Consultancy for the External evaluation of NRC’s Cameroon Shelter Programme At Norwegian Refugee Council

Consultancy for the External evaluation of NRC’s Cameroon Shelter Programme

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent, humanitarian, international Non-Governmental Organization that works to protect the rights of the displaced and vulnerable people during crisis. NRC provides assistance in the areas of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education, Food Security and Livelihoods (LFS), Shelter, Information Counseling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) and Camp Management.

NRC invites submissions from interested and qualified individuals to participate in the tender for the provision of consultancy service.

NRC must receive any request for clarification in writing at least 5 working days before the deadline for submission of tenders. NRC will reply to bidders’ questions at least 2 working days before the deadline for submission of documentation.

Costs incurred by the bidder in preparing and submitting the tender proposals will not be reimbursed.

We look forward to receiving your submission on or before 18thJune 2022 at 16:00 through the email address: cm.procurement@nrc.no

The bid application should be titled: “CM/AO/2022/003- External evaluation of NRC’s Cameroon Shelter Program” in the e-mail subject.

Yours sincerely,

NRC Logistics Team

This ITB document contains the following:

• This cover Letter
• Section 2: Bid Data sheet
• Section 3: NRC Invitation to bid general terms & condition
• Section 4:Technical Description of the Bid/ Pricing proposal
• Section 5: Bidding form
• Section 6: Service Provision Schedule
• Section 7: Company Profile and Previous Experience
• Section 8: Suppliers Ethical Standards Declaration

SECTION 2

Bid Data Sheet

BACKGROUND DATA

Consultancy Name: External evaluation of NRC’s Cameroon Shelter Program

EMAIL Address: cm.procurement@nrc.no

This bid is issued by Norwegian Refugee Council NRC office. Any correspondence in regards to technical clarifications should be addressed to cm.procurement@nrc.no

1. SCOPE OF SERVICE

The Contracts eligible for bidding are:

Contract No.

Service Description

CM/AO/2022/003

Consultancy for the External evaluation of NRC’s Cameroon Shelter Programme

Please refer to the service specifications in section 4

1. SCHEDULE & DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

The deadline for submission of bids is 4: 00 PM on 22 June 2022. Late bids will not be accepted.

DATE

TIME*

Invitation to Bid release

02nd June 2022

11:00am

Deadline for request for any clarifications from NRC

13th June 2022

5:00pm

Last date on which clarifications are issued by NRC

20th June 2022

5:00pm

Deadline for submission of tenders (receiving date, not sending date)

22th June 2022

4:00pm

Tender opening session by NRC

TBC

Notification of award to the successful tenderer

TBC

Signature of the contract

TBC

* All times are in the local time of Cameroon

Please note all dates are provisional dates and NRC reserves the right to modify this schedule.

1. MANNER OF SUBMISSION:

Please submit your bids in accordance with the requirements. Complete bid documents shall be sent by email to cm.procurement@nrc.nonot later than 4:00pm on 22 June 2022. Only submission made via this email address will be acceptable and eligible for review.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Award of the contract(s) will be based on the following:

Step 1: Administrative compliance check

Bidders must provide evidence of the following for their bid to be considered compliant:

1. Sections 5-8 completed, signed and stamped
2. Bidder has included a copy of their valid business licence

Step 2: Technical Evaluation

A Technical Evaluation of all bids received will be conducted to shortlisted bidders. Criteria that will be used to evaluate and score the bids are outlined in Section 3, Clause 25

Step 3: Financial Evaluation

Price in comparison to NRC established expectation and in comparison to other bidders of comparable technical quality

SECTION 3

NRC Invitation to bid – General Terms & Conditions

1. SCOPE OF BID
   1. The bid is based on the scope of the assignment as determined in the Bid Data Sheet (Section 2). The instruction to bidders should be read in conjunction with the Bid Data Sheet.
   2. The successful Bidder will be expected to complete the assignment by the Intended Completion Date specified in the contract to be signed. Failure to do so with result in breach of contract.
2. CORRUPT PRACTICES
   1. Norwegian Refugee Council requires Employees, Parties engaged in NRC Activities, including consultants and associated staff, to observe standards of ethics during procurement and the execution of contracts. In pursuit of this, Norwegian refugee Council defines, for the purposes of this provision, the terms set forth below as follows:
3. 1. “Corrupt practice” includes the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of anything of value to influence the action of a public official in the procurement process or in contract execution; and
   2. “Fraudulent practice” includes a misrepresentation of facts in order to influence a procurement process or the execution of a contract to the detriment of the Norwegian Refugee Council, and includes collusive practices among Bidders prior to or after bid submission designed to establish bid prices at artificial, non-competitive levels and to deprive the Norwegian Refugee Council of the benefits of free and open competition;
   3. In any case where fraud or corruption is identified, NRC will:

• reject any bids where the Bidder has engaged in corrupt or fraudulent practices in competing for the Contract;
• remove bidding contractors who engage in fraudulent or corrupt practices, from our prequalified list
• liaise with District or Government Officials to report if fraudulent or corrupt practices are identified
• Terminate the consultancy activity, without due payment to be made by Norwegian Refugee Council.
  1. Any communications between a Bidder and the Norwegian Refugee Council related to matters of alleged fraud or corruption must be made in writing and addressed to anticorruption@nrc.no

1. ELIGIBLE BIDDERS
   1. A Bidder shall meet the following criteria to be eligible to participate in NRC procurement of Services:
2. the bidder, at the time of bid, is not:
   1. 1. insolvent;
      2. in receivership;
      3. bankrupt; or
      4. being wound up
3. the bidder’s business activities have not been suspended;
4. the bidder is not the subject of legal proceedings for any of the circumstances in (b); and
5. The bidder has fulfilled his or her obligations to pay taxes and social security contributions. In a case where VAT is included in a bid, a copy of the VAT certificate must accompany the bid. A Bidder, and all parties constituting the Bidder including sub-contractors, shall not have a conflict of interest. All Bidders found to have a conflict of interest shall be disqualified. A Bidder may be considered to have a conflict of interest with one or more parties in this bidding process, if they have a relationship with each other, directly or through common third parties, that puts them in a position to have access to information about or influence on the bid of another Bidder, or influence the decisions of the Norwegian Refugee Council regarding this bidding process
   1. A Bidder whose circumstances in relation to eligibility change during a procurement process or during the execution of a contract shall immediately inform the Norwegian Refugee Council.
   2. NRC reserves the right to refuse a bid at any time if the bidder or one of its sub-contractors provided material support or resources to any individual or entity that commits, attempts to commit, advocates, facilitates, or participates or is found guilty of fraud, active corruption, collusion, coercive practice, bribery, involvement in a criminal organization or illegal activity, or immoral human resources practices, including but not limited to: child labour, non-discrimination, freedom of association, payment of the legal national minimum wage, and forced labour.
6. JOINT VENTURES, CONSORTIA AND ASSOCIATIONS

Bids submitted by a joint venture, consortium or association of two or more firms as partners will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.

1. ONE BID PER BIDDER PER WORK

Each Bidder shall submit only one Bid per contract. A Bidder who submits or participates in more than one bid per contract will cause all the bids with the Bidder’s participation to be rejected.

1. COST OF BIDDING

The Bidder shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of his Bid, and the Norwegian Refugee Council shall not be responsible or liable for those costs, regardless of the conduct or outcome of the bidding process.

1. INSPECTION

NRC is obliged to ensure that its procurement decisions are clearly justified, documented, and keeping within the Donors mandatory principles. In that regard, full and on-the-spot access must be granted to representatives of NRC, the Donor or any organization or person mandated by it, to premises belonging to NRC or its contractors. The right to access shall include all documents and information necessary to assess, or audit the implementation of the contract

1. COMPLETING BIDDING DOCUMENTS
   1. The Bidder is expected to examine all instructions, forms, terms, and specifications in the Bidding Document. Failure to furnish all information or documentation required by the Bidding Document may result in the rejection of the bid.
2. CLARIFICATION OF BIDDING DOCUMENT

A prospective Bidder requiring any clarification of the Bidding Document shall contact the Norwegian Refugee Council in writing as mentioned above, through the given email address: cm.procurement@nrc.no. The Norwegian Refugee Council will respond in writing to any request for clarification before the deadline for clarification of bids. The Norwegian Refugee Council shall forward copies of its response to all Bidders who have acquired the Bidding Document, including a description of the inquiry but without identifying its source.

1. AMENDMENT OF BIDDING DOCUMENT
   1. At any time, prior and until 48 hours prior to the deadline for submission of bids, the Norwegian Refugee Council may amend or cancel the Bidding Document by informing the bidders in writing.
   2. To give prospective Bidders reasonable time in which to take an amendment or cancellation into account in preparing their bids, the Norwegian Refugee Council can, at his discretion, extend the deadline for the submission of bids.
2. LANGUAGE OF BID
   1. The bid, as well as all correspondence and documents relating to the bid shall be written in English.
   2. Supporting documents and printed literature that are part of the bid may be in another language provided they are accompanied by an accurate translation of the relevant passages in English, in which case, for purposes of interpretation of the Bid, such translation shall govern. The translator, with name and contact details, should certify all translations.
3. DOCUMENTS COMPRISING THE BID
   1. The bid submitted by the Bidder shall comprise the following:

• Signed and stamped Consultancy’s Biding form in Section 5
• TOR and Pricing proposal or any other information and documents requested in Section 4.
• Timetable provision Schedule (as in Section 6)
• Consultancy Profile and Previous experience, including Curriculum Vital of personnel to be included (as in Section 7)
• Signed and stamped Supplier Ethical Standards Declaration in Section 8
  1. All forms must be completed without any alterations to the format, and no substitutes shall be accepted.
  2. Proof of registration (business registration documents and/or VAT or company tax registration. If the consultant is a sole-trade (self-employed), a confirmation of the status from a certified accountant or the tax authorities is mandatory. For any self-employed person based in European country, a sole-trade certificate/registration document is required. If the sole trade consultant is from the US, a certificate from his/her registered account is sufficient.
  3. All blank spaces shall be filled in with the information requested.

1. BID PRICE FOR CONSULTANCY CONTRACT
   1. Submitted prices are for complete contracts. Contracts cannot be subdivided into pieces. Where a bid is submitted, all relevant services must be offered, with no request for advance payment.
   2. One financial offer (Excel) detailing the budget in USD only
   3. Services for which no rate or price is entered by the Bidder will be considered as not quoted.
   4. Unless otherwise specified in Section 2 – the Bid Data Sheet, all duties, taxes and other levies payable by the bidder under the contract, shall be included in the total bid price submitted by the bidder.
   5. For bidder subject to VAT, VAT should be mentioned in the offers
   6. For Bidder subject to social benefits to respective authorities, such as and not limited to social insurance, travel insurance, vacation payments, these should not be mentioned; these are the absolute responsibility of the bidder.
   7. The prices submitted by any Bidder shall be checked for arithmetical errors and for what might be considered unreasonable rates during the evaluation. Where errors are identified one or more of the following steps may be taken:
2. If any rates are considered unrealistic or unreasonable, they may be altered by mutual agreement, if no alteration shall be made for Bid.
3. If any arithmetical errors are detected in an otherwise acceptable bid, and the Bidder, on being so notified, is prepared to confirm his bid and if the Bidder is subsequently awarded the contract, then the Bid shall be altered to reflect the difference.
4. Bidders are reminded that it is entirely their responsibility to ensure the accuracy of their bids. No alteration will be made to the bid after its submission on the grounds of any arithmetical errors subsequently discovered except as provided above.
5. CURRENCIES OF BID AND PAYMENT

The Bidder in US Dollars (USD) shall quote all prices, unless otherwise stated.

1. BID VALIDITY
   1. Bids shall remain valid for a period of 90 calendar days after the date of the bid submission deadline as prescribed by Norwegian Refugee Council. A bid valid for a shorter period shall be rejected as non-compliant.
   2. In exceptional circumstances, prior to the expiration of the bid validity period, the Norwegian Refugee Council may request Bidders in writing to extend the period of validity of their bids. A Bidder must confirm in writing his acceptance of the extension. In case of extension, modification of the bid is not permitted.
2. ALTERNATIVE BIDS

Bidders shall submit offers that comply with the requirements of the bidding documents, including the basic scope of method. Alternative bids shall not be considered unless otherwise indicated in Section 2 – the Bid Data Sheet.

1. FORMAT AND SIGNING OF BID

The bidder should hold a copy of the documents for reference purposes.

1. EMAIL SUBMISSION FORMAT
   1. The Bidder shall enclose the bid for the activity. the email subject of the email should clearly indicate – “CM/AO/2022/003 – Consultancy for the External Evaluation of NRC’s Cameroon Shelter Programme”
   2. If information or title is not correct, the Norwegian Refugee Council may at its discretion reject the bid.
   3. All information for presentation should be one email, subsequent emails; even before submission date will not be accepted and will be automatically rejected.
2. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF BIDS

The Norwegian Refugee Council at the email given and no must receive bids later than the date and time indicated in Section 2 – the Bid Data Sheet and associated information. Submission of information by other means will not be accepted.

1. LATE BIDS

The Norwegian Refugee Council shall not consider any bid that arrives after the deadline for submission as stipulated in Section 2 – the Bid Data Sheet. Any bid received by the Norwegian Refugee Council after the deadline for submission of bids shall be declared late and rejected.

1. WITHDRAWAL OF BIDS
   1. A Bidder may withdraw its bid after it has been submitted at any time before the deadline for submission of bids by sending a written notice, signed by an authorized representative. Any corresponding replacement of the bid must accompany the respective written notice.
2. CONFIDENTIALITY
   1. Information relating to the examination, evaluation, comparison, and post-qualification of bids, and recommendation of contract award, shall not be disclosed to bidders or any other persons not officially concerned with such process.
   2. Any effort by a Bidder to influence the Norwegian Refugee Council in the examination, evaluation, comparison, and post-qualification of the bids or contract award decisions may result in the rejection of its bid.
   3. From the time of bid opening to the time of Contract award, if any Bidder wishes to contact the Norwegian Refugee Council on any matter related to the bidding process, it should do through the given email account cm.procurement@nrc.no
3. CLARIFICATION OF BIDS

Norwegian Refugee Council may, at its discretion, ask any Bidder for a clarification of its Bid. The Norwegian Refugee Council’s request for clarification and the response shall be in writing. Any clarification submitted by a Bidder that is not in response to a request by the Norwegian Refugee Council shall not be considered. All requests for clarifications shall be copied to all bidders for information purposes. No change in the price or substance of the bid shall be permitted, except to confirm the correction of errors.

1. BIDS VALIDATION
   1. The Norwegian Refugee Council’s determination of a Bid’s validity is to be based on the contents of the bid itself, which cannot be corrected if determined to be invalid
   2. A valid bid is one that complies with all the terms, conditions, and specifications of the Bidding Document, without deviation or omission, which affects, or could affect;
2. the scope, quality, or performance of the services specified in the Contract; or
3. limits in any substantial way, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s rights or the Bidder’s obligations under the Contract
4. EVALUATION OF BID
5. 1. The Norwegian Refugee Council shall examine the legal documentation and other information submitted by Bidders to verify eligibility, and then will review and score bids according to the following criteria:

• Professional competencies, expertise and qualification for the tasks described above (30%),
• Professional references on the successful completion of similar works (20%),
• Technical quality of bid package- completeness and alignment with TOR in terms of methodology (20%),
• Evidence of previous relevant experience- copies of reports for similar consultancies (10%)
• Technical quality (and relevance) of past work samples (10%)
• Financial offer (10%)
  1. Anti-money laundering, anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-terrorism legislation applicable in some jurisdictions will require NRC to verify the identity of the bidder prior to financial transactions. NRC reserves the right to use online screening tools to check the bidder’s record about their possible involvement in illegal or unethical practices. This is without exception. All records will be kept strictly confidential.
  2. The Norwegian Refugee Council reserves the right to reject all bids, and re-tender if no satisfactory bids are submitted

1. AWARD PROCEDURE
   1. The Norwegian Refugee Council shall award the Contract in writing, with an award letter, to the Bidder whose offer has been determined to be the best, before the end of the bid validity period
   2. Any bidder who has not been awarded a contract, will be notified in writing
   3. Until a formal contract is prepared and executed, the Award Letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the bidder and NRC.
   4. The Award Letter will state the sum that the Norwegian Refugee Council will pay the Consultancy Company in consideration of the Services as prescribed in the Contract, and in accordance with the Bid.
   5. The Bidder is thereafter required to submit a Letter of Acceptance, confirming their wish to proceed with a contract.
2. SIGNING OF CONTRACT
   1. Upon receipt of the Letter of Acceptance, the Norwegian Refugee Council shall call the successful Bidder to sign the Contract.
   2. Within an agreed timeframe, the successful Bidder shall sign, date, and return the Contract to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
   3. The signing of the contract does not mean the start of the stated activity, but an agreement that an activity has to be undertaken.

SECTION 4

SERVICE PROVISION: Technical Description of the Bid/ Pricing proposal

Terms of Reference: External evaluation of NRC Cameroon’s shelter programme

Project title: ALL PROJECT

The evaluation would review all aspects of shelter programming implemented by NRC in Cameroon between April 2017 and December 2021.

Organization

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

Geographical coverage:

Cameroon: FAR NORTH REGION, NORTH WEST AND SOUTH WEST REGIONS

PlannedEvaluation period:

July-October 2022

1. Background information

1.1 Background on the context

Nine out of ten regions of Cameroon continue to be impacted by three complex, protracted, humanitarian crises caused by continuous violence in the Lake Chad Basin and in the North-West and South-West regions, as well as the presence of over 325,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) in the Eastern regions. For 2022, 3.9 million people are estimated to need assistance, of which 1.2 million persons are in need of Shelter and Non-food Items. The number of displaced people in Cameroon continues to increase. Violence in the Far North region has led to a steady rise of displacement since 2014 and as of November 2021, violence has uprooted 608,000 people (358,000 IDPs, 115,000 Nigerian refugees, and 135,000 returnees), an increase of 48,000 people since November 2020. In the North-West and South-West, the socio-political crisis, entering its sixth year, has led to massive population displacements. As of August 2021, the crisis has displaced over one million people, including to other regions of Cameroon and to Nigeria.

The main shocks of the different crises in Cameroon relate to violence, natural disasters, health outbreaks, mortality and morbidity due to communicable diseases as well as a lack of access to minimum food, nutrition, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), shelter, and lifesaving health services. A lack of adequate shelter and the lack of access to basic safe water, sanitation and health services exposes thousands of people to harsh weather, increasing the exposure to sickness. Due to the continuous burning of houses, and occasionally entire villages, to the ground in the North West and South West (NW/SW) regions of Cameroon, there is an increase in the need for shelter and NFIs for the IDP population who have fled to the bush in search of security. The shelter conditions in the Far North region remain insufficient to meet the needs of the displaced populations (IDPs, refugees and returnees) due to either having been destroyed during conflict or poorly maintained. The majority of the affected population do not have legal documents (most having lost their documents when fleeing) proving that they are the owners of their properties. NRC has noted an increasing number of disputes between IDPs, refugees and property owners leading to (unlawful) evictions, where IDPs and refugees have little means to defend themselves due to, among others, barriers to justice linked to lack of legal stay and absence of written lease agreements.

1.2 NRC’s intervention specific to the evaluation

NRC has been working in Cameroon since 2017 through the Shelter, WASH, Livelihood and Food Security (LFS), Education and Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) programmes. In our first actions, we started with the shelter core competency, particularly in the Far North Region, and the other core competencies gradually followed. NRC then started its activities in the North-West and South-West Regions in June 2018 and our first interventions were through an integrated WASH and Shelter response. NRC also contributes to the CAR crisis response in the East Region since 2019 through ICLA programming around the cross-border plurennial project Iyeke Oko.

Shelter and settlements

In the varied climates of Cameroon, shelter is essential for people to live safely and secure while a lack of adequate shelter in many areas features among the key obstacles to sustainable return. Whilst emergency response capacity is maintained, shelter focus has developed in line with changing contexts, moving to durable solutions needs that look to support development activities. Key activities provided by Shelter teams include:

• • provide materials, training and/or financial resources to internally displaced, refugee and returnee families – support vulnerable families in achieving their tenure rights – construct / rehabilitate educational facilities.

The NRC Shelter programme targets refugees, IDPs, returnees and vulnerable host communities households who need shelter assistance to improve their living conditions in the project implementation locations. Particular attention is given to households that meet the following vulnerability criteria:

• • IDPs and refugees living in makeshift camps with shelters exposing them to bad weather; – IDPs and refugees living in host communities where they scramble for the very limited space available and share sleeping spaces; – Returnees (former IDPs), where houses have been vandalised or destroyed due to the crisis; – Schools in conflict affected areas that are used as collective housing by the displaced communities. – Returnees and influx of refugees in the East area affected by the CAR crisis.

Beneficiary targeting also aims to reach the most vulnerable households based on pre-established selection criteria, agreed upon by the community. Priority will be given to female headed households (HHs), unaccompanied minors and child headed HHs, and HHs with disabled members. Having clear beneficiary selection criteria will ensure that deserving beneficiaries have equitable access to NRC’s shelter assistance, and hence mitigate the risk of tensions if the assistance is solely addressed to a particular group

1.3 NRC’s intervention specific to the evaluation

To date, NRC has assisted 250,748 persons and counting through the shelter component. The current integrated programming approach in Cameroon sees shelter programming being carried out by a combined Shelter-WASH team.

The overall objectives of NRC’s shelter programme in Cameroon are to improve the living conditions, dignity and protections of vulnerable populations affected by displacement. This includes access to property rights, livelihoods and education.

NRC provides a range of shelter assistance options to households meeting our vulnerability and displacement criteria. This most often involves the Shelter and WASH teams working together in delivering both shelter and WASH goods and services. NRC Cameroon implements four types of shelter-related programmes:

1. 1. Temporary shelter solutions: Tents, NFIs, multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA), training and information provided by the shelter teams in the SWNW and in the Far North. Since 2017 to date, NRC has provided 24,054 HH (147,344 individuals) have received an NRC contribution for temporary shelter, 16,964 HH (113,697 individuals) have received essential household item (NFI) kits and 50 HH received cash/voucher for essential household items.
   2. Transitional shelter solutions: NFIs and material assistance as part of NRC contribution for the rehabilitation of their homes provided by the shelter team. To date, 99 individuals in the Far North have benefitted from complete transitional shelter solutions.
   3. Permanent shelter solutions: Tarpaulins for roofing for those whose thatched house are leaking or with destroyed roofs, and performed rehabilitation of shelters and construction of new shelters. Overall, 790 households (5976 individuals) have received an NRC contribution for permanent shelter while 210 households (1689 individuals) have benefitted from complete permanent shelter solution provided by NRC.
   4. School rehabilitation: Damaged classrooms receive upgrading solutions after a technical assessment has been carried out. The shelter team works with the education team in this direction. Overall NRC has handed over 31 complete permanent/transitional classrooms benefitting 3,276 children.

In 2022 NRC also plans to start a cash for rent (CFR) theme that aims at providing cash/voucher for complete temporary shelter and for permanent shelter contributions. The LFS team distributed Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) for shelter and non-food items through the Emergency Response Mechanism, funded by the Catholic Relief Services/BHA.

The shelter programming appears to have a positive effect on the beneficiaries’ quality of life, and this is reflected in the post-action survey data. Outcome monitoring has shown 1-month occupancy rate of 96%. Overall, 96% of targeted beneficiaries reported/were observed utilizing shelter contribution as intended within 1 month of distribution while an overall average of 96% of families reported/ observed utilizing using essential household items as intended within 1 month of provision.

After five years of presence in the country, it is time to undertake a review of the Shelter programme. This is to; document proper lessons on how NRC’S emergency / first line response Shelter and Settlements activities have been delivering results; understand what worked well with regards to NRC response to the displacement situation at the village level (including multi-sectoral needs of affected populations); and assess the extent to which the benefits can be sustained over time.

1. Purpose of the evaluation and intended use

2.1 Overarching purpose

The main purpose of the evaluation is to support organisational learning about the relevance, effectiveness and impact of the NRC Cameroon Shelter programme and provide guidance for future programme direction. In addition, the evaluation should be an opportunity for NRC to be accountable to beneficiaries and donors.

2.2 How the evaluation be used

Key findings and recommendations will be used to inform learning and to strengthen the 2023 shelter programme strategy. The information will be used to provide information on quality of the outcome, materials used and time used to respond on the shelter intervention. The findings will also inform internal decision making on relevant modalities.

2.3 Intended users

The primary users of the evaluation will be the NRC Cameroon Country programme, specifically the shelter programme team. The results should provide direction for shelter teams at an area level to improve their intervention strategy. The evaluation will help inform the Country Management Group (CMG) strategic directions of NRC’s work in Cameroon.

Secondary users in the Cameroon country programme will include other core competencies and support functions, such as logistics, human resources and finance. The evaluation findings will also feed into future country and programme strategies. The evaluation report will be published on the NRC website, and lessons learned and recommendations will be shared outside of NRC. There will be consideration for global use of the evaluation as its findings and conclusions shall be shared with NRC Head Office in Oslo, Shelter Adviser, Shelter programme managers in other country programmes, donors and other interested persons engaged in Shelter programme set up, assessment and phase out.

1. Scope and lines of inquiry

3.1 Scope

The evaluation would review all aspects of shelter programming implemented by NRC in Cameroon between April 2017 and December 2021.

The scope for primary field data collection should be between 2020 and 2021 and focused on the most recent work of the shelter programme, and the current programme model. A secondary data/timeline analysis covering 2017-2021 would be conducted highlighting the evolution of the programme and mapping key achievements. Consideration should be given to programme resources, the overall framework for providing shelter to displacement-affected populations. The geographic focus of the evaluation will focus on all the area offices implementing the shelter programming, namely: Area North and Area West.

In particular, this evaluation should take into consideration the limiting factors of security and access. These two criteria critically influence NRC’s capacity to adequately implement and supervise programme implementation (staffing level, no international staff member access, logistics in a high-risk security area, etc.).

3.2 Lines of inquiry:

• • Did the different types of shelter assistance provided from 2017 to 2021 have the intended impact set out in the theory of change (ToC) or unintended positive or negative effects? (Impact)
• Did the shelter assistance decrease the vulnerabilities of the target population?
• To what extent has the shelter assistance supported self-sufficiency?
• To what extent has the shelter programme contributed towards durable solutions?
• What is the durability of the shelter assistance?
• Any other positive or negative impacts on beneficiary lives?
  • To what extent has the shelter intervention been relevant and appropriate to the local needs and priorities of the beneficiaries? (Relevance)
• How has NRC adapted to the changing needs of target communities?
• To what extent was NRC able to access the most vulnerable population?
• Did the target population use the services and materials offered as intended?
• Did the approach taken by NRC correspond to the needs of the target population and phases of displacement?
  • Could NRC have used a different approach in the shelter programming and achieved the same quality results? (Effectiveness)
• To what extent are NRC’s emergency / first line response Shelter and Settlements activities effective in delivering results?
• To what extent are NRC’s shelter interventions integrating with the interventions of other NRC Core Competencies (CCs) in Cameroon?
• How are we maintaining technical quality in hard to reach (H2R) contexts?
• Looking back in time and acknowledging that political context and funding requirements change over time; was the shelter programme designed right in terms of the life span? Should the shelter approach have been more or less permanent?
  • How we are maintaining technical quality with merged (shelter-WASH) teams when pursuing Integrated Programming?
• • Did the different types of shelter assistance provided uphold the Safe and Inclusive Programming (SIP) principles common to all core competencies?

1. Methodology

To answer the evaluation questions, NRC would like the evaluator to submit a study design and methodology, which focuses on participatory, mixed qualitative and quantitative methods, to complement the monitoring data already available. The methodology for this evaluation should follow a non-experimental design to generate credible results and evidence about the performance of the shelter programme in Cameroon..

The evaluation will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods and the evaluator, taking into account the suggestions from the steering committee, will determine the final methodology. The evaluator will elaborate the detailed methodology based on this ToR and detail the proposed approach in an Inception Report, which is subject for review and validation by the Steering Committee. At a minimum, the methodology should include the below elements, although potential evaluators are strongly encouraged to go beyond these;

• A desk review of key documents, including analysis of existing qualitative and quantitative shelter programme data (covering 2017-2021);
• Structured or semi-structured interviews with key informants (including local authorities, other humanitarian actors, NRC staff);
• Participatory methods, such as FGDs to seek the views and perceptions of specific groups, such as women and people with disabilities (PWDs), who may have been under-represented in the HH survey sample;
• Household surveys with beneficiaries to identify their needs and understand their experiences, level of participation and the use and ownership of their temporary and permanent shelters.

Triangulation shall be done in the desk review and analysis phases. Also, a field validation exercise, for confirming preliminary findings with key project stakeholders should be envisioned in the field part of the exercise.

The evaluator, in consultation with the steering committee, will prepare all relevant tools based on the agreed upon methodology. While the evaluator can propose changes in the methodology, any such changes should be discussed and agreed upon with the committee. All relevant data should be sex-disaggregated and different needs of women and men and vulnerable groups should be considered throughout the evaluation process. Data analysis will be gender responsive and ensure requisite statistics (median, mean, etc) are used to highlight trends and correlation. A content analysis is encouraged to be used for qualitative data.

It is expected that the evaluator will work to the highest evaluation standards and codes of conduct. High ethical standards, transparency and objectivity will be observed at all times.

The evaluation must respect the rights of the people interviewed by guaranteeing confidentiality and security. Respondents should not be exposed to any risks and discomfort. As such, data collection tools will be pre-tested and evaluation activities will provide a safe, creative space where respondents feel that their thoughts and ideas are important. All staff involved, evaluator(s) and enumerators are expected to be briefed on NRC’s Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct with which they must comply. The data collection plan must state how NRC and the evaluator(s) will file the data and keep it secure. Enumerators (male and female) will be trained on ethical data collection techniques.

Please note that there is limited direct access for non-locals and for internationals. The consultant will have to manage this process remotely from the Buéa and Maroua offices.

1. Evaluation follow up and learning

• The findings will be used to inform future programming.
  • A management response will be developed within one month of the evaluation report being finalized. The steering committee will follow up and track progress in the management response.
• A dissemination plan will be developed to ensure that important learning is shared with internal and external stakeholders. The report can be disseminated through the following: INGOs Forums; policy briefs; the shelter cluster, UN agencies; blogs (eg IDMC, NRC), seminars, restitution workshops with beneficiaries, posters and national authorities as well as other key internal stakeholders at NRC.

1. Management of the Evaluation

An evaluation Steering Committee (SC) has been established by NRC with the following members:

• Steering Committee Chair: Head of Programmes
• Evaluation Manager: M&E Coordinator
• Steering committee member: Shelter Programme Development Manager (PDM)

The Steering Committee will oversee administration and overall coordination, including monitoring progress. The main functions of the Steering committee will be:

• Establish the Terms of Reference of the evaluation;
• Select evaluator(s);
• Review and comment on the inception report and approve the proposed evaluation strategy;
• Review and approval of the evaluation tools;
• Review and comment on the draft evaluation report;
• Approve the final report;
• Establish a dissemination and utilization strategy (including ensuring a management response is drafted).

Throughout the process, the consultant(s) will closely work with the steering committee, and in particular with the evaluation manager. The committee will coordinate the evaluation process. It will review and approve each deliverable of the evaluation and establish a dissemination and utilisation strategy.

A scoping meeting between the consultant(s) and the committee will enable to align the understanding of these terms of reference and to validate the methodology proposed by the consultant(s).

The consultant (s) will be responsible for logistics, communications and the secretariat (printing documentation, etc.). The consultant (s) are also responsible for the administration of all methodological tools such as questionnaires, focus group, etc. NRC will provide administrative support for visa, access to sites and suggestions for accommodation. Programme teams will facilitate the process by providing reference documents as well as contacts of partners and resource persons.

1. Deliverables and reporting deadlines

The consultant will deliver, based on an agreed upon work plan:

Deliverable 1: Draft Evaluation Inception Report – The draft inception report (using NRC’s standard template) should set out any changes proposed to the methodology or any other issues of importance in the further conduct of the evaluation. The inception report will:

1. Include a desk review;
2. Describe the conceptual framework that will be used to undertake the evaluation;
3. Present an evaluation matrix: sets out in some detail the approach for data collection, the evaluation methodology, i.e. how evaluation questions will be answered by way of data collection methods, data sources, sampling and selection criteria;
4. Include all data collection instruments (in French and English)
5. Provide a detailed work plan for the evaluation, which indicates the phases in the evaluation and key deliverables;
6. Present an analysis plan;
7. Set out the list of key stakeholders to be interviewed.

Deliverable 2: Evaluation Inception Report – The inception report will be finalised upon consultation with the Steering Committee Members (max 2 weeks review).

Deliverable 3: Draft Evaluation Report (30 Pages max) – including an Executive Summary of key findings, conclusions and recommendations, and all raw data.

All raw data collected should be transferred to NRC and is NRC intellectual property. Raw datasets will be transferred together with the draft evaluation report.

The draft evaluation report will be produced upon completion of the desk review and after the conduct of fieldwork and informal feedback meetings with the steering committee. The draft report is further disseminated through an evaluation stakeholders’ workshop to be organised by the steering committee. The evaluator is expected to facilitate and deliver a presentation of key findings in person, as possible.

Deliverable 4: A final evaluation report (maximum 30 pages, French or English) structured as follows:

1. Cover page
2. A list of acronyms and abbreviations
3. A table of contents
4. An executive summary (in French and in English)
5. Introduction and background
6. Scope and objectives of the evaluation
7. Methodology
8. Limitations
9. Results
10. Conclusions
11. Lessons learned and recommendations

Appendices of the report, including:

1. Terms of reference
2. Evaluation matrix
3. List of documents consulted
4. Evaluation tools
5. List of persons and organisations/institutions consulted

A management response plan will be prepared by the Steering Committee after the finalisation of the evaluation. It will specify key actions to be undertaken, key partners to be involved in the execution of these actions and the implementation schedule.

1. Timeframe

This evaluation will start on 18 July 2022 and the estimated number of working days is 40 working days to complete the evaluation. The following phases should be followed.

Phase

Key tasks

Deadline

Phase 1

• Scoping meeting with the steering committee
• Review of all relevant documents
• Preparation and submission of the inception report including an evaluation matrix, work plan, data collection tools, analysis plan and methodology.

Last half July 2022

Phase 2

• Pre-test of tools
• Primary data collection
• Data analysis

First half of August: NWSW

Mid-August 2022 in Far North

Phase 3

• Preparation of the interim report
• Submission of the first draft of the report to NRC
• Presentation of initial results with NRC

September 2022

Phase 4

• Comments and suggestions of NRC on the interim report
• Integration of the comments, submission and validation of the final report by the Steering Committee

End of October 2022

1. Evaluation consultant team

NRC seeks expressions of interest from both individuals and firms for this assignment.

Consultants must have:

1. Advanced university degree or equivalent in Humanitarian/Development Studies, Social Sciences, statistics or other fields related to the provision of humanitarian assistance in Shelter;
2. Experience in planning, implementation, monitoring and especially in evaluation of programs in humanitarian settings;
3. Good knowledge of data collection methods using tablets and CAPI systems and ability to analyse, synthesize, present and to write clear reports;
4. Good knowledge of outcomes evaluation approaches especially participatory mixed methods;
5. Good knowledge of community development mechanisms; gender and equity;
6. Good French and English communication, writing and synthesis skills;
7. Minimum 5 years of experience with quantitative and qualitative research and experience;
8. Technical understanding of Shelter programming;
9. Adequate knowledge of local cultures and languages and social, economic and political background of Cameroon–the North West, South West and Far North Regions is an asset. The composition of the team must be balanced to enable an exhaustive coverage of the various aspects of the evaluation set out in this terms of reference, including cross-cutting issues. Gender balance in the proposed team will be an asset.
10. Ethical Considerations

The evaluation must respect the rights of the people interviewed by guaranteeing confidentiality and security. Respondents should not be exposed to any risks and discomfort. As such, data collection tools will be pre-tested and evaluation activities will provide a safe, creative space where respondents feel that their thoughts and ideas are important. All staff involved, evaluator(s) and enumerators are expected to be briefed on NRC’s Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct with which they must comply. The data collection plan must state how NRC and the evaluator(s) will file the data and keep it secure. Enumerators (male and female) will be trained on ethical data collection techniques.

1. Application process and requirements

Application Deadline: 22 June 2022

Bids (technical and financial proposals) of up to 6 pages maximum (excluding annexes) should include the following:

• Proposal including : outline of evaluation framework and methods, including comments on the TOR, proposed time frame and work plan;
• Detailed budget of the offer (consultant(s) will cover the costs for local travel, food, accommodation, etc.);
• Composition of the evaluation team;
• CV of the member(s) of the evaluation team including references;
• An extract (3-5 pages) from reports written for similar missions;
• A cover letter with the following information: a description of how their skills, qualifications and experience are relevant to the requirements of the assignment, a list of previous evaluations that are relevant to the context and subject of this assignment, a statement confirming their availability to conduct the assignment and the budget (please indicate currency of amount), a statement confirming that the candidate has no previous involvement in the delivery of the project or any personal relationship with anyone engaged in it
• Proof of registration (business registration documents and VAT or company tax registration (If the consultant is a sole-trade (self-employed) a confirmation of the status from a certified accountant or the tax authorities is mandatory.

Submit completed bids in English to cm.procurement@nrc.no no later than 22 June, 2022

Interested bidders should please include a proposed budget broken down by costs. The bid must be in single file format.

#

Scope of service

Specification

Qty

Unit

Price per unit, USD

Total cost, USD

1

Consultancy for External Evaluation for Shelter activities of NRC Cameroon programs

Please, seeTermsofReference above

1

Service

Total

Price in quotations must be in USD, specification must comply with requested parameters. Price must include taxes (including VAT, if applicable). Proposal with different data will not be taken into account.

Evaluation Criteria

• Professional competencies, expertise and qualification for the tasks described above (30%),

• Professional references on the successful completion of similar works (20%),

• Technical quality of bid package- completeness and alignment with TOR in terms of methodology (20%),

• Evidence of previous relevant experience- copies of reports for similar consultancies (10%)

• Technical quality (and relevance) of past work samples (10%)

• Financial offer (10%)

Prepared by:

Name:

Position:

Signature:

Date:

Stamp:

SECTION 5

BIDDING FORM

Please provide information against each requirement.

Additional rows can be inserted for all questions as necessary. If there is insufficient space to complete your answer in the space provided, please include on a separate attachment with a reference to the question.

1. Bidder’s general business details
2. General information

Company name:

Any other trading names of company:

Registered name of company (if different):

Nature of primary business/trade:

Primary contact name:

Job title:

Phone:

Email:

Registered Address:

Business licence number:

Country of registration

Registration date:

Expiry date:

Legal status of company (eg. partnership, private limited company, etc.)

1. Owners/Managers

Please fill in the below table with the full names and the year of birth of the company’s owner(s) and manager(s)*:

Full name

Year of birth

* Please note this information is necessary in order to conduct the vetting procedure referred to in clause 25 of the Invitation to Bid-General Terms and Conditions.

1. Employees

Please list the employees who would be involved with NRC in the event of contract award:

Employee name

Job title

Role on NRC project

Phone

Email

1.

2.

3.

…

1. Company bank account details:

Beneficiary name:

Beneficiary account no.:

Beneficiary Bank:

Bank branch:

SWIFT:

IBAN:

Bank address:

1. References

Please provide details of at least 3 client references whom NRC may contact, preferably from NGOs and UN agencies, for similar related works:

Client/company name

Contact person

Phone

Email

Contract details ( location, size, value, etc)

1.

2.

3.

…

1. Bid Validity

Please confirm the validity of your bid below (in calendar days):

1. Confirmation of Bidder’s compliance

We, the Bidder, hereby certify that our tender is a genuine offer and intended to be competitive and we confirm we are eligible to participate in public procurement and meet the eligibility criteria specified in the Invitation to Bid. We confirm that the prices quoted are fixed and firm for the duration of the validity period and will not be subject to revision or variation.

The following documents are included in our Bid: (please indicate which documents are included by ticking the boxes below).

Documents

included

Section 4: Technical Description of the Bid (TOR) / Pricing proposal; completed, signed and stamped

☐

Section 5: Bidding form; completed, signed and stamped

☐

Section 6: Service Provision Schedule; completed, signed and stamped

☐

Section 7: Company Profile and Previous Experience; completed, signed and stamped, including publicly available works or studies commissioned earlier.

☐

Section 8: Supplier’s ethical standards declaration; completed, signed and stamped

☐

Certificate of Registration/ Incorporation

☐

Tax registration certificate

☐

Financial Offer (Excel) detailing the budget (in USD)

☐

Technical proposal and an outline of the research framework and methods, including comments on the TOR, proposed timeframe and work-plan

☐

CVs, references for previous relevant work, and an extract (3-5 pages) from past research projects

☐

We understand that NRC is not bound to accept the lowest, or indeed any bid, received.

We agree that NRC may verify the information provided in this form itself or through a third party as it may deem necessary.

We confirm that NRC may in its consideration of our offer, and subsequently, rely on the statements made herein.

Name of Signatory:

Tel N°:

Title of Signatory:

Name of Company:

Signature & stamp:

Date of Signing:

Address:

SECTION 6

Consultancy Provision Schedule

Consultancy Schedule:

Attach the Service schedule here:

Schedule to include:

1. 1. 1. 1. Detailed list of consultancy to be completed in reference to Consultancy Description 2. Duration of each of the activities and completion date.

Table for breakdown of service provision

Activity

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Manpower:

In addition, provide a list of the manpower involved in the activities on site with an estimate of the total man-hours completed by each of the skills. Format to follow the below simple format:

#

Proposed Personnel/Manpower

# of workers allocated to the Consultancy Service

1

2

3

…

NOTE: The manpower list and service provision schedule shouldn’t be limited to this Form.

A comprehensive list has to be submitted adapting the Form as necessary.

SECTION 7

CONSULTANT PROFILE AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

The Bidder is requested to:

1. Submit the CONSULTANCY Profile
2. Complete the following Previous Experience Table listing the work or contracts undertaken in the past 5 years similar to the services required under this contract
3. Submit evidences of previous experience in form of Contracts, Completion Certificates, etc.

#

Name of Project

Total value of the Consultancy activity performed

Duration of the contract

Starting date

Ending date

Contracting Authority and Place

1

2

3

4

…

NOTE: The list shouldn’t be limited to this Form in regards to the number of works reported. A comprehensive list of the last 5 years’ experience has to be submitted adapting the Form to the necessary rows.

NRC may conduct reference checks for previous contracts completed

SECTION 8

SUPPLIER’S ETHICAL STANDARDS DECLARATION

NRC as a humanitarian organization expects its suppliers and contractors to have high ethical standards. Any organization supplying goods to NRC valued at over 10,000 USD (or equivalent) in one year must sign this declaration. This declaration will be kept on file for a period of 10 years and should be updated every year or more often as appropriate.

NRC staff may perform spot checks to verify that these standards are adhered to. Should NRC deem that the supplier fails to meet, or is not taking appropriate steps to meet, these standards, any and all contracts and agreements with NRC may be terminated.

Anyone doing business with Norwegian Refugee Council shall as a minimum;

1. Comply with all laws and regulations in effect in the country or countries of business;
2. Meet the ethical standards as listed below; or
3. Positively agree to the standards and be willing to implement changes in their organization.
4. Anti-corruption and suppliers compliance with laws and regulations:
   1. The supplier confirms that it is not involved in any form of corruption.
   2. Where any potential conflict of interest exists between the supplier or any of the supplier’s staff members with any NRC staff member, the supplier shall notify NRC in writing of the potential conflict. NRC shall then determine whether action is required. A conflict of interest can be due to a relationship with a staff member such as close family etc.
   3. The supplier will immediately notify senior NRC management if exposed for alleged corruption by representatives of NRC.
   4. The supplier shall be registered with the relevant government authority with regard to taxation.
   5. The supplier shall pay taxes according to all applicable national laws and regulations.
   6. The supplier warrants that it is not involved in the production or sale of any weapons including anti-personnel mines.
5. Conditions related to the employees:
   1. No workers in our company will be forced, bonded or involuntary prison workers.
   2. Workers shall not be required to lodge “deposits” or identity papers with their employer and shall be free to leave their employer after reasonable notice.
   3. Workers, without distinction, shall have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively.
   4. Persons under the age of 18 shall not be engaged in work which is hazardous to their health or safety, including night work.
   5. Employers of persons under the age of 18 must ensure that the working hours and nature of the work does not interfere with the child’s opportunity to complete his/ her education.
   6. There shall be no discrimination at the work place based on ethnic background, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation.
   7. Measures shall be established to protect workers from sexually intrusive, threatening, insulting or exploitative behaviour, and from discrimination or termination of employment on unjustifiable grounds, e.g. marriage, pregnancy, parenthood or HIV status.
   8. Physical abuse or punishment, or threats of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse, as well as other forms of intimidation, shall be prohibited.
   9. Steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in, the course of work, by minimizing, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment.
   10. Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week shall meet, at a minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. Wages should always be enough to meet basic needs.
   11. Working hours shall comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, whichever affords greater protection. It is recommended that working hours do not exceed 48 hours per week (8 hours per day).
   12. Workers shall be provided with at least one day off for every 7 day period.
   13. All workers are entitled to a contract of employment that shall be written in a language they understand.
   14. Workers shall receive regular and documented health and safety training, and such training shall be repeated for new workers.
   15. Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided.
   16. Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe and adequately ventilated, and shall have access to clean toilet facilities and potable water.
   17. No Deductions from wages shall be made as a disciplinary measure.
6. Environmental conditions:
   1. Production and extraction of raw materials for production shall not contribute to the destruction of the resources and income base for marginalized populations, such as in claiming large land areas or other natural resources on which these populations are dependent.
   2. Environmental measures shall be taken into consideration throughout the production and distribution chain ranging from the production of raw material to the consumer sale. Local, regional and global environmental aspects shall be considered. The local environment at the production site shall not be exploited or degraded by pollution.
   3. National and international environmental legislation and regulations shall be respected.
   4. Hazardous chemicals and other substances shall be carefully managed in accordance with documented safety procedures.

We, the undersigned verify that we are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and meet the ethical standards as listed above, or positively agree to these ethical standards and are willing to implement necessary changes in the organization.

DATE: _________________

NAME OF CONSULTANT: ­­­­­­­­­_____________________________________________

SIGNATURE: _____________________________________________

COMPANY STAMP (IF APPLICABLE): _____________________________________________