Consultancy for a Feasibility Study to Inform a BMZ (PT) Project Proposal

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy for a Feasibility Study to Inform a BMZ (PT) Project Proposal

Contracting organization

arche nova (AN)

1. Introduction

arche nova (AN) (www.arche-nova.org), a German non-governmental organization, has since 2012, been supporting vulnerable communities in Kenya to strengthen resilience to climate change, water scarcity, food insecurity, environmental degradation, and recurrent humanitarian shocks. Working at the humanitarian-development-climate nexus, arche nova combines emergency response, disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate adaptation, and sustainable development approaches to build long-term resilience and self-reliance. Together with our local partners working in Kibera; Human Needs Project (HNP) and Action for Social and Economic Progress (ASEP), we are preparing a project proposal for submission to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The proposed intervention is envisaged for Kibera, Nairobi County, Kenya.

2. Background

The proposed project; “Strengthening urban resilience through a climate-smart, multifunctional satellite community hub in the Kibera slum, Nairobi, seeks to address interconnected water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), public-health, climate-resilience and community livelihood needs in Kibera. Objective: To strengthen urban resilience through WASH, income generation and social cohesion in the Kibera slum, Kenya. Target group: 20,000 people, including 55 per cent women, 35 per cent young people (18-25 years) and 10 per cent people with disability. The target groups are closely interconnected with overlapping co-benefits from the project hence a validation of the total beneficiaries reached by the project is necessary. The Junior Partner; HNP also directly benefit from the project through strengthened capacities from the senior partner ASEP.

The project components include construction of a climate-smart community hub for improved access to safe water and sanitation, livelihoods and social cohesion. Potential measures may include a solar-powered water supply, greywater treatment using nano-filtration for reuse e.g. for hydroponic farming, sanitation and bathing facilities, menstrual health and hygiene (MHM), and inclusive community engagement, a digital innovation training lab for green business, entrepreneurship, job placement, and conflict/legal advice. Building on HNP’s ‘Kibera Town Centre’, which successfully operates as a self-sustaining WASH, training and community centre. A senior-junior partnership model is being introduced: as an experienced stakeholder and AN partner, ASEP supports the smaller, locally-rooted organization HNP to facilitate better access to funding, technical support and innovation.

These are options for assessment and are not predetermined technical decisions. The project is structured around four results:

Result 1: Improved access to climate-resilient and inclusive WASH services for vulnerable residents in Kibera.

Result 2: Improved economic empowerment and green skills development for women and youth.

Result 3: Strengthened social cohesion and improved access to community justice services for underserved vulnerable community members.

Result 4: Strengthened institutional capacity and inclusive governance for sustainable service delivery.

A feasibility study is required to verify priority needs supporting the project idea to assess the suitability, affordability and sustainability of proposed measures as well as beneficiary, stakeholder and partner relationships and identify the key risks and recommend concrete adjustments to the project concept, the impact matrix and the planned measures. The study must be independent and sufficiently critical to recommend redesign, deferral or non-selection of any measure where evidence does not support it.

The study should consider applicable BMZ PT requirements and relevant OECD/DAC criteria: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability. Cross-cutting considerations include gender equality, disability inclusion, human rights, environmental and climate safeguards, conflict sensitivity, accountability and Do No Harm.

3. Purpose and Scope of the Assignment

The purpose of the assignment is to provide AN and its partners with an independent, participatory and evidence-based basis for deciding on the proposed intervention and preparing a coherent, technically sound, costed and sustainable BMZ PT project proposal.

The feasibility study will:

• Validate priority needs, vulnerabilities, capacities and intended target groups in the proposed project area.
• Assess the technical, social, institutional, environmental, regulatory, operational and financial feasibility of proposed measures and compare viable alternatives.
• Analyze target groups and stakeholders, including their relationships, interests, influence, roles, coordination and potential risks of exclusion or conflict.
• Identify prerequisites, including land tenure and site access, asset ownership, water availability and rights, permits, environmental and social assessments, technical investigations, utility connections, and operation and maintenance arrangements.
• Recommend intervention logic, target groups, objectives, outputs, indicators, means of verification, assumptions and risks for the logical framework matrix; establish baseline values where feasible and propose evidence-based targets.
• Recommend sustainability, exit or transition, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) arrangements.

4. Methodology

The study should combine qualitative and quantitative methods and follow a participatory approach that reflects the needs and perspectives of intended beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders. The consultant shall propose a rigorous but proportionate methodology in the inception report, triangulating secondary evidence with field-based verification.

• The sampling approach must be justified, including selection of locations, respondent groups and sample size. A census or large-scale survey should not be assumed necessary unless justified by the study questions, available time and budget.
• Recent and relevant secondary data should be used wherever suitable. Sources, dates, geographic coverage and limitations must be stated; primary data collection should fill material evidence gaps rather than duplicate existing assessments.
• Data collection methods may include desk review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, community consultations, site observations, structured facility assessments, quantitative data collection where justified, stakeholder and service mapping, risk analysis and preliminary costing.
• For every proposed outcome- and output-level indicator in the draft logical framework, assess measurability, data sources, disaggregation and feasibility of collection; establish a baseline value where evidence permits and recommend a realistic target.
• Assess the concept against the OECD/DAC criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability, explaining how each informs the feasibility judgement and recommendations.
• Data-collection tools must be shared with AN and partners for comment before fieldwork. Participation must be voluntary and informed. Personal data must be minimized, securely handled and reported in aggregated or anonymized form wherever possible.
• Validation with AN and partners should improve factual accuracy and usability but must not compromise the consultant’s independent judgement.

5. Tasks and Deliverables

5.1 Tasks

The consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks. The detailed methodology and sequencing will be agreed during inception.

Context and Initial Situation Analysis

• Review the concept note, available WASH and public-health data, relevant research, local plans and applicable national and county policies.
• Analyze Kibera’s socio-economic, public-health, environmental, climate, institutional and governance context relevant to the proposed intervention.
• Map existing and planned WASH, sanitation, MHM, livelihood and climate-resilience actors and interventions and identify synergies, referral pathways and duplication risks. Assess whether the established St. Juliet is complemented by the community service hub and or establish existing gaps.
• Verify the nature, scale and location of priority needs and identify population groups facing the greatest barriers or risks.
• Identify evidence gaps, stakeholder perceptions and assumptions requiring further investigation and prepare an evidence matrix.

1. Stakeholder and Partner Analysis

• Identify and engage key stakeholders, including young women, young men, parents, community and religious leaders, county and national government actors, and other civil society organisations.
• Assess the Partners regarding their roles, resources and competencies for
• project implementation.
• Evaluate the formal agreements and ownership structures between AN, ASEP, HNP
• Identify and analyse any gaps in collaboration and coordination.
• Identify synergies and confirm whether all official preconditions and authorizations for project implementation are in place

Needs, Target Groups and Beneficiary Analysis

• Consult residents and intended beneficiaries, including women and girls, youth, persons with disabilities, older people and other potentially marginalized groups, using safe and accessible methods.
• Suggest a beneficiary selection criterion, expected reach, affordability, barriers to access, protection concerns, participation and possible unintended consequences.

  Skills Training, Employment and Income-Generation Feasibility

• Assess the gaps and needs among intended beneficiaries for the proposed skills training, including priority skills, participation barriers, existing competencies and the extent to which the proposed training responds to local needs and market demand.
• Analyse realistic employment, self-employment and income-generation opportunities linked to the proposed skills areas, including local labour-market conditions, viable value chains, market access, competition, start-up requirements. Technical and Operational Feasibility
• Assess proposed boreholes, toilets, showers and related facilities site suitability, accessibility, privacy, safety, gender responsiveness, MHM needs, cleaning, wastewater containment and disposal, desludging, drainage and recurrent costs.
• Assess whether proposed user fees are affordable and acceptable to intended beneficiaries and determine if the expected income can adequately cover recurrent operational and maintenance costs. Environmental, Social, Regulatory and Safeguarding Analysis
• Identify risks and mitigation needs related to groundwater abstraction, wastewater, sludge, solid waste, drainage, construction, energy use and treatment residuals.
• Identify the required environmental assessment and approval pathway, permits, land-access documentation, water-resource approvals and other statutory requirements; verify status where evidence is available.
• Assess gender, disability inclusion, child and adult safeguarding, protection, community safety, affordability and equitable access.
• Identify risks of exclusion, tension, elite capture, unequal benefits, displacement or disruption of existing services, and recommend practical mitigation measures.
• Recommend proportionate community consultation, complaints and feedback mechanisms, and ethical data-protection practices.

Project Concept Evaluation, Design and Recommendations

• Test the theory of change and causal links between needs, activities, outputs, outcomes and intended longer-term effects.
• Assess the coherence and manageability of combining WASH, livelihoods, access to justice and institutional strengthening in one hub, and recommend whether any component should be scaled down, phased or dropped.
• Map and assess the potential legal services gaps of intended beneficiaries,availability of qualified and legally authorized legal aid providers, community justice organizations, paralegals and relevant referral services operating in Kibera.
• Review and refine the draft logical framework, including indicators, potential baselines, proposed targets where evidence permits, sources of verification, assumptions and risks.
• Recommend MEAL responsibilities, data-collection frequency, disaggregation, community feedback and learning reviews.

5.2 Deliverables

The consultant shall submit the following deliverables in English. Due dates will be finalized at contracting and aligned with AN’s BMZ PT proposal-development schedule.

Inception report:  Desk-review summary and evidence gaps; refined questions; justified sampling and respondent-selection approach; stakeholder plan; fieldwork locations and schedule; ethics, safeguarding and data-management arrangements; limitations; draft tools.

Preliminary findings briefing : Emerging findings, evidence gaps, options, key risks and decisions requiring partner input.

Draft feasibility study : Context and problem analysis; needs and target groups; stakeholder and partner analysis; options appraisal; technical and operational feasibility; safeguards; OECD/DAC assessment; risks and sustainability; indicator-by-indicator review with baseline values where feasible and proposed targets.

Project-design annexes:  Draft logical framework matrix; intervention logic/theory of change; indicators and baseline information; implementation timetable; risk register; indicative activity-based budget

Validation and final report:  Validation session with AN and partners; final report incorporating comments; stakeholder contact list, bibliography/source list and curated, captioned photographs where appropriate and consented.

• The final report should not exceed 30 pages excluding annexes and should open with an executive summary of no more than 3 pages.
• The report must give a clear, evidence-based recommendation for each proposed measure (proceed, proceed with modifications, defer or do not proceed), with the reasons and conditions attached.
• All reports and annexes must be submitted in PDF and editable formats (MS Word and Excel) and cleaned; anonymized datasets and data-collection tools shall be submitted as annexes

6. Supporting Documents

AN and its partners will provide relevant available documents to support the assignment, which may include:

• The latest project concept notes, draft proposal narrative, draft logical framework/results matrix and draft budget.
• Available site information, maps and previous project report relevant to Kibera and the proposed intervention.
• Relevant BMZ PT feasibility-study guidance, templates and proposal requirements.

7. Skills and Experience- consultant profile

AN invites application from Kenya-based independent consultants, teams of consultants or consulting firms. Where a multidisciplinary team is proposed, one team member must act as team leader and take responsibility for the quality and timely delivery of all outputs. The team should collectively demonstrate:

• Postgraduate qualification in development studies, social sciences, public health, engineering, environmental studies, economics or another relevant field.
• Demonstrated experience conducting feasibility studies, assessments or project design for development programmes in Kenya, preferably in urban informal settlements or similarly complex settings
• Experience developing institutional-donor proposals, logical frameworks, results chains, implementation plans and activity-based budgets.
• Relevant WASH and public-health expertise. Specialist engineering or water-resource conclusions must be reviewed by appropriately qualified professionals.
• Experience with participatory and mixed-methods research, stakeholder analysis and translating findings into actionable recommendations.
• Competence in gender equality, disability inclusion, safeguarding, environmental and social risk assessment, conflict sensitivity, social cohesion and accountability.
• Strong analytical, facilitation and report-writing skills; excellent written and spoken English; willingness to conduct fieldwork in Kibera.

8. Work Plan and Submission

The assignment is expected to be delivered within 21 consultant working days, completed within a period agreed with AN and aligned to the proposal-development schedule. The consultant should propose a realistic allocation of days. The following distribution is indicative:

• Inception and desk review: 2–3 days.
• Fieldwork and stakeholder consultations: 5–7 days.
• Analysis and options appraisal: 4–5 days.
• Draft report and design annexes: 3–4 days.
• Validation, revisions and finalization: 2–3 days.

Fieldwork dates and submission deadlines will be agreed during inception. AN’s review periods and partner feedback must be built into the detailed workplan. Deliverables are complete only after review and acceptance by AN.

9. Management, Coordination, Ethics and Data Management

• The consultant reports to the designated AN focal point, who coordinates comments and confirms acceptance of deliverables.
• AN and partners will provide available project documents, facilitate introductions to stakeholders and support agreed field logistics.
• The consultant is responsible for the quality and independence of the analysis, tools, fieldwork, analysis and timely delivery. Changes to scope, fieldwork, deliverables or timeline require written agreement by AN before additional work is undertaken.
• Obtain informed consent before interviews, discussions, photographs or collection of personal information; participation must be voluntary. Use safe, accessible and culturally appropriate methods and avoid creating expectations about project approval or benefits.
• Apply safeguarding and Do No Harm principles, including appropriate protections when engaging children or other groups requiring additional safeguards.
• Protect confidentiality and securely store notes, recordings and datasets in line with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019, and applicable research-ethics requirements. The consultant must identify any research licence, ethical clearance or other authorization required and include the time and cost in the workplan and financial proposal.
• All reports, tools, datasets, photographs commissioned under the assignment and project-design annexes shall be provided to AN and handled in accordance with the consultancy contract. The consultant may not publish confidential project information or identifiable participant data without prior written authorization. Third-party sources must be acknowledged.

10. Application Requirements

Applications are invited from Kenya-based individual consultants, teams of consultants or consulting firms, in line with Section 7. Applications must include:

• Cover letter  (max. 2 pages) explaining interest and suitability for the assignment, and confirming availability for the proposed period.
• Technical proposal  (max. 10 pages) setting out understanding of the assignment and the Kibera context; proposed methodology, sampling and options-appraisal approach; work plan with allocation of days per team member and per phase; team composition and roles; quality-assurance arrangements; and ethics, safeguarding and data-protection arrangements.
• CVs  of all proposed team members (max. 2 pages each), including at least two references from recent, similar assignments.
• Financial proposal  in Kenya Shillings (KES), with professional fees shown as daily rate × number of days for each team member, and separate lines for field costs (e.g. enumerators, transport, venues, consultation costs), research licence or ethical-clearance costs, and applicable taxes.
• One sample  of a feasibility study, assessment or project-design report recently completed by the lead consultant or team (or a link to it).
• Compliance documents:  copy of KRA PIN and valid tax compliance certificate; for firms, certificate of registration or incorporation.
• Signed declaration  of no conflict of interest.

How to apply

Interested applicants are requested to submit their application with the reference “Feasibility Study; arche nova Kenya” clearly indicated in the email subject line to:   kenya.somalia.procurement@arche-nova.org   The deadline for application is 17th November 2026, 23:59 East Africa Time. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submission is encouraged. All applications received by the deadline will be considered equally