Bangladesh: Seeking for The Business Case for Women’s Economic Empowerment in the RMG Sector.

Cashing In: The Business Case for Women’s Economic Empowerment in the RMG Sector

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Girls’ Advocacy Alliance Asia

Asia Regional Office

1.Background and Introduction

Founded over 80 years ago, Plan International is one of the oldest and largest development organizations working to promote children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan International plays an important role in ensuring vulnerable and marginalized children and young people, especially girls and young women, realize their full potential in societies that respect people’s rights and dignities.

Plan International’s Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA) program aims to contribute to building a society where young women are free from gender-based violence and economic exclusion. In Asia, GAA encompasses activities conducted by Plan International Bangladesh, India, Philippines, Nepal, and Asia Regional Office. Through GAA, Plan International Asia and Plan International Bangladesh aim to advocate with the private sector for policy and practice changes along the garment supply chain that invest on the economic empowerment of young women workers.

A business case research is currently being conducted in Bangladesh. Plan International intends to use this business case as an advocacy tool with RMG actors, especially members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), and global brands involved in the supply chain.

There are two parts to the research: 1) situational analysis, which identifies champion factories and “best practices” in promoting equitable workplaces and investments on women workers; and 2) a cost benefit analysis which measures savings accrued from reduced absenteeism and staff turnover as a result of these investments. Activities for the first part is on-going, and is conducted by Change Associates through a contract with Plan International Bangladesh.

Plan International Asia and Plan International Bangladesh are jointly are seeking the services of a qualified consultant or consulting firm to conduct the second part – the cost benefit analysis– looking specifically at the four (4) companies that have already been pre-identified and the investments that they have made, in addition to completing the research process with Change Associates.

2.About the Research

Cashing In: The Business Case aims to support Plan International’s engagement with the private sector by providing quality data and quantitative analysis to the benefits of investing on women workers in the RMG sector. While literature exist about the various means that women have been invested on, case studies do not include the factories which Plan International seeks to work with. Furthermore, existing literature limitedly discusses the benefits to companies in terms of actual savings or increased profit, which this business case hopes to provide as well.

3.Research Objectives and Questions

The broader objective of this research is to develop a regional and national business case for investing on the economic empowerment of young women (18-24 years old) in the Bangladesh RMG sector. The business case will provide evidence and analysis of good corporate practices in the topic, along with associated costs, benefits and impact to business and workers.

The specific objectives of this research are:

· To conduct a situational analysis of adult women workers (18 and above ) in the RMG sector;

· To identify private sector champions in the RMG sector and good practices of equitable working environment and investing in women workforce empowerment;

· To understand the benefits through a cost benefit analysis of the investments by champions, and; and

· To identify effective advocacy and influencing approaches to convince RMG owners to adopt the best practices.

3.1.Relevant Research Questions**

As this contract focuses on the cost benefit analysis component of the business case, only the following research questions are relevant for candidates[1]:

· How are employers empowering women workers, and particularly young women, in their workforce? How have these impacted women workers?

o Of the identified ‘empowering’ practices, if any, which could be replicated or moved to scale?

o What made these practices successful in empowering women?

· What has incentivized employers into investing on their women workers?

· What have been the costs and benefits of these good practices to businesses themselves?

· What are the recommendations for effectively and efficiently empowering women workers in these industries?

· What is Plan International’s value proposition in engaging private sector in these industries? How can Plan effectively influence businesses?

4.Methods and Stakeholders

4.1.Locations and Stakeholders**

Since the four target stakeholders have already been identified, the consultant/consulting firm will conduct the research where these factories are located in Bangladesh. The researcher(s) is expected to coordinate closely with Plan International Bangladesh and Change Associates to facilitate logistics and introduction to the stakeholders, among others.

4.2.Methodology**

Primary quantitative and qualitative data collection will be needed to develop a cost-benefit analysis for the RMG sector in Bangladesh, which will measure savings accrued from reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, two of often-cited and major challenges in factories to date. Data collection may be conducted through key informant interviews and focus group discussions; however, the consultant is expected to select and finalize the appropriate methodology during the inception phase. A proposed list of informants and corresponding data collection methods is provided in Table 1. Other research questions may be elaborated on through qualitative data collected from questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions.

Cost Benefit Analysis

The cost benefit analysis is a crucial component of the Bangladesh RMG sector case study, which this research will feature to support Plan International’s GAA advocacy with partnered RMG factories. The CBA will specifically look at the savings that factories have gained due to a reduction in absenteeism and staff turnover, which resulted from increased investments on women workers.

In computing absenteeism, Plan International recommends to use the formula which the IFC have developed in their own study. The researcher is expected to refine or use a more appropriate formula, if necessary.

The researchers will need to collect primary data on the following:

· Average # of absences per day before and after the intervention or investment

· Cost of productivity per worker per day

· Cost of other worker-related costs (e.g. transportation, meals, paid leave, etc.).

In computing staff turnover, the formula below is recommended:

The researchers will need to collect primary data on the following:

· # of voluntary departures from the organization, by sex and age per year, before and after the intervention

· Full cost of replacing a worker.

4.3.Reference Group**

A reference group from Plan International, comprised of the individuals identified below, will provide technical guidance in the course of the research:

1. Deliverables.

5.1.Users and Audience of the Research**

The research will be primarily used to support the Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA) activities in the RMG sector. Thus, primary users will include Plan International staff directly involved in the implementation of the GAA program in Asia, Bangladesh, Netherlands, and GAA alliance members. A secondary audience will include other Plan staff who engage private sector actors to promote decent work and women’s economic empowerment; academia, NGOs, business sector associations and institutions interested in promoting decent work along the supply chain.

5.2.Deliverables**

· Draft and final inception report with agreed approach, methods and work plan

· Draft research report

· Validation workshop with Plan International staff and other relevant actors

· Final, print-ready research report, no more than 30 pages, which include:

o Background and objectives

o Detailed research methodology

o Literature review of available knowledge

o Detailed findings on the cost benefit analysis and other responses to the research questions

o Summary report (no more than 3 pages)

· Communication packet, including a summarized PPT version of the research, short video-clips of employer and employee statements

· Presentation of key results, including research methodology

5.3.Timeline of Deliverables**

The total duration of the assignment is maximum 180 days after signing the agreement.

Deliverables /Deadline

Draft inception report and inception workshop / 30 November 2018

Final inception report / 7 December 2018

Draft research report / 15 January 2019

Validation workshop / 22 January 2019

Final research report / 31 January 2019

Communication packet / 7 February 2019

Presentation of key results / 8 February 2019

5.4.Mode of Payment**

The payment will be made with the following terms:

· 10% upon signing the agreement

· 20% upon submission and approval of the final inception report

· 30% upon submission and approval of the draft report

· 40% upon submission and approval of the final report and communication materials

6.Expected Competencies of Candidates

Qualified candidates are expected to have the competencies below:

· Expertise in conducting quantitative research, specifically a cost benefit analysis, on women’s empowerment and Bangladesh RMG sector or similar sectors;

· Experience and knowledge in the Bangladesh RMG sector, including relevant labor laws, ILO conventions, gender policies among others;

· Experience and knowledge on women economic empowerment and the barrier of women’s carrier progression at RMG; and

· No history of violation of child rights.

6.1.Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

Candidates will be evaluated using the criteria below.

CriteriaScore

Knowledge and experience in conducting cost benefit analysis and other quantitative research methodologies : 30

Knowledge and familiarity with women’s empowerment issues in the RMG sector management in Bangladesh (and similar) : 30

Knowledge and experience in working with the RMG sector on women’s economic empowerment, and similar issues : 30

Amount of budget and justification : 10

7.Preparation of Application

The proposal should not exceed 10 pages, and should contain the following:

· CV of the candidate (and other team members, when relevant)

· Competency statement describing experience in the issue and research methods

· Evidence of similar research reports/business cases

· Proposed work plan to support/improve methodology of study

· Financial proposal

· Copy of valid TIN certificate and bank account detail.

The budget should not contain income tax/VAT as a separate head; it can be blended with the other costs as it will be deducted from the source. Plan International will deduct VAT and Tax at source. The consultant is expected to provide justified budget which is consistent with technical proposal.

The technical and financial proposals should be submitted electronically to the email address: yes@plan-international.org. Submissions after the deadline, 16^th November 2018, will be treated as disqualified. The application should be submitted in pdf format.