Consultancy on Listening to Displacement-Affected Communities on their Inclusion and Meaningful Participation in Durable Solutions Governance 832 views1 applications

Terms of Reference (TOR) for Consultancy on Listening to Displacement-Affected Communities on their Inclusion and Meaningful Participation in Durable Solutions Governance.

Who is the Danish Refugee Council

Founded in 1956, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading international NGO and one of the few with specific expertise in forced displacement. Active in 40 countries with 9,000 employees and supported by 7,500 volunteers, DRC protects, advocates, and builds sustainable futures for refugees and other displacement affected people and communities. DRC works during displacement at all stages: In the acute crisis, in displacement, when settling and integrating in a new place, or upon return. DRC provides protection and life-saving humanitarian assistance; supports displaced persons in becoming self-reliant and included into hosting societies; and works with civil society and responsible authorities to promote protection of rights and peaceful coexistence.

About ReDSS

ReDSS is a secretariat working on behalf of 14 international and national NGOs working on forced displacement in the Horn of Africa. We were established in 2015 in response to a desire by the NGO community to be more proactive in shaping durable solutions policy and programming in the region. Our team works at both a regional and a country level and focusses on the translation of evidence and research into policies and programmes that can better deliver for displacement-affected communities. We do this through a range of activities, including: convening key stakeholders at multiple levels to produce consensus around collective actions that can be taken; supporting new evidence generation through commissioning and undertaking research and analysis; and building the capacity of key actors through delivering training and developing tools and guidance. We do not implement programmes directly, and by maintaining this distance are better able to play a neutral role across the system. Since ReDSS was established in 2015 we have played a critical role in shaping durable solutions narratives in the region, building on our initial work in Somalia and expanded to Ethiopia and Kenya which has allowed us to work on a wide range of policy and programming processes.

Purpose of the consultancy

ReDSS seeks to undertake an operational study that will provide aid actors in Kenya with a clearer understanding of the devolved/ local governance arrangements around refugee management and how the current policy direction towards integrated settlements could impact on refugees and hosts’ access to services, livelihoods and rights. Building on a ReDSS 2016 study on Devolution in Kenya, the analysis will apply a whole-of-displacement, whole-of-society lens to look at area-based, integrated service delivery across populations including refugees and host communities.

Governance and decision making: This work is part of a Danish Red Cross funded project Resilience, Health and Rights: Sustainable Solutions and Support Vulnerable to Displaced and Host Communities in Northern Kenya. The Kenya Red Cross Society and ReDSS are jointly implementing outcome 3 on advocacy and learning and will use this analysis to inform the projects advocacy work as well as inform programming and adaptation for outcomes 1 and 2. The work will be guided by a study advisory group which will be established from expertise across national and county government, donors, UN, practitioners and academia to support wider ownership and uptake and to provide technical expert guidance throughout the process.

Background

Cities and urban areas in Somalia are experiencing an urban development challenge with humanitarian aspects. Fifty-four percent of the more than three million displaced Somali nationals reside in Baidoa, Kismayo, and Mogadishu1; all major cities in Somalia. An average of a million new displacements are recorded between 2016 and 2022 as a result of drought, conflict, and floods. Displaced people in these cities and urban areas intend to stay in these locations for the security, economic opportunities, and humanitarian assistance these places afford. Consequently, displacement contributes to the growing population in urban areas and with it the demand for public services in locations with limited absorption capacity. This invariably increases competition for resources creating a strong imperative to have an inclusive and meaningful participatory process to decide the allocation of these limited resources.

However, in reality, the rights, needs, and legitimate interests of displacement-affected minority groups, including women, youth, and marginalized social groups, are not sufficiently met in urban areas. Deprivation of these rights, needs, and legitimate interests is informed by a socio-political identity ( that is also gendered) logic2 that determines access to rights; those who identify/or are identified as being from minority groups that do not hold sway in the location where they reside are excluded from accessing resources by the majority/dominant groups.3 The former are treated as ‘guests’ with limited rights and ability to participate in decision-making processes. They may face barriers to accessing secure land tenure, employment, and general protection given their minority status.

While the majority of durable solutions programmes tend to respond to such dynamics by providing technocratic responses to the needs of these populations, there are risks of doing harm to the population that this aid aims to support. In Somalia, aid is perceived as a public good, a key source of legitimacy, and therefore a fierce ground for competition. Powerful intermediaries often act on behalf of the dominant group – whether as gatekeepers, camp leaders or local authorities, to control access to displaced people to extract significant rents from aid actors.4 This presents the aid diversion challenge among aid actors which includes durable solutions programmes that have come to be associated with relatively large investments in service delivery and infrastructure, and therefore a prime target for elites. This further marginalizes minority groups that do not have the power to influence the distribution of resources including aid. Given the rate of urbanization driven by displacement, this is likely going to be an urban resilience challenge in the foreseeable future. While the participation deck seems to be stacked against minority groups, not enough is understood by international aid actors about how these groups actually negotiate for rights. Moreover, given the importance placed on trust in institutions as a perceptual indicator for integration among IDPs it is essential that there is serious thinking about what role bridging and linking social capital can play to address the challenges of exclusion and marginality.

Objective of the consultancy

Building on existing evidence and practice, ReDSS seeks to commission a consultant to conduct a study that will help identify key barriers to and opportunities for enhancing inclusive and meaningful participation processes for displacement-affected communities in Somalia, given the power dynamics and social networks they are part of. More specifically, the analysis will look at the following questions:

• On bridging social capital: What key factors are likely to promote the inclusion of minority groups by majority groups, gatekeepers, and opinion leaders in meaningful participation processes around the key decisions that shape their lives?
• What are the consistent barriers to meaningful participation for minority group IDPs, from an economic, social, and political perspective?
• What assets do these groups have available to them to counter these barriers? What can be built upon?
• How might local authorities and aid actors be able to leverage these assets to promote more meaningful participation processes? What examples of good practice do we already have, and how can this be replicated further?
• On linking social capital: What key factors are likely to promote trust in local government and aid institutions among marginalized groups in Baidoa, Kismayo, and Mogadishu?
• What examples of participation processes by local government and aid actors in the research areas do marginalized groups consider inclusive and meaningful?
• What opportunities and constraints do local government and aid actors face in making the participation processes more inclusive and meaningful for marginalized groups?

Note: the above questions are suggestive and not exhaustive hence they will be further developed with the selected consultant during the study inception phase.

Scope of work and Methodology

he methodology will be anchored on participatory and consensus-building approaches guided by a technical committee. This operational research will be conducted in five phases as highlighted below:

• Phase 1 – Inception phase: Develop a methodology and analytical framework for the analysis.
• Phase 2 – Desk review: desk review of existing literature on the use of bridging and linking social capital to promote greater participation in Somalia and in contexts analogous to Somalia.
• Phase 3 – Key informant interviews and analysis: Key informant interviews and consultations with a wide range of stakeholders at the national and local levels in Baidoa, Kismayo, and Mogadishu.
• Phase 4 – Joint analysis to discuss preliminary findings and inform solutions: Joint analysis workshop with key stakeholders as well as DAC representatives to present and discuss key findings and brainstorm possible joint practical solutions.
• Phase 5 – Final report: Final report and executive summary based on feedback and recommendations from the operational workshops published.
• Phase 6 – Dissemination and uptake: Learning event organized to support the dissemination of the report and uptake of recommendations to inform programming and policy dialogue.

Deliverables

The Consultant will submit the following deliverables as mentioned below, providing all documentation on email:

Expected deliverables

• Inception Report (with PowerPoint presentation) outlining the consultant’s understanding of the TOR, methodological approach, agreed analytical framework, and ethical considerations.5 The inception report will also outline the work plan and a list of individuals and/or types of organizations the consultant will be interviewing for presentation to the research technical committee.
• Based on desk review and stakeholder consultation, draft a solutions analysis (30 pages maximum without annexes) including:
• Table of contents, glossary of key terms, list of acronyms,
• An executive summary (maximum 3 pages), introduction highlighting the objectives of the study, the rationale, methodology used, scope and limitations, theory of change
• Outline of literature review and stakeholder consultation
• Conclusions, and concrete recommendations based on findings – focusing on the HOW
• Annexes including but not limited to list of key interviews, bibliography, documents reviewed
• A short PowerPoint presentation highlighting the key questions, methodology, key findings and recommendations (15 slides maximum)
• Summary notes from of key informants’ interviews
• Webinar with key stakeholders to present key findings and develop recommendations collectively
• Final revised report and PowerPoint presentation based on inputs received from key stakeholders and the technical committee.
• Participation in an online launch and webinars discussions

Duration, timeline, and payment

The total expected duration to complete the assignment will be no more than 40 consultancy days within a span of no more than 3 months. Starting date will be jointly discussed with the selected consultant(s). The consultant(s) will report to the ReDSS Somalia manager be guided by a Study Advisory Committee, made up of key expertise in the subject matter identified by ReDSS .

The consultant shall be prepared to complete the report no later than Mid- August 2023, with uptake expected up to Mid-September 2023.

DRC will make an initial payment of between 30 to 50% of the total costs upon signing of the contract and the remaining amount upon completion of the work, including any agreed reimbursables.

Eligibility, qualification, and experience required

Essential qualifications of the consultants:

• Master’s degree in international relations, development, anthropology, political science, or economics
• Minimum 10 years’ proven experience in conducting similar analyses in Somalia and/or Somali-speaking context
• Strong knowledge of the region and the socio-economic and political dynamics affecting it; more specifically on displacement trends within the Horn of Africa region
• Strong analytical and writing skills with proven experience in producing high-quality research with ability to present complex information in a simple and accessible manner
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Technical supervision

The selected consultant/s will work under the supervision of the ReDSS Somalia unit Manger and Solutions Coordinator with support and guidance from ReDSS members and partners.

Location and support

The study will cover selected areas in Somalia***.*** The Consultant will provide her/his own computer, mobile telephone and any other applicable equipment.

Travel

There is a possibility for travel during the delivery of this work to facilitate workshops and meetings. The travel will be approved and facilitated by DRC according to the DRC laid down procedures.

Submission process

Interested Firms/Individuals that meet requirements should send their proposal and other required documents to the email address [email protected] on or 29th June 2023 at 5 PM EAT.

Please indicate ‘’Somalia DAC meaningful participation study’’: RFQ-RO01-002291” in the subject line of your email application.

Evaluation of bids

Administration Evaluation

A bid shall pass the administrative evaluation stage before being considered for technical and financial evaluation. Bids that are deemed administratively non-compliant may be rejected. Documents listed below shall be submitted with your bid.

Technical qualification

For the award of this project, the evaluation criteria below will govern the selection of offers received. The evaluation is made on a technical and financial basis.

The financial offer will then be weighed against the technical offer. The total cost of the financial offer including tax should be mentioned in the DRC Bid Form annex A.2, whith the budget breakdown.

Financial Evaluation

All bids that pass the Technical Evaluation will proceed to the Financial Evaluation. Bids that are deemed technically non-compliant will not be financially evaluated.

Requirements

1. Financial proposal – should be itemized where possible. Also note that the total cost of financial offer will be indicated in annex A.2 form, and the fees should be quoted in USD and should account for 20% withholding tax for non-residents and 5% withholding tax for Kenya residents

Proposals failing to meet the above minimum requirements will not be considered further.

DRC will conduct reference checks from at least 2 previous works as an additional mandatory requirement.

Confidentiality

All information presented, obtained, and produced is to be treated as DRC’s property and is considered confidential for all other purposes than what is outlined in the ToR. Upon signing the contract, the selected translator will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement. The material prepared by the translator cannot be sold, used, or reproduced in any manner (partially or in full) by the translator without prior permission from DRC.

Additional information

For additional information regarding these terms of reference, please send your questions to Regional Supply Chain Manager EAGL RO: [email protected]

Please find complete bidding documents in the link