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External Review of the SWISS HUMANITARIAN AID UNIT (SHA)" 01.05.2020 to 31.10.2020

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External Review of the SWISS HUMANITARIAN AID UNIT (SHA) Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC Humanitarian Aid and SHA Terms of Reference "External review of the SWISS HUMANITARIAN AID UNIT (SHA)" 01.05.2020 to 31.10.2020 Berne/February 2020 Contents 1 Purpose of this document .................................................................................................................4 2 Goal and content of the mandate .....................................................................................................4 2.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................4 2.2 The Future of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit: Context and Rationale .................................6 2.3 Purpose, objectives and scope of the review ...........................................................................7 2.3.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................7 2.3.2 Objectives .........................................................................................................................7 2.3.3 Scope................................................................................................................................7 2.4 Indicative review questions ......................................................................................................7 2.5 Methodology and process ........................................................................................................8 2.5.1 Methodology .....................................................................................................................8 2.5.2 Process .......................................................................................................................... 10 2.6 Deliverables ........................................................................................................................... 10 2.6.1 Inception Report ............................................................................................................ 10 2.6.2 Review Report ............................................................................................................... 11 2.7 Roles and responsibilities during the review ......................................................................... 11 2.7.1 SDC/HA Senior Management ....................................................................................... 11 2.7.2 Advisory group (AG) ...................................................................................................... 11 2.7.3 Review Team ................................................................................................................. 12 2.8 Volume of the mandate ......................................................................................................... 12 2.9 Time frame of the selection process ..................................................................................... 13 3 Formal aspects of the invitation to tender ..................................................................................... 13 3.1 Contracting authority ............................................................................................................. 13 3.2 Type of procedure ................................................................................................................. 13 4 Composition and content of the offer ............................................................................................ 13 5 Additional points to be noted by the bidder ................................................................................... 14 5.1 Address for submission of offers ........................................................................................... 14 5.2 Language of documents, language of bids ........................................................................... 14 5.3 Deadline for submitting a bid and validity .............................................................................. 14 5.4 General Terms and Conditions of Business (GTC) ............................................................... 14 5.5 Conclusion of contract ........................................................................................................... 14 5.6 Bidding consortia ................................................................................................................... 14 5.7 Subcontractors ...................................................................................................................... 14 5.8 Confidentiality ........................................................................................................................ 15 2/15 5.9 Integrity clause ...................................................................................................................... 15 5.10 Protected rights ..................................................................................................................... 15 6 Annexes ......................................................................................................................................... 15 3/15 1 Purpose of this document This document contains the requirements relating to the mandate for the project " External review of SWISS HUMANITARIAN AID UNIT (SHA)". At least three bids shall be collected. The bidder offering the best value for money will be awarded the mandate. 2 Goal and content of the mandate 2.1 Introduction Saving lives and alleviating suffering – This is the mandate of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid (SDC/HA)1. It is the expression of Switzerland’s long and internationally recognized humanitarian tradition. In the SDC/HA’s operations, the humanitarian needs of the affected population are consistently put in the centre of attention. Operating before, during and after crisis and disasters, the SDC/HA assumes the following triple role: Implement projects as a pragmatic and effective operational actor in the field; Be a reliable and flexible humanitarian partner and donor for humanitarian organisations; Be an advocate for the respect of the humanitarian law and principles. In order to implement its mandate, the SDC/HA has various instruments at its disposal: 1. The Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit: 2. Financial contributions to humanitarian partner organisations; 3. The provision of relief goods as well as 4. Dialogue and advocacy in order to facilitate access and ensure the respect of international law. The main asset of the SDC/HA is its Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA). The SHA – a pool of approximately 700 experts with various professional backgrounds - is based on decree 172.211.312 of the Swiss Government and Administration Organisation Act. The decree defines the SHA as being attached to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); describes the SHA’s mission to carry out emergency relief, reconstruction and disaster risk reduction interventions; defines the leadership and authority of the Swiss Delegate for Humanitarian Affairs regarding the SHA. 1 Swiss Humanitarian Aid (SDC/HA) is part of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). 2 https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19880091/ 4/15 Figure 1 Organisational chart of SDC/HA The SHA is currently structured into eleven expert groups as shown in figure 2 below. Figure 2 The eleven expert groups of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) 5/15 SHA experts can be deployed at any time to wherever humanitarian assistance is needed, whether it is in crises, natural disaster or armed conflicts. They can be tasked to: 1. Carry out rapid response actions after sudden and onset disasters; 2. Implement humanitarian projects of the SDC/HA (direct actions); 3. Provide technical expertise to partner organisations (secondments) and 4. Support the HQ or Swiss representations abroad (during crises). In 2018, the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit celebrated its 45th birthday. It is in this context that the SDC/HA launched a process on the future of its operational arm, the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit. 2.2 The Future of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit: Context and Rationale Since the establishment of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit in 1973, the humanitarian landscape has changed. The past years have shown an increase in the number of conflicts and humanitarian crises. In addition, humanitarian crises tend to be more complex and last longer. According to OCHA, 86% of the overall humanitarian funding in 2018 was invested in responses to protracted crises lasting longer than five years. As a consequence, emergency aid is increasingly becoming a longer-term need and must be combined with development cooperation measures. At the same time, a behavioural change of affected countries can be observed with regard to natural disasters. Many disaster prone countries have strengthened their coping mechanisms and are increasingly willing and capable to deal with the crisis management and response. Therefore, affected countries tend to be increasingly hesitant to request or accept international assistance or have become very selective in terms of support, mainly focusing on neighbouring countries and regional actors (e.g. ASEAN, AHA, ERCC etc.). The institutional context for the SHA has evolved as well over time. Along the past decade, the FDFA has undertaken measures to increase coherence, better integrate and mainstream the different directorates,
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