Terms of Reference (TOR)

Terms of Reference (TOR) for consultants 

Introduction of Project: 

Oxfam in Nepal, Food & Economic Justice Programme has been implementing remittance based Rural Livelihood Support Project i.e. Improved Rural livelihoods through Productive Use of Remittance in Baitadi and Darchula. The project has been implementing in collaboration with Prabhu Management Ltd and in partnership with Rural Development and Environment Management Society (Rudes, Baitadi). The project aims is supporting women’s collective action for viable livelihoods through productive use of remittance and business development service in Darchula and Baitadi districts of Far West Region of Nepal. The project has targeted to 1000 share members of 4 cooperatives of Darchula and Baitadi. The project will support to establish remittance service to the cooperatives and productive use of remittance through collective action of share members of cooperatives for the production, marketing and access to financial services, insurances and subsidies. The project has developed the mechanism to receive remittances from India in rural areas by establishing Digital Financial Services through 4 local cooperatives. The project promotes the mechanism to introduce a product for cooperatives to convert remittances into savings, and marketing of the product among migrant families. By accessing the product, migrant families participate in income generation activities through the cooperatives. 

Goal 

Improved food security and viable livelihoods of poor and women in Far –west region of Nepal through productive use of remittance 

In order to achieve the overall goal, the proposed project has three objectives: 

Objectives: 

• Develop a cost-effective and responsive formal remittance services system focusing on Nepalese migrant workers in India, 
• Increase the capacity of migrant families for productive use of remittances 
• Improve the livelihood and food security of migrant families by promoting agricultural based enterprises 

Project Location and beneficiaries:

The project has been implementing implementing in collaboration with Prabhu Management Ltd in partnership with Rudes, Baitadi with four cooperatives in Darchula and Baitadi as followings. 

The consultants:

A team of high level consultants (two people) are expected to accomplish the above tasks. The expected team of consultants should have financial and management background who have high level expertise and experiences for the financial product development, documentation of good practices and capacity to handle/ organize national level workshop. 

Deliverable (i.e. what exactly the consultant is required to deliver): 

• Financial product development of 4 cooperatives of Baitadi and Darchula 
• Collect, prepare and publish 100 copies of good practice booklet of project (15-20 pages) 
• Organize a national level workshop at Kathmandu with the participants of 40-50 and produce workshop proceeding. 

Role of consultant: 

For the assignment, the task demands field visits and interactions with partners and project beneficiaries so that consultant shall propose a set of methods in the methodology part of her/his technical proposal and validated by Oxfam, Basically, the following methods will be used to collect the information:

Activity (A and B)- Financial Product Development and publication of good practices: 

• Prepare work plan and field methodologies in close coordination with Oxfam staff and partner. 
• Revisit existing documents including project proposal, quarterly and annual reports and other publications.
• Organize field visit in Darchula and Baitadi for meeting with partners and cooperatives for the financial product development of four cooperatives. 
• Organize field visit in close cooperation with partner and cooperatives to collect good practices, photographs and success model of project.  
• Clearly outline the design of financial products of cooperatives and publication of good practices booklet, specifying the approach to addressing the purposes of the task,
• Field visit and interviews with local partners and target beneficiaries of project in two districts. 
• Conduct FGDs where appropriate and necessity,
• Collection of success/good stories of target community including photographs,
• Field visit to selected programme area of district Darchula and Baitadi
• Capacity building of partners and cooperatives for the successfully handle of financial products. 

Activity (C) – National sharing workshop:

• Prepare an outline and methodology to organize national sharing workshop 
• Select the venue to organize national level sharing workshop. 
• Coordinate and communicate with relevant speakers, presenters and participates in advance. 
• Invite the partner staff/ beneficiaries, Prabhu Management Lts executive and high level authorities of government and private sectors for the presentation and participation in the workshop. 
• Manage overall logistic requirements to organize national level workshop
• Produce and share the national level workshop proceeding.  

Tentative work plan and time frame:

• Financial product development: one week time for the financial product development in first week of Feb 2018
• Collection of good practices: One week time to collect good practices in the field in 2nd week of Feb 2018
• National level workshop: 4/5 days for the preparation and organize national level workshop in first week of March 2018. 

Management of the programme 

The ED/ PC of Rudes Baitadi will manage, carry out the contract of agreement with consultant and provide required supports for the consultants. The Project Coordinator- Food & Economic Justice of Oxfam will be assisted to the partners for the consultancy work and facilitate contact between the consultant, partner and stakeholders. 

Minimum requirements/Selection criteria of the consultants

• The consultant should have a team of two people for the overall task
• The consultant should have financial and management background with have sound knowledge on financial product development of cooperatives and preparation of good practices with capturing success case studies, success model with photographs,
• Proven experience on collection and publication of high quality good practices booklets, change story through booklet,
• Proven experience of community level information and data gathering through case study and good practices
• Good facilitation and interpretation skills,
• High level expertise to handle/ organize national level workshop with the participation of relevant high profile government and private sectors authority. 
• The consultants /firm should have PAN, VAT registration and Tax Clearance certificates.

Requested documents and information

The Consultant should complete and submit the following documents with her/his proposal:

1. Proposal along with finance submission duly completed and signed by the Consultant; 
2. Methodology to be drawn up, including the outline programme; 
3. C.V. highlighting the Consultant’s experience in the specific field of the services and his/her specific experience in the country/region where the task are to be performed;

The Consultant should also provide all relevant information; documents and references, which give evidence of his/her qualifications to carry out the task. The Consultant whose proposal is accepted shall provide, if so requested by the Contracting Authority, copies of academic qualifications and employers’ certificates or references proving her/his education, professional experience and language proficiency.

Confidentiality

During the performance of the assignment or at any time after expiry or termination of the agreement, the Consultant shall not disclose to any person or otherwise make use of any confidential information which she/he has obtained or may obtain in the course of the study relating to partner organization/Oxfam, the respondents or otherwise.