-Terms of Reference Consultancy –

Local Community Based Solutions for Economic Resilience study

Title of the study:	Community based solutions for economic resilience – Building on local knowledge and knowhow to respond to climate change challenges
Objective of the mission:	Lead the overall process of the study in close collaboration with the headquarter technical specialist and staff of identified programmes
Duration of the mission:	± 70 days
Location of the mission:	Home based with missions (Nepal, Madagascar, Ethiopia)
ToR last update:	15/03/2024

Table of Contents

1. Introduction & context 1
2. Presentation of the study. 2
3. Presentation of the assignment 5
4. Requested profile. 7
5. Application process. 7

 

1.    Introduction & context

The context of climate change and other environmental changes exacerbates exposure to shocks and stressors (such as drought, floods, conflict, and epidemics) for vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities. It is crucial that economic inclusion programmes contribute to strengthening the resilience of targeted communities and individuals, particularly in relation to their livelihoods. Livelihoods, often the most vulnerable to shocks and stressors (such as agriculture, markets, and transportation), can hinder vulnerable populations from meeting their basic needs and further deteriorate their socio-economic situation even after the shock.

Humanity and Inclusion (HI) – previously known as Handicap International – is an independent and impartial aid organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. HI is working in more than 60 countries over the World.

International organizations, such as Humanity & Inclusion, aim to support those vulnerable individuals and communities to strengthen their resilience capacity towards those types of event. However, they often fail to assess and built on existing adaptation capacities in the face of disasters and stressors, and involving them meaningfully to support local solutions. Moreover, the impacts of crises are intensified for women and persons with disabilities as they encounter several additional barriers and are often excluded. These factors should be considered to ensure participation and adaptation of those solutions to these marginalized populations.

HI would like to conduct a study which would support the organization to improve its livelihoods programming by having a better understanding of local practice and capacities and build on existing adaptation strategies adopted by individuals (including persons with disabilities) and communities affected by climate change.

 

2.    Presentation of the study

2.1.            Study objectives

The study aims at identifying and documenting local practice, knowledge and knowhow on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies adopted by vulnerable households and communities to secure and protect their livelihoods in three geographic areas. The goal is to leverage existing local solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation to inform HI programming on economic inclusion.

The specific objectives are as follows:

1. Analyze the level of risk incurred by the different vulnerable groups, considering: exposure to main hazards related to climate change, prevalence frequency and intensity, specific vulnerabilities (such as disability, gender, age) and the capacity to cope and adapt (i.e. overall level of information, awareness, presence of coping strategies, etc.). Risk analysis must include the voices of the affected communities by analyzing the perception of the risks by the populations themselves.
2. Map and analyze the different mitigation and adaptation strategies adopted by households and communities, that aims reducing the economic vulnerability of households and communities to climate change-related phenomena. This will include an analysis of positive and negative impacts of these strategies and identifying the main success factors for their effectiveness.
3. Based on the above, provide an analysis of the strategies’ potential for replication (selection criteria and number to be defined) – including barriers and enablers to their adoption by households and/or communities.
4. Document strategies of households that include one or more persons with disabilities[1] (either as head of household or as member of the household).

2.2.            Use of findings/ finding’s target audience

HI is committed to investing in evidence-based programming. This research will provide an opportunity to identify concrete actions to be implemented by HI, communities, authorities, and/or individuals/households to support the adoption of effective mitigation and adaptation strategies to climate change. The results will be presented and used as a basis for reflection as part of a working seminar organized later in 2024 on this topic, which will bring together HI teams (of various profiles (operational and technical) and countries) and partners.

2.3.            Location

The study will focus on communities in three targeted areas (e.g. districts level) where HI has on-going activities. The geographical areas for the study will be selected in three pre-identified countries validated during the inception phase of the consultancy. The three countries, Nepal, Madagascar and Ethiopia are all exposed to heavy weather phenomena exacerbated by climate change.

2.4.            Methodology

The consultants are responsible for the methodology design, implementation and follow-up.

However, consultants are expected to propose an approach that necessarily includes the following aspects, otherwise proposals may be not selected:

• Methods:
  • A literature review and desk review to produce an overview of the knowledge already produced on the subject in the target geographical areas and to list and document mains hazards related to climate change that are faced by vulnerable households and current and foreseen socio-economic impacts and documented risks and strategies in the selected areas.
  • Primary data collection, based on qualitative approaches (face to face interview, key informant interview, focus group discussion, observation) to make visible and use the local knowledge and know-how of the populations affected.
  • Working workshops with HI representatives and partners to identify key criteria to define if mitigation and adaptation strategies to climate change are effective and select the promising strategies to be analyzed deeper.
• Cross-cutting approaches:
  • The methodological proposal is expected to be gender and disability sensitive, both in the ways in which information is collected (sampling, tools adaptation…) and in the outcomes observed. Women and persons with disabilities are often unequally affected by those shocks and often disregarded and excluded in identifying and participating to solutions of their communities.
  • Consultants are also asked to propose a participatory method, i.e. actively including representatives of the populations affected in the research cycle (design, data collection or dissemination, etc.).

It would be appreciated if consultants would also consider drawing on local expertise in terms of conducting surveys and research, in particular by teaming up with local institutes or stakeholders.

Finally, the consultancy will involve working closely with several departments and programs: the Social Department (Economic Recovery Global Technical Specialist), the Protection Department (Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation – Unit Manager), the Innovation, Impact & Information Division (research specialist) and teams in countries (project managers and field specialists, MEAL manager, other persons of interest).

2.5.            Ethics

The research methodology must respect international ethics standards and be in line with the Humanity & Inclusion guidance note “Studies and research at Handicap International: Promoting ethical data management”[2]. The proposal must describe how the following recommendations will be implemented operationally:

• Guarantee the security of subjects, partners, and teams,
• Ensure a person or community-centered approach,
• Obtain subjects’ free and informed consent,
• Ensure referral mechanisms are in place,
• Ensure the security of personal and/or sensitive data at all stages of the activity,
• Ensure the expertise of the teams involved and the scientific validity of the activity,
• Obtain authorization from the relevant authorities (ethics committee if necessary and local stakeholders)

 

3.    Presentation of the assignment

3.1.            Overall objective of the expert mission

The objective of the assignment is to lead the overall process of the study “Community based solutions for economic resilience – Building on local knowledge and knowhow to respond to climate change challenges”. This includes developing protocol and data collection tools, planning and ensure data collection and analysis, producing reports and presenting findings.

3.2.            Expected results

The expected results are:

• A methodology that is sensitive to disability and gender and participatory is developed to address the specific objectives.
• An assessment of the risks related to climate change faced by vulnerable communities and households and an analysis of the mitigation and adaptation strategies reported and adopted by the populations in the two selected areas are produced.
• A detailed examination of households with a disabled person is produced to highlight the specific characteristics linked to this vulnerability factor.
• A deep dive of practices identified in collaboration with HI as promising for replication in future economic resilience projects is carried out.

3.3.            Deliverables

All deliverables must be produced in English.

	Deliverables	Recipients	Dissemination	Delivery deadlines
1-	1 final Protocol	HI	Internal	Beginning of mission
2-	Final data collection tools (interview guide, questionnaire, observation grid…)	HI	Internal	Beginning of mission
3-	1 catalogue of mitigation and adaptation strategies per country	HI, Donors, Partners, Authorities	External	Mid mission
4-	1 meeting to present identified strategies and select strategies to be deep dived per country	HI	Internal	Mid-term
5-	1 2-pages document with main findings per country	HI, Donors, Partners, Authorities	External	End of mission
6-	1 final report (covering both countries)	HI, Donors, Partners, Authorities	External	End of mission
7-	1 Workshop to discuss findings & formulate recommendations for programming	HI	Internal	End of mission

3.4.            Timeline & location

The consultant(s) can start at the earliest opportunity. Findings should be available for September 2024 the latest as the working seminar will happen during the last quarter of 2024.

Requested availability: 70-80 days over the period from May to September 2024, with at least 3 missions on the field (Nepal, Madagascar and Ethiopia).

The consultant(s) can be based anywhere, but it is essential to plan at least 1 mission in each country (3 countries).

The following milestones are indicative but are intended to share sponsors’ expectations more clearly:

Activities

Method design (including inception meeting, protocol development and validation, definition of the criteria to be analyzed, data collection tools…)

Risks identification and mitigation and adaptation strategies in the country 1 (including literature review, field mission for primary data collection on risks and strategies, meeting with HI to select the promising strategies, data collection for deep-dive, data analysis…)

Risks identification and mitigation and adaptation strategies in the country 2 (including literature review, field mission for primary data collection on risks and strategies, meeting with HI to select the promising strategies, data collection for deep-dive, data analysis…)

Risks identification and mitigation and adaptation strategies in the country 3 (including literature review, field mission for primary data collection on risks and strategies, meeting with HI to select the promising strategies, data collection for deep-dive, data analysis…)

Catalogue, research report and 2pages documents production and validation

Findings presentation and work on recommendation for future programming

3.5.            Budget

The financial proposal must include all costs for expertise (consultancy fees), travels and related costs (travels, accommodation…), and fields research related costs (investigator per diems, translator pay, software, etc.).

4.    Requested profile and expertise

This tender is open to individuals or team of consultants.

Required:

• Proficiency in written and oral institutional communication in French and English
• Demonstrated some level of understanding of livelihoods, economic resilience, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation ;
• Proven experience in conducting research anthropological/ ethnographic research;
• Proven experience in conducting research using participatory approaches;
• Proven and recognized experience in methods of data collection, processing and analysis (quantitative and/or qualitative and/or secondary data),
• Demonstrated skills and experiences in designing and engaging in disability and gender sensitive qualitative data collection research and analyzing qualitative data;
• Used to produce evidence to support scaling up initiatives at national level,
• Excellent knowledge of ethical standards,
• Used to work with project teams in the humanitarian sector

Desired:

• Proficiency in written and oral institutional communication in French
• Experience in conducting studies that include people with disabilities (e.g., adapting communication tools or materials);
• Having institutional partnership with local research institutes

5.    Application process

Applications must include:

• In relation to the consultant/ the firm:
• A curriculum vitae (training, experience in the areas mentioned above)
• A list of key publications related to the topic of this consultancy with links to documents (when possible)
• In relation to the technical proposal:
• A methodological proposal to conduct this research, including, a minima: Understanding of the study’s issues and of the terms of reference; background; presentation of the objectives; presentation of the methodological framework: study design, data collection methods, selection of participants, data processing, data analysis, quality monitoring mechanisms; ethical considerations
• A timeline, including research planning, implementation and reporting activities
• A financial proposal including, a minima, details of the /research’s consultancy fees, travels and related costs (travels, accommodation…), and fields research related costs (investigator per diems, translator pay, software, etc.).

 

Please, send all required documents before 02/05/2024 to consultances@hi.org.

[1] The definition of disability here is in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities meaning persons who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

[2] Humanity & Inclusion. 2015. Studies and research at Handicap International: Promoting ethical data management.

Available here: https://www.hi.org/sn_uploads/document/EthicalDataManagementGN-04.pdf