Terms of Reference (TOR)

Assessment of the 'Building Homes for Low-Income Groups' project across five districts representing different climatic zones of Karnataka.

Title	Assessment of 'Building Homes for Low-Income Groups' across five districts representing five diverse climatic zones of Karnataka.
Timeline	02 months
Expected                   area                  of expertise	Field Data collection and Data Quality & Cleaning Research and Analysis, Data Collection and Synthesizing, Analytical Report Writing
Apply Googe Link	https://forms.gle/Zxw9oWt5yd1pjkWZA (Contact Procurement for Form Link)
Email and website	procurement@selcofoundation.org / https://selcofoundation.org/

About SELCO Foundation

SELCO Foundation’s mission is to create a platform of solutions that uses sustainable energy as a catalyst to link environmental sustainability and poverty alleviation. With holistic development as the primary focus, the organization strives to create equitable societies, where all communities access services. The interventions of SELCO lead to a sustainable delivery model of essential services like livelihoods, and health till the last mile. (Read more about SELCO here: http://www.selcofoundation.org)

Summary of the project

India faces a significant housing challenge, including urban shortage of approximately 18.78 million units, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to basic amenities. About 95% of this shortage affects economically weaker sections and low-income groups. These challenges are intensified by climate vulnerabilities, inefficient building designs, and limited access to sustainable construction materials and financing options.

To address these challenges, SELCO Foundation is committed to building sustainable, energy-efficient, thermally comfortable, and climate-resilient homes that enhance the well- being of vulnerable communities. Recognizing the intersection of housing, energy access, and climate adaptation, SELCO has facilitated the construction and upgrading of homes, embedding energy-efficient technologies and practices and effective built environment. These interventions have led to enhanced thermal comfort, energy savings, and overall improvements in health and productivity for occupants. Notable efforts include the development of guidelines for energy-integrated built environments.

In this context, the proposed study aims to assess the construction challenges, sustainability performance, and post-occupancy impacts of homes for low-income groups across five districts representing five diverse climatic zones in Karnataka. The study will provide critical insights to enhance the design, construction, and implementation for building future low income groups homes initiatives, ensuring they are climate adaptive and sustainable.

Project Aim and objective

Aim:

The study aims to evaluate construction challenges, post-occupancy impacts, and sustainability factors of low-income group homes across Karnataka's five diverse climatic zones, develop insights to inform recommendations for enhancing the design, construction, and implementation of future homes that are climate-adaptive, sustainable, and aligned with community needs.

Objective of the Study:

• Assess the sustainability performance of homes for low-income groups across five districts in diverse climatic zones of Karnataka, focusing on climate resilience, energy efficiency, and thermal comfort.
• Evaluate key challenges in the construction process, including the supply chain of sustainable building materials, access to financing, and the availability of skilled labour.
• Assess the post-occupancy impact, focusing on aspects such as thermal comfort, energy consumption behaviour, household satisfaction, and overall well-being of inhabitants
• Develop actionable recommendations to enhance climate-responsive homes design, improve construction practices, and inform policy and implementation strategies for building future low income groups homes initiatives
• Recommendations need to keep in mind SELCO Foundation’s core areas of work and opportunities for collaboration.

Scope of the work

SELCO Foundation is seeking to engage a consulting firm to conduct the study will be across five districts of Karnataka.

1. Raichur
2. Bidar
3. Dharwad
4. Uttara Kannada,
5. Chamarajanagar

Each representing diverse climatic zones.

A total of 1,000 households will be selected from these districts to participate in the study.

Selection Criteria:

The technical proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Entities with a minimum of 2 years or individuals with at least 5 years of experience in designing research studies, developing research tools and writing analytical reports.
2. Preference will be given to entities with a demonstrated track record in housing research and experience with studies that focus on socio-economic impacts, environmental sustainability, and community well-being.
3. The proposal must include CVs of key personnel, showcasing relevant expertise. Organizational credentials and samples of past work should also be provided.
4. Proposals should outline the approach and methodology for data collection, analysis, and reporting. Clear timelines, work plans, and dependencies should be included.
5. A detailed budget covering all deliverables and activities, including provisions for fieldwork, data analysis, and reporting.
6. Submission of examples of past relevant work. References or supporting documents should also be included.

Proposals will undergo an internal review and evaluation process. If they meet the specified criteria, further correspondence will be initiated.

To Apply

Interested consultants / organisations, with relevant experience (please include samples and/or references of the previous similar work as proof of experience) and based out of India are requested to reach out with a detailed proposal giving a brief on the methodology and the process they will uptake for this project, including budgets (with break-ups and explanation), timelines and milestones and submit the same to google form https://forms.gle/Bo7WZvi2bKFWGLMz5 on before 31st March, 2025.

Any further queries please write to procurement@selcofoundation.org with a subject line: “Engaging an Agency Firm for Assessment of 'Building Homes for Low-Income Groups' project Field Data Collection” (Name of Project)

To download the full ToR, click here

Tags Innovations and Technology Livelihood Smart City and Urban Issues