Review of Concern and Partner’s Complaints and Feedback/Reporting Mechanisms – Somalia

A. Background

Concern Worldwide is committed to ensuring that our programmes and practices are carried out in a transparent and accountable manner. As part of this commitment, Concern Somalia/Somaliland has a Complaints and Feedback/Reporting mechanism in place, designed to provide safe, accessible and effective channels for individuals to exercise their right to raise complaints and give feedback about the organisation and the work and behaviour of our staff, community workers, sub-contractors and partners on issues such as:

• Targeting of assistance
• Beneficiary and location selection criteria
• Quality and quantity of goods/services provided by Concern or Partners
• Timeliness of Concern and partners’ assistance
• Appropriateness of goods/service received from Concern or Partners
• Adequacy/accuracy of information provided by the organisation
• Behaviour of Concern or Partner staff, or anyone associated with our programmes
• Misuse of funds or assistance
• Misuse or abuse of power and position
• Human resources issues – eg safeguarding
• Sexual exploitation and abuse of adults and children and human trafficking
• Discrimination, physical or verbal abuse
• Security issues

Concern aims for its complaints and feedback mechanism to be appropriate, safe, well understood, timely, transparent, confidential, effective and accessible. It should be designed according to community preferences for giving feedback and raising issues, and include a mechanism for closing the feedback loop for complainants and the wider community where relevant.

Current feedback modalities include:

• A complaints hotline and WhatsApp
• Suggestion boxes placed at Partner office
• Face to face reports during staff field visits
• Office visits by beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries
• Community discussions, which are conducted at beginning of projects and on a quarterly basis thereafter, disaggregated by gender and including people with disabilities.
• Post distribution monitoring (PDM) surveys
• Periodic visits by a Programme Quality Monitoring Team, which meets with community and other stakeholders to review programme delivery, appropriateness of the support given, impact of the interventions and Concern and partner engagements with programme stakeholders

Complaints and feedback are documented using a CRM Database and are recorded in an encrypted password Excel for data protection purposes, which is accessible to a small number of relevant staff. Monthly and annual reports are compiled and produced to analyse trends, inform learning and decision making for current and future projects. In 2022, 638 valid[1] complaints were recorded, mainly consisting of requests for assistance, requests for extension/expansion of already existing services, access to information on activity schedules e.g. hospital departments, distribution plans, outreach, or inclusion in ongoing/future programmes. Some feedback was also received expressing appreciation for Concern services. In 2023, 233 valid complaints have so far been recorded to date along the same thematic areas ranging from seeking for assistance, extension for services, access to information and inclusion on ongoing projects.

No sensitive cases were reported in either year. Where complaints were received related to Concern or partner behaviour, they tended to be reported at HQ level rather than using the country-level mechanism.

B. Scope and Objectives

The objective of this consultancy is to conduct the following among others:

1. Review the existing Complaints and Feedback/Reporting Mechanism for Concern and Partners, identifying areas of strength and weakness and potential areas for improvement
2. Conduct field visits to different programme locations to consult communities and service providers on their CRM preferences and assess knowledge, perceptions and barriers to accessing the CRM (with a focus on inclusion and access for the most vulnerable)
3. Work with Concern and partner teams to identify safe ways that people in hard to reach areas can share feedback
4. Provide recommendations on creating an enabling environment for receiving sensitive complaints including suggested staff/focal point roles, awareness raising and training
5. Make a presentation to the CMT and CRM lead on key findings and recommendations

C. Responsibilities:

The Complaint Mechanisms Consultancy will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Review existing documents including SOPs, CRM guidelines, CRM database, Global CRM annual reports etc
• Produce a report on a desk review of the existing complaint mechanisms framework and present the key findings
• Conduct qualitative data collection from selected communities , Concern and partner staff on their perspectives of the Complaint Response Mechanism and community CRM barriers and preferences
• Produce a Final report with all key findings and CRM enhancement plan
• Briefing and debriefing with Concern’s CMT and with the Protection and Safeguarding Unit at Head Office

D. Timeframe

The period for this consultancy is 30 days effective from the day the contract is signed.

E. The Consultant Profile

The prospective consultant should have extensive experience working with and/or advising on complaint mechanisms within Somalia/Somaliland with INGOs and/or UN Agencies

F. Competences

Corporate competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results
• Displays cultural, gender, and age sensitivity and adaptability

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously in a multicultural environment;
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team and to work under pressure;
• Excellent relationship management, and ability to interact effectively at the community level
• Excellent communication, facilitation, presentation, and reporting skills

G. Qualification

Education

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Social Science or a related subject with INGO and UN Agency experience

Experience

• 5 years of experience of working with international organisations in the humanitarian and development sector either with a national or local institution or with development organizations;
• 3 years’ experience working with or advising on complaint mechanisms, feedback loop, or any other accountability frameworks or safeguarding expertise
• Experience and understanding of Accountability to Affected population (AAP) and practical working experience on using Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and other protocols
• Excellent English and Somali language skills with ability to travel within Somalia/Somaliland
• Facilitation skills, ideally with experience facilitating consultations and workshops on complaint mechanisms and sensitive topics such as sexual exploitation and abuse.

How to apply

How to Apply

• The deadline for the application is on Monday 2nd October 2023.
• Applications should be sent by email to: som.vacancies@concern.net
• Application submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
• The subject of the application should be “Application for the Review of Concern and Partner’s Complaints and Feedback/Reporting Mechanisms”.

The application should contain the following:

• Cover letter explaining your approach to complaint mechanisms and a brief methodology on how you intend to conduct the work.
• Updated CV
• Financial proposal including all-inclusive daily fee or Lumpsum in USD$ and associated cost
• Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a combination of factors including a cover letter, the credentials on offer, and a brief interview showcasing practical experience and the offer which gives the best value for money.

Selection Criteria

The candidates meeting the minimum requirement will be assessed on the following basis:

Criteria 1: Master’s Degree or equivalent in Social Science, and experience working with INGOs and UN Agencies. (10%)

Criteria 2: Experience in the humanitarian and development sector in Somalia, either with a national or local institution or with development organizations. (20%)

Criteria 3: Experience working with or advising on complaint and feedback mechanisms, any other accountability mechanisms and/or safeguarding expertise. (20%)

Criteria 4: Experience and understanding of Accountability to Affected population (AAP) and Accountability projects in the Horn of Africa region as well as Core Humanitarian Standard. (10%)

Criteria 5: Fluent English and Somali language and facilitation skills, ideally with experience facilitating consultations and workshops on complaint mechanisms and sensitive topics such as sexual exploitation and abuse. (10%)

Financial offer: Based on the financial offer provided, after evaluation of the above criteria. (30%)

 

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