Feasibility study of Integrated Transformation for Food and Nutrition Security, Resilient Livelihoods, and one Health systems in ASALs project Full Time NEW

1.0 Background

Malteser International (MI) is the worldwide relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta that has for over 60 years provided relief and recovery during and following conflicts and disasters. MI also works alongside vulnerable communities on long-term programs to deliver lasting change. Christian values and humanitarian principles form the foundations of our work: bringing aid to people regardless of their religion, background, or political convictions at over 100 Projects in more than 20 countries. MI’s vision is a life in health and dignity for all; its mission is to provide emergency relief in crises such as natural disasters, epidemics, or armed conflicts and carry out programs that enable people transform their lives for the better. The approach is to protect health by ensuring people have access to functioning medical structures, adequate nutrition, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene as well as strengthen the resilience of people in especially vulnerable regions against future crises.

2.0 Scope of the project

2.1.1 Scope of the Project

The proposed 36-month project Titled*: Integrated Transformation for Food and Nutrition Security, Resilient Livelihoods, and One Health Systems in ASALs* will be implemented across the Kenya–Ethiopia cross-border region, covering selected areas of Marsabit and Turkana Counties in Kenya and Dasannech Woreda in the South Omo ZoneofSouthern Ethiopia. In Marsabit County, the proposed target areas include North Horr, Maikona and Illeret Wards, together with cross-border Dasannech communities adjoining. In Turkana County, the project will cover Turkana North, Kibish and Turkana Border areas, including Nyangatom communities and cross-border areas adjoining Dasannech Woreda in South Omo, Ethiopia.

The feasibility study will assess the proposed project within its broader social, economic, institutional, environmental, operational and cross-border context. The consultant will assess conditions at macro, meso and micro levels to determine the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, coherence, and sustainability implementation requirements of the proposed interventions. Emphasis will be given to cross-border dynamics, institutional and coordination arrangements, service delivery systems, community structures, local capacities and the factors influencing health and nutrition, WASH, livelihoods, peace and social cohesion, early warning, anticipatory action and climate resilience.

At community level, the consultant will engage households, community leaders, local institutions, civil society organizations, government actors and other relevant stakeholders to assess the nature, scale and underlying drivers of food and nutrition insecurity, climate-related shocks, livestock losses, limited access to safe water, poverty, displacement, conflict and associated health and livelihood risks. Consultant will assess how these challenges are interconnected, how they affect pastoralist and agropastoral groups, and how risks and vulnerabilities are experienced across communities on both sides of the border. It will also provide an opportunity to listen to communities, local authorities, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders and understand their priorities, capacities, and concerns.

The proposed project will apply a Humanitarian–Development–Peace (HDP) Nexus approach, recognizing the need for complementary and coordinated interventions that address immediate needs while strengthening longer-term resilience and social cohesion. The thematic scope will include Health and Nutrition, One-health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), climate resilient livelihoods, peacebuilding and social cohesion, Early warning and anticipatory action and Institutional and technical capacity strengthening. The findings will inform areas of amendment before the full proposal is developed because of identified changes needed to the project design, targets, indicators, roles and responsibilities, risk management, cross-border coordination, and sustainability approach by ensuring that the final project is practical, relevant, and responsive to the context prior to submission of the project proposal to BMZ.

2.1.2 Implementing Partners

PACIDA will lead implementation in Marsabit County (North Horr, Maikona and Illeret ward) and the adjoining areas of Southern Ethiopia (Dasannech Woreda) building on its long-standing presence and operational experience in the region. SAPCONE will lead implementations in Turkana County (Turkana North and Kibish) and neighboring cross-border areas (South Omo region). While each organization will have a defined geographical and technical role, they will work closely together on issues that require a coordinated cross-border response.

Consultant will also assess the capacity and readiness of PACIDA and SAPCONE, as the proposed local implementing partners, to deliver the programme within their respective geographical areas and work effectively across the border. This will include their technical and operational capacity, community relationships, coordination mechanisms, existing partnerships and ability to support locally led and sustainable approaches. These findings will help ensure that the proposed programme is grounded in the realities of cross-border communities and has a realistic pathway towards achieving improved health and well-being, resilient livelihoods, stronger social cohesion, and functional early warning and anticipatory action systems.

3.0 Rationale of the assignment

The cross-border region of Turkana, Marsabit, and southern Ethiopia faces acute food and nutrition insecurity, with 60% of the population in IPC Phase 2–4, GAM rates of 15–25%, over 50% livestock losses, and limited access to safe water, driving poverty, displacement, conflict, and mortality risks. Communities living in cross-border areas face a combination of challenges that continue to undermine their livelihoods, health, food security, and ability to cope with shocks. Recurrent droughts, floods, conflict, livestock losses, poverty, displacement, and pressure on natural resources have made many households more vulnerable. These challenges are closely linked and often reinforce each other, making it difficult for communities to recover from recurrent shocks.

Food and nutrition insecurity remain major concerns, particularly among vulnerable households. Recurrent climate shocks affect food production and livestock, while limited livelihood opportunities and access to markets further reduce household food security. The proposed project will help communities to strengthen their ability to produce and access nutritious food, while improving access to nutrition services and promoting healthier practices at household and community level.

Health and nutrition challenges are also compounded by limited access to services in remote and conflict-affected areas. Communities, particularly vulnerable groups, have difficulty accessing timely health, nutrition and disease-prevention services. The project will therefore strengthen facility- and community-based nutrition services, One Health approaches, outreach, and disease-prevention practices, recognizes the close relationship between human, animal and environmental health in these communities.

Water insecurity is another major constraint to households. In most areas, communities face unreliable water sources, poorly functioning water systems, concerns about water quality, and limited access to sanitation and hygiene facilities. The project will address these challenges through the rehabilitation and construction of water systems, improved water governance and operation and maintenance, and sustained hygiene and sanitation behavior change.

Livelihoods are particularly vulnerable to climate variability and recurrent drought. Many households depend heavily on livestock and rain-fed agriculture, leaving them exposed to crop failure, livestock losses and declining income. The project will support more resilient livelihood options, including drought-tolerant crop and fodder production, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable rangeland management, improved livestock husbandry and diversification. It will also strengthen household economic opportunities through savings and loan groups, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, business development and improved access to markets, including linkages between local producers and schools.

Conflict and competition over natural resources further affect livelihoods, mobility and social cohesion across the border. Climate pressures increase competition over water, pasture and other resources, while existing tensions can make it more difficult for communities to respond collectively to shocks. The project will therefore strengthen local mechanisms for peacebuilding through climate and conflict analysis, gender and social inclusion approaches, stronger community peace committees, scenario and response planning, safe spaces, and youth-led cross-border peace initiatives.

Given the frequency and unpredictability of climate and conflict-related shocks, there is also a need to move beyond responding to crises after they occur. The project will strengthen early warning and anticipatory action systems, including community-based mechanisms and digital tools for monitoring climate, markets and nutrition trends. A crisis modifier will provide flexibility to redirect resources quickly when agreed triggers indicate an emerging crisis, while protecting longer-term development investments and gains.

Finally, the proposed project will respond to the interconnected nature of the challenges facing cross-border communities rather than addressing food security, health, WASH, livelihoods, peace and climate resilience separately. It will adopt Humanitarian–Development–Peace Nexus through a locally led approach.

4.0 Scope of the assignment

Guided by MI’s Program Team, the consultant will undertake a comprehensive feasibility study to assess the relevance, coherence, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of implementing the proposed project. The assignment will operationalize the feasibility dimensions required under the BENGO guidelines that are technical, financial, institutional, and socio-cultural focusing on how the project can be effectively integrated within existing health systems. Consultant will assess whether the proposed approach is relevant, realistic and responsive to the needs of communities, while identifying the capacities, systems, partnerships and resources required to achieve the intended results.

The consultant will report to MI and coordinate closely with contact with people from PACIDA and SAPCONE. The consultant will maintain professional independence in data collection, analysis, findings, conclusions and recommendations

The scope of the assignment will be guided by the four main outcomes and specific objectives proposed under the project.

4.1.1 Specific Objectives

To strengthen the capacity of local civil society organizations to deliver integrated, sustainable solutions for food security, peacebuilding and climate resilience in fragile ASAL cross-border regions.

4.1.1.2 Outcomes

Oct.1: Communities have improved health, nutrition and One Health systems for enhanced resilience and well-being.

Oct.2: Households adopt diversified climate-resilient food production systems and access sustainable income opportunities.

Oct.3: Capacities of formal and informal cross-border stakeholders in conflict prevention and management and social cohesion building, with particular focus on climate and women and youth, are enhanced

Oct.4: Early warning and anticipatory action systems are functional and responsive.

Across all the four outcomes, the consultant will consider gender equality, social inclusion, conflict sensitivity, climate change, local ownership and sustainability with particular attention to the experiences and priorities of women, youth, children, persons with disabilities, pastoralist households and other groups that may face greater barriers to services, livelihoods and decision-making.

5.0 Methodology of Assignment

The study will provide an opportunity to test and refine the proposed approach before the full proposal is developed. As part of this process, the proposed results framework will be reviewed to ensure that the indicators and targets are measurable, realistic and supported by available data. It will identify any gaps in baseline information and determine where additional data may be required to establish realistic targets and support effective monitoring.

The study will use a cross-sectional mixed-methods and context-sensitive approach to understand the realities of communities and institutions across Turkana and Marsabit Counties in Kenya and Daassenach Woreda, South Omo region in Southern Ethiopia using the OECD DAC criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability.

The methodology will employ desk review, quantitative and qualitative data collection, stakeholder consultations and field observations. The approach will be designed to capture both the similarities and differences across the three geographical areas, while paying particular attention to the cross-border nature of the proposed programme.

5.1.1 Desk review and context analysis

Consultant will begin with a review of relevant project documents, assessments, policies, strategies, and available secondary data. This will help establish a clear understanding of the social, economic, environmental, institutional, climate and conflict context in the proposed areas in relation to food and nutrition security, health and One Health, WASH, livelihoods, climate risks, livestock, conflict and social cohesion, early warning and anticipatory action.

The review will also map existing government and community systems and identify lessons from similar interventions implemented in the target areas. The analysis will be presented in macro, meso and micro levels, linking county-level policies and systems with local institutional arrangements and the experiences and priorities of communities.

5.1.2 Stakeholder and institutional Engagements

Consultants will engage key stakeholders at county, woreda and community levels, including government departments, local authorities, civil society organizations, community structures, private-sector actors, peacebuilding organizations, health and nutrition actors, WASH stakeholders and cross-border institutions.

The assessment will examine the roles, technical capacities, relationships and readiness of PACIDA and SAPCONE to contribute to implementation within the geographical areas as well as their ability to coordinate and work effectively across the Kenya–Ethiopia border.

5.1.3 Community consultations

Consultants will engage directly with communities to understand their needs, priorities, experiences and proposed solutions. Vulnerable pastoralist and agro-pastoralist will be consulted to ensure that the perspectives of women, youth, pastoralist households, persons with disabilities and other potentially vulnerable groups are adequately represented.

Qualitative methods such as focus group discussions, key informant interviews and community consultations will be used to explore issues that may not be fully captured through secondary data. In addition, early warning information will be assessed whether suitable triggers, information sources, decision-making structures and response mechanisms are available to enable timely action when climate or conflict-related risks increase.

The study will also validate the proposed figures and clarify the relationship between the household targets and the proposed overall reach of approximately 30,000 people directly and 150,000 people indirectly

5.1.4 Proposed intervention package

Consultant will assess whether the proposed interventions are relevant, complementary and realistic within the Marsabit, Turkana and Southern Ethiopia, Daassenach Woreda. It will identify potential gaps, overlaps or duplications, as well as activities that may need to be refined to ensure that the project remains focused, practical and manageable. The study will also examine whether the proposed implementation model is feasible given the geographical distances, infrastructure, security conditions, population mobility, institutional arrangements and cross-border dynamics in the target areas.

The study will further undertake a systematic risk and assumptions analysis and consider how these factors could affect implementation and identify appropriate mitigation measures and adjustments to the project design.

Preliminary findings will be shared with key stakeholders through a validation process to confirm that the assessment accurately reflects the realities of the target areas. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to clarify information, provide additional evidence, raise concerns and contribute to the refinement of the findings and recommendations. Feedback from the validation process will be incorporated into the final recommendations and be translated into practical actions to strengthen the project design.

The final recommendations will focus on practical adjustments to interventions, targeting, geographical coverage, indicators and targets, implementation arrangements, partnership roles, risk management, cross-border coordination and sustainability mechanisms in line with OECD DAC criteria (Relevance, coherence, sustainability, impact, effectiveness and efficiency). This will ensure that the final project design is evidence-informed, contextually appropriate and feasible to implement.

6.0 Ethical consideration

Consultant will be conducted in accordance with accepted ethical principles, such as respect for participants, informed consent, confidentiality of data, maintaining privacy, voluntary participation and do no harm. Before data collection, the consultant will obtain the necessary approvals and permissions from relevant authorities and institutions in the target areas.

All participants also will be provided with clear information about the purpose of the study, why they are participating, how the information will be used, and their right to decline or withdraw from the study at any time without any negative consequences. consent will be obtained prior before interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Households with limited literacy, the information will be explained and verbally consent will be documented in an ethically appropriate manner.

Since the study will involve cross-border communities and institutions, the consultant will respect applicable national requirements, local governance structures and community protocols in both countries. The study will ensure that participation does not create unrealistic expectations regarding future programme support.

7.0 Time frame and expectation

Consultant is expected to complete the feasibility study within a proposed timeframe of 26 days. The final schedule will be agreed upon with MI at the contractual stage.

7.1 Deliverables

• Inception report with detailed methodology, data collection tools in alignment to OECD DAC Criteria, sampling strategy, workplan and question matrix linking questions to data sources and tools.
• Final feasibility study report, presenting the methodology, findings, analysis, conclusions, risks, assumptions and practical recommendations.
• Any datasets generated and analyzed for the study, with appropriate disaggregation where available and consistent with confidentiality requirements.
• Recommendations on the project proposal, intervention logic, results framework, indicators, targets, assumptions and monitoring framework.
• Summary PowerPoint presentation highlighting key findings and recommendations.
• Presentation and discussion of findings with PACIDA, SAPCONE and Malteser International and relevant partners through a validation meeting/workshop.

7.2 Application and selection procedure

7.2.1 Skills and Experience of Study Team

The consultant or consulting team should collectively demonstrate the following:

• Advanced university degree in development studies, public health, agriculture, livestock development, climate change, natural resource management, peace and conflict studies, social sciences, economics, programme management or a related field.
• Proven minimum seven (7) years’ experience conducting feasibility studies, assessments, evaluations or applied research for humanitarian, development, resilience or integrated programme in a cross-border setting.
• Demonstrated experience working in Kenya and Ethiopia, pastoralist or agro-pastoralist contexts.
• Relevant technical experience in food and nutrition security, livelihoods, WASH, One Health, climate resilience, peacebuilding, early warning and/or anticipatory action.
• Experience with mixed-methods studies, using qualitative and quantitative approaches, participatory community engagement and stakeholder consultation.
• Experience in undertaking organizational and institutional capacity of local civil society organizations.
• Understanding of cross-border programming, conflict sensitivity and community-based systems.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English.
• Where team is involved, the consultant should clearly state the role and responsibility of each team member and demonstrate how the combined expertise covers the scope of the assignment.

7.3 Safeguarding and Professional Conduct

The consultant(s) shall comply with applicable safeguarding, confidentiality, ethical and professional requirements of PACIDA, SAPCONE and Malteser International throughout the assignment. Any safeguarding concern arising during the study shall be handled through the agreed reporting channels.

Tagged as: Kenya, Malteser International