DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL TENDER OCTOBER 2025
| TERMS OF REFERENCE |
PROVISION OF RESEARCH AND LEARNING CONSULTANCY FOR PATHWAY TO PROSPERITY PROJECT IN KAKUMA
Closing date; 7 Oct 2025
- Background
DRC has been operational in Kenya since 2005 and has been working with refugee and host communities. DRC protects, advocates, and builds sustainable futures for refugees and other displacement-affected people and communities. It provides protection and life-saving humanitarian assistance; supports displaced persons in becoming self-reliant and included into hosting societies; and works with civil society and responsible authorities to promote protection of rights and peaceful coexistence. DRC is present in Garissa (Dadaab & Garissa), Turkana (Kakuma, Kalobeyei & Lodwar), Nairobi and Mandera counties.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and Grundfos Foundation have granted funding to a consortium led by DRC, comprising Dan Church Aid (DCA) and Turkana Pastoralists Development Organization (TUPADO) to implement the Pathways to Prosperity (P2P) project. The project intends to promote self-reliance and resilience interventions in Turkana West Sub-County targeting both refugees and the host community population.
- Purpose
The purpose of this consultancy is to generate robust, actionable evidence and insights that will strengthen program implementation, learning, and policy influence. Specifically, the consultancy will evaluate the impact and effectiveness of P2P project interventions to determine whether they are achieving their intended outcomes, such as improved livelihoods, increased resilience and enhanced wellbeing among host and refugee communities.
It will also identify key enablers and barriers affecting the implementation and uptake of these interventions, including social, cultural, institutional and systemic factors that may support or hinder success. These insights will inform strategic decisions and program design by guiding adaptations, improvements and potential scale-up of effective approaches while also ensuring that interventions remain responsive to the needs of diverse community groups.
In addition, the research will contribute to broader sectoral knowledge by documenting innovative practices, lessons learned and effective models that can be shared with other organizations, policymakers, and development actors working in fragile and displacement-affected settings.
- Objectives
- Assess the effectiveness and impact of the project interventions on community resilience, livelihoods and wellbeing among host and refugee populations.
- Identify key enablers and barriers affecting the design, implementation and uptake of programs across thematic areas such as market systems, financial inclusion, NRM, Climate smart agriculture and digital transformation.
- Generate actionable evidence and insights to inform strategic decision-making, adaptive programming, and the design of future interventions.
- Synthesize and disseminate learning through clear, user-friendly knowledge products that support reflection and wider knowledge sharing.
- Scope of Work
The consultant(s) will be responsible for leading the end-to-end research and learning process across multiple thematic areas. The work will involve both field-based and desk-based activities, using participatory and contextually appropriate methods. Specifically, the consultant(s) will be expected to:
- Design Research Methodologies
Develop robust research frameworks and methodologies tailored to each thematic area. This may include qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method approaches depending on the research questions. The consultant will be responsible for: - Designing sampling strategies and tools (e.g., interview guides, questionnaires).
- Aligning methodologies with ethical research standards and safeguarding principles.
- Ensuring inclusion of gender, age, and diversity perspectives.
- Conduct Fieldwork and Primary Data Collection
Lead data collection activities in collaboration with program teams and local stakeholders. This will involve: - Conducting key informant interviews (KIIs) with community leaders, government officials, program staff, and other stakeholders.
- Facilitating focus group discussions (FGDs) with diverse community groups, including youth, women, men, and persons with disabilities.
- Carrying out case studies or success stories to capture lived experiences.
- Administering household or individual surveys where applicable.
- Analyze and Synthesize Data Across Thematic Areas
Clean, code, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify trends, relationships, and critical findings. The consultant will: - Compare and contrast results across host and refugee communities.
- Highlight cross-cutting issues such as gender dynamics, social cohesion, and digital inclusion.
- Use data visualization tools and summaries to support understanding and decision-making.
- Facilitate Learning Sessions and Validation Workshops
Organize and lead participatory learning and validation sessions with stakeholders to: - Present preliminary findings.
- Validate key insights with communities and partners.
- Co-develop recommendations based on evidence.
- Ensure that the learning process is inclusive, reflective, and action-oriented.
- Produce High-Quality Knowledge Products
Translate research findings into practical, user-friendly outputs that inform program and policy development. This includes: - Thematic Research and Learning Briefs that summarize findings per area of focus.
- A Consolidated Research Report that integrates insights across all thematic areas, providing a comprehensive narrative.
- Practical Recommendations for program improvement, strategic planning, and policy advocacy, ensuring that they are relevant, realistic, and informed by the local context.
- Application Submission process
Qualified and interested consultancy firms are hereby requested to apply. The application should contain the following:
- A technical proposal detailing the Background, objectives of the assignment, activities, and deliverables, proposed methodology, timeframe, reporting requirements, work plan, team composition and responsibilities and demonstrating a good understanding of market systems analysis methodology,
- A detailed budget or a Financial Proposal for the activities should be included in the application process (To Include professional and administrative costs and all statutory taxes by the Government of Kenya).
- Organizational/Company profile
- Consultant Experience: The consultancy firm should have at least 3 experiences in conducting Research and Learning with evidence of recognition certificates from system users (at least 3 references having used the system).
- Detailed implementation Schedule: Realistic Timelines with clear milestones on how steps will be sequenced, corresponding targets for each step, and when each step will be achieved. Flexibility to start with projects that have urgent needs for digitization.
- Applications must be submitted to the following address tender.ken@drc.ngo with ‘Research and Learning Consultancy’ in Turkana West’ in the subject line.
- Applications must be submitted as MS Word/PDF/Excel files, ideally packaged in a Zip file.
- The engagement is expected to be conducted starting the month of September 2025.
- Evaluation
All bidders’ applicants will be reviewed following a set criterion and will be assessed for profile and qualifications technical approach, and similar experience accordingly for the initial screening. Based on the screening, DRC will invite selected bidders for an interview and further conduct reference checks from at least 2 previous works as an additional mandatory requirement prior to contracting.
Please find complete bidding documents in the following folder: RFP 00361244 PROVISION OF RESEARCH AND LEARNING CONSULTANCY FOR PATHWAY TO PROSPERITY PROJECT IN KAKUMA
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