Somalia: CAPACITY ASSESSMENT FOR CHILD PROTECTION SERVICE PROVIDERS ON CHILD, GENDER AND DISABILITY SENSITIVE SERVICE PROVISION

TERMS OF REFERENCE

CAPACITY ASSESSMENT FOR CHILD PROTECTION SERVICE PROVIDERS ON CHILD, GENDER AND DISABILITY SENSITIVE SERVICE PROVISION

1. Introduction

   Violence against children in Somaliland is prevalent and girls and boys are exposed to many risks. 95% of children experience different forms of violence (sexual, physical, and psychosocial) both at home, in schools and in other government and private institutions. 78% of children aged 2-14 years, experience violent disciplining, which includes both psychological aggression and physical punishment. 36% of children (aged 5-14) in Somaliland are engaged in harmful work and 95 % of girls undergo some form of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Approximately 11 % of children in Somaliland are orphans with over two-thirds having lost a father. About 1 % of Somali children are ‘double orphans’ but the incidence of children living in households without a biological parent has been rising over recent decades. Many cases of violence against children continue as a result of harmful customs and values which compromise protection of children. IDP children, children from minority clans, children living in the street, children out of school and children with disabilities are the most vulnerable. Although both girls and boys are at risk, due to deeply rooted gender inequalities and religious and cultural norms that limit women’s and girls’ role, status and participation, girls are more vulnerable than boys to violence and abuse. Somaliland is currently facing a serious drought which further increases children’s psychosocial distress and risk to be separated from their families. Children are more vulnerable to be engaged in child labor and to face abuse and violence. Particularly girls are more likely to be married off at younger age due to drought as a means to acquire income for survival.

2. The project

The Ilaa Linta Caruurta (Children Protected in Families and Communities) – project builds on the “Strengthening Child Protection Systems for a Safe & Protective Environment for Children in Somaliland” – project, which was implemented in Hargeisa, Boroma and Berbera from 2014-2016. An external evaluation was carried out in the end of 2016 with lessons learnt and recommendations to be addressed during implementation of the current project.

The Ilaa Linta Caruurta – project (2017-2021) aims to protect the most vulnerable and marginalized children, including children with disabilities, in Somaliland from multiple child protection risks and harms by building a child protection system which will be truly owned by the communities but will also have a strong link to relevant national laws and policies e.g. the Child Rights Act, the National Plan of Action for Children, the Child Protection Policy and the Alternative Care Policy, and the formal structures envisaged by these normative frameworks.

The project’s approach applies a bottom-up approach by ensuring that women/men and girls/boys themselves identify key child protection issues in their communities through participatory community dialogue sessions, awareness raising sessions and child-led research. Communities’ capacities to identify and respond to potential risks of abuse, violence, harm and neglected will be a critical focus of the action. Work with religious leaders, with other influential people and with parents and caregivers is important in order to catalyse community willingness to prevent and respond to child protection risks and concerns. This will lead to better awareness but also to sustainable and practical actions among families, communities and children to challenge harmful attitudes and practices in regard to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of girls and boys and therefore, address some of the root causes of child protection issues.

While a greater focus will be placed on strengthening the child protection system (both informal and formal) to prevent children from violence and abuse, the focus will at the same time be on provision of child and gender sensitive child protection services. This will be achieved by improving coordination among formal and informal structures, by enhancing capacity of formal and informal service providers and by improving implementation of child protection laws and policies at national level.

Children are expected to be active change agents and should for example participate in assessment of services by using child friendly methodologies. By supporting child-led structures both in-school and out of school children, children’s own capacity to protect themselves and their peers will improve. Gender equality and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) will be crosscutting themes.

The project is being implemented in Berbera by the local NGO partner YOVENCO (Youth Volunteers for Development and Environment Conservation) and in Hargeisa by Save the Children.

Project Goal: The protection rights of children realized in Somaliland

Outcome: Improved protection of children from abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect in the project target areas through strengthened child protection system

Expected outputs:

Output 1: Child protection coordination mechanisms in place and functional

Output 2: Enhanced capacity of child protection service providers to respond to child protection concerns

Output 3: Increased awareness on child protection among target communities

Output 4: Improved implementation of child protection laws and policies

Output 5: Children in targeted households receive better family based care and support

Output 6: Enhanced participation of children to protect themselves from violence, abuse, exploitation

Under output 2, one of the activities is to conduct the service provider capacity assessment for child protection service providers on child, gender and disability (CGD) sensitive service provision.

3. Purpose of the capacity assessment

The purpose of the assessment is to understand the strategic position and programming of child protection service providers (partners and stakeholders) in regard to child, gender and disability sensitive service provision so as to design an appropriate capacity development plan in areas identified. Indicators of child, gender and disability service provision will therefore be used as a measure of progress by the CP service providers. This action will hence forth improve the quality of service delivering and programming in the child protection thematic area which will enable save the children to reach to every last child.

Specific objectives will include;

1. Conduct a capacity assessment of child protection actors in child, gender and disability service provision
2. Highlight specific areas for capacity development in child, gender and disability service provision
3. Provide recommendations and strategies to CP actors on child, gender and disability service provision
4. Develop an action plan for each CP actor including a monitoring framework for sensitive child, gender and disability service provision.
5. Highlight the CP actors’ performance against the standard criteria for CGD sensitive service provision

Activities may include;

• Develop an inception report
• Conduct an orientation meeting with save the children staff
• Develop a work plan for the assessment
• Develop, pretest and translate data collection tools
• Conduct data collection (key informant interviews, focus groups discussions, document review, observation etc)
• Analysis of data
• A validation workshop
• Dissemination workshop to share the findings

1. Methodology Assessment of CGD must be conducted by a team that includes at least one child protection and one MEAL resource persons. This will enable the assessment to bring together various set of skills and ensure adequate capacity throughout the assessment process as well as help to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the partner’s ability to contribute towards the national child protection system The consultant will provide recommended on the suitable methodologies to be used however; save the children recommends the following;

• The assessment should involve both formal and informal CP actors

• The capacity assessment should employ both qualitative and quantitative methods in data collection including document reviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and observation where deemed suitable.

• Child participation should be considered critical to gather information regarding child, gender and disability inclusion so focus group discussions with children are highly recommended.

• Use of SCI quality of service (QoS) indicator tool is highly recommended

• Use of the gender sensitivity marker (GEM) tool for measuring gender sensitive service provision

• Any other tools familiar with the consultant should be utilized in consultation with the MEAL and CP focal persons.

1. Expected Key Deliverables

• A standard scoring table against Quality of service for child, gender and disability among CP service providers
• An action plan based on gaps identified for each CP actor including a monitoring framework for sensitive child, gender and disability service provision.
• A capacity assessment report (5 copies bound with soft copies in CDs) clearly highlighting capacity development needs of the CP actors.

1. Scope of work

The project is implemented in Hargeisa, and Berbera. In Berbera the project is being implemented by SCI local NGO partner YOVENCO (Youth Volunteers for Development and Environment Conservation) and in Hargeisa directly by Save the Children. Hence, the assessment will be conducted in Hargeisa and Berbera towns. Throughout the assessment, the consultant will work closely with SCI Child protection and MEAL focal persons and should ensure that important decisions and actions should be discussed clearly and jointly with relevant leaders and staff. Overall responsibility for the Consultant lies with the Save the Children Somaliland Head of Child Rights Governance and Child Protection Programme Manager and support will be provided also by other relevant Save the Children staff working directly with the Child Rights Governance and Child Protection Programme staff and Technical Advisors.

1. Person SpecificationEducation/Training Master of degree in development studies, Social sciences, social work and social administration, management, sociology, social work, law, psychology, community development and other relevant fields of study. Additional training in Research, project planning and management, monitoring and evaluation is an added advantage. Relevant Experience

• At least 10 years’ work experience in Program development and Management, organizational development, capacity assessment and building, M&E and advocacy focusing on child protection and child rights governance.

• Minimum of five years’ experience of working with local and international NGOs or civil society organizations.

• Proven work experience in Gender and disability mainstreaming

• Experience working with a child focused organization is key

• Extensive hands-on experience in organizational capacity assessment and development, capacity building strategic plan development, proposal development and fundraising,

• Experience of working in a resource poor environment.

• Experience working with rural communities and in Somalia/Somaliland context

Knowledge/ skills

Demonstrable knowledge and skills in:

• Conducting an assessment on individual, community and organizational needs and capacity

• Designing training plans and modules based on individual and organizational needs

• Organizing and facilitating f capacity building activities

• Mentoring and coaching colleagues at work

• Project design and development, research, MEAL

• Reviewing, updating and developing strategic plans, fundraising strategies, monitoring and evaluation policies, systems and tools, advocacy strategies, and action plans

• Networking and partnership building

• Ability to transfer skills and knowledge through formal or informal training and skills sharing.

• Developed analytical skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to communicate and work with a wide range of stakeholders in a participatory, respectful, collaborative manner, and to enhance effective work relationships.

• Commitment to team-building and consensus-led approach to work.

1. Proposed Duration

   This assignment is proposed to take 16 working days

2. Preparations and Logistical Support

   Save the Children Somaliland ILAALINTA CARUURTA project team will provide the following logistical support and guidance:

• Provide logistical support (transport, accommodation, food,) during the assignment when out of duty station;
• Provide technical guidance, input and support during the exercise;
• Provision of training venue, stationery, and refreshments during training of data collector and during data collection (where agreed upon)

1. Application requirements Candidates interested in the position are expected to provide the following documentation to Somalia.procurement@savethechildren.org :

• Cover letter
• Detailed technical proposal to ToR, with specific focus addressing the scope of work, methodology to be used and key selection criteria
• CVs of consultant(s) with minimum of 3 traceable and recent referees; company profile (if relevant)
• Detailed financial proposal based on expected daily rates (USD)
• Sample reports of similar assignments conducted by the applicant
• Initial work plan and availability of the consultant

1. CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY:**

Any employee, consultant, contractor or the supplier undertaking an activity on behalf of SCI must sign the Child Safeguarding - Declaration of Acceptance Form and comply with the SCI’s Child Safeguarding Policy which is a statement of SCI’s commitment to preventing abuse and protecting children with whom it comes into contact.

This extends not only to children with whom SCI and its partners work directly, but also includes children whom staff are responsible for. SCI believes that the situation of children must be improved through the promotion of their rights supported and demonstrated by all members of staff. Save the Children International's Code of Conduct sets out the standards which all staff members must adhere to.