Terms of Reference for Undertaking CPiE Assessment (CPRA) and Child Protection Service Mapping in Banadir and Middle Shabelle

 

Terms of Reference for Undertaking CPiE Assessment (CPRA) and Child Protection Service Mapping in Banadir and Middle Shabelle

1. Introduction

The recent flash floods and riverine floods along the Middle Shabelle displaced thousands of people, destroyed hundreds of hectares of crops and farmlands, particularly in the flood-prone districts of Balcad and Jowhar. A recent Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) conducted by various humanitarian actors in collaboration with the local authorities in Balcad and Jowhard districts estimated that at least 342,000 people were uprooted from their homes, 149,000 hectares of farmlands damaged and nearly 100 villages submerged as the river burst its banks. The situation is further exacerbated the impact of COVID-19 pandemic as well the recent invasion of desert locusts. Today, the situation remains precarious and the magnitude of the figure that need humanitarian assistance is staggering. As in the case with any humanitarian situation, women and children are the most affected. A Multi-sector Assessment conducted in the affected location revealed a total of 10,655 unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) in the IDP camps who are in need of assistance in tracing their primary caregivers.

 

Flooding heightens the risk of family separation, and causes severe distress to children due to shock, loss of homes and disruption of daily life, as well as potential increase in sexual and gender-based violence owing to breakdown in community structures, law and order, and a lack of physical protection.

This situation is further aggravated by closure of schools due to COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, children no longer have access to many avenues for reporting abuses and seeking assistance from teachers and child protection staff. Negative coping mechanisms such as child labour, early marriage and increased recruitment of young boys by various armed actors is also on the rise. The crisis also increased the vulnerability of women and girls to the risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

It is against the above backdrop that SOS CV Somalia is currently implementing Integrated Protection Project that aims to improve protection of the targeted children, girls and women from abuse, violence and exploitation in the targeted locations through provision of psychosocial and mental health support, rapid identification, tracing and family reunification services for those children at risk of family separation. Additionally, the project intends to reunify unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) with their families/caregivers and kafala (i.e. clan-based foster care support for those without direct caregivers/guardians. On the same note, the project intends to strengthen gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, mitigation and response mechanisms for women and adolescent girls survivors and those at risk of GBV in Balcad and Jowhar Districts.

To this end, the project intends to conduct CPiE Assessment (CPRA) and child protection service mapping in order to gather information on child protection trends and patterns to inform planning, programming, advocacy and mapping of the availability, quality and type of community-based child protection interventions/services, including case management.

2. Overall Objective of the Consultancy

The overall aim of the CPiE Assessment (CPRA) and Child Protection Service Mapping (CPSM) is to generate necessary evidence and information that will inform the project’s response to child protection issues in the targeted locations.

3. Specific Objectives

1. Conduct comprehensive Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) Assessment (CPRA) in order to:
2. Document child protection needs of children in the targeted locations with particular focus on separated and unaccompanied children, child labour, psychosocial wellbeing, and other priority concerns such as abuse, exploitation etc
3. Assess the overview of the CPiE situation and identify crucial gaps in service provision that needs to be addressed by the project and other stakeholders (e.g. community, civil society, local authorities, NGOs and non-child protection humanitarian actors) in order to the needs and priorities of the most vulnerable children. 

2. Conduct child protection service mapping in order to:
3. Establish and document key child protection concerns, categories of children most affected, trends and magnitude of child protection concerns, role of the affected community in child protection
4. Identify existing strength and gaps in child protection (policy, legal and interventions).
5. Identify existing child protection service providers in the targeted locations, type and quality of child protection support provided including advocacy work
6. Identify the availability, quality and types of services available for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in the targeted locations
7. Identify emerging issues, unmet sexual health needs of the target groups and the affected community with specific focus on prevention of child rights violation and GBV.

4. Methodology

The consultant is expected to employ wide-range of data collection methodologies including, but not limited to the following:

• Secondary data review/desk review
• Key informant interview with the community leaders, child protection practitioners, local authorities and humanitarian agencies working directly with the affected children in the targeted locations
• Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders involved in the implementation of child protection activities in Banadir, Balcad and Jowhar
• Direct observation where situations allows access

5. Scope of Work (SOW)

The scope of work will cover the following key parameters related to CPRA and Service provider mapping:

• Unaccompanied and separated children (UASC)

1. Scale of separation of children from their usual caregivers
2. Types of care arrangements for separated and unaccompanied children and existing gaps
3. Patterns and levels of institutionalization of children
4. Practices related to adoption of UASC children in the targeted locations.

• Physical violence and other harmful practices

1. Types and levels of violence towards girls and boys in the targeted community
2. Causes and level of risks to children resulting from violence and/or harmful practices
3. Existence of active participation of children in acts of violence
4. Existing scale of child marriage and likely new risks as a result of the emergency.
5. Existing community mechanisms to protect children against physical violence
6. Common harmful practices (domestic and/or societal) related to IDP children, UASC and those at risk.

• Sexual violence 

1. Specific risks of sexual violence for UASC, children from IDPs, those with physical disabilities in the targeted locations
2. How different forms of sexual violence are viewed by families (including youth/children), community leaders and government counterparts, and how this is normally dealt with.
3. Availability and accessibility of essential sexual violence response services for the targeted children (especially health and psychosocial services)

• Dangers and Injury to children in the IDP setting

1. Nature and extent of any hazards for children in the IDP settings including sexual violence, domestic violence, harmful traditional practices such as FGM and early marriage, recruitment into militia, etc.
   • Psychosocial distress and mental disorders

1. Sources of stress and signs of psychosocial distress among the targeted vulnerable UASC, IDP girls and boys and their caregivers
2. Children’s and their caregivers’ (positive and negative) coping mechanisms
3. Capacities for provision of people/resources at community level to provide support for children.

• Level and scale of protection of UASC, IDP and other excluded children

1. Pre-existing patterns of exclusion based on socioeconomic vulnerability
2. Accessibility of basic services to UASC and other vulnerable children, regardless of their age, sex, background and their different abilities
3. Risks, and types, of discrimination against UASC and IDP children

• Child labour 

1. Existing patterns and scale of the worst forms of child labour in the targeted community
2. Likely increase in children’s exposure to worst forms of child labour as a result of the emergency
3. Likely new worst forms of child labour that could emerge as a result of the emergency
4. Communities attitude and practice towards protection of children from hazardous and worst forms of child labour.
5. Existing community mechanisms to protection children against involvement in worst forms of child labour.

 

6. Duration of the Consultancy

The consultancy is expected to take 30 days including training enumerators, document review, development of tools, fieldwork in Banadir, Jowhar and Balcad, data analysis, reporting and validation workshops.

7. Expected Deliverables

1. An inception plan clearly indicating activities, timelines, assessment tools and delivery plan.
2. A comprehensive participatory CPiE Assessment Report and Child protection mapping report based on the objectives.
3. Organize a one-day dissemination workshop for the stakeholder

 

8. Expertise required

External Consultant who will work in close collaboration and support from the MEAL and-programme team will undertake the Multi- sectoral need Assessment exercise. Therefore, the applicant consultant should have the following minimum qualifications and experiences:

• At least MSC/MA in in social studies, international relations, education, psychology, community development or degree with extensive experience in lieu of Masters
• Demonstrated research skills
• At least 5-10 years practical experiences in conducting assessments in the area of child protection system approach
• Demonstrated expertise and experience on conducting similar assessments
• Excellent analytical, oral and written communication skills in English
• Experience in monitoring, evaluation and reporting
• Proven experience in conducting assignments in complex institutional environments
• Demonstrated experience in report writing
• Knowledge of the region and practical work experience in the country is a strong asset
• Understanding of key working approaches and principles in Child Protection (Child Rights Programming and Child Participation frameworks)
• Experience of working with the IDPs settlements
• Practical knowledge on the situation of vulnerable children (and ideally of children without parental care and those at risk of losing parental care in the country)
• Knowledge of legislation, policies, strategies and programmes related to this target group in the location.
• Able to work independently to collect the information of the target group from the said locations
• Ideally, the persons will have experience in conducting social research.

 

9. Child Safeguarding and Code of Conduct.

SOS Children’s Villages organization is committed to safeguarding the rights of the children and therefore, it is expected that every individual who joins or working with SOS Children’s Villages Somalia understand his/her responsibility in protecting and keeping children safe always. SOS Children’s villages Code of Conduct sets out the standards which all staff members must adhere to and the consultant is bound to sign and abide to the SOS Children’s villages Code of Conduct.

A contract will be signed by the consultant before commencement of the action. The contract will detail terms and conditions of service, aspects on inputs and deliverables. The Consultant will be expected to treat as private and confidential any information disclosed to her/him or with which she/he may come into contact during her/his service. The Consultant will not therefore disclose the same or any particulars thereof to any third party or publish it in any paper without the prior written consent of SOS Children’s villages. Any sensitive information (particularly concerning individual children) should be treated as confidential.

An agreement with a consultant will be rendered void if SOS Children’s villages Somalia discovers any corrupt activities have taken place either during the sourcing, preparation and implementation of the consultancy agreement.

 

10. Applications

Interested and qualified consultant or team of consultants should submit the following to SOS CV Somalia:

1. The technical proposal detailing the methodology of undertaking the assignments described in the TOR, tentative work plan as well as relevant knowledge and technical expertise of the consultant/consultants undertaking the assignment.
2. Company profile or CV including a minimum of 3 references
3. The financial proposal indicating all-inclusive costs for undertaking the tasks described in this Terms of Reference (ToR)
4. A sample of previously conducted similar studies.
5. Detailed budget breakdown based on expected daily rates.

Location: The consultancy will take place in Banadir and Middle Shabelle Region (Balcad & Jowhar).

How to Apply

To submit applications for this consultancy, please send the documentation to: procurement@sossomalia.org

Please send your completed applications not later than 17^th November, 2020.