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TERMS OF REFERENCE Consultancy Services for “Identifying and Validating |
| 1. Introduction |
Background: For over 82 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has responded to the world’s worst humanitarian crises to help people whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by conflict, crisis, and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their futures. IRC has been actively involved in humanitarian response and development initiatives in Bangladesh since 2017, specifically addressing the needs of Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities in Cox's Bazar. In 2024, the IRC continued to deliver vital humanitarian support - including through vital advocacy efforts - to more than 400,000 people across Cox's Bazar, Khulna and Barisal. The prolonged displacement of Rohingya refugees has led to significant humanitarian needs, including a critical lack of sustainable livelihood opportunities. While humanitarian assistance remains vital, promoting self-reliance and dignified income generation pathways is crucial for both refugees and the affected host communities.
To foster economic resilience of both refugees and the affected host communities, the Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) component of IRC is implementing skills development and livelihoods support interventions aimed at improving refugees’ capacity for self-reliance and income generation. Despite the implementation of several skills-building programs, Livelihood interventions and IRC’s existing component’s initiatives, many refugees remain unable to engage in meaningful income-generating activities due to legal, economic, and market-related barriers. To enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of ERD programs, and to explore new opportunities for skill development and income generation, IRC is seeking consultancy services from a qualified consultant or consulting firm to conduct a comprehensive assessment on validating existing programming/interventions, identifying potential context-specific livelihood/Income generating opportunities and suggesting potential pathways for engaging in local markets within the unique operational context of Cox's Bazar, encompassing both Rohingya camps and surrounding host communities in alignment with the GOB guideline.
| 2. PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT |
The primary purpose of the assignment is to identify and validate occupations relevant to refugees' ability to generate income, with a focus on both enhancing existing skills-building programs and exploring new market-driven opportunities for both Rohingya camps and surrounding host communities in Cox's Bazar.
The specific objectives of the assessment are:
SO1: Validate current skills-building programs delivered by IRC to refugees in relation to their ability to generate income.
SO2: Identify new occupations that allow refugees to diversify their potential ability to generate income.
SO3: Suggest potential pathways for refugees to engage in the local markets.
Submission Deadline: 17th August 2025