TERMS OF REFERENCE. Impact Assessment of Programme Activities under Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme (OTELP)

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1 TERMS OF REFERENCE Impact Assessment of Programme Activities under Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme (OTELP) Background of OTELP The Scheduled Tribe and Schedule Caste Development Department, Government of Orissa, (ST & SC Dept) is implementing Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme (OTELP). This is supported by IFAD, DFID, WFP as external supporters and Government of Orissa as Counterpart funder. The programme started implementation in October 2004, and is operational in 30 blocks of 7 south west districts of Orissa. The objective of the programme is to ensure that the livelihoods and food security of the poor tribal households are sustainably improved through promoting a more efficient, equitable, self-managed and sustainable exploitation of natural resources available though off farm and non-farm enterprise development. Implementation under OTELP Capacity Building and Institution Development The key programme objective of empowering tribal people is to be achieved by mobilising and organising them and building their capacities, building their local organisations. Village Development Committees, Village Level Sub-Committees, Village level Finance and Social Audit sub-committees and various user groups have been promoted at the village and watershed level. Several training programmes and exposures have been conducted to build the local capacities. To effectively aid in facilitation, FNGOs, RNGOs and ITDA play supportive roles. From the PSU, capacity building activities have been taken up for enhancing the capacities of the support agencies. Livelihoods Enhancement The programme Phase I is being implemented in the ten tribal concentrated blocks in four southern west districts of Orissa covering 396 villages spread over 136 micro watersheds. The programme adopted the watershed management as a platform to implement the programme. The area and the beneficiary profile of the programme is given below: Unit Parala khemundi Th. Rampur Programme Coverage Koraput Balliguda Total No. of Micro Number Watersheds No. of Villages Number Treatable Area (in Ha.) Ha Total Household Number ST Household Number SC Household Number BPL Household Number

2 Landless Household Number Total Male Number Population Female Number ST Population Male Number Female Number SC Population Male Number Female Number Source: Programme M&E, PSU, 2007 Under the programme, for livelihoods enhancement, various natural resource management activities like land and water management, agriculture and horticulture development, aquaculture, nursery raising and plantation have been taken up in the last three years in the first phase villages. To aid in effective implementation and ownership, micro watershed approach was adopted, complementary people s organisations like the village development committees and users groups have been formed and strengthened. Training and capacity building activities have been very integral to the organisation development and livelihoods promotion activities. Each watershed committee has a band of volunteers to support the field implementation of the different components of the NRM activities. Further, the programme has entered into strategic partnerships with technical institutions like ICRISAT, CTCRI, RPRC for accessing up to date technical know-how. Out of the total investment, NRM activities use more than 50 per cent of the funds. The Mid-term Review (MTR I) Phase I has assessed the performance of these activities mostly as satisfactory and very satisfactory. The Joint Review Missions have also rated the implementation of the NRM activities as satisfactory. Rural Financial Services The programme promotes formation and strengthening self-help groups (SHGs), gradation of the SHGs for bank linkage and business development. The programme has developed guidelines for strengthening the rural financial services. As on October 2008, there are 2195 SHGs in the programme area. Policy Initiatives The programme has engaged in facilitating settlement of land in favour of the tribal landless and marginal land holders. The land patta is being allotted in the joint ownership of wife and husband. Objective of the Consultancy The programme has entered into the second phase and exit plans will be developed for the Phase I villages. This is a critical point of reflection for the programme to take the learnings from the first phase implementation. These lessons will be useful for both the phases. More importantly, it is important to understand the extent of the contribution of the investments towards empowerment, livelihoods and food security of the target population, and provides sustainable access and control over the social resources, natural resources and financial resources by the tribal communities. Thus

3 the programme will undertake a concurrent evaluation of impacts the programme activities for empowerment and livelihoods enhancement. Impacts here are understood to encompass both outcome and impact levels tangible and intangible attained by the programme. Working closely with the Programme Director and the Programme Support Unit, the consultants will assist in the impact assessment of the programme activities implemented under OTELP. The proposed key objectives of the technical support are: 1. Determine direct and indirect outcomes and impacts and assess the effectiveness of complete range of OTELP s interventions and institutions on the resources, lives and livelihoods of its target communities especially the poor in the programme areas. 2. Undertake economic analysis like cost benefit analysis, rate of return on investment and economic sustainability of the NRM activities 3. Identify gaps, opportunities and lessons in the current implementation which can be incorporated into the second phase as well as in the first phase 4. Analyse and comment on the long-term sustainability of the programme outcomes/impacts and suggest measures to achieve and maintain long-term sustainability 5. Develop a story line on the outcomes/impacts of the programme, focusing on the analysis of the poverty impact covering: Utilisation: Analysis of specific use of funds and beneficiary patterns. Analysis of how the OTELP funds serve to secure lives of households and communities on a sustainable basis. Services: Analysis of the extent to which OTELP enhances access to improved basic services to all citizens including the poor and marginalised. Social Protection Programmes: The level of access to key Centrally Sponsored Schemes (specifically NREGA and Social Insurance programmes) by poor and marginalised women and households. Targeting: Analysis of the extent to which OTELP funds along with other untied resources targeted at the poor and vulnerable. Coverage: Analysis of the coverage in terms of households who have received benefits from OTELP. This information will need to be disaggregated by gender, social groups and income quintiles. Incomes: Analysis of the annual changes in income of poor households specifically the poorest 10% of households. Food security: Analysis of the extent to which food security is an issue at the household level specifically across the poorest 10% of the population. Assets: Analysis of asset creation. Scope of work The assessment should examine of the effects of the programme interventions and include both planned and unplanned impacts and those that are directly and indirectly a consequence of the results. In doing so, the assessment should try, wherever

4 feasible, to differentiate the changes that are attributable to the programme interventions from other external factors contributing to change. This study should assess the impact of the programme on the land use, cropping pattern, productivity and production, water availability and irrigation in the programme areas; on employment and income of the households; impact of and on institutions; access and empowerment especially of marginalised people. The study should attempt to distinguish between short-term and long-term impacts: which changes are immediate, which occur only over time, which is hoped for but not yet evident? Which changes are temporary and which permanent? It should assess differences between stakeholders: who is affected, in what ways, and why? Overall impact for different stakeholder groups can be analysed separately. The study should assess the overall significance of different types of impact in terms of (i) scale of impact with respect to the inputs invested (money, time, labour); and (ii) relative contribution of the impact to livelihood sustainability and security (in comparison with other options). Attempt should also be made to identify key factors that influence the type and scale of impacts e.g. Programme institutional structure, Social structure and power relations, local traditional institutions, natural conditions, and policy environment. The study should essentially be carried out in the backdrop of the existing programme objectives and outputs. Before initiating the study, the consultants will facilitate review of the programme logframe indicators, RIMS (Result and Impact Management Sysytem) parameters and trigger indicators for different phases of the programme, with a view to developing and agreeing outcome and impact level indicators. These indicators of success will be measured in the course of study and will pertain to social, economic, bio-physical, natural and livelihoods aspects. Furthermore these indicators will also serve as benchmark for end of programme impact assessment. The assessment will cover a sample of watersheds in the four phase (I) programme districts namely Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput and Gajapati. As the programme has a few more years to go to end of programme, the study should also suggest appropriate steps, by way of which the programme could enhance positive impacts, reduce negative impacts and encourage better participation and ownership of poor and vulnerable groups. Methodology The methodology should be a mix of secondary and primary research. The team will make use of the existing literature in the programme and findings of the earlier assessments, monitoring and evaluation studies. The team will familiarize itself with the programme objectives and outputs ( Logframe, RIMS and trigger indicators). The impact assessment will use the data from the programme MIS, the M&E data maintained by the programme at PSU/ITDA levels. In the sample villages, the Village Development and Livelihood Plan developed at the start of the programme facilitation and implementation will be used as the field level base line data for the impact assessment.

5 The team will make visits to programme watersheds on sample basis. It is suggested that the team undertakes stratified purposive sampling to arrive at an adequate sample size. The team will finalise and agree the sample design in an inception workshop with the programme management. The team can hire and use the services of enumerators, mainly for secondary data collection and where required and appropriate, for primary data collection as well. Agency Expertise The impact assessment study will be undertaken by a five/ six member team comprising an institutional and social scientist and team leader, natural resource economist, a cropping systems/agriculture expert, a land and water management expert, a rural financial services expert and a gender mainstreaming expert. The team should have at least two women members. The team leader will have at least years of experience. S/he will have good understanding of institution building and livelihood programmes and will have a proven track record of evaluation and mid-term and end-term impact assessment of participatory livelihoods programmes, particularly in leading multi-disciplinary team of consultants. Understanding and knowledge of Oriya will be an advantage. The natural resources economist will have years of experience in undertaking economic analysis of NRM interventions. The cropping systems/ agriculture expert will be a qualified agriculture scientist/agronomist/agriculturist with at least 10 years of experience. S/he will have a sound understanding and experience in designing cropping systems, particularly in rain-fed and semi-arid conditions and needs and issues of small-holder agriculture and subsistence farming. S/he will have good experience of evaluating participatory watershed programmes with specific experience of assessing impacts on agriculture and allied activities. The land and water management expert will be a qualified civil or agriculture engineer with experience of soil and water engineer/water resource engineer with at least 10 years of experience in assessing soil quality and moisture. S/he will have experience of evaluating participatory watershed programmes with respect to assessing the effectiveness and quality of soil and water conservation measures, institutional mechanisms for water use and sharing and irrigation potential. The rural financial services expert will have at least 10 years experience in implementation and impact assessment of rural financial services for the rural poor. In depth understanding of the rural financial sector and policy issues is a must for the expert. The gender mainstreaming expert will have at least 10 years of experience in providing technical support in developing gender mainstreaming strategy, gender mainstreaming implementation support and undertaking impact assessment studies.

6 Specific terms of reference The Impact Assessment team will work under the overall guidance of the Team Leader and closely with the Programme Director, OTELP and the PSU team, OTELP. The team will: Inception phase Review the programme literature, assessment and M&E reports and other documents to familiarize with programme goals, objectives, strategies, activities and status. Develop sampling design, study methods and tools Develop and suggest Outcome and Impact indicators based in programme objectives and outputs. Hold an inception workshop to agree the outcome and impact indicators, sampling design and approach with PSU. Prepare and submit an inception report. Study phase Working together with the PD, OTELP and the PSU team, select the sample watersheds in the four programme districts. Hire the services of and train experienced enumerators to collect data from secondary sources and where necessary and appropriate, from primary sources as well. Undertake field visit to the programme districts and interact with different stakeholders. Undertake visits to the sample watersheds and control villages (not agreed as yet) to interact with the community stakeholders. Evaluate the Programme activities in sample watersheds, paying particular attention to the economic viability, sustainability, impact and relevance particularly to very poor and poor households. Make use of the baseline data available from the baseline study, village level development plans (VDLPs) and other sources to draw conclusions about the extent to which the programme is making a difference in the lives of poor and very poor men and women of different communities. Disaggregate data to demonstrate the impacts on selected groups (eg. men, women, Schedules Tribe, Scheduled Caste). Make proper analysis of the existing rural service delivery system, using a mix of community interaction and physical observation, to understand the key results / changed in differences the programme villages/watersheds and explore the extent to which these results / changed can be attributed to the activities under the programme or otherwise. Synthesize, analyse and interpret the data collected from the sample watersheds drawing conclusions about the type, scale, direct and indirect impacts and the different groups of people impacted by these. Identify factors of success or constraints and suggest measures for the programme to enhance the positive and reduce the negative impacts.

7 Assess the extent to which Government, PRI and NGOs have worked effectively together to achieve the programme impacts. Prepare an aide-memoire within a week from the end of fieldwork analyzing the key impacts against the agreed impact indicators and key lessons for future. The report will be presented to PSU, OTELP and other stakeholders through a dissemination workshop in Bhubaneswar. Prepare a comprehensive draft report incorporating the feedback from the workshop and detailing: methodologies: techniques, tools and limitations; impacts- type, scale and sustainability, examples of good practices; factors for success and constraints. This report will be submitted within 10 days of the dissemination workshop. Prepare and submit the final report based on the comments from the programme. The report should have an executive summary, not exceeding four pages and an abstract not exceeding one page. Roles and Responsibilities Team Leader The Team Leader will be responsible for overall guidance, planning and oversight for delivery of the Terms of reference. S/he will act as the point of contact between the consultancy team and the programme. The Team Leader will also ensure that the reporting is carried out to a high standard. However, all team members will be expected to contribute significantly to aspects of data collection, data analysis, interpretation and documentation for areas covered in their specific terms of reference. Besides the overall responsibility, the team leader will: Assess and demonstrate the extent to which the programme interventions have enabled target groups, especially the very poor and vulnerable in taking control of the development process. Assess the type and scale of impact on community institutions and their capacity to negotiate common objectives with external agencies Assess the impact of programme s funds like grant and revolving fund in enhancing the quality of life, especially for the poor and vulnerable. Assess the impact of programme s activities in enabling equity in access and benefits among the target groups Assess the impact of the programme s intervention in enabling collective action, particularly on the poor and vulnerable Natural Resources Economist Identify the different groups disaggregated on social, gender and economic parameters and assess the type and scale of impacts on their livelihoods and household income with particular emphasis on the very poor and vulnerable sections. Assess the extent of incremental employment generated in monetary terms per households per annum as a result of the programme activities.

8 Calculate the economic rate of returns on programme investments and asses the value for money of various impacts Assess the economic viability and sustainability of OTELP s impacts and suggest ways and means to enhance the viability and sustainability of the impacts on a larger scale. Cropping Systems/ Agriculture expert Gather relevant data from secondary and primary sources and calculate using trend analysis and standard deviation, the impact of the programme on cropped area, productivity and production of principal crops. Asses the changes in cropping pattern and crop mix and land use and analyse their impact in turn on the different stakeholder groups. Assess the changes in cropping practices, its economic and environmental sustainability and viability, particularly for small and marginal landholders. Assess and quantify the impact of relevant programme interventions including those of kitchen gardens, tuber crops, grain banks, new varieties introdued etc on household food and nutrition security, particularly for the marginal farmers and landless. Assess and quantify the extent of direct and indirect wage employment generated in the agriculture and allied sector. Assess the nature and extent of incremental benefits from common land development, particularly for the very poor and vulnerable groups. Comment on the access and usufruct issues. Assess the economic viability and sustainability Land and Water Management Expert Assess the technical viability, cost effectiveness, efficacy and sustainability of the land and water management measures and quantify the impact in recharging ground water in programme watersheds. Assess the type, extent and scale of impact of land and water management measures including incremental irrigation potential generated on the different stakeholder groups, particularly for the poor and vulnerable groups. Assess the impact on common property resources and its management, access, use and sustainability. Assess the impact on water use efficiency for different stakeholder groups. Assess the extent of target groups resilience, especially of small and marginal farmers, to rainfall variability over time and space. Rural Financial Services Expert Assess the impact of rural financial services component in the programme Assess the promotion and strengthening initiatives of the SHGs Assess the internal management capacity of the SHGs Assess the uptake and productive absorption the RFS component, linkage with mainstream financial institutions and access to commercial capital, subsidy capital, synergy with similar programmes and financial services

9 Assess the capacity building impact on women to take up income enhancing activities in a sustained manner Assess the economic and social impacts on women, men and excluded families Assess the impact of the component on the most vulnerable families Assess the policy impact of the RFS component Assess the process of knowledge management in RFS Gender Mainstreaming Expert Assess the gender focused initiatives/activities and their impact on women and men Assess the good practices in gender mainstreaming in the programme Assess the gender mainstreaming initiatives in each sector component Assess the gender mainstreaming impact in community and management processes Expected outputs The agency will make a presentation on the impact assessment methodology to the PSU work plan for executing the ToR within a week from the date of the contract Undertake field research as agreed with the PSU through the work plan Submit the main draft report, as per the work plan agreed with the PSU, not exceeding 50 pages. The draft report should have an executive summary not exceeding 3 pages. All the relevant annexures must be attached to the draft report. Make a presentation of the findings/draft report to the stakeholders for feedback Submit the final report not exceeding 40 pages including the executive summary. Duration Four-five months Reporting The contracted agency will report to the Programme Director OTELP, and work closely with the PSU, particularly with the Programme Officer, Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (PO PME). The consultant will undertake field visit in coordination with the PO PME, ITDAs, SMSs, ITDA and WDTs at FNGO level. The contracted agency will liaise with the TL Procurement Support Team who will coordinate the contracting of the assignment.