Job Description

TERMS OF REFERENCE

UNDERSTANDING THE HOUSING, LAND, AND PROPERTY NEEDS OF MINORITY AND MARGINALIZED GROUPS THROUGH COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS, ENGAGEMENTS, POLICY REVIEW, AND ANALYSIS

Assignment: Understanding the housing, land, and property needs of minority and marginalized groups through community consultations, engagements, policy review, and analysis

Location:                     Kismayo and Dollow

Department/Org:         Information, Counselling, and Legal Assistance (ICLA).

Reports to:                     ICLA Project Manager and ICLA Programme Development Manager   

Interactions:                  ICLA Manager/PDM/Specialist/ICLA Advisor, HoP, and Country Director

Reporting to:                  ICLA Project Manager and ICLA Programme Development Manager   

Timeline:                        5 weeks

SUBJECT: Community consultations, policy review, and analysis

1.  Background

An estimated 8.25 million people in Somalia require humanitarian assistance. More than 3.8 million people are now displaced in Somalia, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation where some 6.7 million people are struggling to meet their food needs. More than half a million Somali children are severely malnourished[1]. Continued conflict and instability in the country combined with flooding have resulted in large-scale internal and cross-border displacement. New displacements continue with 1,549,000 [2] persons displaced between January to October 2023 according to PRMN reports. It is important to highlight that the severe drought and flooding situation in Somalia has continued to increase the Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) challenges that are confronting displaced communities. Due to the influx, many newly drought and conflict-displaced households are joining existing IDP settlements as a coping mechanism with unclear tenure arrangements, which are putting them at further risk of forced evictions.

The violation of HLP rights, in the form of forced evictions, remains a major negative factor affecting the overall protective environment for newly drought-displaced populations, thereby perpetuating social marginalization and preventing IDPs and the wider local community from accessing potential durable solutions. Furthermore, the lack of adequate housing in overcrowded IDP settlements has exposed women and children to protection risks such as gender-based violence including rape and physical assaults.

In Somalia, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) operates through mobile and static modes of response. Our mobile rapid response team provides multi-sectoral lifesaving assistance across the country. The team responds to sudden onset shocks and emergencies. The rapid response mechanism that has been designed in close coordination with other humanitarian actors allows for improved coordination and harmonized approaches. It enables us to reach vulnerable people in hard-to-reach areas. NRC responds to protracted crises through our ongoing operations and provision of integrated services within our core competencies. Access constraints, like bureaucratic impediments and insecurity, continue to heavily affect the overall humanitarian operation and the ability to reach people in critical need.

As part of Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) work, community consultations will be carried out in the locations above to contribute to designing solutions to integrate housing, land, and property community needs and priorities. The consultancy on behalf of the Housing, Land, and Property Area of Responsibility (AoR) will organize a series of community consultations through the facilitation of inclusive, safe spaces tailored for minority and marginalized displacement groups. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) team plans to organize community consultation in the locations above. These consultations aim to engage displaced and host communities, including minority and marginalized groups, women, and Persons with a disability to discuss housing, land, and property (HLP) issues. The consultations will explore local barriers, discrimination practices, and challenges faced by displacement-affected communities (DACs).

2.  Objectives

•  To create community spaces for dialogue on HLP issues, access to services, legal identity, and access to justice for displaced and host communities.
•  To deepen understanding of discrimination impacting minority and marginalized groups on issues around their legal identity, and access to rights and justice.
•  To raise awareness among national and international stakeholders about the needs of vulnerable groups.
•  To use findings for designing relevant HLP interventions.

3.  Scope of work

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is looking for an experienced housing, land, and property community consultations and policy analyst consulting firm with a strong community engagement and legal profile to support the programme of work of the Information Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) core competence and its Housing Land and Property thematic area and related Durable Solutions (DS) Initiatives. This includes analysis related to policy gaps, impact, and national, local, or thematic policy reviews, community consultation meeting activities, Focus Group Discussions, Reporting on challenges and barriers, and national, local or thematic policy reviews. We are particularly interested in hearing from consultancy firms that can contribute to the ICLA, HLP, and DS work by providing new evidence on the value of community engagements, legal analysis, and policy review. The consultancy firm will work under the supervision of the ICLA Specialist/Programme Development Manager.

4.  Deliverables

Prepare a five-page inception report on the process upon signing the contract.

Prepare 2 community engagement/policy briefs (3 pages max) on Housing, Land, and Property key recommendations for programming in target locations.

Produce a 15-page report per location including annexes on understanding  Housing and Land from the community forums and FGDs(ensure the report identifies research priorities for further development and implementation therein.

Prepare a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the process and outcomes of the consultancy

5.  Timeline

 The consultancy period will last for 5 weeks starting from the day of signing the agreement.

Experiences and Qualifications

 Languages(s)

• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Good working knowledge of Somali and Somali dialects.

2. Selection process

The award of the contract will be made to the consultancy firm whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

3. Application Procedures and Requirements

The consulting firm interested is expected to provide the following documentation:

1. A cover letter introducing the consultant firm. The cover letter should introduce the team composition and specify the role to be played by each team member.
2. A technical proposal of not more than 10 pages outlining how to execute the task with a clear framework and methodology. The proposed methodology should demonstrate a clear understanding of the ToR (proposed methods and tools)
3. Key lead consultant resumes, or each team member from the firms
4. Proven track record of developing similar reports from INGOs and UN.
5. Proposed budget indicating consultancy fee in USD.
6. Proof of previous record of applied HLP community analysis in a related field, preferably in Government, an international organization, a national agency, or a research institute.
7. Proof of registration from the Somalia Federal government and other compliant documentation.
8. Selection Criteria for the Best Offer:

The consulting firm interested is expected to provide the following documentation: Only those firms that meet the minimum level of experience or requirements will be considered for the technical evaluation, see below selection criteria and weighing:

Skills Required

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