Consultant (Filipino Nationals Only)

Purpose: Review of Vulnerability Indicators and Criteria in Local Government Unit Social Safety Net Programs targeting the Most Vulnerable and At-Risk Urban Poor

Project: Moving Urban Poor Communities in Mindanao Towards Resilience (MOVE UP Mindanao) MOVE UP 4 Philippines

Duration: 25 days

Reporting to the DRR/CCA Coordinator

Payment Terms:

• 50% upon signing of the contract
• 40% upon receiving first draft
• 10% upon approval of Final Draft

Conditions: The technical partner/consultant will arrange and cover all living and transportation cost in the conduct of the engagement.

1. Background

The project “Moving Urban Poor in Mindanao Towards Resilience” or MOVE UP-Mindanao is an urban DRR project funded by the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and implemented by a consortium of development and humanitarian organizations, namely Action Against Hunger, Plan International, Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) and Assistance and Cooperation for Community Resilience and Development (ACCORD). The principal objective of the MOVE UP project in its fourth iteration is “to contribute in building the resilience of urban poor populations to withstand and manage the impact of natural and human-induced disasters by strengthening urban disaster preparedness, response and management capacity of the National, Sub-national and Local government units, and other stakeholders through the adaption and/or replication of tested Urban Resilience strategies”. The strategies were introduced and developed under successive MOVE UP projects that began in 2016 funded also by ECHO.

The Action’s interventions are designed to support five strategically selected cities (Cagayan de Oro, Kidapawan, Iligan, Marawi and Tandag) where conflict and natural disasters cause urban displacement – either within the cities, or cities receiving or sending internally displaced people (IDPs) between the cities/municipalities. These were selected based on historic and recent conflict and displacements-related trends and IDP mobility. The action will also target four provinces (Cotabato, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon and Surigao del Sur) where the cities are located and/or considered as a component city of the province. In addition, another province (Bukidnon) that also supports IDPs is included in the action. Inclusion of provincial level activities under this action aims to align and seek synergy with provincial-level long term development, disaster risk reduction and preparedness plans.

Along with promotion of the models that have already been developed, this action will also focus on strengthening social safety net measures to provide more adaptive, shock- and crisis-responsive services that meet the needs of different vulnerable groups in terms of conflict, natural disasters and displacements at the city and provincial level. The action will support the review of development, DRR and social safety net/social protection programs/plans and processes as well as criteria for targeting the most vulnerable. The outcomes will be used to lobby and advocate for strengthening services offered by the cities and provinces. At the end of the action, the lessons learned in implementation, along with previous gains from developing the ECHO-funded models, will be documented and disseminated among the stakeholders at the country level and shared at regional-level events.

2. RATIONALE

Increasing resilience in livelihood activities is a core component and a specific output of Action Against Hunger projects in targeted regions. The threshold step for the resilient livelihood component is to identify vulnerabilities and coping mechanisms, locate risk areas and discuss lack of capacities with communities before formulating strategies and approaches for interventions. The action has already started on the basic participatory community hazard, risk and vulnerability assessments to gather preliminary information on how risks from natural or human-induced hazards affect the safety and livelihood security of the population in the city and barangays.

Under the Action’s interventions for Integrative Resilient Livelihood Strategies of MOVE UP adapted in the plans and processes of the local government units, the activities are designed to support the LGUs in integrating climate-informed and shock responsive livelihood options to their development plans and processes to increase the resilience of urban poor communities in Mindanao.

These activities will rely on the targeting and profiling of beneficiaries from the urban poor households for the scaled-up livelihood activities that will be piloted. In the midst of the Action, the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus turned the definitions of vulnerability and poverty on their heads, becoming a perfect storm to the country’s poor and vulnerable.

The pre-existing conditions of a weak health care system and widespread poverty in the country impaired an unprecedented whole-of-government response even before it began. The government estimated an additional 13,491,535 families needed emergency cash assistance under the Php 200 B Social Amelioration Program, on top of 3.7 million families already receiving cash under the 4Ps programs. The lockdowns forced some 79,000 SMEs to close shop, turning 8 million middle class families to become the “new poor”.

The situation illustrates how the vulnerability indicators and criteria (mostly aligned with the Listahanan under DSWD and other sectoral policy considerations for social safety net programs) have had to undergo revisiting. In terms of the Action’s targeting requirements for beneficiaries in a drastically changing landscape of regression to poverty, a consultant/team of consultants is needed for reviewing current indicators and criteria being used by the partner LGUs in their social safety net programs.

1. Objectives

The engagement of the consultant/consultancy team aims to achieve the following objectives:

a) Review of targeting indicators and practices used by the LGUs and other local stakeholders for beneficiary selection in their different programs relating to social safety nets and disaster risk reduction.

Targeting the most vulnerable and at-risk groups will help ensure the effectivity of the Action’s specific interventions that seek to build capacities for resilience.

In terms of surveying the activities that form the social safety net programss, the consultancy shall examine the the list of programs of the MOVE UP 4 partner LGUs in Mindanao that aimed to assist the poor and marginalized, specifically in the cities of Kidapawan, Iligan, Marawi, Cagayan de Oro and Tandag, and the provinces of North Cotabato, Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Sur and Bukidnon.

The assessment and analysis of the social safety net programs and activities should focus on:

1) What were the targeting criteria used by these identified programs and the target sectors selected?

2) What were the issues and challenges encountered in implementing the targeting criteria;

3) The status and reach of the vulnerability criteria of the different programs;

b) Enhancement of the targeting indicators and criteria for selection of beneficiaries

Recommendations on how the vulnerability criteria and indicators can be enhanced will be formulated, basing on

a) Coverage – Who are covered by the programs and who or what sectors can be further covered in the population?

b) Comprehensiveness – Are the vulnerability criteria employed adequate to address the needs of the implementors and/or the beneficiaries sought to be addressed in the programs and activities? Which of these needs are completely or partially met or not met at all? How can other needs be met ?

4. ACTIVITIES/SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant/consultancy team shall carry out the following:

a) An initial meeting with MOVE UP 4 staff to discuss the details of the consultancy;

b) Conduct a review of the vulnerability indicators and criteria for targeting beneficiaries of the social assistance and social safety net and DRR programs of the LGUs. The aim is to develop an enhanced targeting criteria that would determine the most vulnerable and at-risk individuals or households that the Action and LGUs can target for social protection and safety net and other interventions, such as resilient livelihood options or piloting of shock-responsive social protection.

To this end, the consultant or consultancy team shall gather data on the existing vulnerability criteria and indicators, conduct key informant interviews, profile target beneficiaries in the community, recommend additional indicators and develop and recommend a social safety program for piloting in identified target areas (barangays).

c) Develop a list of enhanced vulnerability targeting indicators and criteria for adoption by the Action and LGUs.

d) Facilitate a virtual validation workshop with partners and stakeholders on the results and recommendations contained in the report.

e) Submit a report on the review and enhancement of the vulnerability indicators assessment made, with recommendations for adopting climate-informed and culturally appropriate livelihood options and measures to strengthen resilience in the communities, and ways forward for integrating these options and activities into LGU plans and programs. The report will include the proceedings of workshops and other activities conducted.

The specific deliverables and activities are:

a) Based on agreements in the inception meeting, submit an approach paper outlining the detailed work plan for conducting the assessment (review framework and methodology, timeframe, tools and questionnaires, mobilization plan and budget, etc.).

b) The report on the review of the vulnerability indicators and criteria that concisely presents the review framework and methodology, and presents and explains the enhanced criteria for the Action to adopt and follow, in targeting the beneficiaries for specific interventions aimed at increasing their resilience in terms of livelihood and safety in terms of recurring hazards.

c) The set of enhanced vulnerability criteria and indicators for targeting.

d) Documentation of the workshops and processes conducted.

e) Final Report on the consultancy engagement.

5. Methodology

The methodology shall be comprised of three phases:

• Document review

Existing LGU plans, policies and implementation reports for social assistance and social safety nets, including but not limited to the following, will be reviewed:

Social Protection and Development Report, Family Risk and Vulnerability Assessments, 4Ps beneficiary lists, Annual Investment Plans, LPRAP and others

The project has already carried out risk assessments at the community and household levels with the LGUs and barangays, and other activities that followed the certain profiling of beneficiaries from the urban poor households and at-risk areas. The project staff will coordinate with the consultant on the results of the assessments done.

• Data collection and analysis

The consultant may resort to data collection methods that comply with the new normal such as key informant interviews, virtual or face to face small group meetings using remote tools to validate results of the desk review.

• Presentation Draft and final findings

The consultant shall facilitate the conduct of a workshop for AAH and MOVE UP 4 staff and key LGU informants. The aim of the workshop is to present the findings and present the targeting indicators developed by the consultancy for validation and provide space for feedback from the stakeholders. The consultant shall incorporate the feedback of the stakeholders to validate on the initial findings and integrate them into the finalization of the consultancy report.

6. EXPECTED Deliverables and TIMELINES

• Activity: Inception meeting, contract signing and meeting with AAH for levelling of expectations, review of relevant documents available

• Expected Deliverable: Signed contract and list of relevant project documents to be provided by the consortium to the consultant

• Timeline: 1 day

• Activity: Prepare Approach Paper

• Expected Deliverable: Submission of Approach Paper

• Timeline: 2 days

• Activity: Collection of plans and relevant documents on livelihood activities and safety net programs of the LGUs

• Expected Deliverable: Submission of copies of plans and documents

• Timeline: 5 days

• Activity: Document Review

• Timeline: 5 days

• Activity: Data Collection Phase

• Expected Deliverable: Recordings/Transcripts of meetings

• Timeline: 5 days

• Activity: Report writing

• Expected Deliverable: draft of report

• Timeline: 3 days

• Activity: Validation workshop

• Expected Deliverable: actual conduct of workshop

• Timeline: 1 day

• Activity: Finalization of report

• Expected Deliverable: final report

• Timeline: 3 days

BACKGROUND REQUIREMENT

a) Professional Background:

• Relevant University Degree in related field of study (Research, Policy, Program Management, DRR, Conflict) is required. With Master’s Degree preferred but not required.

• Has knowledge, expertise, experience in formulating qualitative and quantitative data research.

b) Work, Knowledge, and Experience:

• Has knowledge and expertise in the conduct of qualitative and quantitative data collection particularly in relation to Disaster Management.

• Has strong academic and / or work background on development research, preferably in areas affected by natural and human-induced disasters

• Has the capacity in technical report writing, good analytical skills, has understanding in partnership working with government and its partners.

• Preferably based in Mindanao