1. BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Trócaire is an Irish development agency established in 1973 by the Catholic Bishops of Ireland. Trócaire’s work is inspired by Catholic Social teachings, with an overarching commitment to social justice. Trócaire works in 17 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, working through local partner organizations and communities to deliver programmes relating to: Accountable Governance and Human Rights; Natural Resource Use and Resource Rights; Women’s Empowerment and Humanitarian Preparedness and Response.

Trócaire has been working in Somalia for 30 years and established offices in the districts in Gedo in 1991. In Somalia, we implement projects directly and collaborate with local communities to deliver Humanitarian programs in the following sectors.

• Health
• Nutrition
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Promotion
• Education in Emergencies
• Protection
• Food security and Livelihood

1.2 Contextual Background

Somalia has been one of the countries affected by conflict and drought with widespread humanitarian needs. The conflict has continued unabated throughout the country. This has made a vast majority of the populace vulnerable and in need of humanitarian assistance – particularly, women and children bear the brunt. The protection needs of women, boys, and girls further exacerbate the situation. Over time, Trócaire has implemented integrated programmes to address the pressing needs in communities, focusing on sustaining benefits. Protection programming has been integral in these programmes.

In light of this abridged background, Trócaire intends to engage a consultant to conduct a Protection Risk Analysis, hereafter referred to as the analysis. The consultant will work with Community-Based Protection (CBP) structures to identify protection risks, threats, and vulnerabilities and further establish how these structures deal with protection issues. Through interacting with the CBP structures, the consultant is expected to find out the capacity gaps and develop recommendations for capacity-strengthening and mitigation measures for the identified risks. More importantly, examine how threats of violence and particularly Gender Based Violence (GBV), coercion or exploitation, deliberate deprivation, and/or discrimination, can affect people’s access to rights, as well as their safety and dignity.

1.3 Specific Objectives of the Analysis

The specific objectives of the analysis are:

• To gather data on existing protection risks to women and girls,
• To identify the most significant risks/threats and vulnerabilities,
• To establish how CBP structures deal with protection issues,
• To map out all the stakeholders involved in protection work,
• To identify underlying reasons, the impacts of the risks (including priority effects on population), and any other relevant contextual information,
• To identify the affected people’s coping mechanisms/capacities, local mechanisms and institutional capacity, and humanitarian response capacity to address violations and abuses,
• To assess the potential intersection of the risks and interventions/project,
• To plan the mitigation measures and best practices for each identified risk from already implemented and working measures.

1.4 Scope of the Analysis

The consultancy work will focus on developing an extensive analysis of protection risks in areas where Trócaire and partners are implementing the ICSP programme. This will be accomplished by, among other activities, establishing protection risks, identifying key actors involved in protection, risks causative factors, capacities of stakeholders/actors to respond to protection needs, and coming up with data-driven mitigations. The target stakeholders for this exercise will include but not be limited to programme staff, local leadership, organisations involved in protection work, and the target populace. While the geographical scope of the analysis is the Gedo region, specifically, Luuq, Beled Hawa, and Dollow districts.

2. METHODOLOGY

A mixed methods approach, comprising (a) Desk research, (b) Key Informant Interviews, and (c) Focus Group Discussions, will be adopted in this analysis. Further, it is important to implement the analysis with a keen focus on power dynamics and its intersectionality with protection. This notwithstanding, the consultant will design a detailed methodology, including developing data-collection tools for the analysis.

3. OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES

• Inception report containing a detailed protection risk analysis methodology with accompanying analysis work plan and tools.
• Conduct training for the data collection team.
• Conduct the data collection.
• Comprehensive analysis report with an in-depth examination of protection risks, stakeholders involved, causes, dynamics, and consequences for women, girls, and boys. The report will need to embed various annexes, including protection scenarios affecting Trócaire programme delivery and its target groups, including key recommendations on mitigation and adaptation measures; capacity needs assessment of stakeholders involved with recommendations on the need for specific training and other action required.
• Recommendations for potential approach to protection risk analysis and tools to make it an ongoing process of the organisation/whenever there is a need or new project/programme.
• Presentation of the analysis results and recommendations at a validation workshop.
• Raw and cleaned datasets and transcripts.

3.1 Trócaire Responsibilities

• Provision of Trócaire-specific organisational and programme documents – including project plans and evaluations. Note: this is not exhaustive; it will need to be supplemented with information from credible external sources.
• Provide accommodation to key specialists (max 2 pax) during fieldwork. Notably, accommodation does not include any per diem or allowance in the form of cash.
• Provide training facility for the data collection team.
• Provide transportation during fieldwork.

3.2 Consultant Responsibilities

• Prepare and submit the inception report, data collection tools, and Analysis report.
• Train the data collection team.
• Collect data from both primary and secondary sources.
• Incorporate the comments and suggestions from Trócaire into the tools and reports.
• Advise on the robustness and feasibility of the methodology and make proposals where necessary.

4. DURATION AND WORKING SCHEDULE

The analysis is anticipated to take at most 21 days, with the final deliverable (validation workshop) being conducted by the latest 5th of August 2023.

5. BUDGET AND PAYMENT

The Consultant shall specify their proposed assignment fee, including professional fees, reimbursable, and statutory taxes.

5.1 Invoicing and Payment Procedures

An advance payment of 30% of the total costs will be settled as soon as Trócaire has approved the work plan and inception report. A second instalment of 30% will be settled after the completion of the field works as indicated in the schedule. The final 40% will only be paid once Trócaire has approved the final report. A final invoice will be submitted upon the completion of the assignment.

6. CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS

This consultancy is open to individual National/ International or a team of National and International expert consultants with specialist knowledge and research expertise in protection risk analysis. The consultant is expected to have the following experience and qualifications:

• Significant experience of not less than 8 years conducting protection risk analysis and/or research on protection risks and their causes;
• Sound knowledge of humanitarian and development theory and/or experience in project management for an NGO(s) or UN agency;
• Previous experiences in practicing participatory methods for planning and conducting research;
• Considerable professional experience working in Somalia at the community, village, and district levels, with a clear understanding of traditional forms of social organisation and systems of local governance, as well as official systems of local administration.
• High level of competence in the English language, particularly in writing, and fluent in both local Somalis languages in the region where this analysis will take place;
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to communicate detailed concepts clearly and concisely in writing and verbally.