Terms of Reference for Annual Resilience Measurement
Programme Name: Somalia Resilience Programme (SomReP)
Target Locations: 10 districts of SomReP target Districts
Programme Goal: Increase the resilience of chronically vulnerable Somali people, households, communities and systems to recurrent climatic shocks and other related risks in targeted pastoral, agro-pastoral and peri-urban livelihood zones by 2029
Specific Objective: Sustainably improve food security and livelihoods of Somali people, households, communities through effective risk management, protection of productive assets, improved governance of resilience structures, and promotion of innovations and evidence-based programming.
Intermediary Outcomes:
- Improved capacity of households to implement disaster risk reduction and positive coping strategies to mitigate the immediate effect of exposure to shock;
- Improved capacity of individuals, households and communities to adhere to positive development trajectories; despite exposures to shocks and utilize strategies designed to allow adaptation to rapid and slow on-set hazards;
- Improved capacity of households to engage in strategies for sustainable livelihoods and economic growth to enhance food security and resilience;
- governance structures at community, district and national levels are strengthened to enhance participation, transparency and accountability;
- Programming, policy actions and decisions on resilience in Somalia informed on evidence-based resilience research, learning and innovation
Key Partners: ADRA, ACF, CARE, COOPI, DRC, Oxfam, Shaqodoon, and World Vision Somali (Consortium lead).
Assessment Type: Annual Resilience Measurement (ARM 2026)
Target Locations: 10 active SomReP districts (pastoral, agro-pastoral, peri-urban, and displacement settings). Badhan, Bossaso, Burao, Ceel Afweyne, Dollow, Eyl, Laas Caanood, Lughaya, Hargeisa and Salahley
Start and End Date: November 2026
Anticipated Reporting Date: December 2025 (Final Consolidated Report)
1.0 Background
- About SomReP
Somali Resilience Programme (SomReP) is a consortium of seven international NGOs and one local NGO namely Action Against Hunger (AAH), the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA), Cooperative Assistance for Relief Everywhere (CARE), Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Oxfam, World Vision Somalia and Shaqodoon whose aim is to tackle the challenge of mitigating the effects of recurrent shocks and stressors and alleviating the chronic vulnerability that is common among pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, and peri-urban households across Somalia. The program was designed to address communities’ unique needs by building resilient livelihoods, a strategy founded on the lessons learned and best practices of the consortium members.
With support from DFAT, EU, SIDA, BMZ and SDC, SomReP has been implementing interventions with the aim of enhancing the resilience of vulnerable populations. To achieve this, SomReP programming supports resilience through:
- Livelihoods & food security: HHs in targeted communities have improved access to productive livelihoods for enhanced food access and diversity;
- Social Safety Nets: HHs in target communities have their livelihoods and assets protected during shocks and stressors through the establishment and strengthening of social safety nets, including the use of crisis modifier mechanisms such as Savings Group Schemes;
- Natural resource management: Eco–system health improved through promotion of equitable and sustainable natural resource management;
- Local governance capacity building: Communities, civil society and local institutions are better equipped with resilience strategies and response capacities to cope with recurrent shocks and stressors; and
The rationale behind the theory of change and impact pathways is that implementation of such interventions would eventually result in positive changes in well-being indicators which implicitly is indicative of enhanced adaptive, absorptive and transformative capacity. The program targets 45,350 households and is implemented in the districts of; Badhan, Bossaso, Burao, Ceel Afweyne, Dollow, Eyl, Laas Caanood, Lughaya, Hargeisa and Salahley,
At the beginning of all these projects, SomReP conducted baseline surveys to establish benchmark indicators. In addition, since 2016/17 SomReP has conducted annual resilience measurements to document impact of the SomReP programmes and assess the progress made annually on key outcomes and output indicators. This resilience measurement study will build on these studies to document the programme’s impact and assess the progress so far made on key outcomes and output indicators. SomReP would also want to take advantage of this assessment to establish whether the hypotheses and assumptions set to underpin SomReP Theory of Change and causal linkages between inputs and activities and outcomes and impacts were plausible and valid. The results of the assessment will be particularly important for SomReP not only to understand the impact of the project, test the theory of change underpinning the strategies and interventions delivered, but will also inform future strategic programming and project development. The 2025 round will be the fifth consecutive annual assessment and will generate nationally comparable data across 10 active districts where SomReP is currently operating.
The table below provides the core and outcomes indicators for SomReP: https://wvi.box.com/s/l3dcl2kath9tjj2atu95e81k8ttpbher
2.0 Purpose and Scope of Annual Resilient Measurement
2.1 Annual Resilience Measurement
The scope and focus of the ARM is to explore the outcomes and impact of the programme, in order to facilitate an understanding amongst the consortium programme staff and stakeholders of the extent to which the envisaged change has been realized. It will track progress against SomReP’s Theory of Change, identify resilience trajectories, and provide actionable evidence for adaptive management.
ARM 2026 will generate nationally representative data on resilience capacities, food security, livelihoods, and coping mechanisms across 10 districts using household surveys, KIIs with local leaders and government, and FGDs with women, youth, and marginalized groups.
2.2. ARM 2026 Objectives:
- Assess the relevance, and effectiveness of the program strategies and interventions in relation to the context and the programme strategic framework, documenting the lessons learnt and best practices to inform future adaptations of interventions typologies.
- Establish the extent to which the consortium has achieved its purpose and delivered on intended outputs, and whether the intended outcomes were met in relation to resilience programming
- Assess the impact of the programme with particular focus on establishing changes that have occurred as measured by resilience capacity indices (absorptive capacity index, adaptive capacity index and transformative capacity index ) and wellbeing indicators (provided for in SomReP master logical framework) for example food security and coping strategies indicators (i.e. HHS, FCS, rCSI), ownership of household and community productive assets (climate sensitive and non-climate sensitive assets), income and expenditures among others; and disaggregated to livelihood zones and other vulnerabilities.
- Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of programme interventions in strengthening the response capacity of various shocks and stresses including COVID-19 effects, Desert Locust, Conflict, drought, Floods etc.
- Employ a quasi-experimental design to compare households and communities directly targeted by SomReP interventions with non-targeted or indirectly exposed groups, thereby strengthening attribution of observed changes to program interventions.
- Compare findings with the last four rounds of ARM surveys (2021–2025) to analyze longitudinal trends in resilience trajectories, highlight persistent gaps, and identify lessons on what has worked or not worked in different livelihood and displacement contexts.
Gender specific questions
- Has there been an increase in women’s /girls’ access to health, education, information, training, or other services? How does this compare to men’s or boys’ access to these services? Did the program address women’s greatest needs for human capital?
- How has the program influenced women's access to resources and their ability to assert rights in comparison to men, and which barriers to women's economic empowerment were most effectively addressed?
- Were there any discernible disparities in benefits between men and women, and how effectively did the program incorporate women's perspectives in community-focused discussions?
- How have external conditions and power dynamics uniquely impacted women's and girls' experiences and opportunities?
- Based on the program's results, what essential changes are recommended to enhance gender equality in SomReP's next phase?
3.0 Study Population, Scope and Methodology
3.1 Study Population and Sampling Frame
The study population and sampling frame will comprise of 10 districts where the programme has been implemented targeting households, government line ministries focal points, local community committee leaders as well as the different community groups and leaders. The sampling frame will constitute target project beneficiaries, and community governance structures from the districts. The sample frame will further include strategic partners such as government departments who have been involved in coordinating the programme.
3.2 Survey Design
The study will use a cross sectional survey research design that incorporates both qualitative and quantitative data collection as well as analysis techniques. The consultant will be expe...