Consultancy: Country Landscape Analysis for Scaling Extreme Poverty Programs and Policies: Ethiopia

Consultancy: Country Landscape Analysis for Scaling Extreme Poverty Programs and Policies: Ethiopia

Dates of Assignment: TBD depending on consultant availability, starting no later than November 1, 2021

Duration of Assignment: 30 days maximum, November 1, 2021 – December 1, 2021

Background

The BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative (UPGI) team is in the process of defining country strategies to scale poverty reduction policies and programmes in Ethiopia. BRAC UPGI is implementing a 5-year strategy to scale up its Graduation approach through existing government systems and is seeking a detailed understanding of the country landscape and strategic opportunities to inform an initial organizational strategy to guide this work. The work will be done in consultation with key BRAC UPGI team members and under the direction of the BRAC UPGI Country Engagement Working Team.

As the pioneers of the Graduation approach, BRAC has played a pivotal role in designing an innovative approach that breaks the poverty trap for people living in extreme poverty for the long-term. This has implications for many of international development’s most pressing areas of attention; inequality, gender, sustainable livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience. Given the effectiveness of the Graduation approach, BRAC UPGI will increase our focus on policy and systems change by promoting the adoption and scaling of the Graduation approach through engagement of country governments in 8-9 select geographies. This is a country-led agenda. In addition to concerted efforts at the national level, BRAC UPGI will also work to shape the global agenda and influence regional and global stakeholders to integrate a focus on the extreme poor and evidence from the Graduation approach into their poverty reduction investments, strategies, programming and policies, as well as those related to inclusive growth and development.

Description of Assignment

We are seeking a consultant to conduct a political economy analysis of the Ethiopian operating context, capturing existing priorities, programs, and policies focused on poverty reduction, social protection, and economic development to inform BRAC UPGI’s efforts to scale the Graduation approach and a focus on extreme poverty through national systems. The consultant will also conduct a mapping of key actors implementing programming and conducting advocacy related to poverty reduction, social protection, and development, particularly local civil society actors. In addition, the consultant will work with the UPGI team to inform and validate findings through a detailed and comprehensive series of key stakeholder interviews (e.g. government officials, multilaterals and bilaterals, NGO and CSO partners). The duration of this consultancy is 30 days maximum, with deliverables due at different points. Further details are included in the deliverables section, with additional information to be provided once selected for consultancy..

Scope of Work

BRAC UPGI is seeking a consultant to conduct a political economy analysis and civil society mapping to inform a comprehensive country strategy that will guide how BRAC will work towards uptake and wide-scale promotion and adoption of the Graduation approach by the government. The consultant will deliver these by building off existing information and identified gaps within UPGI resources, and clearly identify processes for obtaining additional information that is currently unavailable from other external sources or further team research.

The consultant will be provided with background material, including existing research and analysis from the UPGI team to build off of and incorporate into the political economy analysis template and other existing materials as relevant to support the consultant’s orientation and inform comprehensive deliverables. Some elements of existing research may need to be revisited or re-validated given research was conducted prior to the global pandemic.

The analysis and mapping should provide a thorough overview of the sections listed below for the country context. Specific details on existing research and analysis that is currently available, along with the landscape analysis and political economy analysis templates, will be provided during orientation.

1. Policies & Programs: This section is intended to include a thorough summary of all policies and programs which may pertain to systems change related to poverty reduction, social protection, financial/economic inclusion, gender inequality, climate change, human capital, and inclusive growth and other sustainable development issue areas relevant to the UPGI mission of ending extreme poverty.

2. Key Stakeholders and Civil Society Mapping: This section is intended to detail the most relevant partners across a span of government, multilateral institutions , bilateral donors, private sector, media institutions, and civil society as well as researchers, think tanks and academics where appropriate. This includes a detailed stakeholder mapping of local civil society actors, including those that work on priority issue areas relevant to our work such as extreme poverty, social protection, financial/economic inclusion, gender inequality, climate change, human capital, and inclusive growth.

3. Regional and Global Priorities and Commitments: This section is intended to identify the Government of Ethiopia’s past (and upcoming, if relevant) regional and global priorities, commitments, dialogues, networks, and opportunities to enhance our understanding of the government’s regional and global engagement.

In addition, the consultant will work with the UPGI team to validate the information through a series of stakeholder consultations with government, multilateral institutions, civil society, and researchers. The consultant will help to identify strategic stakeholders and secure connections through conducting the analysis and mapping.

Proposals should include mechanisms for regularly obtaining feedback and review from the UPGI team for the duration of the consultancy. The consultant will be expected to share updates regularly (weekly, at a minimum) with the BRAC UPGI team throughout the 30 day long consultancy. The consultant will also be expected to share a draft political economy analysis document and civil society mapping document for feedback to be addressed before finalization.

Qualifications

Required

● Consultant should be well versed in the Ethiopian development ecosystem and international development ecosystem with a strong understanding of government policies and programs, and the role that INGOs can play in fighting poverty and supporting governments in addressing poverty

● Demonstrated experience in conducting qualitative research on key thematic issues related to the national context and facilitating stakeholder interviews and focus group discussions

● Ability to synthesize and analyze complex information

● Prior experience in strategy development

● Strong writing and analytical skills required

● Fluency in English and Amharic required

Preferred

● Strong preference for country nationals

● Extensive experience working at multiple levels within the Ethiopian context preferred, including experience working with government, CSOs, NGOs, INGOs, academics, and/or regional actors

● Familiarity with social protection, economic inclusion, financial inclusion, systems change and/or the Graduation approach (sometimes referred to as cash plus or productive inclusion), is an asset

Deliverables and Timeline

The deliverables are expected to be provided in phases, with regular weekly meetings to share updates and draft deliverables with the BRAC UPGI team for feedback throughout the consultancy period. This will be a highly iterative process involving multiple rounds of drafts and feedback. Please note that subsequent deliverables may be slightly adapted based on previous rounds of findings if needed.

Consultancy Deliverables:

Phase: Week 1

Deliverable: Detailed plan that specifies the gaps to be filled and the process and timeline for filling in information gaps. Consultant will also identify additional sections that may need to be built out further.

Note: The information gap analysis tool which has already been completed by the UPGI team identifies what information is partially available, fully available, or unavailable and also highlights existing resources and research. The consultant will be expected to reflect if any existing information included in the tool is outdated or incomplete in the detailed plan.

Format: A draft Word document with gaps clearly identified and an outlined plan for collecting missing information, including timeline, proposed process per section, and proposed stakeholders for key stakeholder consultations for UPGI’s review and feedback.

As part of this, provide a list of additional desk research to be conducted based on the information gap analysis tool, and share with the UPGI team for our review and feedback

For stakeholder consultations, include suggested stakeholders, draft interview protocols (i.e., list of suggested questions) for feedback. BRAC UPGI will also recommend stakeholders.

Phase: Weeks 2-3

Deliverable: A political economy analysis based on desk research and initial stakeholder interviews, including but not limited to a thorough overview of the following aspects:

● Policies & Programs (approximately 50% LOE – including political economy analysis during weeks 2-3)

○ Overview of existing national poverty reduction and SP/EI policies, programs, commitments and strategies, noting those that are particularly relevant to extreme poverty

○ Overview of main opportunities, current or upcoming and challenges/barriers for SP/EI programs and implementation and the inclusion of people experiencing extreme poverty

○ Specific information gaps to prioritize filling based on gap analysis:

■ Information on the scale of existing poverty reduction/social protection and economic inclusion programs

■ The expected impact of decentralization on program implementation

A mapping of key stakeholders and civil society mapping based on desk research and initial stakeholder interviews, including but not limited to a thorough overview of the following aspects:

● Key Stakeholders and Civil Society Mapping – (approximately 50% LOE during weeks 2-3)

○ Overview of main national stakeholders on poverty reduction, economic inclusion/social protection: Including primary government offices/officials with development/SP/EI mandates, key donors (including bilateral donors or IFIs), partners, and CSOs, and key media outlets, designing, implementing/delivering, and advocating for poverty reduction/SP/EI programs.

○ Civil society mapping: Robust overview of space for civil society actors and political change in this context, both in general and in relation to extreme poverty/poverty reduction/social protection specifically, including key actors, networks and coalitions.

○ Regional and Global Priorities and Commitments: This section is intended to identify the countries’ regional and global priorities, commitments, and opportunities.

Political economy analysis template with key questions/ information gaps identified to be provided*

Format: A Word document with a completed political economy analysis template (BRAC UPGI will provide this template)

Provide full transcribed notes + audio files for all interviews, as well as analysis of the interviews to the UPGI team. Consultant may consider a small transcription team to assist for expediency. Consultant should have capability to record any interviews done virtually (i.e., Zoom recording access or a similar platform).

Provide a list of stakeholders interviewed and their contact information. Note any requested follow-up actions by the stakeholder or recommended follow-up actions based on the interview.

The frequency of stakeholder interviews should be between 3-4 per day in this period for a total of approximately 30-40 interviews).

Phase: Weeks 3-4

Deliverable: A finalized version of the political economy analysis document and civil society mapping document, informed by a detailed process of key stakeholder interviews with the government, multilaterals, regional actors, CSOs, academics, and others as relevant, and an initial inputting of these findings into a draft strategic engagement plan for the country

Format:

A Word document version of the final political economy analysis framework, including an executive summary of key findings and considerations from stakeholder interviews as well as supplementary materials (interview transcripts, appendices, contact information, etc.)

A Word document version of an in-depth key stakeholder and civil society mapping, including an executive summary of key findings and considerations from stakeholder interviews as well as supplementary materials (interview transcripts, appendices, contact information, etc.)

A Word document version of the Regional and Global Commitments landscape analysis template, including an executive summary of key findings and considerations from stakeholder interviews as well as supplementary materials (interview transcripts, appendices, contact information, etc.)

Presentation of findings to the relevant UPGI staff

Duration of the Consultancy

The Consultant will be working 30 days maximum (Nov 1, 2021 – December 1, 2021) in the proposed assignment, with starting and ending dates flexible depending on availability. The consultant should start no later than November 1, 2021.