Analysis of Social and Gender Constraints to Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth in the Solomon Islands & East Asia and the Pacific

Amendment P00001 The purpose of modification P00001 is to change the solicitation close date from 22 May 2019 to 03 June 2019. Background The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government corporation whose mission is to support economic growth and poverty reduction. It provides large-scale grant assistance in the form of 5-year Compacts, or agreements, that fund large-scale development projects in carefully selected countries that demonstrate a commitment to good governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. MCC Compacts are implemented by host governments through legal entities that they establish (typically referred to as Millennium Challenge Accounts or MCAs). For more information on the MCC, please visit www.mcc.gov. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) recently completed its country selection process for 2019. Solomon Islands was selected as eligible by the MCC board to develop a Threshold program in December 2018, and is currently in the preliminary analysis phase of threshold development. MCC's threshold program assists promising candidate countries to become compact eligible by offering them the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their people. By advancing policy reforms and strengthening institutions to address the most binding constraints to economic growth, threshold programs complement the "MCC Effect" created by the scorecard and allow MCC to assess the opportunity for an impactful and cost-effective partnership before committing to a larger compact. Description of GSI Objectives and Activities Within MCC, the process of producing a constraints analysis is a collaboration between economists in our Economic Analysis (EA) unit, members of the Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) team, and others. GSI's role in this process is enabled by MCC's recognition that gender and other social inequalities can constrain economic growth, and are implicated in many of the developmental challenges our partner countries face. MCC's gender policy and operational guidance enable GSI to advance equity considerations at each stage of Compact or Threshold development and implementation, including the CA phase. During the CA, GSI conducts an assessment of how laws, policies and norms shape access to different assets (financial, physical, natural, social, political and human capitals), and how this constrains economic opportunities. This analysis lays the groundwork for designing programs that can overcome these barriers and contributes to the identification of the binding constraints to growth and poverty reduction, with findings integrated into the Constraints Analysis document. Following the CA, a - deep dive' into the selected binding constraints is performed by the entire country team, thus informing problem analysis, sector selection, and project concept notes and papers. This deeper look at the underlying causes of the identified constraints is called the "root cause analysis" (RCA) phase. For more on RCA, see . The RCA is followed by a key stage in this process through which the core teams within MCC partner countries to MCC submit project concept notes around which more sector and project-specific analytic engagement is organized. GSI's success in promoting equity during the CA and other phases of Compact or Threshold development rests on its ability to make an empirically informed and theoretically sound case about one or more of the following: - That a particular gender or social inequality is itself a binding constraint to economic growth; - That a particular gender or social inequality is a component of an identified binding constraint to growth; - That a particular gender or social inequality is a root cause of identified binding constraints to growth; - That there are economically meaningful gender and social equity implications to the choice of a particular binding constraint, including differential ability to benefit from MCC interventions or opportunities to invest in sectors with high potential for employment generation or with comparatively high labor market opportunities for women and other marginal or vulnerable groups. - That broader features of the political economy of the country will a) pose a substantial barrier or opportunity to shifting identified constraints or b) generate equity challenges in implementation, e.g. via the exclusion of particular regions or ethnic groups from the benefits of MCC investments. - That particular identified constraints have stronger equity implications than others, e.g. via employment creation or opportunities for small entrepreneurs, especially for poor women and promotion of women's economic empowerment (WEE). In collaboration with its EA colleagues, GSI is currently developing new approaches to build a case for gender equality, WEE, social inclusion within the boundaries of the CA and other analytic processes which will be tested and refined in newly selected countries including the Solomon Islands. Additionally, MCC has been working to improve its use of geospatial data and analysis to gain quicker and deeper insights during the CA phase and throughout the threshold cycle. This work will be used to assess the environmental sustainability of potential investment in priority sectors, economic growth opportunities as well as poverty and social inclusion issues, in close collaboration between GSI and EA. Period and Place of Performance This consultancy may be filled as a short-term consultancy for four years. The contract may end sooner if the projects are completed before the 48-month term or if the funds have been fully expended. The estimated level of effort is approximately 1500 hours per year. MCC anticipates this level of effort but does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease. The consultant will work from her or his home office, MCC headquarters, MCC eligible countries, and/or as otherwise agreed with MCC. The primary place of performance will be in Solomon Islands. Mandatory Qualifications: I.1.a. MA in a social science field with a strong methodological training component, e.g. Political Science, Anthropology, Human Geography, Sociology, Economics, or Public Administration I.1.b. A minimum 8 years of experience conducting social science research to inform policy and programmatic decisions, with a solid track record of preparing and producing analytical work on social and gender inequalities to inform policy and project planning or program design I.1.c. Demonstrated experience making a case for "pro-poor" and/or gender-sensitive investments I.1.d. Prior work experience in the region required, with preference for prior work experience in the Solomon Islands I.1.e. Prior work conducting stakeholder consultation and qualitative interviews in international settings, and comfort and experience conducting outreach and building relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders including technical and construction experts, government officials, NGOs, and community organizations I.1.f. Demonstrated excellence in writing reports in English. Fluency in English (written and spoken) I.1.g. Exhibit responsible and flexible attitude and capable of managing a variety of tasks with minimal supervision. Quote Submission Interested individuals must submit the following in English language: a.Technical: (1) Cover letter that addresses all technical criteria as listed in this solicitation, and (2) Curriculum Vitae in chronological order starting with the most recent position (10 pages maximum; must clearly demonstrate the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to the Qualification/Evaluation elements listed above), Microsoft Word format. b.Past Performance: Three to five professional references with contact phone and email information, Microsoft Word format. c.Price: Complete the attached Bio-Data form [see attached] to include the applicant's proposed rate and salary history. Do not combine your submission into a single document. Documents (a), (b), and (c), listed above must be submitted as separate documents. See attached documents, (a) Addendum to FAR clause 52.212-4 Alt. I, (b) MCC Bio-Data Form, (c) Statement of Work, (d) Request for Quotations, and (e) Appendix A.