RFP 00 333005 PROVISION OF PROTECTION ASSESSEMENT IN MANDERA CONSULTANCY

Terms of Reference (TOR) for Protection Assessment in Mandera

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. DRC works with civil society and responsible authorities to promote protection of rights and peaceful co-existence.

DRC Kenya implements programmes across the country supporting displacement-affected communities in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps (including Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement), as well as with refugees living outside of camps in urban settings of Nairobi. DRC also works in other areas besides the refugee camps e.g. Mandera.

DRC is one of UNHCR’s strategic partners in implementing livelihoods and protection projects. The organization’s project portfolio includes vocational training for young students, development of savings and loans associations, market value-chain development, small enterprise development, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention and response interventions.

Purpose of the consultancy

DRC Kenya seeks to procure a consultant to conduct a Protection Assessment in Mandera county. The purpose of this assessment is to identify key protection concerns, vulnerabilities, and risks affecting the community in Mandera. This assessment will provide insights to refine DRC’s project design and implementation strategy ; ensuring a targeted, context-sensitive approach to protection interventions.

Background

DRC Kenya has been building the financial resilience of refugees and host community entrepreneurs through the Community Savings and Loans Associations (CSLAs) model for several years. These CSLAs are now seeking to expand for more financial inclusion. DRC Kenya is implementing a project titled Supporting Displacement-Affected Communities in Kenya with Entrepreneurship Development(SDACKED) supported by the Swedish government, that focuses on unblocking barriers to formal financial access for displaced and host community entrepreneurs through CSLAs; linking them to digital banking services as well as exploring wider entrepreneurship support in target locations of Nairobi and Mandera. This project targets three areas of interventions that includes : financial inclusion of refugee and hosting communities’ entrepreneurs, business support and training, and suitable finance to build the communities’ business ecosystem.

DRC is seeking to integrate protection interventions in the SDACKED project in Mandera, that address urgent needs and enhance the resilience of affected populations. The proposed protection assessment will gather in-depth data on protection issues and vulnerabilities in Mandera; building on findings from previous studies and guiding DRC’s future activities. The consultant shall be expected to ascertain the relationship between the Somali culture, Islamic religious conviction and disclosure of various protection concerns and violations.

Objectives of the consultancy

The main objectives of this consultancy are to:

• Identify and analyze protection issues and specific vulnerabilities within the Mandera community.

• Highlight factors contributing to these vulnerabilities, including economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions.

• Provide targeted recommendations to inform protection strategies, intervention approaches, and advocacy efforts.

Specific Objectives of the Assignment

1. Identify protection concerns, risks, and vulnerabilities impacting communities in Mandera.
2. Map out groups affected by protection issues, particularly among the following categories of the population: survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), people living with disabilities, caretakers of people living with disabilities, pastoral dropouts, widows, and youth at risk of being targeted for conscripting into extremist groups.
3. Examine existing coping mechanisms and resources in the community in Mandera.
4. Highlight potential intervention areas and make recommendations for addressing identified threats.
5. Strive to thoroughly understand the diversity of risks and needs of different groups and individuals in line with DRC’s age, gender, diversity mainstreaming (AGDM) policy, by systematically collecting, verifying, and analyzing information over the assigned period to identify violations of rights and/or protection risks within Mandera community.
6. Provide a comprehensive analysis of protection issues and needs in Mandera, enabling DRC to design and implement responsive and impactful interventions. The study will:

Role of DRC

Ÿ Mobilize and facilitate access to the community, stakeholders, provide support for field logistics, and review the study tools.

Ÿ Provide a conducive environment to conduct the study.

Role of the Consultant

Ÿ Develop the assessment methodology and tools.

Ÿ Conduct data collection, including key informant interviews and focus groups discussions.

Ÿ Validate findings from the exercise.

Ÿ Analyze findings and produce a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations at the end of the assignment.

Scope of work and Methodology

The consultant will:

• Develop a detailed methodology that includes:
  • Mapping protection risks and vulnerabilities.
  • Identifying population groups most affected by protection issues.
  • Identify the various protection violations in Mandera and proposed solutions to those violations.
  • Examining the effectiveness of current coping mechanisms and available resources.
  • Integrating considerations on gender, age, and disability into the analysis.
  • Provide advice on the feedback and reporting mechanism for the people of concern.
  • Provide a referral pathway within Mandera for all the protection needs through identification of relevant stakeholders.
• Collect primary and secondary data through key informant interviews, focus groups discussions, engagement with community members, religious leaders, elders, as well as making field observations to identify specific protection needs and identifying intervention areas.

Deliverables

The Consultant will meet the following deliverables:

Inception Report

Develop an inception report detailing methodology, work plan, and data collection tools for DRC’s approval.

Conduct field work, gather data through interviews and focus groups, and map out protection issues, violations.

Data Analysis and Draft Report

Analyze findings and submit a draft report covering all identified protection concerns, relationship between Somali culture, Islamic religion and reporting of protection rights violations, provide a referral pathway within Mandera for all the protection needs and recommendations for implementation of protection interventions.

With the support of DRC, conduct a validation workshop to authenticate the findings.

Final Report

Submit a final report with DRC’s feedback integrated, including key insights and intervention recommendations.

The Consultant will provide the documentation by email, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PDF and PowerPoint.

Duration, timeline, and payment

The total expected duration to complete the assignment will be 21 working days. The payment schedules will be as follows:

• 30% upon submission of the inception report.
• 50% upon completion of data collection and submission of the draft report.
• 20% upon approval of the final report by DRC Kenya.

Proposed Composition of Team

• Lead Protection Consultant.
• Assistant Consultant.
• Enumerators.
• Data Entry Clerks.

Eligibility, qualification, and experience required

Essential:

• An accredited protection expert.
• Specific experience in protection assessment, analysis and mainstreaming.
• Ability to structure complex insights into written and visual products that bring out key features that enable decision making.
• The consultant(s) has authorization to work in Kenya. The consultancy firm should be registered under the Laws of Kenya.
• Advanced degree in Clinical Psychology, Social Work, Community Development, or Protection work.

Experience:

• At least 5 years’ experience in conducting evaluations, with proven track record in conducting a related assessment on protection.
• Proven track record in conducting similar studies and assessments.

Skills and knowledge:

• Experience working with borderline communities especially in the northern part of Kenya is essential.
• Working knowledge with a majority Muslim community.
• The successful candidate(s) must be able to work independently to deliver the required outputs working with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and Kiswahili. Knowledge of Somali language is compulsory.

Location and support

The Consultant will provide his/her own computer and mobile telephone. DRC shall support with a desk and internet connection on request by the Consultant. The assignment shall be conducted in Mandera East sub-county.

Travel

The Consultant shall cater for his/her own transport to the venue of the assignment and across the various areas during the primary data collection exercise. The Consultant shall also cater for any hall hire/conference facilities, provide meals and transport reimbursement to all participants that shall be engaged during the assignment. Travel shall include flights to and from Mandera where applicable. The Consultant shall also cater for his/her team’s transportation, accommodation, meals and insurance where applicable, in the duration of the assignment.

The Consultant should therefore make adequate provision for this in the financial proposal.

Evaluation of bids

1. Profile and qualifications (weighted percentage – 40%).

a. The candidate meets the profile and qualifications for the TOR.

b. The consultant(s) should have relevant experience in protection assessment.

c. The consultant(s) have relevant experience in sectors similar to those of the focus of the TOR.

d. The consultant(s) provide examples of previous work carried out in this field of work.

2. Technical approach (weighted percentage – 40%)

a. The technical approach addresses the key aspects and deliverables of the ToR.

b. The strategy draws on sector good practice and is relevant to the task.

c. The technical approach will deliver the required outputs, within the deadline.

3. Oral interviews (weighted percentage 20% )

The financial offer will then be weighed against the technical proposal (cost/ quality).

Based on the initial screening, DRC will invite selected bidders for an interview.

DRC will conduct reference checks from at least 2 previous works as an additional mandatory requirement.

Please find complete biding documents in the following link: RFP 00 333005 PROVISION OF PROTECTION ASSESSEMENT IN MANDERAR CONSULTANCY