Vacancy Consultant for a Cash/Voucher Assistance Feasibility & Appropriateness Study

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1 Vacancy Consultant for a Cash/Voucher Assistance Feasibility & Appropriateness Study People in Need (PIN) is seeking an enthusiastic, committed, experienced and reliable Consultant, with specific expertise in Cash and Voucher Assistance, to support effective programme design and implementation in Rakhine State. PIN promotes gender balance, female candidates are encouraged to apply. People in Need (PIN) ( is an international, non-profit organization providing humanitarian and development assistance in 29 countries around the world. In Myanmar, PIN started to work in 2002, when it launched programmes providing financial assistance to civil society groups and independent media. After 2008, PIN provided humanitarian and relief aid to people affected by typhoon Nargis. Since 2012, PIN has been operating directly from Myanmar, working mainly in the good governance sector where we aim to strengthen local civil society initiatives. PIN s main objective is to help build-up the capacity of local civil society through promoting partnerships, offering technical assistance and providing financial aid. PIN in Rakhine currently implements humanitarian projects aiming to support population in need, particularly children and women, in the fields of Protection, Livelihoods and Food Security. PIN is constantly assessing how to best design programmes to maximize impact and value-for-money, while respecting the principles of Do No Harm. The objective of this study is to inform PIN s broader Response Analysis, in particular in terms of modality selection, by determining the feasibility and appropriateness of using Cash and/or Voucher Assistance (CVA), relative to in-kind distribution, to enable access to small livestock and home gardening items in certain pre-defined locations in Rakhine State. This is with the overall programme objective of achieving nutritional outcomes and/or recovering livelihoods for Rohingya and Rakhine populations alike by enabling access to needed agricultural items. Job Description: Consultant for CVA Feasibility & Appropriateness Study Starting date: From Mid-March 2019 Duration: Maximum 1.5 months (including at least 1 weeks in the field for data collection purpose) Location: Sittwe, Minbya and Mrauk U Township, Rakhine State. Remote work at some stage of the consultancy can be considered Line Manager: Area Manager for Rakhine (with the support of the Nutrition Project Manager and the Agronomist) Maximum Fee: US$3,000 Line of Reporting and Supervision The Consultant will work under the supervision of the Area Manager for Rakhine and in close collaboration with the relevant departments (Nutrition PM, Livelihoods Field Officers and Field Coordinators, Agronomist and M&E Officer). Purpose The purpose of this consultancy is to inform PIN s broader Response Analysis, in particular in terms of modality selection, by determining the feasibility and appropriateness of using Cash and/or Voucher Assistance (CVA), relative to in-kind distribution, to enable access to small livestock and home gardening activities in Rohingya (Muslim) and Rakhine villages in Minbya and Mrauk U Townships.

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3 Objectives Informed by PIN s Needs Assessment, the Consultant is expected to undertake the following additional assessments with the general objective of informing PIN s Response Analysis, but with more specific objectives stated below. In particular, the results should inform the selection of the most appropriate modality(ies) to meet PIN s aforementioned programme objective, bearing in mind key opportunities (advantages), constraints (disadvantages) and necessary conditions for CVA in this context: 1. Market Assessment a. To establish market functionality, including the existing availability and affordability of high quality agricultural products, services and information, in particular small livestock and gardening items, in local markets; b. To identify capacity of local markets to respond to increased demand stemming from the proposed intervention, including consideration of the movement of agricultural goods/supplies in and out of the target areas; c. To establish how best to ensure beneficiaries, particularly Rohingya, are able to access (physical, social, safety & security etc.) relevant products and services that comply with applicable minimum standards; and d. To assess differences in market functionality and access experienced by Rohingya (Muslim) and Rakhine populations in the activity areas. 2. Financial Service Provider (FSP) Assessment a. To assess the capacity and coverage of FSPs in Rakhine State to inform the decision on the most appropriate transfer mechanism for CVA. 3. Relative Cost Efficiency Assessment a. To perform a relative cost efficiency assessment of in-kind and CVA modalities for enabling access to small livestock and gardening items. 4. Risk Assessment a. To assess the risk that the provided CVA will not be used for the intended purpose; b. Linked with the Market Assessment, to assess the potential negative effect of CVA on the local market (prices, availability etc.) and inter-community relations; c. To assess how using CVA might negatively impact relations between IDPs and nearby/host communities; d. To assess related individual, household and community protection risks, in particular considering whether they are specific to or exacerbated by CVA interventions; and e. To propose appropriate mitigative measures for identified risks. 5. Acceptance, Preference & Capacity Assessment a. To identify through participatory techniques stakeholders acceptance and preferences in respect of CVA for accessing small livestock and gardening items, particularly beneficiaries and local authorities, including in Muslim villages with likely limited access to markets; and

4 Methodology b. To assess beneficiaries capacity (incl. financial literacy) to effectively use potential CVA modalities to meet small livestock and gardening needs, including related mobilisation strategy. Review of project documentation and other existing information on the distribution of small livestock and gardening material and the use of CVA in Rakhine Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with relevant stakeholders in Yangon and Rakhine State (Sittwe, Minbya and Mrauk U Townships) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with both PIN and Partner staff, as well as community members Household Interviews (HHIs) with demographically representative sample of potential beneficiaries in respective communities Market Assessment, including Observations and targeted Price Analysis, in line with The Cash Learning Partnership s (CaLP) Minimum Standards for Market Assessment (MISMA) Tentative Calendar Weeks Activities W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 Bibliographical research, methodology (including field trip calendar) and tools design Review of tools with PIN staff Meeting with stakeholders (Sittwe) + field team briefing Field data collection, progressive data entry Data treatment and analysis, debrief, report draft Submission of draft report and review by PIN Revision by consultant & final submission Required Outputs Debriefings/workshop in Sittwe on preliminary conclusions regarding feasibility and appropriateness of CVA Designed Assessment Tools and full related Datasets Report reflecting all study objectives, not exceeding 30 pages (excluding any annexes) Consultant Profile Considerable experience in research and/or implementation of primarily CVA programmes and/or supporting nutrition, food/economic security Experience in leading participatory assessments and analyses Proven coordination capacity to ensure effective working relationships with stakeholders Strong oral and report writing skills Computing advanced skills: Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Database Good understanding of relief, development and resilience issues, particularly under post-conflict conditions, and good practice in complex food security and protection crises

5 Rigorous, flexible and dynamic Able to travel and operate in Rakhine State Fluency in written/oral Burmese and English required. Regional languages a strong advantage. Applications Interested candidates should send an application letter, including the proposed approach for the study along with an updated CV (with at least 3 professional references), a sample of relevant previous work and a financial offer no later than February 28th 2019 to the following mail address: hr.myanmar@peopleinneed.cz. Applications will be assessed on rolling basis; interviews can therefore take place before the application deadline. Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.