TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR UNDERTAKING A RAPID ASSESSMENT OF PWANI AND ARUSHA REGIONS IN TANZANIA

Introduction:

Strømme Foundation (SF) is a rights-based development NGO that works towards a world free from poverty. Our most important interventions in the fight against poverty are inclusive quality education, economic inclusion, and job creation, and strengthening of civil society.

SF is a decentralised INGO which operates in 11 countries in Asia and Africa through three regions: namely Asia Region (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar), West Africa Region (Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger) and East Africa Region (Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan and Kenya). Whereas Asia regional office is in Colombo Sri Lanka, West Africa regional office is located in Bamako Mali and East Africa has a regional office in Kampala Uganda.

In strengthening civil society, Stromme Foundation East Africa (SFEA) region empowers individuals and communities to claim their rights and promotes partnerships and accountability of duty bearers. Inclusive quality education program, Ensure inclusive quality education and lifelong learning (formal and non-formal). SF promotes formal education by targeting children in lower primary (standard 1-3) and pre-school through Early childhood care and education to prepare them for lifelong learning. Under non-formal education, SFEA targets adolescent boys and girls (school dropouts) through Bonga program with an aim of empowering them with vocational and life skills to live dignified quality of life. Livelihood programs mainly 2naweza (TVET) and Community managed Savings Groups (CMSG) target rural poor especially youth, females to access labour markets though value chain and enterprise development.

Strømme Foundation has continuously mainstreamed and integrated cross-cutting issues in its programs to strengthen the impact of and foster a long-term sustainability, its interventions. The four cross-cutting issues of Stromme Foundation are gender equality, environment and climate change adaptation, disability inclusion, anti-corruption. In addition to the four, SFEA has peace building as its fifth cross cutting issue.

2.0          Background to the Rapid Assessment in Arusha and Pwani regions in Tanzania

Stromme Foundation East Africa (SFEA), in the current strategic plan (2019-2023), implements civil society strengthening, inclusive quality education and economic inclusion and job creation programs to achieve its mission to eradication of poverty. In Tanzania, SFEA is currently operating in Singida, Arusha and Dar es Salaam regions in partnership with three local implementing partners namely SEMA, MPDI and OCODE respectively.

Arusha Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions with population of 2,150,500 [1] . Arusha Region is a tourist destination in Africa and is the hub of the northern Tanzania safari circuit. The national parks and nature reserves in this region include Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha National Park, the Loliondo Game Controlled Area, and part of Lake Manyara National Park. Majority (65%) of the population live in rural areas and heavily relies on subsistence agriculture. The area receives low rains (873 mm) that affects their heavily rainfed agriculture and livestock. Poverty remains overwhelmingly in rural areas where about 87 percent of the poor population live. It is highest among households who depend on agriculture. There is a big disparity between urban and rural poverty for both food and basic needs poverty. The assessment will focus on two districts in Arusha region. These include Longido and Ngorongoro. In Longindo district the assessment will specifically target Loirionito ward, while in Ngorongoro district the focus will be on two wards namely Pinyinyi and Sale wards respectively.

Pwani Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions located on the fringes of Dar es Salaam region and with a population of 1,357,300[2]. Pwani region hosts Bagamoyo district whose population (65%) is living in squalid conditions characterised by unplanned and under serviced settlements, poor land development conditions and control, inadequate policy enforcement, poor local level involvement and unaffordable and inadequate housing for low-income families. Bagamoyo has a youthful population with 36% of the population between 15 and 35 years mainly engaged in informal sector like fisheries and petty trade. Unemployment levels are also high due to low skill levels. In Bagamoyo district the assessment will focus on two wards namely Kisutu and Dunda wards respectively.

Stromme Foundation envisages potential for growth of its program portfolio and partnerships in both Arusha and Pwani regions of Tanzania with particular focus on enhancing job opportunities among the peri-urban youth in Pwani region and rural poor in Arusha region. Whereas the assessment will focus on only Bagamoyo district in Pwani region, two districts namely Longido and Ngorongoro will be the focus of this assessment in Arusha region. The rapid assessment will provide information that will guide SF with adapting its work to the reality faced by the communities on the ground and pitch its work to the donors. SF is considering starting off with a one-year pilot in both the target communities.

• Rationale for the Rapid Assessment

The rapid assessment will provide SF with information to guide its viability and potential expansion of its scope, programs, and partnerships in Pwani region in Bagamoyo district and Arusha region Tanzania. The insights and understanding gathered from the assessment will guide SF on how best to design a one-year pilot intervention for any one of the two communities.  The assessment will also guide on how best to respond to the gaps and challenges faced by children, young people and women living in these areas to develop a comprehensive response plan. The assessment findings will also map other ongoing interventions by other stakeholders including Governments, International and local NGOs, the private sector are implementing and identify the gaps and long-term priorities to build resilience in these communities for future collaboration.

The specific objectives include:

1. Conduct a poverty analysis of the three districts of Bagamoyo   in  Pwani region  and Longido and Ngorongoro in Arusha region vis a vie the rest of the country.
2. Identify the development opportunities of Bagamoyo, Longido and Ngorongoro districts towards poverty eradication through creating livelihoods and job opportunities with a focus on the Blue Economy [3] in Bagamoyo-Pwani region and the Green Economy[4] in Longido and Ngorongoro- Arusha region
3. Conduct an environmental scooping to identify key environmental challenges and potential adaptation measures to combat environmental degradation in the target districts.
4. Conduct a stakeholder mapping for development actors Including civil society actors at the grassroot level such as fishing committees, coastal community networks and interventions in the assessment areas for potential collaborations and partnerships.

Key Assessment Questions

The consultant is expected to cover the following aspects during the evaluation:

1. What are the barriers for economic inclusion especially for youth and women?
2. What are the livelihood opportunities that exist in the areas of blue jobs and green jobs for youth and women?
3. Which opportunities exit for job creation in the blue and green economy?
4. What are livelihood and poverty statistics in the areas under assessment?
5. What are the barriers to inclusive quality education and lifelong learning for children?
6. Who are the other development actors including civil society actors (CBOs, NGOs local and international) operating in the area that SF can collaborate or partner with?
7. What are the development gaps and innovation opportunities that SF could tap in?
8. What are the government poverty eradication, livelihoods and inclusive education programs existing in the area?
9. What are the key factors leading to environmental degradation and climate change (soil, water waste management (including plastic waste) and energy)?
10. What are the opportunities for environmental restoration and climate change adaptation?

4.0          Scope and Focus of the Rapid Assessment

The rapid assessment will be conducted in selected communities of Bagamoyo district council (Kisutu and Dunda wards) and Arusha region in the districts of Longindo (Loirionito ward) and Ngorongoro (Pinyinyi and Sale ward). The consultant will be expected to review existing data, conduct community consultations to assess the social economic situation of the two areas and possible impact of the proposed interventions.  The assessment will also help to Identify the barriers and challenges, if any that could determine the sustainability the proposed interventions. Identify and analyze any governance, capacity issues and potential economic opportunities for the communities that will be critical during the implementation of the project as well as to ensure sustainability of the project.  The consultant will be expected to capture some short case stories of households and their challenges to bring about the reality of everyday life. In consultation with SF undertake necessary consultations with relevant government agencies, stakeholders, and experts to obtain comments/suggestions and incorporate these comments into the report.

5.0          Methodology

The rapid assessment will adapt a mixed approach where the consultant will facilitate core processes including stakeholder mobilisation activities, linking with public officers for official data statistics. SF will work closely with the consultant to ensure key processes, outputs are delivered. The prospective partners will support the consultant to set appointments with key community members and also collect data. The assessment will devise both qualitative and quantitative study methods. Appropriate and mixed data collection methods and tools will be jointly designed with the consultant during the inception phase. The consultant will be availed with key program documents which include the SFEA strategic plan 2019- 2023. Key among the study population will include community leadership structures like school management committees, government line staff; rights-holders; other organisations implementing similar programs for benchmarking and any other persons that may provide viable information.

6.0          Adaptable Assessment Schedule

• Expected deliverables from the consultant shall be:

1. An inception report showing emerging issues from the review of the project documents and the TORs. The inception report shall include proposed approach for undertaking the task.
2. Copies of the data collection tools and data used for analysis.
3. Submit a draft report to SF team for feedback.
4. Making a power point presentation to SF team to validate the findings and allow input.
5. An approved final Rapid Assessment Report.

8.0          Required Expertise

The team will be led by a team leader with at least a Masters’ Degree and extensive experience in conducting rapid assessment studies in the East African region. Suitable applicants to conduct this study should demonstrate the following expertise and competencies:

• Extensive knowledge in development work particularly Development Education, Child Safeguarding, Youth programming, Livelihoods intervention including country policies, national development plans and global agenda.
• Good understanding of the current development trends in Education, livelihood, environment, and climate change in Tanzania.
• Demonstrated practical experience in quantitative and qualitative research in Education, Livelihoods and environment and climate change
• Experience in primary information gathering, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with government, private sector, multilateral agencies, and other relevant key actors.
• Capacity to write high quality, concise and analytical reports.
• Excellent oral and written skills English
• Ability to meet deadlines

9.0          Management of the consultancy

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of Strømme Foundation Regional Director and closely with Strømme Foundation Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor who will provide all necessary guidance as well as administrative and logistical support in fulfilling the stated tasks.

10.0        Contents of the bid

SFEA proposes to have a competitive bidding process to undertake the Rapid assessment. Potential Consultant (s) will submit the following in their bid

1. Technical proposal clearly showing how he/she understood the tasks, suggestions in relation to the TORs, proposed methodology, detailed schedule
2. Financial proposal with detailed budget for undertaking the assignment
3. Attached key personnel resumes with relevant experience in undertaking similar assignments and references
4. At least a copy of a completed similar assignment within the region

Interested consultants (individuals and firms) with experience in executing similar assignments are invited to submit their expression of interest / bids to The Regional Director, Stromme Foundation East Africa, Plot 1, Kololo Hill Drive, P.0 Box 27200, Kampala. Or send by email to: eastafrica@stromme.org

 with the subject field – “Expression of Interest for undertaking SFEA Rapid Assessment in Tanzania”.