1. Who is the Asia Displacement Solutions Platform (ADSP)
About ADSP
The Asia Displacement Solutions Platform (ADSP) aims to contribute to the development of comprehensive solutions for populations affected by displacement in the Asia region. ADSP draws on its members’ operational presence throughout the region to engage in constructive dialogue and evidence-based advocacy initiatives. This is done to facilitate improved outcomes for displaced populations, focusing on the development of innovative solutions to displacement challenges.
ADSP was established in 2017 with a mandate to promote durable solutions via three core pillars – research, advocacy, and coordination. Since its inception, the platform has focused on research initiatives that build an evidence base for humanitarian, development and peace actors to facilitate understanding around durable solutions to displacement.
2. Purpose of the consultancy
The Asia Displacement Solutions Platform seeks proposals from a consultant to research transitional solutions initiatives developed by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kachin State. This research will be conducted in collaboration with and provide concrete recommendations for the Kachin Durable Solutions Working Group, and other national and regional stakeholders to better support bottom-up initiatives for transitioning towards durable solutions.
About the Kachin Durable Solutions Working Group
The Kachin Durable Solutions Working Group (Kachin DSWG) was formed in 2019 for actors (in the humanitarian and development sectors) to coordinate, share analysis, and harmonise approaches. The Kachin DSWG has adopted a ‘Transitional Solutions Approach’, under the “Interim Guidance on Transitional Solutions for IDPs in Kachin” endorsed by DSWG members in June 2022, to support IDPs with their own community/IDP-led solutions plans, address protection risks and increase resilience, but also to lay the foundation for achieving durable solutions in the future. The guidance provides a principled, recommended approach for organizations to support communities in their voluntary aspirations, IDPs’ intentions or plans (future or ongoing) to return, locally integrate, and/or settle elsewhere, while being fully transparent with stakeholders about the challenges involved and responsibly mitigating risks.
3. Background
Context
In Kachin State, over 164,900 people are currently displaced, 93,400 of which are in a situation of protracted displacement since before the events of 2021. Most of these IDPs fled from rural areas to camps in towns, border areas and villages on main roads. Since 2014, a significant number of IDPs are pursuing their own “transitional solutions” initiatives either by returning to their village of origin, locally integrating near the camps in urban or semi-urban areas or joining resettlement sites in a new location. Due to ongoing fighting and instability in Kachin State, these initiatives should be understood as laying the foundations for future durable solutions and not necessarily durable solutions themselves. As such, the term “transitional” is used throughout this document and the consultant will have to meaningfully engage with its meaning and operational ramifications.
Preliminary observations indicate that return committees organised and led by IDPs play an important role in initiating, advocating and planning for transitional solutions initiatives in coordination and with the support of local organisations and faith-based actors. Such actors are also instrumental in supporting IDPs’ development initiatives geared towards achieving local integration and settlement elsewhere, engaging with mechanisms such as Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) and Village Development Committees (VDCs). Local organisations and faith-based actors have and may continue to play a critical role in supporting transitional solutions initiatives in Kachin State. According to the Kachin DSWG, an estimated 25,100 IDPs have pursued transitional solutions since 2014, including approximately 14,400 people since 2021. Despite the volatility of the situation, an increase in the number of IDPs pursuing transitional solutions was anticipated in 2024 by the Kachin DSWG, with around 13,000 IDPs pursuing existing plans for transitional solutions.
Since 7 March 2024, armed clashes intensified in Kachin State. Of the 14 townships where IDPs moved for different types of transitional solutions, IDPs pursuing returns, local integration, or resettlement in four townships (Waingmaw, Momauk, Bhamo and Mansi) have been affected. Some of these communities have been re-displaced. On the other hand, since March 2024, an estimated 2,000 IDPs have moved for solutions. In addition, with the fighting nearing or taking place in urban areas, more IDPs in urban protracted camps have relocated to rural areas, including their villages of origin, which could potentially evolve into more permanent return plans.
4. Objective of the consultancy
This research has the following objectives:
i. To map and assess transitional solutions initiatives undertaken by IDPs in Kachin State as per the ReDSS Solutions Framework methodology, and identify prioritised protection risks and programming gaps where further support is needed;
ii. To support understanding of and engagement with ‘transitional solutions’ as a concept, provide strategic, actionable, and practical recommendations for members of the Kachin DSWG to operationalise IDPs transitional solutions initiatives, particularly feeding into the Kachin Durable Solutions Working Group (DSWG) Joint Action Plan.
iii. To identify for national and regional actors’ promising practices in Kachin State that can be integrated and implemented into policy and programmatic responses for other IDP populations in Myanmar, while possibly informing similar dynamics in other regional or global contexts.
Key Research Questions
i. How do outcomes in terms of legal, physical, and material safety differ for IDPs in Kachin State pursuing various transitional solutions? How do these outcomes compare to those of host communities? How do the outcomes of IDPs who pursue return compare with IDPs who pursue resettlement and IDPs who pursue local integration? What characteristics or factors lead to higher achievements in reintegration?
ii. What further programmatic support and policy changes are needed to better support IDPs in Kachin State pursuing transitional solutions, particularly given recent shifts in conflict/displacement since March 2024?
iii. What promising practices and achievements of organisations supporting transitional solutions initiatives in Kachin State can be implemented and integrated into policy and programmatic responses for other IDP populations in Myanmar and elsewhere?
5. Scope of work and Methodology
The Consultant will be required to prepare a detailed methodology and work plan indicating how the objectives of the project will be achieved, and the support required.
This proposed research initiative will undertake a comparative analysis of IDPs pursuing different transitional solutions initiatives in Kachin State to identify prioritised areas of support and intervention for organisations supporting these initiatives in Kachin State. This analysis will apply an adapted model of the Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (ReDSS) Solutions Framework, which has been used by ADSP to conduct durable solutions analyses in Afghanistan. The ReDSS Solutions Framework is a rapid analytical tool that offers a snapshot in time to assess the extent to which durable solutions for displaced populations have been achieved in a particular context. It uses three criteria – Physical, Material and Legal Safety – and 10 sub-criteria (which can be adapted to the context) to assess whether a population has achieved or is on track to achieving a durable solution and then uses a traffic light system to produce a comparative assessment of the status of each indicator between IDPs and the host community. This comparative assessment in this analysis is also expected to compare outcomes between IDPs who have pursued return, resettlement, and local integration in Kachin State. This snapshot will enable members of the Kachin DSWG to better understand the viability of different transitional solutions initiatives pursued by IDPs in Kachin State and document where further protection and programming gaps remain.
The consultant will be responsible for managing data collection and analysis for this research initiative, which will draw on both existing data collected by the Kachin DSWG and ADSP members as well as additional primary data collection. During the initial inception phase of the consultancy, the consultant will work with ADSP and members of the Kachin DSWG to map coverage and gaps in existing datasets and determine what further primary data collection is necessary for this project and what support is required. For primary data collection, the consultant will coordinate and work closely with ADSP and members of the Kachin DSWG, with any additional support for primary data collection anticipated to be provided by them. Any data collected as part of this research will progress in line with ethical research standards defined by ADSP, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and best practice in IDP-specific research informant protection.
The research initiative will culminate in a concise, cogent, and targeted research brief drafted by the consultant that will provide strategic and relevant recommendations for the DSWG members, as well as other local, national, and regional actors (humanitarian, development and peace) and donors working to support IDPs in Myanmar. Recommendations should particularly aim to feed into planning exercises for 2025. At a regional and global level, this research brief will contribute to building an evidence base of promising practices on how local actors can facilitate solutions initiated by displaced populations which can be integrated and implemented into programming and durable solutions advocacy for other displaced populations in Asia. It will facilitate cross regional learning, as well as inform ADSP’s advocacy at regional level with specific ADSP-led data and analysis.
6. Deliverables
Phase 1: Inception stage
In Phase 1, the consultant will develop an inception report, detailing the research methodology, a preliminary bibliography and data sources, research tools, and final report structure. The consultant will conduct a desk review and scoping exercises including initial consultations with key stakeholders. This will include a mapping of existing primary qualitative and quantitative data collected through ADSP and the Kachin DSWG. In the inception report, the consultant will provide an assessment of existing primary data and whether/how existing data collection systems may benefit from or be reinforced through this research project. A finalised workplan (including a sampling approach and a draft data sharing agreement for data collection) should also be included in the inception report. Following the submission of the inception report, ADSP and the Kachin DSWG will decide how further primary data collection will be conducted as part of this research.
Phase 2: Data Collection, Validation and Analysis
After finalising the research methodology, the consultant will start the data collection process in coordination with the Kachin DSWG. The consultant will be responsible for ensuring that data collection protocols are implemented in adherence with ethical principles. The consultant will initiate data analysis and prepare an initial draft of the report based on existing and newly collected qualitative and quantitative data. It is envisaged that intermediary dissemination sessions may also be conducted by the consultant with ADSP and key stakeholders in order to share and validate research findings. The consultant will report progress to ADSP on a bi-weekly basis and during virtual meetings.
Phase 3: Report Writing
The consultant will complete data analysis and draft the final report (which should not exceed 20 pages). The first draft will be shared with ADSP and the Kachin DSWG for comments and inputs, with the final report and an executive summary (three pages maximum) to be delivered by the consultant within one week of receiving the feedback. The report is expected to be written in English, maintaining a high standard of quality in terms of language proficiency, grammar, and overall clarity. The consultant is responsible for ensuring that the final report is fully copy-edited.
In addition to the written report and executive summary, the consultant is also expected to prepare a PowerPoint slide deck of the key research findings and recommendations to key stakeholders.
The research will be conducted between October 2024 and December 2024. The estimated duration of this assignment is 45 working days (negotiable depending on the breadth of the proposal). The tentative schedule of deliverables is as follows.
The Consultant will submit the following deliverables as mentioned in the Terms of Reference.
7. Duration, timeline, and payment
The total expected duration to complete the assignment will be no more than 45 working days.
The consultant shall be prepared to complete the assignment no later than 30 November 2024 (Final report release date). The Consultancy timeframe is 1 November (TBC) – 31 December 2024.
The consultant is expected to provide a detailed projected breakdown of daily costs related to research activities, data collection, analysis, and report writing. The consultant will be expected to cover their own tax obligations.
Payment milestones will be discussed in detail during the contract award (no advance payment applicable):
• 15% after 10/15 pages inception report is accepted
• 35% after data collection is finished/intermediary dissemination session provided
• 50% after final report is accepted
8. Proposed Composition of Team
• Lead researcher
• Any additional support
9. Eligibility, qualification, and experience required
The ideal research consultant should possess the following qualifications and experience:
• Advanced degree in Political Science, Human Rights, Development Studies, Law, Migration Studies, Refugee Studies or related Social Sciences;
• Demonstrable experience engaging issues of internal displacement in Asia and the Pacific region (experience in Myanmar preferred) and globally, with strong understanding of recent developments (e.g. High-Level Panel and Action Agenda on Internal Displacement);
• Demonstrable research experience with hard-to-reach, marginalised populations;
• Sound understanding of policy frameworks relating to protection and durable solutions (national, regional, and international);
• Excellent qualitative and quantitative analytical skills, a solid understanding of research methodology and research ethics (previous engagement with the ReDSS Durable Solutions Analysis Framework a plus);
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Established stakeholder networks in Asia and the Pacific region with the ability to work consultatively with key stakeholders throughout the research process;
• Fluency in writing and speaking English. Fluency in Burmese/Myanmar languages a plus.
10. Technical supervision
The assessment shall be completed in close cooperation with the Asia Displacement Solutions Platform and the Kachin Durable Solutions Working Group. The primary contact points for the consultant will be Jerome Elie, ADSP Manager and Paul Vernon, ADSP Regional Advocacy Specialist.
11. Location and support
This consultancy is home-based. The consultant will make use of her/his own computer and mobile telephone.
12. Travel
No travel is anticipated for this project.
13. Submission process
Interested applicants who meet the required experience and qualifications are invited to submit the following documents to ADSP no later than stipulated in RFP invitation letter and specify the subject: Consultancy: ADSP Solutions Analyses of IDPs in Kachin State.
– Research proposal (10 pages max), highlighting the capacity and experience to independently carry out the research as per the ToR including a detailed workplan which indicates the delivery times of each deliverable stated above
– CV of project lead and all team member(s) together with any relevant degree confirmation certificates/diplomas and/or certificate/s of completion on comparable projects.
– Two references related to relevant work previously conducted or contact details of the referees for DRC to contact for the reference check.
– Two samples of comparable work produced/written by any of the proposed experts/team members.
Please check the Administrative Evaluation Table of RFP Invitation Letter for the documents need to be submitted along with the bid.
14. Evaluation of bids
For the award of this project, ADSP has established evaluation criteria which govern the selection of offers received. The offer will be evaluated using the criteria stipulated in the RFP letter and Terms of Reference.
A bidder will be considered technically compliant if they achieve 60% of the total score.
Technically compliant Bidders will be invited for Evaluation panel interview (additional points will be added to bid analysis) where Panel will ask several questions related to the categories listed below.
The points achieved in the interview will be added to the technical evaluation scores of bidders who successfully qualify in the technical evaluation phase.
How to apply
Complete Tender Documents can be found in this link: RFP-RO05-00316412 Solicitation Documents
Address for the submission of proposals:
Hard copies at: 2 # Titstian Tabidze Tbilisi, Georgia
Electronic copies at rfq.aero@drc.ngo
RFP Issuing Date: 08 October 2024
RFP Closing Date: 21 October 2024, 09:00 AM, UTC
21 October 2024, 13:00 PM, Tbilisi (GMT +4)