TERMS OF REFERENCE. Recruitment of Consultant for the Tracer Study of CARE Project s Capacity-Building Component

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1 TERMS OF REFERENCE Recruitment of Consultant for the Tracer Study of CARE Project s Capacity-Building Component BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT The Typhoon Haiyan Reconstruction Assistance in the Philippines (THRA) project is a four-year initiative implemented by CARE with funding from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The project supports the economic reconstruction of people affected by typhoon Haiyan which struck the Visayas Region in November The THRA project aims to address the root causes that are preventing men and women s access to knowledge, skills, products and services, with a particular focus on strengthening women entrepreneurs and group-owned managed enterprises. CARE s interventions intend to contribute to the economic well-being of women and men living in remote rural areas where economy and infrastructure were severely affected by typhoon Haiyan. THRA applies the Value Chain Framework as an effective approach to gain a deeper understanding of market dynamics, demand, supply and inter-firm relationships, with an aim to promote ethical business practices and for producers to extract more value and facilitate the development of more equitable relationships in the value chain. The project is focusing on specific value chains -cassava and other root crops in Leyte, abaca in Antique, and herbs, vegetables, and seaweeds in Iloilo- with identified market demand and can involve the largest number of vulnerable households. In adherence to CARE s strategies, the project is strengthening local implementing partners technical capacity in enterprise development, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), value chain approach, gender, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). Local government units (LGUs) and private sector capacity are being enhanced to effectively integrate DRR, gender and governance into the business support environment and provide more appropriate business development services at the municipal level. CARE works with local implementing partners: Antique Development Foundation (ADF), Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc (TSKI), and Fatima Multi-Purpose Cooperative. SCOPE OF THE STUDY To realize the outcome of increased participation of targeted women and men affected by Typhoon Haiyan in sustainable and resilient economic activities, CARE conducts capacity-building activities to create awareness of opportunities for economic participation; generate entrepreneurial interests; and facilitate improved enterprise operations. The Community-Based Enterprise Development (C-BED) training provides basic understanding on enterprise management and marketing. The Financial Literacy Page 1 of 5

2 training introduces the concept of investment and savings with emphasis on risk mitigation. Values Formation training, on the other hand, presents positive traits as important in building relationships and trust. As CARE adopts the value chain approach in the development of the abaca, cassava and other rootcrops, vegetable, herbs, and seaweeds, an appreciation of the dynamics in the value chain is embodied in the Value Chain orientation, taking into account the enabling environment and business support services available. On top of these core capacity-building activities is the conduct of Training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) across all value chains as compliance to regulation and alignment with standards aimed at promoting sustainable and resilient farming activities. Series of productivity improvement training and technical assistance by crop are introduced to complement good practices with the objective of increasing output and incomes. These include production and processing processes and technologies, farm tools and equipment prototyping, and business continuity planning. The project is also consciously mainstreaming gender in training module content and methodology. This study aims to determine whether or not capacity-building activities of CARE s THRA project have contributed to favorable enterprise results or to meeting the business goals of farmers-entrepreneurs. From among the suite of capacity-building activities, the focus of this tracer study is narrowed down to the evaluation of the four minimum basic training. These are C-BED, values formation, financial literacy, and value chain orientation. Aside from the basic training, there is GAP training based on specific crop. The hypothesis is that participating in these training activities enhances the skills of the assisted communities in implementing sustainable and resilient economic activities, either to improve their livelihoods or expand other economic opportunities, including employment opportunities in the labour market. The timing of the study in relation to the phasing of the capacity-building activities may have effect on the results. The minimum package of training activities ended October 2017 in some areas while the GAP training is still ongoing. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The overall objective of the study is to evaluate the package of training identified in achieving the enterprise s results and goals. The study also looks into learner satisfaction, learning, attitudes, and behavioural change. The guideposts are the Kirkpatrick s training evaluation model and Jack Phillips return on investment (RoI) in training. Specific Objectives: 1. Assess training participants satisfaction rating related to the type of training attended, quality, course content, delivery, relevance. 2. Identify the attitudinal and behavioural changes as a result of participation in the training. This includes: meaningful participation in economic activities, access to business development and financial services, skills to operate economic activities, and ability to negotiate with stakeholders in the value chain. 3. Evaluate the impact of the package of training in terms of the key target areas: productivity and efficiency, sales and profitability, and quality of products and services Page 2 of 5

3 4. Generate lessons learned and good practices to inform current and future interventions. 5. Provide recommendations to enhance the program. The following are the key questions to be answered by the tracer study: 1. How relevant and appropriate are the competencies acquired by the training participants for the operation of their respective enterprises? 2. Are the project participants who received the training showing improved enterprise-related core skills? How? 3. What kind of capacity is being built? Is it individual, organizational, or institutional capacity or combinations of these? 4. What is the overall impact in terms of skills enhancement, skills utilization, individual and institutional capacity enhancement? 5. To what extent the qualifications acquired are used for enterprise negotiations and facilitation? 6. What are the changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours (KAB) in implementing enterprises? How did the project influence the changes or modification of KAB? 7. What are the specific changes in attitudes or behaviours towards gender equality and women s economic empowerment? 8. Are training participants more aware now than in the past about livelihood risks? 9. Are training participants more aware now than in the past about more equal participation and contribution of women and men in the value chains? 10. Do the communities have a stronger position to manage risks and to cope more effectively as a result of knowledge and skills gained from the project? How? 11. Do training participants believe that there are changes (positive or negative) in the economic situation of the household (ex. lower cost, higher revenues)? How about social relations? Did the intervention play a role in the perceived changes? 12. What are the training participants aspirations and achievements? 13. How effective is the mainstreaming of gender and DRR in training modules? 14. What can you say about the efficiency in terms of how the package or combination of training was provided? METHODOLOGIES Mixed participatory methods of both quantitative and qualitative approaches will be employed, involving use of desk review, surveys, focus group discussion, case stories, and key informant interviews. DELIVERABLES AND TIMEFRAME The study timeframe is estimated 20 days spread between December 2017 and February The main activities include the following: Key Activities/Deliverables # of days Timeframe Page 3 of 5

4 1. Preparatory activities 5 1 st week of December 2017 a. Briefing with CARE b. Desk review c. Finalisation of Inception report with detailed explanation of framework of analysis, tracing strategies and methodology, including research tools, work plan and budget d. Training of research assistants 2. Field visit/data collection 8 1 st and 2 nd week of January Analysis, report writing and submission of 5 4 th week of January approved draft report with case stories; 4. Report presentation and debriefing 5. Preparation and submission of approved final report and documentation 2 1 st week of February Total # of days 20 QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CONSULTANT The individual consultant or consulting firm must have at least 5 years experience in conducting similar national-level study. Knowledge of agricultural value chain development and gender is highly preferred. The consultancy should also have the capacity to mobilize a team of relevant experts and enumerators meeting the desired qualifications and professional requirements. The individual consultant/team leader shall have the following qualifications: A minimum of a master s degree in the disciplines of Development Studies, Statistics, Economics, and Social Sciences Proven track record in leading research projects Knowledge and experience of planning, designing, managing and evaluating training programs. Excellent communication and report writing skills REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS The consultancy will report directly to the MEAL Manager at all stages of the study. CARE will provide any logistical and administrative support as may be required, or agreed with the Consultancy. The team Leader will be responsible for coordinating all study activities and managing teams of experts and enumerators, as well as payment of allowances and fees for experts engaged by the consultancy. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND SELECTION CRITERIA Initial applications shall consist of the following: An Expression of Interest Page 4 of 5

5 CVs of Lead Consultant and proposed team members (if any) List of ongoing and completed projects/consultancies similar to this study Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit the following: A technical proposal (methodology, framework for analysis, work plan, team composition and responsibilities, comments to the TOR) An example of past research report prepared relevant to the ToR Contact details for two references Financial proposal For the initial application, forward requested documents electronically to Mira Silva (msilva@care.org) and Madel Montejo (maria.montejo@care.org) not later than 4 December Only short-listed candidates will be invited to submit a complete offer and will be contacted for the next step in the application process. Thorough reference checks of the shortlisted candidates will be carried out prior to selection. Page 5 of 5