Closing
date: 04 Sep 2017
date: 04 Sep 2017
Project
Title:
Gender Assessment of Refugee Interventions in West Nile, Northern Uganda
Title:
Gender Assessment of Refugee Interventions in West Nile, Northern Uganda
Location
and reporting level:
Adjumani, Arua, Yumbe
and reporting level:
Adjumani, Arua, Yumbe
1. Project
Background Information
Background Information
Since
December 2013 the eruption of conflict in South Sudan resulted in over one
million South Sudanese fleeing into neighbouring countries with a renewed spike
in refugees arriving from July 2016 following an escalation of con
December 2013 the eruption of conflict in South Sudan resulted in over one
million South Sudanese fleeing into neighbouring countries with a renewed spike
in refugees arriving from July 2016 following an escalation of con
flict in
across South Sudan. As of August 2017, there are almost 1,000,000 South Sudanese
refugees in Uganda, mostly being settled in Palabek, Kiryandongo, Adjumani,
Arua, and Yumbe, with an average of around 600 new refugees arriving every day.
The refugees are hosted at reception and transit sites until they are allocated
plots in the settlements. The latest statistics indicate that about 86% of the
refugees are women and children; about 2% are people with special needs- the
elderly, people with disabilities, unaccompanied minors, etc. (IRC/UNHCR,
2016).
Many
of the refugees have experienced at least one or more forms of sexual and
gender based violence (SGBV) including rape, sexual slavery, and physical
assault, while rape continues to be used as a weapon of war in the conflict.
Most of the SGBV cases reported to date in Bidibidi occurred in South Sudan,
either before women and girls fled their homes or in transit to Uganda.
According to IRC assessments and an IRC/UNHCR Safety Audit conducted in
September 2016 in Bidibidi, the settlement in Yumbe, SGBV is an ongoing threat
with intimate partner violence and sexual exploitation becoming more acute as
the refugee population increases. The inadequate food, lack of cooking
energy options, and other basic needs are risk factors that force women and
girls to engage in negative coping strategies as they struggle to survive,
further exacerbating risks of sexual exploitation and abuse. The recently
concluded IRC/UNHCR Safety Audit revealed alarming security risks within the
settlement, stemming mainly from failure of humanitarian actors to meet minimum
standards of SGBV prevention and response across sectors; lighting is limited,
there is overcrowding in tents, latrines lack locks and privacy, women and
girls lack enough safe spaces to obtain social support or seek help in a
socially appropriate and confidential manner.
of the refugees have experienced at least one or more forms of sexual and
gender based violence (SGBV) including rape, sexual slavery, and physical
assault, while rape continues to be used as a weapon of war in the conflict.
Most of the SGBV cases reported to date in Bidibidi occurred in South Sudan,
either before women and girls fled their homes or in transit to Uganda.
According to IRC assessments and an IRC/UNHCR Safety Audit conducted in
September 2016 in Bidibidi, the settlement in Yumbe, SGBV is an ongoing threat
with intimate partner violence and sexual exploitation becoming more acute as
the refugee population increases. The inadequate food, lack of cooking
energy options, and other basic needs are risk factors that force women and
girls to engage in negative coping strategies as they struggle to survive,
further exacerbating risks of sexual exploitation and abuse. The recently
concluded IRC/UNHCR Safety Audit revealed alarming security risks within the
settlement, stemming mainly from failure of humanitarian actors to meet minimum
standards of SGBV prevention and response across sectors; lighting is limited,
there is overcrowding in tents, latrines lack locks and privacy, women and
girls lack enough safe spaces to obtain social support or seek help in a
socially appropriate and confidential manner.
Different
humanitarian actors have rushed to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance
to the South Sudanese refugees since the crisis began. Although interventions
are ongoing, the need for a Multi Sectoral Gender (MSG) Assessment cannot be
understated and is a requirement by the IASC SGBV guidelines on humanitarian
action. Indeed a MSG Assessment is critical in order to further inform
programming, establish program priorities, and contextualize services for the
population. The IRC’s proposed MSG Assessment will include analysis of health,
psychosocial, and safety needs of women and girls; security risks that exist;
general levels of availability of different essential services (for example
health, WASH, livelihoods, etc.); as well as access to and utilization of these
services. It will also include an assessment of the protection situation in
Arua, Yumbe, and Adjumani, identification of the specific risk factors
affecting displaced women and girls, and identification of women and girls at
greatest risk. The MSG Assessment will seek to determine the nature and scale
of a crisis and the gender differentiated needs of a given population, as well
as the scope and scale of an effective intervention, given existing resources.
It is necessary to conduct an MSG Assessment to understand the problems,
service gaps and unmet needs of the refugee population in the settlements
hosting South Sudanese refugees in Arua, Yumbe, and Adjumani. Carrying out an
MSG Assessment is an essential first step towards ensuring that interventions
respond to the needs of refugees equally, including highly vulnerable groups
like women and girls as well as Persons with Specific Needs (PSNs). The IASC
Transformative Agenda recognized the critical role of needs assessment as a
basis for overall and cluster strategy development. It is generally understood
that the results of needs assessments should inform the overall strategic
planning and prioritization process of prevention and response activities in
humanitarian situations. Needs assessments represent one step in the
Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC) – which runs from assessment and analysis of
needs to strategic response planning, resource mobilization, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of operations- and supports the response analysis
conducted for strategic response planning•
humanitarian actors have rushed to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance
to the South Sudanese refugees since the crisis began. Although interventions
are ongoing, the need for a Multi Sectoral Gender (MSG) Assessment cannot be
understated and is a requirement by the IASC SGBV guidelines on humanitarian
action. Indeed a MSG Assessment is critical in order to further inform
programming, establish program priorities, and contextualize services for the
population. The IRC’s proposed MSG Assessment will include analysis of health,
psychosocial, and safety needs of women and girls; security risks that exist;
general levels of availability of different essential services (for example
health, WASH, livelihoods, etc.); as well as access to and utilization of these
services. It will also include an assessment of the protection situation in
Arua, Yumbe, and Adjumani, identification of the specific risk factors
affecting displaced women and girls, and identification of women and girls at
greatest risk. The MSG Assessment will seek to determine the nature and scale
of a crisis and the gender differentiated needs of a given population, as well
as the scope and scale of an effective intervention, given existing resources.
It is necessary to conduct an MSG Assessment to understand the problems,
service gaps and unmet needs of the refugee population in the settlements
hosting South Sudanese refugees in Arua, Yumbe, and Adjumani. Carrying out an
MSG Assessment is an essential first step towards ensuring that interventions
respond to the needs of refugees equally, including highly vulnerable groups
like women and girls as well as Persons with Specific Needs (PSNs). The IASC
Transformative Agenda recognized the critical role of needs assessment as a
basis for overall and cluster strategy development. It is generally understood
that the results of needs assessments should inform the overall strategic
planning and prioritization process of prevention and response activities in
humanitarian situations. Needs assessments represent one step in the
Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC) – which runs from assessment and analysis of
needs to strategic response planning, resource mobilization, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of operations- and supports the response analysis
conducted for strategic response planning•
2. Proposed Project
2.1
Objectives (Outcomes)
Objectives (Outcomes)
This
assessment will contribute to beneficiaries’ improved well-being as it will
support both UN agencies and implementing partners to design and implement
programming that is responsive to beneficiaries’ needs and priorities. By
listening to women and girls and other community members, all humanitarian
agencies will have knowledge about how to reduce risks to women and girls (or,
alternatively, increase women and girls’ safety and security) to create more
protective environments. This will lead to greater community cohesion, stronger
and healthier families and population atlarge, increased productivity, and decreased
poverty.
assessment will contribute to beneficiaries’ improved well-being as it will
support both UN agencies and implementing partners to design and implement
programming that is responsive to beneficiaries’ needs and priorities. By
listening to women and girls and other community members, all humanitarian
agencies will have knowledge about how to reduce risks to women and girls (or,
alternatively, increase women and girls’ safety and security) to create more
protective environments. This will lead to greater community cohesion, stronger
and healthier families and population atlarge, increased productivity, and decreased
poverty.
2.2. Immediate
Objectives (Outputs)
Objectives (Outputs)
The
Multi-Sectoral Gender Assessment is expected to:
Multi-Sectoral Gender Assessment is expected to:
a)
Document the gender differentiated needs of refugees in the settlements;
Document the gender differentiated needs of refugees in the settlements;
b)
Assess, and map out services available to meet the identified needs;
Assess, and map out services available to meet the identified needs;
c)
Assess the general and gender-related gaps in service provision;
Assess the general and gender-related gaps in service provision;
d)
Propose solutions to identified needs;
Propose solutions to identified needs;
e)
Formulate and provide quantitative and qualitative indicators of gender issues
among SSD refugees; and
Formulate and provide quantitative and qualitative indicators of gender issues
among SSD refugees; and
f)
Document the nature and forms of SGBV experienced by the refugees.
Document the nature and forms of SGBV experienced by the refugees.
2.3.
Expected deliverables
Expected deliverables
- A
detailed work-plan - Assessment
design and draft instrument to be discussed with the agreed composed team
of UN Women and IRC - Weekly
progress update against work-plan to be submitted to the agreed focal
point person from IRC and UN Women - Documentation
of regular meetings - Complete
data sets and data documentation (I.e. quantitative database, qualitative
data documentation, transcripts of FGDs, recordings etc.) and final
instruments, questionnaire and interview guide - Comprehensive
analysis and report (Outline to be discussed) including recommendation and
specific action based on assessment findings - Sharing
findings with stakeholders, and finalizing
2.4.
Time
period of the consultancy; Mid August to October 31st, 2017
Time
period of the consultancy; Mid August to October 31st, 2017
2.5. Description of
the assessment approach/strategy
the assessment approach/strategy
The
Assessment will target refugees, service providers and refugee leadership
structures in the three districts of Arua, Adjumani and Yumbe, where the influx
of refugees in 2016/17 have been settled. Two zones in each of the three
districts will be selected for the Assessment from a randomly selected
settlement in the case of Arua and Adjumani and from Bidibidi, the only
settlement in Yumbe. The Assessment will be descriptive and present the different
kinds of vulnerabilities existing among the refugees, types of problems/needs
experienced, existing service,s and service gaps (Water and Sanitation,
Security, General Protection, Child Protection, Sexual Violence,
Health/Reproductive Health, Psychosocial Health, food and non-food items,
etc.), and highlight the groups most in need of specific services. The
consultant will work closely with IRC and UN Women in the planning and
management of the MSG Assessment. To ensure effective coordination throughout
its duration, the consultant together with IRC will maintain regular contact
with UN Women, OPM, UNHCR, UNFPA, Working Groups, and other relevant
stakeholders.
Assessment will target refugees, service providers and refugee leadership
structures in the three districts of Arua, Adjumani and Yumbe, where the influx
of refugees in 2016/17 have been settled. Two zones in each of the three
districts will be selected for the Assessment from a randomly selected
settlement in the case of Arua and Adjumani and from Bidibidi, the only
settlement in Yumbe. The Assessment will be descriptive and present the different
kinds of vulnerabilities existing among the refugees, types of problems/needs
experienced, existing service,s and service gaps (Water and Sanitation,
Security, General Protection, Child Protection, Sexual Violence,
Health/Reproductive Health, Psychosocial Health, food and non-food items,
etc.), and highlight the groups most in need of specific services. The
consultant will work closely with IRC and UN Women in the planning and
management of the MSG Assessment. To ensure effective coordination throughout
its duration, the consultant together with IRC will maintain regular contact
with UN Women, OPM, UNHCR, UNFPA, Working Groups, and other relevant
stakeholders.
2.6 Assessment
methodology and scope:
methodology and scope:
The
MSG Assessment will utilize five main tools including:
MSG Assessment will utilize five main tools including:
a)
Service Mapping: This will help to determine which services are available, who
provides them, which services are lacking, which services are critically
needed, by which categories of people and in which areas the services are
critically needed. This will be determined through use of a checklist.
Service Mapping: This will help to determine which services are available, who
provides them, which services are lacking, which services are critically
needed, by which categories of people and in which areas the services are
critically needed. This will be determined through use of a checklist.
b)
Safety Audit: A safety audit will determine the general security and protection
needs of different
Safety Audit: A safety audit will determine the general security and protection
needs of different
categories
of people, men, women, boys and girls. It will also include an analysis of the
key risk factors for GBV. We will identify key security risks that we can see
through observation in the settlement. An observation checklist will be
developed for this purpose.
of people, men, women, boys and girls. It will also include an analysis of the
key risk factors for GBV. We will identify key security risks that we can see
through observation in the settlement. An observation checklist will be
developed for this purpose.
c)
Survey: This will target mainly refugees to determine their experiences with
regard to GBV, their
Survey: This will target mainly refugees to determine their experiences with
regard to GBV, their
experience
with regard to access and utilization of different services, their perceptions
of service gaps and existing needs of different socio-demographic groups, and
their perceptions of the security situation at the settlements. A multistage
sampling strategy will be used to identify respondents. A random cluster method
will be used to identify 2 zones in each district from which 50 respondents
from each zone (10 men, 10 women, 10 girls, 10 boys, 10 PSNs) will be selected
for the Assessment. These will be randomly selected having developed a sampling
frame for each category in consultation with community leaders. In total
therefore, 300 individuals will be interviewed individually. A questionnaire
will be used for this purpose.
with regard to access and utilization of different services, their perceptions
of service gaps and existing needs of different socio-demographic groups, and
their perceptions of the security situation at the settlements. A multistage
sampling strategy will be used to identify respondents. A random cluster method
will be used to identify 2 zones in each district from which 50 respondents
from each zone (10 men, 10 women, 10 girls, 10 boys, 10 PSNs) will be selected
for the Assessment. These will be randomly selected having developed a sampling
frame for each category in consultation with community leaders. In total
therefore, 300 individuals will be interviewed individually. A questionnaire
will be used for this purpose.
d)
Key Informant Interviews: These will mainly be conducted with key settlement
leaders (OPM, UNHCR, UNFPA, partners/service providers, and elders, to get an
idea of the needs situation, existing GBV situation, existing services, and
gaps. local women’s organizations/CBOs that are or are not involved in the
response will also be included in the interviews. It is also anticipated that
the refugee leaders and elders in particular will articulate problems from
their perspective, and solutions, including what they think they could do to
improve protection for women and girls not just what implementing partners
could do (8 people per district). A key informant interview guide will be used for
this purpose.
Key Informant Interviews: These will mainly be conducted with key settlement
leaders (OPM, UNHCR, UNFPA, partners/service providers, and elders, to get an
idea of the needs situation, existing GBV situation, existing services, and
gaps. local women’s organizations/CBOs that are or are not involved in the
response will also be included in the interviews. It is also anticipated that
the refugee leaders and elders in particular will articulate problems from
their perspective, and solutions, including what they think they could do to
improve protection for women and girls not just what implementing partners
could do (8 people per district). A key informant interview guide will be used for
this purpose.
e)
Focus group discussions: In each zone 5 FGDs will be held (one each for men,
women, boys, and girls
Focus group discussions: In each zone 5 FGDs will be held (one each for men,
women, boys, and girls
and
PSNs- female headed households, unaccompanied minors, elderly and persons with
disabilities). These discussions will help document the magnitude of needs that
exist, highlight forms of GBV experienced, highlight the intensity of
protection needs, and the magnitude of other gaps in service provision to
refugees. An FGD guide will be used for this purpose.
PSNs- female headed households, unaccompanied minors, elderly and persons with
disabilities). These discussions will help document the magnitude of needs that
exist, highlight forms of GBV experienced, highlight the intensity of
protection needs, and the magnitude of other gaps in service provision to
refugees. An FGD guide will be used for this purpose.
3.0 More specific
tasks and responsibility of the consultant:
tasks and responsibility of the consultant:
- Conduct
desk review of the existing literature publications, methodology design
and contribution, training, surveys, coordinating and supervision of data
collection, data interpreters, reports etc. of selected topics to be included
in the overall report and analysis/assessment - Training
of enumerators - Pre-testing
and refining tools - Coordinate,
guide and supervise the data collection exercise - Conduct
data analysis and interpretation - Write
up the assessment report and dissemination brief - Facilitate
data collection team in the planning, preparation, organizing, conducting
the assessment and reporting in a timely manner - Ensure
synergies among the various parts of the analysis to form an integrated,
holistic and analytical report - Liaise
with the various stakeholders or and institutions/organization/departments
to facilitate access to information required for the analysis - Ensure
quality and timely delivery of assignment by the team - Lead/organize
the team during presentations phases of the assessment report or feedback
and lead the amendments
3.1
Required Qualification/Skills/Experience of the consultant.
Required Qualification/Skills/Experience of the consultant.
- Relevant
University degrees preferably Masters level in applicable sciences with
specific expertise in conducting researches/gender assessments - Technical
experts in different areas of gender in humanitarian, protection including
International and Uganda’s gender, disaster/emergency and GBV legal
framework, refugee law and human rights - Strong
background in team management and experience having conducted and
coordinated a similar assessment - Proven
expertise or experience of at least 8 years and at least 5 years of
technical expertise/working experience in humanitarian and development
programming with a focus on gender and protection (ideally work and
assessment experience with South Sudan refugees or any of the refugee
population) - Expertise
in conducting research, assessments and relevant assessment approaches - Cross-sectoral
working experience is essential specially in protection, livelihood,
environment, education, health, child protection and social welfare
sectors - Proven
experience in research methodologies and triangulated studies
(quantitative, qualitative, primary and secondary data collection) - Demonstrated
relevant experience with refugees and asylum seekers and or similarly
vulnerable groups - Up
to date sectoral services, policies, applicable laws and context in Uganda
and West Nile and any applicable documents incidental to gender and
humanitarian not limiting the global level - Experience
working with evaluations and feasibility studies - Experience
in relevant data analysis and report writing - Language:
Proficiency in spoken and written English - Computer
skills: Proficiency in current office software applications and statistics
programs such as SPSS - Strongly
observes the ethical conduct of an assessment and or research including
but not limited no plagiarism, quote sources, respect of respondents and
confidentiality.
All
applicants should submit their proposals by 4th September 2017 to UA-kampalaProcurement@rescue.org
applicants should submit their proposals by 4th September 2017 to UA-kampalaProcurement@rescue.org