Consultant to Final Evaluation of the Project “Disadvantaged Peasants Diversify Their Livelihoods in Phu My and Viet Yen communeS, Van Quan district, Lang son province”

1. Background:
The Centre for Community Socio-Economic and Environmental Development (CSEED) is a Vietnamese non-Governmental Organization established in January 2006. CSEED sees to it that the vulnerable and marginalized communities are empowered within equitable societies and achieve sustainable livelihood and environmental development.
CSEED’s activities relate to support livelihood and environmental protection as well as ensure the sustainable development factors including gender equity, capacity building for the local partners and community-based organizations.
“Disadvantaged peasants diversify their livelihoods in Phu My and Viet Yen commune, Van Quan district, Lang Son province, Viet Nam” project (project code VC009) is funded by Caritas Switzerland for the period between January 2009 and March 2012. The project is implemented by Van Quan District People Committee, Lang Son province under technical support from CSEED. The project aims at enhancing the living conditions for the poor farmer households by promoting their assets to improve their diversified livelihoods, contributing to sustainability of natural resource utilization and natural environment protection.
 
Project objectives
1. To strengthen the capacity of the project partner and CBO’s in five villages, so they can manage community development initiatives with more gender equity awareness and environment cares.
2. To improve community’s livelihoods in agricultural, forestry and non-farm productions in order to contribute to improved incomes of the farmer households;
3. To support the development of production of the poorest farmers in five villages for an improvement of their economic status and for catching up with other members of their communities.
4. To improve accessibility to market of the local farmers in dealing with agro-products and other products to increase their cash for re-investment in productions and for livings.
5. To study and document models and approaches from real practices in promoting the strong points of the community’s assets to improve their living conditions in sustainable livelihood manner.

One of project activities is final evaluation before its closure. This activity will be conducted by an independent consultant with participation by the project partners and beneficiaries in the project sites. CSEED is looking for a consultant with relevant experience and background for the project final evaluation.

2. Objectives and contents of the final evaluation:
2.1. Relevance
Strong and weak points of the project design, approach and management; to what extent are the project’s interventions important to the target group?
Recommendations relating to project design and management; are the activities and output of the project consistent with the project goal and objectives?
To what extent are the initial objectives of the project still appropriate?
Is there a possibility of model replication?
2.2. Outcomes, Impacts and Effectiveness
The impacts of the project interventions for the beneficiaries: socio-economic changes of the community people and the local partners’ capacity;
How many people have been affected by the project?
Analyze the achievement of 5 objectives against expected outputs and indicators as stated in the project document
Analyze the objective factors that may have both positive and negative affects to the achievement of project objectives (socio-economic situation, support by the local partners, and other programs/projects in the project sites, etc.
Involvement of the community people in the project activities;
Gender mainstreaming in development of the project activities;
Impacts on the surrounding communities;

2.3. Efficiency
Efficient project management and administration systems of CSEED, district and commune partners in planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reports;
Were the objectives achieved on time?
Was the project implemented in an economically justifiable way under the given circumstances? Are there any benchmarks to support the answer?
2.4 Sustainability
To what extent are the benefits of the project likely to continue without further CSEED and  donor funding support?
What were the major factors which influenced the achievement or non-achievement of sustainability of the (programme or) project?
3. Methodology
Combine between desk review of secondary data (project proposal document, PRA report, progress reports,  Mid term evaluation report) and data collection in the field
Participatory evaluation by the stakeholders
Qualitative research: in-depth interviews and group discussions with the project beneficiaries including the village development boards, farmer interest groups and local officials involved in project management and implementation
Interviews with households involved in the project
Interviews with some households in the surrounding areas who are not project beneficiaries to make comparison
Case studies

4. Requirements and expected outputs for the consultancy
4.1. Requirements:
The incumbent should have post-graduation backgrounds in agricultural economy, economy, sociology, gender in development 
Experience in conducting evaluation of development projects in relevant areas;
Excellent analytic skills, writing reports in English and Vietnamese
4.2. Expected outputs:
Evaluation proposal, questionnaires and tools;
Collection, analysis and synthesis of evaluation information;
Evaluation reports (executive summary, description of the project and project context, findings related to the questions listed above, conclusions, recommendations and annexes) in English and Vietnamese (30-40 pages excluding annexes).
Dissemination of brief findings in the district
5. Tentative timeframe: 3rd – 4th weeks, March 2012.
6. Location: Van Quan district, Lang Son province
7. Consultancy fee:
Consultancy fee will be discussed with the selected consultant based on his/her background, experience and capacity.
Accommodation and food for the consultant during data collection in the field will be covered by CSEED and within CSEED norms
Contact details:
Interested candidates should their letter of interest, CV and a sample report to  [email protected] and [email protected]  before Friday, February 10, 2012.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.