Call For Expression Of Interest – Localized Emergency Response At Danish Refugee Council

Section 1. Context

1. Introduction.

Colombia faces a complex humanitarian situation, marked by decades of internal armed conflict that have led to mass displacement and community confinement. Between January and May 2024, more than 80,100 victims were reported due to mass displacement and confinement in 120 events, which occurred in 32 municipalities in 11 departments. These events affected communities in the Pacific and the northwest of the country.1 ( 1 https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/colombia/colombia-humanitarian-situation-report-2024-april-2024-published-04-july-2024 )

The increase in conflicts between non-state armed groups is the main cause of these emergencies. During the period mentioned, the confrontations and social control actions of armed groups displaced and confined more than 5,700 people in 25 communities, the majority of whom were indigenous and Afro-descendants.

This scenario is aggravated by the migration crisis in the region, with Colombia being a transit and host country for people on the move, including refugees and migrants. The lack of access to protection mechanisms and a comprehensive response to basic needs exposes populations on the move and host communities to multiple risks, from exploitation and abuse to food insecurity and lack of health services.

Faced with this reality, a humanitarian response is required that strengthens the protection of vulnerable populations and fosters the resilience of affected communities. In this context, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) seeks to support and enhance the work of local organizations in Colombia, facilitating timely and quality humanitarian assistance, based on human rights principles and responsibility towards affected populations.

1. Justification.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) started operations in Colombia in 2011, focusing on Mine Action (MA) and providing support to conflict-affected populations in the south of the country. In 2018, DRC expanded its humanitarian assistance to refugees, migrants and host communities in urban and rural areas of Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca, Atlántico, Antioquia and La Guajira, implementing large-scale multi-purpose cash assistance and protection programmes to respond to mixed migration flows from Venezuela. In 2021, DRC started providing life-saving assistance to conflict-affected populations through protection interventions, humanitarian mine action, emergency preparedness and response, addressing the needs of internally displaced people in hard-to-reach, border and conflict-affected areas in Nariño, Norte de Santander, Caquetá and Bolívar. Today, DRC continues to provide life-saving assistance to refugees, migrants, internally displaced people and host communities through an integrated humanitarian response, focused on the overlapping needs of the most vulnerable individuals and communities affected by conflict and displacement in Colombia.

Given the current situation in Colombia, the role of national Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is key to providing a timely response to people facing protection risks and humanitarian needs related to the armed conflict and other situations of violence.

The Danish Refugee Council seeks to establish a Rapid Response Mechanism through local partners to provide assistance to populations affected by armed conflict and natural disasters in Colombia. The localized rapid response model proposed by DRC is based on the need to ensure effective and agile assistance in crisis contexts. This approach allows for humanitarian intervention that not only responds immediately to the critical needs of affected people, but also adapts to the changing conditions of communities in emergency situations. By strengthening local capacities, DRC facilitates organizations on the ground to be protagonists in the implementation of humanitarian responses, thus promoting long-term sustainability and resilience.

With this Call, DRC aims to select between 1 and 6 Non-Governmental Organizations and/or Civil Society Organizations to participate in the construction of a Localized Rapid Response Mechanism to situations of displacement and confinement generated by the armed conflict or other situations of violence in the departments of Nariño, Norte de Santander, Bolívar and La Guajira.

Section 2. DRC Objectives

The main objective of this programme is to strengthen the response capacities to isolated emergencies or protracted crises of national NGOs and CSOs in the sectors of Protection, Basic Needs Assistance, WASH , and Education. The programme will also strengthen the areas of Accountability to Communities ( RoC ) and Humanitarian Aid in Hard-to-Reach Areas . This programme aims to improve the quality of assistance and services provided to refugees, migrants, returnees, internally displaced persons, victims of other forms of violence, and host communities while respecting international standards and those established by relevant global clusters.

The main objective of this program is to strengthen the emergency response capacities in the departments of Norte de Santander, Bolívar, La Guajira and Nariño by local Colombian organizations (NGOs and CSOs). DRC expects that the partners participating in the program, in addition to participating in a strengthening process, will be part of a response in the context of displacement, confinement and effects of armed conflict and natural disasters, covering the sectors of Assistance for Basic Needs (including Food Security , Accountability for Populations of Interest) .

Section 3. Program Structure

In 2025, DRC will launch a Localized Emergency Rapid Response Mechanism. The envisaged model proposes to respond in a timely and adequate manner to small-scale and multiple internal displacements and confinements, complementing the gaps observed in the current response in some of the areas of Colombia most affected by conflict dynamics. This builds on the Danish Refugee Council’s (DRC) extensive experience in protection and emergency response. Furthermore, the project seeks to contribute to strengthening the participation, representation and leadership of local and national humanitarian actors within humanitarian coordination structures, adopting a responsible approach to risk transfer, ensuring adequate support throughout the development of the project.

Depending on the availability of funding and the geographic coverage of the partners identified through this call, DRC aims to implement the Localized Rapid Response Mechanism in the departments of Norte de Santander, Nariño, Bolívar and La Guajira .

Partners selected to participate in the program will participate in a capacity-building process carried out by DRC Colombia, with the aim of increasing the partners’ technical response capacity, as well as their organizational capacities and adherence to international humanitarian standards.

Selected partners will also receive funding from DRC of between EUR 50,000 and EUR 200,000 per intervention department, which will have to be used for rapid emergency response in the territories chosen by the partner for a duration of between 6 and 11 months.

The program has the following components:

Component 1 – Strengthening the response capacity of local actors.

Selected local partners will participate in the following capacity building activities:

• C1A – Activity A: Development of capacity building activities in technical/sectoral elements: protection response in emergencies, protection centrality, protection analysis, rapid protection assessments, safe referrals, psychosocial support (PSS), age, gender and diversity (AGD) approach, rapid response modality analysis, cash on delivery feasibility study, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in emergencies, education in emergencies.
• C1B – Activity B: Practical and theoretical development of capacity strengthening activities in organizational elements, including, but not limited to, drafting and reviewing budgets, development of monitoring and evaluation systems, development/review of internal procedures, supporting the local team during an emergency response intervention, response based on humanitarian principles, among others.
• C1C – Activity C: Practical and theoretical development of training activities on essential humanitarian principles and standards, including (but not limited to) Accountability to Affected Populations and protection mainstreaming as key components in all emergency responses.
• C1D – Activity D: Practical and theoretical development of training activities on humanitarian aid in hard-to-reach areas and humanitarian coordination.

Component 2 – Local partners respond to emergencies in target territories according to international humanitarian standards with technical support and accompaniment from DRC

• C2A – Activity A: Identification of emergency scenarios, rapid needs assessment and response planning by local partners with support (technical, remote and on-site when necessary/relevant) from DRC.
• C2B – Activity B : Implementation of the multi-sectoral emergency response according to the identified needs, with roles and responsibilities defined between the international and national partner.
• C2C – Activity C: Accompaniment of the international partner to support the access and security of the local partner, and the continuous improvement of response standards and practices.

The following theoretical, in-person and virtual training will be included in Component 1:

COMPONENT 1 – TECHNICAL STRENGTHENING

C1A.1: Protection and response concepts – mandatory and in-person/virtual

• Life-saving information sessions (including topics such as access to services and rights, gender-based violence (GBV), sexual and reproductive health (SRH), self-care/protection and child protection, among others)
• Individual Protection Assistance (IPA)
• Legal support for survivors
• Psychosocial support
• Explosive Ordnance Hazard Education (EORE)
• Age, gender and diversity approach

C1A.2: Basic needs assistance response – Mandatory and in-person/virtual

• Rapid Needs Analysis
• Providing Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) in Conflict Context
• Assembly (Analysis, modalities, Post-Distribution Monitoring)
• In-kind assistance – distribution of kits for food assistance, shelter, hygiene/women and education.

C1A.3: WASH Assistance – Mandatory and in-person/virtual

• Distribution of water filters and information sessions on the content and use of the filters
• Information sessions on hygiene and prevention of waterborne or vector-borne diseases

C1B: Organizational capabilities – Mandatory and in-person/virtual

• Drafting and reviewing budgets
• Development of monitoring and evaluation systems
• Development/review of internal procedures
• Supporting the local team during an emergency response intervention
• Response based on humanitarian principles

C1C: Accountability for populations of interest – Mandatory and virtual

• code of Conduct
• Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PEAS)
• Requests, Complaints, Claims and Suggestions System (PQRS)

C1D: Operations in Hard-to-Reach Areas (H2R) and Humanitarian Coordination – Mandatory and In-Person/Virtual

• H2R Definitions
• Humanitarian Access
• Humanitarian Coordination
• Humanitarian Interaction

The following staff would be required to participate in Component 1 of the programme, in order for the selected organisations to gain the most benefit from the initiative:

COMPONENT / NUMBER OF PEOPLE PER ORGANIZATION / PROFILE OF PARTICIPATING PEOPLE

C1A – Activity A: Technical/sectoral elements / 3-4 people / Field Program Staff and Program Staff at management level

C1B – Activity B: Organizational elements / 3-4 people / MERA, Logistics, HR and Finance staff at field level and management level

C1C – Activity C: Accountability / 1-2 people / Dedicated Accountability staff or program management staff in the organization’s main office.

C1D – Activity D: Humanitarian aid in hard-to-reach areas and humanitarian coordination / 2 people / Field/management staff operating in hard-to-reach areas and management staff from the organization’s main office.

Program costs. For in-person events, DRC will cover transportation costs (flights, taxi from the airport to the event venue), lodging2 (2 Transportation and lodging costs will only be covered for people who do not live/reside in the city where the in-person trainings will take place.) and breakfast and lunch/snack costs during the event. Costs related to dinners during in-person events will be covered by the selected organizations, as a financial contribution from the beneficiary organizations to the program.

Section 4. Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, organizations must meet the following three criteria (please note that if they do not meet these criteria, they will not be considered for the selection process):

• Criterion 1: Be a NON-PROFIT organization LEGALLY CONSTITUTED and REGISTERED in Colombia.
• Criterion 2: Be a national NGO and/or civil society organization that implements Protection and/or humanitarian assistance activities in at least one of the following departments of Colombia: Nariño, Bolívar, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander.
• Criterion 3: Organizations that have as a population of interest in their humanitarian assistance activities one or more of the following groups: internally displaced persons, returnees, confined communities, victims of other situations of violence, and host communities ( “host communities” being understood as the local population located in areas with a strong presence of the aforementioned population groups).

For this call the following organizations are NOT eligible:

• Private companies or other profit-making entities.
• Political parties or groups whose affiliation with political parties compromises the impartiality of humanitarian action.
• International Organizations.
• Organizations related to armed groups.

Section 5. Selection criteria

Organizations that apply to this call and meet the three eligibility criteria presented in section 4 of this document will be selected according to the following criteria and scores:

SCORE / CRITERIA:

1. Points from 0 to 3 per sector: Organizations with a minimum of 12 months experience implementing humanitarian activities of:

• Protection such as protection monitoring, case referrals, case management, GBV prevention and response, child protection, legal aid, protection information sessions, individual protection assistance, psychosocial support .
• Assistance to meet Basic Needs such as multipurpose/sectoral cash or food kit distribution, hygiene, and/or other non-food in-kind assistance (NFIs), accommodation/shelter/refuge .
• Water and sanitation such as distribution of water filters, hygiene awareness and prevention of waterborne/vector-borne diseases

2. Points from 0 to 4: Organizations that implement activities that include one or more of the following departments:

• Nariño
• Bolivar
• North Santander
• The Guajira

3. Points from 0 to 3: Organizations that actively participate in humanitarian coordination groups ( clusters, working groups affiliated with the R4V and/or REDLAC platforms), other local coordination networks and inter-institutional articulation .

4. Points from 0 to 3: Organizations that have or have had funding from UN agencies, international NGOs, or other international donors in the last 48 months.

5. Points from 0 to 3: Organizations that work in hard-to-reach areas. Definition of hard-to-reach areas:

• Geographically difficult to access: Environment/logistics, bureaucratic impediments, security and violence (presence of armed groups, organized crime groups, etc.).
• Demographically difficult to access: Marginalization of the population by ethnicity, status, political reasons, etc.

6. Points from 0 to 4: Strategic evaluation of the organization’s positioning in emergency response

7. Points from 0 to 3: Organization with low organizational risk, meeting some of these criteria:

• Has policy(ies) against fraud and corruption
• Has policy(ies) on protection against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment
• It has dedicated staff on key compliance functions, such as logistics and financial management.

Minimum point level: 0 – Maximum point level: 29

Section 6. Application and selection process

Application submission process.

National non-profit organizations wishing to apply for the Protection, Basic Needs Assistance, RoC, and Access capacity building program should take into account:

1. Application deadline: Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Colombian time (GMT – 5)
2. Application submission method: Only via attached form (https://ee.kobo- lac.drc.ngo/x/IBaHYldF )
3. Questions regarding the program and application submission modalities: Only by email to: col.comunicaciones@drc.ngo until Sunday, December 1, 2024. DRC Colombia will respond within a maximum of 48 hours of receiving the email.
4. Documents that must be included for the application to be considered valid.

• Annex A – compiled in all its parts. See attached link.
• Copy of the organization’s registration as a non-profit organization.
• Most recent audit report if available.
• Citizenship card of the legal representative of the organization.
• Citizenship card of another member of the organization’s management.
• Minimum 3 documents demonstrating the organization’s experience (e.g. donor-approved project proposal reports/document, sector capacity statement).
• Anti-fraud and anti-corruption policy(ies), policy(ies) on protection against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (optional)

Timeline of the sectioning process and program implementation.

The process of sectioning organizations and the implementation of activities will be carried out according to the following schedule:

1. Call for applications is due: 21 November 2024
2. Closing date for the call for expressions of interest: Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Colombian time (GMT – 5)
3. Partner pre-selection process (document review and interviews): From December 9, 2024 to December 20, 2024
4. Vetting of shortlisted partners: From December 23, 2024 to January 7, 2025
5. Communication sent to the shortlisted partners and they approve the vetting of the initial decision (not the final confirmation): January 8, 2025
6. Signature of the Collaboration Agreement (Teaming Agreement) and the shortlisted partners prepare their indicative budgets and programme goals: From 9 January 2024 to 7 January 2025
7. Communication to all applicants of the final results of the call: March 2025
8. Due diligence process: February – April 2025
9. Signature of agreement with selected organizations: May 2025
10. Project implementation dates: From June 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026
11. Lessons learned workshop: May 2026.

Information of interest

This information will be written on the application form (Annex B):

“With this Call, DRC aims to select between 1 and 6 Colombian Non-Governmental Organizations and/or Civil Society Organizations to participate in the construction of a Localized Rapid Response Mechanism to situations of displacement and confinement generated by the armed conflict or other situations of violence in the departments of Nariño, Bolívar, La Guajira, and Norte de Santander.

• Applications received after the stipulated date ( December 8, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Colombia time – GMT-5 ) will not be considered for the selection process.
• All applications must be submitted in Spanish via the shared link.
• Questions about the call for proposals will be received only by email until Sunday, December 1, 2024 at 23:59 Colombian time (GMT-5). DRC Colombia will respond to all questions by email within a maximum of 48 hours of receipt.
• A technical committee established by DRC will evaluate the expressions of interest received.
• The selected organizations will be notified by email, therefore, sending the expression of interest and the application are only a requirement for application and under no circumstances imply a direct acceptance of participation in the program.”