Terms of Reference for Integrated Rapid Needs Assessment (IRNA)

Terms of Reference

 Integrated Rapid Needs Assessment (IRNA)

Background

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. It has been working in Somalia/Somaliland since the 1970s, plays a key foundational role in supporting Somali people and communities to provide development and lifesaving programs. Oxfam’s support of women's rights, advocacy, and gender equality has been a steady component of the program, and many leading advocates for women's rights, gender equality, and women's issues were once partners or trainees of Oxfam. We are an international confederation of 19 organizations (affiliates) working together with partners and local communities in humanitarian, development, and campaigning, in more than 90 countries. All our work is led by six core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness, Equality, Courage and Solidarity. In 2021, Oxfam developed a 10-year country strategy with new program directions focusing on just economy and economic development; inclusive governance and gender justice; and conflict-sensitive humanitarian response, and resilience to climate and fragility.

Oxfam conducts an integrated rapid needs assessment (IRNA) across the country every year, involving extensive primary data collection to identify the vulnerabilities and challenges faced by the targeted groups, which include the most vulnerable women, people with disabilities, and minority groups. The assessment results are utilized for lobbying and fundraising.

Context analysis

The Somali population continues to endure numerous challenges, including climatic shocks, conflict, flash and riverine floods, and armed conflict. Among the most affected groups are displaced and vulnerable women and girls across the country. Between August and September 2023, more than 3.7 million people are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC AFI Phase 3 or above). Humanitarian assistance is preventing the worsening of food security and nutrition outcomes in many areas. Additionally, ongoing displacements are predicted to persist in hotspot areas along the Juba and Shabelle rivers, as well as in parts of the Bay and Banadir Regions, with localized flooding anticipated in Galmudug, Puntland, and Somaliland.[1] Based on UNHCR/PRMN data, approximately 1.4 million people were newly displaced between January to July 2023, mainly due to insecurity/conflict (40 percent), floods (29 percent) and drought (28%). Most conflict related displacements occurred in in Hiran, Middle Shabelle and Galgaduud regions in the context of government military offensive against insurgents and the ongoing conflict in Laasanood (Sool region).

The IPC Acute Food Insecurity classification show that more than 3.7 million people are experiencing Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) outcomes between August and September 2023. This number is expected to increase to 4.3 million people between October to December 2023. The key drivers of acute food insecurity and malnutrition in Somalia include the combined effects of below average and poorly distributed rainfall, flooding, the extended impact of multi-season drought in pastoral areas, limited household access to food due to income constraints and elevated food prices, continued insecurity, and conflict in many parts of central and southern Somalia and in Lasaanod (Sool), and low coverage of humanitarian assistance[2].

Available forecasts indicate an increased likelihood of El Nino and above-average rainfall during the 2023 Deyr (October - December) season across most of the country, with likely adverse impact on livelihoods, food security, and nutrition outcomes, mostly in riverine areas. Humanitarian assistance has continued to play a critical role in preventing worse food security and nutrition outcomes in many areas. This assistance is expected to decline further between October to December 2023 if additional funding is not secured.[3]

Objective

To provide a detailed mapping of the current humanitarian needs and crisis affected populations in South-Central, Puntland and Somaliland in terms of WASH, FSL and Protection related issues. The technical assessment will serve to generate a comparative analysis that informs the selection and identification of the most critical villages/sites in terms of need for assistance.

Specific Objectives

·         To assess the current status of households with regard to Water Sanitation and Hygiene, protection, and availability of food times to meet their basic dietary need as well as access to other livelihoods and markets.

·         To identify differences in need amongst assessed populations and geographical areas by prioritizing the neediest.

·         To provide evidence-based information of the conditions of the crisis-affected people with the aim of contributing to a more integrated and relevant humanitarian intervention.

Methodology and sampling overview

The assessment will employ both quantitative and qualitative methods. This will allow us to provide in-depth/broader understanding of the current situation of the affected communities. The criteria for selecting sites will depend largely on the context, hence, target villages for the assessment will be selected based on the latest FSNAU reports. In addition, the assessment will also consider severity of drought impact, pre-existing vulnerabilities, geographical remoteness, population density (high presence of IDPs), no other humanitarian actors (delivering same intervention) are operating, etc. With this, the consultant will draft household survey tool through an iterative consultation process with Oxfam technical leads and is aligned, as much as possible, with the Joint Inter-Sectoral Analysis Framework (JIAF), [4]which will serve as a standard and structured method for assessing the severity of needs across different clusters.

Sampling will be primarily purposive with quotas for each population group, meaning that findings will be indicative, and all various interviews of the assessment will be purposively conducted with fully informed community members such as heads of households from both host community and internally displaced persons (IDPs), community leaders, villages committees, government representatives etc. More sample approaches that the assessment should use will be discussed at the inception stage.

Indicative questions of the assessment

The assessment data collection tools should cover more in depth the main programmatic themes including WaSH, FSL and gender and protection. However, a topline of the key questions and priorities required for the assessment to meet will be as follows:  

·         What are the main community needs and priorities in terms of WASH, FSL and Protection?

·         Which are the most affected communities and how are they affected?

·         How have the following disasters affected the communities? 

o   Drought

o   Conflict

o   Floods

·         How are the communities coping with the situation?

·         What are other stakeholders doing about it?

·         What can be done to support the communities?

Deliverables

Oxfam PQ coordinator will review and approve of the following deliverables:

·         A technical proposal clearly indicating activities, timelines, and delivery plan.

·         Data collection tools

·         Data validation

·         A comprehensive participatory needs an assessment report of maximum 30 pages based on the objectives and of publishable quality.

·         Executive summary that is stand alone and can be used separately.

Geographic scope and duration of work The Needs Assessment will be conducted in South-Central Somalia, Puntland, and Somaliland, with a focus on around 25 districts. This assignment is provisionally planned to be finished in 25 working days, beginning November 13th and ending December 7th.

[1] https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/Somalia%20Sitrep_May%202023.pdf

[2] https://fsnau.org/downloads/Somalia-IPC-Acute-Food-Insecurity-Malnutrition-Report-Aug-Dec-2023.pdf

[3] https://fsnau.org/

[4] The main objective of the JIAF is to provide the country teams and humanitarian partners (International and national Non-Governmental Organizations, Government, Donors, UN agencies, experts, clusters/sectors, ICCG, etc.) with a common framework, tools, and methods to conduct intersectoral analysis, and to lay a foundation for regular needs analysis, to inform strategic decisions, response analysis and subsequent strategic response planning and monitoring.” For further details on implementing the JIAF methodology, please refer JIAF - Joint Intersectoral Analysis Framework

The lead consultant/consultancy firm of the assessment should have: 

·         Proven competency (record of previous experiences) in conducting needs assessments including good understanding of humanitarian and developmental work in Somali context.

·         Shown knowledge of participatory procedures and data gathering methods (covering age and gender, disability, as well as suitable data collection methodologies).

·         Technical capacity necessary in executing this assignment including high level analytical skills, and strong report writing skills.

·         Able to work independently to collect the information of the target locations.

·         Valid registration with tax clearance.

·         A good reputation in context and in working with INGOs; experience working with Oxfam is an added value.

Interested consultant(s) should submit and EOI to [email protected] by 11th of November given that the following information has been provided:

-          Brief CV along with a solid technical proposal detailing of how the consultant or consultant team meet the requirements above (max. 5 pages)

-          Proposed brief work plan for how the work will be undertaken and a proposed schedule (max. 1 pages)

-          Indicative budget including daily rates in USD for each team member, as well as estimated costs for transport, accommodation, meals.

-          Contact details for two referees for similar types of work.

-          Confirmation of availability to undertake this work, including field visits in targeted operational areas.

Note: application will be assessed on rolling basis and shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview