Job

Job Description

Terms of Reference (Tor) Baseline Study: Connection for Peace: Powerful Local Peacebuilding and Policies 2024-2031
Purpose
Consultancy to conduct the country- and regional-level Baseline Study of the Connection for Peace in Somalia.

Powerful Local Peacebuilding and Policies 2024-2031
Duration consultancy One month and 1 week
Deadline application Fri 2025 5.00pm East African time, to info@sswc-som.org

Overview of the Consultancy

Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC) is a registered non-government and non-profit civil society organization based in Mogadishu with offices in South and Central Somalia. SSWC was founded in 1992 in Mogadishu by a group of Somali women intellectuals from cross-section of the community.
SSWC core brand is the empowerment of vulnerable Somali women to regain dignity.

It was established with the prime intention of addressing humanitarian gaps for women and children wellbeing in their community. Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC) contribute to the creation of a safe and sustainable situation by supporting women to overcome marginalization, violence and poverty in their communities.

Save Somali Women and Children a member of the GPPAC East and Central Africa network. The GPPAC ECA network unites civil society organisations dedicated to preventing violent conflict and fostering peace across the region. The GPPAC ECA network is one of the fifteen regional networks part of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), the world’s largest member-led network of local peacebuilders, uniting over 200 civil society organisations around the world. SSWC programs include:

·       Strengthened social ties in recovered areas this done by training communities in 3Bs (Binding, bonding and bridging

·       Cascading of the 3Bs to the communities

·       Implementing connector project in the newly recovered areas.

·       Training communities on Trauma awareness and resilience capacity for cascading to the communities

·       Networking and advocacy

·       Awareness raising on Human Rights and prevention of the

Save Somali Women and Children takes part in the program “Connection for Peace: Powerful Local Peacebuilding and Policies 2024-2031,” funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the Contributing to Peaceful and Safe Societies (CPSS) grant policy framework. The programme takes root in four countries – corresponding to three GPPAC regional networks: Niger (West Africa), Occupied Palestine Territories (Middle East & North Africa), Somalia, and Uganda (Eastern & Central Africa). Leveraging a Network Approach, the program aspires to extend its reach beyond these priority countries, integrating GPPAC regional networks and the global GPPAC network through learning, exchange, and policy influencing.

To this end, SSWC is seeking a consultant to undertake the baseline study for Somalia from January 2025 to February 2025. Rooted in the principles of participation and inclusion[1], the baseline study is envisioned as a collaborative effort. The consultant(s) will work closely with Save Somalia and Children to co-design and conduct the study, ensuring its findings are relevant, owned by the community and the network members, and practically applicable to further inform the program[2]. To effectively build the program and its connections from the local level, we will conduct five baseline studies. This includes four studies at the country level that engage the regional GPPAC network, alongside one global GPPAC network-level study, which will be informed by the insights gained from the country-level studies, while also considering the broader context of the GPPAC network. Further details about the program and its objectives are available on the next page.

Background and Context

Despite the successfully completed May 2022 elections and a renewed focus on national reconciliation, state-building, and addressing extremism[3],Somalia today is a highly fragile state. It suffered from several decades of civil conflict, lack of political consensus, security challenges by clan militia, paramilitary groups and Al-Shabaab, impacts of the climate crisis, land disputes, and widespread inequality, which specifically affected the participation of grassroots women and youth in peacebuilding. The situation in Somalia further impacts the regional fragility, including the rise of violent extremism in – and the proliferation of arms to – neighbouring countries. Key factors that continue to affect peace prospects include historical clan grievances that undermine the building of a federal state in Somalia; poor governance; absence of justice; and lack of economic opportunities and basic services.

The participation of non-Somali actors in peace processes, including the African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN), as well as short-term and uncoordinated external peacebuilding interventions (in the absence of a dedicated peacebuilding strategy), cause mistrust of the population in peace processes and consistent relapse into conflict. There is however a growing recognition of local leadership in addressing conflict and crises. The community-driven 2017 Galkayo Peace Agreement is currently being tested for the Las Anod conflict, following failed UN mediation attempts.

While the National Development Strategy currently focuses on promoting national reconciliation, state-building and addressing violent extremism, there is no specific dedicated peacebuilding strategy in Somalia. In this context, isolated organisations cannot comprehensively address the root causes of conflict at the local level. Therefore, there is a need to enhance connection among diverse partners to promote peace as a cross-cutting priority across the Peace-Development-Humanitarian (Triple) Nexus.

Programme Objectives

Programme objective 1: Foster sustainability of local peacebuilding action

The first objective of the program is to foster sustainability of local peacebuilding action. Reflecting on ineffective short-term and top-down peacebuilding foreign interventions, the programme will invest in LI4Ps (i.e., national peacebuilding network, district youth groups, women’s peace committees) as sustainable platforms to enable local communities to engage in peacebuilding. The programme will enhance the connection among diverse partners to exchange experiences and promote peacebuilding as a cross-cutting priority across the Triple Nexus. Building on existing networks and coalitions.

The second objective of the program is to strengthen rigour and realism of peacebuilding policies. The programme will provide locally-developed participatory conflict analysis as an evidence base to inform policymakers at the national, regional and global level, and to empower local peacebuilders to strengthen rigour and impact of peacebuilding policies. To address generic policies, the programme will make local conflict analysis accessible to policymakers at all levels to adequately inform the adaptation of peacebuilding priorities for Somalia.

Intervention strategy’s objective 1:

Investing in capacities of local peacebuilders
Facilitating connection and collective action
Programme objective 2: Strengthen rigour and realism of peacebuilding policies

Intervention strategy’s objective 2:

Localise analysis and expertise
Connect policy to local realities

Baseline Study Objectives and Evaluation Questions

The objectives of the country- & regional GPPAC network-level Baseline Study are:

To deepen our understanding through collective sensemaking of the:
External context (informing objective 1);
Policy context (informing objective 2);
Regional GPPAC network & ways of working.
To reassess our Theory of Change and adapt our intervention strategies outlined in the proposal to align more effectively with our strategic objectives;
To develop our learning agenda and learning trajectories;
To inform the global GPPAC network-level Baseline Study.
Suggested evaluation questions

In line with the objectives of the country- & regional GPPAC network-level Baseline Study, the following key evaluation questions are suggested. The consultant(s) are encouraged to build on these key questions and adapt the set of evaluations questions in close consultation with Save Somali and Children and other stakeholders during the inception phase and in collaboration with the consultant of the global GPPAC network-level Baseline Study.

Country-level Analysis: Local infrastructures for Peace

Local Infrastructure for Peace: How are local peacebuilding initiatives structured (e.g., community-led, youth-led, interfaith), and how sustainable are these efforts? How do the intervention strategies relate to these infrastructures?
External context: How do or could current political, economic, social, and cultural factors impact the 1.) proposed intervention strategies and 2.) the key stakeholders involved? How can these factors be leveraged or mitigated to enhance the program effectiveness?
Regional factors: How do regional security, economic, and political challenges affect local peacebuilding efforts in your country? Are there specific cross-border challenges (e.g., refugees, inter-ethnic tensions, armed groups) that require or could benefit from regional coordination in peacebuilding efforts?
Roles and relations: What roles do primary stakeholders play in achieving objectives 1 and 2? How do they interact, and what capacities or support systems do they need to be more effective? Consider their motivations, needs, influence, power dynamics, and relationships, including interdependencies and support for the proposed strategies. To what extent do local peacebuilders have access to resources, tools, and networks to sustain their peacebuilding efforts?
Inclusivity and Representation: How inclusive are peacebuilding policies and initiatives? Do they reflect the priorities of marginalised groups (e.g., youth, women, rural communities), and how are they perceived by local populations?
Policy Alignment and Adaptation: How do national and regional policies impact the proposed intervention, and to what extent can these policies be adapted to align with local needs and realities?

Adaptive Programming

Adapting the Theory of Change: Based on the information gathered from the baseline data, where does the Theory of Change (incl. assumptions) need to be changed, refined or updated? What actionable recommendations can be derived from this baseline study to improve the effectiveness of the intervention strategies?
Leadership: In what ways can the program strengthen local leadership and enhance the sovereignty of member organisations? What barriers exist to achieving these aims, and how can the program support initiatives that build resilience and self-sufficiency within organisations?[4]
Effective MEL for adaptive programming: What suggested qualitative and quantitative indicators or learning questions are most effective for tracking the progress of both country-level and regional interventions? How can these indicators be measured to provide insights to facilitate learning and adaptation? To what extent is evidence-based learning used to adapt programming?
Early Warning & Adaptation:
How does the program identify emerging issues and adapt to shifts in community dynamics, public opinion, and evolving conflict dynamics? How do local actors track and respond to changes in community dynamics (e.g., shifts in public opinion, the emergence of new conflict dynamics? To what extent can local peacebuilders adjust their strategies in response to changing needs, resource constraints, or external factors (e.g., national policies, international funding priorities)?
Sustainability: How can the program’s approach to both country-level and regional interventions be structured to promote long-term sustainability? What strategies can be implemented to ensure that local stakeholders and regional networks continue to benefit from the program’s impact even after external support concludes?

Scope and Suggested Methodologies

Scope
The baseline study will focus on Somalia will include the analysis and sensemaking at the GPPAC ECA. The analysis and sensemaking with the GPPAC ECA will be conducted virtually if no in-person events are scheduled for the first quarter of 2025.

Suggested methodologies
Based on previous evaluations and current methodologies used for monitoring, an overview of suggested evaluation methodologies is outlined below. We strongly encourage the consultants to identify additional methodologies (building upon existing data) in close consultation with the key stakeholders involved:

●      Participatory System Mapping: Participatory system mapping is a collaborative method to analyse and address complex contexts by involving diverse stakeholders in understanding the systemic drivers of conflict. It focuses on identifying the interconnections, feedback loops, and leverage points within a system, emphasising how dynamics, rather than isolated events or actors, sustain or mitigate conflict. By engaging local actors, decision-makers, and practitioners, it ensures that the mapping reflects diverse perspectives and fosters shared ownership of the analysis.

●      Participatory Stakeholder Analysis: Participatory stakeholder analysis involves including diverse voices, particularly those often marginalised, in assessing and prioritising stakeholder roles, needs, and contributions. This approach emphasises equity and inclusivity, ensuring that power imbalances are addressed, and stakeholders at all levels actively shape the outcomes of analysis and decision-making processes.

●      Most Significant Change/Change Stories: GPPAC is exploring and piloting storytelling approaches such as the Most Significant Change, especially to capture the learning and behaviour change. We strongly encourage the consultants to explore this further.

●      Outcome Harvesting: Outcome Harvesting is one of the main building blocks of the GPPAC PMEL system and has been used as the main monitoring tool over previous and current strategic periods.

Roles and Responsibilities

An overview of the different roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders involved in the baseline study is provided below.

GPPAC Members in Priority Countries & Regional Network

●      Primary users of the baseline study, responsible for adapting program efforts based on findings from the baseline study. Ensuring ownership and use of baseline results by the network.

●      Key responsibilities Save Somali Women and Children.

○      Act as the main contact for consultants;

○      Evaluate proposals, select consultants, and participate in interviews;

○      Support consultants during the inception phase and approve reports;

○      Review drafts, provide feedback, and approve the final report;

○      Participate in learning and sensemaking activities.

●      Key responsibilities ECA Regional Secretariat

○      Providing background documents and briefings as needed;

○      Providing access to member organisations of the GPPAC [Regional network];

○      Supporting general development of the baseline study by providing feedback on the progress of the study;

○      Review drafts, provide feedback, and approve the final report;

○      Participate in learning and sensemaking activities.

●      Key responsibilities regional network members:

○      Participate in surveys or consultations;

○      Participate in learning and sensemaking activities.

Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassies

GPPAC partners with The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to implement the CPSS program, providing financial support for the Baseline Study. Embassies in participating countries may also be engaged for consultations during the study.

Consultant(s)

The consultant(s) will be tasked to undertake the baseline study facilitating a collaborative evaluation process that fosters learning and adaptation, is empowering and is rooted in network members’ ownership. An overview of timeline and deliverables (including indicative due dates) is provided below under ‘Timeline, deliverables and budget’. The consultant(s) will be asked to participate in an exchange process with the other evaluators, likely through bi-weekly calls. This will facilitate coordination and alignment across the baseline studies while maintaining respect for contextual nuances. The consultant(s) will be tasked to:

●      Co-design an inclusive, participatory and utilisation-focused baseline study (outlined in an inception report), including participatory analysis and sensemaking of data.

●      Identify suitable methodologies and conduct research, including review and analysis of available data and information, and thereafter suggest collection of new primary (qualitative and/or quantitative) data (for triangulation and validation) and effectively implement any agreed-on participatory approaches to data collection that build capacity and support process uses.

●      Facilitate one to two participatory data collection workshops (online) and one participatory validation workshops to ensure ongoing and instant learning through the baseline process;

●      Prepare an evaluation report that prioritises use and adaptation and facilitates one adaptation event.

GPPAC Global Secretariat

The GPPAC Global Secretariat will facilitate the baseline process at the global network level and provide support to the consultant(s) at the global level during the process. The GPPAC Global Secretariat is also available to answer any questions related to the CPSS program, the baseline overall process and suggested methodologies.

Timeline and deliverables.

Overview of the timeline and expected deliverables is provided below:

Timeline (month)	Phase	Deliverables consultant(s) and Indicative due dates
January 2025	1 Baseline Preparation	1.     Call for proposal 2.      Identifying and Interviewing of the applicants the qualified consultants Applicants are evaluated based on their technical expertise, relevant experience, methodology, and financial proposal. A selection committee reviews the applications and conducts interviews or reference checks to ensure the most suitable candidate is chosen. Once the consultant is selected, a contract is signed detailing the agreed-upon terms, timelines, and expectations. 3.     The selected consultant will be responsible for designing and implementing the baseline assessment, collecting and analysing data, and producing a comprehensive report to inform the project’s implementation and monitoring.
January 2025	Submitting of inception reports	1.     The submission of inception reports of the baseline assessment process. After the consultant has been onboarded, they are required to prepare and submit an inception report to outline their understanding of the project, proposed methodology, and work plan.
January 2025	(Participatory) Data Collection and Network Engagement	1.     Community-driven data collection with the active involvement of networks and stakeholders. The goal is to gather meaningful, inclusive, and actionable insights while fostering collaboration and strengthening partnerships critical to the project’s success.
February 2025	Submission of the final reports	1       The consultant will be required to submit the final baseline assessment report as this is the culmination of the data collection and analysis process. It provides a comprehensive overview of the initial conditions of the project area and serves as a reference point for monitoring progress and measuring outcomes of the assessment.
February 2025	Collective Sensemaking and Validation	1       A user-friendly draft report and presentation, including preliminary data, findings and recommendations 2       participatory validation and sensemaking workshops building on draft report/presentation with key stakeholders
End of 2025	Plan and follow up actions from the recommendations of the stakeholders	4.     Final user-friendly baseline study incl. evaluation approach, analysis and sensemaking, recommendations and reflections 5.     Adaptation event for key stakeholders

Qualifications and Experience

The consultant(s) are expected to meet the following selection criteria:

●  Consultant should be based in the country/region where the baseline study is to be conducted;

●  Proven experience of conducting similar participatory evaluations;

●  Proficiency in qualitative evaluation methodologies of data collection and analysis;

●  Experience in the use of outcome harvesting, including analysis and substantiation;

●  Experience with conducting evaluations 1.) with networks or social movements; 2.) with programs focused on learning; 3.) in the field conflict prevention & peacebuilding;

●  In-tune with power dynamics and relations of power, including their own;

●  Experience in organising virtual meetings/workshops and using remote data collection methods;

●  Fluency English and Somali is an added advantage.

How to apply
Please send your application to info@sswc-som.org  copying by Friday, 11th  January 2025 5pm EAT. Please write Baseline Study Application as email subject. This application should include:

●      A cover letter (max 1 page) including consultant(s)’ motivation and view on embedding learning through participation, inclusion, and empowerment.
●      An approach paper (max 4 pages), including:
○      Indicative approach and methodologies;
○      The division of responsibilities in the consultant team based on expertise;
○      A work plan summary, including allocation of team budget, days allocated per consultant and expected timeline against deliverables.
●      CV (max 3 pages each) of consultant(s), primarily showcasing/highlighting the criteria outlined above.
●      One example of similar assignments (e.g. inception or final report).
●      Two references of similar assignments.

Please submit any clarification questions to
ahmednasir@sswc-som.org
before 8th January 2025