Terms of Reference - Risk Communication & CEA package development

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services. IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

Details / requirements:

Nepal Red Cross Society

Risk Communication and Community Engagement and Accountability (RCCEA) Package Development

Terms of Reference

1.    Summary

1.1.   Purpose: The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a Risk Communication and Community Engagement and Accountability (RCCEA) package that will guide the RCCEA activities of NRCS during emergency and non-emergency scenarios. 

1.2.   Audience: This package will be useful for the NRCS, IFRC Country Delegation in Nepal, the IFRC Regional Office in Kuala Lumpur, the IFRC secretariat in Geneva, the National Societies supporting NRCS in CEA initiatives. 

1.3.   Commissioner: This consultancy will be commissioned by the Humanitarian Values and Communication Department Director of Nepal Red Cross Society.

1.4.   Report to: The consultant will report to the consultancy management team led by the Ddeputy Ddirector of the Humanitarian Values and Communication Department Director of Nepal Red Cross Society together with the RC CEA Officer of NRCS and CEA Focal of IFRC Nepal Delegation

1.5.   Duration of consultancy: 30 working days 

1.6.   Estimated dates of consultancy: From 1December 2021to 28 February 2022

1.7.   Location of consultancy: NRCS National Headquarters and IFRC Nepal Country Delegation.

1.8.   Consultant team composition: The team will consist of an independent team leader supported by IFRC and NRCS staff. The team requires people with understanding of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and experience of CEA, preferably in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.  

1.9.   Methodology summary: Secondary and literature review, field work, interactions with stakeholders across levels, internal discussions, analysing available and existing document in NRCS and in IFRC and other similar studies conducted with in Red Cross Movement, etc. 

2.   Background:

Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) has been implementing the COVID-19 preparedness and response operation with support of the Red Cross Red Crescent partners, UN agencies and private agencies. The operation has been guided by the approach paper developed by NRCS in March 2020, which focuses on: 

  • Five (+1) service areas: Health and care (incl. support to vaccination), WASH, risk communication and community engagement and accountability (RCCEA), protection gender inclusion (PGI) and shelter 
  • Two enabling actions: National Society Development (NSD), Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting-Information Management (PMER-IM).
  • Three key support functions: Human resources and duty of care, Finance and risk management, Logistics and Information technologies. 

The RCCEA is a key area where the NRCS has demonstrated critical added value and where volunteers can work with local authorities to spread safety messages, ensure increased adherence to protocols, accompany people in home isolation and promote vaccination. Risk Communication helps to enable the person at risk to make informed and make them able to make decisions to reduce any kind of risk. For example, helping people to follow safety and prevention measures in an outbreak of the diseases. In 2020, the NRCS endorsed its CEA Strategy 2019-2023, developed based on wide experience and practices in the past years as well as simple RCCEA guideline was developed in 2021. In order to streamline the RCCEA activities at all levels during the time any kind of disasters there has been the demand of RCCEA package.

3.  Purpose and scope

3.1.  Purpose

The purpose of the RCCEA package development is to collect existing key document related to Risk Communication and CEA, analyse and develop and comprehensive RCCEA package that will guide the Risk Communication and CEA activities of NRCS throughout the organization. The RCCEA package development process should include the analysis of the key document available at NRCS and IFRC and interviews of key stakeholder in the NRCS National Headquarters (NHQ), District Chapters and IFRC Country Delegation and the Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO) as required. 

3.2.  Scope

The time period - The consultancy will be carried out between December2021 to February 2022. During this period, the consultant/s will look at existing key document, defining area of risk communication and components of community engagement and accountability, develop guiding principles of risk communication in humanitarian organization such as NRCS, etc.. 

The geographical coverage – The consultant will work together with the NRCS NHQ team and the IFRC Country Delegation team residing in Kathmandu. 

The unit of analysis to be assessed – This will cover NRCS headquarters, District Chapter, IFRC Nepal Country Delegation. 

4.  Objectives

Below arethe specific objectives to be addressed by the package. These are initial guidance and can be further elaborated.

4.1.  Defining areas of risk communication and component of community engagement and accountability

4.2.  Develop guiding principles of risk communication in humanitarian organization like NRCS

4.3.  Three days training module on RCCEA and BCC modules

4.4.  One day orientation package on RCCEA 

4.5.  Key guidance to roll out RCCEA activities at HQ-Provincial-DCs-Sub chapters-communities, that includes:

  • Activities guidance for assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation and external coordination (like hotline service, help desk, Radio Programme, Social Media operating, emergency related IEC materials, loudspeaker, suggestion box, door to door visit, COVID-19 related awareness sessions, Focus Group Discussions & Community meetings, stakeholders meeting etc.).
  • Monitoring tools for RCCEA with standard template.

5.  Proposed methodology and process

It is expected that the applicant to propose an approach and methodology for the package development. The specific methodology will be detailed out in close consultation between the consultant and a Consultancy Management Team and the Commissioner, but will draw upon the following primary methods: 

  • Desktop review of background documents, national policies, report of previous interventions, previous reports, as well as guidelines and policy documents of the NRCS and Nepal government.
  • Conduct consultation process/meetings with the NRCS and IFRC as appropriate.
  • Key informant interviews 
  • Focus group discussions, 

The detailed evaluation design will be defined by the consultant; however, the following should be considered: 

  • Sampling method is to be decided by the consultant, as long the final sample to be evaluated on includes district chapters, project staff and other stakeholders as relevant
  • Data collection methods and pace are to be decided by the consultant, in consultation with the NRCS and IFRC Country Delegation focal person(s).

6.  Deliverables (or outputs)

6.1.  Inception report - The inception report should include the proposed methodologies, a data collection and reporting plan with identified deliverables, draft data collection tools such as interview guides, questionnaire, sampling method (if necessary), a timeframe with firm dates for deliverables and travel and logistical arrangements for the package development. 

6.2.  Debriefings - A debriefing should be conducted in NRCS/IFRC Country Delegation. The debriefings should be formal presentations to update the progress and initial findings with relevant annexes of the package. 

6.3.  Initial findings/feedback meetings: The consultant will share its initial findings with NRCS and IFRC.

6.4.  Draft Package: A draft package including all annexes will be shared by the consultant to the key stakeholders including the consultancy management team, NRCS, Partners for the feedback before finalizing the package. 

6.5.  Final Package: The final package will contain a short executive summary (no more than 1,000 words) and a main body of the package (no more than 10,000 words) reporting to the objectives in the above section, along with necessary annexes among other key headings. The package should also contain appropriate appendices, including copy of the ToR, cited resources, a list of those interviewed and any other relevant materials. 

The package and all products arising from this consultancywill be jointly owned by the Nepal Red Cross Society and IFRC. The consultant will not be allowed, without prior authorization in writing, to present any of the analytical results as his / her own work or to make use of the review results for private publication purposes. 

The original content, data set, pictures etc. should be submitted to IFRC/NRCS to ensure scientific accountability and data protection of the consultancy.

7.  Proposed duration: 

The consultancy duration will be of 90-day time with estimated 30 working days. Tentative allocation of the time is given below:

StepTasksOutpusEstimated number of days
1Initial consultations and gathering of existing documentation to agree on the final products to be developed and the methodology to achieve it
Inception report validated by the commissioner
5 working days
2

Detailed data collection:

  • Desk review
  • Key information interviews
  • FGD (as relevant)
  • Other

Online or face to face as agreed in the output


12 working days
3Production of the draft package, including all annexes
Draft package available in online shared folder
8 working days
4Presentation of the draft to stakeholders and gathering feedback

1 working day
5Production of the final product incorporation feedback received
Final package available in English (main document) with annexes either in English or Nepali based on available documents
4 working ng



Maximum 30 working days within a period of 3 months.

8.  Consultancy Management Team: 

The Consultancy management Team will consist of four members: 2 members from NRCS and 1member from IFRC and 1 from ICRC. It will be led by the NRCS (Deputy Director, Humanitarian Values and Communications) in order to manage and oversee the package development and with the consultant. It will be responsible for overseeing logistic and contractual arrangement of the evaluation, managing and delegating responsibilities, securing approval of the key deliverables according to the consultancy contract/time frame and ensuring adequate quality control throughout the assessment process. 

The consultancy management team will be contact focal for the consultant in order to make necessary arrangements for field visits and other process. The consultant will coordinate directly with the consultant management team and IFRC Country Delegation. 

9.  Qualifications

The consultant/s must have extensive experience of various packages development in CEA. 

Selection of the consultant will be based on the qualifications outlined below: 

  1. Demonstrable experience in leading various communication and CEA package development for the humanitarian organization such as NRCS 
  2. Knowledge and experience working for the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in CEA, communication, and emergencies 
  3. Strong analytical skills and ability to clearly synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions, make recommendations and to prepare well-written reports in a timely manner.
  4. Proven track record of conducting qualitative research/assessment/study including the development of interview schedules and qualitative data analysis, especially in development context.
  5. Demonstrated capacity to work both independently and as part of a team
  6. Excellent writing skills in English and Nepali languages
  7. Immediate availability for the period indicated.

10.  Ethical consideration:

It is also expected that the consultant will respect the seven Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: 1) humanity, 2) impartiality, 3) neutrality, 4) independence, 5) voluntary service, 6) unity, and 7) universality. Further information can be obtained about these Principles at: www.ifrc.org/what/values/principles/index.asp

The following ethical considerations will be observed throughout planning and execution of the evaluation and during documentation and presentation of the findings: 

  • The process at any point will ensure ‘Do No Harm’ principle. This will not only relate to physical consideration but also emotional and contextual considerations that might affect the well-being or social position of the participating individuals.
  • Information at all levels will be confidential in nature and the analysis will be done based on blinding of the characters and context; as much as possible.
  • Each person involved and the participating stakeholders will be completely briefed about the purpose of the process and the expected end products, with all the mediums to be used for documentation and presentation of the same.
  • Any photograph and contextual information (name, household information, history, locality name, municipality, ward name etc.) will only be published if all the participating members endorse the process and allow publication of the same in totality.
  • Any health or social status of the interviewed individuals will not be revealed with his/ her real name on it and without consent.
  • The data and information collected will be triangulated in totality before publishing and the same will be done for all the secondary information received.
  • In case of the case study and monographs, the consultant will use caution to present the cases with dignity and without any personal judgment and bias.
  • The findings, case studies, photographs, process highlights, and recommendations will be shared with the NRCS and IFRC Nepal CD at Kathmandu, before finalizing the document for publication.
  • The consultant will not have any personal and patent rights over the raw and refined data and the end-product of this process.
  • In case the author wishes to use the unpublished datasets or information, from this assessment; (s)he/they must seek principle approval from IFRC.
  • The consultant is not authorized to promise a service or provide solution for any expressed problems. Though (s)he may document the same and make it available to the NRCS and IFRC.
  • Complete orientation of the government laws and policies will be pivotal and at any point the consultant must respect and adhere to the local laws and policies.

11.  Application process:

Interested applicants should submit their expression of interest to the email: Aliza.baidya@ifrc.org by 28 November 2021. In the subject line, please state the consultancy you are applying for, your company name or last name and first name. (SUBJECT: RCCEA Package Development- Last Name, First Name).

Application materials should include:

  1. Curriculum Vitae (CVs) of consultant/s
  2. Cover letter clearly summarizing your experience as it pertains to this consultancy, daily consultancy fees (in NPR) and three professional references. 
  3. Applicants will be required to provide two samples of their previous tasks where the consultant/team leader has contributed. The samples report most be similar to that described in this TOR.
  4. Financial proposal: It is expected from the consultant to submit the financial bid including daily rate. 

Application material are non-returnable, and we thank you in advance for understanding that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the next step in the application process. Please take note that incomplete application will be rejected.

Overview

Category Development and Project, Expression of Interests, Tender Notice, Bid
Openings 1
Position Type Contract
Experience Please check details below.
Education Please check details below.
Posted Date 15 Nov, 2021
Apply Before 29 Nov, 2021
City Kathmandu