MID-TERM REVIEW OF THE AFIKEPO NUTRITION AND KUTUKULA ULIMI M'MALAWI (KULIMA) PROGRAMMES IN MALAWI

The Afikepo programme strives to improve coherence and complementarity of support to the nutrition sector to address the problems of: (i) inadequate food energy and protein and micronutrient deficiencies; (ii) inadequate access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene in particular for maternal, infant and young children; (iii) poor maternal and infant young child support services including adolescent girls due to limited nutrition education; and (iv) weak governance and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, lack of operational research and dissemination of research findings.

The Kulima programme aims to contribute to increased growth and an expanded commercial agriculture base while also tackling the long-term aspects related to improved food and nutrition security.There are three main components: (i) increase in agricultural productivity and diversification through mainly upscaling climate-smart agriculture technologies; (ii) agriculture value chain and business development; (iii) support to improved governance in the agriculture sector.

The main objectives of this evaluation are to provide the relevant services of the European Union, the interested stakeholders and the wider public with:

• an overall independent assessment, at mid-term of the implementation, of the performance of the Afikepo Nutrition and Kulima Programmes in Malawi, paying particular attention to their ‘intermediate’ results measured against their expected objectives; and the reasons underpinning such results;
• key lessons learned, conclusions and related recommendations in order to improve current and future Actions.

In particular, this evaluation will serve to understand the performance of the Actions, their enabling factors and those hampering a proper delivery of results in order to adjust their respective design or implementing modalities; and to assess the Actions' relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability by considering the following:

1. analyse the extent to which the programme is in line with its set specific objectives (the 3 programme specific objectives), including assessing the extent to which the programme activities are appropriate to the needs of the target population and if the activities have been implemented with sufficient quantity, quality and timeliness;
2. assess internal and external factors that have positively or negatively influenced project progress;
3. identify challenges and or barriers affecting overall project performance and progress;
4. draw out lessons from the experience of programme implementation to date that may be used to plan specific activities for the remaining part of the programme;
5. make specific recommendations to the decision-makers in the GoM and EU on how the programme should be implemented for the rest of its duration and estimate what can be achieved within this time frame;
6. explore possibilities to more intensively cooperate with other programmes in the same sector;
7. analyse the synergies that exist between the two programmes and how such synergies can be further enhanced to improve impact;
8. assess the relevance and effectiveness of the different implementation modalities used in achieving the intended objectives.

The main users of this evaluation will be the Government of Malawi and the European Union. The Implementing Agencies including stakeholders and beneficiaries will also benefit from the MTR results.

Qualifications and skills required for the team:

• At least Master's Degree academic level or equivalent professional experience relating to food and nutrition security; PhD will be an added advantage (Team Leader);
• Two of the experts should have at least Master's Degree academic level or equivalent professional experience in one or more of the following: human nutrition, nutrition, public health, public health nutrition, food science and technology, biochemistry, food technology, Food and human ecology, bio-chemistry; and
• Two of the experts should have at least Master's Degree academic level or equivalent professional experience in Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Agronomy, Agriculture Extension.

General professional experience of the team:

• Expertise in the area of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security with relevant knowledge of the implementation of projects for agriculture and nutrition research, agriculture and nutrition training and education, food and nutrition security, agriculture and nutrition advocacy, agronomy, as well as the use of monitoring and evaluation and information management systems in programme, design, implementation, coordination and reporting including use of monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) tools.
• Familiar with international and national policies related to agriculture and food and nutrition security, resource and result tracking as well as with EU development policy and EC development cooperation programmes.

Specific professional experience of the team:

• Cumulative experience of at least 20 years in the area of evaluation with at least 5 evaluations conducted for EU funded programmes in sub-Saharan Africa; at least 5 evaluations of donor funded programmes/projects relating to nutrition and 5 evaluations relating to agriculture; at least 2 assignments relating to M&E of nutrition projects (specific focus on food consumption, dietary quality and anthropometry);
• Cumulatively, at least 5 assignments relating to development of data collection tools or; data analysis and reporting (using appropriate computer packages) including monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning tools;
• Cumulatively, at least 5 assignments relating to the organisation and conducting workshops/seminars.
• At least 5 assignments in supporting operational research on agriculture production and diversification using farmer field school and /or Farmer Business School approach (including linking research to extension);
• At least 3 assignments in establishing agribusiness platforms and commodity value chains in developing countries;
• At least 3 assignments on promotion of climate smart agriculture technologies;
• At least 2 assignments relating to nutrition curricula development and reviews or on education and social behavioural change communications, on donor-funded programmes/projects in developing countries;
• Proven work experience in agriculture sector governance;
• Proven work experience in transfer of skills through capacity building initiatives;
• Work of similar assignments carried out in Sub-Saharan Africa region is an asset;
• Work of similar assignments carried out in Malawi will be considered an asset.

Language skills of the team:

• At least 1 team member must possess a level C2 expertise in spoken and written English;
• At least 3 members must possess a level C1 expertise in spoken and written English;
• Knowledge of the local language will be considered an asset.

Languages levels (https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr) must be demonstrated by certificates or by past relevant experience.