Request For Afghanaid
Request For Conducting a Feasibility Study including a Cost Benefit Analysis of RAMA Project in Dykuyndi
Scope and Purpose of the consultancy
The objectives of the proposed Feasibility Study (incl. Cost Benefit Analysis) are (i) to determine whether the benefit of the RAMA interventions outweigh the costs (and by how much) and (ii) to determine at what level of “delivery cost” the interventions in the field yield an unacceptable internal rate of return.
The range of delivery cost to be investigated is between 45% and 20% of the overall budget with the remaining part spent on interventions in the field.
The consultant is expected to quantify the investment and maintenance costs of the Rangeland Management intervention after Phase I, so excluding the pilot related expenses in Phase I. The consultant is also expected to quantify the benefits over the life of project. These benefits will cover at least (i) the immediate benefits to inhabitants of the RAMA rangelands due to enhanced rangeland productivity, (ii) the benefits to irrigated agriculture in the area under a RAMA rangeland, (iii) the reduced damage to poverty and livelihoods due to flash floods in the RAMA rangelands and the areas downstream and (iv) the benefits to RAMA rangeland communities and communities downstream due to enhanced ground water tables.
The consultant will also conduct numerous sencitifity analysis to find out which factors determine the feasibility of the RAMA rangeland activities.
The analysis will serve as a basis for decision-makers, and will aim at answering the following questions:
- What are the costs associated per hectare of rangelands?
- What are the costs of the different measures implemented by RAMA, and which measures were the most effective in contributing to the achievement of the outcomes?
- Are the interventions the most cost effective way to achieve the project outcomes? How might the project interventions be more cost-effective?
- What are the long-term benefits of the project intervention?
- What are the benefits and/or consequences of the project, not captured in the log-frame?
- What are the costs of the interventions to improve livelihoods and food security, as compared to the monetary benefits?
- “What are the internal and external limitations of the RAMA project to improve rangeland productivity and increase income through rangelands?”
- What are the cost of changes in people mind-set for the sustainable rangeland management?
The consultant will gather evidence by focusing on funds invested (i.e. the project inputs and services in key intervention areas in rangeland productivity and services), and how these interventions address the needs of RMAs, as well as on the long-term effects produced by each of those services. The consultant may propose a comparison of the alternative traditional interventions against the RAMA’s interventions for analytical purposes. The information on the needs and effects will be gathered from several sources in order to achieve as complete data as possible and observe triangulation principles. However, it is expected that the consultant would propose the methodology for conducting the analysis and more specifically the concrete sources of information.