Consultant for an Urban Contextual Analysis of Freetown Sierra Leone

1. Rationale

Increased disasters, the lack of access to basic services, shelter and land tenure, as well as access to economic opportunities has had a continual impact on the poor and extreme poor populations within the city. Improving the living conditions and resilience of the most vulnerable communities in the city is imperative and requires a cross-sectoral approach. Concern Worldwide, as part of its organizational strategic plan (2016-2020) has renewed its commitment to work in the most poor and vulnerable countries in the world. As part of this commitment, each country must ensure that that they are working in the most disadvantaged areas of the country, meeting the needs of the extreme poorest, most vulnerable and marginalized people living there.

Concern Worldwide has been active in Sierra Leone since 1996, and currently has the majority of its programmes located in Tonkolili District in the Northern Province. Concern has also been working in the Western Area on health and WASH in 20 communities as well as supporting previous emergency responses, the government’s Ebola response and more recently the response to the 2016 mudslide. Concern is also active in a DFID-funded Urban WASH consortium that has been implemented in Freetown since 2010, and has completed a USAID-funded Child Survival Programme in Freetown which closed in June 2017.

Building on that urban experience, Concern Worldwide looks to further develop its urban programming in Freetown, Sierra Leone to support the Government and City Council’s efforts.

In order to address these issues in line with Concern Worldwide’s mandate, a contextual analysis is required as the foundation of this future programming.

The Contextual Analysis will take place in Western Area Urban District, focusing on Freetown and its informal settlements.

1. Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of the contextual analysis is to identify a clear profile of the poor and extreme poor in the Urban Western Area, specifically Freetown and environs, and to identify how our future programming should interact with them.

The key areas of focus for Concern Worldwide are to identify:

· Who are the extreme poor in this context and where are they?

· Why are they poor (immediate causes)?

· What keeps them in extreme poverty?

· What opportunities are available to extremely poor people?

· What needs to change – who is responsible, what is already happening?

· What are strategic options for the future programmes of Concern Sierra Leone in the Western Area?

· What are the needs to be prioritized over the next 5 years

For a full ToR and to apply for this consultancy please contact the Concern Sierra Leone Desk Officer at liam.kavanagh@concern.net