Terms of Reference for Documentation of Digital Transformation under the Thrive Digitalisation Project

Background

horizont3000 is an Austrian non-governmental organisation working in sustainable development cooperation. Based in Vienna, with offices in the four focus areas East Africa, Central America, Senegal and Mozambique, we are backed by eleven Austrian Catholic grassroots organisations.

To foster digital transformation among partner organisations in East Africa, horizont3000 with support from Austrian Development Agency is implementing Thrive Digitalisation Project with the goal of improving living conditions in communities through digital solutions, enhancing digital skills, and contributing to digital transformation among beneficiaries of 25+ partner organizations in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

The project duration initially was 24 months from 1st December 2022 – 30th November 2024 whereas upon request from horizont3000 the donor approved a prolongation until March 31 2025**.** Reason for the prolongation was to cater for a comprehensive documentation of the project impact, lessons learned, and success stories of this project.

This documentation will showcase the project’s achievements, provide learning resources for future initiatives, and highlight innovative practices in digital transformation among project partner organisations. It will also create space to reflect on areas for improvement, identifying aspects of the project that may not have worked as expected. By examining both successes and challenges, the documentation aims to foster deeper learning and provide actionable insights to guide future initiatives of similar nature.

Project context

The call “Digitalisation in development Cooperation” offered a unique opportunity to thrive digitalisation amongst the POs of horizont3000 and its beneficiaries in East Africa Region. An online survey conducted in preparation for this project revealed the enormous interest in digitalisation amongst the POs of the ADA Framework Programme. In response of the needs and potentials addressed in the survey, the project sought to offer relevant capacity building online courses in various practical areas of digitalisation to 25 POs while putting strong focus on gender equality in digitalisation. Output 1 is reflecting the skills development of 25 POs via online trainings and coaching whereas Output 2 captures the gender aspect of digitalization. The beneficiaries of Output 1 and 2 are the POs and their staff.

With support from an external digitalisation consultant, six (6) digitally advanced POs were chosen to implement six (6) specific project components contributing to Outputs 3,4 and 5. These 6 project components directly serve the beneficiaries like youth, small scale farmers and legal right monitors by offering services in digital marketing of agricultural products, digital communication and data collection for human rights and land rights purposes as well as capacity building and digital access for youth and students in semi-urban and rural areas. Please find more information on the 6 POs implementing the project components in Annex 1: List of Partner Organisations

Project Outputs:

OP 1: 25 POs of horizont3000 in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are skilled in the Principles for Digital Development, online communication, user created content creation and management, digital monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) and data storage

OP 2: Strengthening Gender Equality in digitalisation through sensitisation, trainings and privileged access (SDG 5)

OP 3: Three POs in Uganda scale up digital marketing, knowledge on improved farming techniques and agricultural extension services for 21.730 farmers in their project areas (SDG 2)

OP 4: Two POs in Uganda capacitate 625 Youth from rural and semi-urban areas to use digital services to realize their business ideas and 500 students to improve their education (SDG 4, 8)

OP 5: Two POs in Tanzania digitalize their services in legal consulting in the area of land rights and protection of human rights for 2.250 beneficiaries (SDG 16)

OP 6: horizont3000 team in Kampala is skilled in digital principles, improves digital capacities and
facilitates structured learning & sharing of knowledge amongst the 25 POs.

Project locations and Travel Arrangements

The project has a total of 45 partner organisations (see Annex 1) spread across the three countries Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, out of which only six implementing partner organisations will be visited during this documentation. Uganda has a total of 16 POs, with 4 of these being selected for visits. The specific project locations to be visited in Uganda include Buikwe, Kayunga, Wakiso, Mpigi, and the West Nile region. In Kenya, there are 9 POs, but none are scheduled for visits. Tanzania has 10 POs, with 2 designated for visits. The project locations to be visited in Tanzania include various districts in the Kagera Region, as well as Dar es Salaam and few coastal districts.

More details of this visits will be discussed during before the assignment commences.

Objective of the Consultancy

The objective of this consultancy is to comprehensively document the achievements and impact of the Thrive Digitalisation Project through;

1. Compelling success stories that highlight how digital transformation has positively impacted partner organizations and their beneficiaries.
2. Video clips capturing key moments, testimonials, and digital innovations from the project.
3. A well-structured lessons-learned report detailing challenges, innovative solutions, and best practices to inform future projects.

Scope of Work

The consultancy will involve the following activities:

Planning and Preparation

• Conduct an inception meeting with horizont3000 to agree on objectives, methodology, timelines, guidelines and templates that should be used, and deliverables.

• Review relevant project documents to understand the scope and achievements of the Thrive Digitalisation Project.

• Develop a detailed work plan for the assignment, including timelines for interviews, field visits, and content development.

  Data Collection and Content Development

• Visit selected POs to capture high-quality photos and video footage of digital solutions in action.

• Document success stories that demonstrate tangible benefits, innovative approaches, and transformative outcomes.

• Identify and analyze lessons learned during project implementation, focusing on:

• Challenges encountered in digital transformation.

• Innovative approaches and strategies adopted to address these challenges.

• Recommendations for future digitalization projects (learning from failure).

  Content Development and Review

• Develop 9-12 written success stories with accompanying photos and graphics.

• Produce 6-8 video clips (3–5 minutes each) showcasing digital innovations, testimonials, and project milestones.

• Draft a lessons-learned report summarizing challenges, solutions, and best practices, structured for dissemination to a wider audience.

• Work closely with horizont3000 staff to incorporate feedback and finalize all deliverables.

Dissemination and Handover

• Submit final deliverables, including comprehensive report of the assignment, all raw footage, photos, and reports, in high-quality formats.
• Provide guidance on how the materials can be used for future communication and advocacy.

Expected Deliverables

The consultant will deliver the following:

• 9-12 success stories (written with accompanying photos).
• 6-8 video clips (3–5 minutes each) showcasing project achievements and stakeholder testimonials.
• A comprehensive lessons-learned report, including recommendations and best practices.
• A summary presentation for horizont3000 to share key findings and content highlights.
• All raw and edited content (photos, videos, and reports) submitted in digital formats.

Timeline

The assignment will take place between January 22, and March 16, 2025, with the following key milestones:

• January 22-30, 2025: Inception meeting, work plan development, and review of project documents.
• January 31, 2025 – February 21, 2025: Interviews and field visits.
• February 25 – March 08, 2025: Development of success stories, video clips, and lessons-learned report.
• March 08, 2025 – March 16, 2025: Review, revisions, and submission of final deliverables.

Budget

The budget for this consultancy is EUR 7,500, inclusive of all consultant fees, travel costs, equipment costs, taxes, and other expenses related to the assignment.

Qualification

The consultant should meet the following qualifications:

• Proven expertise in documentation and storytelling, particularly in capturing success stories and lessons learned for development projects.
• Proficiency in photography and videography, including editing and production of professional-quality documentaries. If the consultant is working with a team, the one of the team members should be an expert photographer.
• Strong writing skills with the ability to produce clear, engaging, and visually appealing reports.
• Experience working with NGOs or in the development sector, particularly in East Africa.
• Familiarity with digital transformation and related themes is an added advantage.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for conducting interviews and engaging with diverse stakeholders.