Terms of Reference for Consultancy on

Comprehensive MHPSS, Gender, and Protection Community Assessment in the evolving context of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh

1. Background:

Action Against Hunger (Action Contre la Faim/ACF) is an international humanitarian organization providing multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya Refugee population living in registered camps and makeshift settlements in Cox’s Bazar since 2009. The volume of humanitarian response by ACF has increased manifold after the mega refugee influx in 2017. At present, ACF’s integrated Nutrition and MHPSS programs in Cox’s Bazar are operationalized through 33 facilities (baby-friendly spaces, OTPs, stabilization centers, safe spaces for women and girls, and mental health wellness centers) in refugee camps, and 6 health facilities in host communities. A trained team of 116 Psychologists and Psychosocial Workers support, protect, and promote mental health and well-being of children under 5 years age, pregnant and lactating women, caregivers of malnourished children, adolescent girls and boys, and survivors of violence through a comprehensive community-based MHPSS and protection intervention. Key actions in brief include: Early Childhood Development and Maternal Mental Health intervention integrated into nutrition prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition, Life-skills focused SRH and Protection interventions for adolescents and women of reproductive age, and Trauma-informed MHPSS for individuals and families in distress.

ACF is currently working on Grand Affairs Canada (GAC) funded project, titled ‘Multi-sector Gender Responsive Assistance for Rohingya Women and Girls in Bangladesh’ for the duration April 2020 – March 2021. One of the key objective of the project is to systematically explore the refugee context for MHPSS, Gender, and Protection needs of Rohingya population and perceptions regarding available services that can further inform ACF’s future programming. Comprehensive Community Assessment is planned with a view to evaluate beneficiary needs and services available in camps more pragmatically and use the datadriven findings to build coherent response strategies. The focus of the Comprehensive Community Assessment shall include:

Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (MHPSS):

• Exploration of local community perspectives on problems and coping that relates to refugee populations social living conditions and camp environment
  
• Determine prevalence of common mental health conditions and stigma surrounding healthseeking behaviors of Rohingya refugees
  
• Service provider mapping focusing on quality of primary healthcare services integrating MHPSS considerations

Gender-responsive programming:

• Evaluate complexities of socio-cultural norms and practices that either promote or inhibit effectiveness of ACF’s current set of interventions (e.g. Baby-friendly Spaces, Safe Spaces for Women and Girls, Mental Health Wellness Centers, etc.)
  
• Establish Women’s Autonomy Index on defined dimensions of household decision-making, economic decision-making, and freedom of movement
• Exploration of barriers and facilitators to men’s engagement in accountable maternal and child health practices in the context of currently operationalized Men Forum/Group activities by MHCPGP programme teams. Evaluation of this intervention shall be in line with present modality and implementation scenario as experienced at the field level.

Protection considerations:

• Assessment of beneficiary perceptions and experiences of humanitarian protection assistance (*with major focus on safe and dignified access to MHPSS services)
  
• Analysis of protection-SGBV risks with recommendations on how our proposed set of interventions can avoid causing harm to the community
• Identifying possible prevention and mitigation measures to improve community’s safe and dignified access and utilization of protection services in consultation with community stakeholders

2. Scope of work and responsibilities:

2.1 Responsibilities of Action Against Hunger (ACF):

ACF shall partake following responsibilities and ensure support regarding:

• Allocation of counterparts and focal points to work closely with the consultant
  
• Provide guidance about ACF internal regulations, especially for HR management and field procedures
  
• Provision of relevant project documents related to the captioned study
  
• Provision of different reports and studies undertaken by ACF or other partners in the recent past
  
• Indicate target refugee camps locations
  
• Support in finalizing and validating study methodology, sample size, and choice of technical tools of assessment
  
• Support survey teams with use of ACF operated facility structures to implement the study
  
• Support introducing with relevant local authorities and stakeholders by facilitating the contact
• Provision of timely feedback as necessary and required

2.2 Responsibility and tasks of the Consultant:

• Based on the defined scope of the study, develop a detailed study methodology document with sampling techniques, sample size, selection of key stakeholders in case of qualitative assessment, data collection and analysis plan.
• Design and/or select relevant technical tools to be used in study. Translation of tools in Bangla and in local language to follow industry-standard translation procedures.
• Share all technical tools with ACF in a timely manner and get validation from ACF focal point before proceeding to field work.
• The consultant will formulate a comprehensive action plan for conducting this study.
• Organize and receive necessary permissions for the study from relevant authorities, including but not limited to Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), Camp Coordination and Camp Management Committees, and designate district authorities.
• Be available for regular progress meetings with ACF counterparts and focal points as needed. The consultant shall provide all details pertaining to the study in a transparent and professional manner, as and when requested by ACF.
  
• Proceed to a desk review/secondary data analysis for getting adequate information about MHPSS, Gender, and Protection concerns of Rohingya refugees.
  
• Hire human resources required for this study in respect of ACF internal recruitment rules.
  
• Provide appropriate training, guidance and monitoring to the study team.
  
• Intensively monitor field level data collection and follow-up for data entry, compilation of database, and share the progress of fieldwork with ACF designate counterparts and field managers.
  
• Facilitate field visits of ACF designate counterparts during implementation of the study. Field necessities and common consensus between ACF and the consultant will determine the number of such visits. Consultant will not have to bear financial costs for such field visits by ACF staff.
• Be responsible for data entry, data compilation, analysis and report writing during the whole study process.
  
• Provide comprehensive narrative report with executive summary of findings and required data charts. All raw data will also be shared to ACF.
  
• Present the main findings with ACF counterparts and focal points before finalizing the report and get validation of these findings before finalization.
  
• Develop and share the detailed final report and submit both legible soft and hard copies of the report to ACF. Again, ensure to get the validation of ACF counterparts and focal points before dissemination of the results internally and externally.
  
• Present a summary report (5 to 10 pages) to facilitate the dissemination of results/key findings for our internal colleagues and external stakeholders.
  
• Abide by all relevant ethical standards related to community-based assessment and research studies.

3. Deliverables:

• A detailed study methodology document with sampling techniques, sample size, selection of key
  stakeholders in case of qualitative assessment, data collection and analysis plan. This methodology will have to be validated by ACF counterparts and focal points before launching any field work.
• A comprehensive, clear, and concise report that includes, but not necessarily limited to, the activities, tasks, and outputs described herein. The draft of this report as well as a PPT presentation shall be submitted to ACF for feedback and review as defined in the timeline for the action. The Report shall be submitted in electronic version compatible with Microsoft Word. Soft and hard copies of the final report shall be submitted to ACF.
  
• A power point presentation based on the findings of the study is to be submitted towards end of the assignment.
• Present a summary report (5 to 10 pages)

4. Duration:

The service period shall be from November 25th, 2020 to March 15th, 2021, i.e. 4 full months.

5. Steps for the study:

• Detailed study methodology with assessment tools
  
• Finalization of study methodology and assessment tools
  
• Formation of the study team in Ukhiya and Teknaf: As per the technical proposal and action plan
  
• Surveyor and field staff training: As per the technical proposal and action plan
  
• Completion of field work and data collection: As per the technical proposal and action plan
  
• Data entry and analysis: As per the technical proposal and action plan
  
• Draft report and presentation: As per the technical proposal and action plan
  
• Final report submission: On or before March 15th, 2021

6. Required skills and expertise of the consultant:

• Proven expertise and field experience in humanitarian Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) community-based programs
  
• Experience in gender and protection analysis, including understanding of the sensitivities attached to the protection risks assessment would be a major asset
  
• Should be well oriented and familiar with current refugee context of Cox’s Bazar, especially of Ukhiya and Teknaf unions
  
• Good understanding and experience of technical liaison with humanitarian coordination and district administration of Cox’s Bazar
  
• Proven experience in designing and implementing comprehensive need assessment with skills in report writing, maintaining relevant international standards in social sciences research in documentation and data presentation
  
• Should have previous successful proven record of accomplishment of similar assignment

7. Management of the assignment:

ACF is responsible to oversee the progress of assignment at all phases and stages of the study. The Consultant shall facilitate all requests from ACF designate counterparts at all phases and stages of the study. The Consultant will report progress of the study and challenges, if any, to only ACF and its designated counterparts. For the smooth management of the contract, ACF and the Consultant will organize regular meetings between designate counterparts/focal points of both the contract signing parties.

ACF Head of Department for MHCPGP and MEAL are responsible to ensure the delivery of quality report from the Consultant. HoD-MHCPGP would be the first point of contact, while HoD-MEAL will the second point of contact with equal decision-making rights throughout the duration of the consultancy contract. The Consultant will work closely with HoD-MHCPGP and HoD-MEAL at Dhaka level for all decisions pertaining to the contract, while operational support will be ensured to the Consultant by designated field teams in Cox’s Bazar

8. Financial arrangement:

Consultant will be paid a gross amount as per the financial proposal (including Vat, Tax & field conveyance)* on successful completion of this entire assignment. No additional amount will be paid as allowance for hiring of staff, renting premises, lodging or transportation. Consultant will not be entitled for any other benefits beyond the gross amount applicable. Payment will be made after making necessary deductions of IT (according to the IT laws). Payment for the assignment will be made by A/C payee cheque. An invoice must be submitted for all payments. The payment will be released as per mutually agreed terms mentioned in the contractual agreement framework signed by the Consultant with ACF.

* All financial offers MUST BE include:

- AIT (Advanced Income Tax) % as per financial volume, to be deducted during payment (Where base
amount does not exceeds TK. 25 lakh, AIT will be 10% & Where base amount does exceeds TK. 25 lakh,
AIT will be 12%)

- VAT (Valued Added Tax) - 15% as per SRO 6.3, 2019.

- Hiring of staff, renting premises, lodging or transportation.

- All financial offers must be valid for at least 30 Days from the day of submission.

7.1 Payment Terms and Conditions:

• Payment on delivery along with invoice against the purchase order and reception/NOC and accepted by Action Against Hunger
  
• After Delivery of any consignment at specified focal person, the supplier has to submit the invoice, Delivery and reception note authorized by ACF, along with Mushok - 6.3 in order to apply for payment.
  
• In case of failure to provide Mushok 6.3 for VAT deduction, “Action Against Hunger shall deduct, wherever applicable, AIT (Advanced Income Taxes) and VAT (Valued Added Taxes) and pay final NET amount. In Return Action Against Hunger will provide necessary eligible Tax Documents/
  Challans/ Coupons as per SRO 6.3, as per the govt. laws for your submission.
  
• All payment will be exclusively made by bank wire transfer in Bangladeshi Taka (BDT).

9. Intellectual Property Rights:

The ownership pertaining to all data and documentation under the study shall remain the sole and exclusive intellectual property of ACF. The data and documentation developed out of this contract cannot be used for publications or otherwise without due consent and copyright procedures followed through ACF.

10. Commitment:

The Consultant agrees that during the assignment period (November 25, 2020 – March 15, 2021), s/he will provide complete and sincere support to ACF as per requirement of the study. Either party can terminate this consultancy contract by giving 10 days’ prior notice in writing.

If the above matches your understanding, we would request you to send following by 24 November
2020 by both email and hard copy.

• An Expression of Interest suggestive of proven domain expertise and experience backed with relevant documentation/publications, (max 1 page), enclosed with a CV
• A technical proposal mentioning understanding of the proposed study, overall approach and framework proposed for the whole study; this proposal should include: introduction to the study, main and specific objectives, proposed methodology and should not be more than 3 pages.
  
• A tentative budget proposal for the study.
  
• A proposed work plan.
  
• A filled in financial proposal with breakdown of costs.
  
• A filled up summary of total financial charge in attached in xls file.

E-mail address for sending online application: tenders@bd-actionagainsthunger.org

Mailing address: ACF Bangladesh, Orin Tower, House 23, Road 113/A, Gulshan 2, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh . Application must be in a closed envelope clearly marked as “ToR- Comprehensive MHPSS, Gender, and Protection Community Assessment in the evolving context of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh, PD-DHK-00647”

You are requested to send us both format. Otherwise, offer will be counted as incomplete.

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In case of any query please contact mhcpco-cox@bd-actionagainsthunger.org; mobile: +88 01684424851.