Terms of Reference

                                                         Research Assistants (2)      

Loss and Damage in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCAS) Research                        

BACKGROUND

ActionAid International Somaliland (AAIS) is part of a global federation working to end poverty and injustice with thousands of communities and millions of people across the planet guided by its strategy ‘Action for Global Justice’ that ensures coherence, aligning with the poor and excluded people, reasserting women’s rights, strengthening accountability, and building resilience against shocks & hazards. AAIS has been operating in Somaliland for over 28 years, implementing integrated programs on women’s rights, humanitarian response, resilience building, food security, and education.

OVERVIEW:

ActionAid International Somaliland (AAIS) is an organization that supports vulnerable communities in identifying and addressing the risks and vulnerabilities they face from natural disasters and climate change.

Climate change is causing more frequent, intense, and widespread extreme weather events such as storms, floods, and heat waves, as well as gradual changes such as sea level rise, ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity, and desertification. These changes result in loss and damage, both economic and non-economic. Economic loss and damage may include harm to crops, homes, or infrastructure. Non-economic loss and damage may include harm to human health and mobility, loss of access to territory, cultural heritage, and indigenous and local knowledge.

The issue of loss and damage is especially important for Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCAS) because they have the lowest capacity to cope with climate-induced loss and damage while being the least responsible for causing climate change.  AAIS recognizes that women and girls are the most affected by climate change impacts and have valuable knowledge and skills to enhance adaptation and resilience. However, there is a lack of systematic and comprehensive evidence on how loss and damage affect the lives of women and girls, especially in FCAS.

Therefore, AAIS plans to conduct field-based research that will highlight the community voices and experiences of loss and damage and the disproportionate and often hidden impacts on women and girls. The research will adopt a gender transformative and human-rights-based approach to examine how loss and damage funding should be designed and implemented to be locally led, long term, and focused on resilience building.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

The main objective of the consultancy is to conduct research on the impact of climate change and conflict on women and girls in fragile contexts, as part of ActionAid UK’s climate program. The study will build on previous research by ActionAid on how women and girls cope with loss and damage caused by climate shocks in unstable situations. Specifically, the research is aiming at:

•                    Understanding the challenges and needs of women and girls in communities affected by both climate change and conflict, especially those related to loss and damage.

•                    Identifying the barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing loss and damage funding and programming.

•                    Providing policy recommendations on how to improve loss and damage funding and programming for women and girls in fragile contexts.

TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

The Research Assistant (2) is expected to collaborate with the Research Consultant and the AAIS MEAL Coordinator. Their collective goal is to gather, scrutinize, and compile a comprehensive research report on the loss and damage in FCAS, specifically in Hargeisa (Marodi-Jeeh Region) and Aynaba District (Sool Region).

The primary responsibilities of the Research Assistant include:

•                    Assist the Research Consultant in refining the methodology and the tools for data collection.

•                    Supporting the Research Consultant in gathering and analyzing data for the research.

•                    Helping the Research Consultant in conducting Focus Group Discussions (FGD), Key Informants Interview (KII), and surveys.

•                    Documenting notes and audio recordings during the Research Consultant’s facilitation of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) or Key Informants Interview (KII).

•                    Ensuring the accurate translation and transcription of the collected data.

•                    Promptly sharing the transcribed FGD and KII notes with the Research Consultant.

•                    Assisting the Research Consultant in interpreting and analyzing the data.

•                    Gathering case studies from the field.

•                    Supporting the Research Consultant in drafting the research report.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

The Research Assistant is required to provide all the unprocessed data (raw data) from Key Informants Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) notes, and survey responses (transcripts) to both the Research Consultant and AAIS

DURATION OF THE CONSULTANCY:

The contract will commence on the date it is signed and it will run for a period of ten (10) days.

WORKPLAN

Outlined below is a provisional schedule for the research project, detailing the primary tasks and the projected time needed for each. Please note that this schedule may be adjusted based on resource availability and the progression of the research project.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATION

•                    A relevant BA/S degree or Diploma in fields such as development studies, research methods, statistics, economics, social sciences, public policy, monitoring, and evaluation.

•                    At least 2-4 years of experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection methodologies along with participatory research techniques.

•                    Expertise in the geographical area identified for the research.

•                    Professional expertise and knowledge in climate change, conflict studies, women’s rights, and gender-based Violence (GBV).

•                    Strong organizational, analytical, and reporting skills.

•                    Proven capacity to use mobile data collection tools for data collection and analysis of the survey results.

•                    Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills in the Somali language to interact with diverse respondents.

•                    Excellent written communication skills in English.

•                    Ability to meet deadlines and proficiency in using Microsoft Office.

APPLICATION PROCESS

For application, kindly provide the following:

•                    The applicant’s Curriculum Vitae (CV).

•                    A cover letter emphasizing the experience and skills pertinent to this task.

•                    Two examples of prior related work, along with contact references.

Please send the above to [email protected] with the subject line –Loss and Damage in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States (FCAS) Research Assistant no later than 24th Feb,2024

Female researchers are strongly encouraged to apply.