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National Consultancy - To conduct a Baseline study of the project on Adolescent Girls in the regions of Bafatá and Gabu in Guinea-Bissau

Bissau

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Bissau
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Children's rights (health and protection)
    • Sexual and reproductive health
    • Scientist and Researcher
    • Adolescent Development
    • Project and Programme Management
  • Closing Date: Closed

The UNICEF Bissau Country Office is looking for a national consultant to conduct a Baseline study of the project on Adolescents Girls in the regions of Bafatá and Gabu.

UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a champion

Context / Justification:

This phase of the project has as main objective obtaining basic information for the monitoring of the project activities, recommending a possible evaluation of the impact of the interventions carried out during the project execution period in the selected localities (tabancas), as well as in the adolescents' lives and population of these localities (tabancas), and especially in the adolescent girls.

The project focuses on key products related to three pillars: a) Education and empowerment of adolescent girls, b) strengthening the participation of adolescent girls and c) community involvement. In this context, the project incorporates several elements of the participation of adolescents, as reflected in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and included in the conceptual framework of appropriate instruments to measure the results of the community participation of adolescents. On the other hand, the project also includes interventions related to the area where these adolescents live, a particular attention to the voice of adolescents and community involvement to promote the right of adolescents particularly concerning the issues of  Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriage. The project also includes interventions around various elements of social ecology as well as the participation of the adolescents in schools, communities, and other issues of their interest, as well as interventions to establish an institutional framework for the participation of adolescents, such as trainings, social standards, community awareness, etc.

As a global result, in addition to the expected outcomes of direct project interventions, it is possible to envisage a project contribution to the achievement of the effects related to an effective and decisive participation of adolescents. The basic conceptual framework for measuring the effective participation of adolescents identified four groups of indicators that are of extreme importance and can contribute to the success of the project: (i) self-esteem, (ii) be heard, (iii) consulted on decision-making and (iv) the public/civic engagement.

Based on the proposed interventions, two issues could be considered of great importance, especially the effects related to self-esteem and those related to civic/public engagement. However, it would be useful if discussions were conducted in the selected communities to identify the most relevant effects that major project interventions contribute to overall behavior change.

Goals:

The objective of this study is to determine the basic situation of the project of empowerment and participation of adolescents, in the approximately 33 tabancas/localities of the Regions of Bafata and Gabu.

As such, the study should/will:

  • Carry out a mapping of socio-community infrastructures (schools, health centers, community spaces, civil registry service, etc.) in the project intervention area;
  • List the households in the intervention area, paying special attention to the enumeration of adolescents;
  • Design and conduct a survey of adolescents to gather information to determine their level of empowerment and participation, as well as other programme indicators;
  • Have an integrated database of the project baseline situation;

Main tasks:

  • Provide technical assistance to the survey/study management team;
  • Present methodology, tools and guidelines to partners / stakeholders (eg Ministries, NGOs, United Nations Agencies, etc.);
  • Finalize, in collaboration with NGOs and the UNICEF country office, the census and survey plan and budget, including timetable;
  • Ensure that the ethics protocol and other ethical recommendations are taken into account in the process of implementing the survey and that all documents are shared with the national ethics committee in time for approval;
  • Oversee each stage of the survey process and ensure that quality protocols and standards are respected by field teams, in particular during family visits and field supervision;
  • Ensure that external technical analysis is carried out by specialists as well as the final validation of the data;
  • Ensure that all documents and manuals relating to the survey are properly archived during the course of the survey (eg Survey plan and budget, questionnaires, manuals, sampling plan, training reports / tabulation plan, tables, table syntax, data files, report on the results of the survey [and final report], dissemination documents, etc.);
  • Ensure lessons learned, problems and good practices are documented and promptly communicated to the coordinating NGO.

Specific activities:

In collaboration with the coordination team, the national consultant will be responsible for ensuring that the following activities are conducted in accordance with the directives established and should contribute to the coordination of these activities:

Methodology of the survey

Determination of the baseline situation:

This part provides some non-exhaustive elements of the methodology. The consultant should provide a detailed methodology for designing and implementing the collection of information to achieve the project objectives, such as specified above.

As indicated above, the main indicators retained in the project are at the level of the products to be delivered. The baseline situation of some of these indicators can be deducted directly in contact with the community, to the extent that its evolution depends on the implementation of the project, other indicators require to conduct a census, while others need to be measured based on a specific study. In addition, the measurement of performance indicators related to the participation of adolescents in community affairs, always requires a study .

In this context, and in view of the above, two main units of data collection should be considered in accordance with the indicators related both to schools as well as participation of adolescents. The non-experimental approach will be used to determine the situation, mainly because of the deliberate (and not random) selection of project sites.

Cartography / Census:

As 10 years have passed since the last general population and housing census (RGPH), it is pertinent, first and foremost, to carry out a cartographic update of the localities / tabancas through which the project intends to intervene. It is important to mention that a choice was made for the delimitation and choose the regions of Bafata and Gabu,  as well as for selecting the communities that will benefit from project interventions based on mapping of existing interventions in the different programs areas.  A total of 30 communities were selected taking into account convergence between the WASH, Education and Child Protection programmes.

This update of the database (carthrography), can be made either by the National Statistics Institute (INE) as holder of the database from all locations, or by Community Health Workers (ASC) if they have expertise in the field. It is important to involve the ASC, since they live permanently in the locality / tabanca and part of this work has already been done by them, within the scope of their interventions.

The next step will be the enumeration (census) of living families in these selected communities. A preliminary analysis of the census 2009 and the database of the community health programme will be conducted to find the information available on these databases. In the event that the databases do not contain the main information sought, especially in relation to adolescents, an enumeration will be required.

During the process both of the cartography update as well as the enumeration information available for each locality in the RGPH / 2009 files should be considered as a starting point. However, the information collected recently by the Community Health Workers may also be used, if they exist for each of these selected locations. This phase of the work may take at least 1 week if a large number of cartographers are involved and the last RGPH database is made available.

For the census, that will be organized and carried out by the NGOs in charge of implementing the project activities with the technical assistance from the national consultant who will be recruited for this phase of the project, a questionnaire should be prepared containing the questions that should provide pertinent information that will support and monitor the interventions of the project.

Among others, the questionnaire to be applied should allow the collection of  the following information:

  • Name of locality,
  • geographic level sector / region information,
  • Availability of school (type of school, number of students by sex and age)
  • Availability and health care,
  • Availability of a closed hall for community use,
  • Name, age and sex of each head of household,
  • Total number of permanent household members with age and gender information
  • In the case of adolescents (10-18 years) attendance at school

 c) Sampling:

After the update of the information of each locality, the selection phase of the target population of the project intervention will begin.

Both the sampling as well as the methodology for the studies should be proposed by the consultant in accordance with the following concerns:

a) The sample size shall reflect a satisfactory level of accuracy of the indicators at a reasonable cost.

b) The sample should be representative of the number and composition of adolescent girls (10-18 years old) in the project intervention areas;

The sample should allow the appropriate and reliable measurement of the indicators in the project intervention areas. 

 d) Collection of data:

In order to collect the individual data of the residents in the selected communities , another questionnaire should be prepared that can help to obtain information both for all the people living in the community, and particularly the adolescents on each tabanca.

Following information should be collected:

  • Name, sex, age and level of education of the head of the household as well as all members living permanently (6 + months) in the household,
  • Most spoken language in the household,
  • School attendance of children 10- 18 years
  • For teenage girls between the ages of 10 and 18 years, marital status and number of children,
  • Occupation of household members aged 10-18 years
  • Issues related to different output indicators
  • Issues related to the effects of participation of adolescent girls

Questions of the type " Likert-scale " with 5 levels of response (totally disagree , disagree , nor disagree nor agree , agree, strongly agree) will be used to facilitate the measurement of relevant and selected indicators.

The questionnaire will be tested and finalized prior to its use and, for those who go to the administer the questionnaire, a training session of at least 1 week will be necessary, according to the size and complexity of the questionnaire.

Concluded the training phase, and printing of supporting documents for data collection, 1 inquirer  will be placed in each of the communities for a period of 15 days to collect project interest information from all existing families in the community

(e) Treatment and analysis of data:

After collecting data, cleaning and analysis of the data collected will be necessary to then calculate the indicators. For the data treatment and analysis phase, the consultant may use appropriate tools to enable the sponsor to verify and ensure data quality.

After this phase statistical tables for each locality/tabanca will be produced, which will allow us to know the initial state of each locality before the interventions of the project and, if a final evaluation is made, to measure the impact of our interventions on the change of life of the populations. With the tables produced for each locality in depth analysis can be conducted with graphs of several forms.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have...

  • Higher education in economics, demography, statistics, social sciences or any other related technical field

Skills and experience:

  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in the coordination and / or management of quantitative surveys with households;
  • Strong computer skills and strong statistical expertise (familiarity with data processing and analysis programs, in particular SPSS);
  • Experience in the collection of quantitative and qualitative data 'focus-groups';
  • Experience in training and ability to organize and streamline training actions and presentations;
  • Experience in data analysis and writing survey reports.

 Other competencies:

  • Excellent communication skills and interpersonal relationships;
  • Excellent skills verbal and written communication in English and Portuguese;
  • Knowledge and prior work experience in the country and / or the region are highly desirable;
  • Proven ability to work in a multicultural context and to establish harmonious and effective relationships both inside and outside the organization, more specifically with the national statistical offices
  • Proven leadership, management and supervision skills;
  • Ability and willingness to travel frequently in the country and attend regional workshops.

Estimated duration of contract:

The National Consultant should be recruited at the beginning of the planning of the work and continue in the team until the preparation of the report of the survey results (and the final report) and the filing of the survey. If no significant or unforeseen delays happen the survey, the work of the determination of the indicators and the final report can be conducted in two months (May and June).

The duration of the consultant's services should be a minimum of 3 months depending on the time required to complete the entire process. Only candidates who can commit themselves during this whole period will be considered.

The consultant must indicate the monthly fees as well as other travel expenses and Per-diems that he / she wishes to receive for the services to be rendered. This contract does not allow the payment of overtime, medical insurance, taxes and sick leave.

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold part or all of the payment if the performance is not satisfactory, the work/ production is incomplete or is not delivered or the deadlines are not respected.

Expected Results:

  • The profile of each selected community is known,
  • The baseline for each of the indicators selected is established,
  • Other issues that may contribute to obtaining more information for the monitoring and final evaluation of the impact of the project interventions

Indicators that are part of the baseline study:

1. Indicator:  % of adolescents (males) who see school as a safe space

  • Base value: ?????
  • Target: 80%

Means of Verification: Survey with adolescents

2. Indicator:  % of adolescents (Boy+Girls) who consider school as a safe space

  • Base value : ?????
  • Target: 80%

Means of Verification: Survey with adolescents

3. Indicator: % of teachers who reported having increased their knowledge and ability in creating a relative learning environment to sensitive issues such as ' gender '.

  • Base value : ?????
  • Target: 70%

Means of Verification: Survey with teachers

4. Indicator: Number of adolescents reporting use of library

  • Base value : ?????
  • Target: 70%

Means of Verification: Survey with adolescents

5. Indicator: % of adolescents reporting being satisfied with safe spaces

  • Base value : ?????
  • Target: 80%

Means of Verification: Survey with adolescents

6. Indicator: Number of girls and boys attending school

  • Base value : ?????
  • Target: 90%

Means of Verification: Survey with adolescents

7. Indicator: Number of schools meeting national quality standards (at least 6 out of 10 standards)

  • Base value: ????
  • Goal: 30

Means of Verification: Survey of schools

8. Indicator: % of teachers who reported having increased their knowledge and ability to create a supportive and gender-sensitive learning environment.

  • Basic value: 0
  • Target: 100%

Means of Verification: Survey with teachers

 

9.Indicator: Effects related to the participation of adolescents

  • Self- esteem
  • Be taken seriously
  • Decision making
  • civic / public engagement

Means of Verification: Survey with adolescents

UNICEF's core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

 

 

This vacancy is now closed.
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