CAPACITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN CHEMBA DC

Introduction

COUNSENUTH with funding support from the Government of Ireland through the Irish Aid, is implementing a four-year community based gender driven nutrition programme (Lishe Kijinsia) in Chemba DC, Dodoma region in collaboration with the LGA, in an effort to accelerate reduction of childhood stunting in the first 1000 days. The overall goal of the program is to reduce childhood stunting among children 0-59 months by at least 5% in the 4 years from 37.7% and contribute to evidence-base through learning and documentation of the role of gender equality in improving maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition.

The main program package of interventions includes:

Nutrition interventions to promote good practices and behavioural change and towards maternal, infant and young child nutrition

Gender equity and women empowerment: by addressing gender concerns that have greatest negative impact on maternal, infant, young child and adolescent nutrition

Life skills capacitation to teachers and students in Primary Schools for adolescent’s (boys and girls) empowerment in an effort to help them become useful members of the society.

The program is implementing various interventions focusing on behavior change that target beneficiaries who are pregnant women, lactating women, children under 5 years and their care givers, women of reproductive age, adolescents and men. The program uses two main approaches in the interventions. These are:

• Village health and nutrition days (VHNDs). As an innovative approach which facilitates access to integrated and comprehensive services at the community level with the goal of reaching the maximum number of targeted community members – children U5, pregnant women, caregivers of children U5, both men and women.

• Transformative Reflective Leadership Approach (TRLA); this approach engages people to critically think of the gender and nutrition challenges affecting them and come up with doable solution to address the challenges. The gender equity component addresses gender disparities that have a negative bearing on maternal and child health and nutrition; these include childhood pregnancies, early marriages; violence against young girls, boys, men and women; and education attainment. Therefore, the identified gender concerns are mainstreamed in nutrition interventions using the TRLA.

The program was rolled out in three phases; in the 1^st phase 20 villages in the year 2018/19 (1^st year); then scaled up to 60 more villages in the year 2019/20 (2^nd year) making a total of 80 villages and the last phase (2020/21) scaled up to 34 more villages making a total of 114 villages reached by the program. The program is towards its fourth year of implementation.

In the past three years, the program interventions have been scaled up gradually and by March, 2021 all 114 villages were reached through through a multi-sectoral approach, Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) strategies and TRLA in mainstreaming gender. Throughout implementation, program has been engaging and working closely with the district and community in planning, budgeting and implementing interventions that promote positive social norms, household actions and individual behaviours to improve pro-nutrition practices among women and children.

During implementation, it was realised that climate related challenges such as floods, drought and others among the barriers to adoption of pro nutrition behaviours as well as contributing to the gender concerns. Most of the villages in Chemba experience water shortages hence getting clean safe water is a challenge. Climate change further exacerbates the enormous existing burden of under nutrition as it affects food and nutrition security, increases women’s workload and undermines current efforts to reduce gender disparities and promote nutrition. Risks associated with climate change threaten to interfere with the interventions that focus on gender equality and nutrition improvement. For example; increased drought and water shortages contributes to increased women workload, hence affects caring practices including IYCF and WASH.

In order to address these challenges, the program supported the District in construction of 9 water wells in the neediest villages, facilitated installation of water harvesting system in 16 primary schools and conducted a geophysical survey to identify potential ground water sources in order to facilitate availability and access to clean water and improve sanitation and hygiene WASH practices and production of fruits and vegetables.

In year 4 of implementation, an evaluation was conducted to inform the program on the status of the implementation against the plan, identify challenges and constraints incurred by the program and formulate appropriate recommendations for corrective actions for effective implementation of the remaining year of the program’s interventions. The findings revealed the following key issues for consideration by the program:

• Evidence shows that 20% increase in intra-seasonal precipitation variability reduces agricultural yields by 4.2%, 7.2%, and 7.6% for maize, sorghum, and rice respectively.

• Climate change will affect water sources and community livelihoods.

• Chemba population will be among the losers as they highly depend on rain-fed agriculture if steps to address these are not taken

• Review the programme design to mainstream low hanging fruits interventions for enhancing communities’ resilience and adaptation to climate change and variability.

• Climate Smart Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) through farm field schools ‘Shamba Darasa’.

• Climate smart poultry projects for women groups with New Castle Disease Vaccination.

• Promotion of household food budget and post-harvest management

• Scaling up Mguso groups to address gender concerns

• Extend support for redesigning the project to introduce interventions for enhancing community’s resilience to climate variability and change.

• Weak link between health/nutrition intervention with other sectors especially agriculture extension, disaster management authority, meteorological services hence system strengthening is crucial.

The Irish Aid also conducted an evaluation of its 5 years’ strategy, on the gender equality component, which highlighted positive results.  

The program is transitioning from addressing the 2017/2021 Mission’s strategy to a newly developed strategy which will be implemented between 2022 – 2026. Climate change, nutrition and gender is among the areas that the strategy will address. However, the program is looking on facilitating sustainability of the initiatives and as well as ensuring that the Chemba District becomes climate sensitive. Therefore, COUNSENUTH is in the process of developing a multiyear proposal that will address priority areas in alignment with the newly developed mission strategy and building further from what has already been invested in line with country’s priority actions. The proposal will be aligned to National policies and plans (e.g. NMNAP II, The Ministry of Environment’s Plans and the NEMC Strategy at all levels).

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNEMNT

1. Aligning the National, Regional and Council’s translation on implementation of existing policy, guidelines, manuals and regulations on climate change adaptation measures

2. To assess existing capacity at the regional level to support Councils to implement relevant policies on climate change adaptation and resilience building in Dodoma.

3. To assess existing capacity of the Chemba and Kondoa councils to implement relevant climate change adaptation policies

4. To Assess the extent to which national environmental and climate change adaptation and resilience policies have undergone translation into climate interventions and incorporated into council plans in Chemba and Kondoa

5. Evaluate the status of integration of climate sensitive sectors (agriculture, energy, forests, water, health, industry and transport) in the planning and implementation of regional and Council plans and activities under different departments? in Chemba and Kondoa

6. Conduct an assessment, analysis and provide an overview of the capacity strengths, weaknesses and opportunities across all sectors in Chemba and Kondoa Districts,as regards climate change, gender and nutrition

7. Support Chemba and Kondoa Districts to develop a roadmap for a successful climate change adaptation and resilience building

8. Outline key interventions that could be further developed to support the Chemba and Kondoa Districts in addressing climate change adaptation and resilience building, gender and nutrition

METHODOLOGY

The capacity needs assessment should be participatory and consultative. The consultant should conduct the needs assessment using a methodology developed in collaboration with COUNSENUTH and the districts and the consultant shall closely work with the ED. The assessment should be built around self-assessment processes as well as broad consultation with other stakeholders to help collect, and validate the information. The capacity assessment framework should recognize the multiple dimensions of capacity needed to effectively achieve the desired mission’s strategic outcomes. Results of the evaluation should clearly indicate what needs to be done as regards climate change adaptation and mitigation and identify areas in need of further support.

DELIVERABLE

1. An inception report including a detailed methodology, work plan, report format and timeline, to be submitted within 7 days from the commencement of the assignment.

2. A capacity needs assessment consolidated report highlighting all issues raised in the TOR in relation to climate change, gender and nutrition including:

   1. Current capacity development opportunities in the region;

   2. Specific capacity needs and priorities at the District and individual levels in relation to climate change, gender and nutrition

3. The Regional, District roadmap on climate change adaptation and resilience actions

4. Recommendations for the most suitable, effective, efficient and affordable modes of capacity development to meet the identified needs

This is mainly a desk-based assignment with a small component of field visit to understand what is happening at the regional and district level. The consultant will be expected to make use of questionnaires, surveys, etc.

TIME SCHEDULE

The Assignment shall be expected to be completed within a maximum of 15 workdays with the following tentative schedule:

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED OF CONSULTANT

The consultant is expected to have the following skills and expertise:

• An advanced degree in environmental sciences, economics, development studies, social sciences or related discipline;

• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in conducting individual and organisational capacity needs assessments.

• At least five (5) years of experience working in organizational development and capacity building in nutrition, gender and climate change;

• Awareness of the government structure and workings of government

• Excellent writing and communication skills in English

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and work well with diverse people.

Applicants should submit the following by email to: info@counsenuth.or.tz by 03^rd May, 2022 at 17.00hrs the latest:

• A curriculum vitae including highlighted references to previous relevant work

• Budget in TZS for completion of the required tasks,

• All travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for attending the workshop will be covered separately as per Government rates.

APPLICATION

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted for a brief interview.

EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS

Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Profile and experience of the consultant in relation to the task

2. The methodology proposed for the work

3. Financial costs

COUNSENUTH is looking for a consultant to undertake this assignment which will support the District in the identification of priority actions to improve climate change adaptation and resilience, enhance gender equality and nutrition.