Job: Consultant TOR (Food Security Activities)

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Location: Myanmar
Deadline: Tuesday, 30 July 2013 

Description

SCOPE OF WORK Food Security Activities Feasibility Study Chin State, Paletwa Township Project Improvement and reinforcement of livelihoods, food security, health and nutrition status of marginalized and vulnerable groups in border states of Myanmar. Donors Danida, Cartier Areas of intervention Northern Rakhine State Kayah State Chin State , Paletwa Township  Area to be covered by the feasibility study. Background Chin State is located in the north western part of Myanmar, bordering India and Bangladesh. The landscape in Chin State is mainly mountainous and characterized by steep slopes and narrow valleys. The total population is slightly above 500,000 individuals, the second lowest at State and Region level in the country, after Kayah State. Transportation in Chin is severely constrained by the topography and the very scarce passable roads. Except for one main road or river in each township, villages are only accessible either by river (boats) or through footpaths, thereby making access a significant challenge for the inhabitants. In addition, landslides that cut the main cities from the (already) limited supplies received from outside the State are frequent during the rainy season. Results of recent country-wide surveys1 ranked Chin as the first or second priority for most of the indicators measured:

• Chin state ranks first in term of food poverty incidence (25%) and poverty incidence (71%) in the country; Chin State has the lowest proportion of one-year-old children fully immunized against measles, the poorest antenatal care coverage and the second highest self-reported morbidity incidence;

Integrated household Living Conditions Survey in Myanmar (2009-2010), MDG data report, June 2011, UNDP and Mutliple Indicator Cluster Survey 2009-2010, October 2011, UNICEF-MoH.

Chin State ranks second in terms of child undernourishment (based on WHO standards) after Rakhine State.

The population in Chin State is predominantly agrarian, producing on slopes. Cultivation systems are based on a rotation of plots following slash and burn of the forest cover. Main crops produced are paddy, corn, millet, sesame. Irrigation can be practiced but is limited to the few opened valleys, on the banks of the rivers. Crops are essentially used for own consumption while trading and marketing suffer from the remoteness of the villages to Township towns. Farming is the main livelihood as casual labour opportunities are too scarce to provide regular income. In recent years, between 2007 and 2010, Chin State was affected by important rats' infestations. This followed bamboo blooming, which rats fed on, a phenomenon with a recurrence of around 50 years. Rats caused destruction of crops and/or stocks during three consecutive harvests, amounting for 50% to 70% of the quantities produced. While widespread, these infestations were mainly contained to the Southern townships of the State, where people show higher level of food insecurity. As a consequence, recurrent reports of deteriorated food security arose for the population living in the affected areas. In order to cope with the food production and stocks losses, the affected population resorted to various coping strategies including borrowing food or money or selling households (productive and non-productive) assets. In late 2011, ACF decided to conduct an assessment in the South Chin State to assess the humanitarian situation, focusing on Paletwa Township. This was motivated by:

• Humanitarian indicators in Paletwa assumed to be below acceptable standards, despite limited information on the context and on the impact of rats infestation; Small number of agencies operating in Paletwa; Transportation constraints that prevent accessing several Townships in a timely manner.

The assessment confirmed that the vast majority of the population suffered from severe crop failure in 2011, thereby leading to major food shortages starting in early 2012. Because income generation options are extremely limited, households had to resort to harmful coping strategies including going further into debt and reducing food consumption. Indicators on household dietary diversity (HDDS2) indicated that consumption patterns did not meet people's nutrition needs. In order to have updated information on the 2012 paddy harvest, in November 2012, ACF collected information among the households that benefited from food distributions (implemented by ACF and funded by the World Food Programme (WFP)) from March to October 2012. The monitoring exercise revealed that a large proportion of households in Paletwa Township continue to be food insecure. Indeed, the ACF team found that about 53.9% of the households interviewed saw their 2012 yields decrease compared to the previous year3. As a result, 73% of the households consulted by ACF

Household Dietary Diversity Score, an indicator that measures the number of food groups consumed (out of a total of 12) at household level in a normal day. 3

According to the Paletwa Township Myanmar Agriculture Service (MAS), the average yield in 2012 was 37.73 baskets (788.6kg) per acre compared to 37.12 baskets (775.8kg) per acre in the previous year, thereby showing a slight increase. The difference between ACF and the government's findings can be explained by the following patterns: The ACF survey covered only ACF's intervention area in Paletwa, i.e. uplands, which tend to have

reported that their harvest would be enough for 4 months or less than 4 months and 27% said that it would be enough for 5 months or less than 5 months. Respondents were asked to mention three main reasons for crop failure experienced in 2012. The majority said that pests and disease were the main challenges faced during monsoon cultivation (69%), followed by heavy rain (10.2%) and irregular rainfall (9%). It must be noted that people are expected to use part of their crops to reimburse previously contracted debts. Hence access to food is likely to be highly hampered in 2013 for the vulnerable households of Northern Paletwa Township. A Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) survey conducted by ACF (with funding from WFP) in March 2013 and postharvest monitoring carried out in the framework of the Food Security Information Network (FSIN) Food Security Monitoring Bulletin are expected to provide further information on the abovementioned developments. Findings from the above-mentioned assessment led ACF and its partner Karuna Pyay to launch a second intervention aiming at providing access to a balanced food basket for the 2013 lean season that is supporting more than 20,000 individuals. Following this first phase of protective intervention through food distributions, ACF is now aiming at linking relief, rehabilitation and development through longer term interventions integrating Food Security and Livelihoods activities and preventive activities in the sectors of WASH as well as increasing knowledge on IYCF and child care practices. The project activities to be implemented in Paletwa Township under the project 'Improvement and reinforcement of livelihoods, food security, health and nutrition status of marginalized and vulnerable groups in border states of Myanmar', aim to enhance livelihood resilience and improve food security for targeted communities. This objective will be reached through two expected results: gain of two months of food security for at least 800 households and increase understanding of the local context, including resources and barriers to prevent child under-nutrition, and improved knowledge on IYCF and child care practices for 800 households in Paletwa. The first result is expected to be reached by implementing different types of Food Security and Livelihoods activities such as: The provision of technical trainings on sloping agriculture and vegetables production including farmers to farmers exchanges (Farmers Field Schools - FFS) and referent farmers for at least 800 households. The application of Slopping Agriculture Land Technologies (SALT) techniques and/or terracing and the creation. The support to community banks for at least 400 households.

lower production figures compared to lowlands; while government findings refer to averages based on yield patterns in the whole of Paletwa Township, i.e. both lowland and upland.

Three food security studies to inform food security programming are planned in the inception phase of the project: this feasibility study, a study on post-harvest and storage practices and a study on farming practices.

Objectives of the Consultancy Analyse the intervention area context to ensure the proposed Food Security and Livelihoods activities are relevant and feasible by carrying out a food security feasibility study in the villages preselected for the project. The study should enable to fine-tune the above-mentioned activities, define the specific modalities of project implementation and methods, confirm the selected villages and establish targeting criteria for the households that will participate in the project. The study should provide a first overview of the agricultural practices within the area of intervention and assess the likelihood of practices in the frame of this project.

Main activities to be carried out by the consultant: 1. To gain an understanding of the project and Paletwa context by reviewing relevant documentation (project document, evaluation reports from previous similar projects, previous assessment reports etc.) and meeting key stakeholders intervening in Paletwa Township and Chin State. To conduct a workshop with project team and partners to gather their knowledge on the feasibility of the proposed activities, the method for the study, the recommendations on sources of info (e.g. who would be the key informants). To develop the methodology for the feasibility study. To implement the study in collaboration with the project staff. To review and analyze the information gathered. To produce a report on findings and recommendations for project implementation and possibly other complementary projects.

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3. 4. 5. 6.

Methods This activity will be carried out in collaboration with local authorities, other NGOs operating in the area and communities. Methods to be used for this study will include review of secondary information, observations, focus group discussions, observations and key information interviews with the relevant stakeholders. A specific attention will be given to assess the existing traditional coordination and communication mechanisms developed by the communities in the village functioning. These mechanisms will have to be taken into consideration when defining the implementation modalities in the villages.

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Deliverables 1. 2. 3. 4. Set of documents for the feasibility study methodology and developed tools. Feasibility study dataset (if relevant). Feedback workshop and presentation of the main findings and recommendations for validation. Feasibility study report with the following main sections.

• Executive summary Background information Purpose of the work & methodology used Outcomes & findings Conclusion Recommendations Annexes

Timeframe and Location

• Contract signing: July 2013/August 2013 Documents review, stakeholders meeting (Yangon): 2-6 September 2013 Methodology development (Yangon): 7-10 September 2013 Methodology finalisation + Stakeholder meeting + Feasibility Study Implementation + Results presentation to stakeholders (Paletwa): 11 September 2013 – 01 October 2013 Analysis (Paletwa/Yangon): 02 October – 04 October 2013 Preliminary findings presentation (Yangon): 05 October 2013 Report Writing (Home): 06 October – 11 October

Collaboration The consultant will work in close collaboration with resource persons at Yangon (Deputy Country Directors, M&E coordinator, Head of Departments) and at Paletwa level (Field Manager, Deputy Program Manager, Logistics, etc.).

Risks and Assumptions

• The security situation remains under control and government authorities maintain rule of law.

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The external political environment is conducive for NGOs to operate in Paletwa. TA is obtained for the consultant's travel to Paletwa and villages of the township.

HOW TO APPLY:

If you want to apply, please send:

• A letter of application
• An updated Curriculum Vitae To:

• ACF Office, No 11(A), Kanbawza Avenue Road, Bahan Town Ship, Yangon - Via an e-mail: jobs.acf.mya@gmail.com

OR

Applications (including CV, cover letter, and references) should be submitted to Action Contre la Faim not later than:

30th July 2013 (Tuesday)