Agreement for the Purchase of Professional Or Consultancy Services (Short Form)

Invitation to Quote

For Local Consultancy to Conduct a Political Economy Analysis for a project on social enterprise education and development in ARMM

Date 19 February 2016

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Scope of Work The objective of this work is to undertake research and analysis on the political and Expected and economic drivers within which the new EU-funded programme titled Outputs Strengthening CSO participation in social enterprise education and development (CSO-SEED) to be implemented in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Philippines.

Details

 Position:  Political Economy Analysis—Short-term Technical Expert  Reports to:  Project Manager  Works with:  Project Coordinators  Engages with:  Partnership consortium: Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc.; Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. and Philippine Social Enterprise Network / Project Steering Committee  Stakeholders as determined (Mindanao Trust Fund, Bangsamoro Development Agency)

1  Inputs:  40 days  Commencement:  14th of March 2016  Deliverables:  a) Detailed work plan including draft PEA Approach b) Validation Workshop and c) Final PEA and Report

Project Background

Project Title  Strengthening Civil Society Organisations participation in policy reforms for Social Enterprise Education and Development (CSO-SEED) Project  Contribute to stronger Civil Society capacity networks Objective: in the areas of decent work, job creation and SME development Specific  Strengthen and improve Civil Society participation in Objectives: policy reforms to develop an environment conducive to decent work, job creation and SME development via social enterprise. Focus Area  ARMM Target groups  Social enterprise interest groups (inc. partners) comprised of advocacy CSOs, service delivery CSOs and social enterprises, Government Departments and local government units, Local/ regional businesses/ private sector actors, Financial institutions Beneficiaries  Wider enterprise community, national government and the workforce

Rationale Political economy analysis is a useful tool to help practitioners design and implement interventions that are based on a sound understanding of the political economy and to effectively engage with the constraints and opportunities this context presents for achieving change. This approach is one tool which can support what has been described as “politically-smart and locally-led” programming, or as “thinking and working politically”. Such an approach is particularly important in the fluid context of ARMM in light of the peace process and an expected inflow of development work. The signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine Government has ushered the opening up of both the political and economic system but the trajectory of change remains unpredictable. The last hearings in Congress resulted to the non-passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Despite this, the Philippine Government vows continued commitment to see through the development roadmap for the ARMM.

The purpose of the PEA STE is to provide in-depth and consolidated understanding of the context through which the project revolves in through the development of a politically-smart approach to programming using applied political economy analysis. The ultimate aim of the PEA is to broaden opportunities for action, iterative and adaptive programming to ensure that the approach continues to be relevant to the evolving development context.

EU CSO-SEED focuses on three interlinked components:

2 1. Coalition building and policy engagement

Recognising the role that social enterprises can have in contributing to developing an inclusive SME sector which offers decent work to large numbers of people, this result aims to establish a better enabling environment for social enterprises to flourish. It will do this by identifying up to 20 advocacy- oriented CSOs in the area of trade and labour and provide them with the skills, knowledge and networks to support this agenda.

2. Capacity building for social enterprise support services Our partnership consortium will create a movement by assisting social enterprise leaders, capacity building CSOs, social enterprise interest groups and intermediaries, government agencies, financial institutions and private/business through enhancing their capacity to tackle issues around decent work, job creation and SME development through social enterprise and building leadership skills. A fit for purpose social enterprise ecosystem is key to the development of alternative options of employment and business – but it must link with business and industry and connect with governments to produce the necessary reforms that will impact upon economic opportunities.

3. Small-scale support services (SEED Fund) In order to ensure the CSOs are empowered and own the delivery of the action, a grant component will be implemented to support components 1 and 2. The first element of the SEED fund focuses on advocacy, awareness raising and strategic partnerships. It is intended to encourage innovation and creativity in civil society organisations, helping to develop capacity and foster collaboration with various stakeholders, including the government. The second element of the SEED fund is designed to support social enterprise leaders, enterprises and start-ups to grow and scale their impact. Social enterprise intermediaries can also access this fund to provide business and financial planning support as well as support in accessing additional investment.

Scope CSO-SEED will run from January 2016 to December 2018. The focus in the first three months is on recruiting and mobilising the team and developing plans for delivery of the programme to achieve outputs and outcomes over the full three-year life of the initiative. This will include determining the target areas to be the focus as well as the plan for rolling implementation out to these areas. The PEA will be one of the first activities upon commencement of the programme.

1. Macro-level analysis of PEA issues as they relate to the enterprise sector and ARMM’s context. This is not intended to be a selective PEA focused on both local and national issues which need to be understood to frame work that can be done at a local level, and which can assist the Team to begin to understand and articulate a higher level theory of change. This macro-level analysis is likely to draw mainly from existing work already undertaken which impinges on the programmes implementation. This includes insights on the peace process, legislative status of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, national politics, assessments of the upcoming elections and the impact on social enterprise using the lens of decent work, job growth and SME development

3 2. Micro-level analysis of developmental relationships. Development work is not new in the ARMM. Given the prospects presented by the peace agreement, the development actors present and the various programmes running alongside, it will be helpful to know the existing initiatives around trade and labour, entrepreneurship, delivery of social services and related fields. It will look at the role of government (legislative and executive) and the business and financial sector in these programmes. It will also look at the civil society sector and their activities. It will provide an assessment of their readiness to absorb this nascent concept of “social enterprise” and assess how this approach can potentially respond to development needs in the region.

Working with the partnership consortium and the key stakeholders mentioned above, the PEA STE will revisit existing literature, research as well as gather insights from the collective experience of the partner organisations when it comes to advocacy work, coalition building and working in the ARMM.

The PEA STE should work very closely with Balay Mindanaw, which will be undertaking the Social Enterprise Mapping and Baseline Survey of CSOs in the area. This is to develop a collaborative approach and synergies in terms of carrying out the research.

3. Conduct of a PEA workshop. A validation workshop will be conducted involving key stakeholders in ARMM (costs should be included in the Quotation). The workshop methodology will include a process for primary data collection. It will also provide an opportunity to explore and triangulate some of the findings of the macro- and macro-level analysis. From this, a plan will be developed as to how the three components of EU CSO-SEED can be done to achieve its outcomes. It will help inform/identify specific issues around social enterprise using the lens of decent work, job growth and SME development in the area.

From both of the above activities, a strategy will be developed which will guide the use of political economy analysis and explains how it links with other programme activities (such as the CSO mapping and baseline, coalition building and capacity building).

The final output (PEA Strategy) should be evaluated against the EU CSO- SEED Logical Framework, whereby the consultant is expected to provide recommendations on programming that will enhance overall effectiveness of the project.

Team Approach The proposed approach is to undertake the PEA through a participatory process in close collaboration with the Project Management Team and the partner organisations. This will help ensure the PEA draws on the technical expertise within the team and consortium as well as keeps the process focused on questions and issues that are the most relevant to project strategy, design and implementation.

While reporting to the Project Manager, the work will be done in close consultation with the partnership consortium, Project Director and the Social Enterprise Expert. They will be closely involved in designing and conducting

4 the PEA, providing advice on key stakeholders and how they should be approached; undertaking fieldwork and data collection; as well as report-writing and analysis.

A peer reviewer will also be engaged before finalisation of the work.

Activities

Deliverables:  Detailed work plan including draft PEA Approach  Validation Workshop  Final PEA and Report

Description of activities:

1. Literature Review  Purpose: Understand the political economy dynamics in ARMM at a broad level and the specific issues in decent work, job growth and SME development.  Process: Review of literature  Location: Homebase  Days: 10 days

2. Detailed work plan and Draft PEA Approach (concurrent with Activity 1)  Purpose: Develop an overarching CSO-SEED PEA approach.  Location: Homebase & ARMM  Days: 10 days

3. Scoping mission  Purpose: Working with the team, scope-out an overall PEA process that supports the strategy, design and implementation of CSO- SEED, building on the Approach from activity one  Process: o Interviews with key stakeholders: EU, government officials, CSOs etc. o Visit one city and municipality in ARMM o Discussions with the Project Team  Location: Manila and ARMM  Days: 5

4. Report Writing  Purpose: Draft a report on Applied Political Economy Strategy  Process: This will include: o CSO-SEED PEA Approach and philosophy o Macro-level political economy analysis based on literature review o Micro-level analysis of developmental relationships o Ongoing PEA processes (support to team with using PEA e.g. how PEA can be used to support programme components particularly coalition building, Theory of Change, M&E approaches, applied research, and management of risk etc.).

5  Location: Homebase  Days: 15

5. Workshop, Feedback and finalisation  Purpose: To discuss the report with the Team, obtain feedback and finalise. The report will then be the subject of a half day workshop with members of a locally appointed reference group for quality review purposes with key stakeholders before being submitted to the EU for their information.  Process: The following process will be undertaken twice, once with the team and once with the local stakeholders as appropriate: o Presentation of the report and facilitate discussion o Feedback on report received o Feedback incorporated and report finalised.  Location: Manila / ARMM  Days: 10

Qualification The consultant must possess the following: Requirements  Minimum seven years of political economy analysis or development research experience;  Experience of conducting similar study in the Philippines;  Thorough and up-to-date knowledge of ARMM context;  Proven experience in research, with published output/s;  Ability to submit the final report by 6 May 2016.

Timescales This timetable may be subject to change. Activity Date ITQ Released 19 February 2016 *Clarification Questions 9 March 2016 (17.00 PST) Clarification Responses 11 March 2016 ITQ Return Date/Submission Deadline 18 March 2016 (17.00 PST) Evaluation of responses 21 March 2016 Final decision and Intention to award 28 March 2016

*Any clarification questions should be submitted via email to [email protected] no later than 17.00 PST on 23 February 2016.

Supplier Please complete Annex 1 (ITQ response) and submit it to Response [email protected] no later than 17.00 PST on 4 March 2016.

 Please ensure that you send your response in good time to prevent issues with technology – late submissions may not be considered.  Do not submit any additional documentation with your ITQ response except where specifically requested.  Supporting evidence (PDF, JPG, PPT, Word and Excel formats only -

6 other formats should not be used) can be provided to substantiate your response – please ensure that all attachments/supporting evidence is clearly labelled with the appropriate section/question number.  Where supporting evidence is requested as ‘or equivalent’ – it is the Supplier’s responsibility to prove the relevant equivalence.  It is not acceptable to submit a generic policy in answer to a question.  All answers in the ITQ response should be inserted in the dedicated response section/question in Annex 1.  Any alteration to a question will invalidate your response to that question and a mark of zero will be applied.  Completion and submission of your response does not guarantee award of any British Council Contract.

Evaluation The award criterion for this Invitation to Quote is the most economically Criteria advantageous. The Supplier’s submissions will be taken into consideration only if they pass Section 1 - Mandatory and Discretionary Rejection. Supplier responses to this ITQ will be assessed using the following criteria and weightings. Criteria Weighting Section 1 – Mandatory and Discretionary Rejection Pass/Fail Section 2 – Expertise in political economy analysis 35% Section 3 – Knowledge of ARMM context 35% Section 4 – Costing/Price 30%

Evaluation of all submitted responses will be undertaken by the evaluation panel which will consist of British Council representatives with relevant and significant experience and knowledge of the requirements.

Evaluation of all submissions will only consider information presented within the response. Previous/current relationships with suppliers cannot be taken into account when evaluating submissions unless the previous/current experience is clearly evidenced within the response. Evaluation will be fair and transparent.

The responses under each section will be scored based on the following matrix: Points Interpretation A comprehensive and strong answer indicating the supplier is fully capable and experienced to deliver the required outcomes. A 15 detailed response that directly responds to all requirements with no ambiguity and relevant examples provided. There are slight concerns that the supplier will not be able to achieve all the outcomes required and response lacked details of relevant 12 experience. A less detailed response that broadly responds to the requirement with some ambiguity and few relevant examples provided. There are concerns that the supplier will not be able to achieve the outcomes required and response significantly lacks details of 10 relevant experience. A less detailed response that broadly responds to the requirement with some ambiguity and no/irrelevant examples provided.

7 There are serious indications that the supplier will not be able to achieve the outcomes required and has not provided appropriate 5 evidence of experience to successfully deliver the outcomes required. A response that is not entirely relevant to the requirement, with ambiguity and lacking specific detail. The answer is non-compliant and/or no relevant information has 0 been received to demonstrate the supplier can achieve the required outcomes. No response or a response that is entirely irrelevant.

The lowest all-inclusive cost proposed will receive 30%. All other submissions will be allocated a % score pro-rata.

The final evaluation score will then be calculated for each response by adding together the scores for each Section.

Conditions & The contract awarded will be for a period of 40 working days with an option for Contractual extension for up to an additional 4 working days under the same Requirements Contractual terms and conditions.

Confidentiality

All information contained within this document is confidential and is provided only to give suppliers an adequate understanding of the British Council’s requirements and under no circumstances should be disclosed to a third party without the British Council’s consent.

All relevant policies that suppliers are expected to adhere to can be found on the British Council website – http://www.britishcouncil.org/new/about- us/jobs/folder_jobs/register-as-a-consultant/policies-for-consultants- and-associates/

This document does not constitute an offer to provide goods/services to the British Council and the British Council is not obliged to award a contract for these goods/services.

The British Council reserves the right to request reference information.

All costs incurred in the preparation of the ITQ response are the supplier’s responsibility.

Travel & Expenses (if applicable)

Please note that travel and expenses will be paid in line with the British Council policy. No travel and expenses will be paid when the supplier and/or its personnel are working from the suppliers offices or working from home.

Guidance:  Suppliers should only travel where there is a clear business need.  Suppliers must plan travel and make bookings as far in advance of the date of travel as possible.

8  Suppliers are accountable for ensuring all bookings made and expenses claimed are in policy and all claims are accompanied by receipts covering all expenditure.

Booking Transport:  Suppliers are encouraged to use public transport wherever possible as a more environmentally friendly means of transport.  Safety should be the primary consideration when making transport bookings, with cost as the other main factor.  If the Supplier has a disability you must be given special consideration with regard to means of travel and suitability of route.

Booking Accommodation:  Accommodation should be of a minimum three star rating or equivalent.

Claiming for Meals:  Suppliers should claim actual expenditure on meals supported by receipts up to the maximum agreed limits

NOTE: All costs related to travel, accommodation and meals will be agreed in advance with the British Council manager.

Payment and Invoicing

The British Council will pay correctly addressed and undisputed invoices within 30 days. The British Council have a requirement for invoices to be produced in an electronic format.

Essential information to be included on any invoice for the British Council is:  A description of the services supplied.  The British Council reference number/Purchase Order number.  Addressed to Accounts Payable.  The costs including VAT (if applicable) and any other charges

Contracting

Mandatory due diligence and discretionary rejection information included in Annex 1 will form part of your response to this ITQ.