National Consultant: Flood Recovery Assessment on Housing and Community Infrastructure-DRRF

Background

Riverine and flashfloods are quite a recurrent phenomenon in Bangladesh. According to the Asian Development Bank (2015), from 2000 to 2013, the economic loss from flood impacts accounted for 0.7 billion USD in Bangladesh, which is more than 66% of the total loss. Yet, coordinated, and comprehensive recovery planning after a disaster is not common practice in Bangladesh. The last Post Disaster Needs Assessment with a Recovery approach was conducted after Cyclone Sidr in 2008.

In mid-June 2022, the upstream region of Assam and Meghalaya recorded the highest rainfall in 122 years (about 2500 millimeters), which inundated the north-east part of Bangladesh and Cherrapunji in India. The flash flood impacted 18 districts (i.e., Sylhet, Sunamganj, Hobiganj, Maulavibajar, Kishorganj, Mymensing, Netrakona, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Bogura, Sirajganj, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Feni, and Brahmanbaria) leaving millions of people marooned. It swept away houses, inundated homesteads, and farmlands, and forced families to seek shelter on higher ground and temporary flood shelters.

An estimated 7.2 million people were affected, around 2 million people were temporarily displaced, and more than 1000 million USD of loss were recorded. According to the loss and damage information collected by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), 18,479 Houses were fully damaged, and 167,143 Houses were partially damaged in those 18 flood-impacted districts. Along with these many small growth centers, small businesses and huge community infrastructures have been damaged. 

Impacted population has financially fallen behind while reconstructing their damaged houses and small community infrastructures. Against an already poor COVID recovery context, vulnerability is further compounded because of the delayed and inadequate response.

The prolonged duration of flooding with added on wave velocity have made the North-eastern flash flood 2022 unique to its kind. This impact has triggered some fundamental questions regarding traditional housing and community infrastructure at the locality. To build a resilient community, the north-eastern flood impact needs to be investigated in a systematic and comprehensive way for effective recovery to Build Back Better.

The main objective of this assignment is to conduct action research on the impact of northeastern flood 2022 on housing and community infrastructure. The research components will include (i) causes of infrastructure failure investigation of large number of full/ partial damage of houses, (ii) recovery needs assessment on housing and (iii) Brief report for the Northeastern flood recovery plan 2022 focusing on Housing and Community Infrastructure.

Duties and Responsibilities

The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the DRRF, UNDP Bangladesh in creating evidence on the impact of floods in housing and community infrastructure and designing plan for better recovery. Having In-depth investigated knowledge with evidence and region-specific model designing will enable UNDP and Govt. of Bangladesh (GoB) to advocate for more resilient houses for upcoming disasters. The national consultant is expected to conduct research to find out (i) causes of infrastructure failure investigation for large number of full/ partial damage of houses, (ii) recovery needs assessment on housing and (iii) Brief report with model design for the Northeastern flood recovery plan 2022 focusing on Housing and Community Infrastructure. 

SCOPE OF WORK:

The prolonged duration of this 2022 flash flood has resulted into significant number of housing damage. In an event of flooding, the plinth may get affected in terms of its capacity to support the base of house and use of non-resilient construction material, pillars, columns, walls, roof, and structural frame may get affected, the velocity of the flood also affects the structure of the houses, many of which are “katcha” or “semi-pucca” temporary structures. To support Govt. of Bangladesh (GoB) in evidence creation on recovery, prototype piloting for northeastern flood recovery focusing on housing and advocating for sustainable and resilient recovery, DRRF, UNDP Bangladesh has defined three concrete services of support that can be made available.

The scope of work of the national Consultant will be the following:

• Causes of infrastructure failure investigation for large number of full/ partial damage of Houses and Community Infrastructure

To come up with a low cost but innovative solution it is crucial to understand the causes behind the full/partial damages, vulnerability of different house types, plinth and structural failure, use of material, technology, planning and design of construction and reconstruction requirement of housing. The failure investigation aims to analyze flood impact on residential house damages, considering different house types. A small field survey will be carried out by the national consultant for the new proposition of resilient housing considering building characteristics such as construction materials, height of stilt or plinth level from the ground, approximate distance from the bank, appropriate design method and technology of the construction, shelf life/lifespan of the built house based on use of material and construction style etc.

• Activity 1.1: Field survey conduction in the 03 most affected unions for analysis of structural vulnerability, damage data, nature of the damage
• Activity 1.2: Identification of types (and nature) of damages occurred
  • Undamaged houses: the resilient materials used to build undamaged houses, socio-economic analysis of these households
  • Partially damaged houses: Categorization and definition of ‘Partial damage’ using the percentage of a damaged houses, identification of materials damaged frequently in the partial damaged houses, identification of geo-location of partial damage houses
  • Fully damaged houses: investigation on materials used previously in the fully damaged houses, identification of geo-location of the fully damage houses, socio-economic analysis of these households

• 2. Detailed recovery needs assessment on Housing and Community Infrastructure sectors

The partially damaged houses and community infrastructure have potential for retrofitting with existing residual materials. The top-dressing soil from the plinth damage may also be reconstructed. Similar nature of innovation maybe brought in based on the nature of the damage. A small recovery needs assessment for different house types and damages will be required in 03 most affected unions, considering the 20-year flood recurrence interval at the region. The national consultant will carry out following activities:

• Activity 2.1: Identify recovery needs and priorities and a recovery strategy for the Housing and Community Infrastructure sectors after assessment
  • Partially damaged houses and community infrastructure: Assessment of recovery need based both categorization of housing materials (Katcha/ Semi-pucca/ Pucca houses) and percentage of house damage (e.g, 30%, 50%, 80% damage) and identification and strategy recommendation on recovery need based on the socio-economic analysis of these households
  • Fully damaged houses and community infrastructure: Assessment of recovery needs based on the types and materials proposed for reconstruction, geo-location of house from embankment, and the socio-economic analysis of these households

• Activity 2.2: Assessment of availability of reconstruction material in the local context (e.g., Haor Region)
  • Partially Damaged household: Assessment of available recycling debris; material availability based on market survey, inflation and socio-economic condition of household, capacity building and awareness raising for resilient building materials
  • Fully Damaged household: Assessment of recovery need on material availability based on market survey, socio-economic condition, and access to social safety-net of household, capacity building need and awareness raising for resilient building materials

• Activity 2.3: Cost estimation of house recovery based on the types of houses and damage to the damaged houses (in tabular format)
  • Partially damaged houses and community infrastructure: Estimation of cost based on category, percentage and types of houses, market assessment and material availability and socio-economic condition of the region
  • Partially damaged houses and community infrastructure: Estimation of cost based on geo-location of house, previously used material and market assessment and material availability and socio-economic condition of the region

• 3. Brief report with model design as two Chapters contribution for DRRF, UNDP’s Northeastern flood recovery plan 2022 focusing on Housing and Community Infrastructure

The national consultant will provide brief report as two chapters contribution to the comprehensive flood recovery plan, based on the failure investigation, recovery needs assessment and resilient housing models design and drawing for flash flood-affected areas. The brief report will cover following topics:

• Activity 3.1: Design and drawing layouts of model housing (categorized with katcha/ Semi-pucca/ pucca houses) along with the recommendation for both partial and fully damaged houses for recovery on housing and community infrastructure
• Activity 3.2: Drafting two separate chapters (approx. 10 pages each) on Housing and Community Infrastructure to be part of the overall recovery plan considering learning and experience from the action research
• Activity 3.3: Provide one PowerPoint presentation on the housing recovery prototype building with model house drawing and recommendation

Reporting requirements: The compiled information and documents will have to be submitted in both hard copies and on electronic carriers/ soft copies.

DELIVERABLES:

The deliverables would be in the following manners:

Deliverable 1: Submission of an inception report including the detailed methodology and timeline of the deliverables and work plan

Deliverable 2: Submission of draft report containing

• Causes of infrastructure failure investigation of large number of full/ partial damage of Houses and Community Infrastructure
• Detailed recovery needs assessment on Housing and Community Infrastructure sectors

Deliverable 3: Submission of the brief report with model design for the Northeastern flood recovery plan 2022 focusing on Housing and Community Infrastructure

SUPERVISION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION:

The national Consultant will work closely with the DRRF Team from UNDP Bangladesh, the international consultant, the consultant team engaged by UNDP and the local stakeholders. The consultant will report directly to the Project Manager of DRRF and receive the overall guidance of the Programme Analyst of Resilience and Inclusive Growth Cluster. The Project Manager-DRRF will sign off on payments as per the payment schedule on receipt of deliverables, timesheets, and certification. Standard IC contract provisions apply.

 

Deliverables:

The tentative timeline and payment schedule for the consultancy is given below:

Deliverables	Required days
Deliverable 1: Submission of an inception report including the detailed methodology and timeline of the deliverables and work plan	04 days
Deliverable 2: Submission of draft report containing Causes of infrastructure failure investigation of large number of full/ partial damage of Houses and Community Infrastructure Detailed recovery needs assessment on Housing and Community Infrastructure sectors	16 days
Deliverable 3: Submission of the Brief report with model design as two Chapters contribution for DRRF, UNDP’s for the Northeastern flood recovery plan 2022 focusing on Housing and Community Infrastructure.	20 Days

DUTY STATION:

Duty Station: Dhaka and flood impacted Sylhet, Netrokona and Sunamganj districts which may require maximum five trips not more than 20 days.

UNDP Bangladesh will not provide office space, any equipment related to operation and implementation, and other logistic support to the national Consultant. The consultant should take all safety measures related to COVID 19 during the field visit or any other activity of the consultancy.

Travel, DSA, and Communications

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal.

Communication and IT equipment: The Consultant is expected to have their laptop and mobile phone. The cost of communication should be included in the financial proposal.

No DSA will be paid at the duty station and for field visits. If unforeseen travel outside the area of work (i.e., duty station plus field visits) not mentioned by the Terms of Reference is requested by UNDP, and upon prior agreement/approval, such travel shall be UNDP’s expenses and the individual contractor shall receive a per-diem not to exceed United Nations daily subsistence allowance rate in such other location(s).

Competencies

• Demonstrates commitment to UN’s mission, vision, and values
• Possess a comprehensive set of competencies to immediately take on the challenging role of leading the information needs of early recovery efforts in the designated area of responsibility – strategic, integrity, results oriented, teamwork, good inter-personal skills, well developed communication skills, sound judgment, analytical skills, flexibility, proactive engagement, innovation, risk management, gender and culturally sensitive, ability to work under pressure and demonstrates high tolerance for change, complexity and unpredictability.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Ability to think clearly and analytically
• Ability to plan own work, setting priorities and completing it under pressure or, when faced with competing demands
• Ability to lead a team of technicians for preparation of the document
• Ability to efficiently use modern equipment and software’s related
• Flexibility to make ad-hoc changes as and when the need arises; ability to perform under stress; willingness to keep flexible working hours
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect.
• Sensibility to consider pragmatic program elements (quality and efficiency of service delivery) as well as "soft" components, such as gender sensitivity, due consideration, and inclusion of vulnerable, etc.,

Language Requirements:

• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) in English.

Required Skills and Experience

Educational Qualification:

• University degree in Civil Engineering/ Architecture/ Structural Engg., or other closely related field.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in managing projects on flood/earthquake/Disaster Management/low-cost affordable housing/ Building Technology/Housing policy and strategy support at the national level
• Minimum 03 Years of Experience in Project Management, experience with governments/NGOs/ Academia/ research and teaching/ training etc.
• Academic Publication with  Experience in Academia/ research and teaching/ training etc.

Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual Consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

• Technical Criteria weight: 70%

• Financial Criteria weight: 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% point in technical criteria would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Evaluation Criteria

Technical Criteria	Weight	Max Points
University degree in Civil Engineering/ Architecture/ Structural Engg., or other closely related field.	20	20
Years of experience in managing projects on flood, earthquake, Disaster Management, Building Technology, Housing policy and strategy support at the national level	40%	40
Working Experience (min 2 years or 1 project experience) with governments/NGOs/ Academia/ research and teaching/ training etc.	10	10

Financial Evaluation (Total 30 marks)

All technical qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals received points according to the following formula:

p = y (µ/z)

where:

• p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated;
• y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal;
• µ = price of the lowest priced proposal;
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).

Financial Milestone

Deliverables	Payment
Deliverable 1: Submission of an inception report including the detailed methodology and timeline of the deliverables and work plan	20% of the total contract amount after the submission of Deliverable 1
Deliverable 2: Submission of draft report containing Causes of infrastructure failure investigation of large number of full/ partial damage of Houses and Community Infrastructure Detailed recovery needs assessment on Housing and Community Infrastructure sectors	40% of the total contract amount after the submission of Deliverable 2
Deliverable 3: Submission of the Brief report with model design as two Chapters contribution for DRRF, UNDP’s for the Northeastern flood recovery plan 2022 focusing on Housing and Community Infrastructure	40% of the total contract amount after the submission of Deliverable 3

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Detailed Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references
3. Financial Proposal: Financial Proposal has to be submitted through a standard interest and availability template which can be downloaded from the link below:

BGD_ Individual Contract_Offerors Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability.docx (live.com)