Background
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is a US–based voluntary organization working in more than 80 countries around the world to assist people, victims of disasters, people in need, and the disadvantaged regardless of race, belief, or nationality. CRS has been operating in Indonesia since 1957 under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Social Affairs to support local communities struggling to alleviate human suffering, eradicate poverty, and become self-reliant through the implementation of mother and child health and nutrition programs, agricultural livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction. CRS is also a major player in humanitarian and disaster response intervention in Indonesia. CRS implements its programs in collaboration with local non – government organizations operating in CRS’s geographical target areas.
As part of its new agency vision and strategy for 2030, CRS is committed to expanding its comprehensive shelter solutions and global influence to enable families and communities to recover from crisis and flourish in safe, dignified homes and communities.
Through the Homes and Communities (H&C) Platform launched in 2019, CRS is embarking on a bold path – built on decades of experience and partnerships – to increase our support to disaster-affected people by 2030. The increase in our direct programming will allow us the opportunity to demonstrate and influence local approaches that can be adopted and brought to a global scale. As part of our 2030 vision for transformational change at scale, Homes and Communities will promote the wide adoption of improved practices among shelter and settlement actors, so that more crisis-affected people will have access to safe and dignified homes and communities. CRS seeks to influence peer agencies, local responders, stakeholders, and governments to implement new, innovative approaches to improve efficiencies in the humanitarian to guarantee safer homes for uprooted families rebuilding their lives.
In Indonesia, the three-year Homes and Communities initiative will strive to enhance the adoption, diffusion and application of CRS promoted approaches for improved, locally owned post-disaster shelter programming by local organizations and key government stakeholders to provide a continuum of safe, dignified shelter options with a potential to reach more people, and enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to future disasters. A key focus of the Homes and Communities platform is to strengthen evidence as a basis for influencing humanitarian practitioners and strengthening policy making.
In recent years, the demand for more evidence-based practice and policy in the humanitarian sector has grown. Despite this increased demand for evidence, shelter and settlement interventions remain an under-researched, with little evidence on the outcomes or impact of programs undertaken. The need for evidence is furthermore underpinned by a more recent paradigm shift observed nationally in Indonesia from shelter as a product to understanding shelter as a process. Embracing the full implications of shelter as a process, requires a better understanding of the outcomes shelter approaches have on households’ physical, social and economic wellbeing. While some shelter practitioners may still see success in limited terms of visible products (temporary and permanent dwellings), there is a growing demand among forward-thinking practitioners and policy makers for a holistic understanding of such reconstruction efforts, with the softer elements of beneficiary satisfaction and wellbeing to be included.
This study aims to better understand how shelter, as a process, and different modalities and approaches can contribute to sustained outcomes. This study is intended to investigate more holistically the impacts of shelter approaches and to make well-informed recommendations to policy makers on how to maximize the long-term impacts of sheltering.
Scope of Work
Under the scope the Homes and Communities project, CRS will be carrying out a study to better understand the social impact of transitional shelter schemes on disaster-affected populations in Central Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara Provinces following the 2018 disasters.
Intended users of the findings of the study are government officials including Ministry of Social Affairs, Public Works and BNPB staff, decision makers, NGOs, and broader sector stakeholders. It is also expected that the study will inform future initiatives of CRS and partners. The findings of the study are intended to contribute to decision makers and humanitarian agencies improved understanding about the impacts of different shelter approaches, so as to come up with recommendations on what shelter solutions achieve the most positive impacts. The research findings will inform the Government about possible gaps and underutilized resources and opportunities with regard to delivery of shelter services, strategies, procedures, guidelines and regulations.
Key research questions to address these goals:
The study seeks to apply a comparative approach to:
1. Understand the impacts of different shelter assistance modalities on household quality of life and wellbeing
2. Understand how shelter assistance modalities interact and to theorize about causal connections between shelter assistance and outcomes
3. Assess the benefits/advantages of different shelter interventions and forms of assistance
This study attempts to answer the following questions:
1. How have different shelter assistance modalities affected the wellbeing of households?
2. What effects do different shelter assistance modalities have on affected households’ recovery processes and outcomes?
3. What inferences can be made as to how assistance modalities affect household outcomes?
Conceptual frameworks that will potentially be used in this study include:
· Government measures for welfare and wellbeing
· OECD wellbeing measures
· CRS’ Integral Human Development (IHD)
· Housing adequacy dimensions (Habitat for Humanity and others)
Research deliverables
CRS is soliciting proposals from individual expert(s), research institutes or relevant organizations highly experienced in carrying out large-scale households surveys. The study will be administered in Central Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara Provinces. It is recommended that samples are determined based on data provided by the Shelter Subcluster: bit.ly/InfoShelter_Sulteng and bit.ly/InfoShelter_NTB. Offerors must submit proposals which demonstrate a clear understanding of the assignment, address all aspects of the scope of work detailed in the following sections, and clearly demonstrate their ability to complete the work within the timeframe.
The research is divided into three phases, within which specific deliverables are defined as below.
Phase 1: Inception
1.1 Inception report
1.1.1 Study methodology, scope, sampling framework, and selection of locations for data collection;
1.1.2 A questionnaire to elaborate the study;
1.1.3 Suggested final report outline;
1.2 Stakeholder workshop to present and discuss the chosen methodology, scope, sampling and questionnaire
Phase 2: Fieldwork Preparations & Data collection
2.1 Developing manuals for field staff and Pre-testing of instruments
2.2 Training for enumerators
2.3 Data collected, controlled for quality and data tabulation & cleaning
2.4 Analysis of any relevant secondary data, such as government reports and regulatory frameworks to understand the contexts
Phase 3: Data analysis and report drafting
3.1 Data analysis
3.2 Initial draft of the report in Bahasa Indonesia (with summary in English)
3.3 Stakeholder workshop on preliminary findings
3.4 Final report in Bahasa Indonesia and English
Detailed Activities
Phase 1: Inception
1.1 The assigned research institute or organization’s Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator will, together with their research team, prepare, in consultation with CRS and the Shelter Sub Cluster Technical Working Group, an inception report to ensure mutual understanding of the consultant's plan of action and timeline for conducting the survey. It will also provide additional guarantee of adherence to, and interpretation of the Scope of Work, including a workplan leading up to the delivery of the report.
1.1.1 The assigned research institute or organization’s Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator will work with his/her team to define methodology and scope of the study, the sampling framework, selection of locations for data collection ensuring a good representation of geographical and shelter approaches, and determine the outline of the report in consultation with CRS. The sample frame should consider geographic locations where more than one type of shelter assistance modality has been implemented. The detail of sampling and respondent number will be proposed and elaborated and should be suitable to the research objectives, time, and resources.
1.1.2 The assigned research institute or organization’s Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator will work with his/her team to develop a questionnaire to assess social impact.
1.2 An online/virtual stakeholders’ discussion on the preparation of the study will be organized where the Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator will introduce the study rationale, methodology, scope and other relevant information
Phase 2: Field Work Preparation & Data collection
2.1 The assigned research institute or organization must develop comprehensive manuals for field staff covering sampling, the questionnaire, professional and ethical conduct in the field, COVID-19 protocols and all relevant data collection procedures, including quality control. The research institute or organization will be required to conduct pretesting of data collection instrument focusing on the flow, translation, and logic of the instrument.
2.2 The assigned research institute or organization will organize the training for enumerators and research assistants on data collection. The Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator will participate in the enumerators’ training as a resource person. Piloting will be done as part of training, focused on the entire process of data collection. Major changes to the tool are not expected at this stage. Procedures for ensuring quality and performance must be developed and available throughout data collection. Apart from training, the assigned research institute or organization will be required to conduct quality control, such as daily team debriefs, supervisor checks of forms to ensure completeness and spot-check for errors. Accompaniment is expected (supervisor direct observation of interviews) in 5% of interviews with all enumerators directly observed at least once. Back-checks are expected to be done by personnel who are not enumerators. Adequate protection of respondent’s information and data security is a requirement to ensure proper handling of respondents’ confidential and private information, including personally identifiable information.
2.3 The research institute or organization will deploy a team of enumerators to administer the survey questionnaire using digital tools such as Kobo Collect, Commcare, ODK, or other tools and compile information into an Excel sheet and/or any other computerized data processing program as required. The Research Team will be responsible for data collection and cleaning for further analysis and processing.
2.4 The research team will conduct a desk review of relevant secondary documents, with the Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator to determine who is doing what. This will include an analysis of regulations, guidelines and other key documents in relation to sheltering options included in the study.
Phase 3: Data analysis and report drafting
3.1 The Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator will lead the data analysis with support of research staff using statistical analysis. The data shall be analyzed by geographical location, shelter assistance types, gender, and other criteria deemed as necessary, to determine key characteristics influencing social impact on households. Sample weights used in data analysis, if applicable, should be properly documented.
3.2 Initial draft of the report in Bahasa Indonesia (with summary in English) will be drafted by the Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator according to the agreed outline with length. The draft report will be circulated for comments from experts and other stakeholders.
3.3 The assigned research institute or organization will organize an online/virtual stakeholders’ discussion on the draft report introducing preliminary findings and conclusion. Comments are recorded and reflected in the document, where necessary.
3.4 The Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator and his/her team will jointly finalize the English and Bahasa Indonesia reports to the satisfaction of CRS. Final reports must be supplemented by datasets, properly organized, data files SPSS and code files.
Deliverables and Payment Schedule
No. | Deliverable | Week | % Payment |
Phase 1 | |||
1 | Submission of inception report | 1 | 20 |
2 | Data collection instruments | 2 | |
3 | Stakeholder workshop completed | 3 | |
Phase 2 | |||
1 | Fieldwork manuals completed | 4 | 50 |
2 | Enumerator training and pilot completed, with training and pilot report submitted | 5 | |
3 | Data collected, tabulation & cleaning Reconciliation of data quality checks | 8 | |
4 | Analysis of secondary data completed | 9 | |
Phase 3 | |||
1 | Data analysis completed | 10 | 30 |
2 | Initial draft report and summary completed and accepted | 12 | |
3 | Stakeholder workshop on preliminary findings completed | 13 | |
4 | Final report in Bahasa Indonesia and English | 14 | |
Timeline
The report of the study shall be completed and submitted in English and Bahasa Indonesia, to the satisfaction of CRS by August 16, 2021.
Eligible applicants and qualifications
Applications are accepted for:
· A research institute or organization, identifying who in the institute/organization will be the Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator.
· A Joint Proposal: A research institute or organization may submit a proposal together with an individual expert as the Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator.
The Lead Researcher/Principle Investigator shall have the following demonstrated qualifications:
· English proficiency at the professional level
· Advanced degree in social sciences
· Experience in leading social impact studies and analysis
· Experience in the humanitarian field is preferable
· Experience in Indonesia (strongly preferred) or a Southeast Asian country
· Proven ability to conduct statistical analysis
· Experience working with the national authorities/government is an advantage
· Able to travel to Indonesia, be in the country for the duration required. This might need to be revised if travel restrictions to Indonesia apply.
The Research Institute or Organization must have the following characteristics:
· Is legally registered in Indonesia
· Experience in large-scale household surveys
· Team composition (Indonesian staff preferred):
o A team member with an advanced degree in social sciences or related field
o A team member or advisor with knowledge of the shelter sector
o A team member with 8 years of research experience on social and economic issues
o Fluency in Bahasa Indonesia and English
o Ability to conduct statistical analysis
o Able to mobilize and train research enumerators
o Experience working with the national authorities/government is an advantage
Proposal Submission
Offerors must submit: a) technical proposal; b) cost proposal and c) copy of one selected published work/study separately.
Technical proposals can be submitted in Bahasa Indonesia or English, although English is strongly recommended, and must contain the following information. Suggested lengths (Font size 12) of each section are included:
· Literature review on shelter assistance modalities and measures for social impact (3 pages)
· Technical Approach, including study design, sampling framework, proposed methodology for data analysis, implementation plan, methods for quality assurance, research timetable, potential challenges/risks and mitigation strategies, including for COVID-19 (8 pages)
· Personnel (2 pages of description of team composition, roles & responsibilities; 6 pages CVs)
· Past Performance or Portfolio (3 pages)
Please note that we require to know the size of the sample and rationale for the sampling framework that you will be surveying. This is to put the cost of the survey into context so a value for money judgement can be made.
Offerors may not exceed 25 pages and may not use annexes or appendices to circumvent the page limitations. Material that exceeds the page limitations will not be reviewed or scored by CRS. CRS may disqualify bids that are non-compliant with the page limit requirements.
Cost proposals shall consist of a budget in Excel with traceable, transparent formulas. Offerors are strongly encouraged to use the budget template provided below. All costs must be presented in IDR. Offerors are also required to submit a budget narrative (Word or PDF, 3-page maximum) or budget notes (within the budget file) summarizing key assumptions and inputs in the budget. Given the illustrative parameters in this RFP, and since some costs associated with data collection are fixed, budget narratives must include information on unit costs per household survey in the event that the total final sample size changes. All costs, including travel costs, COVID-19 protocols, etc. must be contained within the cost proposal. The Offeror must propose costs that are realistic and reasonable and aligned with the technical approach. The maximum budget available this assignment is IDR 350,000,000.
No. | Deliverables | Unit | Number of units | Unit rate | Total IDR |
1.1 | Inception report |
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1.2 | Stakeholder workshop on inception report | Person | 40 |
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Submission
The technical proposal, cost proposal, and copy of one selected published work/study must be sent as email attachments. Please use subject line “Shelter Impact Study" and send all documents to Indonesia_HR@crs.org by April 28th, 2021, 19:00 WIB. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Scoring Criteria
The award will be made to a responsible Offeror whose offer follows the RFP instructions, meets all the specifications, and is judged to be the most advantageous. CRS will weigh all proposal submitted by the deadline and will apply the following factors to score proposals.
Technical Proposals:
§ Demonstrated understanding of the requirements
§ Technical soundness of proposed approach and plan
§ Adequacy and clarity of sampling approach
§ Approach to minimizing refusals & non-response
§ Overall approach to fieldwork preparations & enumerator training
§ Approach to quality control
§ Realistic timeframe and clear capability for on-time delivery
§ Mitigation strategies for any anticipated challenges, risks, limitations
§ Qualifications and experience of key personnel
§ Quality of overall team composition (e.g. total staff, team size, clarity of roles/responsibilities)
§ Research experience working on similar large-scale surveys with electronic data collection
Cost Proposals:
§ Value for money
§ Reasonableness of other cost inputs
§ Transparency of calculations
§ Completeness of budgets
In evaluating the proposals, CRS may seek information from any course it deems appropriate to obtain or validate information regarding an Offeror’s proposal. In evaluating proposals, CRS will make the award to the Offeror whose proposal offers the best value to CRS.
Terms and Conditions
This RFP does not in any way obligate CRS to award a subcontract, nor does it commit CRS to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. The contract to be awarded is a fixed price contract. The person submitting the proposal must have the authority to commit the Offeror to all the provisions of the proposal. CRS reserves the right to revise the scope of the RFP and conduct discussions as deemed necessary. Quotes must include taxes and any other applicable fees.
The selected research institute or organization must abide by the CRS’ Code of Conduct and CRS’ Safeguarding policy to uphold the dignity of beneficiaries served by CRS. CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. CRS’ branding guidelines and standards for media materials should also be followed.
Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
***Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
CRS' talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer
"Only short-listed candidates will be invited via e-mail/phone for Interview”