Terms of Reference (ToR)
For
Hiring Consultant/Consultancy firm to review/develop the Policies and Procedures of ERA

1. Background

Efforts for Rural Advancement (ERA) is a women-led, non-profit humanitarian organization committed to promoting an equitable, poverty-free society. Established in 1997 in the Sunamganj District, ERA works to empower marginalized communities by organizing the poor to claim their rights and needs through environmentally and gender-friendly livelihood initiatives. ERA is officially registered with the Department of Social Services (No. Sunam/289/99) and the NGO Affairs Bureau (No. 2276). Its key focus areas include humanitarian response and recovery, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), livelihood development, gender justice, health, education, youth engagement and environmental protection. ERA is founded on core commitments to gender equality, women’s empowerment, and the development of people with disabilities and the elderly. Recognizing that women face multiple layers of discrimination and exclusion, particularly those from socially marginalized groups, ERA prioritizes women’s participation in all its programs. Following feminist principles, the organization places women’s rights and interests at the center of its interventions and applies a feminist lens to ensure equal representation and gender equality. Moreover, ERA acknowledges the vulnerabilities of elderly and disabled individuals, integrating their needs into program implementation and service delivery to ensure inclusivity and accessibility.

With the support of the German Federal Foreign Office and Malteser International, ERA has been implementing a localization project titled "ToGETHER! - Towards Greater Effectiveness and Timeliness in Humanitarian Emergency Response" in Bangladesh since 2024. The project aims to transcend organizational boundaries, enabling local and international partners to develop approaches to humanitarian responses and collaboratively create synergies during crisis response. It also supports local actors in enhancing their capabilities in humanitarian response, preparedness, coordination, and advocacy. Additionally, the program aims to create opportunities for establishing complementary partnerships and promoting the roles of local partners. Capacity-strengthening and exchange measures are based on LHPs' self-defined needs and priorities, as well as the broader humanitarian context within their countries and contexts.

As part of the project's partner organizational capacity strengthening activities, ERA is going to hire a consultant/ Consultancy firm to review the following Policies and Procedures-

• Safeguarding Policy,
• Protection from Sexual Harassment Exploitation and Abuse (PSHEA) Policy
• Procurement & Logistics Policy
  And to develop the following guideline-
• Partnership Guideline

2. Scope of Work
The consultant/consultancy firm will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Initial Assessment of the organization's present practices and Consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
• Develop a draft of the Policy/policies.
• Incorporate stakeholder’s feedback on the draft policy/policies.
• Stakeholder Feedback and Revision
• Final Policy/policies, its implementation plan, and recommendations for monitoring and evaluation.
• Provide staff orientation on the policy/policies.

3. Deliverables
The consultant/consultancy firm is expected to deliver the following outputs:

• Inception Report: A report outlining the objectives, approach, methodology, data quality assurance plan, risk identification and mitigation strategy, and work plan. The inception report will also include a description of how the consultant/consultancy firm will ensure ethics and safeguarding. The inception report will be reviewed and approved by ERA.
• Draft Policy/policies: Draft policy/policies document that incorporates ERA's Mission, vision, objectives, and strategies.
• Final Policy/policies: After validation of the draft policy/policies, the policy/policies will be finalized and sent to ERA for approval and adoption.
• Relevant documents will be submitted as annexures with the final policy.

4.  Duration of the Assignment

The contract period is from 16 August 2025 to 16 October 2025. The consultancy will be carried out over 60 days, with the following key milestones:

5. Consultant/Consultancy firm’s Qualifications and Experience:
The consultant/Consultancy firm should have the following qualifications and experience:

• Proven experience in developing policies and procedures, particularly in the NGO/INGOs sector.
• Strong understanding of sustainability practices and relevant regulations.
• Experience in conducting stakeholder consultations and working with diverse groups.
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English
• Degree in relevant field.
• Master’s degree in social sciences/Finance/Human Resources/law, humanitarian studies etc.
• At least 5 years of experience working on policy and procedures development or related consultancy roles.
• Previous experience working with NGOs/INGOs is preferred.

The consultant/consultancy firm will coordinate with the Executive Director, ERA, Sunamganj.

6. Budget and Payment Terms:
The payments will be made upon approval and acceptance of the policy/policies by ERA.

7. Terms and Conditions

• ERA reserves the right to withhold payment if the consultant fails to meet agreed deadlines or deliverables.
• ERA will not cover any travel, accommodation, and other associated costs for the consultancy. The Consultant/consulting firm will be responsible for covering these expenses.
• Payment shall be made through an A/C payee cheque after delivery of the materials.  
• VAT and Tax shall be deducted at source as per govt. revenue policy.
• Any fraud, bribery, corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing/activities by the vendor is strictly prohibited and will constitute automatic disqualification.
• The Consultant/Consultancy Firm and its employees, staff, and/or subcontractors shall not be involved in any sexual harassment, exploitation, or abuse. The consultant/consultancy firm shall take all appropriate measures to (1) prevent sexual exploitation, harassment, or abuse of anyone by its employees or any other persons engaged and controlled by the Contractor to perform any services under the Contract, and (2) take corrective action when an SHEA incident occurs. The consultant/consultancy firm hereby commits to report any incident of SHEA to ERA. Any breach of the provision by the consultant/consultancy firm shall be entitled to terminate the contract with immediate effect. For the purposes hereof, the following definitions shall be used: Sexual exploitation means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially, or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. Sexual Harassment means when differences in power between staff members, are abused (verbally, through touch, use of inappropriate images, etc). Sexual abuse means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.
• Consultant/Consultancy firms can bid for any one or all of the policies.

8. Confidentiality:
The consultant/Consultancy firm is required to maintain strict confidentiality concerning all information and documentation provided by ERA. All deliverables produced as part of this consultancy shall vest in ERA upon their creation.

9. Evaluation Criteria:
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevant experience and qualifications.
• Clarity and feasibility of the proposed methodology.
• Cost-effectiveness (Value for Money) of the financial proposal.
• Strong references from previous clients, particularly NGOs or similar organizations.

10. Submission of Proposals:
Interested consultants/consultancy firms are invited to submit the following documents:

• A detailed technical proposal, including an approach and methodology for developing the Policy/policies.
• A financial proposal with a detailed breakdown of costs (including VAT/TAX as per Bangladesh Govt. rules).
• CV(s) of the consultant(s)/Consultancy firm including evidence of relevant experience.
• A sample of previous similar work (if available).
• Names and contact information of at least two references.

11. Deadline for Proposal Submission

Proposals must be submitted by 07 August 2025, with the consultancy expected to begin by 16 August 2025.

For any queries regarding the Terms of Reference (ToR) and submission of proposals, please contact: erahaor.procurement@gmail.com

Kindly indicate in the subject line: “Submission Proposal for Policy/es of ToGETHER 2.0 Program”

Note: English is the preferred language for all applications.

Only applications that meet all the basic requirements outlined in the detailed Expression of Interest (EoI) will be considered.

Shortlisted Consultant/Consultancy firms will be contacted for the next steps in the selection process.