Under Aral Sea GRIP Project, the main results obtained until June 2024 are:

1) Component 1, developed different policy inputs and knowledge products, like the Climate-Resilient Green Growth Assessment for the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Karakalpakstan Agriculture Risk Profile for a Climate Resilient Capacity Development, the Green Recovery Investment Analysis for Climate Resilient Agriculture in the Republic of Karakalpakstan; the Green Job Assessment; and currently is developing the White Paper – Policy recommendations on sustainable landscapes, climate-smart agriculture, and forestry development in the Aral Sea region for human well-being.

2) Component 2, four different Sets of Awareness Raising and Capacity Development training and sessions and a Media Campaign were conducted:

1. Climate Change & Household Adaptation ​(Set 1)

Target: 12,000 youth

ToT of 132 teachers + Class training to 12,223 youth ​(51% female)

1. Climate Change & Health Adaptation ​(Set 2)

Target: 2000 women

ToT of 20 nurses + In-person sessions for 2160 women (99% female, 32% youth)

1. Climate Change & Farming Adaptation ​(Set 3)

Target: 2000 smallholder farmers

ToT of 20 farmers + In-person sessions for 2200 smallholder farmers (49% female, 21% youth)

1. Climate and Business Plan Development​

In-person sessions for 446 smallholder farmers​ (61% female)

Total people reached in-person: 16,751

1. Awareness Raising Media Campaign

Four videos on clean air, water filtration, drip irrigation, biopest management​ disseminated through tv, radio and social media targeting 12,000 people (minimum) reached more than 1,5 million people/views.

Total people reached: 1,516,751 people. This fulfills the target of 26,375 people (Indicator A, Table 1).

3) Component 3, has developed different interventions to promote CSA technology adoption:

1. Pilots

• Prefeasibility analysis for more than 6 CSA models.
• 4 CSA models implementation with 7 (pilot) farms and Forestry Enterprises – co-financing valued at 1.7 million USD.
  • The water-saving irrigation systems for 295 hectares in those 7 pilot sites.
  • Planted more than 18,000 trees to establish 31 km of windbreaks.
  • Drip irrigation system installed in the greenhouse of the Nukus “Monocenter”.

1. Trainings

• 406 participants (91 women, 307 men; 157 youth).
  • “Efficient land and water management in tree nurseries and demonstration of commercial tree propagation technologies”, 24-26 Oct.
  • “Crop quality and yield increase through resource efficiency – climate friendly water and input saving technologies in winter wheat and fruit production”, 28-30 Nov and 1 Dec.
  • “Karatal (black willow) benefits – economic, environmental and social benefits”, 2 Dec.
  • Greenhouse & Drip irrigation trainings in Nukus “Monocenter”.
  • GGGI, the Monocenter and Hokimiyats of the target districts selected 40 unemployed persons eligible for the government greenhouse subsidy.
  • First group completed the course, 1-30 Nov, 2023
  • Second group completed the course, 22 Jan-23 Feb, 2024

1. Business Development Platform

• BDP officially launched on 28 Oct. 2022. ​
• 899 users registered (approx. 10% women) as of March 2024. ​
• 2 Farmers Expos organized to introduce BDP. ​
• 772 Advisory services provided for farmers (through in-person sessions, expos, online). ​
• 18 qualified consultants registered​
• Established Platform & content partnership with 13 partners. ​
• 72 KPs uploaded in 4 languages. ​
• Major functionality challenges addressed (74/74), and app relaunched.
• Telegram channel with news and analytical materials – 81 followers.

4) Component 4 has developed four business plans linked to the CSA agriculture models to support farmers’ access to finance resources. In addition, it has trained financial institutions and farmers on the CSA scope and business plans. Currently, it is working on a green bond framework for private banks to mobilize financial resources to support CSA and other green activities in Karakalpakstan and Uzbekistan.

Considering the logical framework of the Aral Sea Grip Project presented above, GGGI Uzbekistan’s Country Office needs extra technical capacity to support the data collection and information analysis to monitor the results obtained by the project.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The consultant will provide technical assistance to the GGGI Uzbekistan’s Country Office in overall monitoring (collecting, reviewing, and assessing) the results of the Aral Sea GRIP project, with a special emphasis on Component 2 (Awareness Raising) to facilitate the end-of-project evaluation.

DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Under direct supervision of the Project Manager, in close consultation with the Country Representative, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

1. Components 1,3 and 4. Collect, review, process and classify any information required to complete the monitoring process of the Aral Sea GRIP Project. All the documentation should be organized in GGGI Uzbekistan SharePoint according to a specific protocol.

2. Component 2. Collect, review, process and classify any information required to complete the monitoring process of the Aral Sea GRIP Project. All the documentation should be organized in GGGI Uzbekistan SharePoint according to a specific protocol.

Youth: Phase 1

• Set up a system for teachers to a) report on the the number of students who implemented a CCA measure as a result of the training, b) share information about the most interesting student projects c) report on the reasons for students’ implementation/ non-implementation / non-continuation of their CCA ideas
• Explain the system to teachers and support them to implement it

– Follow up with a significant sample of the 132 schoolteachers and, in coordination with GGGI staff, brief them about the next steps to obtain information about students who implemented at least one of GGGI’s behavioral change activities (Output: Online or in-person meeting(s) with teachers). These steps must include getting permission from the students’ parents to share the students’ information with GGGI and consultants hired by GGGI.

– Support the teachers in filling out the data collection tools created for this purpose with information from their students (Output can be: Database from Kobotool box, Microsoft forms, Excel doc). Support the teachers in getting and documenting consent to sharing of information. This should include the parent’s contact information so that the consultant can later contact the child through their parents.

– Deliver an overview of the teachers’ data collection support to GGGI to teachers’ extra work payment.

• Calculate the completion of indicators H and I (Output: statistics in Excel doc) and explain the reasons why some youth were successful in implementing a CCA measure, and why some were not (narrative report).

Youth: Phase 2

• Identify the best practices and collect more information about them

– Follow up with the most interesting students/student projects over the phone (Output: Short protocols in Word or Excel doc). For orientation: We are aiming for a sample of 123 students (1% of 12,223). The exact size of the sample must be agreed on with GGGI in advance.

– Conduct in-person visits to (the homes of) at least 6 students together with GGGI staff and only after receiving permission of the student’s parents, in close cooperation with the student’s teacher. Photograph and film the CCA measure implemented and write a short description of the measure, the student, and the surroundings in preparation for a future video recording (Output: Short narrative report in tabular format, with photos + signed permission from the student and their parents to use the info and visual materials collected)

• Calculate the completion of indicators H and I (Output: statistics in Excel doc).
• Compare the CCA measures implemented by beneficiaries (i.e. students) to the materials used in the trainings conducted by the teachers (Output: Narrative Report).

Note: The final Data collection tools and outputs will be agreed with GGGI.

Adults:

3. Data collection on Set 2 (Health) + Set 3 (Farming) implementation:

a. Interview at least 8 trainers (half for Set 2 Health, half for Set 3 Farming), 40 direct beneficiaries (half for health, half for farming) and 40 indirect beneficiaries (Government Stakeholders, family members of session participants and more), on the processes and results of the sessions, focusing on lessons learned.

Note: The interview script should be elaborated in close coordination with GGGI staff and approved by the GGGI Project Manager.

b. Compare the CCA measures implemented by beneficiaries (i.e. students) to the materials used in the trainings conducted by the teachers (Output: Narrative report, Database from Kobotool box, Microsoft fors, Excel doc).

c. Calculate the completion of indicators H and I (Output: statistics in Excel doc).

Note: The final Data collection tools and outputs will be agreed with GGGI.

4. Prepare and conduct a handover meeting to present results to GGGI and the Evaluation Consulting Firm that will conduct the end-of-project evaluation.

a. Be available to the Project Evaluation consulting firm to answer questions about the findings.

DELIVERABLES

* The contract start is expected between July 22, and July 31, 2024.

• The consultant’s work progress will be monitored primarily through weekly review meetings, which will be approved by the Project Manager, in close consultation with the Country Representative.
• All deliverables must be written in American English2, and translated to Russian, Karakalpak and Uzbek in line with the deliverables schedule above, and submitted to GGGI by the indicated deadline.
• The position is expected to be held in the Nukus Office.
• Mission travels to Tashkent are essential to this task. Travel plans must be approved by the GGGI supervisor in advance. In this case, travel expenses shall be borne by GGGI.