Luogo di lavoro: Italia

Figura richiesta: consultant
Destinazione: Italy
Duty station: Home based
Country: Italy
NGO: Oxfam Italy
Department: international cooperation
Position: consultant
Starting date: as soon as possible 15-20 working days in August-September 2016
Salary: € 2500-2700 depending on candidate experience

Interested candidates should send their CV, the details of 3 people who will serve as professional references and a short self-presentation letter.

Applications must be sent before 7th August 2016 to silvia.ciacci@oxfam.it

Please specify in the reference: “Consultacy_knowledge_fund_name_surname”

1. Background and rationale

Protracted displacement crises call both international community and national actors for responding to crises through a developmental lens. As recent refugee crises in the Balkans and Middle East have shown, protracted displacement hits host countries dramatically. Already fragile contexts have to bear the burden of thousands of people fleeing from conflicts and human rights violations or escaping from the adverse effects of climate change and natural disasters. Basic services such as waste management, water, primary healthcare, education, are put under pressure, local economies at stake. In certain contexts, tensions between host communities and displaced people raise due to deteriorated access to basic services, depletion of natural resources and competition for livelihood opportunities, reawakening or intensifying also religious and ethnic upheavals. The exacerbation of spatial, social, economic and gender inequalities and – in some situations – the increase of resentment feelings among host and displaced communities are consequences of such situation, along with the lack of opportunities for most vulnerable (especially youth and women) to have power over their lives. Under this scenario, international community should pay attention to respond to emergencies strengthening at the same timeresilience of local communities, and supporting re-activation and adaptation of socio-economic strategies and dynamics in host countries. Field experience has demonstrated to humanitarian practitioners that traditionally conceived “development” actors such aslocal authorities play instead a key role in responding to and managing protracted displacement crises. Being closer to citizens than other public institutions, local authorities have the primary responsibility for implementing national policies and delivering services to their communities. Also in time of natural disasters or armed conflicts, local authorities are often on the frontline of the response, as shown by recent cases of Syria crisis impacting on Lebanon and Jordan, refugee crisis in Serbia, Macedonia and Greece, response to migrants’ influx in Italy. Working in partnership with local authorities can enhance effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian response (deeper knowledge of the territory and needs of local communities, strong linkage between relief and development, influencing in local regulations and national policies, role that local authorities play in enhancing or diminishing community tensions). Given that,humanitarian actors – and Oxfam among them – should reinforce their capacities to deal with such “unconventional” humanitarian stakeholders. Specifically, humanitarian practitioners experience a fragmentation of assessment tools and information gathering that leads to potential overlapping, uncovered needs and misunderstanding of the context. In fact, a deep knowledge of local governance and social stability dynamics – especially in terms of informal and formal power dynamics and main governance structures at national and local level – is crucial in order to design high-quality interventions in case of protracted displacement crises. Humanitarian and development actors – and Oxfam among them – will be able to address existing causes of tensions in a manner that is the most responsive to specific local contexts and the needs of most vulnerable people (both host communities and displaced persons and especially women and youth). This knowledge will contribute to provide local authorities and community-based organizations with adequate tools for fostering socio-economic development in their communities, taking into account all challenges and changes in dynamics determined by a protracted displacement crisis. Moreover, with this set of tools, the role of Oxfam as a broker for development will be more effective. In fact, Oxfam will be able to better support local actors without substituting them in shaping their strategies and to help them in advocate and influence for better solutions at local level to central governments.

Oxfam Italia has been awarded with the Oxfam International Knowledge Fund for to designing a toolkit to be shared with and used by Oxfam Confederation and humanitarian practitioners in order to respond to protracted displacement crises involving local authorities and re-activating local development processes.

The toolkit will contain assessment, analysis and monitoring tools for humanitarian practitioners to work in partnership with local authorities in situation of protracted displacement with a developmental lens. Assessment and monitoring tools developed by Oxfam in Lebanon will be shared, analyzed and compared against tools used in similar contexts of protracted displacement crises and so that to generate reliable tools and generalized knowledge that can be mainstreamed in Oxfam Confederation work. Tools for improving the selection of local authorities in humanitarian actions will be collected, compared and fine-tuned. For monitoring and evaluation phases, the toolkit will contain tools for gathering qualitative and quantitative data also on the impact of the intervention on the relation among citizens, local authorities and displaced population and, overall, on social stability of the affected community.

2.  Purpose of this consultancy

In light with the above, the purpose of this consultancy is to generate information on assessment, analysis and monitoring tools that humanitarian practitioners apply in situations of protracted displacement for engaging with sub-national and local institutions (both formal and informal). This will allow to get a clear state of art of assessment and monitoring tools currently at disposal of humanitarian practitioners working in protracted displacement crises.  Therefore, it will be possible to point out gaps in available tools, to avoid overlapping and duplication with tools we want to design and, finally, to better shape the toolkit foreseen in the project.

Key tasks under this consultancy are:

• Conduct a desk review of tools used in protracted displacement crises (for example, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Sudan and Colombia) by humanitarian practitioners for:
  • Assessing local actors to involve in the humanitarian action and profiling the displaced population;
  • Analysing the context, with special reference to formal and informal local powers (ex: power analysis and conflict analysis at local level);
  • Monitoring the implementation of humanitarian interventions with a specific focus on the impact of such action on the dynamics among host communities, displaced population and local authorities.
• Develop a database of the assessed tools according to the typology of tool, its application and the source of information in order to facilitate the consultation and reflection upon such tools.
• Conduct interviews with key informants (if relevant).
• Elaborate a brief analysis regarding trends and gaps on coverage and use of assessment, analysis and monitoring tools as it stems out from the desk review, so that to feed up the reflection process and design of the toolkit mentioned above.

3.  Methodology

A detailed methodology for the desk review with details of foreseen sources of information will be elaborated and proposed for approval by the selected consultant. However, a list of potential sources of information and stakeholders to be reached out will be provided by Oxfam Italia (for example, ALNAP, JIPS, etc.).

4. Deliverables

Main deliverables of the consultancy will be:

• An inception report on the assignment, including an activity schedule, and methodology to achieve the specific purpose above;
• A draft database of the assessed tools according to the typology of tool, its application and the source of information;
• A draft report (around 10 pages plus annexes) regarding trends and gaps on coverage and use of assessment, analysis and monitoring tools;
• Final database and narrative report with inputs from Oxfam.

5. Time frame

The desk review is expected to take place in August and September 2016, with the submission of final deliverables by 20th of September 2016. The estimated time for conducting the desk review is 15 working days.

6. Required skills and expertise

A successful candidate(s) will demonstrate the following:

• Advanced university degree (Masters or PhD) in social sciences, public policy, development studies, or any other related discipline relevant to this assignment;
• Documented experience in qualitative and quantitative research design and implementation (at least 2 years);
• Experience conducting desk review and engaging with informants;
• Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to work independently;
• Demonstrated knowledge of humanitarian and development issues for displaced populations (desirable);
• Experience in humanitarian programming and MEL (desirable);
• Fluency in English and French (desirable).

7. Application process

Interested consultants should submit the CV and a letter of interest no later than 7th of August 2016 to silvia.ciacci@oxfam.it

Important to note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Applicants after deadline will be excluded. Applications not conforming to the conditions will not be taken into account.