Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference

CECI Nepal, Susasan Project

A research on sustainability of technological tools for good governance in Susasan Project Area

1.   Context

The Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI) is an international non-governmental organization which works in more than 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. CECI has been working in Nepal for over 30 years. CECI’s mission is to combat poverty and exclusion. To this end, it builds the developmental capacities of local disadvantaged communities, supports peace, human rights, and equity initiatives, mobilizes resources, and fosters the exchange of knowledge. 

CECI is implementing a four-year Susasan project with the aim to leverage and mainstream integrated technologiesfor public sector accountability in Nepal. The project is working with the Municipal and Rural Municipal government as well as in the adjoining community of six districts: Sindhupalchok and Lalitpur of Bagmati province and Kailali, Dadeldhura, Achham and Bajhang of Sudurpashchim province along with federal and provincial government. The project was designed to complement ongoing initiatives and programs (digitization of local government plan, budget, data; web site development; mainstreaming social accountability tools etc.) at the national level and in targeted districts related to governance and social accountability as well as the ongoing recovery and rehabilitation programs in the government's reconstruction efforts. The objectives of the project are to:

1. Improve the capacity of intermediaries (national and local CSOs) to monitor and report on public service delivery and human rights issues, especially in relation to women and marginalized groups (WMGs).
2. Improve bottom-up coordination, communication and feedback between communities, rural municipalities, municipalities, provinces, and federal government agency. 
3. Improve citizen engagement, especially by WMGs, to strengthen public sector accountability and responsiveness at the local, provincial, and federal levels.
4. Enhance the capacity of government to respond to the diverse needs and rights of people in Nepal, especially towards WMG.

2.   Scope of work

Susasan project has successfully completed its three years. During this period, it has developed technological tools, platforms, and mechanisms to promote transparency, accountability, and citizen state engagement at local government level. All these efforts aim to contribute to institutionalization of digital governance through building capacity of both demand and supply side on the use of technology for efficient public service delivery, real time dissemination of information and accessing required data and information to fulfill the needs of citizens specifically Women and Marginalized Groups (WMGs) as well as to create evidence-based interface between government and citizens. 

Susasan project is looking for independent research to be conducted on the role of online and offline technological tools, platforms, and mechanisms in the promotion of transparency, accountability, and citizen state engagement along with effective public service delivery and social accountability improvement in Susasan project area. The research should answer how the LGs and CSOs own and sustain the tools/platform developed by the Susasan project?

For more information about the project: https://susasan.org/

3.   The objective of the Research

The overall objective of the research is to assess how the LGs and CSOs own and sustain the technological tools/platforms developed by the Susasan project aiming to strengthen good governance through promoting transparency, accountability, and citizen state engagement.

The specific objectives are:

1.   To gauge how the local governments are owning and internalizing/institutionalizing the sustainable management and operation of technological tools, platforms, and mechanisms.

2.  To map how the technological tools have helped citizens in accessing public services and information to hold local government accountable and responsive to promote social accountability. 

3.  To identify challenges to internalization and make recommendations on how to further the sustainability and institutionalization of the tools/methods.

4. Requirement or tasks

4.1   The consultant

• Finalization of tools and methodology: the assessment should follow the participatory research methodology ensuring more space to engage concerned stakeholders i.e., local government, WMGs, national partners and CSOs. The tools and methodology should ensure clear reflection of GESI perspectives and well summarized in the report.
• Develop questionnaire/discussion checklist for data collection.
• Define qualitative and quantitative data analysis tools and procedures.
• Prepare field study work plan. 
• Collect secondary information including desk review of updated government policies/ procedures related to citizen state engagement in the context of new federal structures of the country.
• Identify, inform, and engage ideal participants from local government, citizen interest groups, CBOs and other relevant stakeholders ensuring inclusiveness of WMG.
• Collect field data using appropriate tools i.e. FGDs, KII and other participatory interactions.
• Share the first draft report with Susasan team for feedback/comments/suggestions.
• Incorporate feedback, comments, and suggestions.
• Submit final report to Susasan.

4.2   The CECI, Susasan Project

• Provide necessary documents required for the study. 
• Support consultant by setting meeting with the concern stakeholders.

5   Deliverables

The deliverables for the study are:

• Inception report with scope, methodology and analytical framework to conduct research (including tool brief, methodologies, instruments, work plan with detail timeline)
• Conduct field research at district and local government level
• Sharing of first draft report for feedback/input
• A comprehensive final report (both e-copies & hard copies)

6   Level of Effort and timeline

Susasan project is expecting to accomplish the assignment with maximum 30workdays. The proposed key activities are:  

• Tools and methodology development with inception report
• Data collection, analysis, and validation
• Drafting of report and sharing for comment/feedback 
• Submission of final report addressing the comments

7   Reporting/monitoring

The consultant should report to the Project Team Leader. The Governance Specialist is responsible for ensuring overall quality of the study. GESI specialist and MEL Specialist will provide necessary support and guidance to ensure consistency, standards, and quality of the research. The monitoring should ensure that: the right ToR is issued, due process is followed for the selection of consultant, proper methodology is applied, data is gathered from authentic sources and the findings and recommendations contributes to the relevant indicatorsof MEL plan and overall scope of the work.

8    Required qualification and skills for the consultant

• Master’s Degree in social science, governance, political economics, law, management, rural development, and other relevant subjects,
• Proven experience of conducting participatory field research/studies in the field of paradigm shift in federal structure and civic engagement, transparency, and accountability for good governance, 
• Must have good knowledge and experience of demand and supply side governance and civic engagement modalities.
• Conceptual understandings of constitutional spirit, provincial and municipal policy priorities and demand and supply side governance issues as well as digital governance.
• Sensitive towards caste, religion, gender, culture, and social norms & exclusion.

9   Application process

Interested individual or a firm (registered in VAT or PAN) should apply letter of interest electronically along with the following documents, without which the application will not be considered eligible:

• A cover letter explaining your interest in this assignment and your ability to carry it out;
• Recently updated CV;
• Quotation with detailed cost breakdown (including total estimated cost for the above-mentioned deliverables);
• VAT/PAN registered certificate.

4.   The following criteria will be used to review submissions

• Professionalism
• Budget
• Experience

Letter of interest should be submitted by 29th of January 2021, at cecinepal@ceci.ca

Note:

• Susasan project will not have any liabilities on any unanticipated incident (accident, injury, natural disaster etc.) to the consultants & overhead cost will not allow to the respective organization.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified of the interview. No telephone inquiries will be entertained with respect to this announcement.

The maximum available budget is NRS. 500,000 (In words five hundred thousand rupees only). This includes consultant’s fee, lodging (accommodation), DSA, travel and stationaries including all other associated cost with this study. All applicable taxes will be deducted at source. 

Women candidates and Candidates from disadvantaged groups/communities and areas (Dalit, Janjati/Indigenous, Madheshi, Muslim, LGBTIQ+ and Economic and or geographically excluded districts) are encouraged to apply.