Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Endline Evaluation. Project Title: Building Resilience to Climate Impacts by Enhancing Agroecological Knowledge and Practices in Rural Communities of South-Eastern Z
Ngo & Social Services Jobs
- Tsuro Trust
- Expires 12 Dec 2025
- Chimanimani
- Contractor
Job Description
1. Project Summary
TSURO Trust is implementing a three-year project funded by Brot für die Welt titled Enhancing Community Resilience through Agroecology, Health, and Livelihoods in Chimanimani, Chipinge, and Buhera Districts of Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. Running from June 2023 to May 2026 with a total budget of €1,030,000, the project seeks to reduce hunger and poverty among smallholder farming families through an integrated approach that strengthens agroecological practices, improves public environmental health, and enhances resilient livelihoods across 13 targeted wards (Chimanimani District: Wards 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 19, 21, 23, Chipinge District: Wards 1 & 9, Buhera District: Wards 26 & 29)
Under the agroecology component, the project aims to build a strong foundation of climate-resilient food systems by enhancing the knowledge and capacity of farming communities and extension structures. Key interventions include a 12-month agroecology certification programme for 75 Agritex officers, capacity building for 420 lead farmers and 20 youth champions, and training for 90 traditional leaders on natural resource governance. The project also supports the establishment of 20 nurseries, the strengthening of farmer-led seed systems, and landscape management measures, such as terracing, swales, water-harvesting structures, and soil conservation are incorporated to reinforce climate adaptation and ecosystem restoration.
The Public Environmental Health (PEH) pillar targets improved disease prevention, sanitation, and nutrition for rural households. The project strengthens 26 Community Health Clubs (CHCs) and 14 Youth Health Clubs (YHCs), while establishing new groups in Chipinge and Buhera to directly reach over 1,400 members. Activities include training on WASH, nutrition, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and sexual and reproductive health rights. Through the My Village My Home approach, TSURO works with traditional leaders to improve sanitation and accelerate progress towards zero open defecation. Behaviour changes, communication initiatives such as community roadshows, cooking demonstrations, and youth-friendly safe spaces are implemented to further promote healthy living.
The Livelihoods and Economic Strengthening pillar focuses on expanding income opportunities for rural farmers through improved production, processing, and marketing. The project is supporting the establishment and training of 15 commodity groups involving 330 members across honey, horticulture, livestock, and fish value chains. Additional livelihood interventions include the establishment of demonstration sites such as 12 fish ponds, two mushroom production units, and a honey apiary. Farmers are also trained in product development, branding, and packaging to increase the competitiveness and marketability of their products.
Through the Knowledge Management and Organisational Development component, the project aims to transform TSURO Trust and its partner communities into a learning and digitally connected ecosystem. This includes strengthening monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems through the use of GIS, geo-tagging, and live mapping. The Nhedziwa Rural Knowledge Centre is being upgraded into a Centre of Excellence and Digital skills training, participatory filming, and documentation workshops for youth champions and staff, ensuring improved knowledge capture, communication, and advocacy. The project also produces newsletters, short documentaries, and policy briefs to support evidence-based advocacy at district, provincial, and national levels.
The expected impact includes increased adoption of agroecological farming methods, improved dietary diversity and sanitation, expanded household income streams, better access to climate information, and strengthened community institutions capable of leading resilience-building efforts across the three districts.
2. Purpose and Objectives of the Endline Evaluation
The purpose of this evaluation is to undertake an independent and comprehensive endline assessment of the project’s performance, results, and lessons learned throughout its implementation period.
The evaluation will measure progress toward achieving the project’s objectives and assess outcomes in terms of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.
Key objectives are to:
• Assess the extent to which the project achieved its intended outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
• Identify good practices, challenges, and lessons learned to inform future resilience-building initiatives.
• Provide actionable recommendations for TSURO Trust, its partners, and stakeholders to strengthen similar interventions in the future
Duties and Responsibilities
3. Scope of Work and Evaluation Questions
The evaluation will assess the project’s performance across its three core thematic pillars—Agroecology, Public Environmental Health, and Economic Strengthening (Livelihoods) and will be guided by the OECD DAC criteria as outlined below.
A. Relevance — “Is the intervention doing the right things?”
1. To what extent did the project’s multi-sectoral design respond to the needs and priorities of smallholder farmers—especially women and youth—facing climate and socio-economic stresses?
2. How well did the project align with national government policies (e.g., climate action, food security) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, and 13)?
3. To what extent did the project respond to concrete market demands for the selected value chains (fish, mushrooms, honey, etc.)?
4. Is there any duplication of activities with programmes by the government or other civil society actors in the project areas?
B. Coherence — “How well does the intervention fit?”
1. Internal Coherence: To what extent did the three pillars (AE, PEH, Livelihoods) together with the internal component on knowledge management reinforce each other to foster holistic community resilience?
2. External Coherence: How effectively did TSURO coordinate with other actors (e.g., Agritex, EMA, traditional leaders, civil society organizations) to ensure synergy, complementarity, and avoidance of duplication?
C. Effectiveness — “Is the intervention achieving its objectives?”
1. What progress has been made against key outputs and outcomes, including but not limited to:
o Training of 75 agricultural extension officers and other Trainers (ToT) in agroecological practices.
o Establishment of the Agroecological Centre of Excellence.
o Strengthening and expansion of Community Health Clubs (CHCs) and Youth Health Clubs (YHCs).
o Formation and capacity building of 15 commodity groups for collective marketing initiatives.
o Lobbying and advocacy
2. To what extent do the available monitoring data demonstrate that the project objectives and indicators have been achieved as planned? Can these achievements be verified through cross-checks, including field observations, interviews, and spot checks?
D. Efficiency — “How well are resources being used?”
1. Were project activities implemented within the planned timelines and budget (€1,030,000)?
2. How efficient were the project’s management, coordination, and M&E systems in ensuring timely delivery and quality outcomes across the three districts?
3. How effectively were risks, including those related to climate shocks and health emergencies (e.g., El Niño Drought), identified, mitigated, and managed?
4. To what extent have the different approaches of working through Agricultural Extension Officers, Lead Farmers, learning hubs, and different club structures been effective and efficient in promoting changes at the beneficiaries‘ level?
5. To what extent is the set-up of TSURO and its different knowledge centers cost-efficient? - Are there any suggestions for using the different localities even more efficiently?
E. Impact — “What difference does the intervention make?”
1. What significant positive or negative changes have occurred in the lives of smallholder farmers, women, and youth as a result of the project?
2. To what extent has the project achieved its overall goal of reducing hunger, poverty, and vulnerability to climate impacts among smallholder farming households?
3. To what extent has the project achieved its overall goal of reducing hunger, poverty, and vulnerability to climate impacts among smallholder farming households, including improvements in WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) access and practices?
F. Sustainability — “Will the benefits last?”
1. How sustainable are the project’s promoted practices and livelihoods, and are primary actors capable of continuing them and coping with future shocks without external support?
2. How sustainable are the institutional and physical assets established by the project, particularly the Agroecological Center of Excellence and the Mhakwe Seed Bank Management Committee, Community Health Clubs, agroecological principles, CHC model, commodity group operations, governance structures, etc?
3. To what extent has the project initiated lasting policy changes in traditional governance systems and/or district governance?
4. Methodology
The evaluator is expected to apply a mixed-methods approach using quantitative and qualitative techniques, including PRA tools, desk review, KIIs, FGDs, and field observations, ensuring inclusivity, gender sensitivity, and representation across all project districts.
5. Key Deliverables
1. Inception Report outlining understanding of the assignment, detailed methodology, work plan, and evaluation tools.
2. Draft Endline Evaluation Report presenting preliminary findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
3. Validation Workshop with TSURO Trust and partners to discuss and refine findings.
4. Final Endline Evaluation Report (max. 40 pages excluding annexes) structured according to OECD DAC criteria, including:
o Executive Summary
o Methodology
o Key Findings
o Conclusions
o Recommendations
o Lessons Learned
6. Reporting and Management
The evaluator will report directly to the Knowledge Management Manager and the Project Coordinator, under the supervision of the TSURO Senior Management Team. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions will be conducted throughout the evaluation process to ensure alignment with expectations and timelines.
7. Timeframe
The endline evaluation is expected to take place at a time to be announced upon being engaged as a successful consultant, with the following indicative schedule:
A. Commissioning phase (Week 1)
B. Inception phase (Week 1)
C. Data collection phase (Week 2)
D. Data analysis and preparation of draft report (Week 3)
E. Draft report reviews and validation (Week 4)
F. Submission and dissemination of report (Week 4)
G. Management response and action planning.
Total estimated duration: 4 weeks
Qualifications and Experience
The evaluation will be conducted by an independent consultant or evaluation team with the following qualifications:
• PHD or Master's focusing in Development Studies, Natural Resources Management, Agricultural Economics, Operations Research, Statistics, Public Environmental Health, Knowledge Management Agriculture, and a certificate in Agroecology, being an added advantage or related field.
• Proven experience (minimum 7 years) in conducting project evaluations using OECD DAC criteria.
• Expertise in climate resilience, agroecology, public health, and livelihoods programming.
• Strong analytical, writing, and facilitation skills.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of local languages (Ndau or Shona) is an asset.
• The evaluation team must reflect gender inclusivity, with demonstrated experience in applying gender-responsive approaches in assessments.
How to Apply
Submission deadline: 12 December 2025 at 1800 hours. No late submissions will be accepted. NB: Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification. All applications (financial offer & Technical proposal) to be sent to consultancy@tsurotrust.org
Prominent and highly experienced Consultants/ firms are encouraged to apply Download the TOR document here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ey-0cephFw2RHD7k_OcgH6Q4AGtxgGlI/view?usp=sharing
