VSF Belgium Karamoja Livestock Development Project Phase I End of Phase 1 Evaluation Terms of Reference
End of Phase 1 Evaluation Terms of Reference
Country: Uganda
Location: Matheniko County, Moroto District, Karamoja Region
Project to be evaluated:“Karamoja Livestock Development Project Phase I”
I. Background
The Karamoja ‘cluster’ is a term used to describe the pastoral and agro-pastoral ethnic groups in an area comprising north-eastern Uganda, north-western Kenya, southern Sudan and south-western Ethiopia, most of whom share a common language, culture and land area.
The communities that constitute the Karamoja cluster include: Turkana, Matheniko, Bokora, Pian, Dodoth, Nyangatom, Didinga, Merille, Toposa, Jie, Tepeth, Acholi, Labwor and Upe.
In Uganda, Karamoja region covers 27,200 Km2 semi-arid plain, with an average rainfall of 500-700 mm per annum, variable in space and time. The environment is classified as in disequilibrium, where vegetation in areas not receiving rain for two or more years is able to regenerate rapidly when it receives adequate moisture.
There is a limited amount of acacia / commiphora forest in the higher ground to the east of Moroto, which is the Regional Headquarters, but the vast majority of the district can be classified as semi-arid savannah covered with seasonal grasses, thorny plants, and occasional small trees.
The Karamoja region is characterised by a combination of acute poverty, vulnerability to drought, poor infrastructure, basic social services delivery, limited marketing opportunities, especially for livestock, natural resource degradation, social and cultural marginalisation, long-standing dependency on external aid and most importantly, chronic insecurity.
The region is the least socially and economically developed in Uganda, even among the generally poor parts of Northern Uganda as a whole.
Due to the aridity, extensive livestock keeping is the principal economic activity within the district. Livestock are kept primarily to sustain livelihoods through milk, meat and barter; the sale of livestock is only of secondary importance.
The livestock keeping system, which is exceptionally well adapted to the disequilibrium environment, is hindered primarily by the chronic insecurity (which has its basis in a tradition of cattle rustling) of the area, but also by poor access to water in the dry season, poor quality of available forage, high incidence of contagious diseases and limited access to veterinary services.
Whereas the prevalence of diseases, poor access to water and poor quality of the available forage limit the possibilities for breed improvement, the conflict provides an active disincentive for breed improvement as families do not want to draw attention to their herds.
Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (VSF) Belgium, is an international non-governmental organization with a mission to improve the welfare of vulnerable populations in developing countries, through improving animal health and production.
VSF-Belgium is officially registered as an NGO with the Belgian Government and operates in several African countries. The Karamoja Livestock Development Project (KLDP) focuses onaddressing insecurity and inadequate access to grazing and water for optimal animal health and production.
II. Objective
The overall objective of this mid-term evaluation is to assess and document the benefits and impact of the Karamoja Livestock Development Project on the social and economic status, welfare and livelihoods of the intended direct and indirect project beneficiaries.
This will involve assessing and documenting the project’s contribution to improving the livelihoods of the direct and indirect project beneficiaries. The evaluation will include identifying the impact, changes, timeliness, coverage, appropriateness andconnectedness of the project, highlighting key lessons learned in the current phase and recommendations for improving the future structuring of interventions.
III. Scope and focus
The broad terms of reference include the following:
- Measure the extent to which the programme’s objectives to improve the social and economic status of households in the targeted areas have been achieved;
- Provide VSF Belgium and donors with information on how the program interventions have contributed to livelihood security of the targeted households;
- Verify indicators and indicator values in KLDP II Second Phase (20211-2013) proposal.
- Inform future design of similar interventions by VSFB and provide the staff with a learning opportunity.
