To Design and Development of a Toolkit on Social Protection for the OECS

This consultancy aims to develop a Toolkit of practical technical tools on social protection for the Member States of the OECS.

Institutional/Corporate Contract

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Summary: 

Background: 

The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission is an inter-governmental organization, which serves eleven Member States in the Eastern Caribbean. It is dedicated to economic harmonization and integration, protection of human and legal rights and the promotion of social development and good governance. It performs an active role in response to natural disasters in the region. 

The OECS region is home to an estimated population of 1,509,721 inhabitants; 30% of which are children (individuals aged 0-17 years), 24% are youth (individuals aged 15 to 29 years) and 13% are older persons (aged 60 and above).  The population is vulnerable to poverty, shocks, and social exclusion. Such a situation combined with the region’s high vulnerability and exposure to climate hazards (IPCC, 2018) such as tropical storms, hurricanes, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and changing patterns of precipitation; high debt to GDP ratio, and small mono-economies, makes it imperative that Member States establish robust and comprehensive social protection systems. 

At the regional policy level, the OECS Social Inclusion and Strategic Action Plan for 2023 to 2030 sets a comprehensive framework for Member States towards advancing effective, inclusive, and adequate social protection systems, and measures. This Action Plan, under Strategic Priority Four (4), highlights support to institutional strengthening and capacity development as key drivers for change in the social protection eco-system. It articulates that capacity building opportunities for upskilling/retooling knowledge and skill sets for the public service, service providers and regional partners are essential for the effective implementation of the regional Strategy and the implementation of national priorities in social protection and the wider social sector. In this view, the design and development of practical tools to promote capacity building processes for policymakers and practitioners in the Eastern Caribbean will play a key role in strengthening regional social protection systems that are progressively universal, child-sensitive and shock responsive. The development of such a toolkit is aligned to the OECS Commission’s Strategic Plan 2021-2026, Strategic Priority 5, “Advance Equity and Inclusion” and “Ultimate Outcome 5.1” on “Reduced Disparities in Health, Education and Social” sectors and 5.1.1.2 on “enhanced policies laws and practices to support inclusion, rehabilitation and social protection services”.

Objective and Specific Tasks:

This consultancy aims to develop a Toolkit of practical technical tools on social protection for the Member States of the OECS. The main components of the social protection value chain that this Toolkit aims to address can be broken down as follows and will inform the design and development of specific tools: Outreach and Registration; Targeting and Eligibility; Programme Enrolment; Payments, Reconciliation and Service Delivery; Grievances Redress; Monitoring and Evaluation; Linkages and referrals. 

This consultancy is therefore threefold. 

1. It aims to design and develop practical guidance available to policymakers and practitioners in a user-friendly way on how to assess, design, implement, and monitor social protection programmes and systems, including in contexts of crises (one-stop shop).
2. To accompany the transition from Social Policy Framework to OECS Social Inclusion and Social Protection Strategy/Framework by providing a regional lens to existing resources – and evolving as countries/territories move forward in implementation.
3. To provide a space for peer-to-peer exchanges and a capacity building process for and with OECS Member States.

The toolkit will comprise regional and international best practices-incorporating already existing resources – supported by short briefs, checklists, assessment tools, templates (e.g., Terms of References, job descriptions of key social protection functions) to provide options for consideration, for the following thematic components, but not limited to:

1. Evidence to inform programmes and policies including child poverty and vulnerability analyses, systems, and programme assessments, monitoring and evaluations.
2. Policy, legislative and financing frameworks for social protection and coordination mechanisms or integration of services.
3. Programmes design, coordination and harmonization, including social assistance, social insurance, labour market programmes and the social service workforce.
4. Administrative mechanisms and tools such as programme beneficiary registries or social registries, payment mechanisms and feedback mechanisms.
5. Gender and climate change resilience mainstreaming. This would also include strengthening disaster preparedness and post-disaster recovery mechanisms.

Specific Tasks

1. Review relevant global and regional guidance and toolkits regarding their usefulness for the purpose of a regional OECS social protection toolkit (including but not limited to, the ISPA tools, TRANSFORM methodology incl. on shock-responsive social protection/SRSP, OPM SRSP toolkit, European Commission’s Tools and Methods Reference Doc. 26, ODI guidance on gender sensitivity, UNICEF’s Social Protection toolbox etc.
2. Develop a proposal for the structure of the social protection and social inclusion (including shock responsiveness) toolkit. It is suggested that the structure of the toolkit focuses on each chain in the social protection value chain, but the consultant can also provide their own ideas/methodology for consideration by the OECS Commission, Member countries and UNICEF. As such, proposals are welcomed but final decisions will be made by the OECS and UNICEF.
3. Develop the toolkit’s learning methodology building on existing resources and draft missing elements as needed to guide the user to (max. 10-page) short guidance briefs with checklists, assessment tools, templates (e.g., for TORs, job descriptions of key social protection functions), supported by study cases (incl. audio-visual material).
4. Present the draft toolkit to key stakeholders and incorporate their inputs into revisions.
5. Finalize toolkit.
6. Present toolkit to key high-level and technical level stakeholders and conduct a learning session on how to use it.
7. Launch user-friendly and graphically designed toolkit online for public access

Link to the Annual Work Plan: This project relates to output 3.1 of the Annual Work Plan (AWP) which is, “Social protection institutions are strengthened to design and deliver inclusive and effective programmes and systems”, as well as activity 3.1.8. Strengthening Program Design and Linkages.

Scope of work and Methodology:

The institutional contractor team will work closely with the OECS Commission to ensure that the social protection toolkit is user friendly and responds to the needs of the OECS Member states. It is recommended that, with support of UNICEF and the OECS that a sub-Committee of OECS Member States is established to provide direct feedback to the team on the work being produced. It is also recommended that the team works with a graphic designer to design the necessary graphical editing of the toolkit once the content is approved by the OECS and UNICEF.

Expected Deliverables:

1. 1.       Outputs/Deliverables:  

The following deliverables will be developed as the outputs of the assignment against the expected following schedule

Expected Outputs

1. Inception Report, including literature review (covering recent trends and discourses in the field) and methodology, timelines and taret groups.
2. Desk Review: Desk Review of regional and international tools and resources; Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with Key Government and non-Government Stakeholders.
3. Proposal for Toolkit structure and brief description (rationale)
4. Draft of Toolkit (based on feedback from key stakeholders)
5. Complete Validation exercise
6. Final Toolkit
7. Presentation to OECS on launch of the Toolkit and development of a pitch deck for sensitization
8. Launch of user-friendly and graphically designed toolkit for public access.

These outputs will be delivered against the following schedule

Reporting:

The firm will report directly to UNICEF ECA’s Social Policy Officer, based in Trinidad and Tobago (contract manager). The firm will therefore submit deliverables to the contract manager, who in turn will liaise with the OECS Commission and Member States for technical inputs.

Expected background and Experience:

The team lead shall possess:

1. At least a Post-Graduate/Master’s Degree in Social Policy, Social Work, Development Studies, or another related field.

2. At least seven (7) years’ experience in the Social Policy, Social Protection policy or programme design, implementation and monitoring;

3. Proven knowledge of international standards, tools and good practices in social protection.

4. Experience in conducting reviews of technical, subject-specific education material on social protection policy and programme design, implementation and management.

5. Proven experience in building the capacity of individuals in social policy and programme development, implementation, and management at the institutional level.

6. Experience in developing online learning material and course work, including the design and presentation of technical material to a mixed audience in a very clear and concise manner.

7. At least one successfully completed similar assignments during the past five (5) years.

8. Experience in undertaking social protection work in the Caribbean/ OECS Region would be an advantage.

9. Experience in research and in developing toolkits or similar learning materials.

Team members:

• At least 5 years of experience working on social protection.
• Advanced degree or equivalent in social policy, public policy, public administration, economics, or other relevant area of study;
• Understanding of social protection systems, especially of social assistance issues, current trends, and good practices;
• Experience in research and in developing toolkits or similar learning materials.

 Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables which receive satisfactory quality review. 

Technical Proposal: 70 points

 1) Overall Response (10 points):

a) Understanding of, and responsiveness to UNICEF requirements;

b) Understanding of scope, objectives and completeness of response;

c) Overall concord between UNICEF requirements and the proposal.

2) Company and key personnel (20 points):

a) Team leader: Relevant experience, qualifications, and position with firm;

b) Team members - Relevant experience, skills and competencies;

c) Organization of the team and roles & responsibilities;

d) Professional expertise, knowledge and experience with similar projects, contracts, clients and consulting assignments;

e) Financial status.

3) Proposed Methodology, Approach and System (40 points):

a) Quality of the proposed approach and methodology;

b) Quality of proposed implementation plan, i.e how the bidder will undertake each task, and time-schedules;

c) Risk assessment - recognition of the risks/peripheral problems and methods to prevent and manage risks/peripheral problems.

Note: The Financial Proposals will be opened only to the companies considered technically approved (range between 49 to 70 points).

Financial Proposal (30 points)

The Financial Proposal will be opened and tabulated within the Technical Proposal and the final range will be provided.

Resource:

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. Performance indicators against which the satisfactory conclusion of this contract will be assessed include timeliness/quality of submission and responsiveness to UNICEF and counterpart feedback.

Property Rights:

UNICEF shall hold all property rights, such as copyright, patents and registered trademarks, on matter directly related to, or derived from, the work carried out through this contract with UNICEF. The bidder must submit all documentation and source code where necessary to the UNICEF upon successful launch.

 Administrative Matters:

• The OECS Commission will share in the property rights, as the work to be produced is to support the OECS Commission.
• Institutional contractor will not be provided lodging and/or meals.
• Institutional contractor will work from remote location.
• The institutional contract doesn’t have any travel.[1]
• Institutional contractor should provide his/her own materials, i.e., computer, office supplies, etc.
• Final payment is dependent on the completion of deliverables as well as hand-over notes and submission of an institutional contractor PER. Note: Institutional contractor in practice are external and therefore do not have a direct right to access UNICEF resources.
• Travel/Flight costs will not be covered.

How to Apply:

The application package should include the following:

a. A cover letter (no more than 1 page)

b. Technical Proposal

c.  Financial Proposal (Detailed budget stipulating all-inclusive fees)

Prospective institutional or corporate contractors should apply to the above email address no later than Thursday October 05th, 2023, on or before 17:00hrs (GMT-4.00 Eastern Time). Kindly ensure the subject line is denoted with the heading “Design and Development of a Toolkit on Social Protection for the OECS”.