Description
Project Title Strengthening Resilience in Agriculture, Livelihoods and Markets Phase II (STREAM II) Project LocationsMvolo, Mundri East and West Counties (Western Equatoria State, South Sudan) Duration30 working days (Between November 24th to December 31st, 2025)
Background Mercy Corps has been operating in South Sudan since 2005. Since the countryโs independence in 2011, Mercy Corps has remained committed to addressing urgent humanitarian needs while laying out the foundation for long-term recovery and resilience. The organizationโs work prioritizes food security, peace and good governance, water security, and economic opportunities. With funding from multiple donors, including the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mercy Corps South Sudan supports conflict-affected youth, women, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities. Through adaptive management, gender mainstreaming, and resilience-focused approaches, the agency seeks to empower people to recover from crisis, build sustainable livelihoods, and strengthen local systems.
Program DescriptionThe Strengthening Resilience in Agriculture, Livelihoods and Markets Phase II (STREAM II) program, implemented by Mercy Corps South Sudan from February 2023 to June 2026, aims to enhance resilience, food security, and inclusive economic opportunities for conflict-affected households in Greater Mundri, Western Equatoria State. Building on the achievements and lessons of STREAM I (2021โ2023), the program continues to address structural barriers that constrain productivity and equitable market participation, particularly among smallholder farmers, MSMEs, women, and youth.Funded by multiple donors, including the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, STREAM II adopts a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach adapted for fragile contexts to improve agricultural input and output markets, strengthen non-farm enterprises, and foster social cohesion. Key interventions include promoting climate-smart agricultural practices; expanding access to inputs through seed and equipment fairs and village retail shops; supporting post-harvest handling, storage, and solar-powered processing hubs; and linking producers with buyers and off-takers. The program also invests in financial inclusion by partnering with institutions to develop tailored financial products, increase credit access, and build financial literacy. Recognizing the importance of inclusive economic growth, STREAM II deliberately targets women and youth to increase their participation and agency in markets. In Western Equatoriaโs complex contextโmarked by ethnic diversity, economic marginalization, and ongoing displacement, the program is deliberately structured to promote equity, reduce grievances linked to exclusion, and strengthen trust between communities, market actors, and local governance structures.
Mid-Term Evaluation The Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) will provide an independent assessment of STREAM IIโs progress toward achieving its objectives midway through implementation. It will generate credible evidence on the extent to which the program is meeting its objectives of enhancing agricultural productivity, strengthening market systems, promoting inclusive economic opportunities, and improving resilience among smallholder farmers and non-farm enterprises in Greater Mundri, Western Equatoria. By critically appraising the programโs relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and emerging impact, the evaluation will serve both accountability and learning functions for donors, Mercy Corps, implementing partners, and participants.Specifically, the MTE will generate credible evidence to:
Measure progress against program outcomes and log-frame indicators. Assess how effectively the MSD approach is fostering systemic market change. Evaluate the inclusiveness of interventions for women, youth, and other vulnerable groups. Determine the likelihood of sustainability of key outcomes; and Provide actionable recommendations for program adjustment, scale-up, and future design.Ultimately, the evaluation will help ensure STREAM II remains relevant, adaptive, and impactful within South Sudanโs evolving context, while contributing to Mercy Corpsโ organizational learning on resilience, market systems, and climate-smart development in fragile settings.Evaluation Objectives and Questions Guided by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) evaluation criteria, the evaluation will assess the programโs relevance to the evolving needs of conflict-affected populations; its effectiveness in achieving intended outcomes; the efficiency of its resource use and delivery mechanisms; and its emerging impact on food security, market development, and resilience capacities. It will also examine the sustainability of results beyond the programโs lifetime, the coherence of STREAM II within broader donor, government, and humanitarian-development-peace efforts, and the degree to which the program has upheld accountability and inclusion in its engagement with communities. Through this comprehensive assessment, the evaluation will not only provide evidence of results to date but also identify lessons, good practices, and areas for adjustment to maximize the programโs contribution to durable development and resilience outcomes in South Sudan.Specific Objectives
Assess the continued relevance of STREAM II interventions to participant needs, local priorities, and donor strategies. Examine the extent to which program objectives, outputs, and outcomes have been achieved. Evaluate the cost-effectiveness, timeliness, and resource use in program implementation. Assess the likelihood that program outcomes will continue beyond donor funding. Explore evidence of the programโs contribution to improved wellbeing, resilience, and systemic change. Assess the programโs accountability to participants, partners, and donors. ๏ฟผ Evaluate how well STREAM II interventions complement, coordinate, and align with other initiatives. Capture lessons, innovations, and adaptive practices that can strengthen STREAM II during its remaining period and inform future programming. Evaluation Questions Relevance To what extent do STREAM interventions address the priority needs and vulnerabilities of target groups? (farmers, MSMEs, women, youth, IDPs, and returnees) How effectively has the program integrated gender, equity, and social inclusion (GESI) into its design and delivery? How well does the program align with national priorities and respond to contextual dynamics? (conflict, displacement, and climate-related changes)Effectiveness What progress has been made toward achieving STREAMโs intended outcomes? How have indicators related to food security, poverty reduction, yield improvements, psychosocial wellbeing, and social cohesion evolved? How effective have the programโs core approaches been in driving systemic change and inclusion? Has the MSD approach fostered sustainable changes in agricultural and non-farm markets? To what extent have financial inclusion interventions improved access to and use of financial services? How successful have interventions been in enhancing youth and womenโs participation in economic and market activities? What unintended effectsโpositive or negativeโhave emerged from the program Efficiency How well have financial, human, and technical resources been managed to deliver program outputs and outcomes? Were activities implemented on time and within budget? What factors contributed to any delays or cost overruns? How effective are partnership and coordination mechanisms in leveraging resources and local capacities? Have collaborations enhanced technical delivery and contextual relevance? How well do STREAM II interventions complement and coordinate with other donor or partner initiatives in the target areasTo what extent has adaptive management supported efficient program delivery? Has the program demonstrated flexibility in responding to shocks and contextual changesSustainability Which STREAM interventions and outcomes demonstrate potential for sustainability, and why? What evidence exists from interventions such as seed fairs, village retail shops, processing hubs, and social cohesion groups? Are key actors and systems positioned to sustain program results? Are market actors (e.g., traders, farmer groups, cooperatives, financial institutions) showing ownership and capacity? How are communities, local institutions, and private sector partners engaged in sustaining and scaling innovations? How have sustainability strategies been designed and implemented, and what risks remain? To what extent have exit strategies and catalytic subsidies promoted sustainability? What risks may threaten sustainability, and how are they being mitigated? Impact and Resilience What changes have occurred in household wellbeing and coping capacities? How have household income, food security, and coping strategies evolved compared to baseline? To what extent have interventions contributed to reduced poverty and improved quality of life? How has STREAM II strengthened community resilience to shocks and stressors?What evidence shows improved resilience to conflict, displacement, and climate-related eventsWhat are the psychosocial and social impacts of the program across different groups? How have psychosocial interventions contributed to social cohesion and trust? What differential impacts are observed across sub-groups (e.g., men/women, youth/adults, IDPs/host communities)?Accountability