TERMS OF REFERENCE

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Impact assessment- Mainstreaming Access to Housing Microfinance and Related Support Services

A. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Habitat for Humanity Nepal

Habitat for Humanity International Nepal (“Habitat Nepal”), a non-profit international non-governmental organization affiliated with Social Welfare Council, Government of Nepal operates in nine districts of Nepal. The vision of Habitat Nepal is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Habitat Nepal’s purpose is to partner with people in the local community to help them build or improve a place they can call home.

Through its market development program line of business, Habitat Nepal helps to increase the availability and affordability of housing microfinance services, particularly of low-income households. Habitat Nepal has prioritized to strengthen microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Nepal by developing affordable housing loan products; housing finance literacy materials; and improve the capacity of MFIs to reach large numbers of low-income families - over 50,000 families by 2022. Habitat Nepal follows guidelines developed by Habitat for Humanity International’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) to promote housing microfinance services. Habitat Nepal is looking to hire an experienced consulting firm to conduct an Impact Assessment of the project called “Mainstreaming Access to Housing Microfinance and Related Support Services”. In this project Habitat Nepal provided technical assistance to develop housing microfinance loan products to five partner MFIs in Nepal. This assessment process would be jointly supervised and monitored by Habitat Nepal’s Senior Manager-Financial Inclusion and MEL Advisor of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Business Partnership Platform (DFAT/BPP).

Habitat Nepal requests a proposal from interested national or international firms for conducting impact assessment of the project.

B. OBJECTIVES

1. Overall objective

The overall objective of the assessment is to measure the impact of technical assistance in MFIs’ performance together with social impact of housing microfinance at the client level.

2. Specific objective

The specific objectives of the assessment are to measure the impact of the project in attaining the following areas:

Supply/MFI-side:

• Sustainability of housing microfinance loan portfolio
  • Households with access to other basic services including hydroelectricity, solar energy, biogas, drinking water, toilet etc.

Demand/client-side:

• Cost savings due to infrequent housing repair/maintenance
• Increased livelihood activities
• Improved health conditions
• Improved decision-making power of households
• Improved housing conditions

C. SCOPE OF WORK

1. Pre-Field Visit

• Review of literatures
• Review various documents developed by the project (market research report, process mapping report, product design workshop report, HMF policy manual, HMF pilot evaluation report etc.)
• Identify assessment methodology
• Propose the sample size of housing loan clients to be interviewed using structured questionnaire. Total client population is 50,000.
• Develop impact assessment methodology and tools and share with Habitat Nepal and DFAT/BPP for feedback
• Finalize tool/guide/questionnaire
• Submit inception report with field visit plan.

2. On-site (Field Visit)

• Visit at least three MFIs out of five partner MFIs. In each MFI, following activities should be completed:
  • Discussions/interview senior management, credit department staff, branch managers and loan officers.
  • Conduct various activities that are identified before pre-field visit and approved by Habitat Nepal
  • Ensure that quality data are collected
  • Adhere to ethical practices (including any compliance requirements to follow during field work)
• Deliver a de-briefing presentation to the senior management in each MFI.

3. De-briefing to Habitat Nepal

• After the completion of field activities, conduct de-briefing meeting with Habitat Nepal team in Kathmandu.

D. DELIVERABLES/SPECIFIC OUTPUTS EXPECTED FROM CONSULTANT

The consultant should deliver electronic copy of the following documents:

1. Inception report with assessment methodology and tools including detail work plan with timeline for each activity.

2. The compilation of the information gathered in the field (source dataset), in Excel or another supported program.

3. The report with key findings, overall impact and recommendations

E. TIMEFRAME

This assignment should start from June 1, 2022 and be completed within August 31, 2022

F. SPECIFIC INPUTS FROM HABITAT NEPAL 

• Habitat Nepal will provide the following documents:
  • Project proposal approved by DFAT/BPP for co-funding
  • Project initiative guide
  • Market research report
  • Process mapping report
  • Product design workshop report
  • HMF policy and procedure manual
  • Pilot evaluation report
  • Latest project progress report
• Communicate and coordinate with partner MFIs and the consultant
• Support for logistic arrangements for the consultant
• Review tools/guide/questionnaire and provide feedback
• Review draft report and provide feedback.

G. QUERIES ON TOR

In case of any confusion or clarification in this TOR, the firms can send their issues at info@habitatnepal.org or call at +977-9808573594.

H. TEAM COMPOSITION

The firm should propose the following team member:

1. Team Leader having impact assessment experiences. This person must be an international expert

2. Senior Microfinance Expert with product development experience- Nepalese National

3. Gender specialist- Nepalese National

I. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL 

Financial proposal should be presented in the following format. If you feel some headings are missing, you can add accordingly.

J. PAYMENT

The consultant should include travel cost, accommodation & food expenses, expert fee, etc. in the budget. 

The fees will be paid in two installments in the following manner:

1st installment: After the signature of consulting contract- 60%

Final installment: After the approval of final report- 40%

Note:

1. If proposal is submitted by international firm, Habitat Nepal will withhold applicable Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) of 15% of the budget. Similarly, Habitat Nepal will add 13% VAT in the budget and deposit to the Internal revenue Department of Government of Nepal.

2. If proposal is submitted by Nepali firm TDS will be 1.5% of the budget. In this case, Nepali firm will show the VAT amount in their proposal.

K. ETHICAL PROTOCALS

Throughout the assignment engagements, the consultants are expected to adhere to Habitat Nepal code of conduct including the safeguarding policy ensuring that all measures are taken to protect the rights, safety, and welfare of the individuals and communities involved.

L. QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCES REQUIRED

Habitat Nepal wishes to have the following profiles for the consultants:

• Team Leader- Minimum of 5 years of experiences in research and impact assessment
• Microfinance expert should have at least five years of experiences managing or advising the MFIs with focus of product development
• Gender specialist should have at least five years of experiences
• Experience of evaluating the impact of housing finance projects/products is a plus

M. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

• Technical and Financial proposal
• Firm/company profile with a list of past clients in related assessment
• Copies of report of prior related works with testimonials/certificates from former clients
• A copy of firm/company registration certificate
• A copy of PAN/VAT registration certificate, applicable only for Nepalese firm
• A copy of tax clearance certificate of most recent fiscal year
• CV of experts proposed

N. TO APPLY

Interested national or international firms should submit their technical and financial proposal including testimonials/certificates in the form of hardcopies in a separate sealed/closed envelope. Please send the sealed bid to National Director at Habitat for Humanity International- Nepal, Sanepa Chowk, Lalitpur – 2, P.O. Box: 24037, Kathmandu, Nepal.

This TOR is also available at: habitatnepal.org/career

Application deadline: May 16, 2022

In case of international firm, we will accept sealed/closed envelop even after May 16, if the document is dispatched within the last date of proposal submission.