Job Description

Posted on April 25, 2021

1.0 Introduction.
Zambia Land Alliance (ZLA) was established in 1997 as a response to the Zambian Government’s Land Reform process, which was initiated in the 1990s. ZLA is a network of NGOs promoting fair land policies, laws and land administration that take into account the needs of the poor. ZLA’s mission is to be a platform for collective action committed to promoting equitable access and secured ownership of land by the poor, through lobbying and advocacy, networking, research and community partnership. ZLA is a membership organisation, and operates through a National Secretariat, 7 national member organisations, 8 district Branches and 4 project offices.
2.0 Background
Land is a critical factor of production and an essential resource for food security and economic growth for Zambia. Despite land being a major source of people’s livelihoods, many poor Zambians find it difficult to access, own or secure it. The majority of Zambians do not enjoy land tenure security, and face various challenges including limited knowledge of their land rights, undocumented land rights, inheritance disputes and poor access to justice. These challenges can mainly be attributed to poor land governance system, political interference, discriminatory traditional practices, inadequate policy and legislative frameworks. Without strong interventions by government and civil society, small scale farmers will increasingly be deprived of resources that they need to ensure meaningful incomes, sustainable food and livelihood security.
ZLA developed and implemented a four-year (2018-2021) Strategic Plan to provide comprehensive direction for ZLA’s work. The goal of the Strategic Plan (SP) was: “to contribute to strengthened land governance, security of tenure and sustainable livelihoods of poor and vulnerable Zambian citizens by the end of 2021”. The implementation of this SP is near completion and therefore the alliance seeks the services of a consultant to undertake an evaluation of the current SP and later design the next (2022-2026) SP.
3.0 The Consultancy
3.1 Assignment 1: End of 2018-2021 ZLA Strategic Plan Evaluation
In 2017, ZLA identified strategic indicators for monitoring the implementation of the current SP and a Baseline study was conducted in 2018. The framework for evaluating the impact of the SP is accordingly organised around these indicators and impact measures.
The purpose for the evaluation is to assess the implementation of the current SP (2018-2021) including the achievements, impact, challenges, lessons and recommendations that will inform the design of the next (2022-2026) SP. This assignment will be conducted in the eight (8) target communities of Chisamba, Nyimba, Kitwe and Monze districts. The evaluation will cover activities implemented during the SP period from January 2018 to April 2021. The evaluation will focus on the six parameters: relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, sustainability and lessons learnt from the 2018-2021 SP. The broader questions to be answered by the evaluation include, but are not limited to:
i. Were the results and objectives of SP in line with the needs and aspirations of the primary target group?
ii. Assess the extent to which the SP had achieved its objectives and related results with special emphasis on the indicators in comparison with the baseline data
iii. Were the activities delivered in the right quantity, quality, time and in accordance with the SP?
iv. Can the costs of the SP be justified by the results?
v. How well was the ZLA organisational structure suited for the SP management?
vi. How did the SP improve the lives of the primary target group (community members)?
vii. What are the negative changes and unintended outcomes produced by the SP?
viii. Assess whether community structures established were sustainable i.e. Community Land Advocacy Committees, Savings groups, Community Based Natural Resource Management Committees and Study Circles.
ix. What were the major factors that influenced the achievement or non-achievement of operational objectives of the SP?
x. Are there innovations in the 2018-2021 SP that ZLA can maintain and strengthen in the 2022-2026 SP?
xi. What are the good practices of the SP, and why?
xii. Recommendations to improve impact, relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability in next SP?
3.1.1 Methodology
The evaluation will gather quantitative and qualitative data through desk study and review of project documents, workplans, project progress reports and any other documents on the project.
The evaluation will also involve:
i. In depth interviews to collect primary data from key stakeholders;
ii. Focus Group Discussions (FDGs) with project beneficiaries;
iii. Interviews with relevant key informants.
3.1.2 Deliverables
i. Inception Report – The inception report shall include timeline and detailed methodology as well as a brief justification of the methods and techniques to be used. The inception report should be submitted and presented to ZLA in a feedback meeting.
ii. Draft Evaluation Report – shall be submitted and presented to ZLA highlighting main preliminary findings, conclusions and recommendations at a validation meeting.
iii. Final Evaluation Report – which shall include an executive summary and annexures (data collection tools and consent forms).
3.2 Assignment 2 : Development of the 2022-2026 ZLA Strategic Plan
The Consultant(s) will facilitate the process of developing ZLA’s next Strategic Plan (SP) with the support of the ZLA Strategic Planning Team (SPT). The final SP which should contain the following, among other aspects:
i. An overview of the political and socio-economic environment in which the 2022 – 2026 SP would be implemented. In so doing, the SP shall clarify national land legal and policy frameworks, including the broader issues of land administration in Zambia and their implications on the implementation of the SP.
ii. An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to ZLA;
iii. Strategic goal, operational objectives and accompanying strategies;.
iv. Adequate incorporation of links between land and cross cutting issues such as gender, Persons with Disabilities, youths and poverty alleviation.
v. Theory of Change
vi. Alliance building and Organisational development strategy for implementation of the SP
vii. provide annexes which should contain a minimum of the following:
Logical Framework Analysis
Five (5) year SP budget
Gantt chart for the five years of implementation
List of people consulted, their institutions and contact addresses;
List of references used in the document
This assignment will mainly involve desk review, physical and virtual meetings with staff and members of the alliance, and eight (8) target communities of Chisamba, Nyimba, Kitwe and Monze districts.
4.0 Required expertise
The consultant(s) should have the following qualifications:
i. Minimum of a Master’s degree in Development Studies, Land Management, Natural Resources Management, Strategic Planning, or other related field;
ii. More than five (5) years professional experience in facilitating baseline or evalutation studies;
iii. Analytical and full understanding of Zambia’s land policy, legislative and administrative frameworks;
iv. Experience in organisational development and strategic planning for civil society organisations, government and/or intergovernmental institutions;
v. Attentive to detail, excellent report writing skills, and flexibility.
5.0 Tendering process
Applicants meeting the above qualifications should submit the following documents to the email address below not later than 30th April 2021:
i. Letter of Intent in which candidates highlight availability, experience and expertise.
ii. Curriculum vitae of the evaluation team with traceable references
iii. Technical proposals: The technical proposal should clearly explain the consultants understanding of the ToRs, clear explanation of the methodology (including qualitative and quantitative methods) the consultant is proposing to use and a comprehensive roadmap for undertaking the assignment.
iv. A draft work plan detailing the duration they require to undertake the assignment.
v. The financial proposal which includes consultancy fee, communication, internet and other costs related to the assignment.
vi. Copy of a recent Evaluation report they have done must be attached within the proposal.
The Executive Director
Zambia Land Alliance
401AMakeni Bonaventure,
Lusaka.
Email: zlaemployment@gmail.com and info@zla.org.zm
Mobile No: +260 967469581