Feasibility Study

Call for Tenders

Contract type: Consultancy Agreement

Award method: Best price-quality ratio

Estimated total value: 10,000 EUR

Deadline for receipt of tenders: 29 April 2024, 5 pm CET

Language: Tenders must be submitted in English

Contracting organization:   CARPO e.V.

                                                Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 13

                                                53111 Bonn

                                                Email: hanrath@carpo-bonn.org

Background:

The Rethinking Yemen’s Economy (RYE) initiative, which is currently in its third project phase (RYE3), seeks to commission a feasibility study on the institutionalization of its Development Champions Forum. RYE is co-implemented by a consortium of three partner organizations, CARPO – Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (lead partner), DeepRoot Consulting and the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies. It is funded by the European Union.

Details of the Project and the Development Champions Forum:

The Rethinking Yemen’s Economy (RYE) initiative, which has been ongoing since March 2017, aims to contribute to and support the advancement towards inclusive and sustainable development and peace by seeking to achieve the following: a) the enabled inclusive engagement of Yemenis in economic peacebuilding; b) an improved understanding of crucial policy areas related to economic peacebuilding and development in Yemen. 

At the heart of the RYE initiative, which combines approaches to conflict mediation on a track II level with knowledge production for (economic) development, is the Development Champions Forum (DCF). This standing group of senior Yemeni experts and professionals from various professional, regional and political backgrounds and with established expertise in development, economy and governance convenes in physical and virtual meetings to build consensus on priorities for intervention and issue respective recommendations. Over the course of three project cycles between March 2017 and today, the DCF has emerged as an important advisory group on (economic) development in Yemen, filling a gap in the respective landscape. In order to ensure its sustainability beyond the current project cycle, the RYE consortium – together with the DCF – is currently exploring various pathways. The feasibility study should contribute to this process. In this context, the two stakeholders work together in the DCF Steering Committee, which is comprised of representatives from each of the three RYE consortium implementing partners, as well as four Development Champions as representatives of the DCF plenary.

Further details of the procurement

The feasibility study is designed to support the institutionalization strategy of the Development Champions Forum as part of RYE3. The evaluation will specifically assess the feasibility, challenges and benefits for three/four different scenarios of institutionalization:

1)     Registering the Development Champions Forum outside of Yemen (i.e. in the region or in Europe): Here, we would additionally expect recommendations of 2-3 countries of where best to register, as well as the process and requirements for registration in these countries.

2)     Registering the Development Champions Forum in Aden with the possibility of registering it in Sana’a sometime in the future. 

3)     Not registering the Development Champions Forum but strengthening its position in the current project set-up.

4)     Promising alternative pathways that could guarantee sustainability to the Development Champions Forum.

In their discussion of the above scenarios, the implementers of the study are thus expected to specify and discuss the following aspects:

a)     Questions of the long-term sustainability of the DCF as an advisory body as the overarching objective:

Does the scenario offer viable options for long-term sustainability? What avenues within the specific scenario are more likely to set the DCF on the path to long-term sustainability? What measures would have to be taken within that specific scenario to create the best prospects for long-term sustainability? What challenges need to be considered to avoid a scenario of failure?

b)     Questions of financial sustainability:

What opportunities does the specific scenario offer for financial sustainability of the DCF? Which of these opportunities are most likely to set the DCF on the path to long-term financial sustainability? What mechanisms need to be put in place to ensure financial sustainability? What are the challenges and pitfalls that need to be considered?

c)     Questions of legal and organizational (i.e. internal organization and set-up of the DCF) nature:

What are the specific legal and organizational requirements (for the Development Champions as well as for the partners of the RYE consortium?) in each scenario? Are there specific consequences that might result out of the registration for the Development Champions and the RYE consortium partners? If so, what are they and how can they be addressed? What are the specific challenges, but possible also opportunities from a legal and organizational perspective? What measures and mechanisms need to be put in place to ensure that challenges are addressed, and opportunities maximized?

d)     Reputational risks:

What are the possible reputational risks to the DCF (and the RYE consortium) connected with each scenario? What mechanisms / measures need to be put in place to mitigate such risks?

Evaluation Methodology

While the DCF Steering Committee suggests consideration of the following mixed-methods methodology in order to collect the relevant data, the consultant is expected to determine the final methodological approach for presentation and approval during the inception phase. Final approval will be made by the DCF Steering Committee. 

CARPO will provide the successful bidder with all necessary project documentation at the beginning of the consultancy. Project-specific context shall also be taken into account. The consultant(s) will also interview the implementing organizations and the Development Champions, reflecting opinions, expectations, and visions about the objective of making the DCF sustainable. Here, particularly, previous work of the RYE consortium and the Development Champions on the institutionalization of the DCF will be shared with the consultant(s) and should be taken into account.

The methodology must consider participants’ safety throughout the evaluation (including data collection/analysis and report writing) as well as research ethics (confidentiality of data and information collected) and quality assurance (tools piloting, data cleaning). The above-described methodology is indicative, the consultant is expected to provide a detailed methodology and work plan. He/she will also be free to collect additional data in order to reply to all the research questions.

Schedule

This assignment is expected to be completed in four weeks during the period from 16 May to 13 June 2024. Bidders should provide an evaluation workplan detailing the number of working days required per evaluation activity (see below table).

Deliverables

The following deliverables should be provided to CARPO, which will then circulate them to the DCF Steering Committee for feedback. All deliverables should be in electronic version, Word/Windows compatible format, and in English. 

Inception Report

The inception report shall include the following elements: 

●      Detailed description of the methodology for the evaluation 

o   Data collection methods 

o   Data collection tools 

o   Approach to quality control 

●      Data analysis methods 

●      Justification for revising the Evaluation Questions (if relevant) 

●      Detailed work plan 

●      Analysis of anticipated limitations and mitigation measures 

Final Evaluation Report

The final evaluation report should be including the following elements:

1)     Project Synopsis (1 page max)

The project synopsis serves as an introduction and provides background information. It, therefore, includes a short text on the objectives of the study, the three scenarios evaluated, and the criteria discussed. 

2)     Executive Summary (2-3 pages max)

Should be tightly drafted, and usable as a free-standing document. It should be short, not more than two to three pages. It should focus on the main analytical points, and indicate the main conclusions, lessons learned, and specific recommendations.

3)     Methodology (1 page max)

The methodology section should detail the tools used in the compilation and analysis of data for this study. 

4)     Findings (10 pages max)

The findings section should present the results of the evaluation in an objective and non-judgmental way of the three scenarios listed above, discussing in detail the various pathways, opportunities and challenges as well as possible mechanisms and measures to be put in place for each scenario. 

The consultants are expected to provide a self-sustaining explanation of their assessment which must be understandable by any person unfamiliar with the project while at the same time providing useful elements of information to the stakeholders. The consultants should avoid the following weaknesses: not evidence-based, lack of technical content (e.g. experts provide an analysis that does not take into account the state of the art of knowledge in a given sector or topic). Full source details (including file name, and page numbers…) are always to be included. 

5)     Recommendations (2 pages max)

Based on the findings presented above, the consultants will present a set of recommendations to take the institutionalization of the DCF forward. Recommendations are expected to provide practical actions for each scenario with clear justifications for each. 

Technical Requirements

Bidders should fulfil the following technical requirements:

1.     Possess in-depth knowledge of institutionalization assessment practices;

2.     Possess in-depth knowledge of Yemen and the laws, administrative procedures and tax obligations governing the registration of independent organizations in Aden;

3.     Possess in-depth knowledge of international assistance provided to Yemen;

4.     Possess in-depth knowledge of the Yemeni diaspora and its various global centers;

5.     Possess in-depth knowledge of the laws, administrative procedures and tax obligations governing the registration of independent organizations in the case studies proposed under scenario 1).

Selection Criteria

The Rethinking Yemen’s Economy initiative selects suppliers/consultants to be awarded for a contract based on best value for money. For this tender, the following criteria will be considered:

1.     Cost (20)

2.     Best fit with the technical requirements (see above) (20)

3.     Demonstrated professional competence and reliability (based on examples of clients, similar contracts in the past, references and/or (members of) the RYE consortium’s past positive experience with bidder) (10)

4.     Quality of the tender (e.g. in regard to case studies offered under scenario 1), first thoughts on scenario 4), methodology etc.) (30)

5.     Ability to deliver within the requested timeframe. (20)