Consultant
for Poverty Assessment Tools Survey (PATs)
1.
Background
1.1.
USAID Ejo Heza (“Brighter Future”) Program
CHF International
has been implementing the USAID, Feed the Future funded, Rwanda Integrated
Improved Livelihoods Program (IILP) since July 2011 and is working with a
consortium of partners including Save the Children, Food Economy Group,
CARITAS, DUHAMIC-ADRI, AEE, and ADEPR to improve the livelihoods and food
consumption of 75,000 of Rwanda’s very poor, particularly women by building the
capacity of low income households to access financial services necessary to
grow their enterprises as well as assist financial service providers to develop
and deliver effective products to the rural market. The IIL Program will be
implemented over the five years, 2011 – 2016 by CHF International in eight
districts of Rwanda; Nyaruguru, Nyanza, Huye, Nyamagabe, Gisagara in the
Southern Province and Rutsiro, Karongi and Ngororero in the Western Province.
1.2.
USAID Poverty Assessment Tools (USAID PATs)
In 2000, the U.S.
Congress passed the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance and International
Anti-Corruption Act, which mandated that half of all USAID micro-enterprise
funds benefit the very poor. To verify that USAID meets this target, subsequent
legislation requires USAID to develop and certify low-cost tools for assessing
the poverty status of microenterprise beneficiaries, and to require its
microenterprise implementing partners to use those tools to measure and report
the share of their beneficiaries who are very poor.
USAID PATs were the
resulting tools designated to fulfill this requirement, allowing implementing
partners to gain an accurate estimate of the share of their beneficiaries who
are very poor. This tool consists of a short, country-specific Survey and a
Data Entry Template. PATs were designed to measure the prevalence of poverty
and extreme poverty of households in a group. Each PAT survey is:
• Country-specific
• 10-25 questions in
length
• Based on
nationally representative household data
• Used to estimate a
program’s outreach to poor and very poor households
Therefore, the tool
will allow to assess the poverty level of USAID Ejo Heza beneficiaries with
respect to either the national or the international extreme poverty line. And
PAT surveys should be administered according to standard sampling and
interviewing protocols, detailed in the USAID PAT Implementation Manual
(Accessible from http://www.povertytools.org/tools.html) , and the resulting
data are entered and analyzed using the corresponding Data Entry Template as
required by USAID.
2.
Objective of the Consultancy
USAID Ejo Heza
wishes to recruit a consultant to conduct a USAID PATs survey on its
beneficiaries from the eight districts of operation.
3.
Required qualifications / Experience
- Masters
degree in statistics, Applied Economics, Rural Development Studies or any
other related field. - Project
management experience - Strong
experience in survey administration. PAT survey is a plus - Good
overall quantitative and organizational skills - Strong
skills in qualitative and quantitative data analysis - Staff
management experience - Monitoring
& evaluation experience - Budget
management experience - Good
communications skills (Fluent in Kinyarwanda and in English) - Team
spirit/motivates staff - Capable
of delegating responsibilities - Ability
to translate final objective to field staff - Knowledge
of local context - Strong
critical analysis and report-writing skills required - Experience
working with international organizations - Working
experience on a short notice - To be
available immediately.
4.
Tasks /responsibilities
The consultant will
be responsible for the following:
- Plan,
implement, and oversee training with interviewers - Develop
survey implementation plan (schedule, logistics, etc.) - Design
sample plan - Qualitative
review of training materials, sample, questionnaire, and internal control
system - Questionnaire
translation and editing - Conduct
survey pre-testing - Organize
survey - Coordinate
field work - Data
entry Supervision - Data
cleaning to ensure all records are complete and properly entered. - Data
Processing and Analysis - Reporting
to COP on the entire activity and findings.
Duration,
Reporting and Budget
The duration of this
consultancy is approximately 3 weeks, starting approximately 2 weeks after the
date of signing the contract. USAID Ejo Heza will provide transportation
for the consultant and data collectors while in the field, based on prior
agreement on the field schedule and a reasonable field budget for enumerators
only. The consultant will report to the COP and will provide periodic briefings
during the term of the consultancy.
How to Apply
Applicants should
apply in English and include a cover letter and detailed CV documenting work
experience, achievements, three current referees of similar assignments
conducted and copies of relevant degrees and certificates. Send
electronic submissions to ejoheza@rw.chfinternational.org. The subject of the
email must be “Consultant for Poverty Assessment Tools Survey”. Closing date:
10th July 2013
Only selected
candidates will be contacted for interview.
CHF International is
a member of the Network of International NGOs, NINGO / Rwanda
