ThaiNGO

                                                                                                                                      Urgently Required

Consultancy Assignment for Baseline Study of EU COVID-19 Response and Recovery in Thailand 

1. Organization Background:

ActionAid is an international social justice organization operating in over 45 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Americas for a world free from poverty and injustice. With Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA), it aims to strengthening the capacity of active agency of people living in poverty and exclusion to assert their rights. We believe in the power of people to bring change for themselves, for communities and for whole societies.

ActionAid has been working in Thailand since 2001 and registered as ActionAid International (Thailand) Foundation-AAITF in 2011 as local non-profit organization. ActionAid works all over Thailand with communities, civil society organizations, small schools’ networks, government entities, academia, and media to support for changing the lives of the poorest and the most disadvantaged women and children.

In the realm of COVID-19 pandemic, ActionAid International has been responding to most of the countries it operates in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Americas. ActionAid is on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis helping to stop the spread and save lives as the pandemic hits the world’s poorest countries. We are also calling on governments to involve women and their movements in all stages of the response as they know best what their needs are.

2. Project Background:

With the support of European Union (EU) funded project “EU COVID-19 Response and Recovery in Thailand – Nationwide, ActionAid Thailand is responding to the critical needs and challenges that the most vulnerable communities have been facing since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. This project is being implemented in a consortium approach along with three co-applicants named Bio Thai Foundation (BTF), Chum Chon Thai Foundation (CTF) and Foundation for Labor and Employment Promotion (FLEP), including seven sub-grantees, CSOs working in areas of children, women, small-scale farmer, ethnic minority groups.

This project responses toward different kinds of vulnerable communities affected by Covid-19 targeted in 38 provinces, approximately 387,038 people. Project’s objectives are, providing immediate relief, socio-economic recovery, and resilience building and preparedness toward social security and safety nets. Target groups are classified into stateless people residing across the borders of Thailand and Myanmar, migrant working groups from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia who could not leave Thailand when the lockdown was announced, informal sector workers in urban areas, the poor communities in semi-industrial and rural areas, rural poor including smallholders/farmers and ethnic minority groups.

Finally, key results of this project are to increase the participation of Thai CSOs working with the most vulnerable communities in Thailand in preventing, addressing and mitigating risks and vulnerabilities in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

3. Purpose of the baseline and scope of the consultancy:

ActionAid Thailand Foundation together with BTF, CTF, and FLEP have been providing relief and strengthening preparedness of resilience building to target groups as the most vulnerable communities affected by Covid-19 pandemic. Their needs assessment conducted from other organizations as secondary data sources. Practically, with regards to requirements for provision of relief to the most marginalized communities, socioeconomic recovery and rehabilitation, resilience building and preparedness of vulnerable communities as expected outputs, project baseline study is required. Basically, it will cover those aspects at the start of the project and at the end of relief phase, capacity development and policy advocacy phase, including the access to public services and challenges faced in accessing these schemes. Project target groups approximately 387,038, including three co-applicants and seven sub-grantees as well as 50 government officials from Ministries of Labor, Social Development and Human Security, Agriculture and Cooperatives, Interior and Finance, and relevant local government officials.     

Regarding geographic study, target areas sampled cover 5 regions- Northern, Southern, Central, Northeastern, and Eastern. Base on Taro Yamane (1973), 400 peoples will be sample size of study populations, various into 1) migrant workers groups from neighboring countries -Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, 2) informal sector workers in mainly urban locations, 3) ethnic minorities and Chao Le (sea-gypsy), 4) stateless communities, 5) urban poor, 6) rural poor communities including smallholder farmers, 7) children-schools and community centers, 8) CSOs, and 9) government officials related. Demographic characteristics are disaggregated on gender, age, group, incomes, ethnics, and level of participation including potential to access to public services and empowerment. Practically, data collection method and approach to access and reach out key samples in target areas is flexible for both offline and online due to spread-out of Covid-19 and its prevention announcement. As the results, key findings of project baseline study shall be made up to presentation in order to share progressive, wrap-up of results, and final report writing, respectively.

In this connection ActionAid Thailand is looking for consultant/firm to conduct the baseline study the project EU-COVID-19 Response and Recovery in Thailand.

4. Objectives:

1. To assess potential skills and expertise of targeted CSOs and CBOs that can deliver response, recovery and resilience building
2. To identify of women in target groups accessing to essential and gender responsive public services (contributing to SDG 5) 
3. To understand the potentials of vulnerable populations capacity to assess their degree of participation, potential of accessing public services, socioeconomic recovery and safety nets, empowerment and resilience
4. To assess situations of migrant workers’ stigmatizations during Covid-19 pandemic in Thailand
5. To develop the indicators of situation and reporting on any changes

5. Methodology:

Though limits of transportation under Covid-19 situation control by government announcements as well as project time constrain, methodologies usage for data collection are flexible for both online and off-line strategic approach. Desk review and online interview including group discussion for data collection and data analysis are practical tools of studies as detailed below.

I) Desk Review: this process significantly concerns toward updates of situations and policy related of Covid-19 including emergency relief, socioeconomic recovery, resilience preparedness on particularly target groups. Basically, there is existing information regarding impacts and accessible challenges faced from other national and international organizations that can be reviewed and synthesized for project report updates.  

II) Data Collection: its terms of data gathering through field visits for survey, interview, and group discussion but not limits into online or visual-audio approach as alternative tool of conduction due to prevention of Covid-19 spread-out. However, to ensure reliability and representatives of target populations, data collection design and pilot must take qualitative and quantitative methods into account. Sampling requirements, 400 samples, targeted stateless people, ethnic minorities and sea-gypsy (Chao Le), smallholder farmers, informal sector workers, migrant workers and migrant children, urban poor including unemployed from factories, children and family members, CSOs, and government officials, coverage of 5 regions. Demographic characteristics also need to be ensured for data disaggregation such as gender, age, income, ethnic group, including attitudes toward migrants’ stigmatization, measurement of potential of key population to assess their degree of participation, access to public services, and empowerment.

III) Data analysis and reporting: after data gathering completion, data management and assessment such as filling, filing and analyzing must be exercised. Finally, key findings shall be analyzed and made for final report submission.    

6. Deliverables: 

1. Detailed Methodology including field data collection plans and tools
2. Draft Baseline Report (in English) with analysis of findings for review by Consortium members (report outline to be determined).
3. A PowerPoint Presentation on findings (the Consultant need to facilitate a workshop to share and validate the study findings).
4. Final Baseline Report with recommendations and Annexes
   14. 1. The Consultant is responsible for producing a comprehensive baseline report that gives the baseline results for the indicators for the COVID 19 response and recovery Project
       2. The contents of the report will include at a minimum:
   15. Executive Summary (max 4 pages)
   15. Context & Introduction
   15. Baseline methodology
   15. Key findings
   15. Analysis of relevant cross cutting themes (gender, ethnicity, etc)
   15. Conclusions

• • Appendices including: Terms of reference, Data collection tools, List of documents reviewed, List of persons interviewed, and sites visited etc

5. A brief summary report of findings and recommendations including an indicator focused summary sheet.
6. A database including all the information gathered from the study and all raw data.

Documents required during consultancy calls 

• CV/Resume of individual or company portfolio in regard with professional background and services toward research and survey
• An initial baseline study plan and data collection design includes financial proposal (break-down in details)

7. Timeframe: Duration of the baseline study and working days as following detail.

• ActionAid Thailand will finalize the report and endorse the deliverables before the payment under the condition of signed grant contract of this project (Special Conditions) with European Union.
• The installment payment will be paid according to service agreement contract.
• The final payment will be paid after the final report submitted and approved within 30 days.

8. Qualifications: 

• At least 3 years of experience toward qualitative and quantitative research, particularly in project baseline study for NGO or INGO projects
• Sound understanding and knowledgeable on research methodology toward project-based assessment contextually of Thailand
• Strong practical and skilful of survey methodology, design, data collection tools, data gathering and analysis
• Demonstrable expertise on evaluation in the sectors of Community development, socio economic context in Thailand. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic is an added advantage.  
• Geographic expertise in South/East Asia, preferably in Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.
• Experience in quantitative and quantitative methods and analysis, participatory research, action research.
• Experience in project monitoring and evaluation system, including those using participatory approaches and ‘hard to measure’ indicators (i.e. resilience etc.).
• Experience in designing and conducting baseline, especially survey, capacity assessment as well as rigorous impact assessments (including using experimental/quasi-experimental and/or theory-based evaluation methodologies).
• Evidence of strong downward accountability mechanisms used with project stakeholders/research participants to actively share results and learning.
• Evidence of use of ethical considerations and methodological measures for conducting research with girls, women, boys, men and particularly those who might be disadvantaged and marginalized.
• Evidence of successful collaboration with NGOs, and particularly collaborations which included capacity building and ‘on the job’ training with field office staff.
• Evidence of client responsiveness, creativity and flexibility of approaches towards clients’ needs and/or challenges in research implementation.
• Professional report writing skill both Thai and English.
• Strong commitment to social justice, gender equality, and human dignity  

9. Applicant’s selection procedures:

The process will be conducted through firm comparison within 10 days as following instruction.  

1. Announcement of baseline study will be posted officially via website (7 days)
2. Preparedness toward applicants’ required documents and supportive measurements including committees’ appointment (1 day after deadline announcement)
3. Committees select qualified applicant (1 day)
4. Final selection officially confirmed and announced (1 day)

10. Estimated Budget: Approximately 140-170,000 THB

11. Code of Conduct:

The consultant shall abide by ActionAid’s Code of Conduct during the duration of the contract. The consultant shall also abide by ActionAid’s Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (SHEA) and other safeguarding related policies including Child Safeguarding Policy. Breaches of any of these policies may lead to termination of the contract. Details of those policies will be provided upon request.

How to apply:

Documents required during consultancy calls 

• CV/Resume of individual or company portfolio in regard with professional background and services toward research and survey
• An initial baseline study plan and data collection design includes financial proposal (break-down in details)
• Proposed rate of your consultancy fee

Submission can be made via email: jobs.thailand@actionaid.org by Sunday, 21st March 2021 at the latest. 

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.