Who is the Danish Refugee Council?
Founded in 1956, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading international NGO and one of the few with a specific expertise in forced displacement. Active in 40 countries with 9,000 employees and supported by 7,500 volunteers, DRC protects, advocates, and builds sustainable futures for refugees and other displacement affected people and communities. DRC works during displacement at all stages: In the acute crisis, in displacement, when settling and integrating in a new place, or upon return. DRC 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.
The Asia Displacement Solutions Platform is a joint initiative of the Danish Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, which aims to contribute to the development of solutions for populations affected by displacement in the region. Drawing upon its members’ operational presence throughout Asia, ADSP engages in evidence-based advocacy initiatives to support improved outcomes for displacement-affected communities. The ADSP works to support solutions to displacement by conducting research to support evidenced-based policy interventions, building partners’ capacity to engage, and strengthening coordination for improved outcomes.
As one of the project partners in the Protecting Refugees in Asia (PRiA) project, ADSP works to ensure that targeted duty bearers (national governments, ASEAN, UN bodies, and global actors) and other stakeholders are better informed about displacement in the region, and more engaged in the development of national and regional solutions to protection challenges.
Purpose of the consultancy
The Asia Displacement Solutions Platform seeks proposals from a consultant to support the development of a briefing note on strengthening regional and country-specific preparedness plans from a whole-of-society perspective in response to conceivable increased outflows of refugees from Myanmar. The consultancy will culminate in the production of a concise, cogent, and targeted briefing note that will provide strategic and relevant recommendations for governments and humanitarian stakeholders.
Background
Since October 2023, a surge in the conflict in Myanmar has led to significant increases in displacement both within the country and across the border, leading to a rise in irregular maritime and overland movement of refugees and asylum seekers into regional host countries. This has been exacerbated by the enactment in February 2024 of the compulsory conscription law, the indiscriminate targeting of civilians by parties to the conflict, and the deterioration of conditions in Rakhine State which has led to the displacement of thousands of Rohingya.
As of 31 December 2024, an estimated 142,800 refugees are reported by UNHCR to have sought safety in neighbouring countries since February 2021 (approximately 73,400 in India, 52,100 in Thailand, 13,400 in Malaysia, and 3,900 in Indonesia), although these estimates are likely to be significantly underreported (particularly in Malaysia) due to backlogs and delays in registration processes.
Asylum seekers in Malaysia are already compelled to wait multiple years before their refugee status applications are processed, and an increase in new arrivals will exacerbate registration challenges. In addition, increased outflows of refugees from Myanmar are likely to place added stress on stakeholder capacity in Malaysia and Thailand to support the provision of essential services, dignified reception conditions, and longer-term hosting arrangements. This stress is expected to be compounded by recent changes in US policy, which will likely result in reduced resources available for civil society and humanitarian actors in Malaysia and Thailand to support new arrivals from Myanmar.
In preparation for conceivable continued increased outflows and onward movements, UN agencies and civil society partners have been engaging in regional contingency planning in the second half of 2024 to support preparedness efforts in countries of asylum, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Preparedness efforts now need to factor in increased resource constraints. This briefing note will build on these preparedness efforts by adopting a ‘whole of society’ approach and a ‘solutions from the start’ perspective.
The ‘whole of society approach’ emphasizes collaboration, coordination, and the engagement of all relevant stakeholders, harnessing their comparative advantage and complementarity to achieve intended collective outcomes. In the context of increased outflows from Myanmar, this would entail analysing planning from UN actors, governmental institutions, international/national non-governmental organizations, refugee-led organisations, religious institutions, and the private sector in the design and implementation of coherent policy and service delivery responses for new arrivals.
‘Solutions from the start’ is a perspective that emphasises ensuring that long-term prospects for inclusion and resilience are incorporated into the initial planning by response actors. In the context of increased outflows from Myanmar and more constrained resources, this would entail consideration for how longer-term hosting arrangements for new arrivals can be supported to increase their capacity to build self-reliance, access work, health, and education rights, and eventually access durable solutions.
The displacement scenarios examined in this briefing note will consider a potential increase in the rate of new arrivals from Myanmar in Thailand and Malaysia in 2025 as well as the continued incremental outflow of new arrivals that has been ongoing since 2021. While these displacement scenarios have implications for policy and service delivery responses across many sectors, to the extent possible, this briefing note will specifically focus on how response actors can support new arrivals receive registration and documentation, and access health, shelter, and livelihoods. These areas of focus have been selected to ensure that the briefing note can provide targeted programmatic and policy relevant recommendations and would build on previous advocacy initiatives undertaken by ADSP and its advocacy partners.
Objective of the consultancy
This consultancy will support the development of a briefing note on strengthening regional and country-specific preparedness plans from a whole-of-society perspective in response to increased outflows of refugees from Myanmar.
The briefing note will support ADSP’s evidence-based advocacy efforts on the development of national and regional solutions to the challenges of increased outflows of refugees from Myanmar. This will primarily seek to inform and influence policymakers in Thailand, Malaysia, and at regional level, while recommendations developed will be addressed to all relevant stakeholders involved in a ‘whole of society’ approach. The briefing note will be shared with ADSP’s advocacy partners to facilitate informed and impactful future advocacy initiatives. The briefing note will feature into events joined and/or organized by ADSP at national or regional level and serve as a reference point for other advocacy initiatives. Beyond advocacy, the briefing note should also inform programming.
This briefing note will aim to:
- Provide a mapping of existing support programs provided by governments and humanitarian stakeholders in Thailand and Malaysia, to refugees from Myanmar. This will also entail highlighting existing gaps and challenges for existing support programs, with a specific focus on registration, documentation, as well as access to health, shelter, and livelihoods.
- Map and analyse existing preparedness measures that have been developed by governments, civil society, and refugee-led organizations in Thailand and Malaysia in response to expected outflows of refugees from Myanmar (e.g. preparedness plans based on specific scenarios, resource mobilization, prioritization exercises, forecasting, advocacy to lift regulatory barriers, etc.).
- Provide programmatic and policy relevant recommendations aiming to unlock the impact and efficiency of support programs, within preparedness plans. The recommendations will be of interest to governments and humanitarian stakeholders in their efforts to ensure that new arrivals from Myanmar in Malaysia and Thailand are able to predictably and sustainably access rights and basic services in host countries. This is anticipated to cover issues related to registration, documentation as well as access to education, health, shelter, and livelihoods.
Research questions
- What existing support programs are provided by stakeholders in Malaysia and Thailand that can provide new arrivals from Myanmar with the essential services they need?
- From a ‘solutions from the start’ perspective and as part of a ‘whole of society approach,’ what policy and service delivery responses should be made to prepare for different displacement scenarios of increased outflows of refugees from Myanmar?
- What programmatic support and policy changes are needed to better support new arrivals from Myanmar to predictably and sustainably access rights and basic services in Malaysia and Thailand?
Scope of work and Methodology
The consultant will work closely with the ADSP Regional Advocacy Specialist to support with the development, research, and writing of this briefing note.
The consultancy will be conducted between late April and June 2025. The estimated duration of this assignment is 20 working days.
In collaboration with the ADSP Regional Advocacy Specialist, the consultant is expected to:
- Conduct an extensive desk review of existing literature, policies, programs and other sources of information on preparedness and contingency measures currently in place in response to expected outflows of refugees from Myanmar.
- Conduct key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders to gain insights on the challenges and barriers faced by new arrivals from Myanmar in Thailand and Malaysia to predictable and sustainable access to rights and basic services in host countries.
- Identify best practices and learnings from other preparedness plans in other regional contexts which can be applied in the Southeast Asian context as part of a ‘solutions from the start’ approach.
- Identify policy solutions formulated as recommendations for government, donor, international agencies, NGO/Refugee led organizations, and other humanitarian stakeholders to strengthen preparedness measures for new arrivals from Myanmar in Malaysia and Thailand.
Dissemination of briefing note
The briefing note will be published on ADSP’s website and disseminated through private briefings and potentially a public virtual roundtable panel discussion event. The consultant will be responsible for supporting the ADSP Regional Advocacy Specialist to prepare a PowerPoint slide deck with key arguments and recommendations to targeted stakeholders to support the dissemination of the research findings.
Deliverables
Phase 1: Mapping and Desk Review
In Phase 1 the consultant will work with the ADSP Regional Advocacy Specialist to undertake a desk review and consult with key stakeholders in Thailand, Malaysia, and at regional level. Following these consultations, the consultant will work with the ADSP Regional Advocacy Specialist to develop a first draft of the briefing note (approx. 6-8 pages)
Phase 2: Briefing Note Drafting
In Phase 2, after sharing the first draft with ADSP and PRiA partners for comments and inputs, the final draft of the briefing note (approx. 6-8 pages) and a presentation slide deck will be developed by the consultant with the support of the ADSP Regional Advocacy Specialist within two weeks after receiving the feedback. The briefing note is expected to be written in English, maintaining a high standard of quality in terms of language proficiency, grammar, and overall clarity. The consultant is responsible for ensuring that the final draft of the briefing note is fully copy-edited.
The Consultant will submit the deliverables as mentioned in the ToR.
The consultant will provide the documentation by email.
Duration, timeline, and payment
The total expected duration to complete the assignment will be no more than 20 working days.
The consultant shall be prepared to complete the assignment no later than 20 June 2025 (Final report release date). The Consultancy timeframe is late April – early June 2025.
The consultant is expected to provide a detailed projected breakdown of daily costs related to desk review and writing activities. The consultant will be expected to cover personal tax obligations.
The payment milestones are as follows:
1. Initial (30%) at the completion of the first draft of the briefing note;
2. Interim (20%) at the validation of the first draft of the briefing note;
3. Final (50%) at the submission of the final report (including slide deck).
Proposed Composition of Team
Lead Consultant
- Eligibility, qualification, and experience required
The ideal consultant should possess the following qualifications and experience:
- Advanced degree in Political Science, Human Rights, Development Studies, Law, Migration Studies, Refugee Studies or related Social Sciences.
- Demonstrable experience engaging issues of forced displacement in Asia and the Pacific region (experience in Thailand and Malaysia preferred);
- Sound understanding of policy frameworks relating to protection and durable solutions (national, regional, and international);
- Research and drafting experience on similar issues in the region.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills.
- Fluency in writing and speaking English.
Technical supervision
The assessment shall be completed in close cooperation with the Asia Displacement Solutions Platform. The primary contact points for the consultant will be Jerome Elie, Head of ADSP (jerome.elie@adsp.ngo) and Paul Vernon, ADSP Regional Advocacy Specialist (paul.vernon@adsp.ngo).
Location and support
This consultancy is home-based. The consultant will provide her/his own computer and mobile telephone.
Travel
No travel is anticipated for this consultancy.
Submission process
Bidders are requested to check Section IV. Submission of Bids of the RFP Invitation Letter for the details.
Evaluation of bids
ADSP has established evaluation criteria which govern the selection of offers received. Bidders are requested to check Section II. Selection And Award Criteria of the RFP Invitation Letter for the details.
How to Apply:
Complete tender documents can be found in this link:
Address for the submission of proposals:
Hard copies at: 2 # Titstian Tabidze Tbilisi, Georgia
Electronic copies at rfq.aero@drc.ngo
Important Note: All consultants shall be tax registered as a legal entity in the relevant country. The tax registration can be as a company, Public Limited Company (PLC), or any other incorporation that defines the contracted consultant as a legal entity responsible for paying taxes on the payment they receive for the contracted services and not as an individual person
