Consultancy-Protection Assessment NRC South Sudan At Norwegian Refugee Council

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Background

South Sudan remains one of the most severe protection crises in the world with high levels of GBV and significant gross human rights violations. Protection challenges in the form of violence, coercion, exploitation, discrimination, abuse, deliberate deprivation, or neglect of vulnerable individuals/groups threaten the safety, dignity and wellbeing of displaced and conflict affected persons. Flooding has continued to increase vulnerability and expose communities, particularly children and women, to multiple protection risks including violence, loss of life, injury, family separation, gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, and other protection risks associated with negative coping mechanisms. Continued displacement has weakened the protective environment, undermined resilience, and challenged recovery due to the extensive destruction of property that accompanied these crises.

Repeated shocks have weakened community-based structures and services, and limitations to access services will continue to push families to adopt negative coping mechanisms that expose the vulnerable, particularly children and women, to violence, exploitation, abuse, recruitment, trafficking, child labor, and forced marriage. According to the 2021 FSMNS+, an average of 7 per cent of children drop out of school due to various reasons including high costs associated with education, forced/early marriage, distance to school, and cattle keeping responsibilities. Continued outbreaks of violence, food insecurity, and floods in some parts of the country continue to weaken the protective environment for children and significantly impair the capacity of families to appropriately care for children, putting them at risk of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Climate shocks, severe drought, massive flooding, and conflicts have contributed to the increase in GBV risks.

In South Sudan, NRC is through static presence delivering humanitarian assistance and responding to humanitarian needs by providing assistance such as shelter, education, food security, livelihoods, legal assistance, and water, sanitation and hygiene sectors to most vulnerable communities in North (Wau, Alek and Aweil), Jonglei (Bor, Twic East and Akobo), Unity (Mayom, Koch and Leer) and Central Equatoria (Juba and Kajo Keji). NRC in South Sudan also provides lifesaving assistance to vulnerable people through mobile emergency teams.NRC seeks to carry out a protection assessment in selected areas on Unity, Jonglei and Central Equatoria states to is to provide essential information about protection risks, capacities, and vulnerabilities specific to conflict affected populations (internally displaced persons, returnees, and host populations).

The consultant will be engaged by the NRC South Sudan Country Office to conduct a protection assessment in 5 counties namely Akobo and Bor South (Jonglei state), Kajo Keji (Central Equatorua state); Koch and Leer (Unity State) that will inform NRC protection programming in South Sudan. In particular, the objectives of the assessment are 1) To identify and establish the different protection risks and issues affecting women, men, boys, and girls (WMBGs) and elder of different age groups including elderly persons living with and without a disability. 2) To establish existing strategies and resources used by WMBGs to identify, mitigate, and respond to identified protection risks and issues. 3) To establish the different protection and other essential services available, access by people at heightened risk and main access barriers to available services

Deliverables

• An inception report which responds to the scope of work detailing an overview of secondary data review, proposed methodology, detailed work plan and budget.
• Final data collection tools and analysis plans
• A field work implementation plan.
• Validation and feedback workshop with NRC team
• A final assessment report incorporating feedback from NRC and detailing methodology, context and analyzed findings and recommendations.
• A summarized PowerPoint presentation on main findings, recommendations, and conclusions for debrief and dissemination purposes
• Appropriate annexes, notes, and a bibliography must be included and completed to a professional publishable standard as part of the final report.

Methodology

The consultant(s) will be expected to adopt a mixed method approach which will entail combining qualitative and quantitative methods. A solid assessment methodology will be developed by the consultant and presented in the inception report, including a detailed data collection approach matrix. The assessment team will develop data gathering instruments and methods which allow collecting age, sex and displacement status disaggregated data.

The instruments need to make provision for the triangulation of data where possible. Outlined below is the suggested methodological approach for the consultant(s) to collect quantitative and qualitative data.

• Desk and document review of all relevant documentation.
• Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. This would include a sample of project beneficiaries, key government officials, representatives of both national and international non-governmental organizations, implementing partners working in the areas and key NRC programme and support teams (including area and field offices)
• A questionnaire survey which will be administered among a sample of stakeholders, to complement the qualitative information collected through KIIs

Criteria for selection

• Master’s Degree in Social Sciences, Community Development, or other related fields and extensive experience in protection in humanitarian and emergency contexts.
• Extensive knowledge of the context and demonstrate a strong understanding on matters related to protection.
• A strong understanding of gender, humanitarian and protection issues and the social, cultural and economic context.
• Is familiar with social and cultural norms, and attitudes especially in relation to protection.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting protection assessments with excellent proven experience conducting assessments and research using various methodologies such as in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, etc.
• Previous experience undertaking similar assignments in remote and/or hard-to-reach areas
• Excellent report writing and quantitative and qualitative data collection and analytical skills.
• Fluency in English, knowledge or Nuer and Dinka will be an added advantage
• Experience in working with NGOs, CBOs, and displaced population and communities.
• Extensive experience in gender and protection analysis
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills.

Timeline

The exercise will take place between July and September 2022

Fore more details click on the Job Description