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User Engagement and Design of Effective Communication Strategy in Somalia

1. Background

The levels of mainstreaming climate information into development planning and decision-making in Somalia is relatively low, rendering its citizens more vulnerable to the vagaries of weather and climate. Climate in Somalia is characterized by recurrent severe droughts and flood occurrences that have devastating impacts on socio-economic systems, lives and livelihoods. While most of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) states are susceptible to such conditions, Somalia is highly vulnerable due to the intensity and frequency of occurrences, and limited capacity to respond to them due to many factors of which limited basic capacities for generating and enabling the uptake and use of weather and climate products and services is a leading factor. There is, therefore, to enhance availability and application of quality climate data and information to enable the country build requisite capacities to respond to these threats. In other words, there is a high need to strengthen climate information services to aid disaster planning and resilience building strategies.

The Weather and climate Information and Services (WISER) Support to ICPAC Project (W2SIP) is a major project within Phase 2 of the UK’s Department for International Development WISER programme. Evidence gathered during the first phase of the project (SCIPEA) pointed to the need to build capacities and develop products and services in Somalia in order to achieve enhanced delivery of weather and climate services. The WISER programme together with the Norwegian Refugee Council/Norwegian Capacity (NRC/NORCAP) are contributing to support capacity to increase access, uptake and reach of the ICPAC’s Weather and climate services.

The project “WISER Support to Enhance Delivery of Coproduced Weather and Climate Products and Services for Priority Sectors in Somalia” is an eighteen (18) month project intended to support generation, delivery and uptake of Climate Information Services (CIS) by various stakeholders/users in Somalia through the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC). The project will identify stakeholders of climate services in the country and engage them with a view to designing coproduced products and services that are useful to them.

The success of the project will require close collaboration among CIS producers (ICPAC, UKMO, IRI and NMHSs), intermediaries (CARE Somalia), technical experts and users in order to ensure inputs of each group into the resulting coproduced products and services.

On behalf of WISER, CARE Somalia shall coordinate user engagement for co-produced climate products and services; dissemination and uptake of CIS at national, sub-national and community levels; and capacity building of relevant national institutions in close collaboration with ICPAC, UKMO and IRI.

It is against this background that CARE Somalia is looking for an experienced consultant with technical background in the processing and communication of climate information to a wide range of stakeholders to undertake a user engagement exercise and design effective climate information communication strategy.

2. Objective

The main objective of the consultancy assignment is to improve the extent, reach, uptake and impact of weather and climate products and services to producers, intermediaries and end users in Somalia.

2.1 Specific objectives

a) Review and consolidate climate information users and their needs and synthesize a summary report

b) Develop a CIS communications strategy for Somalia

c) Train government staff and climate intermediaries on dissemination of weather and climate information

3. Key deliverables of the consultancy

The main expected outcomes from this consultancy assignment will be:

a) User mapping and needs assessment report

b) Media and communications landscape survey report

c) CIS communication strategy

d) Training report on the dissemination of climate information

4. Specific tasks and responsibilities

e) Meetings and discussions with government agencies tasked with met services

f) Assess capacity of government agencies CIS service delivery

g) Evaluate media landscape

h) Stakeholder mapping

i) Undertake stakeholders needs assessment

j) Develop Communications Strategy for Somalia and prepare new communication outputs

k) Conduct training on CIS communication

5. Consultancy time-frame

The consultancy assignment will take about 30 days and consists of: 1) desk review in Nairobi and Mogadishu, and 2) Travel to Mogadishu to meet with stakeholders and deliver training.

6. Consultant’s profile

This consultancy assignment requires a multi-disciplinary approach of experienced consultant with:

a) A minimum Bachelor’s degree in communication, information management, marketing, climate change, education and related field;

b) A minimum of 5 years’ experience in undertaking related assignment;

c) Strategy development and implementation including climate information and related services;

d) Research/surveys / user needs assessments / feasibility studies

e) Stakeholder mapping, engagement and outreach

f) Facilitation of workshops and training

g) experience and familiarity with participatory methodologies;

h) experience of working with international and non-government organizations;

i) Ability to network and engage with stakeholders in post-conflict settings.

7. Expression of Interest

j) Up to date CV

k) Up to three page statement of capability (referencing the selection criteria) and the approach to be take in undertaking this assignment

l) Financial proposal

Note: CARE Somalia shall provide for food, accommodation, visa fees, travel costs, etc. of the consultant