TERMS OF REFERENCE
Consultancy for a Feasibility Study to Inform a BMZ (PT) Project Proposal
Contracting organization
arche nova (AN)
1. Introduction
arche nova (AN) (www.arche-nova.org), a German non-governmental organization, has since 2012, been supporting vulnerable communities in Kenya to strengthen resilience to climate change, water scarcity, food insecurity, environmental degradation, and recurrent humanitarian shocks. Working at the humanitarian-development-climate nexus, arche nova combines emergency response, disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate adaptation, and sustainable development approaches to build long-term resilience and self-reliance. Together with our local partners working in Kibera; Human Needs Project (HNP) and Action for Social and Economic Progress (ASEP), we are preparing a project proposal for submission to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The proposed intervention is envisaged for Kibera, Nairobi County, Kenya.
2. Background
The proposed project; “Strengthening urban resilience through a climate-smart, multifunctional satellite community hub in the Kibera slum, Nairobi, seeks to address interconnected water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), public-health, climate-resilience and community livelihood needs in Kibera. Objective: To strengthen urban resilience through WASH, income generation and social cohesion in the Kibera slum, Kenya. Target group: 20,000 people, including 55 per cent women, 35 per cent young people (18-25 years) and 10 per cent people with disability. The target groups are closely interconnected with overlapping co-benefits from the project hence a validation of the total beneficiaries reached by the project is necessary. The Junior Partner; HNP also directly benefit from the project through strengthened capacities from the senior partner ASEP.
The project components include construction of a climate-smart community hub for improved access to safe water and sanitation, livelihoods and social cohesion. Potential measures may include a solar-powered water supply, greywater treatment using nano-filtration for reuse e.g. for hydroponic farming, sanitation and bathing facilities, menstrual health and hygiene (MHM), and inclusive community engagement, a digital innovation training lab for green business, entrepreneurship, job placement, and conflict/legal advice. Building on HNP’s ‘Kibera Town Centre’, which successfully operates as a self-sustaining WASH, training and community centre. A senior-junior partnership model is being introduced: as an experienced stakeholder and AN partner, ASEP supports the smaller, locally-rooted organization HNP to facilitate better access to funding, technical support and innovation.
These are options for assessment and are not predetermined technical decisions. The project is structured around four results:
Result 1: Improved access to climate-resilient and inclusive WASH services for vulnerable residents in Kibera.
Result 2: Improved economic empowerment and green skills development for women and youth.
Result 3: Strengthened social cohesion and improved access to community justice services for underserved vulnerable community members.
Result 4: Strengthened institutional capacity and inclusive governance for sustainable service delivery.
A feasibility study is required to verify priority needs supporting the project idea to assess the suitability, affordability and sustainability of proposed measures as well as beneficiary, stakeholder and partner relationships and identify the key risks and recommend concrete adjustments to the project concept, the impact matrix and the planned measures. The study must be independent and sufficiently critical to recommend redesign, deferral or non-selection of any measure where evidence does not support it.
The study should consider applicable BMZ PT requirements and relevant OECD/DAC criteria: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability. Cross-cutting considerations include gender equality, disability inclusion, human rights, environmental and climate safeguards, conflict sensitivity, accountability and Do No Harm.
3. Purpose and Scope of the Assignment
The purpose of the assignment is to provide AN and its partners with an independent, participatory and evidence-based basis for deciding on the proposed intervention and preparing a coherent, technically sound, costed and sustainable BMZ PT project proposal.
The feasibility study will:
- Validate priority needs, vulnerabilities, capacities and intended target groups in the proposed project area.
- Assess the technical, social, institutional, environmental, regulatory, operational and financial feasibility of proposed measures and compare viable alternatives.
- Analyze target groups and stakeholders, including their relationships, interests, influence, roles, coordination and potential risks of exclusion or conflict.
- Identify prerequisites, including land tenure and site access, asset ownership, water availability and rights, permits, environmental and social assessments, technical investigations, utility connections, and operation and maintenance arrangements.
- Recommend intervention logic, target groups, objectives, outputs, indicators, means of verification, assumptions and risks for the logical framework matrix; establish baseline values where feasible and propose evidence-based targets.
- Recommend sustainability, exit or transition, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) arrangements.
4. Methodology
The study should combine qualitative and quantitative methods and follow a participatory approach that reflects the needs and perspectives of intended beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders. The consultant shall propose a rigorous but proportionate methodology in the inception report, triangulating secondary evidence with field-based verification.
- The sampling approach must be justified, including selection of locations, respondent groups and sample size. A census or large-scale survey should not be assumed necessary unless justified by the study questions, available time and budget.
- Recent and relevant secondary data should be used wherever suitable. Sources, dates, geographic coverage and limitations must be stated; primary data collection should fill material evidence gaps rather than duplicate existing assessments.
- Data collection methods may include desk review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, community consultations, site observations, structured facility assessments, quantitative data collection where justified, stakeholder and service mapping, risk analysis and preliminary costing.
- For every proposed outcome- and output-level indicator in the draft logical framework, assess measurability, data sources, disaggregation and feasibility of collection; establish a baseline value where evidence permits and recommend a realistic target.
- Assess the concept against the OECD/DAC criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability, explaining how each informs the feasibility judgement and recommendations.
- Data-collection tools must be shared with AN and partners for comment before fieldwork. Participation must be voluntary and informed. Personal data must be minimized, securely handled and reported in aggregated or anonymized form wherever possible.
- Validation with AN and partners should improve factual accuracy and usability but must not compromise the consultant’s independent judgement.
5. Tasks and Deliverables
5.1 Tasks
The consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks. The detailed methodology and sequencing will be agreed during inception.
Context and Initial Situation Analysis
- Review the concept note, available WASH and public-health data, relevant research, local plans and applicable national and county policies.
- Analyze Kibera’s socio-economic, public-health, environmental, climate, institutional and governance context relevant to the proposed intervention.
- Map existing and planned WASH, sanitation, MHM, livelihood and climate-resilience actors and interventions and identify synergies, referral pathways and duplication risks. Assess whether the established St. Juliet is complemented by the community service hub and or establish existing gaps.
- Verify the nature, scale and location of priority needs and identify population groups facing the greatest barriers or risks.
- Identify evidence gaps, stakeholder perceptions and assumptions requiring further investigation and prepare an evidence matrix.
- Stakeholder and Partner Analysis
- Identify and engage key stakeholders, including young women, young men, parents, community and religious leaders, county and national government actors, and other civil society organisations.
- Assess the Partners regarding their roles, resources and competencies for
- project implementation.
- Evaluate the formal agreements and ownership structures between AN, ASEP, HNP
- Identify and analyse any gaps in collaboration and coordination.
- Identify synergies and confirm whether all official preconditions and authorizations for project implementation are in place
Needs, Target Groups and Beneficiary Analysis
Consult residents and intended beneficiaries, including women and girls, youth, persons with disabilities, older people and other potentially marginalized groups, using safe and accessible methods.
Suggest a beneficiary selection criterion, expected reach, affordability, barriers to access, protection concerns, participation and possible unintended consequences.
Skills Training, Employment and Income-Generation Feasibility
Assess the gaps and needs among intended beneficiaries for the proposed skills training, including priority skills, participation barriers, existing competencies and the extent to which the p...