CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Note: The purpose of the Call for Expression of Interest is to solicit interest from existing or prospective partners that wish to participate in UNHCR 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 a Project Partnership Agreement.

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST No. CEIAFG20170001
Project title and Identification: / Project Location:
Transit Centers’ Management, Care/Maintenance Services to Afghan Returnees and PSN Assistance / Herat Province, Western Region
Brief Background of the Project:
Voluntary Repatriation (VolRep) continues to be a key facet of UNHCR’s regional policy in Afghanistan. Over 5 million Afghan refugees have returned through the VolRep programme of UNHCR since 2002, of which around 925,000 returning from Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Afghans’ patterns of return have varied from one year to the other both in terms of numbers and of breakdown by country of asylum. The rate of return from both Pakistan and Iran is generally influenced by the policies adopted by the two countries in relation to remaining Afghan populations. In 2016, the pace of return from Iran was low and, by 31 December, 2,218 Afghan refugees returned via the Islam Qala border point to Afghanistan. Of them 337 individuals returned to the Western region (305 to Herat, 22 to Farah, and 10 to Ghor). In addition a number of Afghan refugees returned from Pakistan during the year has also settled in Herat province.
In 2017 it is assumed that up to 7,000 Afghans would return under the VolRep Programme of UNHCR from Iran, but again it would be difficult to foresee the exact number of Afghan returnees from Iran.
In order to facilitate safe and dignified return of Afghan refugees from Iran, UNHCR in Herat will continue to operate the reception/transit/encashment centers at Islam Qala border and GTC (Gazargah Transit Centre).
UNHCR’s primary focus will continue to be the implementation of the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees in cooperation with the Afghan government. Throughout its activities, UNHCR will seek to ensure that return is informed, voluntary, and sustainable. Operation of the Encashment Centers will remain central to UNHCR’s provision of services to returnees on arrival in Afghanistan. The period immediately following return is often the most critical in ensuring that humanitarian needs are addressed and establishing the necessary conditions for durable return and reintegration.
In addition to providing material assistance in the form of cash grants, these centers identify and respond to protection concerns. UNHCR will also use the Encashment Centers as an entry point to establish contact with families willing to participate in the returnee-monitoring project. Project monitoring will continue to be an important tool in providing information regarding the challenges faced by returnees, allowing UNHCR to target aspects of return that may not be conducive to successful reintegration.
UNHCR will continue to work within communities to facilitate returnees’ access to services and assistance. Interventions by UNHCR will include identifying and assisting persons with specific needs, providing legal assistance through ICLA, reducing the risk of SGBV, and promoting peaceful coexistence between returnees and local communities.
Nonetheless, given the political and security transitions taking place in 2015 and 2016, it is likely that voluntary repatriation figures will remain low. Despite the low number of return, UNHCR Afghanistan’s primary focus continues to be preparing the ground for the Voluntary Repatriation.
In this context, enhanced reintegration packages in addition to our community based intervention are being considered in 2017.
Within the project, under the Persons with Specific Needs (PSN) program, special attention will be given to vulnerable groups. Efforts will be concentrated on monitoring and pursuing support for the needs of vulnerable groups such as women heads of household, victims of GBV/domestic violence, people with disabilities, elderly, children with no access to education and other groups of concern. The project will help to establish close and constant communication with returnee and the communities and endeavor to obtain a better understanding of reintegration challenges in Afghanistan.
Goal/Objective, Expected Outcome and Main Activities:
Transit and encashment center project ensures the repatriation process is predictable, transparent, follow a set standard and practices applied to all returnees without discrimination while taking into account individual vulnerability and needs of the family. The project makes possible information dissemination, health services, transportation arrangement and coordination with the government. Links established with the returnees through this project enables the returnees to be included in various vocational skill training, referrals to access to civil documentation, mapping of high return areas, and support in the first year of return. Cash grant covers the vital food needs in the first 3-6 months of return until returnees search for an income.
The prospective partners shall consider the following required activities and approaches in their submission:
Activity No.1: The main goal of UNHCR towards return and repatriation is to facilitate the voluntary, safe and gradual return of Afghan refugees and assist their reintegration during an initial period following return, while addressing obstacles to physical, legal and material safety and supporting and advocating for their longer term reintegration.
The specific responsibilities to be implemented by the partner under the project agreement are:
·  Ensure appropriate Care/Maintenance and management of the Transit and Reception centers in Herat and Islam Qala,
·  Provide services and assistance to returnees and PSN cases of UNHCR concern,
·  Make sure appropriate functioning of health facilities and in-time provision of health services to returnees and EVI cases at reception and transit/encashment centers.
·  Ensure appropriate functioning of a mechanism for encashment to returnees.
·  Verify and make sure that the Voluntary Repatriation Forms (VRF)s are authentic;
·  Maintain an accurate record of the VRF forms with all the details (the Iris Label, the return destination, number of family members, etc);
·  Ensure that Afghan returnees are received and served with dignity throughout the reception and transit/encashment process;
·  Monitor the daily return trend and if the number of returnees increases by 25% above the estimated maximum team capacity for a period of at least one week, the IP will communicate the issue to UNHCR for approval of deployment of additional staffing as deemed appropriate;
·  Ensure that potable water is always available at the site (24 hours/day throughout the project timeframe) and that water is utilized properly
·  Monitor the fuel consumption for the generators and maintain proper logbooks for this purpose;
·  Ensure that supplies needed for running the center are provided timely, and installed/fixed if applicable;
·  Ensure the Reception/TCs are maintained well and kept clean, and signboards for guiding the returnees to the available services at the center are maintained.
·  Maintain security, peace and order of the reception and transit/encashment centers making sure that unauthorized persons or vehicles will not be allowed inside the centers.
·  Develop a coordination and cooperation mechanism with the local authorities, especially DoRR, existing NGOs working for returnees and armed guards stationed at the site if any.
·  Appropriate mechanism in place and functioning for border coordination meetings.
Activity No.2: Protection and assistance mechanisms for Persons with Specific Needs (PSN) and women-at-risk:
Efforts will be made to strengthen the national capacity to identify and assist Persons with Specific Needs among returnees and IDPs, and to strengthen networks at the local and national level to deal with and work towards solutions. Safe shelter and psychosocial and legal assistance are directed at cases of unaccompanied women, in particular women at risk or victims of violence. The Department of Women Affairs (DoWA) is the main governmental actor and the Voice of Women (VoW) is UNHCR’s cooperative counterpart as well as the DoRR.
Under the PSN program, partner will implement the following:
·  Identification of the potential beneficiaries that meet one of the PSN criteria and require assistance, who should belong to one of the following categories a) Refugee returnees under AVR program, b) Conflict induced internally displaced persons, c) Women at risk among the above mentioned categories, d) mandate refuges or other local categories in consultation with UNHCR i.e. e) spontaneous refugee returnees, f) cross border displaced persons or host community members.
·  Conduct interviews with Persons with Specific Needs (PSN) cases among returnees, and other people of concern and identified cases reported to UNHCR or stakeholders for assistance.
·  Provide assistance to the identified persons with special needs in accordance to the PSN guideline for target PSN cases in Herat.
·  Include the implementation of PSN (People with Special Needs) Programme in Herat under a separate small scale agreement.
·  Appropriate mechanism in place and functioning for PSN Network coordination meetings and referral of assistance.
Intended Population of Concern:
In 2017, it is assumed that a total 7,000 Afghans will return under the VolRep Programme of UNHCR from Iran, however, it would be difficult to foresee the exact number of Afghan returnees at this point. If any high fluctuation of increase or decrease of the return numbers the project agreement will be revised accordingly.
The PSN programme will cover Herat province, targeting 100 cases to be assisted in this province throughout the Partnership Agreement period.
Project Period [estimated start and end dates of project]:
March to December 2017
Submission Deadline: / Date Decision Results to be Communicated to Applicants:
12 February 2017 / 15 March 2017
Selection Criteria
Sector Expertise and Experience / The selected partner is required to have specific skills, sector specialists, knowledge and human resources to implement the project / 20%
Project Management / The selected partner is required to have the ability to deliver project objectives, accountability mechanisms and sound financial management, taking into account the audit results of the previous UNHCR-funded projects, past performance, external audit of partners’ financial statements, and adapting to banking system, procurement policy and implementation / 20%
Local Experience and Presence / On-going programme in the area of operation; local knowledge; specialized in community based development and in participatory rural development including in rural savings and credit, natural resource management and human skills development with a central focus on community-level participation and decision-making;; trust from local communities; local presence; partner policy on community relations;; specialized in promoting self-organized groups of persons of concern towards self-reliance; and other factors that would facilitate access to and better understanding of the persons of concern and that would reduce their difficulties in accessing development initiatives and programmes / 25%
Contribution of Resources / Evidenced and documented contribution of resources to the Project in cash or in-kind (e.g. human resources, supplies and/or equipment) by the partner that are presently available (or potentially mobilized by the partner) in order to supplement UNHCR resources / 5%
Cost Effectiveness / Level of direct costs and administrative costs imposed on the Project in relation to project deliverables / 10%
Experience Working with UNHCR / Global and/or local partnerships including knowledge of UNHCR policies, practices and programmes, including an understanding of and ability to work within UNHCR’s funding limitations and associated inherent risks.
Partners that have three consecutive qualified audit opinions for UNHCR-funded projects may not be considered / 10%
Security Consideration / Ability to operate in security conditions of the project site or country as well as existence of partner’s organizational policies, procedures and practices related to security risk management. Partner should be sanctioned by the UN security system. / 10%
Interested Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are invited to submit concept notes and other required documents, as specified below, to UNHCR:
i)  Concept Note:
The Concept Note should be concise and contain clear information, not exceeding three pages. It should not be a fully developed Project Proposal.
The Concept Note must be submitted in the Template attached to this Call for EoI as Annex B
ii)  Proposed budget:
The budget range for this project is between $200,000 - $230,000. A break-down of which should be realistically calculated based on the needs and presented to UNHCR. It should be submitted in either Excel or similar software. The NGO applicants are welcome to use their own template.
Contribution of Partner towards the project should be clearly indicated, either in the form of in-kind contribution or cash
iii)  Partner Declaration
Prospective partners that are not registered with UNHCR are required to declare that their organization meets the basic compatibility eligibility criteria for establishing a partnership with UNHCR via submitting a complete and signed copy of the Partner Declaration Form Annex C of this Call for EoI.
The purpose of this declaration is to determine whether a prospective partner is committed to UNHCR’s core values and its commitment to persons of concern
iv)  Other required documents:
All applicant NGOs are also required to submit the following documents:
a)  NGO Registration Certificate with the Ministry of Economy
b)  NGO profile, Organizational Chart and list of current/previous projects, donors and project locations
c)  Operational manuals (Administration, HR, Finance, Procurement and Fraud Prevention policies)
d)  Recent Audit Report/ Financial Statement (preferably for the last 3 years) conducted by an independent audit firm
e)  Organization’s past experience and on-going programs addressing the needs of IDPs and refugee returnees with either UNHCR and other donor agencies
f)  Organization’s Security Policy and Guidance
v)  Important Notes:
Registered NGOs in Afghanistan are first required to register the organization, if not yet done, on UNHCR Partner Porta - https://partner.unhcr.org; upload all required documents (as deemed necessary by the organization), and upload Concept Note in response to this call for EoI.
For more information on UNHCR Partner, please feel free to contact
Applicant NGOs should also submit one hard copy of the Concept Note and essential documents ONLY (Not printed copies of policies, etc.., instead these documents must be uploaded on UNHCR partner portal), addressed to the Secretary, Implementing Partnership Management Committee (IPMC) UNHCR Country Office, House #41, Peace Avenue, Share Naw, Kabul, in a sealed envelope clearly marked CEIAFG20170001 no later than 1600hrs 12 February 2017.