CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST BASELINE STUDY FOR DOMESTIC RESOURCE MOBILISATION PROGRAMME

Transcription

1 CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST BASELINE STUDY FOR DOMESTIC RESOURCE MOBILISATION PROGRAMME 1. Background and Introduction Diakonia Diakonia works for a just, equal and sustainable world free from poverty, oppression, inequality and violence. At the centre of this work is the organisation s Strategy for Change that rests on a Rights Based Approach, which embodies Diakonia s view of how change happens. The results achieved by Diakonia and its partners over five decades strengthen the conviction that there is no stronger driver for change than when people know their rights and organize themselves in order to claim those rights. This belief inspires Diakonia to contribute towards challenging unfair structures that prevent people from living their lives in dignity. Through the empowerment of people living in poverty and marginalization to participate in democratic processes as actors in their own right and by challenging duty bearers, real and sustainable changes can be made. Power analysis from an intersectional approach and a focus on gender equality are crucial for obtaining sustainable results. Women and girls are specifically prioritized in all of Diakonia s work. Diakonia has about 400 partner organizations in 30 countries. There are country offices in most countries where we have partners. The regional offices are located in Bogotá, Nairobi, Jerusalem and Chiang-Mai. The head office is located in Stockholm. In Sub-Saharan Africa Diakonia employs 100 staff at country offices in Mozambique, DRC, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Mali and Burkina Faso; and the Regional Office in Kenya. Diakonia s Africa programme is currently funded by Sweden, Swedish individual sponsors, EU, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, UN agencies and private foundations. Africa Economic Justice Programme The Africa Economic Justice (AEJ) is a regional programme supporting regional civil society organizations working in Sub-Saharan Africa. The work of AEJ is divided into three thematic clusters on unfair financial flows; financial and investment regimes and economic empowerment of women. The strategic programme offers a platform where new practices and innovative ideas on social and economic justice and economic empowerment of women are tested and developed. The programme is managed from the Diakonia Africa Regional Office since For more information please visit: Africa-Economic-Justice-AEJ/ Domestic Resource Mobilisation Programme Sub-Saharan African countries need to increase their domestic resource mobilisation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. If successful, they will be able to put aid and loan dependency behind them, and allow every woman, man, boy and girl to live a life in dignity. Inadequate domestic resource mobilisation maintains African governments dependency on external resources, such as foreign aid and loans. The lack of domestic resources also leads to 1

2 underbalanced national budgets where public services in health, education and social welfare receive fewer resources than needed to cater for the needs of the right holders, where women and children are extra vulnerable. Despite the fact that most African countries recently stepped up their policy initiatives aimed at strengthening the mobilization and effective use of domestic resources, many loopholes still exist. It is against this background that Diakonia engaged the Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa to develop a programme on Promoting Domestic Resource Mobilisation in Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme aims to address some of the causes for the inability to expand and realise domestic resource mobilisation and is designed on the premise that Africa is facing challenges that can well be solved by cooperation between countries through regional integration. The programme recognises policy formulation, review and implementation as a crucial strategy for development. Parliamentarians play an important role in legislation and policy, initiating or amending laws proposed by the executive, and influencing government decisions. They also have a key role in holding the executive accountable for policy implementation. The programme aims to take advantage of existing regional policy frameworks to push for maximization of domestic resource mobilization. To achieve this, priority is to build the capacity and supporting regional civil society organizations. The partners will lobby and engage the key change agents at regional and national level to advocate for policies that support increased domestic resources. Diakonia believes that empowering rights holders and challenging duty bearers contribute to changing the structures that create and/or uphold poverty, inequality, violence and injustice, and help realise the vision of all people living in dignified circumstances. This is reflected in the global Strategy for Change condensing Diakonia s perception of how change happens. The proposed programme takes its point of departure in the Diakonia Strategy for Change and envisages results in relation to both the civil society capacity and in policy change at the regional level. The programme will prioritize five intervention areas linked to existing EAC, ECOWAS and SADC frameworks and policies. The intervention areas are: 1. Harmful tax competition between member states 2. Tax evasion and tax avoidance 3. Public debt management 4. Corporate transparency and accountability in the extractive sector 5. Institutional and programmatic capacity of regional CSO partners The programme was developed in close consultation with key regional civil society actors where the following implementing partners have been identified: African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (Afrodad) Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA) Transparency International Kenya (TI-Kenya). During the first two years of implementation, three more partners will be identified to strengthen work on the thematic area of corporate transparency and accountability in the extractive sector. 2

3 Sida has requested and suggested that the results framework of the program is reviewed and that results (outcomes) are adjusted to the results from this study. Given developments in the different thematic areas, and the different mandates and areas of expertise of the implementing partners, as well as how the different Regional Economic Communities are functioning, it is expected that the results will be developed further. The Africa Economic Justice Programme is looking for a suitable team of consultants to undertake a baseline study for the Program. 2. Purpose The main objective of the assignment is to provide further analytical input to the development of the program and to contribute to a flexible and continuously adjusted monitoring framework of the program. This includes assessment the current situation in Sub-Saharan Africa with regard to Domestic Resource Mobilisation, in particular in the areas selected in this program, and suggestion of benchmark indicators for the EAC, ECOWAS and SADC. The program will be subject to frequent dialogue with Sida who has required and suggested an agile way of working, where adaptations to the context will be done based on what works and not, where there are openings, and dynamics to support. 3. Scope of work Context analysis: a deeper context analysis incorporating specific trends on the prioritized intervention areas between 2007 and New developments since 2017 when the proposal was developed should be particularly highlighted. The analysis should further include an analysis of the intervention areas from three mainstreaming perspectives prioritized by Diakonia namely gender, the environment and conflict sensitivity. Collection of Baseline Information: information on the status of the priroritised intervention areas in the EAC, ECOWAS and SADC regions by December 2017 with clear indicators Critically analyse the proposed theory of change and suggest amendments Mapping of actors: summary of key actors involved in development of laws and policies related to the prioritized intervention areas. This should include decision makers, researchers/academicians, civil society actors. The mapping should also provide recommendations on potential partners to recruit into, or relate to in, the programme. 4. Methodology The following methodologies are suggested. However, the consultant is at liberty to employ additional methodologies that are deemed relevant to produce the results Desk review of relevant literature: relevant Diakonia background documents, evaluation reports from Diakonia and partners. Relevant external documents such as international and regional frameworks, relevant government statistics, research reports from relevant institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations Economic Commission from Africa, the African Union, the African Development Bank, the African Tax Administration Forum. Relevant 3

4 reports from Non-governmental Organisations and Civil Society Organisations. A more detailed list of suggested materials will be provided to the successful team. Key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders including the Embassy of Sweden in Addis Ababa, current partners to the programme, representatives of regional intergovernmental organisations, researchers, parliamentary networks and non-governmental actors. A list of potential key informants will be provided to the successful team. Data analysis: Data gathered using various methods and tools shall be collated, analysed and interpreted systematically. The consultant will be expected to come up with detailed data/information analysis methods. 5. Roles and responsibilities The consultant will be responsible for: Leading the assignment and suggesting a monitoring framework with clear thematic scope, clear indicators and targets, which caters for the expected needs for continuous adaptation. Producing a mapping report showing key actors and potential additional partners to the programme Developing tools required for data collection and for the coordination of data collection, compilation and analysis exercises. Diakonia will be responsible for: Supporting the consultant to mobilise and coordinate the logistics for all aspects of the assignment. Diakonia will provide logistical requirements for any workshops/meetings required. Supervising the assignment. The Consultant will report to the Africa Economic Justice Programme Manager based in Nairobi A reference team from Diakonia Regional Office and representatives of partner organisations will provide overall quality assurance of the baseline survey. 6. Outputs and deliverables The following outputs and deliverable are expected: Inception report including tools and methodology to be used for the assignment Report including baseline information, possible new proposed thematic scope, indicators and targets for the Domestic Resource Mobilisation Programme (20,000 words maximum) A mapping report including key actors and potential additional partners to the Programme (10,000 words maximum) Other documents related to the assignment raw and refined statistical data, interview notes, meeting minutes, etc. 7. Assignment time schedule 4

5 The assignment will begin ideally on or before 10 th December It will be carried between 10 th December 2018 and 10 th February 2019 for a period of 30 working days. 8. Requirements and Qualifications The team consultant should have the following qualifications: Post graduate degree in Economics, Development Studies, Social Sciences or equivalent, with emphasis on research and analysis and monitoring and evaluation At least 7 years experience in the development field working with Civil Society in Sub- Saharan Africa at regional level, and preferably good knowledge and experience from working with regional institutions Possess excellent coordination abilities Be an excellent team player Proven understanding and experience of human rights based programming, progressive theories of change, participatory approaches, gender and environmental mainstreaming as well as conflict sensitive approaches to development. A good understanding of Diakonia s thematic area of social and economic justice. This includes fair distribution of wealth and access to natural resources with the following specific thematic areas: Harmful tax competition between member states Tax evasion and tax avoidance Public debt management Corporate transparency and accountability in the extractive sector. 9. Application process Applications shall be sent in soft copy on or before the 3rd of December 2018 via the following africa@diakonia.se All applications should include the following Cover letter 200 words maximum A technical proposal (maximum 10,000 words): the technical proposal should include A brief presentation of the consultant/firm s qualification with emphasis on previous experience with similar assignments Profiles of team members to be involved in the assignment Understanding of the Terms of Reference and the task to be accomplished Draft assignment framework and plan with clear methodology and timeframes List of relevant past three assignments for similar work at regional level. A financial proposal (maximum 5000 words) The financial proposal shall include Details of all envisaged costs of the assignment in US dollars. 5