Needs Identification and Partner Scoping in India

The Danish Refugee Council’s Asia Regional Office based in Dhaka seeks proposals for a consultant. The purpose of this consultancy is two-fold to:

1. Assess the capacity of implementing partners in India for further consideration based on agreed criteria provided by DRC; and,
2. Conduct a Rapid Protection Needs Assessment (RPNA) in Manipur and Mizoram, focusing on the needs of Chin population, and other locations in India with higher concentrations of Rohingya and Afghans.

DRC does not intend to register as an operational NGO in India but envisions to work with vetted and assessed partners who already have existing access and programming in India, as well as experience working with the target populations. Therefore, DRC require strategic partners who have the capacity and willingness to work with DRC on improving the protection environment for displacement-affected populations, with particular focus on Chin, Rohingya and Afghan populations and their host communities. In addition to identifying partners, the consultant will also conduct a rapid protection assessment (preferably with partners on the ground) to enable DRC and its (potential) partners to design an evidence-informed protection programme.

Since the humanitarian situation in Myanmar has deteriorated throughout 2021 and 2022, more than 41,000 (UNHCR, India factsheet, June 2022, https://reporting.unhcr.org/document/2955) people have fled the Chin region of Myanmar into Northeast India, crossing the borders in Mizoram and Manipur States. These numbers are expected to increase in the coming year(s) as long as the violence in Myanmar does not subside. Along with forcibly displaced Chin people, India also hosts a number of other groups of displaced people, including Sri Lankan, Tibetan, Myanmar, and Afghans. In line with DRC’s vision “a dignified life for all displaced,” DRC aims to explore opportunities to provide protection support to displaced populations in India, with a focus on the new arrivals from Myanmar in the Northeast and smaller refugee populations from Afghanistan and Myanmar in North Central India, through and with local actors and relevant stakeholders.

To date, DRC has already undertaken an initial scoping of actors working in the Northeast and North Central regions of India; however, additional assessment data has been deemed necessary resulting in the solicitation of the activities defined within this ToR.

Objective of the Consultancy:

Through this consultancy, DRC aims to identify a minimum of two relevant partners in India to provide protection support to displaced populations in India, as well as conduct a Rapid Needs Assessment of relevant displaced communities.

DRC aims to identify partners in India based on the following criteria:

1. Access: Wide reach at the community level and good working relationships with civil society and community-based groups on the ground in NE India (with the Chin population) and in NC India (with the Rohingya and Afghan populations).
2. Operations: Capacity and scope to provide protection services to the displacement affected communities reflective of existing operational structures, processes, and policies, while additional technical support can be provided by DRC.
3. Programmes: Experience with delivering protection services, including legal empowerment, research and stakeholder engagement aimed at strengthening the protection framework for displaced people in India.

DRC will share partner selection, technical, and administrative assessment criteria with the Consultant, which will support the scoping. DRC will also provide relevant background information and share limitations related to the operational environment with the Consultant. The Consultant is not expected to conduct an in-depth vetting of the partners but will be expected to share a list of benefits and constraints, including via a SWOT analysis, for identified partners based on the shared criteria.

Rapid Protection Needs Assessment (RPNA):

The Consultant is expected to conduct an RPNA covering all three populations groups in NE and NC India, which will inform programme design. The assessment will cover the key protection issues faced by target displaced communities and their hosts, including threats, vulnerabilities, coping mechanisms and strengths of these communities through an intersectional lens. Information about demographics, such as population data, including age, gender and diversity characteristics, and geographic information about these populations will also be required. DRC will provide a template for the RPNA and will work with the Consultant to review the methodology and tools proposed by the consultant. DRC expects that the consultant identifies an experienced partner with capacity to conduct the RPNA. If needed, DRC can recommend a potential actor to support with the RPNA, particularly for the purpose of data collection. The consultant is expected to provide oversight and coordinate the data collection and process and analyse the data to produce the final RPNA report of no more than 10 pages. DRC will support the consultant by providing guiding questions, templates and reviewing data collection tools.

The consultant is expected to work closely with the Regional Protection Coordinator for the Rapid Protection Needs Assessment.

Scope of Work and Methodology:

The Consultant will be required to prepare a detailed methodology and work plan indicating how

the objectives of the project will be achieved, and the support required from DRC.

Background and orientation:

At the start of the consultancy, the Consultant will review and familiarize themselves with DRC’s initial scoping of partners and protection assessment tools.

The Consultant will be provided with a debrief on both the background of the scoping, the PRRiA project, and the needs and purpose for data collection.

PHASE I: Scoping for partners and developing a methodology for the RPNA (15 days)

During the first phase (15 days) DRC will provide the Consultant existing information collected during a previous initial remote assessment of potential partners that the Consultant will assess further, using DRC’s criteria. The Consultant is expected to produce an assessment report of the short-listed partners (5 pages maximum) by the end of Phase 1.

During this phase, the RPNA methodology proposed by the consultant will also be reviewed and finalised in collaboration with DRC.

PHASE II: Conducting the RPNA (30 days)

The RPNA will take place over 30 days through data collection in both the north-east and north-central regions of India, followed by analysis and the drafting of a report (max 10 pages). The assessment is considered rapid as it will be limited in scope and time and will have to focus on collecting data from credible sources. However, travel to the Northeast and North Central regions to collect data will be required (max of 10 working days). The consultant is expected to lead on the assessment, coordinate the data collection, analyse the data and draft the report.

Deliverables:

The Consultant will submit the following deliverables as mentioned below:

1. Detailed workplan incorporating all requirements and deliverables -1st week
2. Partner scoping/assessment Report including information relevant to the proposed criteria for each partner assessed Max 5 pages – 4th week
3. Rapid Protection Needs Assessment Report, 1st draft and access to raw data. Final Report expected by 25 November Max 10 pages – 8th week

The Consultant will provide the documentation by email.

Duration:

The consultancy will run from September 25 – November 25, 2022. This consultancy includes 45 working days over a span of two (2) months, of which not more than 10 working days is expected to be conducted either in NE or NC India.

Eligibility, Qualification and Experience Required:

Essential:

• This consultancy is only open to consultants who are currently based in India, and who have a legal work/residence right in India (relevance documents are required).

Desirable:

• Previous experience working with and/or assessing NGOs and local civil society organizations (ie. Refugee led, small, grassroots actors) in India, with a particular focus on organisations working with displacement affected populations
• Understanding of forcibly displaced communities and their context/needs in India
• Previous experience conducting rapid needs assessments in India, with a preference for experience in protection needs assessments
• Understanding of the civil society context/landscape in India
• Relevant academic background (Masters level)
• Strong communication skills (oral and written) in English
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal, communication and reporting skills.

Interested teams or consultants are expected to submit the following items in response to these terms of reference:

• Updated CV(s);
• A technical proposal (no more than 10 pages) that covers:

(i) the consultant’s suitability for the assignment, (ii) suggested process, approach and methodology, and (iii) Workplan ;

• A budget covering daily consulting fees in USD inclusive of applicable taxes (see section below on ‘proposal evaluation’ for details);
• A statement of availability for the duration of the evaluation;
• One or more work sample(s) of similar assignments; and
• Completed DRC Supplier Profile Registration Form.

Location and Travel:

The assignment will take place in India over 45 working days and will be conducted by a consultant based in India with legal right to work in India and with access to the locations mentioned in this ToR.

The consultant will be expected to engage either remotely or in person with the potential organisations to conduct the partner scoping exercise. For the needs assessment, the consultant will be required to travel to the locations to collect data and/or work with contacts on the ground who have access to the communities to gather the data (depending on the level of access the Consultant has). The consultant may propose a methodology for collecting the data, which will be reviewed by DRC, and should be in line with the Protection Information Management principles. DRC’s technical Regional Protection Coordinator, Asia, can provide support if needed. DRC prefers that the RPNA be conducted with an operational partner, currently operating in the context.

Evaluation of Bids:

Only those shortlisted will be contacted for an interview with the panel to ensure their understanding of the consultancy services.

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

The proposed offers by bidders will be evaluated using, inter alia, the following criteria, and points will be allocated in the scale from 1 to 10 for each of the criteria stipulated below, whereas the weighting is as follows:

1. Consultant qualifications (30 %)

(Documented with the filled-out Supplier Registration Form and a list of least one similar assignment executed, including sample(s), as well as CV.)

• Documented experience in conducting scoping missions (10%)
• Documented experience of conducting needs assessments (20 %)

2. Proposed services (40 %)

(Documented with the technical proposal)

• Content of the proposal suitable for and meeting the requirements (20 %)
• Proposed complimentary methodology for the assignment (20 %)

3. Interview (30 %)

(To be conducted online after the tender closing date, and only with the three bidders that score highest on the technical evaluation (point 1 and 2 from above)

• Personal interview on professional skills; based on the two points above (30 %).

All bidders must obtain an average score of at least five for the total technical scoring, in order to proceed to the financial evaluation. The financial offer will then be weighed against the technical offer.

The total cost of the financial offer should be mentioned in the DRC Bid Form (RFQ), while the breakdown of the budget should be attached separately. The budget should be broken down as described below:

A. Consultancy fees – daily and total, inclusive of VAT; in USD.

B. Technical costs – tool development, analysis, etc

C. Travel costs, if applicable (international or domestic costs incurred only upon pre approval of travel; proof must be submitted for payment and that DRC will only reimburse actual cost as per DRC’s internal guidelines)

D. Miscellaneous (e.g. visa fees, immunizations, printing – please specify in the financial proposal)