Terms of Reference Consultancy for Final Review

Increasing Capacities and Spaces for Thai CSOs‘ Effective Participation in Governance and Management of Fisheries and Marine Resources in Thailand

Duration: 5 January- 7 March 2022

Proposals are invited from individuals and organizations who meet the profile described below until 27 December 2021

Background:

Oxfam in Thailand and Thai Sea Watch Association are partnering to implement the EU-funded project, “Increasing Capacities and Spaces for Thai CSOs’ Effective Participation in Governance and Management of Fisheries and Marine Resources in Thailand”, that has started from January 2018 to December 2021 (4 years).The project objective aims to contribute to the transformation of Thailand’s fishery sector towards more socially responsible and environmentally sustainable by reclaiming the public policy spaces and enabling effective contribution and participation of Thai CSOs and communities in the governance and management of fisheries and marine resources in Thailand.

Purpose of the Study:

The purpose of the consultancy is to review the project’s performance of Thai Sea Watch Association (TSWA), the Federation of Thai Fisherfolk Association (FTFA), Pakbara Movement and the Southern Fisherwomen Association (SFA), including Thai CSO Coalition, for their advocacy works and the impacts on public policy spaces of fisheries communities in both provincial and national levels including private sector. The review will make a comparison with the baseline collected in 2018 to see how the project implementation has contributed to the project objective and the sustainability of the project after the project ends. This is a qualitative study.

The Project’s Theory of Change:

The project supports CSOs to contribute to the development of a “sustainable and ethical fishing sector” in Thailand through critical engagement with Department of Fisheries in Thailand (DoF), Ministry of Agriculture including private sector on industry regulation of their own business and supply chains. Capacities of the CSOs will be strengthened enabling them to engage with different stakeholders with innovative means. Alternative spaces for dialogues will drive change with the private sector and consumers to create conducive environment for citizen voice with the private sector in support of the CSOs. Monitoring of the labor practices and environment protection measures will address modern slavery issues, increase income for workers and fishers and holding both government and private sector to be accountable for people and planet.

The key actors in this project are the Association of Thai Fisherfolk Federations (ATFF)¹ representing approximately 5,000 small fisher households and the Thai Civil Society’s Coalition for Sustainable and Ethical Seafood (Thai CSO Coalition), which is recently formed with members from the ATFF and migrant’s rights NGOs. If these CSOs have increased capacities -- to voice their interests and concerns effectively, utilize policy spaces at Provincial Fisheries Committees and the National Fisheries Committee to monitor policy and practices of the duty bearers and the private sector (Result 1), then they can organize a space for dialogue with the private sector to function as a base for cooperation and joint solution seeking to address the needs of small fisher communities and labors in the industry (Result 2). And if the public are well informed of the critical information on unsustainable and unethical fisheries, they can be mobilized to voice for the policy changes of the private sector practice and the government (Result 3). If the public voice for the policy changes of the private sector, the CSOs will have more supportive power to organize the dialogue with the private sector more effectively.

The Final Review

The final review will answer these questions, through a series of guiding questions listed below focusing on finding evidence to identify and verify the relevance, effectiveness and impact of the project, also updating the indicators in the Logical Framework.

Key questions: What is the level of FTFA and their network’s ability to take part in driving their policy agenda and the national management of the fishery sector at the end of the project as a result of the project’s investment over the last four years ? How have the project’s collaboration with Federation of Thai Fisherfolk Association (FTFA) impacted the policy environment in both national and local level (including the 8 targeted provinces; Songkhla, Patthalung, Satun, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phang-nga, Ranong, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chanthaburi province) towards achieving greater policy space and reclaiming public policy that positively impacts fisherfolks? How have the project’s collaboration with Thai CSO coalition created the engagement and dialogue with private sector and government on the concerns of sustainable, ethical and equitable fisheries and seafood production during project implementation?

Sub-questions:

1. How community activities carried by TSWA and FTFA linking with the participation and engagement in policy space? Why the communities engage more? What benefits do the communities receive from engaging with the project? Are there any testimonial data or information?
2. How effective are the policy participation of fisheries communities and CSO in Provincial Fisheries Committees and the National Fisheries Committee to monitor policy and practices of the duty bearers? What is still the gap and recommended actions?
3. Has the policy environment and working ways of duty bearers i.e. Provincial Fisheries Government Office, Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) changed due to engagement of fisheries communities as a result of project’s investment?
4. How advocacy of Thai CSO coalition has created positive change with private sector and general public on the concerns of sustainable, ethical and equitable fisheries and seafood production? What are the key improvement areas?  

5. Has private sector changed perspectives on sustainable and ethical seafood production as result from the CSO coalition engagement? What are key activities that contribute most to the changed perspectives? What policy impact has it made as a result of changed perspectives?
6. The series of research are developed under CSO Coalition to support engagement and advocacy with private sector, what knowledge does it create to support advocacy on the 3+1 recommendations?
7. How the project supports policy participation of Pakbara movement and Southern Fisherwomen Association that contribute to inclusive marine resource management in Thailand?

*** The questions can be added, changed, or adjusted upon discussion and context.

Methodology

The final review is recommended to use qualitative methodology. Methods can include:

1. Desk review of the project documents i.e. proposal, baseline report, annual reports, notes of advocacy meetings, project publications.
2. 3 focus group interviews with one old fisheries community and two new communities.
3. At least 8 in-depth interviews i.e. 2 officers from TSWA/ field coordinator, 1 officer or representative from FTFA, 1 officer or representative from Pakbara Movement, 1 officer or representative from Southern Fisherwomen Association, 2 beneficiary fisherfolks ( 1 man, 1 woman), and 1 representative from CSO-Coalition.

Timeline

Application:

Please send a letter of interest with some research ideas, limitations of conducting research if any, questions, and quotation, as well as CV with 2 names of referees, and 2 samples of research papers or reports as lead writer by 27 December 2021 to Oxfam Human Resource Department, at hr_thailand@oxfam.org.uk

The proposed costs should include fee, travel costs, field interview and meeting costs, translation costs, report printing costs, VAT and other related taxes. Please provide the breakdown of costs. When approved, the costs will be considered as a lump sum.

Deliverables:

1. Field research plan and questions for approval by 17 January 2022.
2. Draft report and presentation to Committee on 14 February 2022.
3. Final report in Thai by 14 February 2022.
4. Final report in English by 7 March 2022.

Oxfam Team:

• Project manager                             

Nipatta Quamman NQuamman@oxfam.org.uk

Food Justice Programme Coordinator

• Programme Officer                        

Waraporn Raksaphram Wraksaphram@oxfam.org.uk

Terms of payment

This is a lump-sum agreement. Payments will be made into 3 installments as follows;

• 1^st payment: 30% after contract signing and invoice received
• 2^nd payment: 40% upon approval of field research plan and questions for approval
• Final payment: 30% upon submission of satisfied final reports (Thai and English)

Qualifications and Criteria of selection

• Relevant postgraduate university degree and at least 3 years of experience in project evaluation or social research.
• Good knowledge of the project context, community engagement, policy analysis and fisheries sector (Small-Scale Fisheries, Fisheries laws, Fisheries situation, accountability of duty bearers).
• Ability to communicate effectively and independently in Thai language.
• Time and resource management.

General Terms and Conditions:

• Confidentiality of information: