Apply as Consultants (Humanitarian – Development Peace Nexus Needs Assessment) (4 Openings) at COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale Contract

Job Title: Consultant for Humanitarian – Development – Peace Nexus Needs Assessment

Locations: Borno, Katsina, Yobe and Zamfara
Employment Type: Contract

Scope and Intended Assessment Output

• The purpose of this a humanitarian-development-peace nexus needs assessmentis to provide a better understanding of the humanitarian needs overview and conditions faced by the population in the Northwestern geo-political region of Nigeria, specifically in Sokoto and Zamfara States.
• Specific areas of needs assessment will be un the sectors of Food and Nutrition Security, Health, WASH and (Child) Protection and undertake security and access risk assessment in target areas of Sokoto and Zamfara states.

Intended Assessment Output:

The selected consultant shall publish an assessment report, analysis and data source that speaks to addressing the below-highlighted focus areas:

• Identify the different Food and Nutrition Security, Health,WASH and (Child) Protection needs, and risks of diverse groups including women, men, girls, and boys of concern, Persons with dissabilities and IDPs/returnees if applicable and establish priorities. Disaggregate sectoral data per location and number of estimated beneficiaries.
• Estimate the severity of conditions faced by diverse women, men, girls, and boys of concern, Persons with dissabilities and IDPs/returnees if applicable and establish priorities. Disaggregate beneficiary data per sex, age, PWDs. Identify local, IDPs, Refugees and Returnees population,
• Create a common understanding of differences in needs and reflect the diversity of conditions faced by relevant groups of persons of concern, IDPs/returnees if applicable, including older women and men; persons with disabilities and others.
• Identify existing capacities and resources of persons of concern, including positive and negative coping mechanisms,
• Mapping of current government services available at state and community level and of ongoing partners interventions and responses
• Inform emergency or longer-term/multi-year programme response analysis to close gaps between an affected population’s current status and the desired state.
• Provide a disaggregated protection analysis, from the perspective of the affected population
• Provide a market analysis that can inform the modality(ies) of assistance (cash, Multipurpose Cash (MPC), vouchers, in-kind, service provision) for all sectors. Transfer modalities will need to be identified for each sector (Food and Nutrition Security, Health, WASH and Protection).
• Inform a conflict-sensitive response analysis that demonstrates identification, monitoring and mitigation of protection risks and benefits,
• Inform the design of further assessments based in identified information gaps.
• Undertake security and access risk assessment including assessment of aid diversion and fraud risks and mitigation measures for all proposed activities.

These assessment data collection, analysis and submission of the final report, is expected to be completed within a period of three weeks upon signing of the contract by the consultant.

Specific objectives of the assessment:

• Providing a single, comprehensive, cross-sectoral, methodologically sound, and impartial overall assessment of needs for each sector to inform strategic decisions funding application decision and proposal development;
• Aggregate tools, coordinating and streamlining data collection to ensure compatibility, quality and comparability, and avoid over-assessment and duplication;
• Sharing needs assessment data in a timely manner, with the appropriate mitigation of protection and privacy risks; and Prioritizing humanitarian response across sectors based on evidence established by the analysis.

Methodology and Timeline:

• The Consultant will work with COOPI, Mercy Corps and Christian Aid to expand upon the ToR as required. The methodology adopted should be in line with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee SOPs for Needs assessment and that of the European Civil Protection And Humanitarian Aid Operations.
• The assessment should include a mixed-method approach comprising of both qualitative and quantitative methods. The methods suggested can include e.g.: document review for secondary data, household surveys, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Triangulation shall be done in the analysis phase. The assessment should take place in three phases:

Week One (1)
Inception Planning:

• The Consultant will develop an inception report, including an assessment matrix, work plan and data collection tools. These documents will be validated by the project manager prior to the data collection phase.

Literature Review:

• The Consultant will source and review relevant literature and existing document/report to guide on the needs assessment and to provide a general in-depth understanding of the northwest humanitarian context.

Ad hoc Staff Mobilization and Training:

• The Consultant will be supported to recruit and mobilise enumerators where necessary for training and data collection with the support of MEAL team from COOPI, Mercy Corps and Christian Aid.

Week Town (2)
Data Collection and Analysis:

• The Consultant(s) will coordinate with COOPI, Mercy Corps and Christian Aid undertake quantitative and or qualitative data collection, under the control and responsibility of the Consultant and with the support of COOPI, Mercy Corps and Christian Aid MEAL units.
• FGDs, interviews and other qualitative methods should be carried out by the assessment team. The assessment team is fully responsible for data cleaning, as well as quantitative and qualitative analyses.
• The Data collected will need to be disaggregated per locations, beneficiary type (e.g. age, sex, PWDs, and type of population) and sector of intervention. The selected locations will be linked to each sector to make clear where exactly (in which part/region/district) the sectoral activities take place and how many beneficiaries are estimated.

Week Three (3)
Assessment Report and Validation Meeting:

• The Consultant and the Assessment team will draft the report, present and share with the programme team. The final assessment report shall be validated by the focal persons from COOPI, Mercy Corps and Christian Aid.

Expected Deliverables By The Consultant/s:

The consultant/s is responsible for the timely delivery of the following:

• An inception meeting report, assessment matrix (maximum 5 pages), data collection tools, methodology and timelines for all the deliverables.
• Databases in excel or other software for qualitative and qualitative data and corresponding analysis;
• Beneficiaries database disaggregated per sex, age, PWDs and type (local, IDPs, Returnees, Refugees)
• A feedback workshop/ presentation meeting with COOPI, Mercy Corps and Christian Aid team to highlight on the major findings and recommendations of the assessment.
• A draft report (maximum 50 pages with an executive summary of no more than 3-4 pages) including findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• A final report that incorporates comments from COOPI, Mercy Corps and Christian Aid team, alongside a response matrix detailing how each comment was handled in the revising of the draft report.
• Databases with quantitative and qualitative evaluation data

Contracting Organ Obligations
The COOPI MEAL Team Lead will be the key contact person for the consultant to ensure that the assessment takes place as planned. COOPI, Mercy Corps and Christian Aid will coordinate the process and schedule all the logistic arrangement including field trips and respondent identification and clearance for the assessment. MEAL Team Lead will be the key contact on logistic arrangement for the consultant to facilitate the assessment.

COOPI, Mercy Corps and Christian Aid will support the consultant through the following:

• Compilation of background documentation and relevant data;
• Scheduling and logistics support for initial interviews and inception work planning;
• Arranging accommodation requirements for the consultant/s during the duration of the fieldwork;
• Rapid review and commenting on outputs and deliverables.
• Scheduling and logistics support for the review/ validation workshop/meeting.
• Mobilization and recruitment of enumerators in the area of data collection.

Ethical Considerations:

• The consultant/s will make it clear to all those participating in the assessment as respondent that they are under no obligation to participate in the assessment if they don’t wish to. All participants will be assured that there will be no negative consequences if they choose not to participate. Informed consent shall be obtained from the study participants after explaining the purpose of the study.
• Participation of all respondents in the assessment shall be on a voluntary basis and respect, dignity, confidentiality, and freedom of each assessment participant will be maintained during and after the survey. No names will be mentioned in the report and other documents presentations to be prepared and as part of this assessment.
• The Consultant, the Assessment team and enumerators will comply with Do No Harm principles and PSEA. All staff will be required to read and sign the Code of Conduct, including PSEA policy, which requires that team members treat all people with dignity. The Consultant, the Assessment team and enumerators will have to receive prior permission for taking and use of visual still/ moving images for specific purposes, i.e., ‘for assessment report and presentations. Consultant/s will assure the participants’ anonymity and confidentiality and will ensure the visual data is protected and used for agreed purpose only.
• Communities and local authorities, including the ministry of humanitarian affairs and the national emergency management authorities and the State Emergency Management Authority will be informed about the assessment and prior approval shall be obtained.

Consultant’s Qualifications, Skills and Experience
COOPI seeks expressions of interest from individual/ companies with the following skills / qualifications:

• Lead consultant/s with an advanced university degree or equivalent in either Social and Developmental Studies, Humanitarian Aid Studies, Statistic or other fields related to Developmental & Humanitarian Aid, Monitoring & Evaluation Studies and Social Scientific Research Studies.
• At least 7-10 years of relevant experience and proven expertise in conducting assessments and studies in relation to Humanitarian Aid Programming and Developmental Programming.
• Demonstrated strong quantitative and qualitative research skills and writing skills;
• Knowledge of the Northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria, Northwest crisis context.
• Ability to work independently and achieve quality results with limited supervision in a complex and security sensitive environment;

Application Closing Date
18th December, 2020.

Note:

• Proficient knowledge and ability to understand and speak the following local languages; Fulani/Fulfulde, Kanuri/Manga and Hausa.
• Female candidates are strongly advised to apply.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.