Consultancy to Conduct a Baseline Study for Citizen-Led Local Inclusive Planning & Services (CLIPS)

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BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Citizen-Led Local Inclusive Planning and Services (CLIPS) is a governance project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Oxfam and a national CSO consortium from June 2026 to August 2028. The project aims to strengthen good governance and democracy by enhancing transparency, democratic accountability, inclusive public participation, and oversight in public financial management through collective advocacy by civil society organizations and active citizen engagement.

The project builds on existing governance, decentralization, and social accountability reforms in Cambodia, including local public financial management, fiscal decentralization, participatory planning processes, and civic engagement mechanisms. CLIPS places particular emphasis on fiscal transparency, participatory budgeting, digital civic engagement, citizen-led monitoring, and accountability of public resource allocation and service delivery.

The project operates in six provinces including (1) Kampong Thom; (2) Phnom Penh; (3) Pursat; (4) Ratanakiri; (5) Mondulkiri; and (6) Kampong Chhnang province. It is covering 60 communes across 14 districts and benefiting citizens, women, youth, indigenous people, persons with disabilities, civil society organizations, schools, local authorities, and other governance stakeholders.

To establish a robust evidence base for project implementation, monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL), CLIPS seeks to recruit a qualified consultant or consulting firm to conduct a Baseline Study focusing on Situational Assessment and Indicator Values.

PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT

The purpose of this contract is to engage a qualified consultant or research team to design and conduct a comprehensive baseline study (situational assessment and indicator baseline study) for the SDC funded Citizen-Led Local Inclusive Planning & Services (CLIPS) project in Cambodia. The overall purpose of this consultancy is to:

• Assess the current governance, fiscal decentralization, civic engagement, and public financial management context within the project target areas.
• Establish baseline values for all project indicators, where applicable.
• Identify opportunities, challenges, barriers, and enabling factors affecting citizen participation in local planning, budgeting, fiscal oversight, and service delivery.
• Generate evidence-based recommendations to inform project implementation, target setting, adaptive management, and learning.

The baseline study will serve as a foundational reference point for measuring progress and impact throughout the project lifecycle. It will establish benchmark values for key indicators, identify systemic barriers and opportunities for citizen and civil society participation, and inform the refinement of the project’s implementation strategy and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) framework.

The findings will guide strategic decision-making, ensure accountability to stakeholders, and support adaptive management of the CLIPS initiative.

DELIVERABLES

The consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

• Inception report including methodology, research tools, data analysis plan/roadmap that indicate how your proposed questions in research tools can response to the objectives of the study including the aim of identify study objectives/indicator value, workplan, and quality assurance plan
• Pre-fieldwork training to enumerators, pilot the research instruments and create the fieldwork plan and submit to the Oxfam team: training materials developed, and comprehensive training conducted for the enumerators and pilot the research instruments and submit the detailed fieldwork plan.
• Fieldwork completion report submission
• 1st draft Baseline Report with preliminary findings and data analysis, annex Indicator Measurement Matrix and a clean dataset
• Presentation of findings to stakeholders in the Validation Workshop
• Final Baseline Report (situational assessment and indicator baseline study) incorporating feedback and recommendations, including the annexe of indicator value
• Updated CLIPS project Performance Monitoring Plan that provided information on the improved indicator definition, where necessary, research methodology, research tool, indicator calculation formular and analysis method, improved mean of verification, where needed, for each indicator. Then, annex it in the baseline report under the title of “The Project Indicator Measurement Matrix”
• Data Ownership and Access - all data collected and generated under this assignment, including raw datasets, interview transcripts, field notes, codebooks, data analysis files, and other supporting materials, shall be the property of Oxfam. The consultant shall submit the complete dataset in an editable format (Excel) together with the final report and make all data available to Oxfam upon request for quality assurance, verification, analysis, learning, and future programmatic use.
• Presentation in a dissemination workshop

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Remuneration is based on submission of final deliverables according to the schedule. No payment will be made in advance.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Clarifications

Any questions, remarks or requests for clarification can be sent to CLV.HR@oxfam.org at least 5 days before the submission deadline in writing. The (anonymised) questions will be answered to all applicants.

Administrative compliance (list of documents to be submitted) is as listed below.

Responses must be submitted and prepared in English and received by the deadline.

To be shortlisted for evaluation against award criteria, the following documents must be included in the application:

OTHER CONDITIONS

Issuance of these Terms of Reference does not constitute an award commitment on the part of Oxfam, nor does it commit Oxfam to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a bid.

Oxfam may contact bidders to confirm contacts, addresses, bid amount and to confirm that the bid was submitted for this solicitation.

Quotation validity

• If the bidder is awarded the contract, all information provided in the quotation and negotiation process is contractually binding.

False statements

Bidders must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and Annexes. False statements in bids constitute grounds for immediate termination of any agreement with the supplier. OXFAM takes fraud, misstatements, falsification, manipulation, alteration of facts and/or documents very seriously, has a zero-tolerance policy to such behaviours, and may choose to take legal action in a case of misrepresented disclosures by Contractors.

Conflict of interest

Bidders must provide disclosure of any past, present or future relationships with any parties associated with the issuance, review or management of this solicitation and anticipated award.  Failure to provide full and open disclosure may result in Oxfam having to re-evaluate the selection of a potential bidder.

Right to Select/ Reject

Oxfam reserves the right to select and negotiate with those firms it determines, in its sole discretion, to be qualified for competitive proposals and to terminate negotiations without incurring any liability. Oxfam also reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received without explanation.

Reserved rights

All applications and quotes become the property of Oxfam, and Oxfam reserves the right in its sole discretion to:

• To disqualify any offer based on applicant’s failure to follow solicitation instructions
• To waive any deviations by the applicant from the requirements of this terms of reference that, in Oxfam’s opinion, are considered immaterial defects requiring rejection or disqualification; or where such a waiver will promote increased competition
• Extend the time for submission of responses after notification to all applicants
• Terminate or modify the process at any time and re-issue the request for quotation to whomever Oxfam deems appropriate
• Issue an award based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion
• Award only part of the activities in the solicitation or issue multiple awards based on solicitation activities

CODE OF CONDUCT

Oxfam is committed to integrity in its operations and supply chains and ensuring high ethical standards. Complying with all laws and regulations and ensuring fair competition are fundamental to this commitment. We actively promote these principles and standards, and expect all Oxfam suppliers to demonstrate commitment towards them.

All consultants/applicant are required to agree and adhere to the Oxfam Supplier Code of Conduct, whereas individuals (including consultants) must sign the Oxfam Non Staff Code of Conduct[1]. These Codes of Conduct set out the specific standards and principles in the areas of human and labour rights, environmental impact and anti-corruption that suppliers must follow.

REPORTING OF FRAUD & UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR

Oxfam’s reporting and whistleblowing mechanisms are available for Suppliers as well Oxfam employees, to ensure that Oxfam continues to operate under the highest ethical standards and principles.

You can use these reporting channels confidentially, anonymously, and in your own language to report any concerns involving fraud, corruption, waste, abuse or safeguarding concerns.

ANNEXES

The logical framework for the study is attached in the detailed ToR:

https://oxfam.box.com/s/qbnw2j0ume9ow6gkygcega1wu6ce141o