Terms of Reference for Baseline Consultant
– Consultancy assistance to DFPA on programme in Uganda
and Kenya
0. Background
The Danish Family Planning Association is looking for a consultant to undertake a baseline study on an
advocacy programme on Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights. This programme consists of one project
in Uganda and one project in Kenya being implemented from 2014-2018 (four years).
The contract covers a two-months collaboration with the DFPA office in Copenhagen and our partners
Reproductive Health Uganda in Uganda (RHU) and Family Health Options Kenya in Kenya (FHOK) resulting
in two baseline studies.
DFPA completed a regional programme in December 2013 in East Africa. Both RHU and FHOK were part of
this programme, and the current projects are continuing a great part of the activities. The project strategy
and thus the outcomes and outputs of the projects have changed slightly to become more country focused.
A baseline was conducted in 2012, which provides a starting point for the baseline studies to be conducted
under this contract. The wish is to have the 2012 baseline up dated and supplemented with similar data
from new project sites. The analysis of need for data will be carried out by DFPA and partners.
DFPA at the same time wishes to enhance our knowledge management and learning in our projects and our
organisation contributing to improving our accountability and adaptive capacity. The baseline could
therefor also inform the refinement of the project indicators and/or targets.
DFPA has been engaged with our partner in Uganda, Reproductive Health Uganda, since 2005 and with our
partner in Kenya, Family Health Options Kenya, since 2010, and is currently implementing programmes on
Women’s Reproductive Rights, Reproductive health and rights and Sustainable Development, and Young
people’s Sexual Health and Rights. Engagement with other partners in Uganda and Kenya is in the pipeline.
DFPAs Theory of Change/intervention logic is to approach community issues from three angles1: Access to
improved service provision; empowerment to know and act on rights; advocacy to hold duty bearers
accountable. In the project concerning this contract, this is realised as improved access to Reproductive
Health services; creating demand among the community; and advocacy involving the women to hold duty
bearers accountable.
We take a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) to our field of work (sexual and reproductive health and
rights) and the implementation of projects with Southern partners. Using a human rights framework is
powerful because it recognizes and empowers persons as valuable individuals and citizens with a legitimate
claim towards their government. The approach is illustrated in the below figure2.
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In line with IPPFs ’triangle’ approach to youth programming, 2014
The figure was developed by HLMConsult for Ibis, 2004
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Right- responsibility - claim
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Duty bearer
Respects, protects
and fulfils rights
Fulfils
responsibility
towards
Human Rights are:
Universal
Inalienable
Indivisible
Claims
right
from
Right holder
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The ultimate expected outcome under this thematic area of work is that the project has contributed to the
strengthening of women’s Reproductive Health and Rights.
The ultimate outcome indicators are:
1. Knowledge, attitude and behaviour (KAB) of women regarding their reproductive rights in
intervention areas
2. KAB of duty bearers regarding reproductive rights in intervention areas
3. Increased accountability of health service providers providing RH services
4. Contraceptive prevalence rate in intervention area
5. Maternal Mortality Ratio in intervention areas
The expected intermediate outcomes and corresponding indicators are:
Expected Intermediate Outcomes
Expected Intermediate outcome 1.1
By 2017 demand for quality reproductive health
services has increased in intervention areas in
Uganda and Kenya
Selected Indicators
Capacity development and empowerment of women
regarding their reproductive rights and local
advocacy in intervention areas
Expected Intermediate outcome 1.2
1.Partners advocacy capacity index improved3
By 2017 partner organisations have increased access 2.Partners access to, participation in and influence
to and influence on prioritized/ relevant local and
on policy spaces/ policy implementation improved4
national Reproductive health and rights policy
development and implementation processes
The outcomes and indicators have been expanded and refined and the logical frameworks of both projects
will be available to the Consultant.
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The advocacy capacity index is a tool that measures advocacy capacity based on a number of specific capacity
indicators at the organisational level, capacity to do policy/stakeholder analysis etc. The tool provides a ‘score’, which
allows for continuous measuring of progress. The expected increase in % will be specified after an extensive baseline
in 2014.
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DFPA has developed a tool to measure this, that will be discussed and validated with partners during 2013
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1. Objectives
The main objective of the baselines is to provide DFPA with data that can be used to assess the projects’
impact by project completion. It shall provide an analysis or a ‘snapshot’ of the situation pre-operation in
relevant communities, institutions and organisations in the project sites concerning Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights (figures, violations, services, plans) , women’s socio-economic status, and
advocacy capacity.
A secondary objective is to provide the project with data on the target groups’ knowledge attitude and
practices concerning their SRHR and influence on this. The target group of women is organised into
women´s groups and an assessment of the capacity of the groups is needed. The methodology used for this
is open for discussion.
2. Scope of work
The assignment is to conduct a baseline study with sufficient data that enables our Planning, Monitoring
and Evaluation system to provide learning from monitoring, reviews and evaluation of this data as well as
improving our accountability.
The detailed tasks to be undertaken as part of the baseline will be proposed by the consultant and
developed with DFPA as part of the contract. The concrete content of the baseline will be defined together
with DFPA. The baseline in Uganda and in Kenya is to be conducted before October 2014
The Consultant will:
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Ensure a well-functioning baseline team
Hold Skype meeting with DFPA, preparatory and after field trip
Hold meeting with RHU in Uganda and FHOK in Kenya, preparatory and after field trip
Develop a framework, timeline and work plan for the baseline to be shared share with the team
Develop a brief inception report based on a desk study of among other documents the existing
2012 baseline and outlining approach, theory and methods to be used and available data
Develop relevant tools and/or revision of existing tools for collecting data
Travel to project sites in both Uganda and Kenya
Carry out two baselines and compile two baseline studies
Develop two draft baseline reports with a useful presentation of data and share the results with
DFPA and RHU/FHOK
Complete the two final Baseline Reports
Give recommendations to possible refinements of project indicators
These outputs should the DAC criteria and reflect state of the art within baseline studies.
The consultant is expected to begin with a desk study of the relevant project documents, data and theory
to form an inception report. This will be followed by field work in Uganda and Kenya at HQ level and in the
local project sites. The consultant will meet with RHU /FHOK at the onset of the consultancy, and with RHU
and FHOK respectively when presenting the baseline framework and after the field study when presenting
the draft report. The first meeting will also be used for requesting further information, documents and
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contacts from the partners. The consultant will have a debriefing with RHU, FHOK and the target groups
before leaving the countries.
The consultant will develop the baseline framework and necessary tools based on dialogue with DFPA and
RHU/FHOK. The Consultant will be responsible for organising the baseline and the team including the travel
and stay in Uganda and Kenya. The Consultant will be responsible for setting the Consultant team to
include possible field assistants and interpreters and ensuring a well-functioning team with clear roles,
responsibilities and timelines for all team members. RHU and FHOK will be available for assistance in terms
of establishing contact to stakeholders, interpreters and if necessary research assistant candidates. It is
suggested that the Consultant ensures to include senior management in the study to anchor the
methodology and the outcomes of the study in the organisation.
3. Approach
The baseline study should provide an accurate estimate of pre-operation conditions, and provide the
relevant and adequate data upon which the projects’ progress on generation of outputs, contribution to
outcomes and impact is assessed. It should provide data for monitoring the progress during
implementation and assessing the effectiveness and impact by project completion. This entails, in dialogue
with DFPA and our partner, to define and concretise the theory of change and assumptions embedded in
the project logic to ensure covering the right issues.
The baseline study is the first step in the project’s PM&E system. The baseline study gathers the
information to be used in subsequent assessments of how efficiently the project is being implemented and
the eventual results of the project, and forms a basis for setting performance targets and ensuring
accountability to partners and other stakeholders. It should be considered how data from the baseline
can most easily be integrated in the PM&E system for regular monitoring at field level, Head Quarter level
in Uganda and Kenya and at programme level in Copenhagen. The baseline study will also serve to test
indicators and determine the refinements necessary.
The key intention with the baseline is to have a basis from which the project can determine the change that
the intervention aims to bring about (i.e. expected results). Secondary changes and underpinning
assumptions may be assessed. The Consultant should thus apply state of the art within baseline studies and
preferably look to the newest approach and theory to assessing women’s lives, decision making power, and
issues around SRHR.
The baseline should look at which communities among the women are affected, what are the key issues
they face regarding SRHR and participation in decision making in the health sector, what are the relevant
socio-economic and educational indicators and trends in this context, what are the main social, political,
economic and technological factors that influence the issue in this context. If possible, past and future
trends should be included.
The project will involve health service providing institutions. The baseline should include health service
status in the study area including health workers, and potential baselines for macro-level contextual issues
from which to track impact.
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The Consultant will primarily work with the national and district Project Officers of the projects in question
and secondarily with relevant senior management.
The consultant will be responsible for managing the process and the timely and participatory involvement
of different stakeholders. It is vital that the consultant is able to travel to both Uganda and Kenya within the
budget.
4. Methodology
The choice of methods should be dependent on the anticipated information. The selected methods should
be qualitative and quantitative and a combination of methods is desirable to maximize the reliability of the
data. The sampling should be ‘representative’. When selecting data collection methods, the context of the
intervention need to be taken into consideration – e.g. cultural aspects (i.e. conduct separate Focus Group
Discussion for men and women).
Participatory methods are suggested whenever possible, as is the inclusion of stakeholders. The
stakeholders that should at least be involved are DFPA staff, RHU/FHOK staff and the target groups who are
women (and in Uganda also men), health service providers in RHU and FHOK clinics and management in the
health sector in project sites. The exact people to involve and possible other stakeholders will be defined
together with RHU/FHOK.
An inventory of existing information is vital. The methods used in the study need to be explained and
justified in detail in the baseline plan and in the baseline reports. It is vital to show where the data will be
accessed, and how many data sources will be used. Indicate which tools and methods will be used to
analyse data. A quality-control process should be built into each method used in the baseline study to
ensure that the data are collected according to the principles and criteria on which the study was
planned.
The Consultant should design the data collection tools, present them to DFPA and RHU/FHOK and if
possible pre-test them.
Visual items, including photographs, maps and diagrams, are important pieces of data and will be
welcome in the baseline study. It is often necessary to be creative and innovative about the data sources
used. The presentation of the data should include tables, diagrams, etc. to make it user friendly.
The baseline study should be meaningful, relevant, cost effective and not too academic.
5. Deliverables
The Consultant is expected to deliver the following to DFPA within the time line presented below:
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Inception report presenting data from both countries
Baseline plan
Two draft baseline reports
Final baseline report
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6. Reporting
Results of a baseline assessment should be interpreted and narrated in a standard, easy-to-read report. The
following is a suggestive table of contents. The wishes for data to be entailed in the baseline study will be
defined by DFPA before the inception report is expected. The final report should include discussion of the
following:
(a) The general framework of the assessment
(b) Techniques employed in information gathering
(c) The participative methodology used
(d) Tools used to collect and analyse the information
(e) The composition of the assessment team
(f) The range of stakeholders involved
(g) The limitations or constraints in terms of information gathering, the tool or other constraints faced by
the evaluation team.
(h) Presentation and analysis of findings in a quantitative and qualitative form.
(i) Conclusion with recommendations as how to work with the data through-out the project
implementation and as part of the evaluation.
7. Timing and work plan
The Consultancy should be undertaken in the period July 2014 – October 2014. The total number of
working days is expected to be 38 days. DFPA is open for a discussion of the time schedule.
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Activity
Skype meeting with DFPA, preparatory
Desk study
Baseline plan
Field study in Uganda (incl. meetings with RHU)
Draft Baseline Report
Debriefing with DFPA
Final Baseline Report
Field study in Kenya (incl. meetings with FHOK)
Draft Baseline Report
Debriefing with DFPA
Final Baseline Report
Total
Deadline
August 1. 2014
August 5. 2014
August 7. 2014
August 8. – August 21.
2014
August 25.2014
August 27. 2014
August 29. 2014
Sep 1. – Sep 12. 2014
September 16. 2014
Sep 18. 2014
September 22. 2014
Working Days
½ day
2 ½ days
2 days
10 days
4 days
½ day
2 days
10 days
4 days
½ day
2 days
38 days
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