Request for Proposals: Humanitarian Needs and Vulnerability Assessment in Frontline Regions

The request for consultancy proposals is presented by the Danish Red Cross on behalf of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society who are commissioning the assessment.

Background

The request for proposals for undertaking a comprehensive needs and vulnerability assessment (the Assessment) is commissioned by the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) with support from the Danish Red Cross (DRC), German Red Cross (GRC) and the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement (RCRC Movement) partners in general in Ukraine.

Since February 24th 2022, URCS has significantly scaled up its humanitarian response activities in all regions of Ukraine. The response has covered all sectors in providing essential humanitarian assistance to help people meet their basic needs. URCS Emergency Response Teams have worked around the clock responding to crisis situation including remote strikes, humanitarian relief assistance and cash and voucher-based assistance been provided to meet acute needs for food and water, hygiene and safe and warm shelters. URCS have significantly scaled up its delivery of basic and focused psychosocial support nationwide and have complemented the existing health care system through Mobile Health Units (MHUs) and home-based care (HBC) services. A comprehensive winterization package was delivered across the country in 2022 and is ongoing for the current winter to ensure that communities are able to stay in safe, warm and dignified shelters over the coming winter period.

Since April 2023, URCS – with support from DRC and GRC – URCS have been delivering a targeted humanitarian response aimed at reaching the most vulnerable people and closing gaps in the humanitarian response in remote and rural areas in the frontline regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzha and Mykolaiv. This has included establishing Humanitarian Outreach Teams to conduct rapid needs assessments, establishing strengthen referral and linkage mechanisms, delivering short-term relief assistance and providing basic and focused psychosocial support assistance.

Purpose and objectives

The overall purpose of the assessment is to provide relevant findings, insights and recommendations for DRC, URCS and RCRC Movement partners informing and providing direction for the humanitarian operation in remote and rural areas currently being undertaken in the frontline regions of Ukraine. This should include considerations for expanding and scaling up the assistance in new areas.

The Needs Assessment is commissioned at a time where URCS and RCRC Movement partners are continuously responding to urgent needs arising from the damages to civilian infrastructure and to address humanitarian needs in all conflict-affected regions of Ukraine.

At the same time, URCS and RCRC Movement partners are working to ensure that our humanitarian response for the coming months and year is based on a solid analysis of the existing humanitarian situation in the hardest affected areas and addresses the need of the most vulnerable people.

The assessments has three key objectives:

1. Produce a comprehensive analysis of the existing humanitarian needs in remote and rural areas (including along the frontline) in Kharkiv and Donetsk and assess the current gaps and key challenges in the local humanitarian response and the role that URCS can play in addressing these
2. Conduct a specific vulnerability analysis focused on assessing which types of population groups and households that face specific challenges in meeting basic needs in remote and rural areas in the five regions and how URCS and partners can best adapt to meet their needs
3. Conduct a technical assessment of the ongoing needs assessment and referral and linkage system currently being implemented by URCS and partners in Kherson, Zaporizhzha and Mykolaiv and with findings from the vulnerability analysis provide actionable recommendations for improving the system

Scope and assessment approach

Geographical delimitation

The assessment will focus on the humanitarian situation and response in frontline regions being Zaporizhzha, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk.

The comprehensive needs assessment in remote and rural areas (objective 1) will focus on Kharkiv and Donetsk, where URCS and partners are looking to scale up the presence and support to strengthening the local humanitarian response.

The vulnerability analysis focusing on identifying specific groups and types of households that are living in situations of severe vulnerability in remote and rural areas will be conducted across all five targeted regions.

The technical assessment of the existing system for conducting rapid needs assessment and establishing referrals and linkages for humanitarian assistance in remote and rural areas will be conducted in Kherson, Zaporizhzha and Mykolaiv.

Priority sectors

The comprehensive needs assessment in rural and remote areas in Donetsk and Luhansk will focus on areas where URCS and partners have extensive experience over several years and in the current conflict situation with responding effectively to humanitarian needs. The comprehensive needs assessment in rural and remote areas in Donetsk and Kharkiv will focus on areas where URCS and partners have extensive experience over several years and in the current conflict situation with responding effectively to humanitarian needs. These are:

• Assistance to ensure affected people are able to meet their basic needs through delivery of targeted and effective humanitarian assistance including cash and voucher-based assistance and distribution of essential relief items
• Assistance to ensure (re-)establishment of services and activities, ranging from evacuations, first aid, PFA, re-establishment of essential services (like banking, internet, postal, access to government services).
• Specifically under protection, the provision of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services and activities aimed at reducing the negative impact and long-term consequences of the conflict on the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of people in Ukraine
• Emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) to ensure that people have access to clean water, access to sanitation materials and facilities and are supported to ensure that safe hygiene practices are established

Research questions

The consultant(s) are expected to deliver the analyses needed to achieve the three objectives stated above through answering the following research questions. The questions are intended as a starting point for the discussion between the selected consultant(s) and the RCRC Movement Assessment Team and the final questions and assessment matrix will be developed in the inception phase.

1. What are – broadly – the most urgent unmet humanitarian needs in remote and rural areas and in frontline areas in the target regions in Donetsk and Kharkiv?
2. Within the identified priority sectors in remote and rural areas in Kharkiv and Donetsk, what are the most critical unmet humanitarian needs in the short-term and long-term and how can URCS best scale-up its support to addressing these?
3. To what extent are local markets able to function in the remote and rural and frontline areas Kharkiv and Donetsk and what are the implications for humanitarian response by URCS and partners?
4. Which actors are currently responding in the most affected rural and remote areas in Kharkiv and Donetsk and what, if any, are the most critical gaps in the local humanitarian response system in these areas? How can URCS best contribute to meeting the identified gaps?
5. How is the conflict affecting the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of people living in remote and rural areas in Kharkiv and Donetsk and to what extent are the current MHPSS actors and organizations in the areas able to provide the necessary assistance to the communities and where are the gaps?
6. What are the specifically vulnerable groups and households in remote and rural regions in the five targeted frontline regions including any which might currently not be covered in vulnerability assessments in remote and rural areas? What are the specifically vulnerable groups and households in remote and rural regions in the five targeted frontline regions including any which might currently be uncovered in vulnerability assessments in remote and rural areas?
7. Based on the vulnerability analysis, how can URCS strengthen their approach and ability to identify the most vulnerable groups in remote and rural areas in the target regions?

Methodology

The consultant(s) are expected to complete the assessment task using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods and approaches to triangulate the available existing data and produce new primary data and insights in answering the 7 research questions posed above.

The consultant(s) will be requested to conduct extensive Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with relevant staff and organizations involved in the humanitarian response and coordination in the targeted areas of the assessment. These should include, but not be limited to, the following: URCS regional organizations and local branches in the areas, relevant regional and local authorities present in the area and involved in the coordination of humanitarian assistance, key international humanitarian organizations with a specific focus on coordination actors, relevant local humanitarian organizations present in the areas.

Review, analysis and consolidation of existing secondary data will play a central role in the assessment due to the proliferation of humanitarian actors and analyses already conducted and underway in Ukraine. The consultant(s) are expected to independently be able to source and analyse the existing relevant data and information on the humanitarian situation including needs and gaps. URCS and partners will share all relevant material for ongoing activities and response operations in the areas targeted by the assessment.

Tentatively, a concurrent household survey will be conducted by URCS and partners in in Kharkiv and Donetsk using remote phone interviews using the existing database of people supported by the URCS and RCRC Movement partners in the area. As relevant, the consultants will be requested to collaborate with URCS and partners to ensure that the primary data collection is complementary to and adds value to the consultancy-led needs assessment.

Roles & responsibilities

The assessment will be managed through an Assessment Steering Committee consisting of the Deputy Director of URCS (Operations) and the Country Representatives of the Danish Red Cross (DRC), German Red Cross (GRC). The Steering Committee will set the overall direction of the assessment in the initial phase and provide quality assurance and input to the draft version of the assessment report.

The consultant(s) will be supported by an RCRC Movement Assessment Team consisting of the DRC ECHO Project Manager, URCS ECHO Project Manager, URCS PMER Manager, DRC Head of Partnership & Analysis and the GRC MEAL Delegate who will be the main focal points for the consultant on the day-to-day management of the assessment. The consultant(s) will be supported by an RCRC Movement Assessment Team consisting of the DRC ECHO Project Manager, GRC ECHO Project Manager, URCS ECHO Project Manager, URCS PMER Manager, DRC Head of Partnership & Analysis and the GRC MEAL Delegate who will be the main focal points for the consultant on the day-to-day management of the assessment.

A dedicated team of RCRC Movement Technical Experts will be involved and engaged throughout the assessment which could include the GRC CVA Delegate, URCS CVA Specialist, DRC Relief Delegate, URCS Relief Specialist, LuxRC Shelter Delegate, URCS Shelter Specialist, Spanish RC Livelihoods Delegate, URCS Livelihoods Specialist, DRC MHPSS Delegate and URCS MHPSS Specialist.

Deliverables & schedule

The assessment is expected to be conducted during January with the proposed schedule below. The concrete dates and specific sub-deliverables will be developed in consultation between the selected consultant(s) and the Assessment Team.

• Monday December 4th: Start of Consultancy
• Monday December 11th: Inception Report completed
• December 8th to January 30th: Data Collection & Report Writing
• February 3rd: First draft of final report
• February 7th: Comments on first draft of final report
• February 12th: Completed Final Report

Skills and qualifications

The consultant(s) are expected to demonstrate significant experience with undertaking comprehensive humanitarian needs assessments in contexts of armed conflict and preferably with experience conducting similar exercises in Ukraine since the conflict escalation of February 24th 2022. Experience conducting applied research and/or assessments in Ukraine is required and consultant(s) are expected to include team members that are fluent in Ukrainian and Russian.

Consultant(s) are expected to have experience conducting applied research and/or assessment within the priority sectors outlined in this Terms of Reference with preference for consultants with experience within the sector in Ukraine or similar contexts.

It is a requirement that the consultant(s) can deliver on the assessment report within the time frame and schedule described above and priority will be given to proposals with higher degree of feasibility and sufficient resources engaged to deliver within the time frame.

Preference is given to consultant(s) that have presence on the ground in Ukraine or are able to have presence on the ground for the undertaking of the needs assessment from December 2023 to February 2024.

Budget

There is no pre-defined budget for the assessment exercises and consultant(s) are requested to submit a proposal ensuring that the time frame and schedule is kept while maintaining a high level of quality in the assessment data collection, analysis and compilation of recommendations.

Indicatively, we expect that consultant(s) submit budgets somewhere between 15.000 and 25.000 CHF.