Issued on 7^th February 2020

INTRODUCTION

Associazione Centro Aiuti Volontari (ACAV) is an international non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote international solidarity for equitable and compatible development in the world so to reach balance between poor and rich social realities. Its cooperation projects for development are based on the values of sustainability, transparency, respect, accountability and reciprocity. ACAV operates according to the principles of equality, non-discrimination and impartiality by adopting the same approach towards all individuals and institutions with whom it interacts. 

ACAV operates in close cooperation with local governments and development partners to support high impact, sustainable and replicable development initiatives that transform lives and communities in the hardest to reach rural areas of the developing countries. By adopting a holistic approach which links development and humanitarian response, ACAV intervenes in different sectors, including livelihood and agriculture, water and sanitation, vocational and skills development, environmental protection and conservation, and cross-border cooperation.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

ACAV has been awarded a three-year grant by the European Union (EU Trust Fund for Africa) to finance the implementation of the action titled “Technical Assistance to Koboko Municipality to implement Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF): Inclusive Urban Development and Mobility in Koboko, Uganda”. This action is conceived to help Koboko Municipality in addressing the dual challenge of the growing number of displaced persons that have settled within the Municipality and wider urbanisation. It is envisioned that, by supporting the Municipality to strengthen its urban planning and service provision as well as by creating spaces of communal dialogue, living conditions and opportunities for refugees and their host communities will improve and the risk of conflict between these groups will decrease. 

Accordingly, ACAV in collaboration with Koboko Municipality intends to undertake a comprehensive Area and Needs-based Assessment to identify multi-sectoral needs, priorities and response strategies to benefit refugees and host communities in Koboko Municipality. The Area and Needs-based Assessment will have to cover themes such as Livelihoods, Protection (Child protection and Gender-based violence), social services (health and education), social cohesion among refugees and host communities, crosscutting issues such as HIV/AIDS, Gender, Environment, Conflict sensitive, etc. It will also have to measure the existing technical capacities/resources of relevant government departments, Local CSOs and their ability to promote participatory urban planning and integrated service delivery. 

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

The overall objective of the consultancy is to provide up-to-date information on the needs of the urban population in Koboko Municipality as well as the priorities for service delivery by Koboko Municipality. This will contribute to develop and implement a more targeted, integrated and evidence-based response by Koboko Municipality.

More into details, the consultancy shall be oriented towards identifying multi-sector needs and priorities with the aim of: 

1. Determining the sectors in which technical assistance to Koboko Municipality is the most needed, thus informing response strategies.
2. Programming how to best strengthen inclusion and participatory planning in the economic and social life ofrefugees and host communities in Koboko Municipality. 
3. Profiling the most common vulnerabilities of urban households so as to improve livelihoods and ensure greater access to quality basic services for refugees and host communities in Koboko Municipality.

 SCOPE OF THE CONSULTANCY 

The Area and Needs-based Assessment will be carried out in Koboko Municipality. It will need to target:

• Local authorities:
  • 1 Municipality; 
  • 3 Divisions; 
  • 10 Wards;
  • 36 Cells.
• Local organisations working on local development, migration and refugee issues:
  • 4 Refugee CBOs; 
  • 4 Host community CSOs; 
  • 2 Women organisations; 
  • 2 Savings and cooperative associations; 
  • 2 Education and training centres.
• Other relevant stakeholders such as the Police, Prisons service, Courts of law, Public Prosecution, media, religious institutions, chamber of commerce, etc.

Specific responsibilities of the consultant(s) shall include, but not be limited to the following:

• Review existing relevant literature (e.g. studies, assessments, reports, etc.) with the aim of integrating lessons learnt and good practices in the EUTF Koboko Action.

• Provide a comprehensive, cross-sectoral, methodologically sound and impartial assessment of the needs affecting urban population in Koboko Municipality, by establishing baseline data for assessments and indicators. 
• Determine key needs, challenges and risks related to the different target populations, with a specific focus on the protection concerns of vulnerable groups. 
• Assess the perceived vulnerabilities and response capacities of refugees and host communities in Koboko Municipality. 
• Investigate the level of functionality of the local market and evaluate the potential impact of cash-based interventions.
• Assess income levels, sources of income, consumption and coping strategies at household level.
• Map local CBOs, CSOs and other agencies operating in Koboko Municipality, their existing capacities and the kind of assistance they provide to refugees and host communities.
• Assess the existing capacities and resources of relevant government departments to deliver basic social services to the growing urban population.
• Investigate how the provision of technical assistance to Koboko Municipality can benefit its work in the field of protection, livelihoods, basic social services, social cohesion, inclusive and participatory urban planning.
• Examine the level of participation of refugees and host communities in urban planning as well as the inclusivity of the current service delivery processes. 
• Examine cross-cutting issues such as HIV/AIDS, gender, environment, conflict sensitivity, adaptive learning, etc.

METHODOLOGY

While it is the responsibility of the consultant(s) to develop and implement the most suitable and appropriate research methodology, some recommendations are here listed: 

• Desk review of important documents such as Koboko Municipal development plan, planning documents, most recent Municipal capacity assessments done, etc.  

• Discussions with project staff, specialists and senior management of ACAV and Koboko Municipality for relevant contextual information and project documents of action.
• With regards to primary data collection, a mixed approach is strongly recommended. Where applicable, a household survey shall be conducted in selected divisions, wards and cells to collect data that is statistically representative for the average household at Municipal and Division level. 

• In order to understand the needs and priorities of the different groups, respondents shall be profiled by population group or status (e.g. self-settled refugees, host communities, local CSOs/CBOs, youth and women associations, financial institutions, education institutions, etc.). 
• At Municipal level, some key informant interviews and focus group discussions shall be conducted to provide in-depth understanding about targeted populations and their needs and vulnerabilities.
• The assessment design and the definition of the sample size shall refer to secondary data such as the 2014 Uganda Housing and Population Census or current projections. Registered refugees, self-settled and host population sampling should be based on humanitarian documents and datasets such as UNHCR fact sheets, OPM data on refugees or any other latest needs assessment.
• In order to ensure harmonised and real time data collection and cleaning, the consultant(s) is expected to use an appropriate open data platform/software (e.g. KOBO). 

KEY DELIVERABLES

On the basis of this ToR, the consultant(s) is expected to deliver the following:

a. Three reports:

1. An inception report which needs to include a clear implementation plan for the assignment as well as details about the research methodology and tools for data collection;
2. A draft report which needs to be submitted shortly after data collection;
3. A final report which needs to include at least:

• Executive summary;

• Background information;

• Brief project description and context;

• Objectives of the assessment;

• Research methodology; 

• Main findings per sector;

• Recommendations per sector;

• Conclusions.

b. The datasheet or data set per sector which has been used for the analysis. 

c. Maps, video clips and photographs (as deemed appropriate and necessary).

TIMEFRAME

The assignment is expected to be carried out within a maximum of 30 days.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

• The consultant(s) will report directly to the Project Manager, ACAV EUTF Koboko. 
• The consultant(s) shall be responsible for delivering all reports to ACAV. 
• The consultant(s) will be contracted by ACAV and will cooperate closely with respective departments of Koboko Municipal Council as well as other relevant stakeholders.
• ACAV together with Koboko Municipal Council will provide the relevant background documents necessary for the assignment, including any previous assessments.

PROFILE AND REQUIREMENTS

The following qualifications and professional experience are required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field such as Humanitarian Action, Development Studies, Public Policy, Statistics, Economics, Agriculture Economics or equivalent. Master’s Degree in any of these fields is an added value.  
• Minimum of three (3) years of hands-on professional experience in conducting research and needs assessments, monitoring and evaluation of multi-sector programmes, policy development and project design.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative research through various participatory approaches and methodologies.
• Relevant knowledge and experience in multi-sectoral programme management, including technical assistance to local governments.

The following professional skills and competences are required: 

• Strong computer literacy with a demonstrated experience in handling online data collection and analysis software/applications (e.g. Kobo, ODM). 
• Strong understanding of context of intervention (i.e. Koboko, West Nile, Uganda). 
• Working knowledge of cash-based interventions.
• Excellent oral and written English skills.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral as well as presentation.
• Proven capacity to facilitate participation in meetings and workshops.

The following personal requirements are sought:

• Ability to work under minimal supervision.
• Result-oriented.
• Team player.
• Ability to multi-task and work beyond the normal call of duty to meet tight deadlines
• Excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills in interacting with high-level stakeholders in government and development partners.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested and qualified consultants or consultancy firms should submit their proposals with the following documentation:

• Expression of interest cover letter
• Consultancy firms are required to submit company profile including name, registration number, address and contact details 
• Technical proposal including the methodology (methods and instruments) you will use to fulfil the assignment.
• Budget for the assignment, including logistics. 
• CVs of the consultant(s) and the proposed team members who will undertake the assignment.
• An implementation plan of the assignment and confirm that your team members will be available during the time of the assignment.
• Samples of prior similar assignments or related consultancies
• Any other information deemed relevant

All the above documents should be submitted not later than 21^st February, 2020 by 5:00pm

• Via e-mail at: acavkoboko@gmail.com  
• Via courier or hand-delivered in a sealed envelope addressed to:

Project Director

ACAV – EUTF Koboko Office

Plot 94, Moyo Road, Koboko Municipal Council

P.O. Box 126, Koboko – Uganda 

NB: Due to the urgency, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. In case of need for more information, contact us via the e-mail address provided above.