Production of a policy brief on debt and inequality: Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD)

Deadline: 11 May 2021 (4 pm)

The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development is seeking qualified research consultant(s) to produce a policy brief on Debt and Inequality Nexus.

About ZIMCODD

The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) is a socioeconomic justice coalition established in February 2000 to facilitate citizens` involvement in making pro – people public policy. ZIMCODD views indebtedness, the unfair global trade regime and lack of democratic people–centred economic governance as root causes of the socio – economic crises in Zimbabwe and the world at large.

Vision

Socio-economic justice in Zimbabwe anchored on a vibrant people-based movement.

Mission

To take action against the debt burden and socioeconomic injustices through movement building and alternative policy formulation.

Introduction

The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development seeks to produce a policy brief on Debt and Inequality in Zimbabwe. Given a background of limited scope and policy discourse on inequality beyond the Davos week of Action Against Inequality, the developed policy brief will be used to engage parliamentarians and government departments working on public debt to sustain the debt and inequality discourse. With Zimbabwe’s high and unsustainable debt burden, it is apparent to situate the debt and inequality nexus on the development trajectory of the country. Furthermore, knowledge generated will be used to build citizen agency on debt and inequality issues. The thrust of the policy brief is therefore, to do a critical analysis of the correlation between debt and inequality and to come up with recommendations to influence government policy towards addressing rising debt and inequality in Zimbabwe.

Context

Inequality has remained one of the major impediments to growth and development in Zimbabwe and the world at large. The World Bank noted that, approximately 735 million people globally are living in extreme poverty, while the 22 richest men in the world have more wealth than all the people living in Africa. Inequality is not only inimical and malevolent to the development of Zimbabwe, but to humanity at large. Zimbabwe suffers decades of economic decay, persistent and fiscal deficits and an unsustainable debt burden exacerbated by complex and complementary dynamics ranging from economies of affection, nepotism, partisan politics and rent-seeking among other factors. It is therefore clear that the origins of inequality in Zimbabwe cannot be divorced from the general macroeconomic challenges and the debt crisis in particular. The huge debt burden which has reached astronomic levels dates back to the early 2000s, in which the government of Zimbabwe failed to settle its debt obligations and has led to the accumulation of arrears with International Financial Institutions and other lending partners. This exerted pressure on the fiscus amidst rising demand for public services. Fiscal space in the Zimbabwean public sector began to shrink, public service delivery deteriorated tremendously leading to an increase in the structural and economic gaps coupled with dilapidation of public sector entities. This has had devastating implications on the poor and vulnerable groups who entirely rely on public services like health, education, water and sanitation, shelter and social safety nets. Most importantly, it should be noted that, where the government fails to cushion the poor and vulnerable groups, the gap between the poor and the rich widens. The impact of debt should never be underestimated and this underscores the need to provide a nuanced analysis of the nexus between public debt and inequality in the Zimbabwean context.

Aim

The aim of the policy brief is to determine the correlation between debt and inequality. It seeks to explore the effects of inequality emanating from public debt.

Objectives

The policy brief should satisfy the following objectives: To determine and outline the extent to which public debt exacerbates inequality in its various forms; To demonstrate, through empirical cases, the human face of inequalities in Zimbabwe and how rising public debt curtails efforts to bridge the gap; To proffer practical policy recommendations to address rising debt and inequality in Zimbabwe.

Scope and focus of the Assignment

The scope of this assignment is to provide an informative policy brief that brings to light the impact of debt on equality. It should project how public debt has led to the continuous growth of inequality in various Zimbabwean communities.

Methodology

The following steps will be taken for the development of the policy brief:

Step One: Inception meeting with ZIMCODD Staff to discuss scope and timeline.

Step Two: Documentary Review and data collection to produce the 1st draft policy brief and submit to ZIMCODD for review.

Step Three: ZIMCODD reviews the draft and provides feedback to the consultant.

Step Four: Agree, finalize and endorse the Policy brief and publishing. Formal approval of the final document will be done by the ZIMCODD.

Expected Outcomes

A credible policy brief ready to be published by ZIMCODD and used to engage policy makers.

Roles and Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for: Preparation of a work plan, methodology and data collection; Submitting the first draft to ZIMCODD and incorporate feedback from ZIMCODD; Production of deliverables in accordance with the requirements and timeframes of the Terms of References, Presenting the brief to ZIMCODD and any other fora as deemed necessary.

Qualifications

Education: The lead consultant should have a minimum of a Master’s degree in a field relevant to the assignment (Development Studies, Governance, Public Policy, Public Finance, Economics, or other related Social Science fields.)

Technical Experience and Requirements: At least 3-5 years of experience in the area of Public Finance, Governance, Economics, Research or related areas; Knowledge of and/or proven expertise in the Civil society sector, conducting related assignments and presenting papers.

Documents

Interested candidates must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications: 2-paged Expression of Interest - Explaining why they are the most suitable to conduct the assignment, Providing their own brief methodology/roadmap on how they will approach the work and the policy brief outline, indicating the cost of producing one; Policy brief - please note that financial proposals will be evaluated based on total funds available for the assignment and ZIMCODD will enter into negotiations with the best evaluated consultant; CV - this should highlight past experiences in similar projects/assignments and indicate at least 2 references.

The consultant/team will be selected through a competitive process based upon thorough and fair scrutiny of the proposals of the competing interested parties.

Time Frame

The timeline for this assignment is 10 working days including submission of drafts, reviews, feedback finalisation of the policy brief.

Terms of Payment

Payment for the assignment will be made upon satisfactory completion of the task. Remuneration will be disclosed to shortlisted applicants.