In-depth study to identify best evidence for improving Ethiopia’s Agricultural Extension Performance and assess its best use
Introduction and Background
Oxfam America -Horn of Africa Regional Office (OA-HARO) has received grant from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to implement a project on Strengthening Ethiopian Agricultural Extension System (SEAES) in collaboration with Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) and in partnership with Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). The purpose of the project is to improve the productivity and production of smallholder farmers/ pastoralists through strengthening the frontline extension service delivery system at selected Pastoralist/Farmer Training Centers (P/FTCs) in all regions of Ethiopia over four year period.
The project seeks to demonstrate the value of a demand (farmer) driven extension approach( one that puts farmer voice at its center) through piloting performance management system (AEPMS) that can be adopted and scaled up by the MoA and Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA). AEPMS can be effective and serve the purpose when there is best use of evidence to improve performance/service provision through making informed decisions. An in-depth study on “how can the extension system and strategy best use evidence to improve its performance and what is the best evidence for this purpose” will be carried out so as to meet the general and specific objectives of the study stated below
Purpose of Consultancy: The objective of the study is to identify and assess the best evidence needed by decision makers and practitioners to improve the current performance and quality of Ethiopian agricultural extension system and also explore the means for the best use of these evidences. Findings from this study will contribute to the ongoing effort to design and strengthen performance management system of Ethiopian Agricultural Extension System.
Obviously, evidence based decision-making is the central element to provide, quality and demand based agricultural extension service. But what matters is to what extent the system is using evidence to improve the sector and the performance of the agricultural extension system through making informed decisions, as well as the type and quality of evidence that the system is using for the purpose of decision making and improving practices. These are areas that should be looked at carefully.
The study shall cover ten purposely selected Woredas of four major regions (Oromia, Amhara, Tigray and SNNPRs) where OA/SG 2000, ATA and AGP operates. The consultant shall select sample Woredas in consultation with stakeholders – such as MoA, ATA, OA and SG 2000.
The specific objectives of this study are to:
Identify available evidence/information (with its indicators) regularly used by the Ethiopian Agricultural Extension Systems at different levels and also any important but missed evidence,
With a pre-set criteria, the consultant will assess the uses of those identified evidence or information for decision making and improving extension systems performance in Ethiopia (taking care of their wider uses and replications ) and assign degrees of importantce/rank for each,
Select best performance indicators that provides evidence/information mostly on higher level outputs and outcome that transforms the performance of the extension systems.
Identify existing gaps/limitations and strengths in using evidence for decision making to improve the extension service delivery.
Identify how the existing extension system can best use evidence to improve its performance?
Propose the mechanism how the proposed information or evidence can be best used for the intended purpose and scale up nationally ,
Methodology
The study will be carried out in the four AEPMS pilot woredas and four non AEPMS Woredas of the Amhara and Tigray regions listed above. Data/information for this study will be collected from the Regional Bureau of Agriculture (BoA) of the three selected regions and also from the four e selected pilot Woreda experts/Subject Matter Specialists (SMSs), as well as from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Ag. Extension project primary change agents (beneficiaries- farmers/pastoralist).The primary and secondary data collection methods will be employed. Secondary data will be collected by reviewing government reports, relevant studies, evidences from similar initiatives (like M&E work by FAO, World bank, RED &FS Sector Working Group M&E etc.), and other relevant documents/ reports on different donor programs like RCBP, EAAPP etc.,). Focus Group Discussion (FGD), Key Informant Interview (KII) and checklists/interview questions prepared for this purposes will be used gather primary data for this study. KII and FGDs will be made with DAs, management committee of the sample P/FTCs, SMS as well as with the extension and planning department of MoA and their respective representatives at regional and woreda levels. The assessment must cover all DAs and P/FTC management committees working in the six (6) sample F/PTCs (2 from each of the three woredas) as well as the relevant people at MoA, BoA and woreda levels.
Based on the information gathered, the consultant will undertake the necessary analysis to identify the strengths, gaps/ limitations and propose best evidences (indicators & information) to be collected and used by the system and the ways to use evidences for decision making/improvement of the system. The consultant will present the draft study report at a validation workshop at which all the key stakeholders including extension managers and DAs will participate. The detailed methodology is expected from the consultant.
Tasks by the consultant
Desk review of relevant documents, related studies and reports available at MOA, OA, SAA, and ATA and initial brainstorming discussions with project partners mainly with OA, SAA, MoA, ATA ,ALINe & Keystone (one week)
Develop the tools for data collection ( interview questions, KII checklists, FGD checklists etc.,) and describe the detailed methodology/study design to be employed for carrying out the study, work-plan, team roles and responsibilities, required deliverables and outline of the first draft reports, list of key informants, and method of data analysis (five days)).
Submit the inception reports (not more than 10 pages excluding the annex which shows the checklists and survey questionnaire) that has the introduction, background, objectives and scope of the evaluation, detailed descriptions of methodologies and data collection tools explained under (1) above and agree with OA-HARO and other stakeholders on inception report and methodologies (three days)
Primary data collection from relevant sector offices at the field (FTCs, woredas, regions, and and Federal government offices) and secondary data from the same using the agreed tools and methods (two weeks)
Carrying out data analysis and the production of draft reports (with in 10 days after data collection) that mainly focuses on:
Outlining the kind of available evidences, missed ones, and those evidence selected as best by the consultants (with justifiable reasons), with frequency of collecting those evidences and how these evidences are being used, and recommendation on how, and what evidences should be collected (including “how often” it will be collected), and how best it will be used for the improvement of Ag extension performance based on the finding with regards to the existing gaps & strengths.
A final report incorporating comments, concerns and feedbacks from the validation workshop
f. Production of final reports after incorporating comments from all stakeholders (10 days)
Expected Outputs/Deliverables
The core deliverables required from the consultant(s):
Submission of inception reports with survey instruments, agreed /detailed methodology, outline of the report, roles and responsibilities of the team and work plan for the study,
Draft report that shows analysis of the existing evidences being used, important but missed evidence, existing gaps, criteria for selecting the best evidence (indicators, information), and the selected best evidence required (to be used) to improve performance of the the Ethiopian extension services (i.e. to improve agricultural extension MEL systems)
Production of the draft report should also contain proposal/recommendation on the mechanisms/ how the selected and proposed information or evidences will be best used for the intended purpose,
Production of final report after incorporating comments from all stakeholders (including inputs from the validation workshops),
Reporting and Communication:
The consultant will hold a contract with OA-HARO and report to the Ag extension project coordinator/MEL Officer. The consultant shall present the findings, recommendations and implementation proposal on “how best use of evidence from the selected key indicatorsfor the improvement of extension service” will be materialized at a validation workshop.
Payment of the Consultancy
The payment for this consultancy will happen in three installments:
Payment
Amount
Note
1
20%
Upon the contract signing
2
30%
Upon submission of the draft report for the validation workshop
3
50%
After submission of the final report to the client
Qualification and Work experience
The assignment will require a team of consultants with extensive experience on Ethiopian extension service planning, monitoring and evaluation, including information generation and management. Experience in performance management, of the public extension service delivery in the agricultural sector is also desirable. The lead and associate consultant should satisfy the following minimum education and professional qualification requirements:
A Master’s degree or equivalent in Agricultural Extension/Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, or Rural Development but with at least 10 years of experience in undertaking high quality research or evaluations on agricultural extension, and agricultural sector and rural development, Experience in designing, planning, monitoring and evaluation of agricultural extension programs and projects in particular and agricultural sector programs in general, excellent report writing, and written communication skills in English.
Logistics
The consultant is responsible for all expenses related to this work and has to clearly indicate all the costs in the financial proposal.
Duration of the consultancy
The duration of the study will not exceed a period of 50 days, including desk review, inception reports, fieldwork, and consultations with stakeholders, local travel time, research, report writing, comment management and validation workshop and final report submission. Hence, the consultancy assignment should be finalized on Nov 31st 2014
Application Procedures
The consulting firm should submit the technical and financial proposals in separate sealed envelopes by September 5, 2014 during office hours to Oxfam America Horn of Africa Regional Office/ Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Bole Road, DH Geda Tower, 5th floor As part of the technical proposal, the consulting firm shall attach copies of
Renewed business license;
VAT registration certificate and other legal documents;
Certification from clients for whom a consultancy assignment has been carried out;