Published Date: Feb 17, 2021

Terms of Reference

on

Developing a Guideline on Construction, Operation and Maintenance for Women Friendly Market Space in Rural Area

Background

ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB), an affiliated member of ActionAid Federation, has been working in Bangladesh for three decades in solidarity with the lagged-behind and socio-political and economically excluded people for eradicating poverty and ensuring justice. AAB aims at facilitating people for challenging poverty and exclusion through its human rights-based approach (HRBA). In solidarity with citizens, partners and supporters, AAB also fosters partnerships and networks for strengthening support, voice and actions to campaign and advocate with the state and non-state actors and institutions for influencing their policies and practices that safeguard the rights of the poor and excluded people. Considering these contexts, AAB is implementing one of its projects entitled Making Marker Work for Women (MMWW) with the financial assistance of Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), Dhaka. The overall objective of the project is “Strengthening Food Security in Bangladesh by Making Market Work for Women”. To achieve the overall objective, the project constructed women friendly market spaces (collection point and market shed) in its working areas for extending the marketing opportunities for rural women producers/entrepreneurs with minimum effort and low cost. At this point, the project has made a significant progress in its activities and intends to share the learnings with respective personnel of Local Government Division (LGD) and Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Co-operatives, Department of Agricultural Marketing and respective others government and non-government organizations so that they receive the experiences and take  necessary steps to construct, operate and maintain the women friendly market structures in countrywide rural marketplaces with the facilities of market shed, WASH facilities, breast feeding corner and other relevant facilities.

Overview of the Project 

Bangladesh has achieved a considerable acquisition in women’s advancement through bringing significant changes in legislative, institutional and functional facilities. Consequentially, the country is now a role model regarding woman’s advancement in the world. Despite of the remarkable development, women entrepreneurs in the rural areas are facing challenges in progressing themselves as women entrepreneurs due to lack of women led value chain system in agricultural product marketing; especially, lack of marketing platforms with women friendly facilities. Aiming of improving the situation in rural areas MMWW project is being implemented in Faridpur, Gaibahdha, Patuakhali and Bogura districts through partnering with SKS Foundation, Shushilana and Association for Scio-Economic Advancement Bangladesh (ASEAB) since November 2015. ActionAid Bangladesh thinks that well facilitated marketplaces for women in rural areas help transforming the traditional agricultural practices in crop management, production processes, harvesting and post-harvesting management and marketing management into the climate-smart modernize agriculture which will ensure the women friendly production and marketing environment through getting access to local and regional markets with better benefits. However, local marketplaces with women friendly facilities is one of the priority factors for ensuring women entrepreneurs’ friendly production and marketing environment in the rural areas of Bangladesh. At this point of view, MMWW project has constructed 67 collection points at community level and 22 market sheds at local marketplaces for improving systemic market behaviour towards women entrepreneurs and increasing capacity of women entrepreneurs for competing with the existing market environment. Now the project is passing its extension period from March 2020 to June 2021. During the extension period, the prime focus of the project is to work with the national policy stakeholders, including line ministries and respective market actors to make systemic changes in existing market behaviours and in its structural facilities on behalf of rural women entrepreneurship promotion with sustainably construction, operation and maintenance of these market spaces (collection points and market sheds). Networking and advocating with national policy actors and market stakeholders for creating women responsive local marketplaces is the concern of the project. EKN is assisting to strengthen AAB’s advocacy efforts by participating in the relevant forums and events following an effective and reasonable guideline on construction, operation and maintenance of women-friendly local market spaces.

Purpose of the Task

The main purpose of the study is to develop a guideline on construction, operation and maintenance for sustaining the market structures under collection point and market shed for rural women entrepreneurs through ensuring women friendly market facilities like market sheds, WASH facilities, breast feeding corner etc. in rural marketplaces and share wwith Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) for ensuring women-friendly market infrastructure in rural market places.

Expected Outcome

1. A guideline developed on construction, operation and maintenance for women-friendly market space in rural marketplaces.
2. Presentation key issues in sharing meeting with respective policy stakeholders.

Methodology and Expected Approach of the Study 

AAB expects most relevant and logical methodology which will be enabled to explore and explain the relevant issues of the study explicitly from consultant. Nevertheless, the following methodological processes may be considered as a guide only. 

• Comprehensive desk review (Secondary data): It has been mentioned in preceding discussions that MMWW project has constructed some collection points and market sheds with women friendly facilities in community level and rural traditional marketplaces respectively in its working areas. It is also remarkable that LGED has also constructed some other market sheds in rural marketplaces for women under its different projects. So, all relevant programme documents; i.e., relevant DPP and project reports, programme reports, plans and budget, financial documents, government circular, relevant Bidhi and Poripatra and other related documents of LGED and MMWW project as deemed important for literature review. ABB wants that the guideline will be prepared depending using both side the experiences of MMWW project and LGED.
• Extensive field visit to the project area (Primary Data collection):  This is highly anticipated that the Consultant will consider both types of market sheds (constructed under MMWW project and under LGED’s projects) and collection points for taking up qualitative methods of exploring the views of respective authorities and stakeholders for collecting necessary primary data. The Consultant/agency will be appreciated for using participatory tools and techniques for qualitative data collection such as chapatti diagram, in-depth interview, key informant interview, focus group discussion, detailed case study with timeline, etc. Besides, the team may hold discussion with the civil society actors, policymakers, market actors, market committee, duty bearers and other stakeholders to get their perceptions on construction, operation and maintenance of women-friendly collection point at community level and market sheds at local marketplaces. The AAB staff/partners staff may assist the Consultant/team in the process of these consultations in working areas at Gaibandha, Bogura, Faridpur and Patuakhali districts.
• Participation: The team should give full attention on primary stakeholders like women entrepreneurs, market management committee, local government personnel, Govt. stakeholders, public representative etc. who can play the most significant role in developing guideline on construction, operation and maintenance of women-friendly market structures with the facilities of market shed, WASH facilities, breast feeding corner etc. 
• Comparative analysis: Data should be focused on views of respective personnel and authorities while presenting the findings in the report and finally conclusion should be made accordingly.
• Comprehensive standards: The Consultant should explain clearly how respective authorities will use the guideline to implement the experiences of MMWW project for constructing, operating and maintaining the women-friendly market spaces.   

Use and User of the Study

The primary purpose of developing the guideline is to gather adequate knowledge and enhance the understanding level of MMWW project personnel for strengthening their advocacy power on construction, operation and maintenance of women-friendly market structures in community level and local marketplaces. Moreover, the guideline will play an important role as an effective instrument for the respective authorities of LGED and LGD for constructing, operating and maintaining the women-friendly market spaces in rural Bangladesh. This guideline will also help to the respective personnel of Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad and Zila parishad for showing their best performance in favour of construction, operation and maintenance of women-friendly market spaces.

 

Scope of Work  

AAB expects that the consultant will cover the following issues minimally through the guideline which will be enabled to provide the clear indication to the respective authorities for construction, operation and maintenance of women-friendly market space.

• Current scenario of LGED constructed market structure for women in rural marketplaces.  
• A clear and detail depiction of existing rules and regulations under which construction of market structure for women is to be done in rural marketplaces.
• The existing rules and regulations or policy of LGED or Union Parishad or Hat-Bazar Management Committee or of the responsible authorities for operation and maintenance of LGED constructed market structure for women.
•  Detail exploration of background and justification of selection of marketplaces wherein market structure for women is to be constructed by LGED.  
•  Difficulties/challenges of construction, operation and maintenance of market structure for women in the rural marketplaces must be identified clearly and separately.     
•  Existing roles of Market Committee, Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad and Zila Parishad to construct, operate and maintain the market structure for women in rural marketplaces have to be described clearly and separately.
• Improvement areas of existing rules and regulations of construction, operation and maintenance of market structure for women of rural marketplaces.
• Perception of respective stakeholders including market management committee, women entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, community people, buyers, representatives of union parishad etc. for ensuring the construction, operation and maintenance of women-friendly market structure through enhancing women friendly facilities like market space, WASH facilities, breast feeding corner etc. in rural marketplaces over the country.

Moreover, AAB expects that consultant will make comprehensive desk review of all relevant documents related to construction of market structures for women in rural marketplaces with the assurance of women-friendly facilities such as market sheds, WASH facilities, breast feeding corner etc., to operate it properly and to maintain it sustainably.

Role of AAB and Partners

• PNGO will support to introduce consultant/farm to project location and stakeholders and guide the enumerator to collect information.
• Support and provide feedback on the design of implementing study.
• Support and observe study team while field visit.
• Support and provide feedback on draft guideline for finalisation.
• Arrange inception and final guideline sharing workshop.

Specific Deliverable
Deliverable-1: Consultant will submit the final guideline to ActionAid Bangladesh in both electronic version and signed hard copy.

The consultant/agency is expected to produce and submit the following deliverables:

• An inception report with detailed methodology, work plan and final tools.
• Data collection tools in both English and Bangla.
• Draft guideline and presentation on draft guideline (preferably in ppt.).
• Two copies of final guideline (hard copy and soft copy).
• A summary report (4-5 pages) hard & soft copy both in Bangla and English

Time Frame

30 working days or to be decided based on discussion between both the parties. It is expected that the whole task should be finished within 40 calendar days and draft guideline should be submitted within 30 days from the agreement date. AAB staff will join with her/him on the field days specified by the Consultant.

Tentative Timeline of the Task 

Activity	Days
Preparation and finalisation of methodologies, tools and workplan (inception meeting including final inception report)	6
Field work for primary data collection	6
Data analysis	3
Guideline preparation	10
Draft guideline presentation	1
Sharing meeting with policy stakeholders	1
Final guideline incorporating feedback	3
Total	30

 

Mode of Payment

The payment will be done according to the following time frame/arrangement:

Instalments	Amount	Timeline
1st instalment	30% of the total amount	After Inception meeting and sharing final Inception Report with detailed methodology, tools and work plan.
2nd instalment	40% of the total amount	Satisfactory completion and submission of the Draft Guideline to AAB along with relevant documents.
3rd / Final instalment	30% of the total amount	Satisfactory completion and submission of the Final Guideline by incorporating feedback from policy stakeholders to AAB along with relevant documents.

The payments will be made in A/C payee cheques/Bank Transfer in the name of the Consultant/Agency. AAB will deduct income tax at source as per the rules of GoB and it will be deposited to treasury of GoB. Besides, no other benefits shall be admissible beyond what is stipulated in the contract, nor does it guarantee a regular position in AAB.

 

Outline of Technical Proposal 

It is mandatory that the proposal should be maintained the following format:

Topic

Title of the Guideline

Understanding of the Task

Methodology (along with mode of field work)

Operational plan

Proposed Budget (lump sum) [Consultancy fees, field visit, miscellaneous (stationeries etc.]

Team composition with roles and responsibilities of the proposed team members (Position, tasks, allocated % of time, name, rate and man days required for this assignment)

Short brief of the proposed team members (name, education, experiences etc.)

Submitted by: (with contact details)

Sample documents in favor of the previous relevant studies.

Detailed CVs of the team members should be included in the annexure of the technical proposal. It is desirable that the proposal should contain the above-mentioned sections only.

Competence Required:

• Post-graduate degree in Civil Engineer, Agril. Engineer, Agriculture, social science, statistics, development studies, MBA or others as may be relevant (Essential)
• Proven experience of carrying out on developing guideline on construction, operation and maintenance of women friendly marketplace (Essential)
• Working experiences with LGED and LGD, Union Parishad, Department of Agricultural Marketing, Local Government, Market Management Committee, Rural Women Entrepreneurs and local communities (Priority)
• Experience in the design and use of participatory methods for assessment and evaluation study (Essential)
• Proven knowledge in research methodology (Essential)
• Excellent writing, editing, presentation and documentation capability to prepare excellent guideline (Essential)
• Fluency in English and ability to write clearly and concisely in English (Essential)

Expiry of Agreement and Negotiable Flexibility

Considering the initiative as proactive and responsive, activities can be amended and elaborated based on the properly documented negotiation between the two parties. The Agreement will be invalidated after expiry of duration unless further extension is made by AAB. AAB also reserves the right to amend or change or cancel the Agreement at any time.

For any clarifications, please write to Shawkat Akbar Fakir (Shawkat.Fakir@actionaid.org) Project Coordinator or Jakirul Islam Peter, (Jakirul.Peter@actionaid.org), Senior Officer – Advocacy of MMWW Project.

Copyright and Ownership of Data

AAB reserves the copyright of all information, findings and the final report produced through this study. All the outputs e.g. guideline, report, documents, information etc. produced by this consultancy work will be treated as the AAB’s property. So, the above-mentioned outputs or any part of it cannot be sold, used or reproduced in any manner by the assigned reviewer/team without prior permission from AAB.

Confidentiality

All the outputs e.g. module, reports, documents, information, etc. produced by this analysis will be treated as the AAB’s property. So, the above-mentioned outputs or any part of it cannot be sold, used or reproduced in any manner by the assigned Consultant/Agency without prior permission from AAB.   

 

How to apply

Interested firms/ individuals are requested to submit both technical and financial proposals in English (pdf file or signed hard copy) following the guideline referred in the ToR no later than February 27 , 2021  by 5:00 pm through e-mail aab.jobs@actionaid.org  mentioning the subject “Develop a Guideline on Construction, Operation and Maintenance for Women Friendly Market Space”. Submit the hard copy to: Deputy Director, HROD & ICT, ActionAid Bangladesh, House # 8, Road # 136, Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212 referring the subject on the top of envelop.