Consulancy to Conduct GEDSI assessment in Jubaland and train LWF Somalia Sub-program staff. At Lutheran World Federation

Introduction and background.

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is an international humanitarian organization with a global presence in countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Central America. The global headquarters of LWF is in Geneva, Switzerland. At the regional level, LWF is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, serving both the Kenya and Somalia country programs. The Lutheran World Federation provides quality humanitarian assistance to displaced and affected communities and focuses on three priority areas: i) Sustainable Livelihoods, ii) Quality Services, iii) Protection and Social Cohesion. The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) World Service established a presence in Kismayo, Jubbaland State in Somalia in 2017 to create a continuum between its refugee assistance and protection program in Dadaab refugee camps. Since 2017, LWF has been working closely with the relevant Jubbaland State Ministries, including the Ministry of Education and Higher Learning (MoEHL), Ministry of Women, Family Affairs, and Human Rights, and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. From 2022, the program embarked on program expansion to implement new projects in Kismayo and areas outside Kismayo, including Dhobley district. More information about the LWF Kenya-Somalia program can be access here. https://kenyasomalia.lutheranworld.org/

Project description

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Kenya-Somalia Program has received funding from the Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) to implement a project titled “Promoting Inclusive Communities Where Children with Disabilities and Persons with Specific Needs Realize Their Rights and Have Access to Improved Holistic Wellbeing.” The project will run from July 2024 to June 2025 and will focus on promoting access to inclusive education, improving livelihoods, and enhancing the well-being of vulnerable groups in the Kismayo and Baidoa districts of Jubaland and Southwest states, Somalia.

The project aims to directly benefit children with disabilities, their caregivers, and other community stakeholders through improving access to inclusive primary education, provision of rehabilitative services to PWDs and CWDs, and creation of livelihood opportunities for caregivers of children with disabilities. Key services include teacher training, psychosocial support and capacity-building for advocacy on gender equality and social inclusion. This holistic approach will address the needs of marginalized groups and enhance social cohesion within the communities.

The project focuses on:

• Increasing access to quality inclusive education for children with disabilities.
• Strengthening protection and social cohesion for persons with specific protection concerns, especially elderly persons and people with disabilities.
• Diversifying and enhancing livelihoods for caregivers of children with disabilities.
• Promoting gender equality and social inclusion to reduce discrimination, especially against women and girls through advocacy forums and capacity-building efforts

PURPOSE OF THE ASSESSMENT

The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate the current status of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in the target areas (Jubbaland). The assessment aims to identify the challenges and barriers faced by marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities, women, and children, in accessing services and realizing their rights. The assessment will inform strategies to enhance inclusiveness and equity in the Lutheran World Federation’s programs especially this project of Promoting inclusive communities where children with disabilities, persons with specific needs realize their rights and have access to improved holistic wellbeing.

Moreover, the consultant will provide a training on GEDSI analysis for the program staff. This training will enable staff to effectively integrate gender, disability and social inclusion into program planning, implementation and monitoring.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The consultancy will achieve the following objectives:

1. To Conduct a GEDSI assessment in Jubbaland to understand the social, economic, and institutional barriers to inclusion faced by marginalized groups, particularly children with disabilities and women.
2. Train LWF Somalia Sub-program staff on GEDSI analysis and mainstreaming across all stages of project design and implementation.

SCOPE OF WORK

• Duration: The consultancy will last for 20 working days, tentatively commencing from 10th November 2024 and ending on 5th December 2024.
• Geographical Coverage: The GEDSI assessment and training will take place in Kim Jubbaland- Somalia, focusing on LWF’s operational areas in these regions.
• Target Beneficiary Categories and Stakeholders: The assessment will engage key stakeholders, including: LWF Somalia Sub-program staff, Local government representatives, community leaders, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), women’s organizations, education stakeholders, school CECs, project beneficiaries, youth groups and civil society.

Methodology:

The consultant is expected to suggest an approach and methodology to conduct and facilitate group discussions, case studies, and simulations to help participants understand disability inclusion in real- world contexts. In the specific disability assessment training the consultant will suggest framework and specific methodology.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF LWF

1. Provide the consultant with all relevant documents and policies.
2. Ensure participation from key stakeholders and target groups in the assessment and training.
3. Facilitate logistics for field visits, including transportation if needed.
4. Review and provide feedback on the GEDSI assessment framework, training curriculum, and final report.
5. Provide feedback on the draft training curriculum and action plan.
6. Support the implementation of the consultant’s recommendations after the training.

DELIVERABLES

The consultant will provide the following:

• Inception Report: A detailed work plan and methodology, submitted within the first week of the assignment.
• GEDSI Assessment Report: A comprehensive report detailing the findings of the assessment, barriers identified, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations.
• Training Materials: Training materials on GEDSI principles and practices.
• Training Sessions: Conduct training for LWF Somalia Sub-program staff, ensuring the content is accessible and contextually relevant.
• Pre- and Post-Training Evaluations: Assessment tools to measure participant understanding before and after the training.
• Provide assessment framework used to conduct the GESDI assessment.
• Final Report: A summary of the entire process, training outcomes, and strategic recommendations for future programming.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

The consultant(s) should meet the following criteria:

• Academic Background: degree/ master’s in social science gender studies, disability inclusion, social inclusion, or related fields.
• Experience: At least 7 years of experience conducting GEDSI assessments and delivering capacity-building training in humanitarian or development settings.
• Skills: Strong facilitation and communication skills, particularly in conducting training for diverse groups.
• Regional Knowledge: A deep understanding of the socio-political context of Somalia, particularly in Kismayo Jubbaland.
• Language: Fluency in English. Fluent in Somali are extra-advantage.

SUBMISSIONS

The bid will consist of two parts; technical and financial as follows;

Part A: Technical Proposal

The Technical Proposal shall be straightforward and concise describing how the consultant intends to carry out and satisfy the task as described above. No cost or pricing information is to be included in the technical proposal. Technical proposals are not more than to 15 pages in total. Organizational Information, CVs of proposed personnel, and examples of previous relevant work are to be included in an Annex. Key personnel resumes, dividers and past performance report forms are not included in the page limitation. Bidders are encouraged to provide an Annex, or “portfolio” of samples demonstrating past experience performing similar activities. The Annex can include copies of photographs, other visual representations, and media/social media clippings. The Annex should not exceed 10 pages.

The technical proposal shall be formatted using the following sections:

Technical Approach– Narrative not to exceed five (5) pages. The bidder shall demonstrate his/her understanding, ability, and overall approach to perform the requirements described in the Scope of Work/Tasks/Activities. S/he shall clearly explain how they propose to structure, design, manage and execute the work required that meets LWF objectives. The Technical Approach must include a timeline or Gantt chart of the deliverables required to execute this project.

Capability Statement – Narrative – not to exceed two (2) pages.

The bidder shall demonstrate his/her specialized competence with regard to the requirements of the tasks/activities. S/he shall demonstrate they have the necessary personnel to successfully comply with the contract requirements and accomplish the deliverables.

Past Performance – Narrative not to exceed five (3) pages.

The Bidder shall provide at least three (3) examples of past performance of implementing similar projects. The past performance examples must be within the last three (3) years and shall be similar in terms of scale and relevance. S/he must provide references for each example, including the name, title, phone number, and email address of the reference.

Personnel/Staffing – A narrative not to exceed two (2) pages.

A summary describing the proposed staff for the project including up to three team members. The summary shall include names, relevant qualifications of similar experience and the proposed role for each individual. A Project Manager must be identified with a minimum of five years’ experience in related project management.

The bidder must also include the CVs of the key staff members involved in the Project, including the Project Managers and up to 3 Team members. Each CV should not exceed three (3) pages.

Part B: Financial Proposal

The bidder shall propose realistic and reasonable costs for this work in accordance with the His/Her technical approach. The cost should be in dollars (USD) and include all applicable local taxation. The financial proposal shall list all costs associated with the assignment. Items described in the technical proposal but not priced, shall be assumed to be included in the prices of other items.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

This solicitation is open to firms/ company’s specializing in measuring learning outcomes and/or disability/ education research. The selected Consultant will be responsible for designing and executing all activities outlined in this Request for Proposal in coordination with LWF.

Proposals will be evaluated using the quality and cost-based selection, with a total score calculated out of100% of which 60% is the weight of the technical proposal and 40% is the weight of the financial proposal. Proposals meeting the mandatory requirements will be evaluated for technical merit based on the criteria in the below chart. Those proposals scoring 65 points or higher (out of 80 points) will be considered for cost-effectiveness.

Technical Approach;

Proposed structure, design, and approach to execute the work required, application of ASER tools, analysis and presentation of findings (a high-quality report). (25 points) Detailed work plan and implementation plan.(5 points) Max Points – 30

Capability Statement;

demonstration of the necessary organizational systems, and personnel to successfully comply with the contract requirements and accomplish the expected results. Max Points – 10

Past Performance;

Inclusion of at least 3 relevant past performance examples of similar projects. (5 points) – References provided by past clients for these examples and their evaluation of the bidder’s ability to deliver on time and within quality and budget expectations. (5 points) Max Points – 10

Personnel/staffing;

qualifications and past relevant experience of the Project Manager and up to 3 team members proposed to perform the requirements of this scope of work. (10 points) Max Points – 10

Technical Evaluation Threshold (Only offers that receive a technical evaluation score of 42 and above points (out of 60) will be considered for cost evaluation.)

Cost Evaluation;

The financial proposal will be evaluated using the following formula: FS=40*lowest price/F, in which FS is the financial score and F is the price of the consideration Max Points – 40

Total 100