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Description of Programme Location and Context

SOS Children’s Village Arba Minch Programme is the newest program under SOS CV Ethiopia, established on August 19, 2025, to help realize the strategic objectives for 2030. We act for children as an independent, non-governmental social development organization. Currently, six projects are being implemented by the Programme Location (PL), categorized under three major areas: alternative childcare, family strengthening and humanitarian action programs. The projects include Arba Minch FCS. Under humanitarian projects, Moyale Triple Nexus, Yabelo HRP, and Geze Gofa rehabilitation projects are actively implemented in the South Ethiopia Regional State and Oromia Regional State.

Rationale and overall objective of terminal evaluation:

SOS Children`s Villages in Ethiopia has conducted Joint Context Assessment and Needs Analysis in Moyale Woreda from June to July 2025. 

This assessment revealed profound humanitarian, development, and peace gaps affecting children, youth, women, persons with disabilities, and displaced communities. Inclusive and sustainable planning remains elusive, as the voices of women, youth, and children are largely absent from decision-making processes.

This process identified different investment priorities and concluded with woreda-level alignment to harmonize the NC-HDP with existing government structures, ensuring ownership, complementarity, and long-term sustainability.  Also proposed CORE program interventions with the Woreda’s upcoming plan. This effort and engagement was considered as a “nexus by activity” model: leveraging humanitarian, development, and peace investments together to expand coverage, strengthen systems, and generate ripple effects at household and community levels

The NC-HDP program will be implemented in Moyale Woreda, where SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia (SOS CVE) will establish a dedicated field office to oversee operations. The humanitarian and development pillars of the project will be directly implemented by SOS CVE, while the peace pillar will be led by its local partner, the Gayo Pastoral Development Initiative (GPDI). In addition, respected academic and research institutions—including Borena University, Addis Ababa University, and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI)—are expected to be mandated to lead and manage the project’s longitudinal study, ensuring high-quality evidence generation and research credibility. 

The primary aim of environmental impact assessment is to assess the impact of project intervention on the environment and the vice versa. The assessment also aims to provide environmental risk information for the project team to develop mitigation mechanisms so that the impact of intervention on the environment will be compensated and relevant strategies will be developed accordingly.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is used to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of a proposed project or development. It helps decision-makers understand the likely impacts on the environment and human health before a project begins, enabling them to make informed decisions about whether to proceed and how to mitigate potential negative effects. 

The project operation has been experienced recurrent environmental risks, the recent landslide is one of the indicators of environmental risks, causing families, children and elders displacement leading to complicated life in relocated areas where basic service was limited. The landslide happened in project operation areas degraded the land, affected farming activities, disrupted the existing social structures and complicated the service provided by the local government.  EIA is most valuable when applied early in the planning process for a project as a support to decision making. It provides a means to identify the most environmentally suitable option at an early stage, the best practicable environmental option, and alternatives to the proposed initiative; and thus, avoid or minimize potentially damaging and costly negative impacts and maximize positive impacts. The finding of environmental impact assessment will be used to mitigate environmental impacts, design mitigation strategies and introduce safe programming

Objectives of the terminal evaluation:

Overall objective:

EIA is intended to identify the impacts (both beneficial and adverse) of a proposed project activity. Often, the focus is dominantly environmental (biophysical); it also addresses social and economic aspects. 

It aims to identify the most environmentally suitable option at an early stage, the best practicable environmental option, and alternatives to the proposed initiative; and thus, avoid or minimize potentially damaging and costly negative impacts and maximize positive impacts.

Specific objectives:

The specific objectives of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) are:

• To check whether the proposed activities have impact on the environment and identify the effect from social and economic perspectives as well. 
• To identify the environmental risks that pose negative impact on the proposed intervention and the local community in general.
• To develop tailored mitigation mechanism that can avoid or minimize the environmental impacts related to the proposed intervention.
• To develop disaster preparedness plan for the environmental risk that adversely affect the project intervention and the local community resilience efforts.

The project has the following goal, outcomes and outputs.

 Goal/Impact: Improved Food and Nutrition Security of Conflict Vulnerable Populations in Moyale.

Outcomes and Outputs

Outcome 1: Inclusive and Sustainable Local Planning & Development 

Objective: Establish functional, inclusive, and gender-responsive community structures that co-design, implements and monitor local development.

Output 1:1 Functional Local Development Associations Established in all of the 12 Kebeles.

Output 1:2 Functional, Inclusive, and Gender-Responsive Planning Systems, Resilience-Oriented Development Plans developed and aligned with Woreda to Region priorities

Output 1:3 Community Awareness, Engagement, and Accountability Mechanisms Institutionalized

Outcome 2: Strengthened Multisectoral Coordination & Governance

Objective: Improve Food Security and Nutrition Council (FSNC) functionality at Woreda and kebele levels.

Output 2:1 Functional, Well-Governed FSNC Coordination Platforms Established at Zone, Woreda and NC-HDP targeted Kebeles

Output 2:2 Strengthened FSNC Capacities for Nexus-Oriented Coordination and Decision-Making

Output 2:3 Sustainable FSNC Financing and Donor Coordination Secured

Outcome 3: Integrated Humanitarian Response for Nutrition, Health, Protection, Education, and WASH

Objective: Deliver timely, multi-sectoral humanitarian services while building resilience.

Output 3.1: Inclusive Humanitarian Targeting, Vulnerability Mapping, and Early Warning System Strengthened

Output 3.2: Local Systems and Workforce Capacities Enhanced for Humanitarian Response

Output 3.3: Prepositioned Humanitarian Commodities and Supply Chains Mapped Out

Output 3.4: Integrated Multi-Sector Humanitarian Services Delivered to Crisis-Affected Populations

Outcome 4: Resilient, self-reliant, and stable livelihoods for vulnerable households in Moyale, driven by inclusive local development Associations

Objective: Strengthen livelihoods through inclusive value chains and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

Output 4.1: Inclusive Livelihood Mapping, Value Chain Analysis, and Community-Driven Business Model Development

Output 4.2: Access to Productive Assets, Inputs, and Enabling Infrastructure Enhanced

Output 4.3: Capacitated Community Institutions and Households for Sustainable Enterprise Management

Outcome 5: Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion

Objective: Strengthen local capacity to prevent, manage, and resolve conflicts.

Output 5.1: Conflict Early Warning, Response, and Information Systems Operationalized

Output 5.2: Inclusive Community-Based Peace Structures Established and Strengthened

Output 5.3: Strengthened Inter-Community and Cross-Border Dialogue and Agreements

Output 5.4: Improved Access to Justice, Peace Education, and Community Awareness

Outcome 6: Responsive Learning and Adaptive HDP Programming

Objective: Establish rigorous monitoring, learning, and accountability systems.

Output 6.1: Local Capacities Strengthened for Adaptive, Data-Driven Planning and Decision-Making

Output 6.2: Community Feedback and Accountability Systems Institutionalized

Major Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Tool questions:

The commissioned consultant should list out techniques of environmental impact assessment that can easily be used and adopted to the local context. The most recent and automated EIA tools like NEAT+ (Nexus Environment Assessment Tool plus) are recommended in this context. 

Scope and project targets:

Specifically, the EIA is limited to assessing the environmental impact pertaining to the proposed project intervention, environmental risks posing negative impact on the program activities and local communities. Geographically, the project targeted 12 kebeles of Moyale woreda of Borena zone, Oromia region.

The project implementation will cover the period from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2028.

Table 1. The project target participants.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) methodology:

The consultant(s) must develop a strong data collection methodology for this EIA, ensuring the data's reliability and validity. A mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods, is recommended to produce the highest quality and most credible evidence. This study will collect data, disaggregated by sex, age, and disability, for the indicators listed in the result framework (the RF will be annexed for the winner consultant). The chosen methodology must be sensitive to the local context and ensure that all respondents, regardless of their background, have an equal opportunity to participate in EIA. The EIA should be designed to provide safe and inclusive spaces that encourage all participants to respond freely, irrespective of gender, age, disability, origin, or religious beliefs. As far as possible, the consultant should disaggregate data by sex, age, and disability while collecting and analysing data. Furthermore, the consultant should also clearly explain which questions will be answered using which methods. The Consultant should also ensure that the survey and qualitative methods (such as focus group discussion (FGD), key informant interview (KII) and group discussion with participants are representative of the project’s target groups.

Sampling

The consultant is required to propose statistically sound sampling strategies to ensure representativeness. He/she is required to clearly state the sample size and the acceptable margin of error. The consultant will develop a detailed data analysis plan, outlining the statistical methods to be used for the quantitative data and the thematic analysis approach for the qualitative data. All data collection activities should be conducted following the highest ethical standards, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and the safety of all participants. 

Work plan and expected deliverables

Work plan/timetable

The EIA task is expected to be finalized within 45 days after the contractual agreement is signed. The consultant is expected to develop her/his detailed work plan based on the following table.

Deliverables:

The commissioned external consultant must deliver the EIA findings within 45 days of the contract signed. Based on the work plan, SOS Children’s Villages of project intervention programme location Arba Minch and the national office MEAL and Humanitarian Response program team expect the following deliverables:

• An inception report of 8 pages on the EIA design, methodology, sampling frame, sampling technique, sample size, assessment tools and work plan
• Draft EIA report.
• The consultant is expected to analyse the data and present findings (for both draft and final findings) by target groups separately.
• Final report - The findings of EIA report including an executive summary and data collection tools in both electronic and hardcopy formats should be submitted.
• Raw data, which has been cleaned (both qualitative and quantitative, including original field notes for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and recorded audio material), should be submitted with the report. SOS CVE will have sole ownership of all final data, and any findings shall only be shared or reproduced with the permission of SOS Children’s Village Ethiopia.

Report criteria:

The reporting criteria for EIA task shall be in line with the SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia result based management (RBM) toolkit and should be shared with the winner consultant along with the data review process and/or for the preparation of the inception report.

Child safeguarding and ethical issues.

SOS Children’s Villages is committed to ensuring that all assessment, research, evaluation and data collection processes (i.e. evidence-generating activities) undertaken by SOS Children’s Villages and its partners are ethical and respect child safeguarding policy and procedure. 

The consultant must respect the rights, dignity and protection of children and other vulnerable population groups and should ensure special protection for children and other vulnerable groups during any data-generating activities to minimize any potential risks. Any assessment, research, evaluation and data collection SOS Children’s Villages is directly carrying out or is involved in as a partner.

Ethical practices need to be ensured in the following circumstances: 

• Any assessment, research, baseline, midterm or final evaluations and data collection SOS Children’s Villages has commissioned for ethical oversight of these processes.
• Any assessment, research, evaluation and data collection carried out by researchers/consultants on SOS Children's Villages programmes and participants.

Hence, relevant Coordinator in SOS Children’s Village Arba Minch and Humanitarian Program department will ensure that any researchers, evaluators and data collectors should receive awareness training on, sign and adhere to SOS Children’s Villages core policies:

Obtaining consent from research participants is central to the research relationship and signals respect for the research participant's dignity, their capability to express their views and their right to have these heard in matters that affect them. Informed consent is an explicit agreement which requires participants to be informed about and understand the research/assessment. This must be given voluntarily and be renegotiable, so that participants may withdraw at any stage of the research process.

Logistical arrangements:

The awarded consultant shall show feasible logistical arrangements for the assignment as part of the technical proposal. National or location-level staff (SOS CVE) will be available to help organize the interviews including contacting SOS CVE, announcing and local preparation of evaluation, and linking to community duty bearers and national authorities if required.

Duration of the contract and terms of payment

Payment will be made only upon SOS Children’s Villages' acceptance of the work performed in accordance with the above-described deliverables. Payment will be affected by bank transfer in the currency of birr.

Duration of contract: the contract is effective from the moment it was signed until the acceptance of work by the SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia management team. 

Notice of delay

Shall the successful bidder encounter a delay in the performance of the contract which may be excusable under unavoidable circumstances; the contractor shall notify SOS Children’s Villages in writing about the causes of any such delays within one (1) week from the beginning of the delay. 

After receipt of the Contractor's notice of delay, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia shall analyse the facts and extent of the delay and extend the time for performance when in its judgment the facts justify such an extension. 

Copyright and other proprietary rights:

SOS Children’s Villages shall be entitled to all intellectual property and other proprietary rights including, but not limited to, copyrights, and trademarks, with regard to products, processes, inventions, ideas, know-how, or documents and other materials which the Contractor has developed for SOS Children’s Villages under the Contract and which bear a direct relation to or are produced or prepared or collected in consequence of, or during the course of, the performance of the Contract. The Contractor acknowledges and agrees that such products, documents, and other materials constitute works made for hire for SOS Children’s Villages. 

All materials: interviews, reports, recommendations, and all other data compiled by or received by the Contractor under the Contract shall be the property of SOS Children’s Villages and shall be treated as confidential and shall be delivered only to SOS Children’s Villages authorized officials on completion of work under the Contract. The external consultant is obliged to hand over all raw data collected during the assessment to SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia.

Termination:

The termination of the service agreement for the assignment will be in accordance with the contractual agreement to be included at the formal agreement's actual signing.

Qualification of the Researcher/Research Team

• The applicant consultancy firm shall have at least a master’s degree in a relevant field of study such Disaster Risk management, Climate and Environment, Sociology, Social Work, development studies, Economics, Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation and other related fields per the required assignment
• An applicant should have practical experience in conducting the environmental impact assessment using NEAT+ using the kobo toolbox and any other digital data collection
• At least 5 years' work experience & proven competency in Environmental impact assessment (EIA), assessment, monitoring, research, terminal evaluations, baseline assessments or organizational/program evaluation (baseline, midterm, and final evaluations). The applicant consultancy firm shall attach at least one sample final evaluation report produced on a similar topic.
• A good understanding of Humanitarian program with particular focus on Safe programming
• A good understanding of Environmental safeguarding, child/youth rights/safeguarding & other issues affecting vulnerable children in the Ethiopian context.
• proven experience in working with conceptual frameworks and data collection methods (including age-appropriate data collection methods)
• Proven experience in participatory processes and data collection methods
• Strong skills in coordination, good facilitation, organizational, and interpersonal skills
• Proven experience in participatory processes 
• Strong skills in coordinating teamwork
•  analytical and conceptual skills on environment, food security and livelihood assessment
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English and local language.
• Ability to transfer complex concepts and ideas into practical and simple language.
• Experience in organizing research processes with SOS Children’s Villages or similar child focused organizations. 
• Experience in managing Environmental impact assessment, baselines, final evaluations and livelihood assignments in respect of the participating communities’ culture, social norms, values, and behaviour; and maintain appropriate relationships with participants of this evaluation.
• Legally registered firms with renewed license, VAT registration and TIN number

How To Apply

Application Requirements

A. Technical Proposal

• Outline of the proposed approach, including methodology and understanding of the assignment
• Work plan with timeline and key deliverables

B. Financial Proposal

• Detailed, itemized budget (fees, logistics, data collection, etc.)
• All costs clearly justified
• Submitted as a separate document from the technical proposal

C. Team Profiles

• CVs of team members with relevant qualifications and experience
• Defined roles and responsibilities for each team member

D. References

• Contact details for at least three (3) recent, relevant references
• Include project title, organization, and completion date

E. Legal Address

• Valid Business License (E.C. 2017 Renewed License, Taxpayer Registration Certificate (TIN), and VAT Registration Certificate.
• Full legal name, physical address, and registration details
• Contact phone number and email

Submission Instructions

Address

Email address: procurement@sos-ethiopia.org

Note: Technical and financial proposals must be submitted as separate PDF attachments