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Terms of Reference Baseline Survey Consultancy 1. Organization Background iDE is an international NGO with over 37 years of experience in designing and delivering market-based anti-poverty programs in 14 countries. We are a world leader in making markets work for the poor as well as the longest established market development specialist NGO in Bangladesh. iDE believes that markets can be a powerful force for improving smallholder prosperity by creating income and livelihood opportunities for poor rural households. iDE Bangladesh currently has eight projects in agricultural markets, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and access to finance with a focus on women’s economic empowerment and climate-smart technologies. 2. Project Background “UDDOKTA - Powering Entrepreneurs” is a partnership between Chevron and iDE under the Bangladesh Partnership Initiative (BPI). The project seeks to amplify Chevron’s investments made in Bangladesh to improve the lives and livelihoods of rural communities through an increased focus on powering local entrepreneurs and building market systems inclusive market systems that link smallholder producers to more rewarding opportunities. Building on iDE’s learning and experiences on market resiliency, this project will improve the overall adaptive capacity of local markets, entrepreneurs and communities in and around the project locations by increasing access to and uptake of best-bet production, enterprise, and market practices. This approach will emphasize the uptake of profitable business models and production practices. As a result of improved access to goods and services delivered through enterprises supported by the project, UDDOKTA aims to trigger an increase in the incomes of 2,750 VDO-affiliated (VIllage Development Organization) households by 20%. Through project efforts, 1,100 micro and small enterprises will see their revenues increase by 35% per year. And most importantly, the 7,500 households who are their customers will benefit from an annual income increase of 15% as a result of the services that these enterprises provide. Finally, the project will seek to leverage co-investments exceeding $1MM dollars from the private sector, increase sales of quality inputs to smallholder farmers by over $500,000, and facilitate access to more than $1MM in finance for participating enterprises to establish, grow and operate their businesses. An anticipated 37,125 household members will benefit from increased incomes as a result of improved access to goods and services triggered through systemic market changes catalyzed by UDDOKTA. iDE will apply a market-facilitation approach that aims for private-sector led promotion and sustained adoption of beneficial products, services and behaviors by communities and households in the target markets - which will ultimately lead to increased incomes. 3. About the Assignment iDE is looking to hire a qualified firm to conduct the baseline survey of the UDDOKTA project. iDE has clearly defined its targets and indicators in its project proposal but the baseline of several of the projected targets are currently unavailable. Therefore, in order to create the benchmarks, a baseline survey is necessary to come up with baseline indicators for each of the target sets. These baseline indicators will be the guiding pillars to measure project’s achievements and outputs towards the end. This will also help devise appropriate monitoring tools for M&E of project interventions to reach the stated outputs & achievements. Furthermore, the baseline survey will generate and develop an information base comprising the detailed relevant information of the general and targeted beneficiaries of the project’s working areas. This information will guide us to plan effectively and coherently in materializing the project goal in a systemic way. 3. Objectives of the Baseline Study The main objective of the baseline study is to prepare a pre-project / baseline information of the target beneficiaries as per the indicators of project objectives, specific objectives and expected results specified in the project document and the project log-frame. The specific objectives of the baseline study are the following:
The study will utilize a wide range of appropriate tools and methodologies to measure the status of social, economic/financial, physical, natural and human assets of targeted communities/ households (HHs), market actors and market system components within the framework of UDDOKTA and as spelled out in the project document. The study findings will be primarily used by iDE and its implementing partners in comparing pre and post project status of the market systems and communities with whom it works. The baseline information will also be used by the relevant project stakeholders and donors. 4. Suggested Approaches and Methodologies The study will be based on data and information gathered from both primary and secondary sources. Secondary sources would comprise relevant project documents and district wise database. Primary data will be collected from sampled beneficiaries and market actors in each of the project districts/unions. In order to ensure that the sample households interviewed for the baseline survey are representative of the project’s target households. The Consultant should propose a robust sampling methodology, constituting proportionate representation of the all sub-sectors including livestock, agriculture and agrotechnology and also covering all the districts/unions can be found in the Annex 1. In order to see the impact (attribution) and spillover effect of the project’s interventions, it is highly anticipated that the proposed study methodology should include samples from the direct and in-direct beneficiary households who live in the nine Unions and four Upazillas under Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts. The project will also work with a number of private sectors partners under the livestock, agriculture and agri-machinery sub-sectors to mobilize their business that need to reflect in the proposed methodology. The detailed methodology and field work schedule will be finalized in consultation with iDE, partner organizations and the consultants. However, the following steps will be ensured by the consultants:
4. Major responsibilities of the Consultant/ Firm The composition of the study team is left up to the consultant/ organization based on their internal system, ideas and logic. However, iDE recommends that the team comprise one Team Leader (TL) to coordinate/conduct the overall study and liaise with iDE. To collect information from the field, an adequate number of Field Enumerators (FEs) will be deployed in facilitation of iDE's Project Officers at the Districts/Unions. Supervision of the field work and quality (reliability and validity) of the data/information collected from the field is the primary responsibility of the TL. The TL will work closely with the M&E Unit and Project Team. In each step and process, consultation with the National Program Manager, M&E Director and District/Union Project Managers are vital. The consultancy / consultant team will be primarily responsible to:
5. Major responsibilities of iDE iDE will provide the consultant/firm with the necessary support to undertake and implement the assignment and execute the objectives of this assignment. Such responsibilities include the following:
6. Key Deliverables The following deliverables are envisioned under this ToR:
7. Tentative Work Schedule The consultant/firm is expected to start work on or around April 10th, 2020. This assignment should be completed within a month from the start date, which includes completion of all tasks in the assignment along with the submission of the deliverables as detailed in Section 6. Based on unavoidable circumstances, the period for conducting the assignment might change. The consultant/firm is expected to be able to accommodate these changes without additional cost. A final detailed work schedule will be determined during the kick-off meeting. 8. Proprietary Rights Any document, information or data entrusted to or produced by iDE in connection with this assignment shall be strictly confidential and cannot be used by the contract employee for any other purpose without the written consent of iDE. This provision shall remain valid even after the completion of this assignment. iDE-B reserves the right to terminate this agreement at any time with the consultation of the contracted individual/firm. 9. Budget and Schedule of Payment The total budget for this assignment must not exceed BDT 1,200,000 (In word: Twelve Lakh Taka only) which should cover all costs including consultants' fee for conducting the entire assignment until final deliverables submission. This should include remuneration, field-based travel (accommodation, transport, per diems) and any miscellaneous costs. Firms are requested to propose payment modality. Government VAT and tax regulation will be applied, and these costs must be included in the financial proposal.
10. Eligibility Criteria The consultancy firm should have experience on qualitative and quantitative research; clear understanding on research methodology and experiences on using different social research tools and techniques. Work experiences in rural and urban areas of the county will be an added advantage. TL should have advanced university degree in agriculture or rural development or social sciences with experiences of having conducted at least three numbers of baseline surveys, preferably of agricultural income generation related projects. 9. Evaluation Criteria Consultant will be evaluated based on following criteria. The key factors stated below will be taken in consideration during the evaluation process-
11. Bid Submission All proposals should include:
Interested and qualified consultants/firms are asked to submit their Technical and Financial Proposals to bangladesh.procurement@ideglobal.org. Please write “UDDOKTA Baseline Survey Consultancy” in the subject line. The proposals should be submitted by 5 pm BST on 28th March 2020. We are only able to consider electronic submissions. Only shortlisted firms will be contacted and invited for a technical discussion. Deadline: 28th March 2020 COB (5 pm BST) |