Consultant for Learning Component of Livelihood Assistance

Purpose

While the use of cash transfers has increased in the last decade, the frequent assumption in the humanitarian community is that cash transfer programming primarily benefits livelihoods and food security in recovery settings. Consequently, programming and research have been limited with regards to the potential impact cash transfers have on other outcomes such as women and child protection, especially in acute crisis contexts. As a result, there is a lack of appropriate guidance, standards and tools, potentially exposing women and girls to further harm when gender dynamics and vulnerability to violence are not integrated into the design of cash transfer programming.

Furthermore, to date, very little cash transfer programming has been designed and implemented with the explicit intention of achieving reduction in vulnerability to and prevention of GBV. Through the proposed intervention, the IRC aims to contribute to establishing a response to GBV in the intervention sites, to safely restore livelihoods and to prevent and reduce the risk of GBV and negative coping mechanisms.  In addition, the IRC commits to informing the wider humanitarian field about the learning gained from the program and what works in a context such as southern Chad to achieve both livelihood and protection outcomes together.

Context

The conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) started in December 2012, which has led to the exodus of nearly 300,000 people to neighboring countries (Cameroon, Chad, D.R. Congo). The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been among the first humanitarian partners to step in to assist the Government of Chad (GoC) in providing emergency health and nutrition services in three sites hosting refugees and returnees. The IRC will also provide safety nets for the most vulnerable among this population, in order to mitigate GBV risks linked to the negative impacts of displacement (prostitution, forced and/or early marriage, social exclusion, etc.). The IRC also seeks to generate learning and guidelines on cash transfers and links to GBV protection/prevention activities which would fill a current gap in best-practice guidelines. 

Key Research Questions

• How do cash transfers influence women’s perception of their own protection, risk of GBV and coping mechanisms utilized?
• How do cash/in-kind grants to initiate income generating activities influence women’s perception of their own protection, risk of GBV and coping mechanisms utilized?

Design & Methodology

The IRC plans for a mixed methods pre-post test learning component, along with robust monitoring, to answer the above key research questions.  The methodology will include the below steps but will need to be refined by Consultant:

Step 1:  Conduct a rapid but thorough literature review on cash programming and protection/GBV.

Step 2: Conduct formative qualitative inquiry through key stakeholder interviews with humanitarian stakeholders, women’s groups, relevant ministries and local NGO actors in southern Chad to provide contextual knowledge on economic vulnerability and GBV risks for the target community.

Step 3: Define a theory of change and develop key indicators as part of the project monitoring design which is to be used throughout the implementation of the program (led by WPE program team). Finalise research protocol, including sample size and methodologies.

Step 4:  Conduct pre- and post-tests focusing on existing economic vulnerability, livelihoods, coping strategies and GBV risks with a random sample of program participants.

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*Note that this research protocol is to be refined by the consultant.  The research protocol will be drafted for the full two year program. However, the expected deliverables will only include data collection and report writing for Year 1 as Year 2 implementation is dependent on renewal of funding.

Ethical Considerations

As for any project involving collecting data from human participants, the consultant is expected to uphold the IRC’s standard ethical procedures regarding the use and storage of data collected from project participants.  All primary data collected should already have been coded anonymously when submitted by field staff, so the report itself is not expected to include any information that could be attributed to specific participants. The project is to follow guidelines from the WHO Putting women first: ethical and safety recommendations and submit the protocol to appropriate review boards as identified by the IRC.

Duration of the Consultancy

The start date will depend on the earliest availability of the consultant to conduct the pre-arrival literature review, research design, and ethical documents.  All in-country training of data collection staff and data collection would occur by Dec 31, 2014 for the pre-test.  It is expected that the in-country portion of the work will not be more than 40 days (across two separate trips), although this number is flexible and will be based on the consultant’s proposed workplan.  A proposed schedule is listed below, though is dependent on the consultant’s needs and availability.  A draft workplan and research design must be signed off by the IRC prior to the purchase of the plane ticket to South Sudan. The total days for Year 1 consultancy is 60 days.