Oxfam GB BASELINE SURVEY in the Mukuru informal settlements in Nairobi

1. Background Oxfam GB’s Urban Programme is planning to implement a project in the Mukuru informal settlements in Nairobi. The project has a goal of organizing poor and vulnerable women domestic workers in Mukuru informal settlements to enable them participate actively in the decision making processes that affect their livelihoods. The goal of this project is to empower women through enhancing increased income and promoting their participation in public leadership. The project seek to empower marginalised female domestic workers by equipping them with necessary leadership and entrepreneurial skills. The project will also link them with the relevant trade unions in order to increase their capacity to advocate for their own rights. This project recognizes that the Kenyan Constitution provides that all workers including the domestic workers are entitled safe working environment and minimum wage requirement. It is however unclear whether these legal provisions are known to these vulnerable women who are often exploited and abused by their employers. 1.1. Project’s Specific Objective The specific objective of this project is to “promote sustainable income security for women in the informal settlements by strengthening their entrepreneurial skills and capacity to engage with trade unions, private sector and government for their improved livelihoods”.
2. CONTEXT OF THE CONSULTANCY 2.1. Overall Objective The objective of this consultancy is to conduct a Baseline survey to provide the Urban Programme with appropriate and in-depth understanding of the socio-economic and political environment under which the women domestic workers operate within the City of Nairobi. The Baseline should establish the challenges faced by the domestic workers and viable options for addressing these difficulties in order to inform the successful implementation of this project. This study will also establish the project’s benchmarks for comparing and impact measurement at the end of the project.

2.2. Specific Objectives i. To assess the challenges affecting domestic female workers in Korogocho informal settlement and the various options for addressing these challenges. ii. To assess the understanding of domestic female workers about their human rights related to their line of work. 2.3. Requested Services Under this assignment, the consultant is expected to: i. Provide a comprehensive analysis of the labour and human rights challenges affecting the domestic female workers in Mukuru informal settlement. ii. Provide an analysis of the coping mechanisms (formal and informal) used by the female domestic workers against the identified human rights abuses. iii. Establish alternative livelihood options for the female domestic workers when they miss out of their normal income sources. iv. Ascertain any existing organized domestic workers groups and local institutions within Mukuru informal settlement or other parts of Nairobi City and analyze their effectiveness, capacity gaps and services. v. Establish the level of knowledge and understanding by the female domestic workers of their human rights.
vi. Assess the existing and potential employers for the domestic female workers especially their perceptions towards these women, barriers that affect their relationships and options for improving working relationship between them. vii. Analyze the feasibility for unionizing domestic female workers by identifying the potential unions that can incorporate their issues and their ability to address the issues affecting these groups. viii. Provide an analysis of the policies that are relevant to the issues that are relevant to the rights of female domestic workers in Kenya.

1. EXPERT PROFILE The team must be multidisciplinary as the Baseline review is an opportunity to set the direction of all program components. At minimum the consultant(s) must possess the following:
   i. At least a Masters Degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies or Economics5 years demonstrated experience in social research (labour, gender and economic programmes) and urban policy analysis in Kenya. ii. Good understanding of the informal settlements with demonstrated practical working experience or research in such environments. iii. Experience of effective interaction with local national organizations, government departments, and international humanitarian actors. iv. Conversant with application of cross cutting themes like gender mainstreaming, and gender competence, M&E, Advocacy and child protection to programming. v. Good spoken and written communication skills in English. vi. Proven experience of using participatory rural appraisal tools as the means of data collection for Baseline purposes. vii. Skilled and experienced in research in urban areas. viii. Fluency in spoken and written English and Swahili. ix. Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
2. BASELINE REPORT 4.1. Outline of the Report The Baseline report should contain the different elements mentioned below. All parts should be clearly distinguished from each other and of sufficient quality. i. Cover page ii. Table of contents iii. An executive summary that can be used as a document in its own right. It should include the major findings of the BASELINE and summarise conclusions and recommendations. iv. The objectives of the BASELINE. v. The main questions and derived sub-questions. vi. A justification of the methods and techniques used (including relevant underlying values and assumptions, theories) with a justification of the selections made (of persons interviewed, villages or activity sites visited). vii. A presentation of the findings and the analysis thereof (including unexpected, relevant findings). All research questions should be addressed, paying attention to gender issues viii. Conclusions, which will analyse the various research questions. Conclusions will have to be derived from findings and analysis thereof. ix. Recommendations should be clearly related to conclusions but presented separately. Recommendations should be practical and if necessary be divided up for various actors or stakeholders and include guidelines of how they can be implemented. x. Report annexes. The reporting style should be clear and accessible. References to sources used, such as interviews, literature, reports, must be given. Confidentiality of information: all documents and data collected will be treated as confidential and used solely to facilitate analysis. Interviewees will not be quoted in the reports without their permission 4.2. Baseline Report The production of the Baseline report will be the liability of the consultant covering all the aspects as outlined in the ToR. Oxfam and its partners will be responsible for coordinating the exercise. The Baseline report will be: i. Produced in English language and should be simple in expression and easy to understand. ii. Maximum of 30 pages with some short annexes. iii. The report format and text, should be an A4 paper size and a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman 11 or 12, Arial 10 or 11. iv. The team will be liable to submit at least 01 hard copy and 01 electronic copy of the report by the agreed deadline.
3. DELIVERABLES The required outputs of this consultancy will be as follows: i. An inception report (maximum five pages) outlining the approach/methodology and execution programme/timetable. This report shall be submitted for review and approval by Oxfam GB two (2) days after the signature of the contract before commencement of the work. ii. Data collection tools which shall be submitted within two days after acceptance of the methodology for review and approval by Oxfam GB. iii. Draft survey report which shall be submitted within five days after completion of the field work and shall be accompanied with the raw data as collected by the data collection tools. iv. Presentation of the key findings to the stakeholders. v. The final report which shall be submitted within five days after the stakeholders’ dissemination workshop and shall incorporate Oxfam and stakeholders inputs.
4. CONSULTANCY DURATION 6.1. Overall Consultancy Period The entire period of this consultancy will be for sixteen working days that will include preparation, development of the survey tools, testing and reviewing of the tools, actual field work, data analysis, dissemination of the key findings to stakeholders and reviewing of the final report.
5. REPORTING 7.1. Content The reports submitted by the consultant shall live up to the quality standards provided by Oxfam GB and shall include the details in sections 2 and 4. 7.2. Submission/Comments Timing All the required documents and reports in their draft and final versions shall be submitted to the Urban Programme Coordinator within the specified timing in section 4 of this ToR. The Urban Programme Coordinator commits to give written feedback to each of the submitted documents within five working days of receipt.
6. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION 8.1. Tax and VAT arrangements Oxfam GB will deduct withholding tax from the consultancy fees which will be in conformity with the prevailing government rates. 8.2. Bid Requirements Consultants who meet the requirements should submit a maximum of 10 pages expression of interest, which should include the following: i. A suitability statement, including commitment to availability for the entire assignment. ii. A brief statement of on the proposed study methodology including a detailed work plan. iii. A detailed financial proposal, including daily cost per major activity. iv. Updated curriculum vitae consultant that clearly spell out qualifications and experience. v. Contacts of 3 organizations that have recently contracted the consultant to carry out a Baseline.
   8.3. Supervision The overall supervisor of this assignment will be the Urban Programme Coordinator. However, the consultant will work on a day to day basis under the direct supervision of Oxfam’s Programme Officers in charge of Markets and Livelihoods, and Urban Governance Programme Officer.

How to apply:

If you are convinced you meet the above qualifications and requirements, please send to the address below your summarized C.V. (maximum three pages) which should outline your qualifications and relevant experience and a maximum one-page analysis highlighting your understanding of the work and the proposed methodology you will apply in delivering the intended objectives that is inclusive of the financial bid.

Address for Application: The expression of interest should be sent to kenyajobs@oxfam.org.uk. The closing date for submission is on 25 February 2013 by 5.00 pm. Given the urgency to get a consultant on board, applications will be reviewed as they are received.