Consultancy Service to Conduct Baseline Survey (VOICES project) at CRS November 2024

Catholic Relief Services

 Consultancy Service to Conduct Baseline Survey for Vitalizing Opportunities in Circular Economy and Sustainable Solutions in Lake Tanganyika (VOICES)

in Kigoma Tanzania

1. Introduction

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its country-based partners Caritas Kigoma in Tanzania and Caritas Kasama in Zambia will implement the Vitalizing Opportunities in Circular Economy and Sustainable Solutions in Lake Tanganyika (VOICES) project to improve water quality in the basin of Lake Tanganyika through sustainable and inclusive economic practices. VOICES will support communities in Kigoma Region in Tanzania and in Mpulungu in Zambia to increase knowledge of the potential benefits of the circular economy among policymakers, businesses, consumers, and civil society, VOICES will reflect the diversity of the population with activities specific to each stakeholder, and by validating inclusive CE models in different local conditions. Through a Circular Economy Challenge Fund (CECF), VOICES will identify promising CE businesses, provide co-investment funds and critical technical assistance to help launch these businesses, and link them to Financial Service Providers for further scaling. These CE businesses expected to reduce waste, strengthen government capacity, improve livelihoods and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people, women and diverse community members, and improve the health of communities who live along the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

CRS will target the most successful of these businesses for expansion and replication in new areas to ensure scalability. CRS will prioritize waste reduction strategies and activities. Through an inclusive MSD approach, young people, adolescent girls and young women, women and men will have equitable opportunities to participate in CE businesses that are responsive to community needs and are tailored to regional and local job opportunities. VOICES will increase awareness of innovative approaches to community reduction of waste, improve the enabling environment for municipal waste management, increase education on CE practices and manage an innovative market systems development approach to invest in and test sustainable, scalable, profitable CE businesses that create local jobs and empower young people and women. VOICES will support the objectives of the TAKIWAMA project, building upon successes from other projects in the area. CRS will collaborate with ongoing projects in Tanzania and Zambia and advance cross- border knowledge sharing among countries that border the lake. Through VOICES, CRS will develop transparent, participatory mechanisms in design and implementation of activities to build trust among local stakeholders and optimize collaboration among other ongoing development initiatives in the lake basin.

Overall Project Objective: Water quality in the basin of Lake Tanganyika improved through sustainable and inclusive economic practices.

Specific Objective 1: Knowledge of the potential benefits of the circular economy among policymakers, businesses, consumers, and civil society (which represents the population in all its diversity) increased and applied in the different fields of activity specific to each stakeholder.

Output 1.1: Training and awareness-raising campaigns regarding circular economy practices organized

Output 1.2: Actions to support key stakeholders developed

Specific Objective 2: Inclusive circular economy models are tested and validated in different local conditions.

Output 2.1: Projects that use the circular economy approach in the solid waste and natural resources sectors developed and implementation supported

Output 2.2: Business ideas from the most profitable projects are presented to financial institutions or scaled up

2. Purpose of the Baseline

The baseline survey seeks to gather evidence on the current situation on Tanganyika water quality and solid waste management and CE practice in Kigoma. The primary objective of the baseline study is to generate values for key project indicators, as outlined in the approved Logframe; To ensure the relevance of project strategy and accountability, the study will also include primary data collection on the existing needs and gaps of key actors and opportunities and resources which could be leveraged to build the capacity of the key actors.

3. Objectives of the Baseline Study

The baseline study is expected to focus specifically on following baseline objectives.

1. Generate values for key project performance indicators prior to the start of implementation by data collection from various relevant respondents, including policymakers, businesses, consumers, and civil society
2. Identify the most relevant water quality parameters to be monitored by the project through a desk review of water quality and waste management documentation/reports for Lake Tanganyika.
3. Estimate quantity and composition of waste generated from targeted waste hotspot wards including households, market and commercial areas and institutions such as schools etc and its management practices with special focus on solid waste (organic, plastic, metal etc).
4. Identify and assess waste management services and control mechanisms in the project targeted LGAs, to identify gaps and possible sustainable solutions for the project interventions in relation to circular economy practices.
5. Increase understanding of the broader policy, institutional and cultural context in which this action is being implemented.
6. Identify the emerging circular businesses in waste value chains (individual pickers/collectors, transporters, recyclers, re user, repair and end-users of waste value-added products) and associated value propositions to inform the Action’s inclusivity strategies and targets.

4. Scope of the Baseline Survey 

The baseline-study will be conducted in Tanzania Kigoma (Kigoma MC, Kigoma DC). the baseline participants will include households, government representatives, SMEs, farmers and fishers, and civil society with inclusion of women and youth

5. Baseline Study Methodology 

The baseline study is a non-experimental and will employ a mixed-methods approach, relying on both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, to allow for triangulations and more insightful understanding of the numbers. Quantitative methods will include a household survey, targeting waste hotspot wards in districts targeted by the project intervention. The design will allow comparison of baseline values against values to be collected during annual, follow up assessments, as well as at the endline/final evaluation to track changes over time. The measurement units and respondents of the quantitative survey will depend on the indicators to be collected and specific objectives of the baseline survey.

The qualitative approach will mainly rely on Key Informant Interviews and FGDs with various targeted project participants. This methodology will generate rich data on participants opinions, gaps and opportunities for the success and sustainability of the project. Hired consultant is expected to propose, justify, and document a robust baseline study design and sampling strategy, as well as data collection tools and protocols, aligned key baseline study objectives highlighted above.

6. Required Activities by Consultancy

In close coordination with the CRS MEAL lead, the consultant will develop the baseline study design, implementation plan, and execution of the assignment. The consultant is expected to undertake the following key tasks:

• Conduct desk‐review of all project documents, including technical proposal, results framework, indicator reference sheet, workplan, etc., as well as relevant government official reports and research studies.
• Develop inception report, inclusive of the agreed upon study design protocol, methodology, sampling approach/calculation, indicators, data- gathering tools, qualitative tools, analysis plan and work plan schedule to carry out the assignment.
• Facilitate the recruitment of data collectors, develop and implement an enumerator training for the data collection teams (minimum 4 days), including pre‐testing of data collection tools in collaboration with the country project team.
• Solicit ethical approval and permission from respective authorities
• Supervise, manage, and provide quality assurance for data collection / field work
• Process/tabulate, clean, and analyze all quantitative and qualitative data
• Write baseline report for Tanzania and consolidating the standard report with findings from Tanzania and Zambia baseline reports.
• Develop summary PPT and present all key findings, conclusions, and recommendations, following the shared templates and guidance from CRS.

7. Deliverables

The key deliverables of the baseline survey include.

• Inception Report, which includes:
• Study Design, including a detailed Methodology and Sampling Plan
• All required data collection tools (English language)
• Data Analysis and Treatment Plan
• Field work plan
• Quality assurance plan
• Data collectors training materials (slides, handouts, etc.), training manual (including pilot testing/revision guidance)
• Baseline ethical approval and permission from respective authorities
• Baseline survey dataset syntax file (or Stata do file – preferred), cleaned data set and process followed during data verification and cleaning; valid baseline values for each of the above Performance Indicators for VOICES project
• All qualitative data, tabulated/analyzed, and translated into English
• Draft Baseline report for Tanzania as per CRS format
• Presentation (workshop) key baseline findings, conclusions, and recommendations (including for project work planning, MEAL plan, indicators, targeting, etc) presented to stakeholders
• Finalized standard Baseline Study Report with inclusion of Tanzania and Zambia Findings.

8. Requirements of the consultant

This baseline should be undertaken by a range of skills and experience to deliver an insightful baseline survey for the project. They should be expertise in circular economy, environmental conservation, quantitative and qualitative research and gender and youth inclusion. It is expected that the consultant will have the following qualifications and experience:

• Extensive and demonstrated experience in designing, facilitating, and coordinating baselines/evaluations/research in the related subject matter.
• Extensive and demonstrated experience in the use of mixed methods approaches (integrating quantitative and qualitative data), statistical analysis and interpretation of results.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate a multi-disciplinary team.
• Strong familiarity with the circular economy concept, principle and practices
• Strong familiarity with environmental challenges and existing strategies addressing water pollution in Lake Tanganyika.

9. Proposed Timeline

The assignment is expected to be completed within 60 days after signing the contract. The tentative timeline is December 24 to February 25.

10. Expression of Interest

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application including a technical proposal not exceeding ten pages and a budget in Tanzania Shillings detailing the following:

• Technical Proposal: Provide technical approaches, capability of the consultancy and execution timeline.
• Financial proposal: Include all proposed costs in local currency (i.e. consultation fees as well as operational costs in well stipulated manner.
• Registration certificate/license copy
• TIN certificate copy, Confirm EFD receipt
• A sample report of related previous work

Submission of Proposals

The proposal to be sent to the e‐mailed to reach the undersigned shared out to:

Country Manager

Catholic Relief Services – Tanzania Program

E-mail; [email protected]

Note: Please indicate “Expression of Interest for Consultancy Service Consultancy Service to Conduct Baseline Survey for Vitalizing Opportunities in Circular Economy and Sustainable Solutions in Lake Tanganyika (VOICES) in Kigoma Tanzania.”

Bid written in English addressed to the attention of the CRS / Tanzania Program Country Manager must be submitted to the above e-mail address on or before 2^nd December 2024 at 5:00 P.M

Award of Consultancy

CRS will evaluate the proposals and award the assignment based on technical and financial feasibility. CRS reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal received without giving reasons and is not bound to accept the lowest, the highest or any bidder. Only the successful applicant will be contacted. CRS does not charge any fees from applicants for any recruitment.  Further, CRS has not retained any agent regarding this assignment. You are advised that this RFP does not constitute in any way a commitment on the part of CRS/Tanzania or its agents, for any service requested.