Conduct a Socio-Economic and Capacity assessment of Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs) funded by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) around Volcanoes National Park between 2021 - 2024

January 2025

1. Background and Introduction

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) is a coalition of three international conservation organizations (Conservation International, Fauna & Flora and WWF) which was formed with the mission to ensure the long-term conservation of the mountain gorillas and their afromontane high altitude forest habitat.

The programme operates in the three countries that share the habitat of the mountain gorillas Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda, and works in close partnership with the Protected Area Authorities of the three countries Rwanda Development Board (RDB) in Rwanda; Institute Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) in DRC; Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in Uganda. IGCP also works closely with the umbrella mechanism for transboundary collaboration through the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC).

The IGCP’s strategy is based on Five Objectives:

SO1: By 2025, improved tourism practices contribute to risk reduction to mountain gorillas by at least 30%.

SO2: By 2025, men and women in park adjacent communities perceive that the positives from mountain gorilla conservation are equitably distributed and outweigh the negatives.

SO3: By 2025, Improved monitoring and transboundary collaboration contributes to at least 30% reduction in illegal activities in mountain gorilla habitat.

SO4: By 2025, habitat and buffer zone safeguarding processes contribute to healthy mountain gorilla populations while protecting community rights.

SO5: By 2025, enhanced internal and institutional capacity to deliver mountain gorilla conservation.

In pursuit the above of strategic objectives, IGCP empowers communities living around protected areas with knowledge and skills through strengthening their technical and institutional capacity to enable them to play key roles in gorilla conservation and natural resources management in general, as well as to benefit equitably from gorilla conservation and tourism revenues. In the same line, IGCP provides financial support to Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to contribute to community livelihoods improvement. It is in this respect that IGCP in partnership with RDB, provided emergency influx of capital to existing Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs) around the Volcanoes National Park (VNP), to ensure community members have access to funds through credit schemes that can support income generating activities or enable them to meet their household needs through micro-loans. The targeted VSLAs groups were affiliated to existing CBOs, particularly ones that were affected more by COVID-19 as well as women and youth cooperatives. Since 2021 IGCP funded 42 VSLAs in different sectors surrounding VNP.

To be able to evaluate the success and impact of these VSLAs to community members, IGCP is looking for a competent consultant to conduct a socio-economic and capacity assessment of all the VSLAs that benefited from the above-mentioned funding. Results from this assessment will serve IGCP and other interested parties how best to orient future interventions.

2. Objectives

The main objective of this study is to assess the socio-economic impact and institutional capacity of the 42 VSLAs operating in sectors around VNP.

Specific objectives are to:

1. evaluate VSLAs’ compliance with existing national legislation and guidelines;
2. understand general governance, accountability and transparency within the VSLAs;
3. review inclusivity and gender considerations within the VSLAs;
4. assess bookkeeping and accounting processes for the VSLAs;
5. analyze the processes and rates of loans distribution, management and reimbursement;
6. examine the growth rate of total loanable amounts (capitals) and interests;
7. assess socio-economic impacts of VLSAs to its members (before and after IGCP’s contribution);
8. assess the sustainability strategies of the VSLAs;
9. conduct SWOT analysis for VSLAs and draw lessons with recommendations.

3. Methods

• Individual questionnaire: To collect data from VSLAs members.
• Focus groups discussion: To collect information from the groups.
• Consequence diagram: To assess impact of VSLAs on livelihoods among households and/or in a locality
• Trends/timelines: To map or plot most significant changes occurring in the socio-economic status of a community as a result of the VSLAs.
• Consultations: To evaluate compliance with existing legislation and guidelines.
• Desk review: To analyze VSLAs reports and other documents.

4. Key deliverables/outputs

The main outputs of the consultancy are:

1. Inception report.
2. Draft report.
3. Stakeholder’s /VSLAs members workshop report.
4. Final report with clear recommendations - not exceeding 25 pages of main document excluding annexes.

5. Profile of the consultant

The successful consultant should possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Master’s degree in one of the following fields: Financial Management/ Microfinance/Business Administration/Rural Development/Community Development /Development Studies or any related field.
• Relevant professional skills and a matching experience in undertaking assignments of a similar nature and scope.
• A good understanding of the local context, especially in the areas of conservation of mountain gorillas and community development.
• Be familiar with VSLAs scheme.
• Proficient in English and Kinyarwanda.

6. Schedule

The work duration is estimated to be 30 days, and will include the following activities:

• Developing an inception report (4 days)
• Conduct an assessment (15 days)
• Drafting a report and submission to IGCP for review (5 days)
• Facilitate stakeholders’ workshop (1 day)
• Integrating comments in the report for final submission (5 days)

7. Responsibility and reporting procedures

The consultant will be responsible to the IGCP Director for contractual obligations and to IGCP’s Rwanda Country Coordinator & IGCP Deputy Director for technical matters during the delivery of the assignment.

How to apply

Interested applicants with relevant practical skills and experience are invited to submit their application with details as indicated below:

The Letter of expression of interest to include:

1. A suitability statement including CV with details of qualifications and experience.
2. A technical proposal that summarizes understanding of the ToR, methodology and tools to be used.
3. A financial proposal in Rwanda Francs outlining direct costs (facilitation fees, transport, accommodation, tax, etc.)
4. Work-plan clearly indicating the activity schedule.
5. Recommendation from previous clients where similar engagements were successfully accomplished.

Both technical and financial proposals and other supporting documents should be sent to the following email address: procurement@igcp.org, copying in jhirwa@igcp.org and wmakambo@igcp.org. The deadline for submitting applications is February 7, 2025 at 3:00 pm EAT.