Baseline and Conflict Assessment: Jenga Amani Yetu 196 views0 applications

Context Search for Common Ground

Search for Common Ground (Search) is an international conflict transformation NGO that aims to transform the way individuals, groups, governments and companies deal with conflict, away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative solutions. Headquartered in Washington DC, USA, and Brussels, Belgium, with field offices in 35 countries, Search designs and implements multifaceted, culturally appropriate and conflict-sensitive programs using a diverse range of tools, including media and training, to promote dialogue, increase knowledge and determine a positive shift in behaviors.

The Project
Search for Common Ground (Search), in partnership with the Legal Human Rights Centre (LHRC) and the Zanzibar Legal Services Centre (ZLSC) is starting a project to support peaceful conflict resolution, open dialogue, and inclusive democracy in Tanzania over a period of 30 months targeting 10 districts in North Mara, Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba), Mtwara and Pwani.

The theory of change underpinning the action’s objectives is: “if a diverse coalition of civil society groups has the skills and space to collaborate in a non-adversarial manner around key sensitive issues and has opportunities to engage with government champions to constructively address them and if Tanzanian citizens have access to balanced and credible information that promotes peaceful approaches and collaboration among different actors and across various divides then a variety of key stakeholders, including civil society, will work together to promote a culture of peace, conflict prevention, and inclusive democracy because civil society, government actors, and citizens will understand the advantages brought by working together to solve shared problems.”

The overall objective of this action is to increase civil society organizations’ (CSOs’) contribution toward a culture of peace, conflict prevention and inclusive democracy in Tanzania.

The overall objective is supported by the following two specific objectives and corresponding expected results outlined below, each supported by a set of activities:

SO1. Increase collaboration among and between CSOs, media and government stakeholders to advance peaceful conflict resolution;

ER1.1 Platforms to share information and dialogue on critical issues are created or strengthened;

ER2.2 CSOs, media, and government work together to identify and implement constructive solutions that directly address sensitive issues;

• A1.1 CGA Training for CSOs
• A1.2 CGA Training for Government
• A1.3 Coalition building forum
• A1.4 Civil society – Government forums
• A1.5 Support to Joint initiatives

SO2. Promote narratives of peace at the local, regional, and national levels;

ER2.1 Increased access to stories of collaboration across divides, challenging prevailing stereotypes and transforming mutual negative perceptions.

• A2.1 CGA training for media
• A2.2 Peace Media Campaign

The main target group of this action includes the diverse CSOs operating in Zanzibar, North Mara, Mtwara, and Pwani, from a diverse range of missions, backgrounds, and constituencies, pairing development organizations with more human rights-focused ones as the first step in bridging community divisions and bringing people together. By first training CSOs in non-adversarial engagement, conflict sensitivity, and leadership, and then providing them with opportunities to work together, this action will build relationships and support among them. These coalitions will serve to transform current negative perceptions of engagement, encourage unity and understanding among organizations, and offer a degree of protection through membership in a diverse coalition. This action will also target local government representatives in North Mara, Zanzibar, Mtwara, and Pwani who are capable of making the change in their communities and who are perceived as approachable by local civil society. Government champions will be identified through a consultative process with the implementation team and local CSOs. In addition, media actors will also be targeted by this action. This action will both develop journalists’ skills in conflict-sensitive reporting and will develop a broader range of tools, formats, and approaches among media actors that they can then apply in their efforts to inform the population, enabling the media and the community to better navigate an increasingly sensitive environment peacefully. By the end of the action, CSOs and the media will have better relationships with the government and more credibility with their constituencies due to delivering concrete action to community concerns and reliably producing articles and stories showcasing this effort. Thus, the final beneficiaries of this action are the community-at-large in North Mara, Mtwara, Zanzibar, and Pwani. As relationships improve between CSOs, the media, and the government, communities will benefit from a stronger civil society more receptive government officials and accurate reporting. In addition, communities will have their concerns addressed peacefully and will benefit a greater culture of peace that supports dialogue across social dividing linesGoal and Objectives of the Study
In this framework, Search seeks a consultant (individual or team) to conduct a baseline and conflict assessment study, during the project’s start-up phase, which will not only provide the initial data and values for the indicators and targets but also identify possible areas of common ground and ensure a thorough understanding of key community concerns and conflict dynamics that will be used to inform the project’s implementation and deepen the understanding of the implementing team.

Specifically, the objectives of the study are as follows:

• Assess the current context, with regards to existing conflict dynamics: particularly focusing on the type of conflicts, the actors involved and their level of influence, communication channels and narratives, and existing response mechanism and level of collaboration among different stakeholders;
• Collect baseline values and assess whether the project’s Theory of Change (TOC) resonate with targeted communities and their needs and is relevant to the current context;
• Conduct a risk assessment and draw recommendations for programming to ensure conflict sensitivity is respected in the project.

Key Questions of the Study
The conflict assessment seeks to answer the following research questions:

OB1. Context/conflict Assessment

1. What types of conflicts are becoming or likely to become violent in the targeted areas? Among the conflicts identified, which are the main conflicts between CSOs, government, media around elections? Which of those conflicts are likely to be exacerbated in the lead up to the elections and how?
2. What are the factors of attraction and repulsion to these violent conflicts?
3. Who are the key players involved in those conflicts? What is their role and their level of influence and/or collaboration?
4. How do communities react to these conflicts? What are the attitudes and perceptions of communities and other key actors towards these violent conflicts?
5. More specifically, what is the role of CSOs and the media in violent conflicts?
6. What are the existing communication channels and networks used to trigger and to manage/transform/prevent conflicts?OB2: Baseline values and Theory of change.

OB2: Baseline values and Theory of change

1. Considering the current theory of change, does it resonate with targeted communities and their needs? Is the ToC relevant to the current VE context?
2. What are the baseline values of the project indicators?
3. Are there recommendations for adaptations of the current project logic and results chain to improve the potential impact of the project?

OB3. Risk Assessment and “Do No Harm”

1. Which are the contextual and project-related risks that require monitoring?
2. What can the project do to ensure it stays conflict-sensitive and respects “Do No Harm” principles?

Geographic Locations
The study will target Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, North Mara, Mtwara, and Pwani.

Methodology and Data Collection Tools
The consultant will be responsible for finalizing the literature review, designing the final methodology, developing tools, training of enumerators, data analysis, and drafting of the reports. Proposals should include clarity on data triangulation and key methodologies for data collection, as well as justification for the relevance of these methods to the research objectives, questions, and projects. The proposal will also include sampling strategies associated with the proposed methods, methodologies for data analysis outlined, with justifications and reasoning for any key methods mentioned, Do No Harm strategies and any proposed strategies for sharing the findings of the study.

The final methodology and tools will be approved by Search’s Institutional Learning Team (ILT) before data collection begins. The Tanzania team, ILT and Regional team will provide feedback on the report, the final report will be approved by the Tanzania team and ILT.Logistical Support
The consultant(s) will be responsible for organizing their own logistics for data collection (vehicles, fuel, and drivers), and this must be budgeted into the study. Search can provide support in arranging logistics. At least one Search staff member will be available to support data collection and logistics for this study.

In addition, Search and partners will share the following elements with the external consultant: background materials including the project proposal and log frame, M&E plan, previous research and all other materials relevant for the baseline. Timeline and Key Deliverables
Search expects to finalize the recruitment of the consultant by the end of February. The inception report with the agreed methodology finalized tools, literature review and updated calendar must be available by early March. Data collection will begin in March. Search expects to receive the first draft of the report by the beginning of April and the finalized version by the end of April. Final deadlines will be agreed by Search and the consultant upon finalization of the contract.

Deliverables
Search expects the following deliverables from the external consultant:

• A conflict assessment inception report detailing literature review, proposed methodology, tools, calendar, and written data collection tools;
• Training of enumerators;
• Supervision and participation in data collection;
• Oversight of the data coding process;
• Submission of the databases to Search;
• PowerPoint presentation of findings;
• Analysis of the data collected and production of a draft baseline report and power mapping report in English for review by Search staff and partners;
• A Final Report of baseline report in English (30 pages max in length for each, excluding appendices) that consists of (unless otherwise agreed upon with Search):
• Table of contents
• Abbreviations
• Executive summary of methodology, limitations, key findings and recommendations
• Background information (project specifics)
• Methodology: Objectives, data collection and analysis and limitations of the study
• Research findings, analysis, with associated data presented (should be structured around the main objectives and should cover all indicators)
• Indicator table showing all baseline indicators (for baseline report)
• Conclusions
• Recommendations based on the findings
• Appendices, which include detailed research instruments, a list of interviewees, terms of references and evaluator(s) brief biography.
• Validation of the findings in targeted communities with the help of clan elders

Budget
The budget must not exceed 23.000 USD.

Requirements of consultant
The following skills and experience are expected by Search for the selected evaluator for this project:

• Proficiency in English and Swahili (written and spoken);
• Knowledge of Tanzania governance and its local civils society landscape is a comparative advantage;
• More than 5 years of experience in research;
• Experience in conflict analysis and expertise in doing research on peacebuilding and/or media programming;
• Experience working with international organizations;
• Experience conducting qualitative and quantitative surveys and analysis;
• Evaluation methods and data collection skills;
• Contextual knowledge of and experience working in East Africa, experience in Tanzania and specifically in North Mara, Pwani, Mtwara and/or Zanzibar is a comparative advantage.

In addition, the consultant is required to respect the following Ethical Principles:

• Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: The Consultant should make the most of the existing information and the full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. The Consultant should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. He or she should communicate his or her methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique his or her work. He or she should make clear the limitations of the review and its results.
• Competence: The Consultant should possess the abilities and skills and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of his or her professional training and competence.
• Honesty and integrity: Consultant should be transparent with the contractor/constituent about any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information.
• Respect for people: Consultant respect the security, dignity, and self-worth of respondents, program participants. The Consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age, and ethnicity.

In addition, the consultant will respect Search’s evaluations standards, to be found in Search’s evaluation guidelines:

http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/ilt/dme_guidelines.html