Job description

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Baseline Survey

Project: Climate Resilient Agriculture for Food Security and Transformation – Zambia (CRAFT), with a special focus on women and children

Implementing Organization: New Apostolic Church Relief Organization (NACRO)

Project Partner: NAK-karitativ & BMZ

Project Duration: 01 October 2026 – 30 September 2029

Proposed Survey Period: 09 November 2026 to 30 December 2026 (including preparation, training and 20 district-level fieldwork days)

Project Area: Western Province (Mongu & Nalolo), Southern Province (Choma & Kalomo)

1. Introduction

The New Apostolic Church Relief Organization (NACRO) is a faith-based Non-Governmental Organization established in 2002 and registered in Zambia under the NGO Act. NACRO implements development programmes in education, health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), household income, nutrition and food security, and disaster mitigation, with gender equality and climate resilience integrated as cross-cutting themes.

NACRO, in partnership with NAK-karitativ, is implementing a three-year project titled “Climate Agriculture for Food Security and Transformation (CRAFT), with a special focus on women and children.” NACRO intends to undertake a baseline survey at the beginning of the project to establish reference values for key indicators, understand the prevailing conditions of target households and institutions, and inform project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

2. Project Background

The project is designed to strengthen food security, livelihoods and climate resilience among rural communities in Western and Southern Provinces. The project design identifies droughts, floods and unpredictable rainfall as important challenges affecting agricultural production, household income, nutrition and access to water. Many households depend on rain-fed agriculture, have limited livelihood diversification and experience seasonal food shortages and unreliable water access.

The project will support smallholder farmers through climate-smart and conservation agriculture, diversified and drought-tolerant seed, demonstration plots and Farmer Field Schools, improved access to water for domestic use and small-scale irrigation, school horticulture gardens, nutrition education, water-point management arrangements and stronger disaster-management structures.

Project goal

To contribute to improved food and income security and strengthened climate resilience among rural populations, with a special focus on women and children.

Main outcomes / result areas

Improved household food security and dietary diversity.
Increased knowledge and adoption of climate-smart and drought-resilient agricultural practices.
Improved access to reliable water for domestic use and small-scale productive activities.
Improved crop diversification and sustainable soil fertility management.
Improved school gardens and learners’ knowledge of nutrition, resilient farming and hygiene.
Strengthened community and district disaster risk management and water-point management structures.

3. Purpose of the Baseline Survey

The purpose of the baseline survey is to provide evidence to guide NACRO in planning and implementing project interventions, targeting beneficiaries, prioritizing activities, validating project assumptions and targets, and strengthening monitoring and evaluation throughout the project implementation period. The findings will guide evidence-based decision-making, support the validation of project targets and assumptions, and provide a basis for adapting implementation strategies to the needs and circumstances of the target communities.

4. Baseline Survey Objectives

4.1 Overall objective

To establish baseline values for the project’s key outcome and output indicators and document the prevailing food security, livelihood, agricultural, water, school nutrition and disaster-management conditions in the target communities.

4.2 Specific objectives

The survey team shall

Establish the current level of household food security, including the number of months households have adequate food during a typical year.
Measure household dietary diversity and consumption of food groups, including legumes, vegetables and animal-source foods.
Assess livelihood and income sources, agricultural production, crop diversification, and household exposure and responses to droughts, floods and erratic rainfall.
Determine access to safe and reliable water for domestic use and agriculture, including seasonality, collection time, infrastructure functionality and management arrangements.
Assess farmers’ knowledge and current adoption of climate-smart and drought-resilient practices, including minimum tillage, crop rotation, mulching, early planting, potholing, organic manure/compost, agroforestry and drought-tolerant crops.
Document existing farmer groups, demonstration plots/Farmer Field Schools and access to agricultural extension support.
Assess the status of school gardens, school feeding practices, and nutrition education and learner knowledge of resilient farming, nutrition and hygiene in the target schools.
Assess the functionality, planning, meeting frequency, resources, community engagement and coordination of District Disaster Management Committees and relevant community structures.
Assess existing water-point management arrangements, including committee functionality, maintenance plans and records.
Generate sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated data where appropriate and identify barriers affecting women, vulnerable households and people with disabilities.
Validate target groups and intervention sites through consultation with communities, schools, government departments and NACRO structures.

5. Scope of the Baseline Survey

The survey will cover household, farmer, school and institutional/community levels. The project design identifies approximately 2,000 smallholder farmer households (about 10,000 people), 6,600 learners in 22 schools, four District Disaster Management Committees and water-point management structures.

Geographic scope

The Project will be implemented in Southern Province and Western Province. In Southern Province the districts covered will include Choma and Kalomo while in Western Province the districts include; Mongu and Nalolo.

Thematic scope

Component	Baseline information to be collected
Household food security	Months of adequate food provisioning, seasonal shortages, food sources and coping strategies.
Dietary diversity and nutrition	Food groups consumed during the defined recall period, including legumes, vegetables and animal-source foods.
Livelihoods and income	Main income and livelihood sources, crop and livestock production, off-farm activities, seasonality and market access.
Climate-smart agriculture	Current knowledge and practice of minimum tillage, crop rotation, mulching, early planting, potholing, manure/compost, agroforestry and drought-tolerant seed use.
Water access	Main water sources, year-round reliability, collection time, domestic and productive use, functionality and maintenance arrangements.
Farmer learning	Existing farmer groups, demonstration plots, Farmer Field Schools, extension services and training exposure.
School gardens and nutrition	Garden functionality, crop diversity, links to school feeding, meal availability, nutrition education and hygiene knowledge.
Disaster risk management	DMC membership, meetings, action plans, risk assessment, early-warning dissemination, resources and community engagement.
Water-point management	Existence and functionality of committees, maintenance planning, records and user participation.
Gender and inclusion	Participation and access disaggregated by sex, age and disability where appropriate; barriers affecting women and vulnerable groups.

6. Key Baseline Indicators

The baseline survey shall assess the project’s key indicators across household food security, dietary diversity, water access, climate-smart agriculture, school gardens, nutrition, disaster risk management, and gender and social inclusion. The table below distinguishes between assumptions in the project design, baseline measurements to be established through data collection, and approved project targets. Before finalizing the data collection tools, the consultant shall prepare an indicator matrix specifying each indicator’s definition, unit of analysis, numerator and denominator where applicable, data collection tool, recall period, disaggregation requirements and scoring criteria. All design assumptions and targets shall be verified against the approved project results framework. Particular attention shall be given to distinguishing dietary diversity from food security, water reliability from water safety, CSA knowledge from actual adoption, and committee existence from functionality.

Baseline Indicator Matrix

Result Area	Design Assumption (Unverified)	Baseline Indicator / Measurement Approach	Project Design Reference / Target
1. Household Food Security	Households reportedly have adequate food for approximately 5–6 months per year.	Number and percentage of households with adequate food availability for different numbers of months per year. Unit: household. Tool: household questionnaire. Recall period: previous 12 months.	At least 1,200 of 2,000 households (60%) should have adequate food for 10–12 months annually.
2. Household Dietary Diversity	Households reportedly consume 2–3 food groups, mainly maize.	Average number of food groups consumed and percentage of households consuming five or more food groups. Unit: household. Tool: dietary diversity questionnaire using an approved food-group classification. Recall period: previous 24 hours.	Improved dietary diversity, with a target of five or more food groups, subject to confirmation of the approved indicator definition.
3. Reliable Year-Round Water Access	Fewer than 20% of households reportedly have reliable year-round water access.	Number and percentage of households meeting approved water reliability criteria, including seasonal availability, interruptions and domestic/productive uses. Unit: household and water point. Tools: household questionnaire and water-point checklist. Recall period: previous 12 months. Water quality shall be assessed separately where required.	At least 1,200 households should access reliable water through project-supported systems.
4. CSA Knowledge and Adoption	Existing farmer knowledge and adoption levels have not been verified.	Assess farmers’ knowledge of CSA practices separately from actual application of practices such as minimum tillage, conservation agriculture, soil and water conservation, and organic manure use. Unit: farmer/household. Tools: knowledge assessment, farmer questionnaire and observation checklist.	At least 1,200 households should demonstrate increased knowledge and practical adoption of drought-resilient farming. Confirm whether the target requires both outcomes.
5. Demonstration Plots and Farmer Learning Sites	The design refers to 13 demonstration plots and 26 demonstration gardens.	Number, location and functionality of existing sites, including crops grown, management and learning activities. Unit: site. Tool: site observation checklist and interviews.	Confirm whether 13 plots and 26 gardens are separate targets or a discrepancy in the project design.
6. School Gardens	Existing school garden coverage and functionality have not been established.	Number and percentage of target schools with functional gardens, crop diversity and links to school feeding. Unit: school. Tools: school questionnaire and observation checklist.	22 school gardens established or improved.
7. Learner Nutrition, Hygiene and Resilient Farming Knowledge	Existing learner and teacher knowledge levels and school feeding arrangements require verification.	Assess learner and teacher knowledge of nutrition, hygiene and resilient farming, alongside school feeding frequency and availability. Unit: learner, teacher and school. Tools: knowledge assessment and school checklist.	Approximately 6,600 learners expected to benefit from improved knowledge. Confirm the precise indicator definition.
8. District Disaster Management Committees (DMCs)	The functionality of the four target DMCs has not been verified.	Assess committee functionality, meeting regularity, action plans, implementation, resources, coordination and community engagement. Unit: committee and community. Tools: functionality checklist, document review and interviews. Review records for the previous 12 months where available.	Four DMCs strengthened; 80% implementing action plans; quarterly meetings and updated plans; 70% of communities regularly engaging. Clarify how the 80% target applies to four DMCs without changing the approved target.
9. Water-Point Management Committees	The number and functionality of existing committees are unknown.	Number of existing committees and percentage meeting approved functionality criteria covering meetings, records, maintenance, financial management and responsiveness to breakdowns. Unit: committee. Tools: functionality checklist and document review.	Ten water-user committees established and functioning, with at least 80% functional. Define the functionality threshold and denominator.
10. Gender, Disability and Social Inclusion	Women, children and persons with disabilities are priority groups, but existing participation and access require assessment.	Measure participation and access to project interventions, training, agricultural support, water services and decision-making structures. Disaggregate by sex, age and disability where appropriate.	At least 1,000 female farmers among 2,000 targeted farmers. Confirm the definition of a female farmer and relevant inclusion indicators.

Note: The project targets the establishment or improvement of 22 school gardens across 22 schools and the establishment or use of 13 Farmer Field Schools (FFS) or demonstration gardens for farmer learning and demonstration purposes. These targets shall guide baseline data collection, implementation monitoring and subsequent evaluation.

The consultant shall submit the completed indicator matrix to NACRO for approval before finalizing the data collection tools. Any inconsistencies in the project design, including the demonstration plot targets and the interpretation of the 80% DMC action-plan target, shall be documented and clarified with NACRO before fieldwork. Approved indicator definitions, calculation methods, recall periods and scoring criteria shall guide baseline measurement and subsequent monitoring and end line evaluation.

7. Baseline Survey Methodology

The baseline shall use a participatory mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative techniques.

Desk review

The survey team shall review relevant documents, including

Project design document, proposal and results framework/impact matrix.
Available baseline assumptions, monitoring tools and beneficiary/site lists.
District development plans and relevant agricultural, climate, water, nutrition and education data.
School records and available information on gardens, feeding and nutrition education.
Existing records of District Disaster Management Committees and water-point management structures.

Primary data collection

The survey team is expected to use

Structured household questionnaires with sampled smallholder farmer households.
Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with relevant district officials, NACRO staff, school representatives and technical stakeholders.
Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with women farmers, farmer groups and other relevant community members.
Direct field observation of existing water points, gardens, demonstration plots and community infrastructure.
School assessment checklists and interviews with head teachers, mentor teachers, school health/nutrition structures and Parent-Teacher Committees.
Institutional assessments and document review for District Disaster Management Committees and water-point management committees.

Sampling

The consultant shall propose a scientifically defensible sampling methodology and sample size based on the confirmed project districts, eligible household population, required precision and available resources. The methodology shall specify the confidence level (95%, unless otherwise justified), margin of error, design effect, non-response allowance, sample size calculation, district and provincial allocation, and respondent selection procedures. NACRO shall confirm whether statistical precision is required at project, provincial or district level.

The sampling frame shall be validated with NACRO and relevant stakeholders, ensuring transparent selection and adequate representation of women and vulnerable households. The consultant shall clarify whether all target schools and committees will be assessed or sampled and explain the selection of schools, learners and teachers. The methodology shall also address sampling weights, missing data, non-response and triangulation of quantitative findings with qualitative evidence. NACRO shall approve the sampling plan before fieldwork begins.

Data quality and ethics

Train enumerators and supervisors on the tools, informed consent, safeguarding, inclusion and interviewing practice.
Pilot tools in a comparable non-sampled community before full deployment.
Conduct daily completeness and consistency checks, supervisor spot checks and selected back-checks.
Informed consent and safeguarding: Before fieldwork, the consultant shall agree with NACRO on a protocol covering accessible interviews, informed consent for adults, applicable parent/guardian consent and learner assent for children, voluntary participation, the right to withdraw, and procedures for safeguarding referrals.
Data protection and confidentiality: The consultant shall agree with NACRO on authorised data access, separation of personal identifiers from survey dat

Requirements

Apply by email: cpc.zambia@nacrozmz.com

Terms of Reference (ToR) – Baseline Survey