ManusherJonno Foundation (MJF)

Terms of Reference (TOR) for

‘Addressing Social Exclusion in the

National Social ProtectionStrategy (NSSS) for Bangladesh’

  1. Introduction
  1. Adoption of an effective social protection system now forms a central part of mainstream policy packages to combat poverty and social exclusion in a wide range of countries, including in Bangladesh. The Government is strongly committed to reducing poverty, improving human development and addressing equity and social inclusion. This commitment is reflected in Vision 2021, the Perspective Plan 2010-2021, and Five-Year Plans.
  1. Social protection can be seen to refer to a set of policies, programmes and services that, over the lifecycle, protect against risks, shocks and stresses, and at the same time aim at reducing poverty, vulnerability and marginalization. It creates opportunities for poor and vulnerable groups to escape from poverty by strengthening resilience to shocks, enhancing the capacity to manage economic risks and removing barriers of exclusion, consistent with the fulfilment of social and economic rights.
  1. In Bangladesh, as witnessed across the globe, people face discrimination based on their caste, ethnicity, religion and social status. Throughout the course of their lives, these groups ( which mainly includes Dalits, Adibashi groups, ethnic minorities, both are same)encounter various types of discrimination that affect their lives, their ability to access justice, their life choices and their opportunities to fully benefit from development.(you can flag the issue of dignity, most of these community face serious rights violation and untouchability practice in the society and live an undignified life even they have better economic situation.) Reducing or eliminating barriers in social institutions is critical for establishing an environment that enables people from excluded groups to fully benefit from social and economic opportunities.
  1. Evidence show that social safety net programmes have helped to lower poverty in Bangladesh. However, despite both government and non-governmental agencies implementing a multitude of social protection interventions, a large proportion of poor and vulnerable households still do not have access to programmes due to discrimination related to caste, social identity, occupation or ethnicity.
  1. The National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) of Bangladesh-approved recently-clearly mentions that the government is committed in eliminating all kinds of discrimination in accessing services including social transfers based on caste, ethnicity, profession or gender.
  1. While the NSSS can be considered gender sensitive in the sense that gender specific interventions are provided for, with social assistance to vulnerable women given very high importance, there is a still need to address social exclusion in the strategy so that it explicitly speaks to the structural causes of exclusion faced by these groups while accessing social transfers. Such a policy requires a combination of rights-based approaches, enhancement of opportunities, and empowerment to effectively make claims.
  1. The Strengthening Government Social Protection Systems for the Poor project (SGSP) initiated at the request of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) is expected will enable the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) to establish policies, budgets and costed plans to make the delivery of social transfers more efficient and effective. Among other outcomes, this will result in a higher proportion of the poorest people benefiting from social protection schemes, an increase in the size of benefits, less leakage of benefits to corruption and patronage, and more regular and reliable transfers to beneficiaries.
  1. However, reforming the schemes does not by itself guarantee that poor people will benefit. The poor, from all groups, need a say in how services are run and monitored. GoB recognises that targeting of social transfer programmes implemented by various ministries is quite weak with huge inclusion and exclusion errors, i.e. people who do not fulfil the criteria have access to the transfers while those who do need it are excluded. There are also huge leakage in process and rampant political influence in selection of beneficiaries with people of excluded groups being the worst victim. The poor, especially those from excluded groups, often get actively excluded from forums at the local level where decisions are made and therefore do not have a say in how services are run and monitored.
  1. MJF has gained acceptance over the years within communities, government and development partners for its ability to work effectively with different stakeholders.[i] It has previously supported citizens engagement in monitoring basic essential services through successive DFID funded Rights and Governance Challenge Funds (2002-). MJF has already organized citizen forums supported through its NGO and CBO partners looking into effectiveness and impact of social protection at union, upazila, district and national level. The National Forum for Social Protection (NFSP), currently being set up, will collate this evidence gathered by partners and present them to policy makers for necessary policy reform.
  1. This assignment is being commissioned at the same time as there are ongoing large scale reforms of the social protection system. The report therefore to be implemented during a dynamic period and will help in capturing perceptions and concerns on the extent the people from excluded groups are able to access social transfers.
  1. Objective of the study
  1. The broader objective of the assignment is to undertake social exclusion diagnostic analysis that will inform and pave the way for a social inclusion policy brief for implementation of the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS), a policy brief that would include measures to so that people from socially excluded groups can access social transfers, their views and concerns are taken on board while designing programmes targeting them, as well as an analysis on structural causes for their exclusion and ways to address them.
  1. Scope of work
  1. The consultant/organization may include a provision of deploying any technical advisor to carry out the assignment smoothly. Please note that the expertise of the key personalities and technical advisor need to be mentioned in the proposal as guided in “# 3” of the annex ii. However, the scope of work will include the following:
  • Review the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) and analyze existing policy recommendations in support for the socially excluded people (if any), indicate the weakness of the existing recommendation;
  • Collect and review key documents and papers relevant for the National Social Security Strategy in the development of a social inclusion policy brief;
  • Review the proposed anti discrimination act;
  • Consultations with relevant stakeholders with GoB; civil society, development partners, and in particular organizations representing socially excluded groups;
  • Conduct a brief quantitative and qualitative overview (may be through FGD) of the status of socially excluded groups in relation to social safety net measures;
  • Analyze how power structures and structural barrier embedded in social institutions impact on these groups, and what it would take to overcome these and create an enabling environment that contributes to their inclusion.
  • Assess the interest and capacity of selected government departments in addressing social exclusion in social protection programmes- identify concerns, capacity constraints and potential entry points;
  • Recommendations informing the development of a social inclusion policy to guide implementation of the National Social Security Strategy;
  • Recommend an implementation roadmap for the draft social inclusion policy brief The final analysis of the study should include some neighboring countries’ reference of including socially excluded groups in the social protection.

Role of advisor

  • Give inputs on the overall design of the study with respect to construction of questionnaires, sampling, interview schedules and methodology
  • Will collaborate in analyzing data and writing part of the report especially in relation to analysis and recommendation
  1. Lines of Inquiry
  1. In order to deliver on the scope of work the assignment requires looking into the questions below:
  • To what extent do government’s current social protection programmes address social exclusion? To what extent are the programmes reaching the socially disadvantaged groups (e.g. Dalits, ethnic minorities)? Are there systems in place to monitor, report, and manage interventions that could have an impact on social inclusion?
  • What are discriminatory social institutions and other structural barriers (norms and behaviours) that impede access?
  • Do any of the current social protection programmes in Bangladesh address look into concerns of socially excluded groups systematically? Are the SP programme designed based on proven and innovative approaches for addressing social exclusion?
  • What are the expectations and understanding amongst key stakeholders of SGSP(DFID, GoB,MJF, and UNDP) of the interface between social exclusion and social protection?
  • Within the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Social Welfare or in other ministries are there programmesthat are responsive to the needs of the excluded groups?
  • What sort of capacity is needed in the delivery ministries so that they are able to address social exclusion challenges in the programmes they implement?
  • How should DFID and MJF share generate buy-in and commitment for proposed approaches?
  1. Methodology
  1. The consultant is expected to define a detailed approach and methodology for gathering and analysing information. Both qualitative and quantitative tools might be employed in this research. The qualitative sources may include but will not be limited to review ofNSSS, Social Protection data, reports, and statistics, practical examples from programmes worldwide especially from India, interviews with beneficiaries, case studies, Key Informants’ interview, focus group discussion with community and government officials managing programmes in the ground etc.
  1. Interviews and meetings with key stakeholders:
  2. DFID and other programme partners (UNDP, WFP, The World Bank, MoF, Line Ministries, BBS etc),
  3. Civil society and organisations working with and led by socially excluded groups e.g. Parittran, Bangladesh Harijon Oikkya Parishad and Bangladesh Dalit parishad etc.
  4. Beneficiary interviews - Men, Women, girls and boys.
  5. KII with members Local elected bodies of UP may be also important
  6. Local and national government officials selected in consultation with MJF and partners
  7. The review process will involve travel to a couple of sites in Bangladesh.
  1. Deliverables
  1. The consultant will be responsible for quality and timely delivery of

a)A social Inclusion policy report for NSSS indicating the shortcomings on the issue.

b)PPT of Key recommendations and implementation roadmap for Government involvement.

c)Database of the survey/research

  1. Timing (Tentative)
  • The assignment will take place in between February 01, 2016
  • The draft report will be produced by April 15, 2016
  • Final Report will be produced by April 30, 2016
  1. Budget
  1. Consultant organization should propose a cost effective budget including VAT to carry out the assignment. The budget should be broken down in excel format. Payments will be made through account payee cheque or bank transfer. VAT and Tax will be deducted from the payment as per government circular. Apart from the budget details the following categorical budget summery should be placed at the bottom of the introduction part of the technical proposal:

Category / Total (BDT)
  1. Programmatic Cost/consultancy fee

  1. Administrative cost

Total
  1. Required Skills and Competencies
  1. The consultant will have a mix of social protection, social exclusion and voice & accountability skills and thematic knowledge including:
  • Knowledge on social protection policy and strategy in national and international contexts;
  • Proven research and evaluation capacities on social exclusion issues in South Asia
  • Proven experience of the South Asia government systems, current social and political dynamics, and the policy approaches and delivery of social protection;
  • Proven expertise in social exclusion analysis and social protection.
  • At least 10 years’ demonstrable experience of demand work related to social exclusion programmes
  • Experience of working with national and international development partners in development as well as with various ministries and departments of Government
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills and experience in working effectively in a multicultural environment;
  • Professionalism and flexibility to make changes as and when the need arises;
  • A team-player and self-starter, able to work with minimum supervision with sound judgment.
  • Excellent spoken and written English
  • Experience in working with marginalised communities.
  1. Preparation and submission of the proposal
  1. The consultant shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of the proposal. The consultant/team shall submit both soft and hard copy of proposal to the “Coordinator, Admin and HR, ManusherJonno Foundation, House 47, Road 35/A, Gulshan-2, Dhaka” on or before January 20, 2016 along with CV/Organizational profile, copy of TIN. Please mention detail contact information of the consultant at the first page of the proposal.

(See annex ii: Technical Proposal Format).

  1. General Terms and Conditions:
  1. Either party can terminate this agreement with a written notice within 15 (fifteen) days from the date of signing this agreement. MJF reserves the right to unilaterally terminate the contract if:

-The External Consultant cannot fulfill any clause of Terms of Reference.

-The External Consultant cannot submit their reports within the specified time.

  1. Any document, information or data entrusted to or produced by the External Consultant/organization in connection with this assignment shall be strictly confidential and cannot be used by the external consultant/organization for any other purpose without the written consent of the MJF authority. This provision shall remain valid even after the completion of this assignment.
  1. In the event of a major natural disaster, war or major civil or political unrest this agreement may be renegotiated and jointly revised between the two parties recognizing any consequent change in the environment for implementation.

Annex i: Thematic Intervention of the Civil Society Component

Type of safety net Programmes / Name of Safety Net Program
Cash transfers /
  1. Old Age Allowance (OAA)

  1. Allowance for the Widow, Deserted and Destitute Women (AWDDW)

  1. Allowance for Financially Insolvent Disabled (AFID)

Conditional cash transfers /
  1. Primary Education Stipend Program (PESP)

  1. Female Secondary School Stipend Program (FSSSP)

  1. Maternity Allowance Programme for the Poor Lactating Mothers

Public works or training based cash or in kind transfer (employment generation and community development through cash/in kind transfer) /
  1. Vulnerable Group Development (VGD)

  1. Employment Generation for Extreme Poor Program (EGEP)

Annex ii

Technical Proposal Format (within 5 pages including cover page)

  1. Cover page including contact details
  2. Introduction
  3. Relevant experience of the organization and key staff
  4. Methodology
  5. Staff roles and responsibilities
  6. Concluding remarks

Page 1

[i]MJFfacilitated civil society on a number of national issues; the demand for Right to Information Act

and its enactment, Third Party Monitoring of Government Programs through World Bank’s Global

Partnership for Social Accountability (GPSA)programmes, Anti Discrimination act etc.