Consultancy for Study on Adolescent Girls’ Participation in Liberia

Mae Hong Son

Organization: DRC - Danish Refugee Council
Location: Mae Hong Son
Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
Closing Date: Closed

DRC is a global humanitarian organisation that works in more than 30 countries around the world. DRC fulfills its mandate by providing direct assistance to conflict-affected populations – refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs) and host communities in the conflict areas of the world; and by advocating on behalf of conflict-affected populations internationally, and in Denmark, on the basis of humanitarian principles and the Human Rights Declaration.

Since opening its Liberia programme in 1998, DRC has responded to the humanitarian challenges posed by a highly unstable environment through emergency assistance, protection and social cohesion programmes. Starting from 2006, DRC Liberia adopted a cross-border approach to provide protective spaces and livelihood opportunities in relation to population movements across porous areas situated along the Ivorian and Guinean borders, characterised by cultural, economic and historical ties.

The stabilisation process that followed a 14-year civil conflict has shown uneven progress. The country’s economy and institutions are still struggling with the immediate aftermath of the Ebola crisis, which has disrupted livelihoods and exposed the most vulnerable groups of the population to increased protection risks and stigmatisation. Gender disparity and the high prevalence of GBV remain a major humanitarian and development concern. Harmful traditional practices, often propagated through secret societies, can represent an obstacle to the advancement of women in society and to a transparent political process. As part of its multisectoral strategy in Liberian border areas, DRC engages community protection structures and local stakeholders to build resilience and local capacities to cope with external shocks.

The job

DRC is looking for highly qualified service provider to conduct a study and produce a report on adolescent girls’ participation, with the objective of providing relevant authorities and stakeholders with high-quality analysis in order to inform programmes and initiatives targeting adolescent girls.

1. To create and conduct an assessment of adolescent girls participation. This assessment should provide a profile of adolescent girls in the Liberian context looking at 3 major areas

The profile of adolescent girls in target border communities in Liberia: life expectations marriage age, number of children, etc.
Societal perceptions held by adolescent girls: perception of males, of elders, of gender roles, etc.
Adolescent girls’ community level participation: participation in the labor market, in family / community decision making processes, in local government / leadership, etc.

2. To assess the wellbeing, inclusion and aspirations of adolescent girls in 40 DRC target communities and illuminate changes in their socio-economic situation. The study will compare adolescent girls and boys from the same generation, as well as adolescent girls and older women. Areas to be assessed include:

Livelihoods
- Income and Employment
- Cross border market activities
- Food security
- Access to financial services
- Access to and participation in education

Education
- Access to education
- School attendance
- School attainment
- Out-of school learning support
- Vocational education
- Corruption in the education system

Social Capital and values
- Involvement in community groups; decision making
- Availability of structured / organized activities for children and/or girls
- Availability of safe areas for children to pla
- Attitudes towards and relations with local authorities, parents, traditional leaders
- Attitudes with relation to gender roles

Protection and human rights
- Attitudes towards and the prevalence of child abuse
- Attitudes and prevalence of gender based violence
- Knowledge of adolescent girls rights

Health
- Reproductive Health
- Substances abuse
- Access to and use of medical services
- Chronic diseases and disabilities
- Mental health

Migration
- Migration aspiration (domestic and international)
- Places of destination
- Modalities of international migration (regular and irregular)
- Social networks abroad

Marriage and Family Formation
- Spouse selection
- Fertility
- Characteristics of marriage among the youth

Tasks and responsibilities

The consultant or service provider must ensure that the research is as much as possible adapted to the context in remote communities in Liberia. Human rights, protection and livelihood / business development components must be integrated in the research material.

Develop comprehensive data collection tools and questionnaires in regards to the framework outlined above
Organize data collection methods, including in-field visits
Utilize mixed methodologies (quantitative and qualitative) with a focus on gathering first source information through focus groups, field visits, interviews, etc.
Prepare and present a final report of findings for publication, highlighting the impact of DRC programing on target communities

Key deliverables/outputs

Methodology Proposal:
- Terms of reference for sampling and data collection
- Protocols for high quality data collection
- Indicators to measure project impact
Detailed agenda for survey implementation, data collection, and analysis
Provide raw data and survey database
Detailed final report of findings (quantitative and qualitative), including analysis of findings, impacts, and recommendations
Powerpoint presentation of main findings
Presentation and briefing with DRC and stakeholders in Liberia (subject to logistical arrangements)

Requirements

Advanced university degree in Gender Studies, International Development, Statistics, Anthropology, Political Science, or other related field (Master or PhD)
Minimum 3-year experience with designing and conducting assessments, studies and evaluations at field locations
Proven ability and experience in producing high-quality reports
Understanding of protection and gender-related issues in post-conflict contexts
Sound theoretical and practical knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods (sampling, evaluation tools, statistical packages, observation, interviews, focus groups, etc.) including at least one of the following:
- Survey research experience, including development of structured and semi-structured interview and/or observation instruments, by hand and using mid-size survey aids; sample size determination for specific confidence levels and confidence intervals; selection and use of other survey data.
- Qualitative methods, structured or semi-structured group interviews and/or focus groups, including the creation of written instruments and transcripts for same; content analysis and other techniques for coding and transforming group/open-ended data into analyzed information; transformation of qualitative data into a quantitative form that can be merged with other quantitative data in a mixed methods analysis.
Adaptability and flexibility in working within complex and dynamic environment.
Ability to deliver high quality products in a timely manner, with little supervision
Fluency in English

Practical details

Level: The consultant will report to the Country Director. For logistical arrangements while in Liberia the consultant will liaise with the Logistics Coordinator.
Contract lenght: The assignment will require a field mission to Liberia before the finalisation of the report, and it is expected to be concluded within a 9 week timeframe, with a minimum if 4 weeks in the field. DRC will brief the consultant in advance. The security conditions in Liberia are stable; living conditions in the field are basic
Duty station: DRC Liberia can facilitate field missions in Liberia if needed (travel, accommodation, internal transport) to Lofa, Nimba, Maryland and River Gee Counties. Closing date for applications: 27/02/2017
Start date: The assignment should start by 15th March 2017. The final report must be submitted by 30th May 2017.
Family duty station: Non-family Duty Station; various field locations. Contact person: Audrey Crawford, cd-liberia@drc.dk
Other comments: Interested applicants who meet the required profile are invited to submit an expression of interest including:
- For individual consultants: CV with details of qualifications, experience and names of three professional referees.
- For companies/ organisations: Company profile with clear details of qualifications, experience and CVs of staff who would be working on the assignment
- Technical proposal that summarizes understanding of the TOR, methodology and tools to be used.
- Examples of similar training material developed by the consultant / service provider (max. 5,000 words).
- Work-plan clearly indicating the activity schedule.
- Financial proposal providing cost estimates and consultancy fees. Cost estimates shall be inclusive of transport.