Documentation Consultant at Development Exchange Centre (DEC)

Background / Context

• As part of its strategy, and supported by Bread for the World-Germany (BftW), DEC is implementing a 3-year project (2019/20-2021/22)- “Small Scale Project Fund for Community Based Organizations (CBOs)”- with an overall goal of enhancing local organization’s capacities for sustainable development. The project aims to support CBOs by strengthening their systems, structures and processes for organizational development, growth and sustainability; and support existing formal and informal CBOs implement their self-determined projects working in the sectors of education and economic empowerment by providing technical and material resources.
• DEC believes that partnering with these organizations will entrench quality initiatives and organizations at the grassroots for more sustainable and far-reaching development.
• The project which is a pilot phase, has so far engaged 45 CBOs spread across Bauchi and Gombe states. In addition, a mid-term evaluation was conducted in September 2021 and remarkable results were revealed (the report may be informative as part of desk review process). This has buttressed the need for an in-depth result documentation.
• In this regard, DEC invites bids from competent firms or individual consultants to submit their Expression of Interest for consultancy services for documentation (video documentary and written stories of change).

Purpose

• The main purpose of this exercise is to document in print and video, the level of impact and or behavioural changes that have occurred as a result of this project within the primary beneficiaries (CBOs/organizations) and the lives of CBO’s beneficiaries (either as individuals, household or community) respectively.
• The results generated will be evidence of key achievements utilized for informing, accountability, learning, experience sharing, advocacy and influencing government, partners (local and international) and other development stakeholders.

Objectives
The specific objectives of this assessment are:

• To measure and document the impact of the SSPF project 2019- 2021
• To assess/document key changes that have occurred in the lives of beneficiaries such as changes in living conditions, income, economic activities, women/girls’ participation in decision making, health and sanitation practices, community participation and self-help initiatives.
•  To generate evidence from the project implementation as a basis for learning and knowledge management.

Scope of Work

• This impact documentation exercise will be steered by a committee constituted by the Centre. The study should review all past aspects of the ongoing project, specifically 2019 till date (an agreed date will be set) and focus on selected locations.
• An acceptable sample size of the SSPF project’s total coverage from the 2 states of Bauchi and Gombe respectively will be selected for the exercise based on set and agreed criteria. Specific target beneficiary groups including CBOs, women, adolescent girls, and communities.

Methodology
Assessment methodology will include:

Desk Review:

• The main purpose of this desk review is to build a good understanding of the available information on SSPF project within the wider context before conducting the documentary. More specifically, this review will aid in understanding the design of the project, its implementation and outcome/impact for the given period. It will also guide in determining the sampling of target populations.
• The Consultant will review project documents and reports, including pictures & videos (including articles), vocational and entrepreneurial skill development reports, learner assessment, case studies, midterm evaluation reports and annual reports.

Case Studies:

• Secondary/further review of some documented case studies will be conducted by the Consultant. The use of case studies is an appropriate evaluation tool in this context because it provides the opportunity to probe further, the in-depth experiences of specific target beneficiaries, or a subset of beneficiaries as a distinct part of a whole.

Field Visits:

• Selected locations for field visit to the project targets will be critical for both data collection and to build good understanding of the project’s target beneficiaries, geographical coverage disparities and risks related to project implementation in an authentic setting.
• The Consultant will study the Centre’s activities in given locations covered from 2019 to 2021, and will interview beneficiaries who agree to share information, survey target population, and conduct focus groups discussions randomly.

Interviews with Stakeholders:

• The main purpose for employing this methodology is to understand the impact of the project from the perspective of those involved and how they have benefited or been affected by the intervention of the Centre.
• The Consultant should pay particular attention to the interviewing of stakeholders and any other relevant groups or individuals that have directly or indirectly benefitted from the project. A comprehensive list of stakeholders to be interviewed will be developed and presented during inception reporting.

Assessment / Interview Questions

• These interviews will mainly aim at identifying any changes resulting from the SSPF project intervention, establish causal connections between the changes and the project’s inputs and measure the level of the change. It will particularly focus on the level of achievement of key strategic performance indicators, including project effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and sustainability.

Roles and Responsibilities
The Consultant will be responsible for:

• Conducting desk review
• Develop and share inception report
• Visiting project sites/beneficiaries
• Conducting interviews with beneficiaries
• Developing the assessment itinerary for field visits
• Providing all equipment required for the exercise
• Capturing appropriate video clips of interviews with beneficiaries and stakeholders for documentary (impact stories) production.
• Developing script for electronic (video) production of impact stories.
• Developing and documenting success stories (electronic and print).Presenting a draft video and softcopy for print of success/impact stories for comments.
• Producing 2 final documentaries on success/impact (25 minutes and 5 minutes) on HDD.
• Producing a final copy of success/impact in softcopy for print.

Supervision / Coordination:

• The overall coordination including monitoring progress and administration will be undertaken by the DEC-SSPF Coordinating Team led by the Project Manager. The unit may draft in relevant persons/units in the organization to provide support for the assessment if necessary. The main function of this reference group will be in:
  • Providing inputs to the impact study
  • Participating in the recruitment of Consultant
  • Reviewing and commenting on inception report, preliminary findings, videos and recommendations (draft stories and videos)
  • Approving the final stories and video;
  • Establishing a dissemination and utilization strategy.
• The DEC-SSPF Coordinating Team will be responsible for support in terms of providing required information materials, logistics arrangements including for field work, and general support leading to the successful delivery of Consultant’s task.
• The Consultant will be responsible for dissemination of all methodological tools such as, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions but DEC shall be responsible for providing contact details of key stakeholders, networks and any other relevant parties of interest in this study. In addition, the Consultant leading the assessment will be responsible for conducting all field and research activities, and producing draft and final report.

Qualification of Evaluator
The Consultant will be required to have:

Team Leader:

• The assessment should be led by an individual with competence in research and documenting project/programme achievements or successes in both written and video, and who has worked with multi-sectorial development programmes and particularly with more focus on women and communities in rural, semi-rural to semi-urban settings. In particular, the Team Leader should demonstrate the following:

Essential Skills:

• Must have at least 5 years professional work experience in the areas of producing development work related documentaries and story writing with the aim of reaching both local and international audiences.
• Experience in working with NGOs. Experience with international NGOs is an added advantage.
• Extensive conceptual and methodological skills and experience in applying qualitative and quantitative research evaluation methods;
• Prior impact assessment experience is required;
• Excellent communication skills necessary for building rapport with stakeholders, facilitating participation and effective presentation of result to diver audience.
• Excellent technical capacities (state of the art filming equipment preferably High Definition) to ensure smooth and high quality production.
• Excellent technical capacities to ensure high quality production.
• Must be tax compliant/Tax registration certificate indicating TIN
• Must have accurate current addresses i.e. physical, postal, telephones and email
• Additional experience in development communication will be an added advantage.
• In addition, interested applicants shall submit certified copies of the Certificate of Incorporation.
• Ability to communicate and conduct interviews in English and Hausa.
• Access to highest quality filming, light, sound and editing equipment**
• Ability to operate under strict time limits and apply high production and technical standards for the purpose of maintaining high level of professionalism.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Excellent written and verbal skills in English, Hausa and Pidgin languages is desirable.
• Prior experience in similar scope/sphere of work is an added advantage.
• The team shall comprise of:
  • Lead Consultant (1) and team
  • DEC staff (number TBD).

Intellectual Propriety

• All information pertaining to this project (report, documentary, audio, digital, cyber, project documents, etc.) belonging to DEC which the consultant may come into contact with in performing its duties under this consultancy shall remain the property of the DEC who shall have exclusive rights over their use. Except for the purpose of this assignment, the information shall not be disclosed to the public nor used in whatever form without written permission of DEC in line with the national and international copyright laws applicable.

Duration

• The proposed duration is set for 30 working days from the date of signing of the contract.

Budget
The budget should consist of consultant’s professional fees, daily sustenance allowance (DSA), transportation (to and fro DEC office), cost of documentary production, final assessment and production of video and softcopy of success stories.

Payment shall be made in three instalments of:

• 20%down payment upon submission of an inception report acceptable to the client
• 40% upon submission of acceptable drafts of film documentary and stories; and
• 40% final payment upon submission of the final outputs, incorporating suggestions and recommendation from DEC.
• The final payment will be made only when DEC is satisfied with the service.

Schedule of Reporting and Deliverables

Deliverables: The expected deliverables and timelines for delivery will be:	Description	Timeframes
Presentation to Procurement Committee	The Consultants will make presentation to the committee to demonstrate his/her understanding of the scope of work and deliverables	TBD as part of measures for selecting Consultant
Pre-planning meeting	Meeting to discuss relevant materials and general background of task	3 working days from the start of the contract. Total timeframe for start-to-conclusion of exercise is 6 weeks (30 working days)
A detailed proposed itinerary plan	Should contain proposed places to visit, details of beneficiary and type of project, designing of questionnaires.	1st week
Field visit	Actual on-site assignment covering interviews with beneficiaries and primary assignments. Case studies and interviews will be captured for publication in print and electronically for video production. These will be the main formats of output for the impact assessment exercise.	2nd -3rd week of signing contract
Draft copies of- a 30 minute and a 5 minute video documentary; and a softcopy for print of changes, successes, impact and challenges as a result of the SSPF project.	To the DEC-SSPF Coordinating Team not later than Monday, on 4th week of exercise. The unit will provide comments not later than Friday of the 4th week of exercise.	4th week
Final (in principle) submission of documentary and success/impact stories in soft copy	The Consultant will submit the final copies of documentary and softcopy of success/impact stories having addressed DEC’s comments as appropriate.	Not later that Wednesday, on 5th week of exercise. The Committee will review and provide comments to the evaluator in 2 days.
Final submission of documentary and success/impact stories in soft copy	The Consultant will submit the final documentary and soft copy success/impact stories having addressed DEC’s comments as appropriate.	The final documentary and soft copy success/impact stories will be submitted not later than Friday, 6th week of exercise.