Desk Research Consultant

Summary of Consultancy:

This desk research will be the starting point for ActionAid developing a gender transformative and youth responsive approach to humanitarian needs assessments.

ActionAid is revising its approach to needs assessments but acknowledges that over the past few years there has been a lot of external work going on with regards to needs assessments at UN levels, at donor levels and cross-sectorally. There has also been more discussion and acknowledgement in the protection sector of how to ensure the safety and dignity of women and girls, and by the cash sector.

ActionAid is seeking a qualified consultant to conduct a desk review, which will review ActionAid’s written approach as per the Emergency Response and Preparedness Handbook, internal ActionAid participatory tools and methodologies from the HRBA handbook and the resilience handbook and external needs assessments documents, reviews, and approaches including donor requirements to secure funding (specifically from ECHO, DANIDA and UNHCR). The consultant will also review external needs assessment methodologies including ACAPs, Humanitarian inclusion standards for older people and people with disabilities, RedR etc.

Objectives of the evaluation:

The objectives of this desk review focuses on the following elements:

· Bearing in mind ActionAid’s humanitarian signature (shifting power, women’s leadership and accountability to affected communities) and increasing humanitarian approaches on women led community based protection and cash based programming, what elements of what exists already should be taken into consideration by ActionAid in any new approach (including assessment approach, techniques, templates and other existing approaches such as integrating unpaid care etc.)

· Taking into account donor proposal and other external requirements for securing immediate humanitarian funds to propose elements and approaches to needs assessments that ActionAid must take into account

Background

ActionAid’s emergency responses are guided by our Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) and our Humanitarian Signature. Disaster affected people have the right to assistance: both immediate lifesaving support which meet basic needs whilst also working to address underlying inequalities and promote long-term change. Our rights-based approach promotes the leadership, engagement and agency of poor and excluded people, particularly women, ensuring they are at the centre of emergency response. ActionAid aims to save lives and protect rights. Our humanitarian signature aims to shift power to local organisations, promote women’s leadership, build sustainability and resistance and improve accountability for affected communities.

ActionAid’s Emergency Response and Preparedness Handbook identifies ActionAid’s broad approach to needs assessments for humanitarian response. As the Handbook was written during the last strategy and before ActionAid’s Humanitarian Signature was approved it is not up to date with our current thinking. We therefore plan to update our guidance to be better aligned to our current humanitarian and resilience work as well as ensure it takes a gender transformative approach.

Expected outputs

The expected outputs of the evaluation are:

· maximum 10 page report that outlines the following:

o External resources and key elements of those that ActionAid must take into consideration

o Internal ActionAid resources that can be taken into consideration

o Donor expectations of needs assessments and what ActionAid must take into consideration to secure humanitarian response funding

o Overall recommendations for ActionAid based on desk review and analysis for ActionAid to consider when developing a new approach to needs assessments

· A punchy PowerPoint presentation of the findings

Expected desk research approach and methodology

ActionAid does not specify the exact methodology to be used to conduct the evaluation. We welcome proposals that propose evaluation designs and methods that respond to the evaluation objectives as given above.

Copyright/Confidentiality: AAI will retain copyright status of the output resources and any additional documentation or information gathered during the consultancy period. Approval by AAI will be required before the material can be released for reproduction in any format.

Coordination, roles and responsibilities

The Requisitioning Manager of this consultancy is the Deputy Humanitarian Director, Sonya Ruparel (International Humanitarian Action and Resilience Team)

The consultant will be provided with access to the following relevant Materials/information:

· ActionAid Emergency Manual

· HRBA handbook and materials

· AAI strategy

· Resilience Handbook

· Accountability in Emergencies Handbook

In addition the consultant will be expected to undertake independent internet research for external materials.

Expected timetable

An indicative timeline is given below. In responding to this ToR, please provide details about your availability during this timeframe.

The consultancy will be completed by mid-November. It is anticipated that the consultancy will be for the following number of days:

· 0.5 day briefing with key ActionAid staff in IHART (International Humanitarian Action and Resilience Team)

· 9 days desk review

· 3 days for report writing and developing the powerpoint

· 1 day to make adjustments to report following feedback from IHART

Total 13.5 days (open to negotiation depending on consultant EOI)

Amendment / Discontinuation of the Agreement: Any revision to this agreement including implementation plan, deliverables and time frame will have to be agreed by ActionAid. ActionAid has the right to discontinue this agreement in the event of failure to implement the task as agreed under this agreement, or failure to deliver the agreed deliverables, or to meet the timeframe as specified under this agreement. If such discontinuation happens, ActionAid will have the right not to pay fees.

Budget

Payments will be made in pounds sterling. Total fee payable is dependent on proposal developed by consultant. Settlement of any tax liability arising from this agreement will remain the responsibility of the consultant.

Fees to be paid on completion of the consultancy. Agreed Expenses will be reimbursed based on invoices.

Person qualifications

We are looking for an evaluator with the following key skills and capacity:

General criteria:

1. Evidence of previous desk research

2. Demonstrable expertise on women’s rights, protection and gender equality

3. Thematic expertise in humanitarian response

Application process

Please send your CV and a short proposal (max 2 pages) on why you are well placed to undertake this desk research and how you would go about it to Niki Ignatiou at niki.ignatiou@actionaid.org by 28 October 2018

Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held during week of 29^th October 2018.