Consultancy on Building the evidence base on good interventions that address social, political, and economic barriers to durable solutions At Danish Refugee Council

1. Who is the Danish Refugee Council?

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

2. Introduction

There are more than 5 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the East, Horn, and Great Lakes regions of Africa. While movement from one location to another in response to a displacing event does not itself constitute a displacement-related vulnerability for displaced populations; the loss incurred from these events and the gap between the resources they find in the locations they move into and the opportunity and ability to meet their essential needs does. In this sense, displacement-related vulnerability is understood as the material and social impoverishment caused by a displacing event (e.g. conflict, persecution, drought, or floods) and which the displaced person cannot overcome with their existing economic and social resources and therefore seeks support from external sources to address the impoverishment.

This material and social impoverishment is in part caused and/or sustained by certain adverse social, political, and economic factors. These factors mixed with ecological factors such as droughts and floods exacerbate DAC vulnerability and increase the risks of protracted displacement. The adverse social factors include the marginalization of DACs in and by their communities. DACs in this situation find themselves at the edges of society with a limited voice to influence the decisions concerning their lives. Adverse political factors include those incentives that lead to policy and programming choices made by power or resource holders that tend to keep DACs in situations of precarity for the benefit of the former and at the expense of the latter. Finally, adverse economic factors refer to the gap between the ability of DACs to meet their essential needs and the opportunities available for them to do so. It is often characterized by limited resources in spaces where DACs reside that are continuously eroded by climate change, conflict, and/or sustained systemic marginalization. These factors independently or jointly limit the opportunity and the social, political, and/or economic ability of DACs to meet their essential needs sustainably and with dignity.

Purely technical interventions to support DACs to progressively reduce their displacement-related vulnerability and restore access to their rights are unlikely to yield sustainable integration. This is because these interventions interact with and are influenced by the complex adverse social, political, and economic contextual forces that hinder the incremental progress that DACs can make toward

durable solutions thereby limiting their scope of enacting their agency and regaining self-sufficiency. Therefore, the viability of durable solutions outcomes relies on interventions that properly account for the adverse impact that these contextual factors have on them and that formulate strategies to mitigate such impacts.

Therefore, for state and non-state actors to better support DACs to achieve a durable solution, they will need to address these adverse factors that create barriers for DACs in the path towards achieving solutions to their displacement. This requires an understanding of the good approaches that exist in the region and a commitment to adapting current or future interventions to include lessons from these approaches. The Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat proposes to invest in a process that will identify good practices for overcoming social, political, and economic barriers in the pathway toward solutions and support the translation of this knowledge into practice for ReDSS Coalition members and collaborators in the East, Horn, and Great Lakes regions of Africa.

The notion of a “good practice” is subjective and will need to be conceptualized as part of this work. An initial list of potential criteria is set out below:

a) Criteria – Relevance

Description – The proposed practice addresses either political, economic or social barriers to durable solutions for refugees, IDPs and other DACs in the East, Horn and Great Lakes Region of Africa or similar context. Ideally, it should be a current or recent practice to confirm relevance to the current context, but it may be worthwhile identifying older practices if they demonstrate strong promise.

b) Criteria – Effectiveness

Description – The proposed practice is producing the desired results, that are measurable and verifiable.

c) Criteria – Efficiency

Description – The proposed practice is producing results with reasonable resources and time.

d) Criteria – Contextual relevance

Description – The proposed practice has been designed to respond to political, economic, and social barriers in contexts of emergency, protracted displacement and cyclical displacement.

e) Criteria – Transferability

Description – The proposed practice should be generalizable and applicable to other locations and conditions in the East, Horn and Great Lakes regions, or have the potential to be scaled up to a broader target population or geographic context. It must also be technically feasible to apply elsewhere by being easy to learn and implement.

f) Criteria – Meaningful participation of communities

Description – The proposed practice engages the local communities to understand their capacity to respond to the barrier and develop a co-designed intervention that supports a joint sense of ownership of decisions and actions.

g) Criteria – Equity and inclusion

Description – The proposed practice addresses the needs of underprivileged sections (marginalized clan groups, women, etc) of the population when allocating resources and identifies and reduces inequalities.

h) Criteria – Coherence

Description – The proposed practice involves satisfactory collaboration between several stakeholders and is compatible with other interventions in the location in which it is implemented.

i) Criteria – Political commitment/ governance framework

Description – The proposed practice has the support from the relevant national and local authorities where these exist and/or supports/ is supported by a framework in which local decision-making is inclusive, transparent, and accountable.

j) Criteria – Sustainability

Description – The proposed practice is implementable over a long period with the use of existing resources, adapting to social, economic, and environmental requirements of the context in which it is developed.

3. Purpose of the work

The purpose of this work is to support ReDSS to collect, collate, analyze and disseminate case studies of useful and practical interventions implemented in East, Horn, and Great Lakes Regions of Africa that have:

• Promoted meaningful participation of refugees, IDPs, and their hosting communities (DACs) in decision-making processes that affect their lives: Meaningful participation here means that DACs are present [direct or represented] in the forums where decisions are being made, understand the decisions that are being discussed/debated and can articulate their contributions, understand how their contribution influenced the outcome of the decision-making process, understand the level of compliance of agreed upon actions and reasons behind deviations where these occur. In other words, there is a degree to which DACs can control the behavior of duty-bearers – state or non-state.
• Overcome negative political incentives that inform action by duty bearers that are antithetic to refugees’ and IDPs’ progress toward self-sufficiency: negative political incentives here mean the motivations by duty bearers and other power holders to keep DACs in conditions of dependence because these duty bearers and power holders have something to politically or economically gain from this dependency)
• Contributed to reducing the gap between the economies and resources available for DACs to sustainably meet their essential needs with dignity and their physical, social, and economic ability to do so: this element focuses on growing macro-level economic resources that enable DACs to apply their skills and knowledge to earn a living and become self-sufficient.

4. Objectives

1. To produce the first iteration of a case book that identifies and describes case studies of useful and practical interventions carried out by state and non-state actors in the East, Horn, and Great Lakes regions of Africa that address the social, political and economic barriers to durable solutions; and
2. To promote the uptake of the findings of the case studies among ReDSS Coalition members and partners including DACs groups and networks.

5. Scope of work and methodology

The scope of the work is primarily qualitative, will rely on secondary data, and cover interventions in countries within the East, Horn, and Great Lakes regions of Africa. The qualitative aspects of the work include the identification and description of good interventions implemented by state and non-state actors in the aforementioned regions that address social, economic and political barriers. This will be delivered through case studies detailing relevant interventions implemented in the region. The work will be conducted within 80 days from November 2024 to January 2025. The examples of the good practices will be based on a sample of case studies from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda as guided by the criteria and purpose of work listed above. The primary audience of this work are ReDSS Coalition members and DAC groups and networks. ReDSS is keen to document good practice of addressing each of the barriers in contexts of emergency (e.g. active conflict or disaster response), protracted displacement and cyclical displacement. We invite the bidders to propose locations that fit each of the contexts that they can research on that will be cost and time efficient.

6. Deliverables

The overall deliverables for this research work include: 1 case book synthesis report comprised of 3 specific reports of good interventions that address each barrier i.e. social, political, and economic barriers that hinder DACs from accessing opportunities and exercising their ability to meet essential needs sustainably and with dignity in contexts of emergency, protracted displacement and cyclical displacement and 1 training/sensitization workshop targeting 30 ReDSS Coalition members to support the uptake of the findings documented in the case book. These are broken down as described below:

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

Phase 1

Indicative description tasks – Inception

Expected deliverables – Develop and present a methodology and analytical framework for the analysis.

• PowerPoint presentation.
• Detailed work plan.
• List for interviewees for the study

Maximum expected timeframe – 14 days

Phase 2

Indicative description tasks – KII with stakeholders and content analysis

Expected deliverables – Conduct Key informant interviews and consultations with a wide range of stakeholders at the national and local levels in research locations.

Summary notes from of key informants’ interviews.

Maximum expected timeframe – 45 days

Phase 3

Indicative description tasks – Final report

Expected deliverables – Final report and executive summary based on feedback and recommendations from the operational workshops published.

Final report and PowerPoint presentation

Maximum expected timeframe – 13 days

Phase 4

Indicative description tasks – Dissemination and Uptake

Expected deliverables

• Develop an uptake and dissemination plan
• Conduct validation and uptake workshops with identified stakeholders
• Uptake and dissemination of report

Maximum expected timeframe – 2 days

7. Management and timeframe

The consultant will report to the ReDSS Regional Director and will be guided by a technical committee composed of ReDSS members and key stakeholders. The consultancy will be conducted within a period of 90 days from November 2024 and February 2025.

8. Duration, timeline, and payment

The total expected duration to complete the assignment will be no more than six months from the time of contracting.The consultancy firm shall be paid the agreed consultancy fee upon completion of the deliverables listed above. The consultancy fee will be paid in instalments that will be detailed in the contract. the amounts will include reimbursement for other agreed expenses related to the delivery of the consultancy upon submission of the receipts.

9. Proposed Composition of Team

The applicant is expected to demonstrate team qualification to carry out the study by providing the CVs of the team that will carry out the study.

• Senior Researchers
• Research quality control
• Others as needed for the work.

ReDSS is seeking to engage a group of consultants to undertake this work within a period of 80 days. Given the scope of the work, ReDSS would require a team that can produce a report on each of the barriers concurrently to ensure that the final synthesis report and the training session will be delivered within 80 days. ReDSS is looking for a team of consultants that have the following requirements:

Deliverable

Social barriers deliverable

Requirements

• Master’s degree in international relations, development, political science, or economics
• Minimum 5 years’ proven experience in conducting similar analyses in East and Horn of Africa contexts
• Strong knowledge of the region and the socio-economic and political dynamics affecting it; more specifically on displacement trends within the Horn of Africa region
• Strong analytical and writing skills with proven experience in producing high-quality research with ability to present complex information in a simple and accessible manner
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Deliverable

Political barriers deliverable

Requirement

• Master’s degree in international relations, political science or a related academic qualification
• Minimum 5 years’ proven experience in conducting similar analyses in East and Horn of Africa contexts
• Strong knowledge of the region and the socio-economic and political dynamics affecting it; more specifically on displacement trends within the Horn of Africa region
• Strong analytical and writing skills with proven experience in producing high-quality research with ability to present complex information in a simple and accessible manner
• Fluency in written and spoken English

Deliverable

Economic barriers

Requirement

• Master’s degree in economics, international development, or a related academic qualification
• Minimum 5 years’ proven experience in conducting similar analyses in East and Horn of Africa contexts
• Strong knowledge of the region and the socio-economic and political dynamics affecting it; more specifically on displacement trends within the Horn of Africa region
• Strong analytical and writing skills with proven experience in producing high-quality research with ability to present complex information in a simple and accessible manner
• Fluency in written and spoken English

10. Technical supervision

The selected consultant will work under the supervision of the ReDSS Regional unit.

11. Location and support

The geographical coverage of study will be East Africa region. The Consultants will provide her/his own computer and mobile telephone and may be required to get access authorisation as needed to displacement affected persons.

12. Travel

Any travel required for this study will be discussed with the consultants and facilitated by DRC with prior planning or by the consultant for reimbursement after approval by DRC.

13. Submission process

Interested applicants who meet the required profile are invited to submit an expression of interest including:

1) Technical proposal: (not exceeding 6 pages, excluding annexes) that summarizes understanding of the TOR, methodology, and proposed budget which includes

• Understanding of the assignment;
• Proposed approach/methodology;
• Proposed workplan;
• Proposed team structure and team profiles; and
• The following annexes are required:

1. CV of participating consultant(s) with details of qualifications and experience
2. A minimum of three (3) relevant references of three organizations that have recently contracted the applicant to carry out similar assignment within the last five years.
3. Valid legal documents from the country in which the consultant is registered (business license, PIN certificate, and or VAT certificate)

2) Financial proposal: with budget providing cost estimates (including both administrative and professional fees)

3) Contacts of three organizations that have recently contracted the applicant to carry out similar assignment

14. Data protection and confidentiality

While executing this assignment, the consultant and all the parties involved shall ensure effective protection of confidential and sensitive data and information in conformity with the humanitarian and protection principles and to applicable legal data protection standards[1]. All data collection and processing activities shall be executed in accordance with the following principles:

• Safeguarding individuals’ personal data is a crucial part of humanitarian mission to protect the lives, integrity and dignity of beneficiaries and participants and is fundamental in the provision of protection response and humanitarian aid.
• People-centred and inclusive: Evaluation activities will respect the interests and well-being of the population and stakeholders, in all relevant phases of the evaluation and which activities must be sensitive to age, gender, and other issues of diversity.
• Do No Harm: Evaluation activities must include a risk assessment and take steps, if necessary, to mitigate identified risks. The risk assessment must look at negative consequences that may result from data collection and subsequent actions.
• Defined purpose and proportionality: The purpose must be clearly defined and explained to the participants in the data collection process.
• Informed consent and confidentiality: Personal information may be collected only after informed consent has been provided by the individual in question and that individual must be aware of the purpose of the collection. Further, confidentiality must be clearly explained to the individual before the information may be collected. Consent must be genuine, based on the data subject’s voluntary and informed decision.
• Data protection and security: The evaluation process must adhere to international standards of data protection and data security.

Additional information

For additional information regarding these terms of reference, please send your questions to Regional Supply Chain Manager: procurement.RO01@drc.ngo

Please find complete bidding documents in the following link: RFP-RO01-003371 – Building the Evidence Base on Good Interventions Consultancy