The German Red Cross, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and the Myanmar Red Cross Society, is currently looking for a consultant to conduct an evaluation of its cross-country Transitional Development Assistance (TDA) project in Myanmar and Bangladesh funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Since 2019 the project focuses on strengthening the resilience of refugees and internally displaced persons and host communities through disaster risk management, livelihood interventions and strengthening of the capacities of the National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies. With the increasingly challenging context in both countries, the aim of the consultancy is to review past and current activities, identify lessons learnt and utilize those for a concrete plan on how to continue the project in new areas.
Context and project set up
Since 2019 the German Red Cross (GRC) and its Partner National Societies - the Bangladesh
Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) – have been jointly
implementing a cross country Transitional Development Assistance (TDA) project funded by the
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project is
implemented in Cox´s Bazar (Teknaf) in Bangladesh and Rakhine State in Myanmar.
Myanmar and Bangladesh are both countries not only prone to recurring natural disasters such
as monsoon and cyclones, but in the project areas also characterized by the long-lasting
Rohingya conflict. Since its eruption in August 2017, the response initially had a strong focus on
refugees and relief activities, whereas linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD) was
urgently needed considering the nature of this crisis.
The main objective of the project is to strengthen, improve and support the livelihoods and
resilience of the host communities and to promote opportunities for self-help capacities and
resilience for refugees and internally displaced people. The complex vulnerabilities of the target
group are responded to especially in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction (e.g. First Aid Trainings,
DRR at schools, training of volunteers) and Livelihood (e.g. Cash for Livelihood, agriculture,
income generating activities). In the context of high resource and income competition between
host communities and refugees (BGD) or internally displaced persons (MMR), the risk of conflicts
between the two groups is increasing. The project is intended to mitigate this risk and in particular
to address vulnerable groups with a high dependency ratio in the family, i.e. above all women,
single women, families with many children and people with disabilities. Finally, the project seeks
to strengthen the capacities of BDRCS and MRCS as key actors of the civil society in their
countries to fulfil their role as auxiliary to the public authorities.
Given the influx of people fleeing from Myanmar/Rakhine to Bangladesh/Cox's Bazar, and the
increasing humanitarian challenges in both neighboring countries as well as the challenges of the
neighboring National Societies to deal with this crisis, the project aims to establish synergies;
however, the project is in fact compiled of two sub-projects, with different activities, stages of
development and challenging contexts.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with a young population of
about 165 Million people crammed into a delta of rivers that empty into the Bay of Bengal. Despite
positive economic developments over the past few years, Bangladesh remains one of the poorest
countries in in the world. The latest economic advances have been hindered mainly by instability
(political, religious, social), extreme vulnerability to disasters as well as the negative effects of
climate change and impacts of COVID-19 pandemic to health and economy. These problems are
exacerbated particularly by the high population density and constant increase in urbanization.
Both factors combined have, most of all, forced people to settle in highly exposed areas with very
limited and sometimes hampered access to essential government and social services and
institutions. Furthermore, Bangladesh is home to the most serious forgotten humanitarian crises
worldwide with almost one million stateless people from the neighbouring Rakhine State in
Myanmar seeking refuge in the southeastern part of Bangladesh, in Cox’ Bazar.
The BDRCS is the largest humanitarian aid organization in the country with over 700,000
volunteers and a countrywide structure reaching down to the communities. As an auxiliary to the
government in humanitarian action, it is a central part and actor in the government aid services
system. In its role as a national aid organization, the BDRCS is represented in all governmental
committees on its administrative levels (national, regional, local) relevant to the area of Disaster
Risk Management (DRM). The resources and technical capacities available to the BDRCS,
particularly in regard to the structures on the local office level, but also on the central level at
headquarters, are existing, however, with several limitations.
The GRC has been supporting the activities of the BDRCS bilaterally since the 1970s, particularly
in the areas of disaster response, rehabilitation, and development collaboration including
anticipatory action. Since the mid-1980s, the GRC has a permanent office in Dhaka. A sub-office
in Cox`s Bazar was established on 2017 to manage the projects in support of operations for the
displaced people from Rakhine.
The project team operates within the structure of BDRCS Population Movement Operation
(PMO) but with close coordination and collaboration with the BDRCS Cox’s Bazar Unit and
BDRCS Myanmar Refugee Relief Operation (MRRO).
The project addresses to reduce the gaps in livelihood and disaster risk management capacities
of selected host and guest communities, as well as strengthen the BDRCS unit to improve delivery
of humanitarian services. Specifically, this involves facilitating participatory planning, asset
provision, increasing knowledge and skills, mitigating risks through structural or non-structural
measures, and establish linkage or improved cooperation among various actors.
Target group
The project aims to reach host communities, refugees of guest communities/camps, schools and
staff and volunteers of the host national society.
Project locations
Interventions are primarily implemented in Teknaf Upazila due to lesser presence of and activities
by RCRC actors compare to Ukhiya and to leverage on the gains from previous projects
implemented by BDRCS/GRC. Few implementations in Ukhiya were carried out and are still being
considered depending on the gaps and to complement the BDRCS programs.
The overall objective of the project is the strengthening of resilience of refugees and host
communities through Disaster Risk Management, livelihood interventions and through
strengthening of the operational and institutional capacities of the National Societies in
Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Main stakeholders
The primary stakeholders of the project are project recipients and village leaders, local
government authorities, BDRCS and GRC.
Myanmar
Myanmar is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and negative effects of climate change. The
country ranks 147th out of 188 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), with about 25
percent of the population living in poverty. Several disasters have hit the countries in the last
fifteen years, most notably Cyclone Nargis in 2008, which killed an estimated 140,000 people,
and extensive flooding in 2015 and 2019. In May 2023 Cyclone Mocha hit Rakhine State causing
considerable damage to lives and livelihoods, before hitting additional states and regions inland.
It is estimated that the cyclone caused over 1 billion dollars' worth of damage and left the already
vulnerable population at further risk of homelessness, water and sanitation shocks and loss of
their livelihoods. In the 2021 INFORM Index for Risk Management, which calculates vulnerability
to humanitarian crises, Myanmar falls under the highest risk class (very high). The unfavorable
geographical, climate and topographical conditions are exacerbated by the very low institutional
capacity in disaster risk management (DRM), advancing urbanization, structural inequalities and
discrimination against many population groups on the grounds of gender, disability or ethnic and
religious affiliation. Vulnerability increased in February 2021 with civil unrest and lockdowns,
exacerbating the fragile economy and effecting the lives and livelihoods of the population.
The MRCS is the largest humanitarian volunteer organization in Myanmar, supported by its
45,000 volunteers in all regions of the country. The new legal framework assigns roles to MRCS
notably in the areas of DRM and first aid training. The MRCS has currently only insufficient
capacities to fully follow its mandate as a central actor in the national aid system. The MRCS has
institutionally responded to the objective of strengthening its groundwork by entrusting the
headquarters' Organisational Development Department (OD Department) with the task of
coordinating the forthcoming process of decentralising capacities within the organization, with the
challenge to transfer the sectoral capacities developed under the auspices of the technical
departments at headquarter level to the overall organisation structure and to the local branch
level.
The GRC started its collaboration with the MRCS at the end of 2018 with a particular focus on
capacity building/ organizational development in DRM/DRR. It later expanded to include more
long-term recovery initiatives with a focus on cash, livelihoods, forecast based action and some
aspects of shelter. The project, which the specific consultant is being recruited for is focused on
central areas of Rakhine, a historically underdeveloped state in northeast Myanmar prone to civil
unrest, economic stagnation and mass displacement.
The project aims to increase the overall resilience of vulnerable populations and the national
society using a multi-faceted approach.
Target group
The project targets IDPs, host communities and students as well as teachers at secondary
schools. It also targets persons from MRCS comprised of Red Cross Volunteers, employees and
members from the senior management team.
Project locations
The project is in Rakhine State. Whilst no specific townships are mentioned in the project
document, to date activities have been implemented in Minbya, Myebon, and Pauktaw
Townships. The project is also operational in the urban area of Sittwe.
Overall objectives
- The living conditions of vulnerable groups in host communities and displaced populations
in Rakhine are improved. - Vulnerability to disasters of vulnerable populations in Rakhine is reduced.
- Regional branches of the National Society MRCS in Rakhine have increased their
operational capacities.
Main stakeholders
The main stakeholders of the project will consist of internally displaced populations, host
communities, school goers and teachers and red cross staff and volunteers. It is anticipated that
through their work indirectly local authorities will improve their capacity and understanding of the
work and role of the Myanmar Red Cross in Rakhine State.
Purpose of the Consultancy
With the increasingly challenging context in both countries, GRC is aiming to review past and
current activities, identify lessons learnt and utilize those for a concrete plan on how to continue
the project in new selected areas. To support this process, the GRC is seeking an external
consultant, who is familiar with the humanitarian contexts in Bangladesh and Myanmar as well as
with the Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement.
The consultant is expected to travel to one or both countries concerned but due to the
difficulties in acquiring visas for Myanmar, he/she will need to demonstrate the
approaches to evaluate the project in Myanmar.
The findings and learnings of this final evaluation would be a learning exercise for all partners and
contribute to the improvement and adjustment of the last two years of the anticipated project
timeline with an extension of the project to the end of 2025. This consultancy has been initiated
by GRC for BDRCS and MRCS with a focus on learning and to generate insights and lessons
learned that can be valuable to improve the quality and effectiveness of ongoing and future
projects.
The main purpose of the consultancy is to:
- Review the project implementation for the period September 2019 to October 2023.
- Conduct an endline data collection exercise to measure project implementation and if
possible direct impact. - Identify and document key lessons, lessons learnt, best practices and realistic and useful
recommendations for the continuation and improvement of the project for proposed
extension. - Compile learnings and test suitability across both countries.
- Explore other organizations` activities in similar project contexts to find best practice
examples. - Identify longer term outcomes and impact.
Please find here more information https://www.drk.de/das-drk/aktuelle-ausschreibungen/#c103575
- Deadline for applications: 06 November 2023, 12:00 noon EST
- Deadline for questions / clarifications: 27 October 2023, 17:00 noon EST
- Reference: “Application for Consultancy Evaluation TDA Bangladesh and Myanmar”
- Submissions and clarification to be submitted electronically via email to: Julius Kloeckner (j.kloeckner@drk.de).
How to apply
Deadline for applications: 06 November 2023, 12:00 noon EST via email to Julius Kloeckner (j.kloeckner@drk.de).
Submissions and clarification to be submitted electronically via email to: Julius Kloeckner (j.kloeckner@drk.de).