Call For Tenders
Consultancy services for the formulation of a Conflict Sensitive Investment Guidebook
Summary of the project
Project Title Mupaka Shamba Letu
Areas of intervention Democratic Republic of the Congo: Kinshasa, North Kivu (Goma), South Kivu (Bukavu, Kamanyola, Uvira)
Rwanda: Kigali, Kamembe, Rubavu, Bugarama, Akanyaru
Burundi: Bujumbura, Gatumba, Cibitoke, Kanyaru-haut
Project duration: January 2019 – December 2022
Donors: Embassy of Sweden in the DR Congo
Embassy of Sweden in Rwanda
Swiss Cooperation in Rwanda

I. Introduction And Background
International Alert is an international organization that helps people find peaceful solutions to conflicts. It is one of the largest peacebuilding organizations in the world, with nearly 30 years of experience in this field. The organization works with local people around the world and helps them build peace. It advises governments, organizations and businesses on how their policies and activities can support peace. It focuses on issues that affect peace, including climate change, the economy, gender and governance, as well as the role of business and international organizations in high-risk regions.

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It is within this framework that International Alert is implementing the Mupaka Shamba Letu (the border, our livelihood) project in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
The general objective of the Mupaka Shamba Letu project is to contribute to a more inclusive society, better cooperation and sustainable peace in the Great Lakes region of Africa. The project focuses on strengthening the role that women cross border traders living in these border communities can play in facilitating better understanding between communities, through cross border trade.
The specific objective of the project is to strengthen the capacities of women engaged in small scale cross-border trade in the border areas of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi to jointly challenge the gender dynamics that contribute to conflicts in their communities and in the wider region, and use their influence to promote greater social cohesion and regional cooperation.

The project aims to achieve the following four key results:
1. The gender dynamic between Women Small Scale Cross Border Traders in targeted border areas and their spouses is more inclusive and allows women to have increased influence and decision-making in their households by the end of the project;
2. Women Small Scale Cross Border Traders in targeted border areas have increased economic resources and have the skills to use these resources to advocate for greater social cohesion and regional cooperation by the end. of the project;
3. Business actors, including Women Small Scale Cross Border Traders and SMEs, in target border areas become more engaged through increased networking and cooperation, and work together to use their influence to promote greater great social cohesion, regional cooperation and peace in the region by the end of the project.
4. Women Small Scale Cross Border Traders and customs and border officials in targeted border areas understand and have access to laws and processes relating to cross-border trade; cross-border traders use these resources to advocate for greater social cohesion, as well as regional cooperation and peace by the end of the project.

Ii. Context Of The Consultancy
Under Result 3, Alert has engaged with a new target group it has not worked with before in targeted border areas – small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). These were trained on business for peace, conflict and gender sensitivity in recognition of their collective influence over governance, peace and conflict issues at the border.
Within that framework, Alert will pilot Business for Peace Forums in either Goma/Rubavu or Bukavu/Rusizi, pilot trainings of SMEs which are carrying out their businesses in a conflict sensitive way, identifying the negative impact the insecurity or conflict has on business and supporting them to use their collective influence to call for peaceful long-term solutions to conflict.
In order to have a more holistic impact beyond these pilot activities, there will be need to work not only with small scale traders and SMEs but also with the investors (both internal and external) operating in targeted border areas. If these actors are persuaded to invest in a conflict sensitive manner while pursuing profitability and sustainability, they can have a game-changing effect on the wider private sector at the border, creating considerable incentives for peace-inducing business.

Hence Alert would like to develop a guidebook for conflict sensitive investments in border regions between DRC, Rwanda and Burundi and which aim will be to encourage business actors and investors to tap into business opportunities and invest profitably and sustainably for them and the communities living in targeted border areas.
The guide will be developed and rolled out with inputs of a group of investors to be selected who have sizeable (or recognized) investments – and relative influence – in the border regions targeted by the Mupaka Shamba Letu project.
It is against this prospect that International Alert would like to identify and contract a suitable consultant to work on the formulation of a guidebook for Investors which seeks both to provide contextual background information about the investment opportunities as well as to outline steps investors can take to invest profitably and sustainably for them and the communities living in the targeted border regions of the Mupaka Shamba Letu project.

Iii. Rationale And Objectives Of The Consultancy
Rationale of the consultancy
Despite years of instability due to open or latent conflict, the Great Lakes Region offers attractive, dynamic and growing investment opportunities.
Investment opportunities are found in economic sectors such as production, wholesale and retailing of general merchandise and consumer goods, commercial agriculture, financial services, dairy and beef production, fruits and vegetables, construction, property market, health and education, tourism, hospitality, transport and minerals. Moreover a youthful population coupled with a fast growing urbanized middle class is driving a domestic demand for quality, diversified and value added products in the market.

Governments of the region have also been taking steps to improve and strengthen the business environment though enacting of conducive regulatory and legislative frameworks (investment incentive package both at national and regional level), investing on cross border infrastructure and facilities such as One Stop Border Post (OSBP). The clearance given to DR Congo to join the East African Community evidences even more the genuine interest of leaders in the Great Lakes to deepen regional economic integration and address the challenges that hinder its emergence.
While investors are keen to pursue profit and business growth against above mentioned developments, they can also have a major influence on peace building through acute interest to preserve their investments by engaging with governments, private sector and communities on ways to sustain the necessary environment for business to flourish and sustain.
The elaboration and publication of the guidebook aim to provide investors with guidelines to invest profitably and sustainably, inform on the risks posed on the sustainability and growth of their investments, and contribute to the socioeconomic prosperity of communities living across the region.

Objectives Of The Consultancy
The overall objective of the consultancy is to formulate a Conflict Sensitive Investment Guidebook which will provide investors with guidelines to invest profitably and sustainably for them and the communities living in border regions.
Based on the foregoing, the specific objectives of the consultancy are as follows:
• To provide background information and inform investors about investment opportunities in targeted border regions.
• To Inform on risks posed on the profitability and sustainability of their investments in targeted border regions.
• To identify and outline the steps investors can take to invest profitably and sustainably for them and communities in targeted border regions;
• To showcase conflict sensitive investments which have value addition effect to peace and stability of the region.

Scope Of Work
The consultancy will be undertaken within 33 calendar days covering targeted border regions from the Great Lakes Region Member States. Besides the country specific activities to inform on investment opportunities (sectors, policies, guidelines, incentives, etc.) , the consultant is also expected to focus on bilateral and regional integration strides which have trade and business for peace spillover effects through generation of investment opportunities for investors and communities living in targeted border regions.
In undertaking this work, the consultant is expected to:
1. Review the literature on investments, business for peace and regional integration nexus in other Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa,
2. Collect and analyse insights from investors and local communities that could inform the formulation of the Conflict Sensitive Investment Guidebook in this respect;
Identify key qualitative and quantitative variables for data collection, and undertake data collection;
1. Establish the socioeconomic effects of investments in the targeted border regions from Great Lakes Region Member States;
2. Outline steps an investor may need to consider and take to invest in a conflict sensitive way;
3. Showcase and document some conflict sensitive investments opportunities which have value addition effect to peace and stability of the region.

Deliverables
The key outputs of the consultancy will include:
1. An Inception report describing the interpretation and understanding of terms of reference, draft methodology, geographic scope, work plan and consultancy tools submitted to International Alert for review and comments;
2. A Final version of the detailed intervention methodology, the framework for the development of the guide, the work plan (chronogram) and the various tools for collecting information, data, processing and analysis;
3. A proposal of the summary plan of the content of the Guidebook for validation by International Alert;
4. A summary of the documentary and bibliographical review on conflict-sensitive investment in the Great Lakes Region;
5. The databases, results of interviews and diagnoses with key stakeholders and informants
6. A draft version (in English and French) of the Conflict-Sensitive Investment Guide developed on the basis of the information collected and processed;
7. An online presentation of the provisional results of the analysis to the technical unit for the purpose of receiving feedback
8. A final version of the Guide in French and English integrating the comments and comments of International Alert.
9. A final consultancy report of no more than 7 pages
Specify the dates of the expected deliverables

Eligible Consultant(S)
This consultancy is open to reputable international and/or local consultant(s) from Great Lakes Region Member States that have sufficient understanding and experience to undertake this assignment.

Qualifications and skills of the Consultant(s):
1. A minimum of a Master’s degree in studies related to Peace Building, Regional Integration, Regional Cooperation, Socioeconomic studies, social sciences or any other relevant studies;
2. A minimum of 10 years’ experience in the areas of regional economic integration, cross border trade, cross border investments or peace building development analyses;
3. Demonstrated knowledge of the nexus between investments, regional economic integration, local business communities and peace building;
4. Demonstrated thorough knowledge and understanding of the Great Lakes Region and the EAC integration agenda, with a focus on investments, regional cooperation and socioeconomic development;
5. Proven experience and skills in conducting field works and quantitative/qualitative analysis;
6. Proven experience in formulating guidebook, policy briefs or advocacy frameworks;
7. Strong interpersonal and communications skills;
8. Strong computer skills especially in Microsoft packages and applications;

Language Requirements
• Proficiency in English and French languages;
• Proficiency or knowledge of any other main language(s) used in the Great Lakes region would be an added advantage.

Submission Procedure
Interested consultant(s) may submit their offer for consultancy services by writing to Rwanda@intenational-alert.org and drc.office@international-alert.org before May 10th and provide:
• A Curriculum Vitae indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills, etc.);
• A brief description of the methodology to be applied to conduct the assignment and formulate the Conflict Sensitive Investment Guidebook;
• If applicable, provide alike Guidebook(s) elaborated in the past;
• A brief description of the financial remuneration package offers with a breakdown pertaining to each deliverable of the assignment.