Terms of Reference (TOR) for Baseline Survey

Job Description

Terms of Reference (TOR) for Baseline Survey

Oasis on the Coast: Protection of the Yawri Bay MPA through community-led 

initiatives and sustainable livelihoods in 8 coastal communities of Sierra Leone

The Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL) is a national non-governmental, non-profit environmental organization established in 1986 with the mission of conserving and promoting the wise use of Sierra Leone’s natural resources. It is a membership-based organization open to the general public and includes members from many different backgrounds. 

The Society provides policy advice, undertakes environmental education, facilitates learning and advocacy on good conservation practices, implements conservation and sustainable livelihoods projects and facilitates biodiversity research. 

CSSL is at the forefront of protecting endangered species and their habitats in Sierra Leone, working in collaboration with several partners both in-country and internationally to deliver its programmes and get its message out. These partners include grassroots community-based groups, other NGOs, schools, government agencies, academic institutions and international conservation and sustainable development organizations.

As the  BirdLife Partner in Sierra Leone, CSSL has collaborated for many years with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB – our BirdLife UK Partner) and the wider BirdLife Africa Partnership (for example in collaborative management with the government of Sierra Leone and forest-adjacent communities, of the world-class Gola Forest conservation program). CSSL raises  community awareness and has led a long-running campaign to save the country’s critically threatened forests including the Western Area Peninsula National Park (WAP-NP) which is located West of Yawri Bay MPA including through a “Rare Pride Campaign” with Conservation International (2003-2005).

• INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT 

As part of an effort to protecting and securing the future of Yawri Bay Marine Protected Area, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (hereinafter CSSL) in partnership with Welth Hunger Hilfe (hereinafter WHH) with funding from BMZ is implementing a project in the Yawri Bay Marine Protected Area aimed at reversing land degradation and improving the resilience of 8 coastal communities in the Yawri Bay Marine Protected Area. The project adopts a community-led ecosystem restoration, integrating climate-smart agriculture, sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity protection, and inclusive governance mechanisms. This Terms of Reference (ToR) outlines the framework for conducting a baseline study of the project “Oasis on the Coast: Protection of the Yawri Bay MPA through community-led initiatives and sustainable livelihoods in 8 coastal communities of Sierra Leone”.

• Project context  

Yawri Bay in the Moyamba District is located on the West Coast of Sierra Leone within 8° 11.305’N to 13° 4.945’W and 7° 56.769’N E to12° 58.328’W and 60 km south-east of Freetown (see map). Situated within the Upper Guinea Forest, the site is a 91km2 expanse of intertidal mudflats, along 60 km of foreshore, backed by mangrove swamps and coastal forest, interlaced with a network of creeks. The Bay is an important spawning ground for fish and has been described as ‘the fish basket’ of Sierra Leone. It is also hugely productive in terms of other ecosystem goods and services including climate regulation, flood control, seafood availability, energy/fuel wood production etc. Its conservation and sustainable management are essential for the development and resilience of the 51 communities in four Chiefdoms. Yawri Bay is one of nine Important Bird Areas/Key Biodiversity Areas in Sierra Leone. It is one of the most important stop-over and wintering grounds for birds in West Africa with forty-six species of Palearctic migrant birds known to occur in the Bay. 

Despite its importance, Yawri Bay has had very limited protection. The Bay has therefore been under serious threat from over-fishing and over-harvesting of mangroves. Together, these impacts weaken the marine ecosystems and diminish its ability to provide key services such as carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. 

• Project overview/Intervention logic  

The project led by WHH and in partnership with CSSL will address critical issues around mangrove deforestation, weak capacity of community-based governance structures, limited awareness, and unsustainable livelihoods in the Yawri Bay MPA, Moyamba District, which threatens biodiversity, and affect the well-being of coastal communities  and their resilience. To address this, the project aims to restore degraded mangrove ecosystems through community-led approach, provide alternative livelihoods, build the capacity of community-based governance structures and increase awareness among communities on the importance of mangrove conservation and protection. Working with government and local NGOs, the project will target 8 communities with a total of 2,880 direct beneficiaries, prioritizing women and marginalized groups.

The project combines local knowledge with science and technology to conduct ecosystem monitoring, reforestation of 50 hectares of degraded mangrove sites and the protection of 150 ha of intact mangrove forests in the Yawri Bay MPA. 

To boost (alternative) livelihoods, the project supports fisher folks with fishing gears to engage in sustainable fishing practices while supporting farmers with tools and seedlings to pilot climate-smart agriculture by establishing demonstration plots. Smallholder farmers will be trained in climate-smart agriculture techniques, and production/use of energy efficient smoke-ovens will be introduced to improve health conditions and reduce reliance on unsustainable fuel sources. Multi-stakeholder engagement, and raising awareness promote replication and scaling of the initiatives. 

1. Result chain

Project objective: 2,880 project participants implement localized MPA management plans and sustainable income practices that protect the ecosystems in the Yawri Bay MPA.

Sub-target 1: The eight target communities have strengthened plans, capacities, and community structures to improve the management and monitoring of the Yawri Bay MPA. 

Sub-goal 2: Project participants in eight target communities have increased their environmental awareness and participation in the implementation of the management plan, contributing to the restoration of natural resources in Yawri Bay. 

Sub-goal 3: 980 project participants have the skills, resources, and equipment to pursue sustainable sources of income that do not place additional strain on natural resources.

Sub-goal 4: The capacities of the partner organization CSSL in defined areas have been strengthened

• PURPOSE OF THE BASELINE SURVEY

• Objectives of the Baseline Survey

The primary objective of the baseline survey is to collect comprehensive data that will serve as a reference point (benchmark) for monitoring and evaluating the project’s impact. The baseline is critical for understanding current conditions, informing implementation, and measuring impact over time.  Specifically, the survey will assess:

The baseline survey will:

• • Assess current Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) as well as quantified data of target communities in relation to mangrove conservation, drivers and awareness of environmental (and forest) degradation and knowledge of threats to forest landscapes, soil erosion, land-use practices, restoration, endangered species, climate change and crisis events, climate-smart agriculture and the use of eco-technologies such as improve fish smoke-ovens with disaggregated data by gender, age, and disability.
  • Measurement of climate resilience outcomes, such as perceived reduction in climate risks or increased adaptive capacity. Assess changes in ecosystem health and biodiversity indicators (especially for mangrove forests and water sources). Focus on both environmental and social outcomes and their interlinkages.
  • Establish baseline data on community and stakeholder awareness, perceptions, and understanding of key environmental threats to mangrove forest landscapes, including drivers of environmental degradation, the causes and consequences of climate change, and the impact of unsustainable land use practices.

• Assess the current status of mangrove cover, degradation levels, soil erosion, water quality and biodiversity status across the proposed restoration sites. Using satellite imagery, create maps of restoration sites that integrate indigenous knowledge and community cultural intelligence into geographic information for decision-making.

• Map the existing capacity (availability of staff and their skills and expertise, management practices, infrastructure, technical equipment, financial resources, institutional mandate, policy influence & enforcement / decision-making power dynamics) of national and local institutions, forest management committees, and CSOs in forest governance, biodiversity conservation, and community engagement.

• Undertake a policy gap and institutional mandate analysis to get a clearer picture who is in charge of what and where mandates overlap, thus informing our research and identifying entry points for our recommendations.

• • Include a section on scalable practices, innovations, and what has potential for replication or policy uptake, and recommendations for project implementation improvement as well as for system-level changes.

• Assess the socioeconomic situation of targeted marine-dependent households, including access to resources, livelihoods, food security, income and exposure to climate-related risks.

• Analyse how marginalized voices (women, youth, minorities) are represented in project design and governance structures.

• Document the status of existing Ecosystem-Based Businesses (EBBs) and identify potential opportunities for value chain strengthening in fish and other non-forest timber products (NTFP) sectors.

• Evaluate the accessibility and usage of existing technologies for environmental monitoring and forest management, including mobile applications, and public databases.

• Establish benchmarks for all project indicators across, disaggregated by gender, age, disability status, and geographic location.

• Identify key barriers and enablers to effective mangrove restoration and ecosystem-based livelihoods from the perspectives of different stakeholder groups, including traditional leaders, government actors, and community members.

• • Assess levels of community ownership, decision-making, and leadership in restoration and nature-based activities.
  • Assess existing communication channels and cultural norms for effective sensitization, awareness-raising, and local knowledge integration. The report should include community perceptions of fairness and inclusion.
  • Assess land and resource tenure dynamics relevant to ecosystem restoration activities, with attention to customary and statutory systems, community forest governance, and implications for inclusion, benefit-sharing, and sustainability. Special attention shall be given to the rights and participation of women, youth, and marginalized groups, and any conflicts or ambiguities in land ownership or use.

• Provide insights into community engagement, willingness and readiness for ecosystem restoration and environmental stewardship initiatives including the existing/previous initiatives if any.

• Provide recommendations to inform the refinement of project implementation strategies, risk mitigation, and results monitoring frameworks.

The consultant must disaggregate findings by gender, age, disability, and socio-economic status, and analyse barriers to equitable participation.

• SCOPE OF THE WORK 

The consultant/firm shall undertake the following tasks in 45 days:

3.1 Inception phase: Conduct a desk review of project documents including the results framework / logframe, proposal, workplan, previous assessments and reports, and relevant policies and strategies related to forest conservation, restoration, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Develop an inception report including a refined methodology, sampling framework, tools for data collection (quantitative and qualitative), and a detailed work plan. Present and validate the inception report with CSSL and WHH.

3.2 Design and preparation: Design survey instruments aligned with the project’s indicators to be measured. Integrate gender and disability sensitive, inclusive, and participatory approaches, including tools for indigenous knowledge and youth engagement. Collect GPS-coordinates – in the selected communities depicting current mangrove cover and land use map and practices to support data analysis and interpretation. 

3.3. Desktop research and satellite data gathering:  The consultant will collect and analyse relevant secondary data, including satellite imagery and remote sensing datasets, to complement field data and provide a comprehensive understanding of current land cover, mangrove degradation, and climate-related environmental changes across the project areas. The consultant will identify which GIS tool will be the most useful (user-friendly, free of charge, etc.) for further work. Organize 1–2 coordination meetings with CSSL and WHH to align on indicators and methods before fieldwork.

3.3 Field data collection: Conduct fieldwork in the 8 project communities in the Yawri Bay MPA, Moyamba District. 

3.4 Data analysis and benchmarking: Analyse data and establish baseline values for the project and #measuring success CSSL and WHH indicators (disaggregated as appropriate). 

3.5 Reporting and validation: Prepare a draft baseline report including methodology, findings, indicator baselines, recommendations, and annexes. Facilitate a validation session of preliminary findings with community representatives and the implementing partners before finalizing, to reinforce participatory, community-led approach. Finalize and submit the baseline report and clean datasets. 

• USERS OF THE BASELINE SURVEY 

Project management and implementing partners

Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, WHH and other NGOs operating in Moyamba, would use the baseline to guide implementation, set indicators, inform targets, adjust milestones if needed, and monitor progress. The baseline report will shape project design, monitor initial conditions, and adapt interventions.

Donors and funders

Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)  needs comparative baseline measurements for accountability, financial oversight, and to assess impact at mid-term and end-line stages. The donors can also use the baseline report for tracking progress towards goals, accountability, reporting, and funding decisions.

Local and national government bodies

National Protected Area Authority and related agencies in Sierra Leone would use the baseline data to inform land-use planning, support marine governance strategies, and align with national restoration goals for aligning with national policies and land-use frameworks.

Community stakeholders and local land users

Village leaders, farmer groups, community forestry committees and other local organizations are key users: the baseline data helps validate and co-develop restoration strategies, to ensure they reflect local knowledge and community needs. The baseline report can also support the co-design restoration approaches, validate strategies, and ensure participation of stakeholders.

Researchers and evaluation teams

Baseline findings also provide a foundation for academic analysis, learning, adaptive management, and eventual impact evaluation, helping to measure changes over time and extract lessons for replication. This will also contribute to analysing outcomes, measuring impact overtime, and sharing lessons for scalability.

• BASELINE INDICATORS TO BE ASSESSED

This section outlines the key indicators that will serve as reference points for measuring progress and impact of the community-led ecosystem restoration project. The baseline assessment will collect quantitative and qualitative data to establish the initial status of ecological, socio-economic, and institutional conditions within the targeted farm-forest landscapes in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Indicators to be assessed will include:

• Environmental indicators: level of forest cover, land degradation extent, biodiversity status (flora and fauna), presence of native and invasive species, and soil quality.
• Socio-economic indicators: community knowledge and practices related to land use, livelihoods dependent on marine resources, food security levels, and household income sources.
• Land use and farming practices: existing land tenure systems, land use patterns, agroforestry practices, and use of sustainable or unsustainable farming techniques.
• Climate vulnerability and resilience indicators: local perceptions of climate risks, frequency of climate-related shocks, and existing coping or adaptation strategies.
• Institutional and governance indicators: presence and functionality of community structures for natural resource management, enforcement of local bylaws, and coordination mechanisms between communities and local authorities.
• Gender and social inclusion indicators: roles of women, youth, and marginalized groups in decision-making, access to land and resources, and participation in ecosystem restoration activities.

The baseline will inform the design of interventions, help set realistic targets, and enable effective monitoring and evaluation throughout the project lifecycle. The logical framework; indicating all the relevant INDICATORS of the project will be shared as part of the documentations to the consultant or firm. 

• BASELINE APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY 

The suggested methodological approach should be mixed methods, combining quantitative, qualitative, and GPS mapping and satellite imaginary for visual interpretation. This approach ensures comprehensive data collection across social, economic, ecological, and governance dimensions. Data collection for the baseline survey will utilize a range of different methods, including but not limited to: 

• Comprehensive desk review and data analysis: The evaluator will review relevant project documents which includes project proposal, workplan, logframe and result matrix if available to gather, analyze and synthesize existing information relevant to the project in order to understand the context, identify gaps and opportunities for improvement, inform project design, implementation, evaluation, or learning and to also avoid duplication and build on past efforts.

• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): with project participants and other project stakeholders using a pre-designed focus group discussion guide, allowing community voices to be heard and needs, challenges and opportunities to be addressed.
• Mapping and satellite imaginary: The consultant will help mapping and establishing the status of the project area, take GPC coordinates and use available satellite images to collect and visualize ecological features (local climate, topography and terrain, dominant land cover, vegetation, conditions of trees and forest, soil type), infrastructure distribution (primary source of water), and service coverage (eg. primary source of electricity, energy for cooking and heating) of the project locations. The consultant will identify service gaps and underserved areas, analysing environmental or land-use patterns and establishing spatial benchmarks for future comparisons.

• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): The consultant will engage with project stakeholders and partners. A non-exhaustive list of relevant key informants will be provided by the project team. 
• Field observation method: The consultant will equally use observation method to determine certain issues without asking questions or verbal communication whenever possible and as appropriate. 

• MANAGERIAL ARANGEMENTS, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

All correspondences including reports relating to the consultancy should be directed to the Project Manager and copy the Head of Programs, the Executive Director and the Head of Finance and Admin of CSSL. The Head of Programs shall direct all correspondences relating to the assessment to WHH for collective action. 

Responsibilities of CSSL

• Provide reference documents, e.g., project proposal, logframe, workplan, previous reports and successes / challenges as relevant,
• Assist in communicating to key stakeholders about the evaluation,
• Support the training of enumerators, data collection and verification,
• Review inception report, assessment tools, draft report and provide timely feedback,
• Disseminate final report to relevant stakeholders.

Responsibilities of the consultant

• Design data collection tools, provide inception report, evaluation narrative and financial report,
• Conduct pretesting of the tools and finalize them,
• Hire and train enumerators (or project staff to assist with data collection),
• Conduct the baseline survey in the 8 operational communities in Yawri Bay MPA, Moyamba District, 
• Conduct data analysis and produce draft and final reports, 
• Consult CSSL to clarify questions and enquiries when needed during the work,

Abide to CSSL terms and conditions.

• DELIVERABLES AND REPORTING DEADLINES 

The consultant will produce six key deliverables: 

(1) Inception Report outlining the methodology, workplan, and data collection tools;    

(2) Draft Report with preliminary findings for stakeholder feedback; 

(3) Presentation (pptx) of preliminary results – online meeting with the project team, 

(4) Final Report presenting findings and baseline values for all project indicators, disaggregated analysis (gender, age, disability, and socio-economic status), and actionable recommendations; including updated project logframe with the baseline values as an annex (both narrative and indicator-based analysis is expected).

(5) Annex of Raw Data, including cleaned datasets and interview transcripts, as well as tools used (e.g., FGD guides, household and KII questionnaires).

(6) Evaluation Documentations: As part of the criteria that the evaluator must fulfil for any evaluation, here are list of documentations to be completed by the consultant when submitting the draft/final reports: Standard Evaluation Matrix, Standard management response matrix, evaluation matrix and two (2) pager summary report.

Details:

• Inception report (4–6 pages for the main text without front page, table of contents and annexes) will set out the planned design and methodology to meet the above-mentioned objectives. It will also reflect the limits of the suggested design and methodology and reflect on the ToR, describe the overall approach of the endline study and how data will be collected, drafts of data collection tools, as well as a tentative baseline schedule. 

• The final baseline report shall be within the limit of 20-30 pages, including the executive summary of 2-5 pages, and excluding the front page, table of contents, and annexes. The report needs the approval of the contracting party. In case of disagreement, there should be documentation to the effect. 

• Tools for data collection: The consultant must submit the necessary draft tools for data collection to CSSL and its partners for review and validation together with the inception report.

• Photos: The consultant shall provide a digital file with relevant photos, including photos related to the baseline survey process (e.g. of group discussions, interviews, final workshop). The photos should be submitted in a JPEG or GIF format. The informed consent of the person presented is a prerequisite. 

• Language of the baseline study: English, clear, non-technical, suitable for government or community stakeholders.

The final report will include an executive summary, methodology, findings, and annexes with detailed indicator tables. Please see the table below with indicative timeline to conduct the baseline study:

• RESOURCES AND AVAILABLE DATA 

The consultant is required to put together necessary resources and available data to avoid duplicating existing data and guides the selection of indicators, sample design, and overall contextual understanding of the project. It outlines the resources, information, and support that will be made available to ensure the successful design and implementation of the baseline survey. These may include key documents such as the project proposal or logframe, previous assessments or feasibility studies, baseline data from similar projects, government statistics, MEAL plans, and indicator reference sheets. Such materials will enable the evaluator to understand both the project and its broader context. It is equally important to clarify who the evaluator can rely on for data collection, coordination, and interpretation. This ensures that the scope of work is realistic and facilitates effective planning and execution of the evaluation.

• PAYMENT SCHEDULE 

Payment will be made in 2 separate instalments: 

• 60% upon signing of the agreement and acceptance of inception report

• 40% upon approval of the final report.

Please note, CSSL will deduct 6.5% withholding tax for professional services on all payments.

•  CONFIDENTIALITY 

All documents and data acquired from the baseline survey as well as during interviews and meetings are confidential and to be used solely for the purpose of the baseline survey and remain the property of the contracting party. Personal Identifiable Information (PII) of respondents or stakeholders should not be included in the baseline survey report or shared without consent. All findings and documentation remain the property of WHH and should be used solely for the purposes of this baseline. Any dissemination or publication of results must be approved by WHH.

• ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 

The survey will adhere to ethical guidelines to protect participants’ rights and ensure data integrity. Informed consent will be obtained from all respondents, and confidentiality will be maintained by anonymizing sensitive data. The “Do No Harm” principle will guide interactions with communities to avoid exacerbating conflicts or inequalities.  The evaluator is expected to maintain strict confidentiality of all data and information obtained during the baseline survey. Personal identifiers of baseline respondents or stakeholders should not be included in the baseline report or shared without the prior informed consent of the respondent. All findings and documentation of the baseline survey remain the property of CSSL and WHH and should be used solely for the purposes of this baseline. Any dissemination or publication of results must be approved by CSSL and WHH.

• EXPERTISE OF THE BASELINE SURVEY 

   Minimum qualifications:

• A master’s degree or higher in Environmental Studies, Forestry, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Development Studies, Economics, Statistics, Geography or a related field.

• Professional experience:

• At least 7 years of proven experience conducting baseline studies, impact assessments, or research related to deforestation, land use, smallholder agriculture, or commodity supply chains in sub-Saharan Africa, preferably in Mano River Union region.
• Demonstrated expertise in forest governance, landscape restoration, or climate-smart agriculture, particularly in smallholder contexts.
• Strong background in quantitative and qualitative data collection methodologies, including household surveys, key informant interviews, GIS/remote sensing, and participatory rural appraisal (PRA).
• Experience using geo-spatial mapping tools (GIS, satellite imagery) to assess land cover change and deforestation trends.
• Familiarity with international environmental and social safeguards, BMZ

• Skills and competencies:

• • Excellent analytical and report-writing skills with the ability to synthesize complex data into actionable insights.
  • Proven capacity to engage with local communities, farmer organizations, government institutions, and private sector actors.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills; fluency in English required (working knowledge of Liberian English/Krio is an asset).

• Ability to deliver high-quality outputs within tight timelines and under minimal supervision.

• TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL OFFER 

Interested consultants or evaluation firms are invited to submit a detailed proposal including:

• A technical proposal outlining the proposed methodology, data collection tools, and work plan.
• Profiles and CVs of the evaluation team.
• A detailed financial proposal (budget in leones) showing daily rates, travel costs, accommodation, and other related expenses, plus the respective GST (Goods and Services Tax) in line with Sierra Leone NRA.
• Evidence of previous work or references relevant to the assignment.

Proposals should be submitted by Friday 9th January to Thursday 22nd  January 2026, to CSSL on the following email address or hard copy: 

Email: info@cs-sl.org.

Hard copy: Addressed to the Human Resource Officer @ 86A Main Road Congo, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Shortlisted applicants may be invited for an interview or further discussion before final selection.