Deadline

The purpose of the Call for Expression of Interest is to solicit interest from existing or prospective Implementing Partners that wish to participate in UN-Habitat operation and contribute complementary resources (human resources, knowledge, funds, in-kind contributions, supplies and/or equipment) to achieving common objectives as outlined below and subsequently agreed in an Agreement of Cooperation

Evaluate and complement the Urban Inclusion Marker using updated and relevant information that constitutes evidence for the strengthening of socioeconomic integration policies in the nine cities that are the object of the Inclusive Cities program implemented by UNHCR, IOM, and UN-HABITAT

 

Size of grant: 90,000 USD

Purpose of CFP: The United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) requests the presentation of expressions of interest to celebrate a Cooperation Agreement, which will contemplate the realization of a technical and economic proposal for the Evaluation and complementation of the Urban Inclusion Marker using updated and relevant information that constitutes evidence for the strengthening of socioeconomic integration policies in the nine cities that are the object of the Inclusive Cities program implemented by UNHCR, IOM, and UN-HABITAT.               

 

Project Key Information

  • UN-Habitat Project title: Fostering local communities of solidarity for migrants and refugees from Venezuela
  • Locations
    • Town/City: Cucuta, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, Villa del Rosario, La Chorrera, Quito, Manta, Lima, Chaguanas, Great Common Wealth of Santo Domingo.
    • Country: Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic
  • Anticipated start date: TBC
  • Estimated duration of the project in calendar months: 7 months
  • Maximum proposed value in US$: 90,000
  • Lead Organization Unit: UN-Habitat Andean Countries Hub

 

Brief Background of the Project

(State the purpose, main goal, and specific objectives of the project)

In recent decades, cities around the world have been the main recipients of internal migratory flows, mostly caused by the process of migrating from the countryside to the city, and external ones, caused by social and economic instabilities of the expelling countries. More recently, the cities of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have received significant migratory flows of refugees and people from Venezuela. It is estimated that, of the 6.8 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants, 5.8 million are in LAC, mainly in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and Brazil. The arrival and settlement of these migratory flows in LAC cities generate tangible impacts on urban and socioeconomic dynamics and brings with it important policy challenges for local governments.

Although migration represents important challenges for cities, it can also be an opportunity to enhance productivity and prosperity, by taking advantage of the diversity, multiculturalism, and human capital that migratory flows bring with them. In this sense, one of the greatest challenges is the medium and long-term integration of refugees and migrants into the labor markets and social protection policies of cities.

In this context, the Inclusive Cities program is an initiative supported by the European Union that materializes through a strategic alliance between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The project seeks to implement innovative actions from the perspective of care and protection for refugees and migrants, socioeconomic integration, migration governance, and planning towards inclusive urban development, transcending the context of immediate humanitarian attention. The project is currently located in nine cities in the region, namely Barranquilla, Cucuta, Bucaramanga, Quito, Manta, Lima, Santo Domingo, Panama City and Chaguanas.

The program has as its central axis an urban-territorial approach, which operates under the principle of the "right to the city" as a common good. Along these lines, and as a tool for the Inclusive Cities program, in 2021, UN-Habitat designed and applied the first version of the Urban Inclusion Marker (UIM) in six cities: Tapachula, Cucuta-Villa del Rosario, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, Quito, and Lima. The Marker is a georeferenced composite index, comparable between cities, that seeks to measure the aggregate level of inclusion of a city and its potential contribution to the spatial, social, economic, and cultural integration of its inhabitants, contributing to the generation of information for decision making.

Thus, the marker is designed to estimate the capacity of a city to offer its inhabitants universal access to the services and benefits of living in an urban area, without discrimination based on their economic condition, nationality, age, or gender; and understanding this offer as a necessary basis for the integral human development of people and enabler of the contribution of all to the sustainability and prosperity of a territory4. To this end, the Urban Inclusion Scoreboard is made up of five thematic areas, each grouping together a set of related key indicators, namely: i) affordable quality and serviced housing; ii) health and wellness; iii) Education, diversity, and culture; iv) public space, security, and vitality of the urban environment; v) employment and economic opportunities.

As a tool for generating information, the Urban Inclusion Marker constitutes a first effort to provide local governments with geolocated and comparable information between cities. However, the different cities have additional sources of information that can be exploited and, although they are not available homogeneously in the region, they can strengthen the formulation of public policies in these municipalities and in the region.

Now, to strengthen the information generation capacity of the Urban Inclusion Marker, and consolidate it as a regional application tool, UN-Habitat seeks to strengthen the tool by incorporating new information specific to each city and information on the reality of and location of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in target cities, as well as conducting a comprehensive and detailed expert review. A first review, which will be strengthened within the framework of the consultancy, highlights different needs.

The new Urban Inclusion Marker should provide a baseline, elements of analysis and recommendations on the integration needs of refugees and migrants and their links with the dimensions of inclusive urban prosperity to support the formulation and implementation of policies and plans based on data and evidence.

 

Responsibilities and activities

  • The organization will work under the supervision of the UN-Habitat Coordinator of the Andean Countries (hereinafter the Coordinator) as well as in close communication with other consultants assigned to the project to ensure coordination and achievement of objectives.
  • To ensure the adequate planning of activities for the execution of the project, under the supervision of the Coordinator.
  • Generate technical and administrative inputs to support management in accordance with the requirements, policies, and processes of the Agency and the United Nations System and by instruction of the Coordinator.
  • The organization will be responsible for ensuring compliance with its activities and the processes that impact its performance and certainty of execution.
  • Collaborate in the compilation, integration, and generation of technical content necessary for the development of reports or products, as well as providing inputs for the preparation of technical presentations, guaranteeing coherence, quality, and alignment with the cross-cutting themes promoted by the United Nations.
  • The organization will be responsible for preparing the reports and progress reports on the execution of the project, as necessary and requested for the proper verification of its activities and providing inputs for the drafting of project completion and closure documents.
  • The organization will be responsible for ensuring that the services and  goods to be delivered are in line with the quality expectations of UN-Habitat.
  • The organization will be responsible for ensuring optimal and timely delivery of the services entrusted in the Cooperation Agreement within the stipulated deadlines.
  • Integrate documents of conclusions aimed at different audiences, among which decision-makers and technical or specialized officials stand out, and for mass dissemination aimed at the general or less specialized public.
  • The organization will be in charge of facilitating and executing, together with other consultants appointed to the project, when applicable, the five responsibilities/methodologies/strategies, based on a work program approved by UN-Habitat.
  • The organization will be responsible for moving its staff or members by its own means to target territories as necessary in accordance with the activities framed in these terms of reference.
  • To address requests for information required by the different UN-Habitat units and any other information required by other project consultants or the counterpart without prejudice to their responsibilities.
  • Carry out the necessary activities to generate the expected products.

 

Main activities and outputs

The Implementing Partner will be undertaking main activities as follows (but not limited to):

  • List activities and outputs
  • PRODUCT 1: Final Methodological Document for the Urban-Basic Inclusion Marker and measurement of the basic marker for four cities (Manta, La Chorrera, Commonwealth of the Great Santo Domingo, and Chaguanas).

This product will start from the methodological review of the Urban-Basic Marker in its current state and will identify and define, first, the aggregation weighting of the tool for the city level, and second, if pertinent, it will complement comparable indicators between cities and geolocated. The document will include the methodological recommendations for updating the indicators over time, their respective technical files and the analysis of the results of the Adjusted Basic Marker, for the five cities that have the tool. Likewise, the agreed methodology will be applied to the six cities that already have a Marker, as well as two new cities in Colombia.

Delivery: Month 3 counted from the signing of the agreement.

 

  • PRODUCT 2: Methodological Design and Application of the Urban Inclusion Marker – Extended version. This product will develop the methodology for the Extended Urban Inclusion Marker, identifying new sources of relevant information for each of the nine cities[1] in the study, and will define the different territorial measurement scales, emphasizing the Venezuelan refugee and migrant population and other population breakdowns, emphasizing the analysis of women, the LGTBIQ+ community and people with physical disabilities, provided that the information is available. The new methodology will be applied to the nine (initial) cities of the study. Product 2 will in turn be disaggregated into two sub-products::

 

1. SUB-PRODUCT 2.1: Methodological Document of the Urban Inclusion Marker - Extended, which will detail possible data sources[2], the new indicators[3] derived from them, the methodological recommendations for updating the indicators over time, and their respective technical data sheets. In addition, this product will present recommendations for the structuring of Urban Observatories.

Delivery: Month 4 counted from the signing of the agreement.

 

2. SUB-PRODUCT 2.1: Results of the Urban Inclusion Marker -Extended for all target cities, which will analyze the results obtained for each of the nine cities of the study and will identify the main findings and recommendations. It will include the analysis for the Venezuelan refugee and migrant populations, and other population groups in vulnerability such as women, people with disabilities, LGTBIQ+ community, among others. This sub-product includes the delivery of the alphanumeric and GIS databases of the extended marker and its indicators.

Delivery: Month 5 counted from the signing of the agreement.

 

  • PRODUCT 3: Design and Application of the Pilot of the Territorial Complementary Survey. This product will review and define the survey methodology, the final design of the questionary, the sample design for target territories, and the application in the field of the Pilot of the Territorial Complementary Survey on pilot territories, which will seek to generate representative information of the population (total, Venezuelan communities and dissagregated by gender) and the spatial extension of the community. Hence, it will present georeferenced from two predetermined geographic areas in the cities of La Chorrera and Manta, cities for which there is no georeferenced information in the Urban Inclusion Marker. Product 3 will be disaggregated in turn into three sub-products:
  1. SUB-PRODUCT 3.1: Methodological Document of the Complementary Territorial Survey. This document will include the definitive questionar and will detail the sampling strategy to use to guarantee population and spatial representation. The document serves as a guide for its implementation in the other project cities.

Delivery: Month 2 counted from the signing of the agreement.

  1. SUB-PRODUCT 3.2: Microdata[4] from the Complementary Territorial Survey. It consists of the file that consolidates the microdata (alphanumeric and GIS databases) from the application of the survey in the households of the two defined geographic areas. The target territories[5] are: (i) Parroquia San Mateo, Manta, Ecuador; (ii) El Harino neighborhood, La Chorrera, Panama.

Delivery: Month 4 counted from the signing of the agreement.

  1. SUB-PRODUCT 3.3: Results Analysis Document. The document will include the analysis of the results of the surveys collected, maintaining the conceptual framework of the Urban Inclusion Marker and its five thematic areas, in the two target territories[6] or Territorial Intervention Units in which the survey was applied.

Delivery: Month 4 counted from the signing of the agreement.

 

  • PRODUCT 4: Consolidation of a Web Viewer Tool[7] for Results Visualization. Web design that complements the inclusive cities section on the website of the Inclusive Cities program, updating all the information generated within the framework of this consulting project and allowing interactive and dynamic navigation. In particular, it will seek to guarantee the visibility of the information by thematic layers, and population groups, to have in a single tool the functionality that is currently available on the website.

Delivery: Month 6 counted from the signing of the agreement.

 

Payment Calendar

Payment

Percentage

Payment 1

30% upon signing of the Agreement and the delivery of the workplan

Payment 2

35% against delivery and approval of products 1, sub-product 3.1 and interim financial report

Payment 3

25% against delivery and approval of sub-products 2.1, 3.2 and 3.3 and interim financial report

Payment 4

10% against delivery and approval of sub-product 2.2, product 4 and final financial report.

 

Risk Analysis

(State the risks associated with this project and the mitigation factors)

The main risks associated with the implementation of this project are:

Time: The organization must be responsible for the execution of the activities and presentation of the expected products in a timely manner. Mitigating factors for any non-agreed deviation from the work program and schedule are ensuring timely and effective communication with the organization, time management both operationally and administratively, as well as adequate supervision.

Scope and quality: It is identified as a risk that the services and products provided by the organization do not meet the expected quality or scope standards. In this sense, the mitigating factors are verifying both the work program and the project execution progress reports. Timely supervision is crucial to minimize this risk.

Information access: During the development of the activities, it must be ensured that the information generated in the development of the objective of the contract is easily accessible by the team. To mitigate this risk, Agency guidelines will be shared for the management of all the information. Adequate supervision and follow-up represent additional mitigating factors.

Confidentiality: All information gathered or produced during the execution of the work program will be strictly confidential. To prevent any unauthorized dissemination of information, a Confidentiality Agreement will be signed with the implementing partner.

 

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Submission Details/ Documents Required

Legal Status

  • Certificate of registration/incorporation i.e.,
  • Proof of registration in Country of Origin.
  • Proof of registration of Country of operation
  • Proof of country operational presence

Organization profile and details

  • Clear organization profile and structure of the organization indicating:
    • Organization’s vision, mission and objectives
    • Management structure
    • Members of the Governing Board and their Designations duly certified by the Corporate Secretary, or its equivalent document
    • Proof of membership to professional associations if any.

Financial Capacity

  • Audited company financial statements (balance sheet and income statement) and auditors report for the last two years

Exclusive bank account

  • Is the organization willing and able to have a separate bank account for the funds provided by UN-Habitat?

Integrity and Governance

  • The organization should complete and submit a signed Partner Declaration Form
  • Provide the profiles of the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Head of the Organization and Chief of Finance

 

Selection Criteria

Criteria

Submission Details/ Documents Required

Weighting

1.   Technical capacity

 

25%

1.1 Does the organization have the relevant experience and proven track record in implementing activities in the areas of the project?

Has it managed in the past projects of similar technical complexities and financial size?

Is the project linked with the core business of the IP?

  • List of projects executed in the last 2 years (value, location, donors, nature of projects, execution stage – completed or ongoing).
  • Demonstrate how the experiences in past projects are relevant in the execution of the current proposal
  • References from past donors

 

1.2 Does the organization have qualified technical staff with the experience and the technical skills required by the project?

What is the staff size, type, qualification and education background?

  • CVs of key management staff, technical and non-technical staff that will be involved on the project
  • How many technical staff do you have in the concerned Country for implementing the project? Is there reasonable assurance that such technical staff required by the project will continue to be available as needed in the Project?

 

1.3 Does the organization have a clear and strong link with an identifiable constituency relevant to the targeted population of the project?

Does it have the ability to impact on the targeted population and on the issues?

Does it have strong presence in the field and for how long?

Does it have adequate capacity to work in key areas/regions where the proposed field activities will be implemented?

  • Demonstrate, describe and provide proof of local operational presence, including link and ability to impact the targeted population.

 

1.4 Does the organization possess adequate physical facilities, office equipment, transport, etc. to implement the activities?

  • Provide location and list of office facilities, vehicles and office equipment locally available to implement the project.

 

1.5 Does the organization have formal procedures to monitor project execution (e.g. milestones, outputs, expenditures…)

  • Provide formal project monitoring policies and procedures

 

2.   Financial and administrative capacity

 

15%

2.1 Has the organization been in operation over a period of at least 2 years to demonstrate its financial sustainability and relevance?

  • State the years of operation
  • Financial statements for the last 2 years

 

2.2 Does the organization have qualified staff in Finance? Is the current accounting system computerized and does have the capacity to collect and provide separate financial reports on the activities executed under the Agreement of Cooperation?

Does it have systems and practices to monitor and report whether the project deliverables and expenditures are within agreed time and budget?

Does it have minimum segregation of duties in place (separation between project management, finance/accounting and executive office)

  • CVs of key finance and accounting staff
  • Description and key features and controls of the accounting system used
  • Organization structure/ Organogram

 

2.3 Does the organization have the capacity to procure goods and services on a transparent and competitive basis? (if applicable) check for procurement unit with experienced staff

  • Copies of procurement policies and procedures. The procedures should show how you procure locally and internationally.

 

2.4 Does the organization have formal procedures and controls to mitigate fraud such as multiple signature signatories on bank accounts, reporting and prosecution of incidences of fraud?

  • Describe anti-fraud controls and provide formal procedures

 

2.5 Does the organization have capacity to provide in-kind, financial, personnel contribution as UN-Habitat Implementing Partner in this present project? Please give details of contribution nature and size.

  • Describe nature and value of contribution (in-kind or cash)

 

3.   Financial Proposal

 

30%

3.1 Is the budget for each component of the activity to be performed by the Implementing Partner

(i) cost-effective (i.e. the cost should be economical and prudently estimated to avoid any under/over estimation)

(ii) justifiable/well supported and

(iii) accurate and complete

 

Budget Proposal <provide link>

  • BOQ (if applicable)
  • Other supporting documents

 

4.   Technical Proposal

 

30%

4.1 The technical proposal is sound and responds adequately to the specifications and requirements?

Technical Proposal document <provide link>

 

 

Cumulative score for ratios

 

100%

 

Electronic Submission:

  • To apply and learn more, visit http://ipportal.unhabitat.org/
  • Format: PDF files only. Zip, RAR and JPEG files should not be used. Proposers should check the format of the attached file before submitting. UN-Habitat will not be responsible if the attached files are in other formats that cannot be opened without additional software.
  • The maximum file size is 5MB per submission. There are no restrictions on the number of files sent, but each submission must be tagged, for example 1 of 2.
  • Proposals sent to personal UN-Habitat email addresses will not be considered.

 

Notes:

  1. Interested Organizations must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochure, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc).
  2. The CFP and accompanying documents must be received in accordance with instructions provided. CFP submitted to a different email address other than the specified one will not be considered.
  3. CFP from applicants failing to provide the complete information to fulfill the basic eligibility criteria will be considered non-responsive.
  4. CFP received after the above deadline will not be considered
  5. Organizations will be selected in accordance with the procedure set out in the UN-Habitat IP Management policy and Standard Operating Procedures.
  6. CFP from applicants failing to provide the requested information will be disregarded.
  7. This CFP does not entail any commitment on the part of UN-Habitat, either financial or otherwise. UN-Habitat reserves the right to accept or reject any or all Proposals without incurring any obligation to inform the affected applicant(s) of the grounds.
  8. All prices must be in USD

All the aforementioned documents must be sent, before Friday, November 25, 2022 at 6:00p.m. in Colombia, to the e-mail:

monica.laverde-pimiento@un.org

You must indicate in the subject:

GP00005026 - Technical Proposal “Name of your organization”

[1] Target cities will include Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, and Cucuta-Villa del Rosario in Colombia; Quito and Manta in Ecuador, Lima metropolitan area in Peru; La Chorrera in Panama; Commonwealth of the Great Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic; and Chaguanas in Trinidad and Tobago.

[2] Possible data sources include but are not limited to households surveys, human mobilty data sources and surveys, social network information and big data, municipal archives, national census, perception surveys, satellital images, georeferenced data of social support systems and infrastructures, among others.

[3] Proposed new indicator will consider the following aspects: socioeconomic information; gaps between social and cultural groups; access to social programs from different population groups; urban flows considering comute times and distance between residential and employment areas; differentiated data from vulnerable groups including youth, elderly, women, children, ethnic groups, among others; public transport accessibility and affordability; accessibility to opportunities and services; perception regarding human mobility and security conditions in the territory; community participation, community leaders, and participation in public policy formulation; among others.

[4] The application of the surveys will be developed through digital data collection technologies that allow the interviewer to geolocate the place where the survey is taken, to collect the georeferencing of the households surveyed.

[5] The estimated preliminary calculations suggest an application of 291 surveys to non-migrant households and 97 surveys to refugee and migrant households in the San Mateo Parish, Manta, Ecuador. In El Harino neighborhood, La Chorrera, Panama calculations suggest an application of 309 surveys of non-migrant households and 120 surveys of refugee and migrant households.

[6] Target territories are: (i) Parroquia San Mateo, Manta, Ecuador; (ii) El Harino neighborhood, La Chorrera, Panama.

[7] Construction of a Web tool (geo viewer on open sources platforms) that allows the interactive visualization of results for the different territorial scales (blocks, neighborhoods, cities), population groups, and sectoral and thematic information. The tool will make it possible to contrast geolocated socioeconomic information - which describes the characteristics of the population and population groups - with information on the availability and location of urban facilities. Likewise, it will allow the user to make basic queries about the different layers of information, and will seek to have a design that allows traceability of urban interventions and their impact on urban inclusiveness.