Terms of Reference

Conduct an assessment in ZFRP areas, (SundarganjUpazilla of Gaibandha District and HatibandhaUpazilla of Lalmonirhat District) to find the opportunities and challenges of employment and small entrepreneurship for Island Char areas.

Background

Bangladesh is one of the most flood prone countries in the world. Floods have negative impacts on people’s lives and livelihoods as well development initiatives in Bangladesh. To improve the flood resilience Assistance for Social Organization and Development, ASOD implementing a project named ‘Flood Resilience Project (FRP) in HatibandhaUpazilla of Lalmonirhat district and SundarganjUpazilla of Gaibandha district. The project is funded by the Zurich Foundation and supported by Concern Worldwide. The project has been started in 2018 and will continue till 2023. The project’s vision is "Floods have no negative impact on People's and business ability to thrive and, the goal is "To increase social, political and financial investment in community-based flood resilience-building through public, private and third sector partnerships”. The key objectives of the project are to Increase funding for flood resilience; Strengthen policy at global, national, or sub-national level to support flood resilience;  Improve flood resilience practice.
The working areas of Flood Resilience Project are most vulnerable and every year facing floods and frequently after 3-5 years they are facing severe floods. Most of the people lost their livelihood and cut off their income in the flood event. One of the major focuses of this Project is to improve lives and livelihood through income continuity strategy and assess the viable or alternative livelihood options.

Scope of work

The working areas of the Zurich Flood Resilience Project are vulnerable due to flooding every year . Poor, extreme poor and agriculture laborers lost their usual livelihood, cut off their income option and fell under serious vulnerable conditions. Generally, they do not have any alternative income options which they can live with. The situation prevails during flood time and even after receding flood water, people remain unemployed especially in case of poor, extreme poor, and marginalized people. 
The project aims to develop different technical skills , small entrepreneurship skills etc. to create alternative income options for continuing income during the flood event. The target people are poor and extreme poor women and youth so that they can involve in alternative income sources and can continue their income round the year, even during flood events.

The objectives of the study

  • Mapping out opportunities in the job market and require various skills for specific target groups that are Women and Youth of ZFRP Char areas.
  • Identify theoff- farm and on-farm small enterpreneurship opportunities in local context
  • Identify the vocunation skill opportunities in local context
  • Identify skill training providers in both formal and informal sector in and around project working areas (Hatitbandha and SundarganjUpazila) and a short profiling;
  • identify the challenges/obstacles of small entrepreneurship and vocational skills in local context

Key deliverables

Following are the non-exhaustive list of key deliverables under this assignment:

  • Both technical and financial proposal in separate folder/file
  • Inception report including Work plan, methodology of the assessment including checklist and questionnaire and TOC of the assessment report. Draft assessment report
  • An individual entrepreneurship (on firm/off firm) development monitoring tool
  • Final  assessment report (English and Bangla) potential including clear recommendation on the above mentioned in scope of the work.
  • Submit a set of recommendations of potential trades, training for employment skill  development, off-farm and on-farm small entrepreneurship considering flood prone char,
     socio economic context of the target groups.
  • Provide an individual entrepreneurship/vocational skills development monitoring tool.

Responsibilities of ASOD

  • Providing project related documents, files and reports
  • Provide feedback on draft tools and methodology
  • Disbursing payment as per the agreed schedule.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Clear understanding on market research methodologies and experience in using different  qualitative research tools and techniques.
  • Demonstrated technical expertise and experience in the design and implementation of rapid market assessments in the context of employment creation in rural markets.
  • Experience in qualitative and quantitative research in a rural context.
  • Demonstrated experience and skills in report writing in English and Bangla

Technical proposal

The technical proposal should contain about the clarification of background, purpose, methodology including sample size, list of key informants, work plan and key deliverables. It should also include the short description of the kay researcher. The Technical Proposal should be supported with CV of the Key Researcher not more than 05 pages.

Financial Proposal

Financial Proposal should cover all the costs including fees of the consultant, traveling and associated costs as required. Financial Proposal should include TAX and VAT as admissible by the Government Law.

Payment

Payment should be made in 3 installments as follows-

  • 20% of total amount at the time of signing of contract.
  • 30% at the time of submission of draft report
  • 50% will be paid after acceptance of the final report.

Proposed Duration of the study

The duration of the assignment will be for 20 working days from the date of signing of agreement.

Application procedure

  • A cover letter (maximum one page)
  • Technical and Financial Proposal in separate file
  • Detail CV of relevant consultant(s) (maximum 4 pages each)
  • Copy of TIN certificate

Proposal submission

The proposal shall be submitted in two different files ‘Technical Proposal’ and ‘Financial Proposal’ to Dr. Taskinur Rahman, asod@agni.com by 23/09/20. Please submit different file for ‘Technical Proposal’ and ‘Financial Proposal’. For further clarification regarding the technical matter please contact (Shahen Ahamed, Project Manager, FRP, ASOD, shahen.asod@gmail.com).