Terms of Reference for conducting a Baseline Study and Market Assessment for the project”Improved green culture and climate change resilience within Rwandan rural communities” at AVSI Rwanda: (Deadline 15 April 2024)

Terms of Reference for conducting a Baseline Study and Market Assessment for the project”Improved green culture and climate change resilience within Rwandan rural communities” at AVSI Rwanda: (Deadline 15 April 2024)

Context

AVSI Foundation, created in Italy in 1972, is a non-governmental organization which carries out development cooperation and humanitarian aid projects throughout the world.

AVSI started intervening in Rwanda in 1994, just after the Genocide against the Tutsis with emergency operations. Now its affiliated body AVSI Rwanda transitioned to long-term development interventions that contribute to the socio-economic transformation of the Country and registered at Rwanda Government Board (RGB) as local NGO under Reg. N°: 717/RGB/NGO/LP/12/2020. Its mission is to promote the dignity of the person through development cooperation activities. In Rwanda AVSI accompany more than 240,000 people with projects of Education, Child Protection and Youth Rights, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Mental Health, Economic Empowerment, Climate Change and Agriculture in 7 districts.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Rwanda (MoE) and the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security on 11 November 2021 aiming at strengthening bilateral collaboration on sustainable development, AVSI Foundation and REMA have developed together with REDO and IPRC Tumba (local organizations), RFA (Rwanda Forest Authority) and Ruhango District a project called “Improved green culture and climate change resilience within Rwandan rural communities”, whose donor is the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security.
The project’s primary objective is to mitigate GHG emissions, improve living conditions and strengthen resilience to climate change of Ruhango district population through cleaner and energy-efficient cooking solutions and agro-forest sustainable development.

In the framework of this project, AVSI Rwanda – affiliated body of AVSI Foundation – is selecting a consultant responsible for conducting a Market Assessment and Baseline Study according to the instructions contained in these Terms of Reference.

1. Objectives and activities description

Objective

The Market Assessment and Baseline Study aims at assessing the project starting situation, identifying project’s performance indicators and baseline values, while also orienting actions from real situation in Ruhango district, specifically in Kinazi, Ntongwe and Ruhango sectors.

Activities

The comprehensive market assessment and baseline study will concern traditional cooking practices, awareness of clean cooking, and issues related to deforestation/agroforestry through the following activities.

• Collection and analysis of primary and secondary data and information regarding the following issues.
  • Total population / number of families / members per family;
  • Average monthly income per family;
  • Traditional cooking methods (schools and households’ habits, related health problems, CO2 emissions);
  • Estimation of potential market for improved cookstoves (number of families/schools still using traditional stoves VS number of families/schools using an improved cookstoves);
  • % of households with access to electricity;
  • Energy source for cooking (percentage of charcoal, gas, wood, electricity);
  • Monthly expenditure on primary fuel per family and purchase frequency;
  • Cooking fuel market (charcoal, briquettes, gas, electricity etc. distribution, prices, quantities, quality, and origin);
  • Types and quantities of stoves used by families (traditional charcoal stove, three stones, gas stove, electric stove, improved wood stove, improved charcoal stove in %);
  • Technical characteristics (materials, efficiency, durability), prices and photos of the most commonly used stoves (wood/charcoal, traditional/improved);
  • Initiator/decision-maker for the purchase of a new cookstove;
  • Means of payment for cookstoves by families;
  • Cook stoves market (producers/distributors of cookstoves and / or potential producers – name, governance/shareholders, location, equipment, models, potential production capacity, number of stoves sold per month/model, main production costs, main markets);
  • Main reasons why households do not buy and/or use improved cookstoves – knowledge, attitudes and practices related to cook stoves and fuel;
  • Main reasons why schools do not use LPG cookers – knowledge, attitudes and practices related to LPG;
  • Households’ and schools’ awareness about traditional cooking environmental, social, health and economic risks;
  • Households’ and schools’ awareness about clean cooking and its environmental, social, health and economic benefits;
  • Main critical areas of deforestation (locations, causes, impacts);
  • Identification and assessment of existing and potential value chains within the project area, focusing on agroforestry, timber, and non-timber forest products;
  • Afforestation’s existing tools and methods possibly highlighting gaps and needs.
• Data analysis and preparation of the comprehensive report.
• Baseline value of the overall project’s performance indicators;
• Description of the cooking and fuel methods and markets and findings from primary and secondary data collection;
• Baseline knowledge, attitudes and practices related to cook stoves and fuel (behaviour determinants);
• Assessment of households’ and schools’ awareness about traditional cooking and clean cooking environmental, social, health and economic risks and benefits;
• Identification (suggestions) of strategies or ideas to promote environmental awareness and improved cookstoves in targeted areas;
• Identification (suggestions) of strategies or ideas to promote environmental awareness and LPG cookers use in schools;
• Identification (suggestions) of key arguments/reasons to persuade individuals to use and / or purchase an improved cook stove or an LPG cooker;
• Identification of the most critical areas of deforestation, including locations, causes and impacts;
• Demonstration of a list of existing or potential value chain economically viable in the project area, focusing on agroforestry, timber, and non-timber forest products;
• Evaluation of existing afforestation tools and methods, highlighting any gaps and needs.

2. Deliverables

Based on the collected information and market observation, the consultant is required to submit a comprehensive report with the following minimal content:

• Baseline Report, presenting lists, tables, facts, and figures depicting the initial situation
• Market Assessment Report
• An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), accompanied by an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP)
• A conflict sensitivity analysis report for the project
• A concise PowerPoint presentation summarizing the reports in no more than 20 slides
• A final workshop presentation to AVSI Rwanda, REDO and their partners, highlighting the findings of the assessments
• Data Collection Tools
• Copies or links to secondary sources
• Original questionnaires used during interviews with households, key informants

Outline of the Report:

• Cover Page, Table of Contents, Executive Summary (an independent document summarizing the methodology, major findings, conclusions, and recommendations) – Objectives of the Baseline Study – Survey Questions: Main survey question and derived sub-questions – Methodology Justification: Explanation of methods, techniques, underlying values, assumptions, theories, and selection criteria for interviewees, with acknowledgment of any limitations – Findings and Analysis: Presentation and analysis of findings, including unexpected discoveries, addressing key priority areas – ESIA Section: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment – Conflict Analysis Section: Analysis of potential conflicts related to the project – Conclusions: Derived from findings and analysis – Recommendations: Practical recommendations related to conclusions, potentially divided for various stakeholders, along with identified risks and mitigation actions.
• Appendices: Terms of Reference, Data Collection Techniques and Interviewees, List of Questions or Interview Guide, Concepts and Abbreviations, Bibliography, Baseline Team Composition

3. Experiences and required competences

Education:

University Master’s Degree or at least a bachelor’s in environmental sciences, Life and Earth Sciences, Social Sciences, Local Development, Development Planning, Natural Resource Management, Agricultural Economics or any other equivalent degree in one of the disciplines necessary for the expertise.

Experiences:

• Have a minimum of 5 years of experience in development management;
• Possess other required skills, including environmental management, local development, integrated development, socio-economic development;
• Have a strong experience in baseline survey, market study and analysis (5 years);
• Have an excellent understanding of the local development context;
• Demonstrate experience in clean cooking and afforestation programs;
• Have experience in socio-economic analysis;
• Demonstrate experience in participatory analysis in rural areas;
• Ability to conduct analyses, draw relevant conclusions, and make constructive proposals;
• Ability to write quality reports in English.

4. Evaluation Criteria

The proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria outlined in the section below.

5. Submission Guidelines

Interested candidates are required to submit a complete proposal including:

• Technical proposal
• Financial proposal
• Curriculum Vitae
• Any documentation proving the experiences and studies declared in the CV
• Three references, including their contact information, from past clients
• Tax Clearance Certificate

Applications must be submitted through the following method:

• By email at the following address: kigali@avsi.org

Documents must be presented in one single PDF file.

The submission deadline is 15/04/2024

6. Deliverables deadlines

The assessment and survey period will span in total 25 working days, comprising approximately 5 working days for tool preparation and document review, 10 working days for data collection, 5 days for compiling, analyzing, drafting, and completing the comprehensive report. Following this, the consultant will organize a feedback meeting to present a draft of the report to AVSI Rwanda and its partners. After incorporating any feedback received, a final report will be delivered in 5 working days.

7. Payments

Upon completion of specific milestones, payments will be made according to the following schedule:

• 40% upon contract signing;
• 40% upon submission of a comprehensive draft Report inclusive of all deliverables outlined earlier, Data Collection Tools, Copies or Links to secondary sources;
• 20% after the final review and approval of the Reports.

Done at Kigali, 22^st March 2024

Lorette Birara

Legal Representative of

AVSI Rwanda

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