Terms of Reference: Breakthrough Study: Included and Safe People
BACKGROUND
Danish Red Cross’ International Strategy 2022-2025: Ready to Act sets the overall direction and priorities for how we work with people, communities, and partners towards positive change in our international work.
The strategy identifies three key changes – breakthroughs – which if achieved will positively transform the lives of the people we work with and for. One way of contributing to answering the changes achieved, DRC has committed to carrying out a series of “Breakthrough Studies” to generate learnings on how transformative change happens within each of the three breakthroughs.
This third and final Breakthrough Study (the study) will focus on the strategic area ‘Included and Safe People’ and within this focus on the extent to which we have contributed that ‘people are protected and included when they find themselves in situations of displacement and migration’ with a particular focus on the route-based assistance that DRC has supported in partner countries and elsewhere.
This Terms of Reference (ToR) aims to review DRCs work under this strategic area with a particular focus on 1) route-based humanitarian assistance including humanitarian service points and safe referral mechanisms and 2) evidence based humanitarian diplomacy.
In general, DRC focuses its learning efforts on two main learning questions:
- How can integrated programming across our three breakthroughs drive transformative change?
- How can strengthening national systems drive transformative change within our three breakthroughs?
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PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE
2.1 Purpose
Thepurpose of the study is to generate learnings and documentation on how change happens within the breakthrough “Included and Safe People” with a particular focus on route-based assistance including humanitarian service points and formal safe referral mechanisms and other systems for ensuring service and support to migrants along the migration routes and 2) evidence-based humanitarian diplomacy on route-based assistance in order to understand whether we are generating the intended positive change to contribute to achieving the breakthrough.
The study aims to identify key strategies, challenges, and examples of good practices associated with migration efforts for our partners to step into their auxiliary role to allow for broader engagement and transformative change together with national, local authorities level as well at influencing global policy work.
2.2 Research Questions
The Breakthrough Study will focus on three overall priority research questions with a number of specific questions identified under each. It is expected that the selected consultants will engage with DRC in adjusting and finalizing the research questions in the inception phase.
- How has DRC and its national society partners contributed to positive change in the lives of people in situations of migration and displacement along the major migration routes.
- To what extent has DRC and partners managed to ensure that migrants on the move are able to access essential humanitarian assistance that address their basic needs and reduce their protection risks?
- To what extent has DRC and partners contributed to structural and systemic changes? And at what level are they taking place?
- What are the main enablers and barriers of structural and systemic changes?
- To what extent can the changes achieved be considered sustainable, scalable, and replicable?
- How solid is the evidence-base to draw conclusions on the change achieved and how can it be improved?
2) To what extent has DRC and its national society partners been successful in strengthening effective local systems of support to migrants on the move incl. through safe referral mechanisms, coordination, and engagement with key local stakeholders?
- What role does DRC and its national society partners play in the system and network of actors providing support to migrants on the move? What are the main successes and challenges?
- To what extent are sufficient mechanisms and procedures in place for ensuring safe and dignified referrals to other actors?
- To what extent has the auxiliary role of the supported National Societies played a role when providing route-based humanitarian assistance? And how has DRC supported them to fulfill their auxiliary role?
- How can DRC and its national society partners improve internal and external engagement, coordination and collaboration when providing route-based assistance?
3) How has DRC been able to influence key national and global stakeholders on migration and displacement with a specific focus on advocacy and engagement related to route-based assistance?
- To what extent has DRC contributed to significant changes in perceptions, structures, and practices of key stakeholders within route-based migration? (including IFRC)
- To what extent has humanitarian diplomacy and advocacy related to migration (policies, movement…?) been informed by evidence and research (community level, regional level, global level)?
- What are the main enablers and barriers of effective advocacy and humanitarian diplomacy by DRC related to route-based assistance?
2.3 Scope
The study will look at how change happens within “Included and Safe People” consolidating learnings from three DRC country programmes. It is expected that the consultancy team carries out in country data collection in the three pre-selected countries (Mali, Niger, Sudan) including data collection in Copenhagen.
The study may also include secondary data from other DRC countries to allow for a broader analysis and learning. The breakthrough study is representative of DRC’s work, yet it is not expected to showcase DRC’s work in its entirety.
The breakthrough study will NOT assess the country programmes results in its entirety nor all migration/protection related results.
EVALUATION METHODOLOGY & PROCESS
DRCexpects the consultants to use outcome harvesting as the primary approach to assessing the changes that we have contributed to. The below elements should therefore feed into an overall design of an outcome harvesting exercise, including design, review, substantiation, validation, and analysis. It is expected that data collection will be done in the three selected countries and an additional workshop in Copenhagen focusing on policy level changes. More specifically it is expected that the methodology includes:
Literature review: A comprehensive review of existing literature, reports, policy papers and case studies related to migration, protection, route-based assistance, and safe referral mechanisms.
Desk review of relevant documents: A review of relevant documents such as the DRC and IFRC/movement guidance documents, country-specific documents such as country strategies, project reports and evaluations, yearly reports etc., DRC reviews, evaluations, assessments and policy documents, outcome-mapping for outcome harvesting
Stakeholder consultations and individual and group interviews incl. with
- Individuals and communities, we work with and for
- Local stakeholders such as community chiefs, groups and others
- Local and national authorities
- Relevant DRC field staff, including Country Manager and delegates in country
- Interviews with relevant Host National Society staff
- Relevant counterparts in other Partner National Societies, IFRC and ICRC
- Relevant parties within DRC Regional Office and Head Quarters
- Relevant external partners and/or other stakeholders such as Danish MFA, EU, UN, Foundations and similar
Outcome harvesting workshops: Four outcome harvest workshops will be conducted. One in each selected country as a part of the field missions and one global workshop focusing on advocacy and humanitarian diplomacy.
Case studies: 3 country case studies (one each for Niger, Mali, and Sudan) will be developed which will detail the main findings and actionable recommendations at country level.
Analysis: Analyze the findings from the literature review, desk review, stakeholder interviews, outcome harvesting workshops and case studies to identify common themes, trends, and variations across the selected countries to be presented in the final study report.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Senior PMEAL Advisor is responsible for the completion of the study, with the Head of Technical Quality and Impact and Head of Operations as the overall responsible for the study. The Senior PMEAL Advisor will coordinate the DRC Breakthrough Study team who acts as coordination body and is responsible for delivery of all aspects of the study.
The Senior PMEAL advisor is also coordinating the input of the advisory group who acts in an advisory role and will be consulted throughout the consultancy. The advisory group provides advice on the technical subject matter.
The Senior PMEAL Advisor will provide support and guidance to the consultants including consolidate feedback from DRC to the consultants. The Senior PMEAL Advisor will coordinate travel to case study countries, if necessary, on behalf of the consultants. The Senior PMEAL advisor will ensure that the consultant has access to secondary data and ensure that online interviews are set-up in accordance with the inception report.
The case study country staff will organise the visit for the consultants, including all in-country travel and arrangements related to data collection while in country in accordance with the inception report.
The consultant is responsible for deliverables as detailed below. It is the consultant’s responsibility to identify the necessary relevant secondary documentation and information as part of the inception report. Additionally, the consultant can request further documentation to triangulate information uncovered during field visits. The consultant is responsible for coordinating travel in their home country e.g. to and from airport, and any travel insurance, as applicable.
DELIVERABLES AND SCHEDULE
As the study seeks to produce evidence-based learning that can inform operational improvement and humanitarian diplomacy, findings and learning need to be concise and clear and be presented to the DRC as per the below timeframe.
The following deliverables are expected:
- Study inception report will be submitted prior to field visits (max 10 pages)
- Presentation of preliminary findings to field staff during field visits
- Short document and presentation of key findings to Country Team, Regional and HQ management upon completion of all field visits (online)
- Country case studies (max. 8 pages per case study)
- Study report (max. 25 pages) and annexes.
- Short visual product (1-2) pages with key conclusions
The below is the proposed timeframe and time allocation from the consultancy team. It is expected that this will be adjusted based on the methodology and process.
Total expected days: 70 days within February and May.
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
We expect the consultancy to be carried out by a team or similar that covers the above skills and qualifications:
- A team that is composed of technical experts with at least 10 years of experience working with research and evaluation on global migration and protection.
- Extensive experience with evaluations and research studies.
- Experience with facilitation and stakeholder engagement/consultation.
- Documented experience using the outcome harvesting methodology preferably with a focus on migration, displacement and protection.
- Experience conducting research, evaluation or studies in Niger, Mali and/or Sudan
- Personal competencies: Result oriented, ability to work across cultures, strong analytical skills.
- Fluency in English and French is a requirement.
Expression of Interest
Interested consultant or consultancy teams are requested to submit their CVs highlighting relevant experience and an expression of interest using the format indicated below, not exceeding five pages:
- Brief understanding of the task
- Summary of the approaches and methods proposed
- Names, roles, responsibilities, and key relevant experience of the team members
- Overview of proposed budget (all inclusive)
- Work plan
How to apply
Based on these submissions, shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview before final selection is made.
Please submit expression of interest and CV to: perkr@rodekors.dk
Deadline: February 3rd, 2025 (fluency in French is a requirement)