Tenders are invited for External Consultant End Term Evaluation: Improved Food Security and Resilience Project. Closing Date: 29 Apr 2026 Type: Consultancy FH Kenya is seeking a qualified and experienced professional to fill the position of External Consultant, End Term Evaluation supporting Communities in Lowlands (Korr and Kalacha), Sololo (Golole), and Mountain (Karare) Area Programs (APs). The Purpose of Engagement is to conduct Quantitative and Qualitative data collection for the Improved Food Security and Resilience Project funded by Radio Aid through Eriks Development Partner and implemented by FH Kenya across four communities in the three FH Kenya Area Programs above in Marsabit County. Below please find the Terms of reference for more information: TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) Endline Evaluation Improved Food Security and Resilience Project (IFSRP) INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Marsabit County, located in northern Kenya, remains one of the most food-insecure regions in the country due to its arid and semi-arid climate, recurrent droughts, and structural vulnerabilities. The county is characterized by low and erratic rainfall, with over 80% of the population relying on pastoralism and agropastoralism as their primary livelihoods. These systems are increasingly strained by climate variability, environmental degradation, limited market access, and inadequate access to essential services, resulting in persistent food insecurity and low household resilience. These conditions have significantly limited households capacity to absorb, adapt, and transform in the face of recurrent shocks In recent years, the frequency and intensity of climate shocks, including prolonged droughts followed by episodic flooding, have significantly disrupted livelihoods and undermined recovery pathways. According to recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analyses, an estimated 1.5 million people in Kenya were projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity, with many households in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), including Marsabit, classified in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and Stressed (IPC Phase 2). Households in Crisis face significant food consumption gaps or are forced to engage in unsustainable coping strategies. At the same time, those in Stressed conditions struggle to meet minimum food needs without depleting essential livelihood assets. The nutrition situation in Marsabit remains critical. The most recent SMART survey indicates that the county has a Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rate of 13.5%, classified as Serious (IPC Phase 3). However, significant disparities exist across sub-counties, with North Horr recording critically high GAM levels of 21.1%, Laisamis at 16.1% (Serious to Critical), and Moyale/Saku at 9.2% (Alert to Serious). These figures highlight persistent and localized vulnerabilities, particularly in hard-to-reach pastoral areas where access to health, nutrition, and water services remains limited. Despite continued humanitarian and development investments, malnutrition rates remain at or above emergency thresholds in parts of the county, pointing to deeper structural challenges. These include poor dietary diversity, suboptimal infant and young child feeding practices, recurrent disease outbreaks, and limited access to quality health and nutrition services. In addition, poverty and limited livelihood diversification constrain households ability to access sufficient and nutritious food, forcing many to adopt negative coping strategies such as reducing meal frequency, selling productive assets, and withdrawing children from school. In response to this complex crisis, the Improved Food Security and Resilience Project (IFSRP) were designed as a multi-sectoral intervention aimed at addressing both immediate humanitarian needs and the underlying drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition. The project integrates nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive approaches, including strengthening community-based nutrition services, supporting health systems, providing multipurpose cash assistance, enhancing livelihood opportunities, improving access to water and hygiene services, and building the capacity of community and government structures. The endline evaluation will assess changes over time, comparing baseline and endline findings to determine the extent to which the project has achieved its intended outcomes. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project implementation timeframe is from 1st July 2024 to 30th June 2026 within the communities of Kalacha, Korr, Golole, and Karare in Marsabit County. The project adopts an integrated, multi-sectoral approach linking household, community, school, and system-level actions to promote sustainable improvements in nutrition and resilience by combining: Nutrition-specific interventions (screening, referrals, supplementation). Nutrition-sensitive interventions (cash transfers, livelihoods, agriculture). Systems strengthening (capacity building, coordination, and advocacy). PROJECT OUTCOMES AND ACTIVITIES Increased access to nutritional support and essential services for target groups in, or at risk of, malnutrition. Community-level screening: CHPs support community-level screening, feeding, and care practices, linking children and PLMs to health facilities for early detection and intervention. Improved access to integrated nutrition, health, and WASH services aligned with national IYCF-E guidelines Provision of essential services: Working with health facilities to provide individuals with services such as clean water, food, treatment, supplements, and care. Adhere to the national IYCFE guidelines. Multipurpose cash support: Provide unconditional cash transfers to the neediest households to enable them to purchase food and other necessary items, using data from the latest joint market assessment. School feeding programs: Support school feeding programs, awareness-raising on nutritious food, and child-friendly nutrition education, and establish school-based gardens using 4K clubs to grow nutritious foods and act as learning points for agriculture and nutrition. Access to clean water: Provide schools with rainwater harvesting structures and communities with water purification materials and techniques through hygiene promotion to ensure access to safe, clean water. Awareness-raising activities: Conduct awareness-raising activities on nutrition, hygiene, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and WASH through local radio and community groups. 2. Increased resilience for community members through enhanced livelihoods. Strengthen SHGs and FGs: Establish and/or strengthen SHGs/ FGs to implement income-generating activities (IGAs) and agriculture/farming activities. Training on agriculture and IGAs: Provide training on climate-smart agricultural practices and IGAs to enhance livelihoods and socio-economic conditions. Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) committees/ community groups: Support the establishment/strengthening of CMDRR committees and community groups, including children-led initiatives, to enhance community preparedness for drought and other shocks, promote peacebuilding, and strengthen positive coping and resilience capacities at household and community levels. Promotion of positive coping strategies and enhanced household resilience capacities 3. Enhanced capacities and responsiveness of key actors working with health and nutrition in Marsabit County. Training for CHPs and county health teams: Increase awareness and capacity to deliver primary health services through training on acute malnutrition and nutrition screening. Sub-county level coordination forums: Facilitate forums to enhance coordination mechanisms for improved health and nutrition. Community-led advocacy: Promote community-led advocacy towards legal duty-bearers on food security and nutrition priorities. OBJECTIVES OF THE ENDLINE EVALUATION 4.1 General Objective To assess the performance and impact of the IFSRP project in improving food security, nutrition, and resilience among target households. 4.2 Specific Objectives Assess changes in key outcome indicators between baseline and endline Evaluate improvements in household food security, nutrition, and livelihoods Examine changes in knowledge, practices, and system capacity Assess project performance against OECD-DAC criteria Identify lessons learned and provide actionable recommendations 4.3 Key Evaluation Questions a. Food Security and Nutrition What changes have occurred in household food consumption and hunger levels? To what extent has dietary diversity improved among children and women? How have nutrition and hygiene practices changed? b. Livelihoods and Resilience How have income sources and livelihood strategies evolved? What changes are observed in coping strategies? How has household resilience to shocks improved? c. Systems and Services How has access to nutrition and health services changed? What improvements are observed in community health systems? d. Contribution To what extent can observed changes be linked to project interventions? What contextual factors influenced outcomes? What unintended outcomes (positive or negative) emerged How equitable were the outcomes across gender, disability, and geographic groups SCOPE OF WORK The evaluation will: Cover all four project locations, namely Kalacha, Korr, Golole, and Karare in Marsabit County Target households with PLWs and children under five Include both direct and indirect beneficiaries Assess all three project outcomes Apply gender-responsive and inclusive approaches throughout the evaluation The evaluation will involve: Design and refinement of data collection tools Training of enumerators Quantitative and qualitative data collection Data analysis and reporting Review of project monitoring data KEY ENDLINE INDICATORS The endline evaluation will Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4208524/external-consultant-end-term-evaluation-improved-food-security-and-resilience-project
