Terms of Reference s19

Terms of Reference

Midterm evaluation – Livelihoods Project, Freetown and Kono District

1. General Information

Programme / Mano River Program, Sierra Leone
Place of mission / Freetown and Kono district
Type of mission / Internal midterm evaluation of project
Project Title / Improving the livelihoods of vulnerable population including persons with disabilities in Sierra Leone, using an inclusive approach
Funding Agency / European Union
Date of start of evaluation / 8th July 2012
Date of completion / 22nd July, 2012

2. Country context

Sierra Leone is a small country situated on the West Coast of Africa and has a population of 6.4 million (Informal estimate). About 70% of the population lives in absolute poverty; and 26% of the population cannot even afford basic necessity such as food, safe water, sanitation and shelter (Statistic Sierra Leone, 2009).

Kono District and Freetown metropolitan among most of areas devastated by the decade-long civil war, with the impact of collapse of social infrastructure, deteriorating socio-economic conditions and increasing poverty. Growing unemployment, non-existent state services, dilapidated infrastructure along with worsening rate of human development indicators in illiteracy, primary school enrolments, life expectancy, maternal deaths, malnutrition, and child mortality still remain as concerns for the nation. Approximately 10% of the population are the people with disabilities who live in the conditions of extreme poverty where the need for humanitarian development is the highest but the assistance has been always the least.

Handicap International started its program in Sierra Leone in the year 1996 in Sierra Leone in addressing physical disability issues and providing rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities and their family inmates. Handicap International currently is implementing a livelihood development project focusing on the needs of the persons with disabilities in Freetown and Kono district.

3. Project Information

3.1 Project Summary

With funding from the European Union, Handicap International is currently implementing a livelihood development project in Sierra Leone. The project has lifespan of 3 years starting from January 2011 till December 2013. The project sites include four chiefdoms (Dbense, Kamara, Tankoro and Nimikoro) of Kono district and western rural and urban areas of capital Freetown. The project is implemented in partnership with Sierra Leone Union of Disability Issues (SLUDI), Disability Rights Movement (DRIM), Community Action for Rehabilitation and Development (CARD), Lift Above Poverty (LAPO) and four Disable People’s

The project approach is inclusive and participatory focusing on the vulnerable including persons with disabilities to access livelihood opportunities in order to improve their socio-economic conditions. It also utilizes methods of social disability model based on human rights; personalized social support; participatory decision making to target vulnerable people including the persons with disabilities and their family mates.

Alongside, the project will support capacity building of the partner staff in the areas of governance, management, finance and advocacy. The project will provide support to establish a referral system and business development and counseling service such that these services will be made available through partner organizations after the project phases out.

3.2 Project Objective

The general objective of the project is to improve socio economic situation of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities and their families in Sierra Leone, thereby contributing to poverty reduction and economic empowerment.

While the specific objective is to develop sustainable initiatives and build capacities of local communities to strengthen social protection and livelihood at community level for people with disabilities and their families in Kono and Freetown.

3.3 Expected Results and planned activities

The results expected through this project are summarized below for which specific indicators and concrete activities outputs are planned.

Result 1 : The capacity of Partners to facilitate access of vulnerable people to livelihood is strengthened

Result 2 : Livelihood stakeholders deliver quality inclusive services to Persons with disabilities

Planned activities / Objectively verifiable indicators
§ Identify and sensitize 40 livelihood stakeholders on disability issue (companies likely to include apprentices, vocational training centers, MFI, government agencies, business unions);
§ Conduct a disability audit for every livelihood stakeholder willing to deliver quality inclusive services for PWDs, and develop a joint action plan;
§ Implement and monitor the action plan for better inclusive services (physical accessibility, staff training on disability issues, procedures and manuals);
§ Build a network of livelihood stakeholders willing to progress on disability issue and organise a yearly meeting,
§ Conduct a satisfaction survey among PWDs on the quality of new services provided by the livelihood stakeholders / - Human resources (PM, DPM, BDO, ComO, M&EC, POs, support staff)
- Accessibility means
- Printing of manual
- Training means
- Workshop facilitation means
- Travel (transportation in Freetown and Kono)
- Equipment and supplies (IEC materials, IT)
- Office costs (rent, communication, vehicle cost)
- Audit and evaluation cost (PWDs satisfaction survey, disability audits)

Result 3 : By 2013, target beneficiaries in Freetown and Kono will have improved their skills through access to apprenticeship and entrepreneurial skills.

Planned activities / Objectively verifiable indicators
§ Conduct a thorough survey on marketable skills as well as upward economic sectors (from training to market), and finalize selection of training partners;
§ Identify business owners willing to integrate apprentices or employees among the target group (a directory will be published);
§ Design the apprenticeship and peer training scheme, and monitor inclusion of apprentices and graduates;
§ Set up a personalized accompaniment and referral service;
§ Provide access to skills training
§ Design and deliver business management and development training; / - Human resources (PM, DPM, BDO, ComO, M&EC, POs, support staff)
- Printing of publications (directory, training courses) and training documents
- Market survey, VTC survey
- Compensation for employers and apprentices
- Training means
- Travel (transportation Freetown and Kono)
- Equipment and supplies (IEC materails, IT)
- Office costs (rent, vehicle cost, communication)
- Audit and evaluation costs

Result 4 : By 2013, 60% of the target beneficiaries in Freetown and Kono district have a sustainable source of income through self-employment and entrepreneurship.

Planned activities / Objectively verifiable indicators
§ Collect baseline data on beneficiaries' socio economic conditions;
§ Finalize lending scheme with MFI, prepare supporting documents and sign Memorandum of Understanding;
§ Select and refer beneficiaries to MFI;
§ Design a grant scheme for starting activities (primo-entrepreneurs);
§ Provide on-going business development trainings and experience sharing for groups of borrowers, and follow-up their progress
§ Conduct an impact assessment of the project / - Human resources (PM, DPM, BDO, COs, POs, M&EC, support staff)
- Travel (transportation in Freetown and Kono)
- Start-up kits
- Training means
- Equipment and supplies (IT, vehicles)
- Office costs (printing documents, communication)
- Audit and evaluation costs (baseline survey, monitoring, impact assessment)

Result 5 : The economic potential and the contribution of vulnerable people, including Persons with disabilities, to the local and national economy is recognized by the State and the community.

Planned activities / Objectively verifiable indicators
§ Set up and pilot a steering committee to finalize, supervise and monitor the project's activity, comprising Partners and DPOs.
§ 2 Provide trainings for Partners and DPOs trustees and staff on management and governance issues (planing, organizing, financial management, funds raising and monitoring;
§ Reinforce capacities of Partners and DPOs on advocacy and awareness raising / - Compilation of DPOs achievements
- Printing facsheets and advocacy documents
- Printing of newsletter and yearly publication
- Externalised write up of documents and advocacy on livelihood issues
- Capitalisation of experiments and printing of documents
- National seminar
- Human resources (PM, DPM, ComO, POs, support staff)
- Survey means (data collection)
- Editing a newsletter
- Printing of several publications
- Travel (transportation Freetown and Kono)
- Advocacy write-up means
- Seminar organization means
- Equipment and supplies (IT, vehicle, printer/copier)
- Office costs (rent, communication, vehicle cost)
- Audit and evaluation costs (evaluation of project and outcomes)

3.4 Target groups and beneficiaries

The project works with three target groups:

§ 500 Vulnerable people including people with disabilities (PWD)

§ 4 Partners and 4 Disable Peoples’ Organization (DPO)

§ 40 Livelihood stakeholders, including 30 business entities and 10 vocational training centers

3.5 Project partners

The project is implemented in alliance with the following partners,

· Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI)

· Disability Movement Right (DRIM)

· Community Action for Rural Development

· Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO)

Including four Disable Peoples Organizations:

· House of Jesus, Freetown

· Polio Challenge Association, Freetown

· Gingima Disable People’s Organization, Kono

· Yardu Disable People’s Organization, Konu

4. Project progress

The annual report for EU submitted on 30th of March 2012, is referred for an overview of the progress made by the project so far.

5. Justification

The requested mission aims to provide a midterm internal evaluation of the Livelihood Development Project that becomes due in June this year, in order to review and adapt its implementation strategy.

6. Objectives of mission

General objective:

§ Contribute to the improvement of the implementation of the Livelihood Development Project implemented by HI and its partners in Sierra Leone.

The specific objective of the mission is to:

§ Evaluate the project implementation and progress made till date, taking into account aspects such as efficiency, impact, relevance, sustainability based on project design; and underscore constraints and potentials in the contexts of project implementation.

§ Make recommendations to improve the project implementation strategy, relevance of activities and budget, relevance of partnership engagement and the relationship with the partners.

§ Based on the recommendations design with the Project management team a draft project amendment.

7. Expected results

- The Evaluator has an overview of the project’s progress and provides with recommendations to improve the project activities and progress towards indicators and objectives on the basis of initial project design;

- The project (design, strategies, tools, activities and budget) is evaluated: the strengths are recognised and recommendations are given to improve the weaker points:

- A report on the evaluation is prepared, discussed with the team and submitted to Program Director

- A project amendment is drafted (logical framework and activities costs)

Specific attention is given to’

§ Appropriateness of project design in the contexts of implementation in Sierra Leone and propose modification in relevant areas of implementation,

§ Revisit partnership engagements and make recommendations to improve the relations with the local partners appropriate for project livelihood implementation;

§ Review planned activities and rationalize in relation to community needs, budget resources and the timeframe of each activity;

§ Determine, if the activities planned are completed during lifespan of the project, if not, recommend an extension of the project to complete activities that might go beyond project life;

8. Methodology

The Evaluator shall use a participatory approach in general in the process of evaluation. The approach shall lay emphasis on the following tools and techniques;

- Meeting and discussions with the Program Director, HI in Freetown;

- Read Livelihood project document, budget, work plans, minutes of Steering Committee meetings; progress reports and donor reports;

- Meeting and discussions with the Livelihood project management team in Freetown;

- Meeting and discussion with partners in Freetown and Kono;

- Meeting with Steering Committee members in Freetown and Kono;

- Meeting and discussion with beneficiaries in Freetown and Kono;

- Visit vocational training centres in Freetown and Kono;

- Work with Project Manager and project team to have an overview of the project’s progress so far;

- Review training plan, training manual and materials and provide recommendation for further improvement;

- Review equipment, teaching and learning tools for knowledgement and experience sharing;

Focus of evaluation, under given conditions of project:

a. Efficiency of implementation to date

- Analyse progress of the project objectives and activities

- Analyse progress of the project towards the indicators

Specific questions related to the main activities:

o Is selection and engagement of partners done appropriately to contribute to implementation of livelihood interventions?

o Do partners have demonstrated willingness and background in the implementation of livelihood interventions?

o How effective was the mandate of the steering in the promotion of local level coordination and decision making?

o Rationality of conducting disability audit with business institutions and signing of MOUs with business institutions?

o To what extent the availability of in-country specialized services affects project implementation?

o How effectively the networks built by livelihood project contributes to coordinate implementation of activities in project sites?

o How effective the identification of skills to contribute to self-employment of the PWDs?

o How feasible this activity is in promoting the employment of PWDs in existing socio-economic contexts of the country?

o How the referral service can be sustained at community levels?

o How useful was the business training manual in the training of participants?

o How effective was the selection of partner LAPO to integrate MF service?

o How this prudently the business development service was planned to be sustained with partner organizations?

b.Communication – information sharing

- How effective the communication and information sharing within project management team and with project steering committee and beneficiaries?

- How the communication and information sharing process might be improved further?