Consultant for Evidence based outcomes/Impact documentation

Oxfam has been working in Nepal since 1984. Currently, it has three major programmess- Sustainable Livelihood and Food Security (SLFS) Prorgamme, Governance and Women Empowerment ( GEM-W) Programme, and Disaster Risk Reduction) and Humanitarian (DRR & HTN) Programme.

SLFS programme is being implemented in mid and far western region (Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Dailekh, Darchula and Surkhet districts). The major interventions under the SLFSProgramme include rural livelihoods, food security, enterprise development, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH). The programme activities are implemented in partnership with district-based Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The main goal of the SLFS programme is to improve and secure access to food, public health services and sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable and socially excluded women and men.

Nepal programme- with the financial assistance of ECHO had implemented Water Supply and Sanitation (WATSAN) Project during the period 2009-2012 in Baitadi, Dailekh, Darchula and Surkhet districts. Altogether 37 water supply and sanitation schemes were implemented in four districts. This project was carried out in 2 phases. In first phase; 15 Schemes were constructed in Dailekh (10 schemes) and Surkhet (5 schemes) districts, during period 2009-2010. Likewise, in second phase (2010-2012); total 22 schemes were constructed; 11 in Baitadi district and remaining 11 in Darchula district. In other hand, this project also supported 2445 household for construction of household toilets.

In close coordination with government and non government organization, this project was implemented in partnership with five Non Government Organizations (NGOs); Sustainable Development & Environment Conservation Centre (SuDECC) and Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) in Dailekh district, Environment Development Society (EDS) in Surkhet district, Rural Development & Environment Management Society (RuDeS) in Baitadi district and Sankalpa Darchula in Darchula district. At community level, the project activities were implemented in partnership with the Drinking Water Supply Users Committee (DWSUC) in close coordination with Village Development Committee (VDC).

Oxfam is globally well known for its expertise in emergency WASH. However, Oxfam has implemented development WASH project too in Nepal. The total cost of construction activities on 37 schemes is NRs. 112.02 million. Out of which NRs. 45 million was subsidized by Oxfam with the financial support of ECHO. Those 37 WATSAN schemes benefits 16,869 people of 2,916 households. Internationally, there is growing emphasis on evaluations that show up impacts of WASH interventions, not only on access but also behaviours (http://www.irc.nl/page/70190, access on Feb. 18, 2014), and strengthen institutional capacity. Recent study carried out in Dailekh district on functionality of Water supply projects shows that only 23% of drinking water supply systems are functional; whereas 8% of total system required minor repair. Likewise, 42% and 24% of drinking water supply systems need major repair and reconstruction support (Sub-division office of Drinking Water Supply and Sewerage; Dailekh). Oxfam presume more or less same statistics in other working districts too.

After 2-4 years after completion of the WATSAN project in Nepal, Oxfam realizes that it is suitable time to look back the implemented schemes. Oxfam in Nepal is keen to observe status of the schemes and document the outcomes and impacts of the implemented WATSAN project.

The water supply and sanitation project implemented in four districts of mid and far west region is implemented in Rights based Approach. The schemes were implemented through Water Users Committee (WUC). Drinking water supply system includes Intake, RVT, IC, BPT, distribution chamber, transmission and distribution pipe line and Tap stands. Table 1 and Figure 1 gives more clear implementation approach of the project.

Table 1: WATSAN Implementation Approach

Figure 1

The WATSAN project has established 37 water supply and sanitation schemes in different 27 VDC of four districts; Baitadi, Dailekh, Darchula and Surkhet. Brief description of schemes of WATSAN project is shown in table below.

The main objective of the assignment is to “Observe and document evidence based outcomes/impacts of Oxfam’s WATSAN project implemented in four districts of mid and far western region of Nepal”

The specific objectives of the assignment are as follows:

·         To carry post Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) sampling survey among the beneficiaries of WATSAN project.

·         To figure out and document the outcomes/impact of project in health (especially children under five and school children), nutrition & livelihood (especially mothers and children), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), children’s education and women’s empowerment.

·         To monitor the quality of drinking water in community.

·         To analyze the cost effectiveness of the project as compare to others.

·         To trace the gaps on the implementation approaches and provide suggestion for betterment.

·         To monitor and document the functionality and sustainability of the drinking water supply schemes and sanitation facilities.

·         To monitor the sustainability of open defecation free (ODF).

·         To observe the change in women’s and girl’s life

·         To see the community behaviour’s towards social discrimination on water issues

The consultant will conduct but not limit to the following activities:

·         Review the project document and internalize the concept of project activities implementation

·         Conduct field visit in project districts for physical verification, focus group discussion and key informants interview

·         Visit with government stakeholders, partners and other development partners for more information about the project results

·         Assess the best practices for organizational learning with analytical perspective such as how and why some strategies worked well and some are did not work well in the project

·         Collect case studies/success stories from project beneficiaries and include in the report

·         Appropriateness of project interventions towards meeting the project overall objective

·         Linkages of WATSAN programme with livelihoods programmes

·         Effectiveness of child club for promoting hygiene and sanitation programme including ‘Open Defecation Free’

·         Effectiveness of women engagement in technical matter (design & construction of infrastructures)

·         How water and sanitation project have been mainstreamed DRR, CCA and GESI perspective?

This assignment leads towards the following outputs:

·         Collect WATSAN scheme’s field based outcomes/impact evidence on community health (especially children under five and school children), nutrition & livelihood (especially mothers and children including work load), children’s education, DRR and women empowerment.

·         Document the functionality status of the schemes and provide suggestions on sustainability of the project.

·         A report on the outcomes/impact of the Oxfam’s WATSAN project implemented in four districts of mid and far western region of Nepal

This methodology aims to meet the objective of the assignment. This study will be based on the field survey on the project location. Likewise, primary and secondary data of scheme will also used during study. Among the numerous indicators the difference in the diarrhoea (especially children under five and school children), functionality of schemes, repair and maintenance fund on schemes, nutrition & livelihood (especially mothers and children), mainstreaming DRR, children’s education, women involvement and access of women in development will be taken as key indicators. The proposed study will carry the study in following five different phase:

It consists of an overview of proposal of WATSAN projects. The approach of implementation the projects, community involvement during project design and implementation, demography of users will also review. At the same time, monthly quarterly and annual report to the donor will be reviewed in depth. Likewise phase-wise field visit, monitoring and evaluation reports will also reviewed by the team. The literature related to WASH project monitoring and evaluation, Impact of WATSAN project on health; education and livelihood, sustainability of the WATSAN project produced by scholars, government and non-government organization need to be reviewed. Selected consultant will be prime responsible to review the related document. Oxfam and Partner will provide necessary support required to consultant.

The selected consultant along with Oxfam team will review and finalize the key indicators and variables relevant to the study (refer; data analysis below). Consultant has to prepare the relevant and practical questionnaires and checklist to collect the necessary data/information from field to achieve the above mention objectives and expected outputs.

Oxfam will select the schemes for this study.

The data/information from the field; based on the developed questionnaires were collected by the Oxfam and its partners. However, consultant needs to facilitate the orientation session about the questionnaires; checklist and the process of collecting information to the surveyor at Surkhet and Baitadi (or any one of them).

Beside this, consultant has to visit the selected project site (at least two; one of mid western region and one of far-western region) to monitor and backstop the information collection process, to collect first hand information, case studies, and to observe the current status of the physical infrastructures. Local transportation cost (transportation from and to Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi) of a consultant incurred during field visit will be borne by Oxfam.

Basically; the Data required for the looking back study will be collected from multiple sources as describe below:

The primary information/data collection survey will be carried on at least 30% of the benefitted households and 20% of benefitted population of the selected 12 schemes i.e. 346 household and 1300 population. The collected data will be compared with pre KAP (baseline) and figure out the change on the community. Beside this, survey team will also collects relevant data and information from government service centre like health post, schools etc. At the same time, information on execution modality of the support were also collected. Those primary data were collected during field visit using the following tools.

Thus individual interview will be carried with beneficiaries, members of users committee and personnel of partner organization. Beside this due to the time constraints some group interviews were also carried out.

The Structured questionnaires survey will be used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The questionnaire will includes both close and open ended questions. The closed ended questions were used for the individual users and open ended questionnaires were used to collect information from the members of water users committee. Individual users will select randomly for interview where as the minimum two people (president, secretary) from the user committee will be interviewed.

The group interview was also adopted to collect more information. It also helped to triangulate the information provided by the water users committee and individual users.

The objectives of project/program and attributes of approach (scheme selection, fund allocation, implementation of project activities, transparency, supervision and monitoring of implemented activities) were collected from the official of the partner organizations.

The existing situation of the physical infrastructure, layout of the selected systems, type of sources, functionality of the systems, condition of built household toilets, will observed by survey team during field visit. In addition to this, consultant also needs to physically observe at least two WATSAN schemes; one on each development region.

The secondary data were collected from different government and Non-government organizations. The annual, baseline, progress and evaluation reports, guidelines, publication and dataset from Oxfam and partner organizations will also used as the secondary resources for this study. Selected consultant will be prime responsible to review the related document. Oxfam and Partner will provide necessary support required to consultant.

This study basically focuses on the documentation of outcomes/impact of the WATSAN project implemented by Oxfam with the financial support of ECHO. Drinking Water Supply System (DWSS) and Outcomes of the DWSS (health (especially children under five and school children), nutrition & livelihood (especially mothers and children), DRR, children’s education and women’s empowerment) will be two units of analysis. The collected data will be separately screen and analyze as shown in framework below. Selected Consultant is prime responsible for analysis of the collected data. Oxfam will monitor the data analysis process and provide feedback and suggestions on the results.

After completion of data analysis the consultant will prepare the report. The report need to address the objective and expected outputs of the assignment. The report will clearly highlight the Outcomes/impact and status of the WATSAN schemes implemented by Oxfam. Selected Consultant is prime responsible for preparation of final report. Oxfam will provide feedbacks and suggestions on the draft report. Consultant need to make presentation of findings and recommendation of the study to Oxfam team. Oxfam will accept and approve the report based on the quality of the report.

The consultant shall submit a financial proposal with detail required human resources and their remuneration along with CV. Tax is applicable on remuneration as per government rules. Upon the request from consultant, the approved budget shall be released on installment basis as follows:

 ·       25% upon preparation and finalization of required questionnaires and checklists.

·        35% upon submission of draft report and brief presentation on finding at Oxfam Kathmandu

·             40 % upon submission of final printable report.

Note: Oxfam doesn’t pay the overhead cost and requested budget will be paid through Account pay cheque.

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Proposal for above assignment  can be sent by 10  August 2014 via mail to recruitment_nepal@oxfam.org.uk orG.P.O. Box 2500, Kathmandu. Only Short listed candidates will be informed for written test and interview.