with high reputation.
  • The firm must identify the team to undertake this assignment. The team members should have sufficient relevant experience on the assignment. An overview of their qualifications and experiences should be given in the application.
  • Further, the application should indicate what will be the role of each member of the team on this assignment, their time commitment to this assignment and show their proven capacity to undertake the work.
• When tendering a joint application: The team must indicate the lead partner who should have sufficient relevant experience on this assignment. In the application, s/he must give detailed overview of their qualifications, the experience of the technically qualified professional teams should be highlighted. The application should indicate what will be the role of each member of the team on this assignment and proof of capability to successfully undertake the assignment.
• ******Please note that you can apply in only one of the above-mentioned categories********
• Proposed Methodology (maximum of one page).
• Describe how the consultant will meet the deliverables outlined.
• Discuss the strategy to ensure comprehensive coverage of the mid-term evaluation.
• Proposed Work Plan (maximum of three pages). Outline the activities, timeline, expected outputs, resources and the expertise needed.
• at minimum, the work plan should include the following:
• Detailed evaluation methodology with sampling protocol;
• Data gathering tools;
• Proposal for data analysis (component areas aligning with evaluation objectives and priority areas);
• Proposal for data validation and reporting

Deliverables and Time Frame: The evaluation is expected to be done within the months of August to October 2024. The deliverables expected will be based on the four phases of the evaluation.

Estimated Cost of the Engagement (in matrix format): Itemized cost comprising of professional fees and reimbursable (travel, communication and accommodation).