Call for Expression of Interest for Partnership with UNHCR Kenya

Call for Expression of Interest for Partnership with UNHCR Kenya
 

Project title and Identification: Assistance to Refugees and Asylum Seekers of Various Nationalities in Kenya

Project Location: Dadaab, Kakuma, Nairobi

Brief background of the project: The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established on December 14, 1950 by United Nations General Assembly. 

The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide.

Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It also has a mandate to help stateless persons and persons at risk of statelessness. 

In Kenya, UNHCR coordinates the implementation of protection and assistance programmes in conjunction with the government of Kenya.

Goal/Objective, Expected Outcome and Main Activities: In compliance with the current UNHCR Policy on Selection and Retention of Partners for Project Partnership Agreements, the UNHCR Representation in Kenya kindly invites qualified Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) service providers to make a firm offer for establishment of a Project Partnership Agreement for the provision of any/or all of the following services:

Main Activities and Location

Sector: Protection

Main Activities: Legal Assistance and representation for refugees, management of transit and reception centres, monitoring of detention centres and interventions for the release of refugees and asylum seekers, training and advocacy interventions; assistance to spontaneous returns in Dadaab camp.
Location: Kakuma, Dadaab and Nairobi

Sector: Health and Nutrition  

Main Activities: Primary health care services including preventative reproductive health and HIV/AIDS services; Secondary or tertiary care(referrals services); Comprehensive nutrition services
Location: Kakuma, Dadaab and Nairobi

Sector: Water  

Main Activities: Maintenance of water systems, construction of water systems, management of water committees
Location: Kakuma and Dadaab

Sector: Sanitation and hygiene promotion services  

Main Activities: Health and hygiene promotion, construction and maintenance of community latrines and refuse pits, garbage collection
Location: Kakuma and Dadaab camps

Sector: Shelter and infrastructure 

Main Activities: Construction of refugee shelters, management of access roads, road construction, demarcation of plots, construction of offices and facilities
Location: Kakuma and Dadaab camps

Sector: Education 

Main Activities: Early childhood education, primary education, accelerated learning, secondary education, adult literacy, technology(ICT); Tertiary education (DAFI)
Location: Kakuma, Dadaab and Nairobi

Sector: Self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods

Main Activities: Vocational training and skills training support, Enterprise development and advocacy interventions
Location: Kakuma, Dadaab and Nairobi

Sector: Access to energy, and environmental protection  

Main Activities: Management of the provision of energy to refugees, Environmental management Location: Kakuma and Dadaab camps

 Sector: Child Protection services  

Main Activities: Prevention and response services for children at risk including community based child protection structures
Location: Kakuma, Dadaab and Nairobi

Sector: Prevention and response to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV)
Main Activities: Prevention and response including provision of legal assistance, material support and counselling
Location: Kakuma, Dadaab and Nairobi

Sector: Services for persons with specific needs  

Main Activities: Provision of services for women, elderly, persons with disabilities; Transport of refugees and asylum seekers to the camps ;-Management of safe house
Location: Kakuma, Dadaab and Nairobi

Sector: Community mobilisation and empowerment 
Main Activities: Mass information communication; Community mobilisation and leadership, safety and security
Location: Kakuma and Dadaab camps 

Sector: Host Community support projects 

Main Activities: Various activities as identified by host community groups including in water, sanitation, education.
Location: Kakuma and Dadaab camps

Sector: Logistics 

Main Activities: Maintenance of project fleet and generators ;Warehouse management for nonfood relief items; Fuel Management; Distribution of non-food items
Location:  Kakuma and Dadaab camps

Note: Agencies are requested to demonstrate capacity building and gender mainstreaming against each sector within their proposals.

Population Groups/Persons of Concern: Kakuma camp hosts 170,591 registered refugees and asylum seekers from various nationalities. The 5 refugee camps in Dadaab host 355,406 refugees mainly Somalis (98%). There are approximately 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers of various nationalities in Nairobi and other urban centres.

Eligibility
 

Potential implementing partners, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), must meet four basic conditions in order to be considered by UNHCR as a partner:

• Must be legally registered in Kenya as NGOs, 
• must have authority to operate a bank account in Kenya and ability to maintain separate accounts and/or accounting records for any UNHCR expenditures,
• must be able to demonstrate financial reliability through the production of Annually Audited Financial Statements and 
• must be willing to adhere to the rules and procedures of UNHCR for Project Implementation, to follow UNHCR’s established policies, and to comply with the Kenyan laws and policies

Selection Criteria: 

Upon receipt of the Concept Notes, selection will be based upon the following criteria;

Sector expertise and experience: sector specific skills, expertise, knowledge and human resources. (25%)
 

Project management: Ability to deliver project objectives, accountability mechanisms and sound financial management, capacity to monitor the projects, taking into account the audit results of the previous UNHCR funded projects, past performance and the external audit of partners’ financial statements, where applicable.(20%)
 

Local experience and presence: On-going programmes in the area of operation, local knowledge as well as engagement with refugees and other persons of concern will be an added advantage. 

Demonstration of a coherent policy on community relations, complaint mechanisms for persons of concern and other factors that would facilitate access to and better understanding of the persons of concern and that would reduce administrative difficulties. (10%)
 

Contribution of resources: Ability to contribute resources to the Project in cash or in’kind (e.g. human resources, supplies and/or equipment) in order to supplement UNHCR resources. (10%)

Cost effectiveness: The level of direct costs and administrative costs imposed on the Project in relation to project deliverables should not exceed 30%. Priority will be given to those NGOs with the
most cost effective project. (15%)

Experience working with UNHCR: Knowledge of UNHCR policies, practices and programmes, including an understanding of and ability to work within UNHCR’s funding limitations and associated inherent risks will be an added advantage. Partners that have three consecutive qualified audit opinions for UNHCR funded projects may not be considered. (20%)

Project Period: The project will commence on 01 January 2015 and end on 31 December 2015
 

Other information: Agencies are encouraged to apply for more than one sector clearly showing the synergies between sectors, as well as their contribution to enriching the sector. 

The successful agency will ensure that all stakeholders including government, UNHCR and refugees are part of the programme design, implementation and review; outputs in the sector are in keeping with international standards; all sector projects respond to gender equity and equality, environmental conservation as well as to other needs related to prevention and response to SGBV.

Background information and data on the current state of the sector are available from UNHCR.

Submission Details: Interested applicants should send an e-mail with the full name of their organisation to the following email address KENNAIPM@unhcr.org upon receipt of the e-mail, UNHCR will send the concept note template. 

Agencies not currently working with UNHCR will also have to complete and sign the partner declaration.

Applications are to be submitted to KENNAIPM@unhcr.org with the subject “Expression of Interest-Partnership with UNHCR Kenya” no later than 18 September 2014.

Late submissions will not be considered

UNHCR reserves the right to reject any or all EoIs without assigning any reason thereof.

Selected partners will be notified by the end of November 2014