Consultancy-TAKHATEB (Dialogue) Phase 111

1. Background:

Oxfam has been implementing projects with the overall objective to meaningful discussions about critical community needs. Here Oxfam created safe spaces for civil society members, community committee members and focal points from the district and governate level DCA, and relevant local sector authorities (health, education), as well as the mayor for each district projects to engage together to mutually identify areas to support community needs. The projects showed it was possible to foster a collaborative environment where community members and local authorities could engage in productive dialogues’. Oxfam noted a significant increase in the DCAs’ interest in building a trustful relationship with the communities, which facilitated ongoing dialogues. The DCA at the district level encouraged mayors to reactivate the DCA’s core functions, which include managing citizen requests, following up on these requests with the respective authorities, and coordinating with their internal complaints department. This allowed the DCA to engage more directly with the public and address citizens’ concerns. As a result, mayors began to establish new communication channels by appointing DCA representatives to each governmental institution.

To build upon and replicate these successes beyond the targeted governates of Iraq. Oxfam is looking to produce, via a participatory approach, comprehensive operational guidelines that can support DCA’s fulfil their mandated role.  These guidelines can then be used to guide other governates.

2. Purpose of this Assignment:

The purpose of this assignment is to formulate these guidelines. An Important next step is to review, assess and further develop guidelines produced by another (non-Oxfam) project (“Institute on Governance” (IOG)) which is concluding in January 2025. The guidelines for the DCA, currently being developed by IOG (in Ninewa) are based on a new Integrated Complaint Management System (ICMS), that will the basis to be optimized, enhanced, and refined. 

These guidelines will be expected to ensure transparency and the establishment of effective community engagement channels, being needs- and demand-oriented and ensuring an inclusive, user-friendly, and barrier-free access for all citizens to the DCA’s provided services, including women, elderly, people with disabilities, and (digital) illiterates.

Key task are as follows:-

1. Consultant will look at the new ICMS system in Ninewa, meet with the involved actors, including IOG and iLG, to analyse and understand the system and the guidebook, as well as their potentials and gaps.
2. The consultant is expected to work closely with and through a coordination group (working group) in each piloted area namely representatives from DCA from Ninawa, Diyala and Baghdad, community committees, civil society, community actors, governmental departments, and other stakeholders from phase 2.
3. Review, assess and further develop the exiting guidelines with the working groups in each targeted location.
4. Ensure learning are captured in the guidelines through engagement with the DCA’s  (both local government and Governate level) from Oxfam engagement with DCA’s in the targeted locations for the last 2 years.
5. Ensure the guidelines formation creating space for collaboration and building ownership. This can be built on by ensuring members from the DCA at the governorate level and local authority level take an active part in developing the guidelines. 
6. Consult with existing Community committee (CC) from previous project to seek their inputs into ensure that guidelines meet community needs and remain user-friendly and ensuring community voices are heard and that they are satisfied with the system and guidebook.
7. Support the validation workshop, that will bring together the working groups, as well as other governmental and non-governmental stakeholders from DCA’s of other locations. Gathering and raising their awareness and feedback. This ensures the guidelines receive wider validation at the DCA governorate level, in addition to the three pilot areas.

1. Deliverables

The consultant is expected to produce the final version of comprehensive guidelines. The guidelines will promote the understanding of the system in which DCA works, its role and mandate, and the relevant stakeholders in the governorate that DCA needs to involve to effectively channel solutions for citizens’ needs. It will make sure the channels between the DCA and the community, as well as within the community and the different governorate departments, are improved offering increased accountability and the opportunity for citizens to articulate their needs.

In addition to this the consultant is expected to produce a final knowledge report that summarises engagement, approaches, lessons learned and recommendation based,  on engagement with DCA’s and project stakeholders.

1. Logistics, Budget, and Constraints

The Consultant will be fully responsible for implementing and coordinating the assignment and should cover all the costs related to the deliverables above-mentioned. The consultant will be responsible to coordinate with Oxfam the participants of the process.

1. Time Frame

The assignment will 5 months, starting when the contract is signed. The timeline will be refined based on the consultant’s work plan.

Knowledge and Experience

The following key technical requirements will be taken into consideration when assessing consultants’ technical competencies:

• University degree in relevant fields, including economics, development studies, journalism, or other relevant fields.
• The consultant should have proven previous experience in conducting similar assignments in Iraq.
• Excellent knowledge of the DCA role and Government structure Iraq.
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English and Arabic.
• The consultant team should include team members who can cover the required deliverables

Scoring criteria for selection of the service provider/consultant:

Offers that score less than 45/70% in the technical offers will not be considered for financial evaluation.

Interested individuals or consultancy firms with relevant experience and skills based on the ToR can submit their Expression of Interest (EOI), including the following:

• Cover letter of no more than 1 page introducing the consultant/company and intention to deliver the assignment. The cover letter should also indicate the consultants’ availability for the proposed period.
• The technical proposal should provide details on the proposed methodology responding to the ToR and the deliverables; capacity in line with the competencies required for the assignment, including references to experience with similar assignments and providing relevant work samples; CVs of the consulting team directly involved in the assignment, including their specific roles; and three professional referees. A technical proposal should not be longer than 7 pages, excluding annexes, and should include examples/samples of previous similar work.
• Detailed work plan.
• The financial proposal includes a one-page budget of the offer, covering all major anticipated costs.
• Statement on the willingness to follow Oxfam’s Code of Conduct and guidance regarding safe programming.

Please submit as soon as possible the EOI and other documents to [email protected]  with the title TAKHATEB (Dialogue) Phase 111. in the subject line no later than January 15^th 2025; EOIs will be evaluated on a rolling basis until the consultant is selected.

All technical questions or clarifications should be sent to [email protected]  no later than 10^th January 2025 (during working hours).  

TOR LINK: https://oxfam.box.com/s/jwglsjtfkfjjznzvpi5iq2614rd34z25 

Oxfam reserves the right not to enter into or award a contract as a result of this invitation to tender. Oxfam also reserves the right to terminate any contract issued as a result of this invitation to tender as set out in the contract terms and conditions.

1. Deadline for submission of offers:

The deadline for submitting the offers is 15^th January 2024  (17:00 hr. Iraq Time.).