81310617-Piloting of innovative social protection mechanisms in Nigeria

This tender as well as the SEPIN project at large focus on marginalized and at-risk individuals in particular Local Government Areas (LGAs) within Borno and Adamawa states, which have received a significant influx of forcibly displaced persons or returnees. Adhering to a do-no-harm principle and recognizing the limited availability of communal resources, the project ensures that the needs of both the host community and returnees/Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are equally incorporated into its planning and execution. With a commitment to gender equality, at least half of the beneficiaries will be women, addressing disparities in decision-making, employment, education, and economic opportunities.

The contractor is tasked with achieving the objectives and indicators outlined in the Terms of Reference (related to output 5 of SEPIN), which fall within the purview of two work packages. Collaboration with the GIZ technical team is essential for carrying out the assignment. The contractor's main focus will be on enhancing coordination, facilitating regular meetings, and fostering information-sharing to ensure alignment among all stakeholders with the project's goals and activities. Additionally, the contractor will oversee risk management and compliance. They will also reinforce coordination mechanisms, conduct regular meetings, and promote information-sharing to maintain alignment with project objectives and activities. The contractor will operate alongside the GIZ project team, sharing office space across all three locations, utilizing shared vehicles/drivers, and adhering to GIZ Security Risk Management procedures/requirements.

The contractor assumes the primary role in coordinating the intervention across two specified work packages.

1. Design and implement a Graduation program encompassing all essential components and a comprehensive range of services.

This work package concentrates on designing and implementing a pilot Graduation Approach. It involves identifying suitable connections with existing services and structures within the project area, utilizing assessment findings to address the needs of the target demographic within the framework of the core Graduation pillars, and ensuring sustainability by integrating into viable market systems.

Work package I comprises several sub-work packages, all of which the contractor is accountable for delivering within the agreed-upon timeframe. These sub-work packages include: - Initial project inception - Empowering project participants through coaching, fostering cohesive groups for savings, providing basic literacy and numeracy education to enhance life skills, agency, and self-confidence, fostering self-reliance. - Cash transfers to fulfill consumption and basic needs. - Promoting sustainable livelihoods and income generation through technical capacity building, skill acquisition, asset transfer, climate-smart agricultural recovery, and establishing market linkages to bolster the long-term economic resilience of project participants.

2. Design and implement a shock-responsive social protection mechanism to target populations affected by covariate shocks.

This work package aims to utilize the established administrative structure of the Graduation program (Output Indicator 5.1) to execute the shock-responsive intervention (Output Indicator 5.2). The contractor will leverage its operational project team, Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), and payment systems established in the previous work package to implement this initiative. However, it's crucial to note that this package will operate independently from the Graduation program, and participants from the previous work package will not be eligible for benefits under this work package. The contractor will adopt the Shadow Alignment approach, ensuring that the implementation of the shock-responsive social protection package aligns as closely as possible with the Graduation program and other similar interventions in the region by development partners or humanitarian actors. This approach aims to build evidence for future shock-responsive social protection programs. In addition to the specified work packages and outlined tasks, the contractor has the flexibility to propose additional elements that support the fundamental principles of shock-responsive social protection mechanisms, aligning with the overall goal of this work package and the target participants.

Work Package II comprises several sub-work packages for which the contractor will be responsible. These sub-work packages include: - Initial project inception - Support and delivery of cash transfers - Grievance and Redress Mechanisms (GRM)/Feedback channels - Follow-up and monitoring - Dissemination of learning