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Tenders are invited for Consultancy for KOBAC Project Baseline Evaluation. Closing Date: 23 Sep 2026 Type: Consultancy Background Information Building Resilient Communities in Somalia (BRCiS) is a consortium of national and international organizations Action Against Hunger (ACF), Concern Worldwide (Concern), GREDO, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), KAALO, Save the Children, and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) as lead agency. BRCiS objective is to work across the humanitarian-development divide, supporting marginalized communities in disaster-prone, rural Somalia to become more resilient to shocks and stressed, including as a result of climate change. BRCiS approach is contextually adaptive, focused on the specific shocks, needs, and priorities of individual communities. BRCiS was established in 2013 and is now implementing projects funded by multiple humanitarian and development donors in more than ten regions of Somalia. The cumulative impact of climate-related disasters, conflict, and poverty has driven widespread displacement in Somalia, where nearly 20% of the population now lives in displacement. In Afgoye and Jowhar districts, displacement-affected communities (DACs) including both displaced persons and host communities face intensifying humanitarian needs and long-term vulnerabilities. In response, the Federal Government of Somalia has developed the National Solutions Pathway Action Plan (2024-2029), a multi-year strategy aligned with its National Transformation Plan (2025-2029) to support one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in transitioning out of displacement through strengthened government leadership and durable solutions. To build on past EU investments and consolidate government capacity for durable solutions management, the BRCiS Consortium, comprising the Norwegian Refugee Council, Concern Worldwide, and local partners WARDI and HIJRA, has partnered with the Federal Government of Somalia, particularly National Centre for Rural Development and Durable Solutions (NCRDS) to design a government-driven, area-based Action. Funded by the EU, the 36-month KOBAC (Capacity-building Opportunities for the Betterment of Displacement Affected Communities) project will be implemented in Afgoye and Jowhar starting February 2026, aiming to strengthen government forced displacement management capacity and multiply the effects of ongoing and future investments in the region. KOBAC will support DACs alongside local, state, and federal authorities by working closely with NCRDS to achieve three interconnected outcomes: Outcome 1: Relevant national and local authorities coordinate and deliver inclusive urban services that are accountable to displacement-affected communities in secondary cities. Outcome 2: Mandated local authorities collaborate with DACs and the private sector to jointly design, deliver, and maintain sustainable urban infrastructure in high-displacement areas, fostering inclusive growth and long-term resilience. Outcome 3: DACs access livelihood opportunities directly linked to the operation, maintenance, and sustainability of services and urban infrastructure in high-displacement areas. Rooted in a human rights-based approach, the Action places citizens interests at the centre of Somalias durable solutions agenda. DACs themselves are the primary target group, with all community members considered final beneficiaries through a non-discriminatory and inclusive approach aimed at delivering social cohesion. This Terms of Reference (ToR) is designed to engage a qualified consulting firm to lead the performance evaluation for the KOBAC project. The ToR outlines the purpose and objectives of the consultancy, the scope of work, evaluation objectives, proposed methodology, expected deliverables, management arrangements, workplan, and the required qualifications and experience. 2. Purpose, objectives and scope of the evaluation 2.1 Purpose This ToR seeks to engage a qualified consulting firm to develop the KOBAC projects performance evaluation framework, tools, and processes, applicable to the baseline, midline, and endline surveys, and to lead the baseline evaluation cycle under the overall strategic guidance of the NCRDS and BRCiS Consortium Management Unit (CMU). For the baseline phase, the consultant will provide technical support during data collection, conduct data quality assurance, undertake comprehensive analysis and produce the baseline evaluation report, with subsequent midline and endline evaluations to be contracted separately. Additionally, the consultant will co-facilitate the dissemination of baseline findings alongside NCRDS and BRCiS to relevant stakeholders, promoting learning and informing evidence-based decision-making. The evaluation framework will apply a contribution analysis lensrather than an attribution-focused study designto assess the projects role in observed results, both intended and unintended, while explicitly accounting for contextual factors that may influence outcomes. Findings are expected to generate robust evidence to support adaptive management and strengthen stakeholder accountability. 2.2. Objectives The primary objective of this assignment is twofold: first, to develop a comprehensive performance evaluation framework, tools, and processes for the KOBAC project aligned with the NCRDS led National Solutions Pathway Action Plan (NSPAP), EU evaluation requirements, and relevant BRCiS Consortium projects evaluation framework, including AARAN and URBANISE and applicable to the KOBAC baseline, midline, and endline surveys; and second, to lead the KOBAC baseline evaluation cycle. Under this ToR, the consultant will design the overarching evaluation methodology and all associated measurement tools, while implementation will be limited to the baseline phase. The midline and endline evaluations will be contracted separately, though the framework and tools developed under this assignment will be utilized for subsequent phases to ensure methodological consistency and longitudinal comparability. Baseline Survey Objectives: Establish pre-intervention benchmarks across KOBAC logframe KPIs, disaggregated by location, gender, age, and displacement status (IDP, returnee, refugee, host community), to serve as the foundation for subsequent midline and endline surveys. Given that Outcome 3 participants will not yet be identified at baseline, this phase will focus exclusively on population-level data collection for Impact, Outcome 1, and Outcome 2 indicators. Understand contextual factors and risks that may affect project implementation. Recognizing that major project interventions have been defined through extensive government and DAC consultations during the inception stage, provide actionable recommendations to ensure delivery approaches remain contextually relevant and aligned with project stakeholders needs from the outset. All KOBAC evaluation tools will be designed to ensure alignment with NCRDSs National Solutions Pathway Action Plan (NSPAP), EU evaluation requirements and standards, and BRCiS Consortium measurement approaches, particularly AARAN and URBANISE projects. These tools will be utilised for KOBAC baseline, midline, and endline assessment frameworks to facilitate seamless integration into subsequent evaluation reports. Throughout the development process, the consultant will consult with NCRDS and the BRCiS CMU to maximize alignment and interoperability with existing measurement tools. Findings from the KOBAC baseline assessment will serve as a critical evidence benchmark for NCRDS, informing the projects contribution to the National Solutions Pathway Action Plan and strengthening government capacity in forced displacement management, while also equipping BRCiS and KOBAC implementing partners with established baseline benchmark and ensure planned activities remain aligned with evidence-based priorities and the prevailing project context 3. Evaluation Scope, Framework and Approach The evaluation will cover baseline assessment of the project across project target locations in Afgoye and Jowhar districts. It will engage all relevant stakeholder groups, including displacement-affected communities (displaced persons and host communities), local authorities, state and federal government representatives, NCRDS and implementing partners. Guided by the OECD-DAC criteria, specifically relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability, the evaluation will focus on the projects performance across the following core domains: (i) institutional capacity of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and local municipalities to coordinate, monitor, and deliver inclusive durable solutions, measured via in-depth qualitative rubrics; (ii) self-reliance within displacement-affected communities (DAC), tracking enhanced access to basic services, Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) rights, and economic livelihoods for marginalized groups, alongside meaningful inclusion of youth and women; and (iii) social cohesion and collective action among DAC communities and (iv) the extent to which the project has strengthened the institutional and technical capacity of local authorities to sustainably operate and maintain the project-implemented green urban infrastructures. Baseline Phase: Data collection will focus exclusively on population-level surveys for Impact, Outcome 1, and Outcome 2 indicators, as these measure community-wide changessuch as self-reliance, social cohesion, government capacity, tenure security, and perceptions of municipal inclusivitythat apply to the general population in target locations regardless of direct project participation. Given that Outcome 3 participants (beneficiaries receiving intensive livelihood support, including business groups, food producers, and TVET graduates) will not yet be identified during the baseline phase, Outcome 3 baseline values will not be co Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4229378/consultancy-kobac-project-baseline-evaluation
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