Endline Study for Safe to Learn Project

Background

The IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. The IRC was founded in 1933 to respond to the needs of people vulnerable to conflict around the world. Since then, it has expanded and evolved to become one of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations. In 2016, more than 26 million people benefited from IRC programs and those of its partner organizations. Today, the IRC continues to serve communities with emergency relief and reconstruction assistance, including child protection programming, operating in both refugee and host communities affected by conflict and disaster. The IRC in South Sudan has been providing humanitarian assistance since 1989. In 2020, with support from the Partnership for End Violence against Children, the IRC received funding to support safe learning for children in Schools and community in Panyijiar County, Unity State.

Project Location Context

Within South Sudan, 2.5 million children are in need of protection from violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation and require sustained child protection services. Panyijiar is severely affected by inter-communal conflict, revenge killing, displacement, and children being recruited into the armed forces (SS HNO 2020). In Panyijiar, only 24,608 students (42% girls) have been registered in 52 schools. Unsafe schooling conditions due to insecurity, inaccessible locations, and poor infrastructure have resulted in 25% of girls feeling unsafe on playgrounds, 20% of pupils feeling unsafe on their journey to school, and nearly half feeling unsafe using school toilets (GEPSS, 2017-2022). Corporal punishment, verbal abuse, and negative discipline measures utilized by teachers supplement physical and psychological abuse endured by children by their families. Cultural barriers, bullying, and lack of access to sanitary pads and essential personal hygiene services increase the likelihood of adolescent girls to drop out of school and enter early marriages. Moreover, the closure of schools due to COVID-19 has increased psychosocial distress, child abuse, exploitation, and sexual violence within the home.

Objectives of the Project

The Safe to Learn project applied different evidence-based program approaches to reduce school-related safety factors, introduced and supported schools with positive behavior management, and reduce physical and emotional abuse.Parents participated in IRC’s FMD program approach to decrease and prevent violence against children in the home. The SAFE component equipped adolescents with positive coping strategies while encouraging equitable, respectable, and nonviolent treatment of their peers. The main project objectives will focus on:

Outcome: Reduction of violence against children in and around schools through the provision of evidence-based tools and approaches in Panyijiar County, Unity State in South Sudan.

The outcome of this project is about preventing students from experiencing physical, psychological, or sexual abuse by teachers, school leaders, administrators, or other students, parents or caregivers, community members; it is about girls and boys being and perceiving that they are in a safe, caring, predictable and cooperative learning environment; and about being physically safe from environmental hazards and attacks while in and around school.

Objective 1:Strengthen prevention and response at the school level

• Output 1.1: Schools are supported to demonstrate positive behavior management practices and safety for girls and boys.
• Output 1.2: Strengthen the capacity of caregivers and children to create a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment in and around schools.
• Output 1.3: Schools provide an opportunity for girls and boys who experienced or are at risk of violence, to recover and thrive.

Objective 2: Shift social norms and behavior change

• Output 2.1: Community members have greater exposure to message about violence against children, gender equity and respect for the rights of all children and adolescents.
• Output 2.2: Community-Based Child Protection Networks (CBCPN) are established, and their capacity is strengthened to influence non-violent norms and values in their community.

Geographical coverage and target population

The endline study will be conducted in Panyijiar (Unity State). Focus will be on project location and target population in the design document.

Study Duration

The baseline study is estimated to take 30 working days including field work and report compilation period. The endline study will be conducted and reported between November and December 2021. Interested consultants must submit technical and financial proposals to IRC by 26 November 2021.

Deliverables

The consultant will submit to IRC:

Monitoring Deliverables

1. Submit an inception report, including the tools that will be used for study/assessment, approaches/methods, study design, study implementation technique, and study analysis of up to 15 key informant interviews for contextual analysis, desk review of school safety related issues and violence against children in Unity State for contextual analysis, and proposed timeline in 5 days after the sign of the contract.
2. Submit 1^st draft endline study report for comments from IRC within 5 days after the field visit. IRC will take 2 days to review and provide feedback/comments.
3. Submit 1^st daft of final endline study report, including revised Log-frame with endline data and indicator targets for IRC comments within 3 days after receiving comments from IRC. IRC will take 2 days to review and provide feedback/comments.
4. Submit the final endline report 3 days after receiving comments from IRC.