Consultancy for study on access to credit in South Central Somalia
-Adeso
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Background:In response to the famine in Southern and Central Somalia, several agencies have been implementing an unconditional cash transfer intervention from August 2011 until end of March 2012, a second round from April to October 2012.
This initiative represents a comprehensive effort to address the
alarming food insecurity of the most vulnerable households.
Adeso, Danish Refugee Council, Save the Children and Action
Against Hunger (ACF) International formed the Cash Consortium that is currently
implementing the Food Assistance to South Central Somalia (FASCS) project since
September 2011.
The objective of the project is to provide vulnerable households
in South and Central Somalia with access to basic food and non-food
needs.
The project is providing households that are experiencing food
and livelihoods crisis, with unconditional cash grants in order to allow them
to purchase their food and non-food basic items.
The project is being implemented in Lower Juba, Gedo, Hiran, and
Mogadishu regions of South and Central regions in Somalia.
The FASCS project has completed first phase that reached over 40,000 households with monthly cash transfer for six months. During the phase I, Consortium agencies transferred a total of USD 29 million to vulnerable households.
The FASCS project has completed first phase that reached over 40,000 households with monthly cash transfer for six months. During the phase I, Consortium agencies transferred a total of USD 29 million to vulnerable households.
The project is in the process of moving to next phase
interventions, the lessons learnt in the earlier phase will guide and assist in
strengthening of interventions for the next phase.
During phase I, the Consortium had a strong common M&E approach with involvement of ODI as the external expertise agency.
During phase I, the Consortium had a strong common M&E approach with involvement of ODI as the external expertise agency.
The scope of consortium-wide M&E framework got extended to form
the Somalia Cash and Voucher Monitoring Group (CVMG) forum with involvement of
other agencies using common M&E tools to document evidences on cash
programming at scale.
The consortium is an active member of the CVMG, which provides
ample learning across different organizations on cash based interventions in
the regional context of South Central Somalia.
As part of the common M&E framework, ODI as the independent
expertise agency supports the CVMG wide M&E processes, which include
process monitoring of project, household impacts monitoring and markets
monitoring of cash based interventions of CVMG members.
M&E tools like baseline surveys, monthly and quarterly post
cash distribution monitoring, weekly markets monitoring, beneficiary complaints
and qualitative data collections through independent field monitors are
used.
The CVMG has concluded the phase I monitoring exercise and CVMG
wide M&E report for first phase is available.
Scope of the study:
To address the famine in Southern Somalia in 2011, urgent humanitarian assistance was required on a large scale, the Food Assistance to South Central Somalia project of Cash Consortium was implemented as a life saving response through unconditional cash transfer to vulnerable households to support increased access to food and non-food items in the context of famine and drought in South Central Somalia.
As per the monitoring reports of the project, the intervention had different impacts on targeted beneficiaries and on local economy.
Scope of the study:
To address the famine in Southern Somalia in 2011, urgent humanitarian assistance was required on a large scale, the Food Assistance to South Central Somalia project of Cash Consortium was implemented as a life saving response through unconditional cash transfer to vulnerable households to support increased access to food and non-food items in the context of famine and drought in South Central Somalia.
As per the monitoring reports of the project, the intervention had different impacts on targeted beneficiaries and on local economy.
Some of the key impacts at household level include increase in
household spending, changes in food consumption patterns and expenditure on
food, changes in coping strategies, and changes in household income and debt
levels, and increased access to credit among beneficiaries benefiting the
targeted households to better cope with the situation.
The monitoring findings specific to access to credit systems states that the beneficiaries at the time of baseline had little household income and high household debts.
The monitoring findings specific to access to credit systems states that the beneficiaries at the time of baseline had little household income and high household debts.
As a result of cash transfer, household income has increased and
debt has decreased to some extent.
The increased income of the beneficiary households has allowed
them to access more credit from local traders.
As per the CVMG phase I monitoring report by ODI, 78% of sampled
beneficiary households were able to access more credit when needed, which helps
in improving household resilience to future crisis.
Further, households reported spending over 20% on debt repayment
(usually debt accrued through buying food on credit from local traders) from
the cash transfer that they received.
The elements of access to credit in different forms have relationship with coping mechanisms of beneficiaries during crisis situation.
The elements of access to credit in different forms have relationship with coping mechanisms of beneficiaries during crisis situation.
Accessing credit to purchase food or accessing items on credit
is a common coping strategy in Somalia. Traditionally in Somalia, the provision
of credit is an essential coping mechanism.
Pastoralist and agro-pastoralist households commonly go into
debt to meet their basic food and non-food needs such as water, food, seeds,
etc. Repayment is then paid once livestock is sold, or when crops are
harvested.
Low purchasing power due to loss of income or assets, or resulting from increased expenditure, can result in high levels of debt among poor households.
Low purchasing power due to loss of income or assets, or resulting from increased expenditure, can result in high levels of debt among poor households.
High levels of debt within a community can in turn lead to the
collapse of the credit system. A cash-based response may help revitalize such
system of credits in communities.
Considering the linkage with cash transfer program and ability to access credit among vulnerable households, the consortium looks forward to conduct this specific study to understand the relationship of cash transfer program with access to credit and its significance in building resilience among vulnerable households and levels of access to credit among health groups, gender, seasonality, humanitarian support and livelihood assets.
Considering the linkage with cash transfer program and ability to access credit among vulnerable households, the consortium looks forward to conduct this specific study to understand the relationship of cash transfer program with access to credit and its significance in building resilience among vulnerable households and levels of access to credit among health groups, gender, seasonality, humanitarian support and livelihood assets.
The study is expected to provide more insights and analysis on
the existing credit systems in the project areas of the cash consortium, the
study would also potentially look at the trends in credit systems and its
positive or negative impacts in relation to cash transfer projects.
The outcomes and findings of the study will be useful to humanitarian actors to understand the issues around credit and significance of cash transfer in relation to increasing access to credit systems among vulnerable households.
Purpose and objectives the study:
The outcomes and findings of the study will be useful to humanitarian actors to understand the issues around credit and significance of cash transfer in relation to increasing access to credit systems among vulnerable households.
Purpose and objectives the study:
- To analyze and
document existing practices around access to credit among beneficiaries in
relation to types of credit systems (cash/in-kind), duration of credit and
seasonality, credit volumes and existing repayment systems and interest
rates, gender relations, conditionality to access credit by money lenders
and type of actors involved in the providing credit services.
- To analyze and
assess the impact of cash transfer program on local credit systems in the
project areas and document differences in existing practices in relation
to rural and urban areas and differences in TFG and AS controlled areas as
well as review of emerging trends.
- To explore the
possible linkage of cash transfer program in emergency to credit systems
and see the relationship of the same in building community resilience in
relation to health groups, seasonality, humanitarian support and
livelihood asset levels.
Within the overall framework of the study, it is essential to
have specific focus on women and the study should review the issues around
access to credit from a gender perspective.
Methodology and process:
The methodology will be further defined by the consultant. The consultant will finalize the methodology to undertake this study and share with Cash Consortium.
Methodology and process:
The methodology will be further defined by the consultant. The consultant will finalize the methodology to undertake this study and share with Cash Consortium.
The consultant would be expected to deploy participatory
methodologies that would facilitate extraction of critical information necessary
to inform this study.
The following things are expected to be considered while
developing study methodology by consultant:
- Literature
review of different secondary data and reports in relation to access to
credit and related practices in the context.
- Review of
existing M&E reports of CVMG and Cash Consortium and other project
related documents of the Cash Consortium in reference to the issues of
access to credit among beneficiaries.
- Presentation on
study methodology to TWG of Cash Consortium and modify the changes in
methodology based on the feedbacks.
- Develop data
collection tools and framework to guide the process of data collection.
- The study is
expected to cover regions of Gedo, Lower Juba, Mogadishu and Hiran in
South Central Somalia, where consortium agencies are implementing the
project, either direct implementation or implementation through partners.
- Field work
visits, some of the areas covered by Consortium are having limited access,
the consultant can explore possibility of having independent short term
local personnel having access to field location under direct supervision
arrangements for data collection.
- In case of
consultant planning to have independent arrangement of deploying local
team to collect data, necessary details of the locally deployable team
should be provided and should be reflected in the proposal budget.
- The field teams
of consortium working on ground are available to support basic data
collection with appropriate guidance and training. It is to be noted that
the field teams of project are not necessary equipped with professional
skills in the sector of gender analysis.
- Consultant
should submit detailed work plan/schedule for the stipulated period of
consultancy assignment.
Possible Field work:
The consultant will prepare a study work plan/schedule to
operationalize and direct the study for the stipulated period of consultancy
assignment. The work plan will describe how the study will be carried out,
bringing refinements, strategy, specificity and elaboration to the terms of
reference.
Consultant will need to provide his/her own travel insurance and the same will be applicable to personnel independently deployed for data collection.
Consultancy Period The study shall be completed within a period of 30 days. The final report is expected to be finalized by the end of September 2012.
Deliverables:
Consultant will need to provide his/her own travel insurance and the same will be applicable to personnel independently deployed for data collection.
Consultancy Period The study shall be completed within a period of 30 days. The final report is expected to be finalized by the end of September 2012.
Deliverables:
- Initial work
plan and proposal for study and presentation to consortium members on the
study methodology and process of data collection.
- Final plans and
data collection tools for approval by consortium members.
- Inte rim
progress report with preliminary analysis and observations to consortium
agencies for feedback and comments.
- Presentation on
study findings with consortium agency members for final consensus building
on the study findings.
- Final study
report for external circulation after approval by consortium
members.
Management and Coordination:
The consultant will report to the M&E focal point of the
Consortium at Adeso and will work closely with consortium agencies and other
stakeholders. The consultancy contract will be managed by Adeso. Adeso is the
M&E technical lead agency for Cash Consortium and will coordinate all
management and coordination of this consultancy assignment.
Qualifications of the consultant:
Qualifications of the consultant:
- Master degree in
planning, monitoring and evaluation, economics or social sciences and
other areas relevant for the assignment.
- At least five
years of relevant professional work in social research or undertaking
related studies.
- Extensive
experience in the sector of micro credit systems and experience of
conducting studies in micro credit/finance sector in humanitarian
context.
- Thorough
knowledge and understanding of cash transfer programming approaches and
its linkages.
- Extensive
experience in working with, INGOs and local NGOs, local authorities and
beneficiaries.
- Demonstrated
analytical and writing skills.
- Excellent
knowledge of English (knowledge of Somali an asset).
How to apply:
Applications should be submitted by 15th August, 2012. All applicants must meet the minimum requirements described above.
Applications should be submitted by 15th August, 2012. All applicants must meet the minimum requirements described above.
The individual consultants as well as institution/consultancies
are invited to apply by submitting a proposal. Each application package should
include the following:
- Cover letter
with the applicant’s current contact information
- Proposal for the
study with study methodology and budget
- Resume of
consultants (including detailed work experience, education/degrees, and
reference of earlier similar research and studies)
- Professional
References (minimum of three, with complete contact information)
All applications should be sent to Adeso at jobs@adesoafrica.orgwith the subject line:
Consultancy for study on access to credit in South Central Somalia.
