CFPs: Strengthening Resilience of Disaster-Affected Communities (Ethiopia)

Deadline: 31-Jan-2025

UN-Habitat’s Ethiopia Country Programme with the funding of SIDA and SDC is launching a call for proposals (CFP) to seek partnership in the project “Strengthening Resilience of Disaster-Affected Communities Through Durable Solutions in Oromia and Somali Regions of Ethiopia Project location: Ganda Buno site, Miesso town, Western Hararghe zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia”.

The Project requires the services of an Implementing Partner that can engage in fit-for-purpose Shelter and housing upgrade and repair of the existing CIS walled, attached-type shelter units that are currently occupied by IDPs in Meisso. The improvements to the housing units are expected to include but not limited to replacement of the existing corrugated Iron sheet (CIS) external and partition walls with wood-latticed walls coated with cured mud construction technique, strengthening the wooden structural members for structural integrity, reuse of dismantled CIS to extend veranda at the entrance and construction of energy saving cook stoves with mud. The task also includes construction of the whole superstructure for some units that were affected with powerful wind.

Objectives 

• The primary objective of this call is to engage a qualified implementing partner to upgrade the existing shelters at the Ganda Buno site in Miesso town, located in the western Hararghe zone of the Oromia region to fit-for-purpose durable housing, focussing on local building culture, and climate adaptation. The project aims to:
  • Enhance the Comfort, Quality and Longevity of Existing shelter:
    • Rebuild the superstructure of wind – damaged houses [4 blocks i.e 16 units], reusing existing masonry foundations and utilizing wood-latticed walls coated with cured mud construction technique for the walls.
    • Upgrade a minimum of 21(i.e 84 units) selected blocks by replacing the CIS walls with wood-latticed walls coated with cured mud while maintaining the existing roofs. Reusing the dismantled CIS to extend the roof to have verandas, to enhance the usability and comfort of living spaces.
  • Promote Community Engagement and Skills Development:
    • Work closely with the user community on basic shelter upgrade and maintenance skills
    • Engage local labor in the construction and upgrading process, fostering skills transfer, creating a sense of ownership and empowerment within the community.
  • Establish a Model for Future Shelter Upgrades:
    • Ensure close collaboration with UN Habitat office to align the upgrade process with UN Habitat approaches of facilitating community participation at all levels.
    • Prepare a final report on challenges encountered, community feedback and recommendations on the upgrading process and community engagement which can be a lesson-learned for global audience and similar future engagements in the region or beyond, ensuring a sustainable approach to adequate housing for displacement affected and vulnerable populations, contributing to SDG 11, target SDG 11.1 Safe adequate and affordable housing.
    • Actively participate in knowledge-sharing sessions organized by UN-Habitat and stakeholders to facilitate scaling up of successful shelter solutions. Activities will include creating briefs and presentations, as well as actively participating in knowledge management sessions with stakeholders involved in durable solutions
  • Support Sustainable Living and Climate Change Mitigation:
    • Using some of the removed CIS and mud construction technique, construct energy saving cook-stoves in the compounds of the selected households.

Requirements 

• UN Habitat requirements from the implementing partner are comprised of the following:
  • Project Planning and Mobilization
    • Develop and submit a comprehensive project implementation (inception) plan detailing:
      • Material sourcing, Construction upgrade methodologies and strategies to complete the project on time.
      • Timeline and milestones for each phase of construction.
      • Resource allocation, including labor, materials, and equipment.
      • Risk management plans to identify and mitigate potential project risks [from partner’s angle]
      • Procurement plan for sourcing locally available materialsPlans to conduct community engagement sessions, involve local stakeholders and beneficiaries in the project’s objectives, timelines, and expected outcomes.
  • Site Preparation and Setup
    • Engagement with the community, including with women, for participation in the project with varied levels of skill (newly trained or acquired in the past)
    • Provide on-the-job training to selected community members and local workers on construction techniques.
    • Make provision for temporary shelter for the households [using tarps and dismantled CIS] while their block is being upgraded.
    • Set up working perimeters, including construction of temporary storage for materials and tools at a location that does not disrupt the daily free movement of the community
  • Upgrading existing housing blocks built with CIS external and partition walls
    • The housing blocks require different levels of upgrading based on their current conditions.

For more information, visit UN-Habitat.