Title – Economic Research Consultant

Issue Date – September 7, 2023

Deadline for Submissions – September 14, 2023

Anticipated Contract Type - Independent Contractor Agreement; Time & Materials

Anticipated Period of Performance - September 2023 – January 2024

Basis for Award - A contractor will be made to the responsible bidder whose proposal is responsive to the terms of the RFP and is most advantageous to Plan based on technical requirements and price.

Location - Contractor can be located outside the USA as long as they meet the requirements of the RFP.

Contact Name and Email - Ashley Middleton; Ashley.middleton@planusa.org

Introduction:

Plan International USA works for girls’ rights. Harmful barriers like child marriage, human trafficking and gender-based violence are preventing girls and young women from achieving their full potential. Plan, along with government and private partners, fights against harmful gender norms and empowers young people to create positive change in their communities. Plan has worked in communities for more than 80 years and provide locally-driven programming through 240 offices around the world.

Background:

USAID funded Plan USNO’s Worker Wellness Alliance (WWA) project to assist new factory workers in adjusting to their new lives in Hawassa by (1) helping them find safe, affordable housing; (2) encouraging community members to welcome these women to their community; and (3) providing small grants to local business owners who cater to the new workers by providing low-cost goods, such as food and other necessities.

This research project’s goal is to document the economic impact of the remove of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) on key stakeholder groups including: Industrial Park Workers, foreign investors (IP investors and foreign buyers) and the Ethiopian economy (as a whole and in the IP host communities.

Scope of Work

Our consultant will conduct an in-depth research project which will include context on:

• Collection of quantitative and qualitative data, through existing research and literature as well as KIIs and FGDs, on the impact of the AGOA removal on each of the stakeholder group
• What could be achieved or rebuilt if AGOA resumes in 2024 and impact if it does not return
• Short and longer-term impacts on the economy
• Viability of increased foreign investment
• Impact on the secondary cities of increased population, specifically if increased population is now unemployed
• Impact on the Employment support systems (the government one-stop services which are facilitating local level employment)-to see if there is any actual or perceived competition on existing jobs in the city.
• Impacts on the community systems- health, GBV, violence/crime, child care, MHM

Key stakeholder groups include:

• Foreign and domestic buyers (choose 3 from each- TCP, Wal-Mart and one TBD (Foreign) and 3 domestic)
• Non-Chinese owned factories/vendors in the IPs
• factory workers (sample of those that relocated and locals/walk-in employees)
• representatives of IPDC, EIC and IA
• Local representatives from key government offices-including Sidama Region (Ministry/Bureau of Women and Social Affairs, Bureau of Trade & Industry, Bureau of Labor & Skills, Bureau of Finance & Economic Cooperation, Bureau of Justice, etc.)

Deliverables:

• Inception report that outlines the methods to be used
• Interview guides and survey instruments
• Draft research report
• Full set of qualitative and quantitative data
• Final research report

Technical Requirements

Plan would like a proposal highlighting the following technical components:

Submission Requirements

Plan would like a proposal no more than 20 pages highlighting the following components:

• A cover letter, including a high-level description of work to be completed
• Work plan and budget for this assignment which breaks down details of work to be completed
• CV with contact details.
• Daily rates and the number of days needed to complete the assignment.
• Legal license-renewed-to work in the country

Submit quotes by the deadline by e-mail or through the relevant link on BambooHR to Ashley.Middleton@planusa.org with the title “Economic Research Consultant” as outlined above. Late offers will be rejected except under extraordinary circumstances at Plan’s discretion. Plan reserves the right to reject incomplete submissions.

All quotes must be valid for a period of at least 90 days. Price should indicate any tax as a separate line item.

CONDITIONS

The selected vendor will be required to confirm its agreement to abide by Plan’s Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy and Trafficking in Persons Policy, copies of which are available upon request.

All contractors who submit bids confirm that by submitting bids, to the best of their ability, they have no conflict of interest with respect to the products/services to be performed for Plan; any potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed in writing in the quote. The selected contractor is required to agree not to enter into any such agreement or execute any documents that will create a conflict of interest or which will prevent contractor from freely performing any obligation under the agreement.

In submitting a proposal, all vendors warrant: (i) no kickback, bribe, gratuity or transfer of anything of value was offered, agreed to, or made, nor shall be made, to or for the benefit of any employee or representative of Plan in return for or in connection with the award of a potential agreement; (ii) the potential vendor has not engaged in bid-rigging or other collusive agreements or behavior with any actual or potential competitor which behavior could have had the effect of lessening competition for the award of this product/service or of raising the price of the Deliverables or the Services procured; (iii) no offer, payment, consideration, or benefit of any kind, which constitutes an illegal or corrupt practice, has been made or shall be made, either directly or indirectly, as an inducement or reward for the award of this product/service; and (iv) all statements of material fact contained in any proposal, response, certification, or questionnaire submitted in connection with the solicitation, award or negotiation are true and complete when made.

All contractors who submit bids confirm that by doing so they are willing to comply with reporting, including financial reporting, guidelines for USG funded projects, if necessary.