REQUEST FOR RE-ADVERTISE QUOTATION FOR THE PROVISION OF CONSULTANCY SERVICES [CONSULTANCY NOTICE-ECONOMY OF CAMPS] [RFQ/JO/CO/22/009]

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION NOTICE

REQUEST FOR RE-ADVERTISE QUOTATION FOR THE PROVISION OF CONSULTANCY SERVICES [CONSULTANCY NOTICE-ECONOMY OF CAMPS]

[RFQ/JO/CO/22/009]

After receiving an inadequate number of bids to conduct a competitive tender process, please be informed that NRC – Jordan is re-advertising the request for Quotation for the Provision of Economy of Camps Consultancy (RFQ/JO/CO/22/009) to hire a consultant (Individual consultants or registered companies) to analyse existing economic distortions and constraints that continue to limit livelihood opportunities and market outcomes in Zaatari camp and Azraq camp respectively, paying special attention to identifying the different and often intersecting causal factors that condition these distortions and constraints; and to develop short and medium-term recommendations capable of improving both livelihood opportunities and market outcomes in each camp in order to strengthen opportunities for self-reliance for camp residents that also, wherever possible, benefit the surrounding host economy and community.

Information session:

As part of the proposal development process, NRC would like to invite bidders for an online information session on Thursday 28th April 2022 at 12:00 noon for one hour on ZOOM.
All details will be in the RFQ package.

Deadline for Bids:

The deadline for submission of bids, thought email on 12^th May 2022. Failure to meet the closing date will result in the bid being rejected

Complete RFQ documents can be obtained, free of charge from the 21^st April 2022 until the deadline on the 12^th May 2022, by accessing the following link

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=tNGGP2ssGkuyrm9elQvKHujDPdqw5pxMq3BeJbtTiH9URDFMVFBKTFk5M0pWR09HOFA3MEZNMjNBQS4u

If you have any technical issues, please contact us on [email protected], considering that NRC will not share the bids via email, as all bidders must register their interest using the above-mentioned link.

1. Appendix 1 Terms of Reference

1. Consultancy assignment background

Introduction

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation that operates in more than 30 countries helping people who have been displaced and who need humanitarian support. NRC Jordan first provided emergency assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan in 2012, and our services now cover five of NRC’s global core competencies: Shelter/WASH, Education, Youth, Livelihoods, and Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA). It is one of the largest non-governmental aid providers in Jordan, providing support to over 200,000 people each year, and has a significant presence in both Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps. Improving self-reliance for vulnerable Jordanians and refugees, including Syrian refugees living in Zaatari and Azraq camps, is a key objective of NRC’s work in Jordan. NRC works closely with the Government of Jordan and relevant line Ministries to ensure our programs are aligned with national priorities and support the implementation of the Jordan Response Plan.

Zaatari camp was established in 2012 to accommodate Syrian refugees fleeing civil war and seeking protection in Jordan. Azraq camp was established two years later in 2014. The larger of the two camps, Zaatari camp is located 10km east of the Northern Jordanian city of Mafraq and currently houses almost 80,000 Syrian refugees. Azraq camp occupies a more remote location in the north-east of Jordan, and is home to just over 38,000 Syrian refugees. Both camps are under the joint administration of the Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate (SRAD) and UNHCR. As the lead agency for refugees in Jordan, UNHCR serves as the lead on Protection, Health, Shelter and Site Planning, Security, Community Mobilization, Basic Needs, and Livelihoods in both camps, and also manages Camp Coordination, which includes overall strategic and inter-camp operational coordination as well as coordination of different sector working groups. NRC has a large operational presence in both camps, and is responsible for carrying out shelter maintenance and repairs, as well as distributing relief items and cash to camp residents. NRC also engages refugees in an incentive cash for work scheme providing both skills training and income.

Background

Jordan hosts approximately 1.3 million Syrians, representing 15 percent of Jordan’s total population. Of these, 672,952 were registered with UNHCR as of 31 December 2021.[1] Approximately 80.5 percent of registered Syrian refugees live in the host community, while the remainder comprising 131,309 Syrian refugees live in camps. According to the World Bank, the conflict in Syria and Jordan’s intake of Syrian refugees have caused a reduction in annual gross GDP growth of 1.6 percentage points and a trade shock on GDP of 3.1 percentage points.[2] It has also put enormous pressure on public services such as education, healthcare and utilities, and has periodically caused political tensions amid increased competition for informal jobs in a depressed economy. The prolonged nature of Syrian displacement has exacerbated many of these challenges. The international community has agreed to share some of this burden by providing significant levels of assistance to Jordan under the Jordan Response Plan.

Both Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps bring into relief the myriad challenges associated with hosting refugees for a prolonged period of time, as well as the impact of prolonged displacement on refugee communities themselves. This year marks ten years since Zaatari camp was established, and eight years since Azraq camp first opened. Both camps were intended to provide temporary accommodation and humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees fleeing civil war in Syria. With the situation in Syria still not conducive to return, there is little to indicate any change to the status quo for either camp at least over the near to medium term.[3] Despite minimal prospects for a swift resolution to displacement for Syrian refugees, both camps continue to exude a sense of temporariness, serving as a symbolic reminder that Jordan’s intake of Syrian refugees is a burden that the international community must help shoulder, while domestically reinforcing the message that the presence of Syrian refugees in Jordan is only temporary,

In both camps, measurable improvements have been made in service delivery and the assistance provided to camp residents since each was established. However, there has been little change in the policy frameworks and regulatory environment used to manage both camps and the operational modalities supporting camp operations. In particular, opportunities for income generation and economic self-sufficiency for refugees remain severely limited. Employment outside of the camp is regulated by work permits and influenced by several other factors such as the remote location of the camps and lack of transport options, current limitations on formal employment for non-Jordanians, and the scarcity of decent work opportunities amid growing informality. Opportunities to generate income within the camp are essentially confined to Incentive Based Volunteer (IBV) programs and employment in camp markets, though the latter are limited in size and diversity, face a challenging regulatory environment, and are hostage to the limited spending power of camp residents themselves. Essentially, camp markets have thus far lacked the capacity to generate employment for large numbers of refugees. As a result, a majority of camp residents remain at least partially dependent on aid, which in turn creates potential market distortions and could act as a disincentive to economic participation. Thus far, efforts to improve economic opportunities and outcomes for camp residents have in part been hindered by a focus on maximizing livelihood opportunities within the camps existing administrative and regulatory frameworks, rather than seeking to eliminate or reduce existing barriers to economic activity and livelihood opportunities associated with these same frameworks. Similarly, little attention has been given to exploring the potential socio-economic benefits of more robust economic linkages between the camps and surrounding local economies especially for adjacent host communities.

2. Objectives and scope of work

Objectives

The objective of this assignment is a) to analyse existing economic distortions and constraints that continue to limit livelihood opportunities and market outcomes in Zaatari camp and Azraq camp respectively, paying special attention to identifying the different and often intersecting causal factors that condition these distortions and constraints; and b) to develop short and medium-term recommendations capable of improving both livelihood opportunities and market outcomes in each camp in order to strengthen opportunities for self-reliance for camp residents that also, wherever possible, benefit the surrounding host economy and community.

Scope of work

This assignment is the first of two planned NRC studies supported by UNHCR in 2022 that will assess innovative yet pragmatic reforms capable of measurably improving opportunities for self-reliance anaccess to durable solutions for residents of both Zaatari and Azraq camps. This first study will comprise four work streams as follows: a) an analysis of existing economic distortions and constraints limiting economic activity and livelihood opportunities in Zaatari camp and Azraq camp; b) an analysis of the different strategies used by camp residents to improve their economic situation in the camps, as well as strategies camp-based businesses use to mitigate economic challenges such as limitations on trade and commerce or to manage weak cash flows in the camp; c) development of an analytical framework or economic model for each camp explaining how the camp economy works; and d) the development of well-reasoned short-term and medium-term recommendations capable of improving livelihood opportunities and market outcomes in each camp in part informed by a strong understanding of surrounding local economy dynamics.

All field-work materials, such as survey questions and sampling frameworks, will be developed by the consultant and then reviewed by NRC and UNHCR. Deliverables will be drafted in English, while both analysis and recommendations should be tailored to reflect the specifics of each camp. The assignment is estimated to require approximately 55 working days spread over a period of four months to be completed by end of July 2022

Major tasks and responsibilities

The main tasks and responsibilities of the assignment are as follows:

1. Identify and analyse existing market dynamics in Zaatari camp and Azraq camp**

This work stream will facilitate a clearer understanding of how the camp economy works in Zaatari camp and Azraq camp respectively. Particular attention will be paid to analysing the main causal factors that limit and/or distort economic activity inside each camp, and between each camp and their surrounding host economy, as well as how these economic distortions are manifested on the ground. The analysis should cover existing formal and informal economic arrangements both within camp and with the surrounding host economy. When identifying causal factors responsible for economic distortions and constraints, consideration should be given, but not be limited, to:

Ø Regulatory and administrative factors: such as existing camp regulations and (formal and informal) economic practices impeding or facilitating trade, livelihood opportunities and market size in both camps (e.g., licencing, import/export restrictions, lack of taxes); the impact of relevant government policies (e.g., restrictions on movement/need for permits, limitations on formal work outside the camps)

Ø Physical factors: such as the impact of camp isolation on transport, cost of goods, terms of trade, and camp market size.

Ø Humanitarian assistance: such as the impact of aid (push and pull factors) and humanitarian programs on refugee decision-making such as decisions related to employment and economic participation, refugee consumption and spending patterns, as well as their impact on camp demographics more broadly.

Ø Access to finance: such as lack of access to banking services, microfinance or microcredit and impact on entrepreneurship/self-employment

Ø Infrastructure constraints: such as limited access to utilities and existing infrastructure shortfalls that create barriers to economic activity

Ø Access to external markets: such as limitations on business opportunities within the camp; reliance on surrounding markets for consumption and livelihoods

1. Identify existing strategies camp residents use to improve their economic situation

This work stream will facilitate understanding of the main strategies used by a) camp residents to manage and/or improve their economic situation in the camps, such as consumption patterns and negative coping strategies and/or reliance on additional income streams other than aid, such as employment and/or remittances; and b) by camp-based businesses to mitigate or circumvent barriers to trade and other economic challenges in the camp. Any differences in the findings for Zaatari camp and Azraq camp should be explained.

1. Develop an analytical framework for each camp explaining how the camp economy works

Develop an analytical framework for each camp that explains how the camp *ec*onomy works in a clear and coherent manner (e.g., a Market System Development Analysis). The framework should capture existing formal and informal market dynamics – including strategies refugees currently employ to circumvent these barriers and existing linkages with external markets – as well as existing interdependencies between the main causal factors responsible for economic distortions and constraints in each camp.

1. Recommendations

Propose key recommendations (policy and practice) to improve livelihood opportunities and market outcomes for Zaatari camp and Azraq camp respectively in line with the assignments overall objective to strengthen self-reliance for camp residents. Recommendations should be context specific and structured as follows:

Ø Short-term recommendations: changes in policy and/or practice that are pragmatic, implementable in the short-term, and likely to garner consensus among key stakeholders allowing for quick wins that measurably improve market outcomes and livelihood opportunities in both camps.

Ø Medium-term recommendations: changes in policy and/or practice that are more extensive, require more engaged advocacy, and a longer timeframe to implement.

Recommendations should be individually tailored for Zaatari camp and Azraq camp respectively. **

Methodology

1. A desk review of relevant background materials to better understand contextual dynamics, with a particular focus on existing quantitative and qualitative data for both Zaatari camp and Azraq camps. The desk review should also assist understanding of surrounding local economies,

2. Camp-based data collection is envisaged to follow a mixed method approach including key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and/or a quantitative survey where relevant, variously involving camp residents, camp management (SRAD), humanitarian agencies working in the camps, and relevant economic actors operating inside and/or outside the camps.

3. Additional data collection in host-country commercial centres immediately surrounding each camp, and/or external economic actors operating in either camp, is also likely.

Outputs/Deliverables:

a. Inception Report: outlining methodology (including tools for primary data collection), a work plan with key deliverables, a list of stakeholders to be interviewed and a risk mitigation strategy.

b. Draft Report: for review that includes an analysis of existing market dynamics for both Zaatari camp and Azraq camp; identifies strategies used in the camp to manage strained household budgets as well as circumvent economic constraints; an explanatory framework for each camp on how the camp economy works; and short-term and medium-term recommendations aligned with the assignments overall objective. This analysis will need to be presented to NRC and UNHCR (slide deck).

c. Final Report: with an executive summary incorporating feedback received during the review process, a final version of the slide deck reflecting the final report, along with a shortened policy brief suitable for public circulation.

PROGRESS PLAN

Progress plan with milestones and delivery dates – note that the consultant will be expected to refine the work plan.

Timeline & # days: (indicative only, to be refined by consultant)

Activity

Milestones or Outputs:

10 days

Preliminary analysis of relevant documents, desk review, consultations with NRC, as well as proposed methods and the developed tools to be used for primary data collection

Inception report

35 days

Field work, analysis, writing of draft report and presentation of initial findings

Draft Report for Review and draft presentation given to key stakeholders in NRC and UNHCR

10 days

Revise and finalize draft report based upon written feedback provided by NRC/UNHCR

Final report, shortened policy brief suitable for public circulation, and final presentation slide deck

3. Institutional and organisational arrangements

Duties of the consultant

1. NRC shall be authorized to deduct from each invoice the applicable withholding tax as may be levied from time to time under the applicable tax legislation in Jordan, and pay such withholding directly to the tax department. Proof of payment will be provided to the consultant upon request.

2. Currently, 5% for national consultants. And 10% for international consultants in addition to (%1) on all amounts due to non-resident legal persons (and such percentage becomes 3% in case payment is due to non-resident legal person among banks, electricity generating and distribution companies, (7%) in case payment is due to essential material mining companies, (4%) in case payment is due to financial brokerage companies and financial leasing companies, and (2%) in case payment is due to telecommunication companies, insurance and reinsurance companies), or (%1) on each 1JOD exceeding (200,000 JOD) due to non-resident natural persons).

3. All consultant companies, ltd or sole-trade, should be registered in accordance with the legal requirements at their base. If requested by NRC, proof of registration should be provided by the consultant, before a contract will be signed. This can be business registration documentation, and/or VAT or company tax registration. If the consultant is a sole-trader, he/she should be able to provide a confirmation of this status from a certified accountant or the tax authorities. However, if this is not possible, the consultant (sole trader) must confirm by signing the Consultant declaration that he/she complied with self-employment regulation in his/her country of origin.

4. In addition to the requirements provided in paragraph (2) above, the Consultancy and its Key Personnel, as the case may be, shall provide NRC with the following documents that can be requested from the Consultancy and its Key Personnel:

5. The Certificate of Incorporation

6. Certificate showing the objectives, management structure and authorized signatories

7. Certificate of registration with Tax Department.

8. Copies of last 2 years audited financial statements.

9. Insurance Policy.

10. Valid Vocational License

11. Any other documents or certificate that NRC may request from time to time.

12. The consultant is responsible to provide their own insurance and must provide details before a contract will be signed.

13. If the consultancy requires substituting the Key Personnel, the Consultancy shall provide details of the subcontracts in their bid. The consultancy shall notify NRC where it intends to substitute all or part of the services and shall obtain the prior written approval of NRC for all subcontractors. The list in annex 2 shall be in line with the received and accepted bid.

14. Consultant will be responsible for planning, designing the tools and conducting field work in each camp in line with the assignment’s overall objective and main deliverables. All data collection will be the responsibility of the consultant team, including enumeration, notetaking and translation. NRC to support in identifying participants in field data collection discussions, where needed.

Reports should be submitted in Microsoft Word format, in UK English. All text should be unformatted. Graphs or other graphical devices should be editable (i.e. not pictures). All references must be cited according to convention, and detailed in a bibliography, using the Harvard system as set out in the UNESCO Style Manual. All verbatim quotations must appear in quotation marks, and must not be of excessive length. All data collected under the consultancy must be submitted with the deliverables, in a widely recognised format such as Microsoft Excel.

Everything submitted to NRC must be the original work of the consultants. Any plagiarism in any form, or any other breach of intellectual property rights, will automatically disqualify the consultant from receiving any further payments under the contract by NRC, and NRC will seek to recover any payments already made.

Duties of NRC

1. NRC shall be authorized to deduct from each invoice the applicable withholding tax (5% for national consultants and 10% for international consultants) as may be levied from time to time under the applicable tax legislation in Jordan, and pay such withholding directly to the tax department. Proof of payment will be provided to the consultant upon request.

2. NRC will cover only the bank fees charged by its bank. But any other fees such as the intermediary bank fees and the recipient bank fees, if any, should be covered by the consultant

3. NRC will provide in-country travel by road for the purpose of data collection in Azraq and Zaatari Camps. The consultants must provide their own transportation to/from NRC Jordan’s premises on Rizek al Rashdan Street, Shemisani, Amman

4. NRC will secure permissions for the consultants from Ministry of Interior/Syrian Refugees Affairs Department to access Azraq and Zaatri refugee camps.

5. NRC will provide access to documentation deemed critical as part of the document review.

6. For international consultants:

· Per diem amount for NRC Jordan is 50 USD per day (subject to deduction of Jordanian withholding tax) for the days the consultant is working in Jordan and submission of receipts will not be required. Alternatively, consultants can include the required per diem in their fees

· Accommodation in Amman, flights, visa and local travel in Jordan will be covered by NRC.

· Flights will be booked through the NRC Travel agent and paid for directly by NRC through the NRC travel agent. Alternatively, International travel is booked by the Consultant and later reimbursed based on receipts. The total amount must not exceed the amount specified in the budget. The Consultant will cover the eventual extra costs

· NRC shall reimburse visa fees based on receipts provided by the consultant

1. For national consultants:

· Per diem will not be paid separately, this must be included in the daily rate

· Accommodation will not be provided under this consultancy

Qualifications of the consulting company

· Demonstrated expertise in economics and related regulatory frameworks, including familiarity with market systems analysis or other frameworks for modelling economic behaviour and experience in analysing informal markets**

· Experience in conducting complex economic analyses and making the results understandable for decision makers **

· Familiarity with refugee camp/humanitarian contexts, particularly in the Middle East**

· Familiarity with the Jordanian economy and Jordanian regulatory environment**

· Fluency in English, both written and verbal, and fluency in Arabic among consultant team members for primary research purposes.

· Relevant university qualifications

· A minimum of ten years of relevant professional experience

Expressions of interest should be submitted by Friday 18 March 2022 strictly through Webcruiter/ email address: [email protected]

Failure to meet the closing date and manner of submission will result in the bid being rejected.

The application must be sent in PDF files as an attachment to the resume. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Applications should include the following:

· CV

· Cover Letter

· Sample of previous consultancy report/lessons learned/evaluation document

· Technical Proposal detailing the scope, objectives and methodology of the research

· Proposed budget, detailing consultancy fees, international travel, per diem, insurance costs and communication.

o Any costs related to procurement and provision of equipment, material, services required to complete the consultancy should be included in the fees. No additional costs shall be charged separately.

[1] UNHCR, *Jordan – Situation Syria Regional Refugee Res*ponse, retrievable at: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/36

[2] World Bank, Performance and Learning Review of the Country Partnership Program, May 2021.

[3] 96 percent of Syrian households who participated in UNHCR’s latest Perceptions and Intentions Survey said they had no plans to return to Syria in the next 12 months. Findings for Jordan taken from UNHCR’s Regional Survey on Syrian Refugees’ Perceptions and Intentions on Return to Syria covers Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. The survey was conducted from 15-24 October 2021, with 1800 Syrian households in Jordan participating. The main reasons provided by respondents for not intending to return to Syria in the next 12 months were lack of livelihoods and work opportunities (56 percent); lack of safety and security (56 percent); lack of adequate housing/housing concerns (36 percent); inadequate basic services such as healthcare, water, electricity (30 percent); and to avoid military service/conscription (21 percent).