SEA Risk Assessment Consultant At International Organization for Migration

Duty Station of the Consultancy: Juba, South Sudan (with travel to multiple filed locations)

Duration of Consultancy: Two months (May and June 2023)

Nature of the consultancy: International Consultancy – SEA Risk Assessment in South Sudan (Category B)

Context:

Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) is a key concern in South Sudan. The conflict, economic hardship, food insecurity, limited access to basic services, and poor living conditions all contribute to a heightened vulnerability crisis affected populations of to all forms of gender-based violence and survival sex. The large presence of peace keeping forces and humanitarian workers in the country further increases the risks of SEA.

The Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) has remained steadfast on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) by all involved in peacekeeping and in the delivery of aid to vulnerable populations; “to protect the weak and those in need and uphold the dignity of every human being under their care.” The prevention of and response to SEA continues to gain momentum not only within the UN and Interagency Standing Committee (IASC) common systems but also amongst governments, institutional partners, media, and the general public. Increased action to address sexual exploitation and abuse is no longer a choice but a necessity, and the rights of the victim must be at the forefront. The Secretary-General’s Report on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: A New Approach (A/71/818) (SG’s New Approach) outlines a victim-centred strategy rooted in transparency, accountability and ensuring justice and focuses on four main areas:

1. Putting the rights and dignity of victims/survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse at the forefront of our efforts;
2. Establishing greater transparency on reporting and investigations to end impunity for those guilty of sexual exploitation and abuse;
3. Building a truly multi-stakeholder network to support the UN effort to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse; and
4. Raising awareness and sharing best practices to end this scourge.

As part of the UN’s strategy to combat sexual exploitation and abuse, PSEA is now acknowledged as a system-wide issue, which requires a common approach and a system-wide response regardless of the country context, the UN alongside NGO alliances and other international organizations have issued directives from the highest levels endorsing standards of Zero Tolerance for inaction to SEA. Under the Prevention area, one of the key activities is the development and follow up of a country Risk Assessment on SEA as part of the UN system-wide responsibility.

The South Sudan PSEA Taskforce was established in 2007 and revitalized in 2016 as a system-wide coordination body, under the leadership of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG), UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC), supported by by two agencies that co-chair the Task Force for up to two years on a rotational basis, with UNHCR and WHO as the current Co-chairs. The PSEA Taskforce includes UN agencies, funds, and programmes, the UNMISS, and all other categories of institutions and entities having direct cooperative and or contractual arrangements with the UN such as international and national NGOs, partners, and service providers. The Taskforce has established 15 field-level PSEA Taskforces, with specific terms of reference in priority risk locations where service providers and aid organizations are present. The taskforces provide oversight to established Community Based Complaint Mechanisms (CBCMs), with different levels of functionality, across high-risk locations in Aweil, Bentiu, Bor, Jamjang, Juba, Kuajok, Maban, Malakal, Mingkaman, Pibor, Rumbek, Torit, Yambio, Yei, Wau.

South Sudan has a system wide comprehensive PSEA Strategy ending June 2023. The PSEA Task Force coordinates the implementation, monitoring and reporting of annual PSEA Action Plans. In line with the current PSEA Strategy and Action Plan, a country-wide SEA Risk Assessment is planned to be conducted during the first half of 2023. to inform the development of the new PSEA Strategy in 2023.

The countrywide SEA risk assessment will support the United Nations Humanitarian and Country Team and United Nation Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to collectively address SEA by anticipating future threats and risks, be better prepared to take action to reduce and/or avoid those threats, identify opportunities for partnership, inform development of the new PSEA strategy and promote management accountability for collective action to address SEA in South Sudan.

It is against this background that the UN Humanitarian and Country team in South Sudan will engage an external international consultant to conduct a Country Wide SEA risk assessment. The objective of the SEA risk assessment will be to understand the risk of SEA happening and how the humanitarian, development and peace keeping actors are addressing the SEA risks. The outcome of the SEA risk assessment will inform strategy to address SEA and promote safe programming. The SEA Risk Assessment, led by the PSEA Taskforce Co-chairs, will be facilitated by an external international consultant, in an inclusive and participatory process. The consultant will work in collaboration with the SEA Risk Assessment Reference Group constituted by the PSEA Taskforce Co-chairs.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing

The consultancy will be placed under the Protection, Gender Equality and Inclusion Unit, IOM South Sudan. The SEA Risk Assessment will be conducted on behalf of the PSEA Task Force in South Sudan.

Outputs – Category B consultant: Tasks to be performed under this assignment.

Under the overall guidance and leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and PSEA Taskforce Co-chairs, and day-to-day guidance of the Head of UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and PSEA Coordinator, the SEA Risk Assessment will be administered by IOM under technical supervision and support of IOM Programme Coordinator (Protection Gender Equality and Inclusion). The consultant will work directly with IOM Protection, GBV and PSEA teams with necessary technical inputs from the PSEA Reference Group to conduct the SEA Risk Assessment.

Specific duties and responsibilities will include:

1. Develop and present an inception report and an action plan for conducting the countrywide SEA risk assessment. The inception report should include updated Terms of Reference (ToR), work plan, detailed methodology, including sampling and data collection and analysis tools, approach, timeline, stakeholder mapping. The consultant will present an initial desk review / literature review of SEA risks no more than 10 pages outlining gaps in information, risks and capacities, stakeholders to provide the missing data and data collection methods. The inception report and updated will be endorsed by the PSEA Taskforce Co-chairs;
2. Train enumerators, collect, and analyse data, and develop a draft SEA risk profile report at State and national level;
3. Develop a consolidated national SEA risk profile for South Sudan, which describes potential risks related humanitarian, development and peace keeping personnel conduct, organizational capacity to address SEA risks, risks of SEA occurring at community level, underlying risk factors including but not limited to enabling environment (laws, policies, practices, institutions and services and gender inequalities); operational context, humanitarian context, the protective environment;
4. Develop a SEA risk mitigation matrix at State and national level.
5. Conduct a multi-stakeholder workshop to validate the draft SEA risk profile;
6. Edit and finalize the SEA risk profiles, report and presentation of the SEA risk assessment based on input provided by the multi-stakeholder validation workshop. The final SEA risk profile will be endorsed by the PSEA Taskforce Co-chairs.

Methodology and approach:

The SEA risk assessment will be conducted in a participatory manner engaging a wide range of stakeholders including the humanitarian, development and peace keeping actors, clusters, sectors, working groups, donors, the UN entities, NGOs, women-led organizations, faith-based organizations, community-based groups, members of the affected communities, civic and political leaders, using an age, gender, and diversity sensitive approach. It will employ quantitative and qualitative tools to capture the different dimensions of risks at institutional, operational, and environmental contexts. The SEA risk assessment will include desk reviews, organizational self-assessments, focused group discussions, key informant interviews, in-person and virtual meetings and workshops, among others.

Expected consultancy deliverables:

1. Inception report detailing understanding of the assignment, updated TOR, work plan, detailed methodology, risk assessment and analysis tools and a summary of initial desk review/ literature review of SEA risks not more than 10 pages;
2. SEA risk registers with risk mitigation strategies for 10 States and three administrative areas of Abyei, Pibor and Ruweng;
3. Final power point presentations of the SEA risk assessment for South Sudan;
4. Final consolidated national SEA risk profile for South Sudan

Education

• Master’s degree in human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs, Development Studies or a related social science field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or
• University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years professional experience in the fields of protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, protection, gender-based violence, accountability to affected populations (AAP), and/or humanitarian affairs at international level.
• Experience undertaking SEA risk assessments, in coordination with communities, partners, and UN and other key stakeholders;
• Demonstrated knowledge of PSEA systems, strategies, standards, and programming/ approaches; general protection and gender-based violence programming;
• Familiarity with UN, humanitarian and development coordination and response architecture.
• Demonstrated ability to work across a wide variety of sectors/teams on cross-cutting themes;
• Ability to organize work, work independently and prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks, maintain attention to detail.

Skills:

• Strong development planning and strategic planning skills coupled with strong writing skills and excellent communication skills and effective in representation and liaison with multiple stakeholders.
• In depth knowledge of mainstreaming best practices and partnership models to ensure coordination of the same across a diversified range of actors; and,
• Ability to work with and maintain strict confidentiality, when necessary.

Travel requirements.

Travel to a few selected field locations across ten states and three administrative areas of Abyei, Pibor and Ruweng. The locations to be determined during the inception phase in collaboration with the Reference Group, to ensure representation / capturing of risks in camp settings, non-camp / urban settings, border areas, and other areas where UN has static or mobile presence across the 10 states and three administrative areas of Pibor, Ruweng and Abyei. Data collection in other field locations may be implemented by trained enumerators, overseen by the consultant.

Competencies

Values

Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.

Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.

Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent, and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.

Core competencies

Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results

Delivering results produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.

Managing and sharing knowledge continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge, and innovate.

Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.

Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring, and motivational way.