I.- Introduction :
The Honduras Economic Justice Program aims to address the challenges faced by small farmers in this context and to demonstrate that with appropriate support, small-scale agriculture can play a key role in economic development and poverty reduction, by increasing productivity and competitiveness and increasing income.
The general impact and the change in people’s lives are:
- Increase Substantially the state budget aimed at reducing rural poverty and stimulate small-scale agriculture visible in the national budget.
- At least 50% of funds from debt relief are destinated to generate income and employment in poorer rural areas.
- Agricultural Policy changed in favor of small farmers and agro-business.
- Reactived systems and technology support for small-scale farming.
- More donors will participate for a significant percentage of new loans and grants so the development of Honduras can be targeted to small-scale agriculture.
- Small-producers of 18 municipalities and 125 communities in three departments in the west of the country within 10 years, will increase their opportunities of access to credit and its investment potential in agricultural business.
II.- Objectives of evaluation :
The evaluation will assess the first three years of implementation of the Honduras Economic Justice and Rural Services programme, in order to provide inputs, learning and recommendations for decision-making about the future of the programme, in a context of significant external and internal changes .
Specific objectives are:
• To assess how the ‘model of change’ has translated into practice, its coherence and ongoing relevance in a changing external context
• To assess the effectiveness and sustainability of the programme implementation strategy
• To assess the impact of the programme on different target communities (including by social group especially gender)
• To assess the programme management approach
• To evaluate the resources employed and cost effectiveness of the programme
• To evaluate the extent to which the programme has leveraged impact at scale – or has potential to do so
• To assess delivery against aims of wider global programme and innovations learning in and out of Honduras
III.- Focus :
The evaluation should consider these issues across the following five key areas of the programme:
• Development of entrepreneurial mentality and sense of association of farmers in order to effectively engage with markets
• Knowledge, skills and attitudes to engage with the private sector
• Alternative savings and credit systems as a means for farmers financial sustainability
• The methodology of farmer-to-farmer extension services
• The role of advocacy efforts in effective programme implementation
• Access to decentralized resources of the State (Poverty Reduction Strategy
• Food security and sustainable agriculture
IV.- Expected outputs of the evaluation
– Data collection tools, sampling approach and workplan
– Draft report of main findings and initial recommendations
– Debriefing to programme management team
– Debriefing to support team, regional management
– A full revised evaluation report not longer than 30 pages, including an executive summary and a recommendations section, and not including annexes
– Annexes, e.g.:
o Questionnaires
o Specific evaluation studies on selected issues
– List of all stakeholders interviewed
V.- External Evaluation Team qualifications and experience
In general terms the evaluators should have a mix of qualifications / experience that will ensure a good balance between social research and business / organizational and development analysis with a sound gender equity approach and due balance between qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Key qualifications:
• A minimum of a masters degree in economics, social sciences or agriculture
• A robust qualification and/ or experience in agricultural development and trading business including work with small-scale agri-business, cooperatives or similar groups
• Experience in organizational development of grassroots organizations is an asset
• Experience in development programme evaluation, including business (industrial, services and/ or agricultural) oriented development initiatives business analysis
• Poverty and inequality analysis and understanding of power analysis and power relations in LAC in general, and in Honduras.
• Proven experience working towards gender equity and equality, with specific experience in areas of Livelihoods and Gender.
• Good knowledge of and experience in the Central American and Honduras contexts
• Facilitative and participatory working style/ approach
• Fully bilingual: Spanish and English for the Team Leader, and Spanish for the Team Member
Interested consultant should ask for the full Terms of Reference to Lic. Ana Lazo by email: alazo@oxfam.org.hn, no later than March 12th, 2009, and offers will be received until March 28th, 2009.
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