Description du poste
Project Name: Bumula and Mwanamwinga Local Rights Programs (LRPs) Baseline StudyLocation(s) of the Project: Bungoma County (Bumula Sub-County – Mkua, Siboti and Mapara Wards); Kilifi County (Kaloleni Sub-County, Mwanamwinga Ward)Duration of Assignment: 4 WeeksAnticipated Fieldwork Window: 23rd -31st March 2026IntroductionActionAid International Kenya (AAIK) is a non-partisan, non-religious development organization that has worked in Kenya since 1972 to challenge poverty and injustice. Recognized as one of the country's leading anti-poverty agencies, AAIK operates in 25 counties and directly engages over 500000 people living in poverty and exclusion. Central to AAIK's mission is the commitment to advancing women's rights, with women, children, and young people placed at the heart of its programming. AAIK's work is anchored in the Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA), which emphasizes three pillars: empowerment, solidarity, and campaigning.Local Rights Programs (LRPs) are AAIK's primary mechanism for operationalizing rights-based approaches at community level. LRPs empower people living in poverty and exclusion to critically analyze their situation, organize collectively, and take action aligned with AAIK's priority missions. They emphasize capacity building, strengthening local institutions, promoting accountability to communities, meaningful youth engagement, and advancing women's leadership in decision-making and community transformation.AAIK identified new LRP areas to absorb child sponsorship links and continue its mission in high-need hard to reach communities. Following scouting and appraisal missions undertaken in November 2024 and April–May 2025, two new LRP sites have been identified and approved for establishment: Bumula LRP in Bungoma County and Mwanamwinga LRP in Kilifi County. These two LRPs were selected based on documented high levels of poverty, gender inequality, social injustice, and alignment with AAIK's Country Strategy Paper (CSP).A Baseline Study is now required to generate a comprehensive evidence base prior to programme implementation. The study will establish starting-point benchmarks across all thematic areas (gender and SGBV, livelihoods and food security, education, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, and governance) against which future midline and endline assessments will measure progress. The study also fulfils the requirement of AAIK's donor accountability framework and will directly inform LRP programme design, indicator setting, and the development of annual plans.Purpose & Objectives of the AssignmentThis Terms of Reference (ToR) is for a Baseline Study. The purpose of the study is to establish credible, rights-based starting-point data across the two new LRP sites (Bumula in Bungoma County, and Mwanamwinga in Kilifi County) to guide the design, implementation, and monitoring of AAIK's programmes. The specific objectives of the assignment are to:* Establish baseline indicators on poverty, inequality, and social injustice in Bumula and Mwanamwinga, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data across gender, livelihoods, education, health, water, and governance in thematic areas. * Assess gender and safeguarding gaps, including documenting the prevalence of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), early marriages, and teenage pregnancies; identifying barriers to women's leadership and decision-making participation; and ensuring safeguarding protocols for children, youth, and vulnerable adults are reflected in programme design. * Map livelihoods and climate resilience by analyzing household income sources, agricultural practices, food security status, and vulnerability to climate change, humanitarian risks, peace and security, environmental degradation, and land rights issues. * Evaluate access to and barriers in education, including school infrastructure, teacher availability, transition rates, and cultural and economic factors contributing to school dropouts, especially among girls and children with disabilities. * Analyze health and nutrition status including access to healthcare facilities, maternal and child health services, nutrition levels, and document disease prevalence and service delivery gaps. * Review water and sanitation access by establishing baseline data on access to clean water, sanitation facilities, hygiene practices, and seasonal vulnerabilities. * Identify existing community structures, NGOs, government programs, and partnership opportunities active in both LRP areas. * Provide an evidence base for programme design, generating actionable insights that guide AAIK's rights-based interventions and ensure alignment with AAIK's CSP and donor priorities.Scope of WorkThe baseline study will be conducted across two LRP sites: Bumula Sub-County in Bungoma County and Mwanamwinga Ward in Kaloleni Sub-County, Kilifi County. It will cover the following thematic areas:* Gender and SGBV * Livelihoods, food security, humanitarian, peace and security. * Education and youth development * Health and nutrition * Water and sanitation * Governance and accountability.The study will not cover areas outside these two approved LRP geographies. The study will engage the following respondent groups:* Community members e.g women, young people, men, persons with disabilities, village elders, and farmers) * County and sub-county government officials * Non-state actors (NGOs, CSOs, faith-based organizations) * AAIK staff and partnersApplicants may apply for multiple lots, one per LRP site. However, each successful applicant will be awarded only one lot.The consultant is expected to undertake the following key activities:1. Inception Report: Prepare an inception report outlining the understanding of the scope of work, proposed methodology, sampling framework, data collection tools, and work plan. 2. Desktop Review: Conduct a review of available documentation and secondary data, and provide inputs to enrich the survey tool questions based on findings. 3. Work Planning: Prepare the baseline survey work plan in consultation with AAIK, including a finalized schedule for fieldwork, enumerator training, and reporting. 4. Data Collection Tools: Develop finalized survey instruments, FGD and KII guides, and reflection tools reflecting AAIK's four core lenses: rights-based approach, women's leadership, young people engagement, and community accountability. 5. Fieldwork: Conduct data collection in both LRP sites using mixed methods (quantitative surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and observation/PRA tools). Surveys and interviews must take place at all programme target locations. 6. Fieldwork Report: Document all data collection activities including locations visited, stakeholders engaged, challenges encountered, and evidence of participatory processes and safeguarding compliance. 7. Draft Baseline Report: Provide comprehensive analysis disaggregated by gender, age, disability status, and other relevant characteristics. The draft report must include an indicator matrix aligned to AAIK's CSP. 8. Validation Workshop: Present preliminary findings to AAIK staff, partners, and community representatives compressed into a PowerPoint presentation for feedback and validation and incorporate stakeholder inputs into the final report. 9. Final Baseline Report: Submit a consolidated final report in both soft and hard copy formats, including an executive summary, context and methodology, disaggregated findings across all thematic areas, and programme design recommendations. 10. Evaluation Questions / Indicator SetThe baseline study will generate data against the following key evaluation questions, aligned to thematic programme areas and AAIK's CSP:1. Gender, Women's Rights and SGBV* What is the prevalence of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), domestic violence, early marriage, and teenage pregnancies in Bumula and Mwanamwinga? * What are the key barriers to women's participation in community leadership, decision-making, and land/resource ownership? * What formal and informal mechanisms exist to address GBV, and how effective are they in delivering justice to survivors? * To what extent do women access and control household economic resources?1. Livelihoods, Food Security and Climate Resilience* What are the primary livelihood sources and income levels of households in both LRP areas? * What is the food security status of households, and what seasonal vulnerabilities exist? * How are communities affected by climate change, and what coping mechanisms are in place? * What is the nature of humanitarian, peace and security threats in the LRPs, and the infrastructure to address the threats. * What is the status of land rights across the three classes of land, particularly for women, and how does this affect economic productivity?1. Education and Young people Development* What are the current enrolment, transition, and dropout rates across ECD, primary, and secondary levels? * What cultural and economic factors are driving school dropout, especially among girls, children with disabilities, and boys drawn into informal labour? * What is the availability and quality of school infrastructure, including sanitation and menstrual hygiene facilities? * What is the level of access to vocational training for youth?1. Health & Nutrition* What is the access and utilization rate of health facilities, including maternal and child health services? * What are the prevalence rates of key diseases (malaria, HIV/STIs, typhoid, malnutrition) in each LRP area? * What barriers prevent communities from accessing quality healthcare?1. Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)* What is the current access to safe, clean drinking water and sanitation facilities? * What are the water access challenges and community coping strategies? * What is the status of hygiene practices, including open defecation and handwashing facilities?1. Governance & Accountability* What is the level of community awareness of constitutional and legal rights? * What government services and social protection programs are active in the LRP areas, and how effective is community access? * What existing community-based organizations, NGOs, and CSOs are present, and what are the opportunities for collaboration?1. Approach & MethodologyThe consultant is expected to propose and design a rigorous methodology for conducting the baseline study, which must be participatory, rights-based, gender-responsive, ethical, and inclusive of marginalized groups including persons with disabilities, young people, and women. A mixed-methods approach is required, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.Minimum Methodological Expectations include:* Use of a mixed-method approach combining quantitative household surveys with qualitative methods (focus group discussions, key informant interviews, observation, and participatory rural appraisal/PRA tools). * A statistically sound and representative sampling framework that covers all programme target locations in both Bumula and Mwanamwinga. The consultant must provide a clear sampling methodology and justify the proposed sample size. * All data must be disaggregated beyond male/female to include: number of households, young women and men, girls and boys out of school, children with disabilities, and other relevant sub-groups. * Gender and context sensitivity must be embedded in interview settings and tool design to allow respondents of all backgrounds to participate freely and safely. * Digital data collection tools are strongly encouraged. All tools must be approved by AAIK prior to fieldwork. * Enumerators should be recruited from the counties in which data is collected to enable ease of access and responsiveness, with preference given to those with prior experience in similar assignments. * No photographs or case studies are to be taken without the informed consent of participants.The methodology must be further detailed and refined during the inception phase. It must include study type, sampling procedure and sample size, data collection instruments, study process, and data analysis methods. The consultant is expected to use visual methods and participatory tools for group-based participatory analysis.Below ActionAid’s Evaluation Principles must be adhered to throughout the assignment:* Promote participation and agency of community women and men at all stages of the evaluation (planning, data collection and analysis, and communications). * Generate useful learning through the process and outputs of evaluation. * Promote women's rights, ensuring full participation of women, engaging women's rights expertise and ensuring gender and age disaggregated data. * Recognize and analyze power relationships at all stages of the evaluation, including compliance with Child Protection and other ethical standards related to protection, including the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. * Promote accountability, primarily to people living in poverty and exclusion and to supporters and donors. * Be transparent, by presenting clear reports. * Reflect evidence and rigor through credible research methodology. * Link to monitoring and learning, building on existing information and actively promoting evaluation findings. * Build partnerships through communication and collaboration. * Draw the link between community-level results and the broader context to identify factors related to structural change (social movements, policy change, cultural shifts). * Reflect ActionAid's Feminist Leadership Guidelines in the evaluation process. See: ActionAid Feminist Research Guidelines (https://actionaid.org/sites/default/files/publications/ActionAid%20Feminist%20Research%20Guidelines_2021.pdf) * Apply Inclusive Systemic Evaluation for Gender Equality, Environments and Marginalized Voices (ISE4GEMs). See: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/Library/Publications/2018/ISE4GEMs-A-new-approach-for-the-SDG-era-en.pdf * Promote credible and sustainable alternatives.1. Timeline & DeliverablesThe assignment must be completed within a maximum of 31 days, of which at least 7-10 days must be dedicated to fieldwork. The indicative timeline and deliverables are as follows:Deliverable Completed by (indicative end date/ week) Potential Constraints / NotesInception Report (with methodology, tools, workplan) 17th Mar 26 AAIK Conflicting schedules and priorities.Data Collection (fieldwork) 31st Mar 26 AAIK Conflicting schedules and priorities.Draft Report 10th Apr 26 AAIK Conflicting schedules and priorities.Validation Workshop & Presentation 15th Apr 26 AAIK Conflicting schedules and priorities.Final Report (with annexes, datasets, tools) 18th Apr 26 AAIK Conflicting schedules and priorities.1. Logistics, Travel & SecurityAAIK will provide the following logistical support for this assignment:* Official transport will be availed where possible to support field visits in both Bumula (Bungoma County) and Mwanam…