The Vie, Te & Eneji Program (VTE phases I & II) have been designed to address the underlying factors that drive environmentally destructive practices while simultaneously introducing profitable activities that support land rehabilitation and stewardship. The overall goal of the program is to build resilience and improve the livelihoods of communities in rural Haiti.

The program seeks to sustainably increase incomes and agricultural productivity by promoting staple and high-value crop production, agro-forestry, animal husbandry activities, land rehabilitation, watershed management activities and the capacity of farmer organizations. VTE II builds on the key successes of Phase I with a greater focus on facilitating locally-led, sustainable, and scalable initiatives. The Credit for Conservation (CFC) program is an innovative method of promoting conservation. CFC incentivizes sustainable land management practices through a locally-led micro-credit program. With CFC, VTE II is testing a package of increased agricultural extension services, community mobilization activities and access to credit to assess if this trio of services will stimulate farmer-led implementation of sustainable land management practices on their land.

Purpose / Project Description:

The purpose of the end of program evaluation is to assess the results of the program in the target populations. This implies evaluating the program’s achievements in meeting the goals and objectives of the program and indicator targets. The final evaluation is expected to establish plausible links between program inputs and outcomes and results, and identify best practices and suggestions for improving upon future activities. Specifically the program would like suggestions regarding how it can evolve to become: 1) Scalable (replicable), 2) Locally-led and 3) More cost-efficient (lower per-beneficiary cost).


Consultant Objectives:

Determine the outcomes and results of the program.
The evaluator will be expected to analyze quantitative and qualitative data and report on the outcomes and results of the program on beneficiaries and their households. Outcomes refers to the effects of the more immediate tangible benefits (increased food production, increased diversification of production etc.), while results refer to changes in the lives of targeted rural households (improved food security, improved resilience of targeted households to cope with shocks and natural disasters affecting food security, etc). The observable changes in communities, in relation to the baseline and established objectives, should have resulted directly from program activities.

Determine the effectiveness of programmatic activities and alternative implementation approaches.
The evaluator is also expected to examine, as systematically and objectively as possible, how well the program attained its overall goal and strategic objectives and whether the achievements were efficient and sustainable. Focus may be placed on but not limited to: the credit for conservation methodology, the specific design components emphasized for the improved gardens, the extension strategy - provision of technical assistance to farmers by local agricultural extensionists (farmer-to-farmer), the capacity building activities of the local partners and the partnership with local organizations..

Evaluate the extent to which the program’s cross-cutting themes have been addressed and integrated.
The consultant will also be expected to evaluate how well the program has addressed and integrated cross-cutting themes such as Gender, Behavior Change as it relates to all four objectives. An evaluation on their effect and effectiveness on beneficiaries is important to designing future projects.

Examine the potential sustainability of established mechanisms and activities.
This refers to how the program activities will continue after the program ends, such as the degree to which established credit programsand microenterprises are likely to continue without program support; how gwoupman will continue with viable economic activities; the agroforestry parcels will continue to be maintained (and beneficiaries will become increasingly resilient to food security shocks); pass-ons will continue; and so forth. Overall, the evaluation needs to establish whether targeted beneficiaries will continue to have long-term positive benefits resulting from the program, including organizations whose capacity has been built by the program that may provide some continuation of the services once the activity has been completed.

Identify key lessons learned and best practices for replication.
The evaluator is also expected to draw key lessons learned (positive and negative) from MC and the partners that have been implementing the program. The evaluator should illustrate best practices for future replication. Specifically the program would like suggestions regarding how it can evolve to become: 1) Scalable (replicable), 2) Locally-led and 3) More cost-efficient (lower per-beneficiary cost). The consultant can also make recommendations based on the successes and best practices of similar programs.


Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:
Employ mixed methods to conduct a comprehensive final evaluation of the VTE II program in Commune Arcahaie, Haiti.
In addition to the endline survey, the consultant will collect contextual information using standard qualitative methods such as: focus group discussions and key informant interviews as well as results validation workshop.
The evaluation process will consult with and factor in needs and accomplishments of minorities including, but not limited to women, youth and children.
The consultant will participate in the development of the endline questionnaire to assure the proper measurement of factors that affect activity outcomes.
A scientifically-based sampling frame will be developed by the consultant to address the sample size and sample locations. Additional qualitative information will be collected by reviewing documents, direct observations, focus group discussions and key informant interviews with beneficiaries and other stakeholders (stakeholders will include creditbeneficiaries, agricultural volunteers, agri-business operators, partners, government officials (Casek and Asek) and program staff.)

The selected consultant will be responsible for coordinating with program staff and other potential interviewees for appointments, as well as ensuring that adequate resources are in place to have swift evaluation flow.

**Note: In order to maximize efficiency in data collection and analysis processes, survey data will be captured using tablets and relayed through a web-based interface so as to cut time on data entry.
imeframe / Schedule:

Date
Activity
No of Working days (6 day work week)
1st week of February 2015
Evaluator designs the end line survey tools with VTE M&E staff
2 days
1st, 2nd and 3rd weeks of February 2015
Conduct Interviews and focus groups
Up to 6 days (total)
2nd week February 2015
Send the end line survey to HQ for review (Monday) and incorporates HQ’s suggestions (Friday)
.5 days
3rd week February 2015
Training of the surveyors on the endline survey tool and trialing of the tool in the field with beneficiaries
3 days
4th week February- 1st week March 2015
Execution of the end line survey (VTE M&E team to oversee the execution – 6 days for TBW and 6 days for OPD8)
0 days
2nd & 3rd week March 2015
Analysis of data from the end line survey and writing of the first draft of the evaluation report
10 days
4th week March 2015
Circulate the report for Feedback and questions from MC and then incorporate/edit the report based on suggestions
2 days
1st week April
Final report submit by evaluator
0 days



The Consultant will report to:

The lead consultant will report to the VTE Program Manager, who will provide relevant program documentation (prepared or requested). The VTE Project Coordinator and M&E Officers will support the consultant access existing program data, reports and documentation, set up data collection with target beneficiaries, households, farmers and partners and support with arranging meetings, focus group discussions and key informant interviews.


The Consultant will work closely with:

The VTE Project Coordinator and M&E Officer will support the consultant access existing program data, reports and documentation, set up data collection with target beneficiaries, households, farmers and partners and support with arranging meetings, focus group discussions and key informant interviews.

Consultant Deliverables:
Comprehensive evaluation plan submit at the time of application including;
Evaluation methodology and sampling frame
Quantitative and qualitative protocols for data collection and analysis
Suggested improvements to evaluation scope
Revised evaluation timeline
Finalized quantitative and qualitative questionnaire instruments, developed with input from the MC team due one week after beginning of contract.
A presentation of initial findings to the MC VTE team upon completion of the field level assessment.
An electronic version of the final presentation prepared based upon the initial findings of the evaluation.
A summary version of findings.
Electronic files of the final quantitative and qualitative data collected.
One (1) electronic folder of all applications, modules, and scripts developed to organize, process and analyze the data.
Draft and final evaluation reports as per specified format (see below).

Relevant documents to review include the Program Proposal, Narrative Reports, Analysis of the Baseline Data