Consultant On Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE)

Date:  8 Nov 2023

Oxfam is a global movement of people who are fighting inequality to end poverty and injustice. Across regions, from the local to the global, we work with people to bring change that lasts.

PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT

To design and deliver training programs on women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in various communities to enhance their economic skills, knowledge, and confidence.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

The project focuses on improving the resilience, productivity, and socio-economic conditions of fishing communities as well as the ecological sustainability of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve (TSBR) through community-centered interventions that improve access to safe water and sanitation through sustainable sanitation and water solutions like Handy Pods (HPod), Water Kiosk (WK)1 and eco-waste management services, enhanced education opportunity and quality for vulnerable and poor girls and boys with increased availability and accessibility to education to successfully transition through school and facilitate the development of sustainable alternative livelihoods. In addition, the Green Economy component of the project creates sustainable livelihoods and employment opportunities in three sub-sectors – eco- tourism, solar energy, and sustainable agriculture – through interventions that create income sources while reducing environmental pressures on the TSBR.

The project is the result of collaboration among a Consortium of 13 organizations with Oxfam as lead for the Western region and consists of local and international non-governmental organizations, social enterprises, and leading businesses which bring together diverse expertise, best practices, and tested technologies developed in over 40 years of development interventions in Cambodia. The project will seek to address:

•    WASH needs (Safe Clean Drinking Water and Sanitation)

•    Support pre-primary, primary and lower secondary inclusive education

•    Foster a green economy by strengthening skills of CFi members and creating an enabling environment for community entrepreneurship and investment in Eco- tourism (CBET and Commercial), sustainable agriculture (Rice and Horticulture), NTFP and renewable energy, and supporting community led- led green businesses through inclusive business models supported by the Private Sector Partners.

RICE TECH CAMBODIA

The overall objective of RiceTechCambodia is to enhance the rice value chain in Cambodia. Additionally, the project partners will combine knowledge, strengths and efforts through establishment of a Public-Private Partnership with the aim to add value to the organic rice sector in Cambodia, enabling the country to better serve well-developed rice markets in Europe with a particular focus on baby food.

The proposed project is being implemented a responsible, sustainable and inclusive rice value chain where it connects demand side (economic actors) with supply side (rural communities). The smallholder farmers in Mondulkiri (north-eastern part of Cambodia) currently lack an incentive to professionalize their rice production activities in order to improve their yield and income due to the absence of a direct sales market. By introducing professional organic rice cultivation practices through extensive training & contract farming, and creating access to nearby paddy drying, milling & storage facilities, the farmers will be able to gain knowledge, increase rice quality and yield, and increase income because of premium prices for their produce. It is conservatively calculated that a farmer with 1.5 ha of land can increase its between 140-216% as a result of the project.

The project will be realized by supply of high quality foundation seeds, (mechanical) agricultural tools & tractors, transfer of know-how, implementing track & trace along the supply chain, organic certification, instalment of drying, milling & storage facilities, quality control & assurance, and introduction of a pilot project for circular rice-fish farming. The period of project is from July 2023 to June 2027.

All project activities will directly lead to significant improvement of the livelihoods of local small-scale rice farmers in Mondulkiri province and indirectly strengthen the general business climate in Cambodia, contributing to sustainable economic growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop women’s economic empowerment (WEE) training manual in English and Khmer which is related to Cambodia context through consultation with Oxfam in Cambodia and global team
• Develop training of trainer guidebook for project partners in Khmer and English
• Deliver training on WEE, including unpaid care work, financial management, entrepreneurship, marketing, and other relevant topics
• Deliver training sessions in a professional and engaging manner, utilizing a variety of training techniques and methodologies.
• Deliver training to project partners at Phnom Penh and specific community people in some communes at Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, and Mondulkiri province.
• Coach project partners to provide training to community leaders, local organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure the training programs are relevant and effective.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the training programs and make recommendations for improvement.
• Review and follow Oxfam’s conceptual framework on Women’ economic empowerment which is available in website. 

Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

PROFILE REQUIREMENTS

The individual(s) should have the following competencies:

Essential criteria

• Bachelor’s degree in sociology, business, economics, social sciences, gender or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in women’s economic empowerment, training, or related field.
• Strong facilitation and training skills, including experience in delivering training sessions to diverse audiences.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Knowledge of gender issues and women’s economic empowerment strategies.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Fluency in English and proficiency in local languages spoken in the target communities is an advantage.
   

Clarifications

For any inquiries relating to this assignment, please reach out to Mr. Ear Chong. Please send up to 7 days before the submission deadline in writing. Email Address: [email protected]

Administrative compliance (list of documents to be submitted)

Responses must be submitted and prepared in English and received by the deadline.

To be shortlisted for evaluation against award criteria, the following documents must be included in the application:

Oxfam withholds the right to conduct interviews with one or more potential suppliers before an award decision is made. Purpose of the interview is to seek further clarification on the submitted quotations and learn more about the background and previous experiences of the potential suppliers and their teams.

Other Conditions

Issuance of this Terms of Reference does not constitute an award commitment on the part of Oxfam, nor does it commit Oxfam to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a bid.

The attached Annexes are an integral part of this Request for Proposals.

Oxfam may contact bidders to confirm contacts, addresses, bid amount and to confirm that the bid was submitted for this solicitation.

Quotation Validity

• The quotation shall be valid for 90 days from the date of submission to Oxfam. If this is not possible, the bidder may propose a different timeframe.
• If the bidder is awarded the contract, all information provided in the quotation and negotiation process is contractually binding.

False Statements

Bidders must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and Annexes. False statements in bids constitutes grounds for immediate termination of any agreement with the supplier. OXFAM takes fraud, misstatements, falsification, manipulation, alteration of facts and/or documents very seriously, has a zero-tolerance policy to such behaviours, and may choose to take legal action in a case of misrepresented disclosures by Contractors.

Conflict of Interest

Bidders must provide disclosure of any past, present or future relationships with any parties associated with the issuance, review or management of this solicitation and anticipated award.  Failure to provide full and open disclosure may result in Oxfam having to re-evaluate the selection of a potential bidder.

Right to Select/ Reject

Oxfam reserves the right to select and negotiate with those firms it determines, in its sole discretion, to be qualified for competitive proposals and to terminate negotiations without incurring any liability.  Oxfam also reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received without explanation.

Reserved Rights

All applications and quotes become the property of Oxfam, and Oxfam reserves the right in its sole discretion to:

• To disqualify any offer based on applicant’s failure to follow solicitation instructions
• To waive any deviations by the applicant from the requirements of this terms of reference that, in Oxfam’s opinion, are considered immaterial defects requiring rejection or disqualification; or where such a waiver will promote increased competition
• Extend the time for submission of responses after notification to all applicants
• Terminate or modify the process at any time and re-issue the request for quotation to whomever Oxfam deems appropriate
• Issue an award based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion
• Award only part of the activities in the solicitation or issue multiple awards based on solicitation activities

CODE OF CONDUCT

Oxfam is committed to integrity in its operations and supply chains and ensuring high ethical standards. Complying with all laws and regulations and ensuring fair competition are fundamental to this commitment. We actively promote these principles and standards, and expect all Oxfam suppliers to demonstrate commitment towards them.

All consultants/applicant are required to agree and adhere to the Oxfam Supplier Code of Conduct, whereas individuals (including consultants) must sign the Oxfam Non Staff Code of Conduct^[2]. These Codes of Conduct set out the specific standards and principles in the areas of human and labour rights, environmental impact and anti-corruption that suppliers must follow.

REPORTING OF FRAUD & UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR

Oxfam’s reporting and whistleblowing mechanisms are available for Suppliers as well Oxfam employees, to ensure that Oxfam continues to operate under the highest ethical standards and principles.

You can use these reporting channels confidentially, anonymously, and in your own language to report any concerns involving fraud, corruption, waste, abuse or safeguarding concerns.