Provision of Consultancy Services – DRC Regional Office / Jordan. (Measuring empowerment in DSP support to Syrian Civil Society )

Measuring empowerment in DSP support to Syrian Civil Society under the Voices for
Displaced Syrians Forum VDSF – Baseline Survey
September 2020
Background
Since the start of the Syrian crisis, approximately 6.3 million people from Syria have been
internally displaced and another 5.6 million have fled Syria. Displacing more than half of
Syria’s pre-war population, Syria represents the largest forced displacement crisis in the
world today.
In the face of this massive crisis, the Durable Solutions Platform (DSP) was established in
2016 to “generate knowledge and promote strategic dialogue [about] the long-term future
of Syrian refugees and IDPs”. DSP is a joint initiative of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the
International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Since its
inception, DSP has developed research on durable solutions to protracted displacement in
the Syria context, which informs programmatic responses and advocacy, and convenes
stakeholders in strategic dialogue around key displacement issues. Taken together, DSP’s
activities engage humanitarian actors and their government, NGO, and civil society
counterparts in seeking a principled and coherent approach to the displacement
programming and policy.
More information on the work of DSP can be found at www.dsp-syria.org
DSP Engagement with civil society:
DSP engages Syrian civil society organisations on issues pertaining to durable solutions by
bringing them together for dialogue, capacity-building and advocacy. The aim of this
engagement is to support the participation of Syrian civil society in policy processes on
durable solutions for displaced Syrians.
As part of this, DSP has supported the establishment of a specialized network of Syrian civil
society in Syria’s neighbouring countries and the diaspora, called the Voices for Displaced
Syrians Forum (VDSF). VDSF was officially launched in November 2019 and brings together
more than 35 Syrian NGOs who are interested or actively operational on finding durable
solutions for people displaced in and outside Syria. VDSF has a governance structure
consisting of a general assembly, a steering committee and specialized working groups.
For more information on VDSF, please visit www.Voicesforsyrians.org
Purpose of the consultancy
DSP’s support to VDSF is funded under a strategic framework agreement from the Danish
International Development Agency DANIDA to DRC which aims to strengthen civil society in
the global South so that it has the independence, space, diversity and capacity to influence
and promote the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals with a particular focus on
poor, marginalized, and vulnerable groups. DRC’s engagement with civil society is guided by
a theory that articulates a desired change, in which the civil society has increased agency,
space and capacity to enable fulfilment of rights of people affected by conflict and
displacement.
This includes the “enhancement of empowerment” of civil society actors, which can be defined as enhanced agency to influence change, improved access to space to participate, and strengthened capacities to take action.
To capture this potential increase in empowerment over the span of two years, DSP is looking to measure the number and percentage of participating civil society actors reporting increased empowerment to advocate, influence and respond to fulfilling the rights of those affected by conflict and displacement.
To be able to measure that potential increment in empowerment after two years, DSP seeks the support of a consultant to conduct a baseline assessment with VDSF member organisations. The consultant will be provided the tool developed to collect data across multiple project locations, including the mobile data collection version. The consultant is expected to use the tool as a guided self-assessment with VDSF member organizations (or carry out interviews pending final arrangements), collect and analyse the data, and share the results – both the raw data and analysis report – with DSP.
The targeted stakeholders for the assessment are NGOs members of the VDSF, many of which can only communicate in Arabic, therefore, the consultant must be able to communicate (fluently in both verbal and written) in both Arabic and English.
Scope of Work:
The consultant is expected to work closely with DSP’s solutions specialist and a group of Syrian organization from the “Voices for Displaced Syrians Forum”.
The main tasks of this consultancy include:
• Desk review of DSP/DRC engagement with civil society project with focus on the log-frame and MEAL documents. This review is to understand the purpose and scope of the tool developed, translate it into Arabic and adapt as needed to the Syrian context in close collaboration with DSP and DRC teams the available tools and guiding documents1 for the baseline survey and analysis.
• Set-up, design and test the mobile, electronic data collection platform and survey.
• Reach out to VDSF members, identify focal points from each member organisation and schedule appointments for conducting the guided self-assessment (interviews).
• Perform the guided self-assessment surveys with VDSF members.
• Collect the data, analyse it and produce a final report detailing the results.
Main Outcome:
The final report of the baseline survey results, annexed by the complete raw data from the surveys and the contact information from the CSOs for further follow up and future surveys.
Deliverables:

• Set-up platform and designed survey for data collection.
• Documented and digitalized 35 self-assessment surveys (interviews).
• Combined raw data from the surveys.
• List of contact information with the interviewees.
  1 The “What does empowerment look like” guidance and the digitalized format of the empowerment assessment tool, contact list of VDSF members
• A final report with analysis and the result of the measured indicator.
  Proposed timeline for activities and outputs:
  Activity
  Estimated time
  Key outputs
  1
  Review, translation and adaptation of tools and documents including setting up the survey on-line
  2 days
  Arabic version of the Survey that’s adapted to the context
  2
  Reach out, identify and schedule appointments
  2 days
  List of focal points for contact with VDSF members
  3
  Conduct the surveys
  9 days
  35 Survey results
  4
  Analysis and report writing
  3 days
  Final report and the indicator result
  The consultant is expected to complete the 14 working days between 1-31 October 2020.
  Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the consultant will be working remotely with the DSP team and will conduct the assessment virtually using online communication methods.
  While the survey is designed as a guided self-assessment questionnaire the methodology is currently under discussion and evolves into individual or small group interviews (without changing the scope of it). The final arrangement will be determined with the consultant.
  The DSP Regional Solutions Specialist and VDSF Steering Committee will provide support to the consultant to ensure responsiveness from member organisations and with any scheduling challenges.
  Supervision and reporting
  The DSP Regional Solutions Specialist will supervise the consultancy.
  Profile of the Consultant
  The Consultant is expected to meet the following criteria:
  • An MA/MS degree or higher in social science; or other relevant disciplines or at least five years of experience working in conducting surveys, interviews and performing analysis, including quantitative and qualitative analysis
  • Demonstrated expertise and understanding of civil society initiatives, capacity-building and advocacy, with a focus on Syrian civil society.
  • Strong analytical and facilitation skills
  • Fluent in Arabic and English.
  • Ability to work with a variety of partner organisations and project staff
  • A demonstrated high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently
  Consultancy Timeline:
  Publishing the ToR 14 September
  Application deadline 26 September
  End of Evaluation 28 September
  Contract starting date 1 October
  Documents to be submitted:
  • A cover letter of no more than one page
  • A CV demonstrating relevant experience and needed knowledge and skills for the project
  • Sample of comparable work
  • A one-page narrative concept note explaining the consultant thinking for the work-plan, including proposed data collection platform
  • A simple budget covering all costs and expenses for the consultancy
  • (Annexes A) General Conditions of Contract signed and stamped
  • (Annexes B) Supplier code of conduct signed and stamped
  • (Annexes C) ToR signed and stamped
  • (Annexes D) Supplier registration form signed and stamped
  • RFQ completed with your financial offer signed and stamped