Learning and Adaptive Management Consultancy for Advancing Adaptation through Resilient mobility And Natural capital (AARAN) Project

BRCiS Consortium

Learning and Adaptive Management Consultancy for Advancing Adaptation through Resilient mobility And Natural capital (AARAN) Project

Terms of Reference

1. Background

Building Resilient Communities in Somalia (BRCiS) is a Consortium of national and international organizations – Action Against Hunger (ACF), Concern Worldwide (Concern), GREDO, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), KAALO, Save the Children, and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) as lead agency. BRCiS’ objective is to work across the humanitarian-development divide, supporting marginalized communities in disaster-prone, rural Somalia to become more resilient to shocks and stressed, including as a result of climate change. BRCiS approach is contextually adaptive, focused on the specific shocks, needs, and priorities of individual communities. BRCiS was established in 2013 and is now implementing projects funded by multiple humanitarian and development donors in more than ten regions of Somalia1.

2. Program Background

The Advancing Adaptation through Resilient mobility And Natural capital (AARAN) project is a three-year, FCDO-funded initiative under the Somalia Humanitarian and Resilience Building in Somalia (HARBS) Programme. Implemented by a consortium of five Members (NRC, Concern Worldwide, GREDO, KAALO, Lifeline Gedo) in partnership with IOM, AARAN targets approximately half-million Somalis across 15 districts in five federal Member States (Jubaland, Puntland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Southwest). The project integrates the complementary strengths of the BRCiS and Danwadaag into a single operational model centered on climate adaptation across rural-urban corridors.

AARAN’s Theory of Change (ToC) posits that supporting more climate-resilient systems will directly reduce the severity of humanitarian needs and forced displacement in Somalia. This impact is achieved when institutions and marginalised communities, including Displacement-Affected Communities (DACs), drive inclusive, locally-led, climate-adaptive solutions to climate-related shocks and stressors (Outcome). The ToC is operationalized through six interconnected Technical Workstreams (Outputs 1-6), each led by a designated Workstream Lead:

Table 1: AARAN Outputs and Workstream

Workstream, Focus Area, Lead Agency

Output 1- Housing, land and Property (HLP) Rights & Legal Identity- NRC

Output 2 - Ecosystem & Natural Resource Management- BRCiS Consortium Management Unit (CMU)

Output 3- Market Systems & Livelihoods- GREDO (with Concern Worldwide technical support on Self-help groups)

Output 4- Early Warning & Early Action (EWEA)- Concern Worldwide

Output 5- Durable Solutions & Urban Planning- Danwadaag Consortium Leadership Team (CLT)

Output 6- Evidence, Learning, and Adaptation- BRCiS CMU (with support of this learning partner)

Output 6 serves as the central coordination and learning platform of the project, responsible for ensuring that learning is not a siloed activity but a continuous, participatory process that drives strategic adaptation.

AARAN recognizes that meaningful learning and adaptive management cannot happen in isolation. The project operates with a prioritized Learning Ecosystem comprising diverse actors who should continuously coordinate closely, jointly identify learning priorities, and collectively reflect on evidence to inform adaptations. This ecosystem includes:

1. Internal Consortium Structures:
   • Technical Workstream Leads (Outputs 1-6): Responsible for generating thematic evidence and identifying operational learning needs within their technical domains while Workstream 6 is the overall responsible workstream to oversee and manage the learning agenda by working as the bridge between the learning and adaptive management structure commissioned under this ToR and other Consortium structures.
   • Programme Management Group (PMG): Comprising senior technical leads from each implementing Partners, the PMG holds strategic oversight and decision-making authority for adaptive management.
   • MEAL Working Group: Provides technical rigor on monitoring, evaluation, and learning methodologies, supporting carrying out learning exercises in the field, ensuring data credibility and harmonization across the Consortium.
   • Finance Working Group: Ensures that proposed adaptations including value for money are fiscally viable, aligned with FCDO compliance, and can be implemented within existing budget and forecasting timelines.
   • Project Steering Committee (PSC): Provides governance-level oversight, including senior representation from Member organizations, and approves major strategic adaptations.
2. Dedicated Learning & Evidence Partners:
   • AARAN Resilience & Impact Measurement Consultancy: Responsible for project resilience and impact measurement through baseline, routine community engagement and endline measurements. Their longitudinal data and routine community engagement is a critical input to the Learning Agenda.
   • FCDO Independent HARBS MEL Provider: Ensures AARAN’s adaptive management evidence, outcome harvesting, and learning products inform portfolio-wide measurement and coherence.
   • AARAN Learning and Adaptive Management Consultancy: This serves as the project's dedicated Learning Partner, tasked with operationalizing a dynamic, participatory Learning Agenda that evolves with the project's context and stakeholder priorities. In this capacity, the Learning Partner also functions as the Ecosystem Convenor, responsible for ensuring the learning ecosystem functions efficiently, facilitating coordination among all actors, and support translating evidence into actionable adaptations. Beyond curating this live framework, the partner leads targeted thematic learning exercises, synthesizes multi-source evidence into actionable insights
3. Government & National Stakeholders:
   • Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) & Federal Member States (FMS): Including Ministries of Environment & Climate Change (MoECC), Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), National Identification & Registration Authority (NIRA), Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MOAI), Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range (MoLFR), Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development (MoPIED) and Durable Solutions Technical Working Groups (DSTWGs). These actors are both partners in implementation and primary audiences for learning products aimed at influencing national policy and planning (e.g., Somalia’s National Adaptation Plan 2026-2030 and National Transformation Plan (NTP 2025-2029) specially Pillar 4 of this framework on Environment and Climate Resilience
4. External Resilience & Peer Actors:
   • Somalia Cash Consortium, NGO Consort research and Working Group, WFP, FAO and similar actors: As peer resilience implementers, these actors are key for sharing cross-programme learning, avoiding duplication of research, and collectively influencing the broader Somalia resilience and climate adaptation evidence base.
5. Target Communities & Local Actors:
   • Displacement-Affected Communities (DACs), Community Resilience Committees (CRCs), DAC Fora, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Community Resilience Extension Workers (CREWs), etc: These are the key project participants and primary sources of experiential knowledge. Their feedback, lived experiences, and observed behavioural changes are essential data points for validating or challenging project assumptions.

It is important to note that BRCiS has already established a comprehensive Collaboration, Learning, and Adaptation (CLA) and Knowledge Management strategy, grounded in the USAID CLA approach. These strategies have been progressively operationalized across the Consortium, providing a solid foundation for this assignment. The AARAN Learning Agenda will build upon and refine this existing CLA framework, contextualizing it for the specific priorities of the AARAN project (rural-urban corridors, climate adaptation, and durable solutions). The Learning Partner will build upon and refine existing strategies rather than develop new frameworks from inception.

3. Structure of the Assignment, Objectives and Deliverables

This Terms of Reference is structured into two complementary lots, each with specific requirements and terms of engagement. Interested consulting firms are expected to submit technical and financial proposals for both lots, as the Consortium intends to engage a single partner to deliver the full scope of work, ensuring coherence and integration across the learning function.

• Lot 1: Learning Ecosystem Coordination, Learning Agenda Stewardship & Adaptive Management
• Lot 2: Thematic Learning Production & Dissemination

The Learning Partner will:

• Facilitate systematic reflection and coordination across the learning ecosystem.
• Steward and continuously update the AARAN Learning Agenda as a living document.
• Conduct targeted technical and thematic learning exercises, produce high-quality learning products and syntheses and support strategic dissemination to influence policy, programming, and the broader resilience and climate adaptation evidence base in Somalia

4. Lot 1: Learning Ecosystem Coordination, Learning Agenda Stewardship & Adaptive Management

4.1 Objective: To operationalize and steward the AARAN Learning Agenda as a dynamic, participatory framework that captures evolving learning priorities, and to facilitate effective coordination and adaptive management across the AARAN learning ecosystem.

4.2 Scope of Work: The Learning Partner will:

• Update and Steward the Learning Agenda: Engage with project stakeholders to update and refine the existing BRCiS Learning Agenda, identifying 3–4 priority thematic areas with particular attention to rural-urban dynamics linking natural ecosystems, markets and livelihoods, social interaction, and mobility—themes that hold potential influence on the wider resilience, climate adaptation, and durable solutions system architecture in Somalia. For each priority theme, the consultant will define learning questions, responsible stakeholders, workplans, and expected products.
• Facilitate Bi-Annual Internal Coordination, Learning, and Adaptive Management Events: Convene Workstream Leads, PMG, MEAL and Finance Working Groups, and CMU for reflection sessions to review progress against the Learning Agenda, assess evidence produced, and identify gaps. The Learning Partner’s participation in these sessions will be virtual/remote and will not include in-person travel. In preparation for these sessions, the Learning Partner will compile and synthesize learning products from across the Learning Ecosystem once every six months, producing concise briefs with key recommendations for adaptive management. Additionally, these sessions may serve as a forum to identify and propose specific thematic learning exercises for consideration under Lot 2, where a demonstrated need exists and internal capacity is insufficient to address the identified learning priority. Proposals emerging from these sessions will be subject to the standard pitch and approval process outlined in Section 5.2
• Facilitate Annual External Learning Events: Convene representatives of the broader learning ecosystem including government counterparts, peer agencies, FCDO, and community representatives to participate in systematic reflection, identify synergies, and translate collective learning into concrete programmatic adaptations.

4.3 Deliverables

The timelines and frequencies specified in Table 2 are provisional and provided as indicative guidelines to assist applicants in developing their proposals. Final deliverable schedules, including specific dates and sequencing, will be mutually agreed upon and formalized during the inception phase following the consultant's onboarding.

Table 2: Lot 1 deliverables

1. Deliverable: Inception Report (detailed workplan, methodology, stakeholder engagement strategy)

   Description: Comprehensive workplan detailing methodology, stakeholder engagement strategy, risk mitigation measures, and a phased implementation schedule for both lots.

   Timeline and Frequency: September 2026 (Once)

2. Deliverable: Updated AARAN Learning Agenda (priority themes, questions, methodology matrix, operational plan)

Description: Refined learning agenda articulating 3–4 priority thematic areas, corresponding learning questions, methodological approaches, responsible stakeholders, and operational plans.

Timeline and Frequency: October 2026 (Once)

3. Deliverable: Bi-Annual Synthesis of Learning Products with Adaptive Management Recommendations

Description: Consolidated synthesis of learning products generated across the Consortium, accompanied by actionable adaptive management recommendations for internal decision-making

Timeline and Frequency: Bi-annually (5 cycles): March 2027, September 2027, March 2028, September 2028, March 2029

4. Deliverable: Annual External Learning Event Report and Synthesis

Description: Comprehensive report and synthesis documenting key discussions, emerging insights, and collective recommendations from the annual external learning convening

Timeline and Frequency: Annually (3 events): May 2027, May 2028, May 2029

5. Deliverable: End-of-Project Learning Synthesis (cumulative report on key themes, adaptation case studies, and recommendations)

Description: Cumulative final report distilling key thematic findings, documented adaptation case studies, and forward-looking recommendations to inform future resilience and climate adaptation programming in Somalia

Timeline and Frequency: July 2029

4.4 Contracting Model: Lot 1 will be governed by a Service Agreement with fixed deliverables, timelines, and associated payments. The consultant shall submit an itemized budget aligned with the deliverables listed above.

4.5 Financial Proposal for Lot 1: Learning Ecosystem Coordination, Learning Agenda Stewardship & Adaptive Management.

Table 3: Service Agreement (Fixed Deliverables) Indicative Unit Cost: Refer to the TOR in the ITB section 4 and 8

Note for Applicants:

• The contract will be awarded for an initial term of two years, from August 2026 to March 2028, with a possible third-year extension (April 2028 – July 2029) subject to satisfactory performance and budget availability, at the Consortium's sole discretion. To facilitate seamless transition should the extension be confirmed, the consultant should structure their financial proposal on an annual basis, aligned with the FCDO Fiscal Year (April – March), enabling clear budget tracking and alignment with AARAN project annual implementation plan. Engagement under this contract will be intermittent, with concentrated efforts aligned to the delivery of scheduled events and commissioned assignments; the consultant should therefore demonstrate flexibility in resource planning to accommodate varying levels of effort throughout the contract period.
• Payment percentages shall be allocated proportionally to reflect the relative effort, complexity, and value of each deliverable. Deliverables of greater scope and significance should command a higher percentage while less resource-intensive deliverables should be weighted accordingly. The total percentage allocation across all deliverables must sum to 100%. Applicants are expected to propose a clear and justifiable percentage breakdown as part of their financial submission.

5. Lot 2: Thematic Learning Production & Dissemination

5.1 Objective: To conduct specific technical and thematic learning exercises as identified by the Consortium, produce high-quality synthesized learning products, and support their strategic dissemination to internal and external stakeholders to maximize uptake and influence.

5.2 Scope of Work: The Learning Partner will:

• Identify and Pitch Learning Themes: Maintain ongoing engagement with BRCiS programmes to proactively identify learning gaps. Where internal capacity is insufficient, the consultant will pitch thematic learning assignments for consideration by the CMU. The pitch process—including proposal development, stakeholder consultations, and scoping discussions—is considered a professional contribution expected of the partner and is not separately remunerated. Remuneration commences upon approval of a pitch and issuance of a specific ToR by CMU. The approved pitch and associated ToR serve as the foundation for the subsequent thematic learning exercise.
• Conduct Thematic Learning Exercises: Upon approval of a pitch and issuance of a specific ToR by CMU, design and lead proposed learning exercises to address prioritized learning questions. The findings and data generated from these exercises form the evidence base for the production of targeted learning products.
• Produce Targeted Learning Products: Synthesize findings into learning briefs, policy summaries, infographics, and/or other formats tailored to internal decision-makers, government counterparts, and external resilience actors. These deliverables are designed to translate evidence into actionable insights for diverse audiences and serve as the primary content for strategic dissemination. Specific learning products should be proposed, discussed, and agreed at the pitching stage.
• Support Strategic Dissemination: Ensure learning products are effectively shared with relevant stakeholders including federal and state-level ministries, Somalia Cash Consortium, IOM, and community structures in compliance with BRCiS's existing advocacy and influence strategy. Dissemination activities close the learning loop by ensuring that insights generated through the thematic exercises reach the right audiences to inform policy, programming, and adaptive management decisions.

5.3 Key Deliverables: For each commissioned thematic learning exercise, the consultant will deliver a coherent package of outputs, sequenced to build progressively from planning through to dissemination. Each deliverable serves as the foundation for the subsequent one, ensuring a seamless and integrated learning process.

Table 4: Master Service Agreement Deliverables:

1. Deliverable: Technical and Financial Proposal

   Description: Detailed proposal outlining the methodology, workplan, team composition (with CVs), and budget for the specific thematic learning assignment, submitted in response to the CMU-issued ToR.

   Output: Approved proposal → Input to Inception

2. Deliverable: Inception Report

Description: Refined workplan and methodology, incorporating feedback from CMU, detailing final data collection tools, stakeholder mapping, field logistics, and risk mitigation measures.

Output: Finalized workplan → Input to Fieldwork/Data Collection

3. Deliverable: Technical Learning Report

Description: Comprehensive report presenting findings, analysis, and actionable recommendations, structured in accordance with BRCiS reporting formats and standards.

Output: Evidence and analysis → Input to Learning Product Development

4. Deliverable: Learning Briefs and Policy Summaries

Description: Synthesized, accessible summaries of key findings and recommendations, tailored for diverse audiences and produced in both English and Somali, as appropriate.

Output: Synthesized content → Input to Dissemination

5. Deliverable: Dissemination Materials

Description: Customized communication products—including infographics, presentations, and short videos where applicable—designed to maximize uptake and influence among specific stakeholder groups.

Output: Targeted materials → Input to Stakeholder Engagement and Influence

5.4 Contracting Model: Lot 2 will be governed by a Master Service Agreement (MSA) on a need-basis. For each specific learning assignment, CMU will develop a dedicated ToR, and the consultant will submit a short technical and financial proposal, CVs of assigned technical experts, and samples of relevant past work. The budget will be separated into:

• Logistics Costs: Travel, field operations, and related expenses (variable per assignment).
• Professional Fees: Fixed daily rates for professionals (field and non-field engagement).

5.5 Financial Proposal – Lot 2: Thematic Learning Production & Dissemination

Table 5: Master Service Agreement (Need-Based Assignments): Professional Fees (Fixed Daily Rates)

Refer to the table in the TOR (section 4) and the ITB (section 8)

*Indicate rates for each thematic domain the firm can cover (e.g., climate adaptation, NRM, HLP, market systems, EWEA, resilience, durable solutions)

Table 6: Master Service Agreement (Need-Based Assignments): Per Assignment Costing (to be completed upon issuance of specific ToR by CMU)

Refer to the table in the TOR (section 4)

Notes for Applicants

1. For both lots, the contract will be awarded for an initial term of two years, from August 2026 to March 2028, with a possible third-year extension (April 2028 – July 2029) subject to satisfactory performance and budget availability, at the Consortium's sole discretion. The consultant should structure their financial proposal on an annual basis, aligned with the FCDO Fiscal Year (April – March), enabling clear budget tracking and alignment with AARAN project annual implementation plan.
2. Lot 1: Payments will be linked to the satisfactory completion and acceptance of each deliverable. Applicants should indicate the percentage of the total fee allocated to each deliverable.
3. Lot 2: Professional fees should be quoted as fixed daily rates. Logistics and field costs will be scoped and budgeted per assignment upon issuance of specific ToRs.
4. All costs must be quoted in United States Dollars (USD) .
5. The budget should include all applicable taxes.
6. NRC will cover the following costs for all in-person events (both Lot 1 and Lot 2):

• In-country transport for ONLY international companies (airport pick-up and drop-off)
• Security briefings (upon request by the consultant)
• Meeting logistics, including:
  • Venue rental
  • Refreshments (tea/coffee, and meals during workshop hours)
  • Stationery (printing, materials, and other administrative supplies)

All other costs are the responsibility of the consultant, including but not limited to:

• International/national travel (flights)
• Accommodation and meals outside workshop hours
• Visas and travel documentation
• Medical and travel insurance
• Any other costs not explicitly listed above as covered by NRC

6. Management Arrangements

6.1 Contract Duration: The contract will be awarded for an initial term of two years, from August 2026 to March 2028, with a possible third-year extension (April 2028 – July 2029) subject to satisfactory performance and budget availability, at the Consortium's sole discretion. The consultant should structure their financial proposal on an annual basis, aligned with the FCDO Fiscal Year (April – March), enabling clear budget tracking and alignment with AARAN project annual implementation plan. Engagement under this contract will be intermittent, with concentrated efforts aligned to scheduled events and commissioned assignments throughout the project period. The consultant should therefore plan for flexible resource allocation to accommodate peak periods of activity as outlined in the workplan.

6.2 Travel & In-Person Engagements (Lot 1 & Lot2): The Learning Partner is expected to travel to Mogadishu, Somalia for the following in-person events. All travel and logistics costs are the responsibility of the consultant, unless explicitly stated otherwise in Section 5 (Notes for Applicants).

It is important to note that the Lot 1: “Bi-Annual Synthesis of Learning Products with Adaptive Management Recommendations” events will be conducted virtually and do not require in-person attendance or travel.

Table 7: In-person events/workshops

Refer to the table in the TOR (section 4)

Important Note on Field Presence: Given the nature of Lot 2 assignments, which require direct engagement with communities, government stakeholders, and partners across 15 districts in five Federal Member States, the consultancy firm must demonstrate a viable local presence in Somalia. This can be achieved through either:

• The firm's own established office and field staff in Somalia; or
• A formal partnership with a registered Somali organization with proven capacity to support field-level data collection, stakeholder coordination, and logistics.

The technical proposal must clearly articulate the firm's local presence strategy, including team composition, field coordination mechanisms, and risk mitigation measures for operating in fragile contexts.

6.3 Reporting Lines & Coordination: The primary Consortium contact is the BRCiS Consortium MEAL Manager, supported by the Chief of Party, Programme Manager, Workstream Leads, PMG, and MEAL Working Group. All formal deliverables and progress reports shall be submitted to the MEAL Manager, with copies to the Chief of Party and Programme Manager.

6.4 Compliance Obligations: The consultant shall comply with all NRC policies and procedures, including:

• Code of Conduct and ethical standards

• Safeguarding and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) policies

• Data protection and confidentiality requirements

• Financial and procurement regulations

  6.5 Security and Risk Management: The consultant is solely responsible for the security and safety of its personnel, assets, and operations throughout the duration of this assignment. The consultant must have a documented security and risk management plan, which shall be submitted as part of the technical proposal and updated as necessary throughout the contract.

  Upon request, NRC will provide general security briefings and updates on the Somalia context, but does not assume any responsibility for the consultant's security. The consultant shall maintain comprehensive insurance for all personnel, implement appropriate security protocols, and ensure all field staff and partners are briefed on security procedures. NRC will facilitate in-country logistical support as outlined in Section 6.2, but such support does not extend to security management or liability.

6.6 Data Management and Protection: The consultant shall handle all data in accordance with:

• NRC's data protection and confidentiality policies
• Somali data protection regulations (where applicable)
• FCDO data protection and GDPR requirements (where applicable)

All data collected during learning exercises remains the property of the BRCiS Consortium (with NRC serving as the lead agency for contractual purposes). The consultant shall ensure secure data storage, anonymization of personal data, and appropriate data sharing protocols. All research activities must obtain informed consent from participants.

7. Application Procedures and Requirements

Interested consulting firms are expected to submit a single application covering both lots. The application package shall include the following components:

1. Cover Letter: Introducing the consulting firm, team composition, and roles of each team member.
2. Technical Proposal (maximum 20 pages): A comprehensive technical proposal structured to demonstrate the firm's understanding of the assignment and its capacity to deliver. The proposal must include:

• Understanding of the ToR: Interpretation of the assignment objectives, scope, and context, including the AARAN project's learning ecosystem and the dual-lot structure.
• Methodology: Detailed approach for each lot, including:
  • Lot 1: Approach to Learning Agenda stewardship, coordination of the learning ecosystem, facilitation of internal and external events, and adaptive management processes.
  • Lot 2: Approach to identifying learning gaps, pitching thematic assignments, conducting participatory learning exercises, producing targeted learning products, identifying suitable technical specialists, and supporting strategic dissemination.
• Team Composition: Organizational chart and clear delineation of roles, responsibilities, and levels of effort for each proposed team member.
• Workplan: Phased implementation schedule with key milestones, deliverables, and timelines aligned with the project duration (August 2026 – July 2029).
• Local Presence Strategy: Articulation of the firm's local presence in Somalia, including:
  • Details of the firm's Somalia office or partner organization
  • Organizational chart showing local team members or partner staff
  • Evidence of past successful field operations in Somalia or similar contexts
  • Security and risk management protocols

3. Examples of Similar Assignments: Minimum two examples of CLA or learning assignments of comparable scale and complexity. In addition, applicants must clearly cite their expertise against each of AARAN’s thematic areas and provide a minimum of three (3) samples of related thematic work.

4. CVs of Key Personnel and/or Roster Evidence: For each of AARAN’s core thematic areas — climate adaptation, natural resource management (NRM), Housing, Land and Property (HLP), market systems & livelihoods, Early Warning and Early Action (EWEA), resilience building, durable solutions, and urban-rural linkages — applicants must demonstrate available expertise by providing either (a) confirmed CVs of proposed personnel with direct experience in that thematic area, or (b) evidence of an established roster of qualified thematic experts who can be deployed as needed. Firms are not expected to hold confirmed expertise in every thematic area at the time of application; demonstrated access to a responsive roster is an acceptable alternative and supports the firm’s ability to adapt its team composition to evolving learning priorities identified through Lot 2, understanding that BRCiS will reserve the right to review and approve CVs for individual learning assignments.

5. Financial Proposal: An itemized budget covering both lots, presented in USD, including all applicable taxes. The financial proposal must include:

• Lot 1 (Service Agreement – Fixed Deliverables): A clear breakdown of costs per deliverable, including professional fees and logistics. Applicants must indicate the percentage of the total fee allocated to each deliverable (total must sum to 100%).
• Lot 2 (Master Service Agreement – Need-Based Assignments):

  • Professional Fees: Fixed daily rates for each role category (field and non-field engagements), as outlined in Table 4.

  • Estimated Total: For the purpose of proposal evaluation, applicants must provide an estimated total cost for Lot 2 using the below given scenario though actual budget for these assignments will be agreed based on specific ToRs developed for each specific activirt. This estimate should be based on the assumption of two thematic learning assignments per year over the three-year project period (i.e., six assignments total). Applicants should use their proposed daily rates (Table 5) and reasonable assumptions regarding the scope and duration of typical assignments to calculate this estimate. When preparing this estimate, applicants should note that assignments may vary significantly in terms of:

    • Number of respondents to be engaged (e.g., key informant interviews, focus group discussions, surveys)
    • Number of locations for data collection (ranging from single-site to multi-district coverage across multiple Federal Member States)
    • Logistics requirements (e.g., field transport, accommodation, per diems, translation, and community mobilization)

    Applicants are therefore encouraged to provide the estimate based on a typical assignment and clearly state the assumptions used (e.g., average number of respondents, average number of locations, average duration, and estimated logistics costs per assignment). A simple breakdown of the estimated cost per assignment would be helpful.

  • Important: This is a budget estimate only. Actual costs for each assignment will be scoped, negotiated, and confirmed upon issuance of specific ToRs by CMU. The final contract value for Lot 2 will depend on the number, scope, and complexity of assignments actually commissioned during the project period. Each specific ToR will define the precise scope—including target respondents, geographic coverage, and logistics—and the consultant will submit a detailed budget for that specific assignment at that time

Qualifications and Experience Required

• Education: Advanced university degree (Master's) in Social Sciences, Economics, Statistics, or a related field. Ph.D. is preferred.
• Experience:
  • Minimum 7 years of proven experience designing and facilitating participatory learning and adaptive management systems for large-scale, multi-partner international development consortia.
  • Track record of leading high-level learning events with diverse stakeholders (INGOs, local NGOs, donors, government officials, community representatives).
  • Demonstrated ability to work across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, with working knowledge of all AARAN's core technical areas: climate adaptation, natural resource management, HLP, market systems, EWEA, resilience building, or durable solutions.
  • Significant experience working in Somalia or similar fragile, conflict-affected, and climate-vulnerable contexts. Understanding of Somali dynamics, displacement patterns, and rural-urban linkages is strongly preferred.
  • Experience with USAID CLA or similar learning frameworks is required.
  • Extensive experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods, demonstrated through publications, is an asset.
• Firm Requirement: This assignment is for a consulting firm, not an individual consultant. The firm must demonstrate:
  • Flexible technical expertise across multiple thematic domains relevant to AARAN, including but not limited to climate adaptation, natural resource management, ecosystem restoration, Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights, market systems, Early Warning and Early Action (EWEA), resilience building, durable solutions, and urban-rural market linkages.
  • Access to a roster of qualified thematic technical experts who can be deployed for specific Lot 2 learning assignments as needed. These experts must possess specialized knowledge in one or more of AARAN's core thematic areas and demonstrate proven experience in designing and leading research, assessments, or learning exercises in Somalia or similar contexts.
  • Proven track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder learning assignments in fragile, conflict-affected, and climate-vulnerable environments.
  • Capacity to rapidly deploy appropriate technical expertise upon issuance of specific Lot 2 ToRs, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of thematic learning assignments
• Local Presence Requirement: The firm must have established operational presence in Somalia or a verifiable partnership with a local entity registered and operational in Somalia. This is essential for effective field engagement under Lot 2. The proposal must include:
  • Details of the firm's Somalia office or partner organization (name, registration status, years of operation, geographic coverage)
  • Organizational chart showing local team members or partner staff
  • Evidence of past successful field operations in Somalia or similar contexts

1. https://www.nrc.no/what-we-do/brcis-consortium---building-resilient-communities-in-somalia
2. https://somalia.iom.int/danwadaag-durable-solutions

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