TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR) FOR CONSULTANCY EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF SOCIAL PROTECTION AND SERVICE DELIVERY IN ZAMBIA.

1.    Background
The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) is a civil society network that has been instrumental in amplifying the voices of the poor in Zambia’s development discourse since 2000. CSPR works to ensure effective civil society participation in the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of pro-poor development policies, including those addressing social protection.

Zambia recently launched the ambitious 2025 National Social Protection Policy (NSPP), which adopts a comprehensive lifecycle approach to social protection. The policy promises to significantly strengthen service delivery and inclusivity across all phases of life, from maternity to old age, aiming for a more equitable and resilient society. Despite these progressive objectives, significant challenges persist. These include limited programme coverage, persistent funding constraints, weak coordination among implementing agencies, and the continued exclusion of key vulnerable groups such as informal sector workers and persons with disabilities, which ultimately limits the policy’s transformative potential.

In response to the above and with support of the Joint Country Programme of the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)/Dan Church Aid (DCA), CSPR is implementing the Local Impact for Transformation (LIFT-Zambia) Project – a five-year, multi-sectoral initiative funded by NORAD and DANIDA. This project seeks to strengthen community resilience, promote human rights, advance environmental justice, and enhance accountable governance across Zambia.

As part of this intervention, CSPR seeks to commission a consultancy to assess the current state of social protection and service delivery in Zambia. The assignment will contribute to evidence generation for a high-level National Social Protection Dialogue to be held in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS), members of the social protection advocacy coalition of civil society, and other stakeholders and development partners in the social protection sector.

2.    Objective of the Assignment
The overarching objective is to assess the implementation of Zambia’s social protection policy framework, identify persistent gaps and bottlenecks, and generate evidence to inform ongoing national dialogue and advocacy for strengthened social protection outcomes and policy implementation support.

Specific Objectives

1.     Evaluate the current status of social protection in Zambia, including commitments to national legal and policy frameworks and benchmarking against regional and international best practices.

2.     Analyze the implementation of Joint Annual Review recommendations and assess the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery at national and sub-national levels, identifying gaps and barriers.

3.     Build an investment case for social protection programs and assess financing gaps outlined in the 8NDP, supporting sustainable financing mechanisms.

4.     Examine the implementation and monitoring framework of the 2025 National Social Protection Policy (NSPP), identifying operational gaps and assessing inclusivity for marginalized groups.

5.     Document CSO participation in the NSPP processes, develop actionable policy recommendations to address identified gaps, and present findings at the National Social Protection Dialogue

3.1 Scope of Work

1.     Conduct desk reviews of social protection policies, legislative frameworks, and program performances, including audits and annual reports, to assess implementation effectiveness and identify gaps.

2.      Examine annual budget allocations for social protection over the past four years, focusing on financing trends, gaps, and sustainability risks in current financing mechanisms.

3.     Facilitate interviews and focus groups with government agencies, CSOs, development partners, and beneficiaries to gather insights on policy implementation and service delivery experiences.

4.     Provide an understanding of the scope of context of social protection beneficiary targeting reference to case studies of Mansa, Monze and Mufumbwe districts.

5.     Evaluate the functionality of the Zambia Integrated Social Protection Information System (ZISPIS) and the “Single Window” approach in supporting efficient social protection delivery.

6.     Analyze existing legal and institutional frameworks governing social protection, identifying systemic weaknesses and policy gaps that hinder effective implementation

7.     Submit a research paper to CSPR and present findings of via PowerPoint to stakeholders at the National Social Protection Dialogue.

3.    Expected Deliverables and Timelines

Presentation for Dialogue

4.    Duration
The consultancy is expected to take 21 working days, commencing from the date of contract signing and concluding before the National Dialogue scheduled for Q4 2025.

5.    Minimum Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate or firm must meet the following qualifications and experience profile:

• A master’s degree or higher in Public Policy, Social Policy, Development Studies, Economics, or related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in social protection policy analysis, research, or programme design.
• Strong understanding of Zambia’s social protection frameworks and processes.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating policy dialogue and high-level engagements.
• Comprehensive understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Proven strong facilitation and communication skills with the ability to produce high-quality reports and policy briefs.
• Experience working with government and civil society.

6.    Bid Requirements and Application Process

To be eligible for consideration, interested individual consultants and firms for this assignment will need to meet the criteria below and submit the following documentation via email:

• A technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment, methodology, work plan, and budget.
• Curriculum Vitae(s) of the consultant(s).
• Three (3) traceable referees with contact details
• At least two samples of relevant previous work (e.g., policy assessments, evaluation reports).
• Financial proposal with a detailed budget breakdown.

Submissions should be emailed to: cspr@csprzambia.org and copy: alice.muntanga@csprzambia.org
Subject line: “Consultancy Application – State of Social Protection and Service Delivery”

7.    Deadline for Submission
The submission of proposals should be made between 25th July to 8th August 2025, before 23:59 CAT.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.