Consultant LWG Exit Strategy
Context of the consultancy
ACTED and ADRA are co-applicants for the implementation of the EU-funded project “Vocational Training to Prepare Refugees for Return, phase 2” (ACA/2016/380-305).
They are providing advanced Vocational Training opportunities in the 9 temporary shelters along the Thai-Myanmar border to improve the opportunities of securing a dignified and stable employment for the displaced people of Myanmar origin once they will leave the temporary shelters.
The other members of the Livelihoods Working Group, as well as the Livelihoods Committees established in the 9 temporary shelters by the Karen Refugee Committee (KRC) and Karenni Refugee Committee (KnRC) are also engaged in a variety of interventions aimed at supporting the self-reliance of their beneficiaries during displacement and upon return, such as Agriculture, Savings and Loans, Small business grants, livestock raising, self-help efforts for production of other basic needs, etc.). In recent years, efforts have multiplied to help communities understand livelihoods opportunities and initiate some joint actions on livelihoods in South-East Myanmar to help prepare for refugee return.
As the situation in Myanmar improves and the displaced people consider returning to their home country, the CCSDPT members are committed to support safe and dignified conditions for voluntary repatriation.
In this framework, ACTED, ADRA and all the LWG members are currently working to coordinate their activities related to the livelihoods sector in the temporary shelters and constructing the conditions for an orderly and effective handover of their activities to Camp Based Organizations and local stakeholders.
Objectives of the consultancy
- To provide an analysis of the current situation of the Livelihoods sector in the camps and in return areas.
- To assess the minimum and optimal requirements for the handover of the livelihoods activities to local stakeholders taking into consideration the range of livelihoods needs and the variety of livelihood sector programmes and services in camps.
- To identify livelihoods needs in camps as camp population decrease and camps consolidate and close, and then define gaps in terms of capacities, skills, resources etc. needed to be filled before starting the livelihoods consolidation process and eventual exit.
- To identify opportunities for resuming livelihoods activities in return areas in South-East Myanmar and prioritize them.
- To propose a detailed, step-by-step, plan for handing over livelihoods activities to local stakeholders.
Phases and methodology of the consultancy
Preliminary phase: Plan and methodology memo
Upon award of the contract, the consultant will agree with ACTED and ADRA the plan of the mission, the methodology to be applied, a detailed list of people to meet, a calendar of the interviews to be done and the support she might require to carry out the work.
It will be important to build the methodology on an inclusive approach, based on the consultation, at each step, of all the relevant stakeholders and in particular of the communities, of the Camp Based Organizations and of all relevant Camp Committees such as the Livelihood Committees and the Return Committees.
Based on the discussions, the consultant will draft a methodology memo that will be shared with CCSDPT and other stakeholders in preparation of the mission.
Phase 1: Information gathering.
The consultant will meet the identified stakeholders and with a sample of the beneficiaries of livelihoods activities in each of the nine temporary shelters.
To this end, the consultant will receive support from ACTED and ADRA to organize a 2 days’ workshop in each of the nine camps.
The consultant will also hold meetings with representatives from all the LWG members, as well as with donors, relevant UN agencies, international organizations etc.
Based on questionnaires tailored on the profile of the interviewees and applying a variety of information gathering strategies (face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions, review of literature and reports), the consultant will collect and cross-check all the data and points of view needed to have a clear and thorough understanding of the situation of the Livelihoods sector.
Phase 2: Draft report on the findings from phase 1.
The consultant will prepare a first draft of a report encompassing the subjects described on the Objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4 outlined above.
The report shall provide precise and factual information and shall allow to track easily the sources of the information provided.
The draft report will be submitted to ACTED and ADRA for a first review. After this first review, the consultant will present the findings to the LWG members and collect additional inputs.
Phase 3: First draft of the Livelihoods Exit Strategy.
The consultant will incorporate the inputs coming from ACTED, ADRA and the other LWG members into what will become the analytical sections of the LWG Exit Strategy.
Based on these findings, the consultant will then prepare the first draft of a detailed, step-by-step, plan for handing over livelihoods activities to local stakeholders coherent with the existing relevant guidelines prepared by the CCSDPT and with the strategic framework set-up by the CCSDPT, the UNHCR and the Refugee Committees.
The plan will be submitted to ACTED, ADRA and the LWG members for a first review.
After incorporating the inputs into the plan, the consultant will prepare the first draft of the overall Exit Strategy.
Phase 4: Facilitation of a border-wide stakeholders meeting.
The first draft of the Exit Strategy will be translated by ACTED and ADRA and submitted to all the stakeholders met during Phase 1 of the consultancy for a preliminary review.
ACTED and ADRA will coordinate with the CCSDPT Executive Committee and with Camps Committees to organize a stakeholder meeting in one of the camps and to dedicate sufficient time to present and discuss the proposed Exit Strategy.
The consultant will actively participate in organizing the meeting; will be in charge of presenting the Exit Strategy and will facilitate the discussion in order to arrive at a consensus around the possible modifications to be introduced and to proceed to the adoption of the Exit Strategy for the Livelihoods Sector.
Phase 5: Final draft of the Livelihoods Exit Strategy.
The consultant will incorporate the modifications agreed upon during the stakeholders meeting in the final draft of the Livelihoods Exit Strategy.
Deliverables
- Preliminary Phase: Methodology memo including list of people to meet, detailed calendar of the consultancy, interview guide(s), support needed etc.
- Phase 1: Minutes and records of discussions of each meeting. Picture folder with images collected during the meetings and during visits to livelihoods activities.
- Phase 2: Draft report of the findings from phase 1.Power point presentation on the draft report of the findings.
- Phase 3: First draft of the Livelihoods Exit Strategy.Two pages Fact-sheet summarizing the exit strategy.
- Phase 4: Power point presentation of the Livelihoods Exit Strategy.
- Phase 5: Final draft of the Livelihoods Exit Strategy.
All deliverables shall be drafted in English.
Required Qualifications and Skills
The consultancy is open to individuals and organizations having a proven record of the following qualifications and skills
- At least 5 years of experience in livelihoods projects for displaced people.
- Previous experience in participatory data collection, assessment and planning with a variety of stakeholders.
- A deep understanding of the context of the temporary shelters along the Thai-Myanmar border and of the situation in Myanmar.
- Knowledge of internationally established best practices in the transition from displacement to return.
- Knowledge of Karen, Kayah and/or Burmese languages will be considered an asset.
Timeframe and duration of the mission
The consultancy is expected to start in May 2017 and to take place over a period of about six (6) months, for an expected sixty (60) non-consecutive men/days of work organized as follows:
Preliminary Phase: 3 person/days
Phase 1: 45 person/days
Phase 2: 4 person/days
Phase 3: 4 person/days
Phase 4: 3 person/days
Phase 5: 1 person/days
The consultant is requested to submit a detailed budget for this scope of work and subnit to ACTED via the email thailand.tender@acted.org not later than 31/05/2017.
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