INVITATION FOR A CONSULTANCY FOR A BASELINE SURVEY AND FACILATING A LEARNING PROCESS



at
Organisation for Child Development and Transformation (CHADET) and ChildHope UK
in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia













Organisation for Child Development and Transformation (CHADET) http://www.chad-et.org.et and ChildHope UK http://www.childhope.org.uk would like to engage a consultant or team of consultants to undertake a baseline survey and facilitate a learning process on factors/variables of risky child migration and early marriage in selected Woredas of South Gondar Zone of Amhara National Regional State. Specifically, it aims at generating a benchmark data and learning on the following:

1) A baseline survey focusing on: a) Establishing a baseline data focusing on early marriage and risky migration of children b) Generate an analytical report that reflects a wide range of stakeholders’ perspectives that will be used for evaluation and fundraising purposes

2) A learning process that aims at: a) Reviewing the yearly project journey against the baseline survey report. b) Providing the project staff, its stakeholders and CHADET with a fuller understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the process of the project implementation and documentation of the same. c) Generating workable recommendations for future program/project design, implementation, cooperation and impact oriented interventions. d) Describing what is going on in the project and the changes that are taking place with an analysis of how and why and the significant roles CHADET has played in the process of change so that others can learn from this project.

Minimum Requirements: a) Vivid experience in working with issues related to child trafficking, migration, early marriage and harmful traditional practices in Ethiopia; b) Have proven skills and demonstrated expertise in research, data analysis, and in undertaking participatory baseline survey and sensitiveness on gender and social inclusion; c) A minimum of Masters Degree in Social Work, Anthropology, Sociology, or other related fields of Social Science; d) Have excellent conceptual and analytical skills; e) Excellent spoken and written command of the English Language and Amharic; f) Having a substantial experience of coordinating capacity.

Considerations: g) Firms or individuals or group of individuals who have valid Ethiopian licenses and TIN certificates may apply; h) If a team of consultants is preferred, one of the team members shall be female with relevant experience and educational background indicated in the minimum requirements; i) All consultants will have to sign and accept the CHADET’s code of ethics.
How to apply:

Interested applicants must review the detailed terms of reference (annexed to this invitation) and submit their technical and financial proposals by email 5th November 2011 to the following emails: allan@childhope.org.uk and ananniaa@yahoo.com.

For further clarifications, please call: Anania on telephone number +251 115514012 or Allan on +442070650957.


DETAILED TERMS OF REFERENCE
FOR

UNDERTAKING A BASELINE SURVEY AND LEARNING ON SITUATION OF CHILDREN AT RISK OF EXPOSURE TO RISKY MIGRATION IN THREE WEREDAS OF THE SOUTH GONDAR ADMINSTRATIVE ZONE


1. Introduction

Ethiopia has ratified and endorsed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in December 1991. The convention provides the terms and conditions that need to be fulfilled to protect children from all forms of abuse including physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as maltreatment. The Ethiopian Government has incorporated an article (article 36) in the constitution of the country which stipulates that “children are not to be subjected to exploitative practices, neither to be required nor permitted to perform work which may be hazardous or harmful to his or her education, health or well being.”
Despite the existence of policies and legislation, which provide for the protection of children, there is huge gap in their practical implementation and enforcing the legislations related to the realization of the protection of children. The contribution and commitment of NGOs is a breakthrough in trying to address the problem of abuse and exploitation of children and bringing the issue to the forefront. In this regard, some initiatives have been undertaken by the government and other stakeholders that include the formulation of the National Action Plan on Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, revised Family Code of Ethiopia, National Action Plan for the Elimination of the Worst forms of Child Labor etc. This has created a better environment for the implementation of child-focused projects. The Government of Ethiopia also set up a structure that is in charge of Children, Youth and Women.

Children in difficult circumstances, particularly girls are highly exposed to the worst forms of violence including child marriage, FGM, rape, abduction and exposure to the risks of sexual exploitation. Besides, many children are being trafficked or migrating from rural to urban areas and become victims of sexual and labor exploitation along their way and in their destinations. In some cases these problems are further compounded by harmful traditional practices of which child marriage, abduction and female genital mutilation are the most serious. As a result, huge numbers of children in Ethiopia are still very far from having their needs fulfilled. Major reasons for these are found to be deep-rooted in the poor socio-economic situation where the children are living but also inequalities based on age, income and gender, which are partly manifested in harmful practices (such as child marriage).

Organization for Child Development and Transformation (CHADET) is an NGO that works for the improvement of the livelihood of children found under difficult circumstances. Over the past years, CHADET has been implementing projects for the prevention, protection and rehabilitation of children exposed to sexual exploitation in and around the biggest commercial center of the city of Addis Ababa where the problem is much higher. Through implementing such projects, CHADET was able to deliver different services for thousands of Street and Working Children (SWC) who were exposed and/or at risk of exposure to sexual abuse and exploitation. Although CHADET was able to achieve encouraging results in implementing the aforementioned project, it has learnt the fact that there are many young girls migrating from the rural areas who are contributing to the ever-increasing number of children exposed to sexual exploitation. This led to a study on “Migration Patterns of Children Exposed to Sexual Exploitation”, which was undertaken in selected Administrative Zones of Amhara Region in 2005. The study revealed that large majority of sexually abused and exploited children have migrated from the rural areas, mostly from Amhara Region, in search of better opportunities in towns and major cities within and outside the Regional State. Lack of information and awareness on risky migration, child marriage, family discord and disintegration and poverty/poor living condition were found to be the major push factors for the children.

Based on the findings of the study and recommendations obtained from the research, CHADET launched a prevention and rehabilitation project in three Woredas of South Wello administrative zones of the Amhara Regional State. The achievements made thus far in implementing a rural-based prevention project in South Wello have been found to be encouraging. The project mainly focuses on undertaking different activities among children in and out of schools, local communities and government stakeholders. On the other hand, several Woredas in South Gondar Zone in general and Fogera, Farta, and Libo-Kemkem in particular are among the major districts in the Amhara Regional State where child migration is observed. Debre Tabor and Woreta are the major transit towns where high influxes of migrant children from surrounding Kebeles come before moving to their next destination towns and cities such as Bahir-Dar and Gondar. Once in the transit towns, the girls are highly subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation in striving to continue their travel to their final destinations within and outside the Amhara State. CHADET believes that addressing a problem like this needs change in the attitude of children, parents and/or guardians, opinion leaders, policy makers and all other stakeholders through awareness raising, developing skills and capacity building.

Based on the lessons drawn thus far, CHADET is currently initiating a comprehensive rural-based project in Debre Tabor to be implemented in three Woredas of South Gondar Administrative Zone of the Amahra State. The project will mainly be focusing on empowering children and in enhancing the participation of communities on child protection issues, and working closely with key government institutions and community structures.

The overall objective of the project is to reduce the risks of exposure of girls to street involvement and sexual abuse and exploitation as a result of migrating to urban centers. Moreover, the project has the following specific objectives:

 Reduce the number of female children exposed to sexual exploitation as a result of migrating to the urban centers in the target areas by 2013;
 Empower children, communities and other duty bearers to play a pro-active role in the prevention of the risk of exposure to sexual abuse and exploitation of girls in the target Woredas,
 Reintegrate 2,000 children (boys and girls);
 Strengthen the capacity of local structures and networks so as to protect the risks of exposure of children to sexual exploitation and provide support.

2. Rationale and aims
CHADET is interested in piloting a detailed and rigorous monitoring, evaluation and learning process in its Debra Tabor project for its own management and review as well as for its supporters (like ChildHope and the Amhara National Regional State Government) and donors including Comic Relief. The South Gondar project aims to reduce risky migration on the assumption that this will prevent abuse to children who are at risk of involvement in street life (at worst sexual exploitation) and harmful child labour. Earlier research indicated that lack of information about the prevailing situation in the urban centers and early marriage were found to be significant push factors while economic opportunity is a pull factor. However, CHADET plans to conduct its own independent baseline before the commencement of the project that provides a benchmark to later project outcomes and impacts. Furthermore, CHADET plans to set up the learning process to find out in systematic ways whether these assumptions hold up and the extent to which our interventions are effective.
Therefore, CHADET is commissioning an external social researcher to undertake
2.1. A baseline survey focusing on the following major objectives
(a) Establishing a baseline data focusing on early marriage and risky migration of children
(b) Generate an analytical report that reflects a wide range of stakeholders’ perspectives that will be used for evaluation and fundraising purposes

2.2. A learning process that aims at:
(a) Reviewing the yearly project journey against the baseline survey report
(b) Providing the project staff, its stakeholders and CHADET with a fuller understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the process of the project implementation and documentation of the same.
(c) Generating workable recommendations for future program/project design, implementation, cooperation and impact oriented interventions
(d) Describing what is going on in the project and the changes that are taking place with an analysis of how and why and the significant roles CHADET has played in the process of change so that others can learn from this project.
The findings of the survey will, therefore, help CHADET to plan effectively and coherently in its effort to realize the objectives of the project in a systematic way and provide guiding pillars to measure achievements and results towards the objectives. Furthermore, it will serve as a pilot to test out and develop appropriate M & E tools for all other CHADET projects. It will identify the key stakeholders in child protection and their inter-relationship or role in addressing this problem. Besides it will help to examine the optimal and most effective approaches for its early intervention and rehabilitation work. Finally it will be an opportunity to explore the perceptions of CHADET and its intervention from the viewpoint of a range of stakeholders.

3. Preliminary Research Questions
The research questions that are suitable to meet the above objectives shall be crafted and developed by the competent bidder (s). However, the following are provided as a spring board for the successful candidate (s).

3.1. Research Questions Related to the Baseline Survey

While addressing the following questions and developing further research questions to establish the baseline data and in the analytical report, CHADET wants to see early marriage and risky migration of children disaggregated by sex, age cohort, parental socio-economic background and season.

 What are the major causes/variables of early marriage and risky migration of children in the target Woredas and selected Kebeles and how are they interlinked and what variations are there between selected Kebeles?
 Which variables have strong causal relationships with child vulnerability in general and early marriage and risky migration of children in particular?
 What are the degree, magnitude, incidence and character of early marriage and risky migration of children from these Woredas and selected Kebeles?
What do children and community members perceive and understand about the risks of early marriage and risky migration of children, CHADET’s intervention and CHADET as an organization?
 What other interventions and organizations are tackling early marriage, risky migration of children, and other harmful traditional practices in the selected Woredas and Kebeles?

3.2. Questions guiding the learning process shall focus on the following

(a) Review the yearly journey of CHADET and the project in terms of addressing the major variables identified and their relevance & impact in changing the situation of early marriage and risky migration of children in the target community and how the change has happened focusing on (a) the target 20 Kebeles in the first phase and (b) in the other 20 Kebeles in the second phase?
(b) Identify the major success stories and challenges CHADET and the project have faced while playing their roles in the change process (in terms of project/program design, implementation, partnership/collaboration, etc).
(c) Document the lessons drawn for further learning and improving the quality of interventions, present in a panel/forum/workshop organized for this purpose and produce a camera ready document by incorporating the comments from the workshop
Note that CHADET wants to redo the baseline survey in the learning process and the sources of information, research questions and sampled households, individuals, groups and institutions during the baseline survey and learning process are identical in principle.

Since the social researcher is expected to adopt a participatory, ethnographic approach in this research other questions relating to child protection, CHADET and other stakeholders may arise out of interviews and conversations with informants. The consultant should follow these themes as they emerge but report regularly to his/her line manager about these trends to ensure that the research is coherent.

4. Methodology
Applicants will be responsible for developing an appropriate methodology to conduct the learning process and it will be one of the tender assessment criteria. The instruments will be framed in line with the objectives and core thematic areas outlined in the ToR. This learning process should consist of a mixture of in-depth qualitative and quantitative methods. The process should be informed by an ethnographic approach. This means an emphasis will be on (a) understanding the perspectives of children, their families and other stakeholders involved in child protection interventions in the intervention Woredas, (b) the links between different issues pertaining to child protection within the context of children’s lives.

In terms of location, although the intervention will be starting in 20 Kebeles at the beginning of the programme, the learning process will cover all 40 Kebeles that have been selected as potential intervention areas for this project. This will enable the researcher to contrast the areas where CHADET has been working with Kebeles where project activities are not yet started. It is expected that the researcher will interview people in a wide range of sites, including their homes, in public spaces (e.g., before/after community conversations), schools, police stations, CHADET’s temporary shelters, CHADET/NGO/government offices. Regarding the major sources of information, CHADET believes that the survey should apply participatory methods and include extensive and meaningful consultation with children and involve all local key stakeholders related to child protection. However, particular emphasis and focus should be given to the following sources of information.

Level 1: Children who are in and out of school in the target community

Level 2: Parents and communities
2.1. Religious leaders
2.2. Community leaders, eminent personalities
2.3. Bus station workers/associations
2.4. Representatives from parents

Level 3: Stakeholders and partners with focus on Woreda and Kebele level
3.1. Women, children and youth affairs offices
3.2. Police, with emphasis on child protection units (CPU)
3.3. Schools
3.4. Labour and Social Affairs Offices
3.5. Woreda and Kebele administration offices
3.6. Transport

Furthermore, to find out about changes brought out partly as a consequence of the project, it will be important to complement the perspectives of children, their families and other stakeholders with data from local government (especially schools and the police). For example, to find out changes in the patterns of risky migration, the consultant should collect information (a) from schools about school retention and completion rates in Kebeles where CHADET is working as well as in Kebeles where CHADET is not yet working, (b) from bus stations, the number of children migrating alone in CHADET’s intervention areas and non-CHADET areas, C) Police records on the number of children migrating alone in CHADET’s intervention areas and non-CHADET areas. The researcher will also be expected to compile longitudinal case studies with at least fifty/50/ children of varying ages. The consultant will also carry out a desk review and analysis of existing literature on child migration, child marriage and the risks of exposure to sexual abuse and exploitation in Ethiopia.

Once the consultant has been selected on the basis of a summary of the methodology, a more detailed proposal should be developed as the first stage of this learning process. This will be presented to the Advisory Panel to be set up by CHADET. The Advisory Panel and CHADET’s Managing Director will guide the researcher during the course of the project.

5. Roles of the contracting Parties

5.1. Obligations of the consultant:
The consultant is expected to:
 Submit the profile of the consulting team/firm with technical and financial proposals to undertake the work;
 Review all relevant documents pertinent to the project;
 Design a workable learning process and present it to CHADET before the execution of the work;
 Show the time frame (the start and end date of the study);
 Submit the yearly and final draft of the report on hard and soft copies on time;
 Present final drafts to CHADET, the Advisory Panel (annually) and other stakeholders in a workshop (in the final year) and incorporate comments to finalize it.

5.2. Obligation of CHADET
 Appraises the methodology and relevant data collection tools, instruments and schedules of work in accordance to the inception report and reach at final agreement with the successful firm in a mutual understanding way.
 Give brief description of the project along with planned activities,
 Facilitate linkages with all relevant individuals/organizations that are involved in the implementation of the project and enable cooperation with CHADET project staff in South Gondar,
 Set up the Advisory Panel consisting of CHADET, ChildHope, Ethiopian Researchers and representatives of relevant Government Bureau of Amhara State and hold the meetings on yearly basis where the consultant presents the findings of the learning process along with workable recommendations.
 Comment on the draft baseline and yearly learning process reports
 Facilitate payments according to the agreements reached with the consulting firm


6. Lines of Communication
The consultant, in undertaking the review, will report to the Managing Director of CHADET or the designated person delegated by him. The senior staff of CHADET shall be liaised with or consulted regarding aspects of the consultancy and this should be correctly done without undermining normal lines of responsibility.

7. Deliverables
The consultant will prepare
• Technical and financial proposals describing the steps in conducting the baseline survey and learning process along with relevant and appropriate research design, data collection instruments and methods for data collection and the financial plan;
• Inception report: The inception report should indicate the preliminary preparation of the consultant about the process of the baseline survey and learning process, approach, methodology, implementation arrangements along with the Gantt chart and checklists for data collection for comments and feedback;
• Draft baseline survey and yearly learning process reports to be submitted to CHADET for comments and feedback
• Present the findings of the learning process in a validation workshop for a wide range of stakeholders. He/She should also incorporate the comments from the validation workshop to prepare a final report.
• Final Report of the baseline and learning process: Analytical document incorporating the feedback on the draft report, and indicating the results of the learning;
• These deliverables (both draft and final) are to be prepared in English and submitted at least in two hard copies along with an electronic copy to CHADET.

8. Time frame
The baseline survey is expected to be completed within a maximum period of 45 days beginning the signing of the contractual agreement. However, the learning process is to be submitted on yearly bases (both the draft and final documents) incorporating comments and opinions of all key stakeholders at the end of the agreed period. This learning process is expected to last for three consecutive years.

9. Qualifications of Consultant(s)
The leader of the team is required to have the following qualifications and experiences
a) A minimum of Masters Degree in Social Work, Anthropology, psychology, development studies, Sociology, or other related fields of Social Science;
b) Have proven skills and demonstrated expertise in research, data analysis, and in undertaking participatory baseline survey and sensitiveness on gender and social inclusion;
c) Have excellent conceptual and analytical skills;
d) Excellent spoken and written command of the English Language and Amharic
e) Having a substantial experience of coordinating capacity.

Qualified and interested individuals and firms should submit electronic copies of their Technical and Financial proposals to the following emails: allan@childhope.org.uk and ananniaa@yahoo.com.

For further clarifications, please call: Anania on telephone number +251-1-15514012 or Allan on +44-2070-650957.






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