Tenders are invited for Conduct of a Participatory Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (PVCA) Closing Date: 7 Jul 2025 Type: Consultancy Created in 1979, Action Against Hunger is structured as an international network that helps the most vulnerable populations to help them prevent, detect and treat malnutrition. Its mandate is to save lives by fighting hunger and diseases that threaten the lives of vulnerable children, women and men. To achieve this, ACF focuses its interventions on an integrated approach aimed at addressing all aspects of undernutrition, namely: Nutrition and Health, Food Security and Livelihoods, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Mental Health, Care Practices, Gender and Protection, Plea Risk and disaster management, Research. The overall objective of Action Against Hunger in Risk and Disaster Management is to reduce the vulnerability of populations exposed to hazards (whether natural or man-made) and to strengthen their resilience. This is broken down into: Anticipation and Prevention: Identify hazards and analyze risks in order to implement appropriate preventive measures that limit the impact of shocks on nutrition security and livelihoods. Preparedness: Strengthen the capacity of local communities and partners to effectively prepare for and respond quickly to emergencies, including awareness-raising and local planning. Intervention and Response: Ensure a coordinated and rapid response to mitigate the immediate consequences of shocks on vulnerable populations. Recovery Future Risk Reduction: Supporting communities in their post-crisis recovery and integrating risk reduction strategies to prevent future vulnerabilities. The CVPA in BCA Programs The EPVC is an investigative method that uses a large number of qualitative participatory tools to engage communities in determining their own diagnosis of risk of shocks and vulnerability and capacities. It combines local knowledge, through the collection of primary data (local experience, feelings, indigenous and local knowledge) with secondary information (scientific, political, practical, etc.) to improve the understanding of the context in which ACF wants to intervene. It includes a very thorough analysis of the following: The likelihood and severity of an ongoing shock or stress, such as conflict, abnormal weather conditions, crop failures, etc., and their impacts on the population and their property. Changes in external factors (transformative factors, structures and processes, or context of vulnerability), those that are likely to influence the context, such as fluctuations in food prices in the market. The coping mechanisms or strategies that households and communities are likely to adopt in the face of a crisis, as well as their effectiveness and sustainability. To develop effective and sustainable projects aimed at reducing the risk of shocks, their impact and improving the resilience of populations in the framework of this ECHO-funded project, it is imperative to have an in-depth knowledge of local dynamics. This can only be achieved through participatory studies that can be used to base community actions on the basis of these analyses. The involvement and strengthening of the skills of local partners (national NGOs, technical services, civil society organizations, etc.) and especially of the beneficiary communities is at the heart of each of the interventions. ACF recognizes that the link between Risk and Disaster Management (DRM) and the development process contributes to the overall improvement of the quality of life and environment of a target population. ACFs interventions aim to combine acute and structural humanitarian needs, and vulnerability reduction aims to restore household and community capacities and livelihoods after a shock based on existing traditional practices. On the other hand, resilience building aims to improve the status of the community after a disaster by strengthening existing virtuous practices, encouraging the change of traditional practices when necessary and introducing new activities where relevant. Communities are less impacted and able to recover from each shock while developing new methods to maintain a balance depending on the nature of the disasters. The general objective of this consultancy is to solicit competitive bids in order to select a consultant or consulting firm to carry out a participatory study of vulnerability and capacities in the Nana-Mambéré prefecture in the Central African Republic. This consultancy will also identify and understand the natural and human hazards to which communities in the project intervention area are exposed, and analyse the resources, endogenous capacities and strategies available to communities to address or mitigate these risks. More specifically, this consultancy will make it possible to: Strengthen the capacities of local actors (state technical services, local elected officials, community leaders and national NGOs) in Bouar and Bossangoa, by training them on the methodology of analyzing risks and vulnerabilities related to shocks, and by equipping them to develop a plan for preparing for and responding to shocks; To support the communities of the communes of Bouar, Baboua and Baoro, in the prefecture of Nana-Mambéré, for the in-depth understanding of their environment through the identification and analysis of the natural and human risks to which they are exposed; Assess vulnerabilities by examining the socio-economic, environmental and institutional determinants that reinforce the fragility of local communities; Identify adaptive capacities by identifying and analysing all available resources, local practices and mechanisms mobilized by communities to mitigate the effects of shocks; Develop community disaster preparedness and management plans for the projects targeted communes: Nana-Mambéré Prefecture (Bouar, Baoro, and Baboua communes), and Ouham Prefecture (Bossangoa centre, Ndoro Mboli, Soumbe, Koro Mpoko, Ouham-Bac and Nana-Bakassa centre). Support communities and local prefectural and communal officials (leaders) (technical services, administrative authorities) to agree on the measures to be taken to cope with or reduce the effects of shocks. The complete tender documents can be requested at the following addresses: llapotre@actioncontrelafaim.org; ceciliablaustein@actioncontrelafaim.org; logco@cf-actioncontrelafaim.org; fsco@cf-actioncontrelafaim.org How to apply The tender documents must consist of a detailed technical and financial offer. The technical offer will briefly present: Understanding the terms of reference according to the consultant; The methodologies and approaches proposed with regard to the objectives; A work plan including a provisional timetable; A brief presentation of the consultant and his/her collaborators, if applicable, with his/her professional experience (CV attached). The financial offer will include: Details of the costs of the consultants fees in relation to the different phases of the engagement; Details of the costs of per diems for consultants and travel costs; The various costs of producing working papers and reports as well as communication needs; The tenders will be sent electronically no later than Monday 07/07/2025 with the ref: CF_BGI_CONSULT_001_AV1_SAME simultaneously with the email addresses cited for the withdrawal of the Tender Documents. [Disclaimer: The above text is machine translated. For accurate information kindly refer the original document.] Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4160647/appel-candidature-pour-la-realisation-dune-etude-participative-de-la-vulnerabilite-et-des-capacites-epvc
