Needs Assessment and Youth Mapping in Karachi and Lahore

Search for Common Ground Pakistan (SCGP)’s

https://www.brightspyre.com/jobs/jid/38063

Terms of Reference

Needs Assessment and Youth Mapping in Karachi and Lahore

Search for Common Ground Pakistan (SCGP) is seeking a consultant(s) to assess  the current capacity and needs of youth engaging in intra- and inter-faith peacebuilding and identify barriers and enablers for youth engagement with religious communities to identify opportunities to scale up existing initiatives in Karachi and Lahore. As part of our 30-month project, we are primarily interested in identifying best practices and avenues for mainstreaming religious sensitivity. Consultant’s research and mapping proposals should include a plan to assess needs across gender, age, and religious demographics. Candidates’ team should have experience researching norms to explain the connection between programming, the context, and the trends and gaps in current youth-led initiatives mapped.

1. Context

Search for Common Ground Pakistan (SCGP)

Founded in 2013, SCGP is a local nonprofit organization based in Islamabad. SCGP’s mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict, away from adversarial approaches, and towards collaborative solutions. Working with actors from all parties, ranging from grassroots organizations to top-level leaders, we develop locally-adapted responses to a wide range of conflict issues, using a toolkit that includes capacity-building, mediation and alternative dispute resolution, community dialogue, arts-based approaches, and mass media to advance conflict prevention and resolution. We do this through an inclusive approach, engaging government, civil society, media, and traditional and community actors, with a particular focus on women and youth, to become agents of peace in their communities and their country.

The Project

SCGP launched a 30-month project “Youth for Humanity: Engaging Youth to Promote Religious Freedom in Pakistan” in September 2020. The project aims to partner with local youth groups from different religious backgrounds to empower them as leaders and promote peaceful coexistence by working with religious and secular communities. SCGP seeks to leverage existing youth-led initiatives and a public media campaign to engage religious leaders and build youth capacity to tackle complex issues affecting inter- and intra-communal dynamics in their communities and contribute to the creation of narratives which promote peaceful coexistence and youth leadership. The overall goal is to increase inter-communal and intra-communal respect and peaceful coexistence among religious communities in Karachi and Lahore. This goal is supported by the following objectives and corresponding outcomes:

Objective 1: Youth leaders promote inter-communal and intra-communal respect in their communities.

• Outcome 1.1: Youth leaders have the capacity to constructively engage their peers, religious actors, and communities on issues affecting inter- and intra-communal dynamics.
• Outcome 1.2: Youth networks bring together and support youth from different faiths and secular groups to establish a foundation for intergroup collaboration.

Objective 2: Youth voices champion peaceful coexistence and the rights of all people.

• Outcome 2.1: Enhance understanding of youth on effective messaging for promoting peaceful coexistence
• Outcome 2.2: Increase youth-led and designed local public messages, on and offline, promoting peaceful coexistence and the rights of all people.

2. Goal and Objectives of the Study

The goal of this research is to form the basis for inter-communal initiatives and relationship building and empower youth-led organizations to lead public dialogue and ensure the local-ownership of our programming and approaches to tolerance and peaceful coexistence. This research will assess activities  and capacity gaps of currently functioning  youth groups to inform the content and focus of project trainings, dialogues, and youth-led initiatives. The youth mapping component will inform the selection of a diverse group of male and female youth leaders for project activities and establish a youth network.

The findings generated by the research will serve as the basis for the development of Search’s capacity building program for youth and identify best practices and avenues for mainstreaming religious sensitivity for incorporation into the project. This research will be the basis to develop partnerships with youth leaders and organizations on inter- and intra-communal peacebuilding to ensure that the project’s impact is extended beyond the targeted participants through peer-to-peer communication. The assessment will be shared with the youth partners to validate the findings and determine strategies for ensuring the religious sensitivity of project activities

To support upcoming programming, the needs assessment and youth mapping will have three (3) key objectives:

1. Assess the current capacity of youth to engage in intra- and inter-faith peacebuilding and identify youth leaders and organizations working on or indirectly supporting intra- and inter-communal collaboration in Karachi and Lahore.
2. Assess areas for support, barriers and enablers for youth engagement with religious communities, and how existing initiatives can be scaled up or broadened to increase inclusivity and impact, with a specific focus on the impact of gender affecting the ability of young women to engage in this work.
3. Assess existing landscape of programming and the capacity gaps that the project can fill to ensure project activities are targeted and localized.

3. Key Questions of the Study

The key  questions guiding the  the needs assessment and youth mapping are:

1. What is the current level of knowledge and skills of youth (male and female) on collaborative leadership, religious dynamics (Religious radicalism and extremism, interfaith tolerance, religious organizations etc)?
2. What are the key barriers which impact the ability for youth to engage as equals with community or religious leaders on issues of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, especially for young women?
3. What are the key enabling factors for youth engaging with religious communities on issues of tolerance and peaceful coexistence? Are there different enabling factors for young women?
4. What percentage of youth engage with other youth from different faiths, including secular youth, in meaningful ways or relationships?
5. How can youth capacity in religious engagement and dialogue on religious issues be effectively increased?
6. What percentage of youth report being active in promoting peaceful coexistence messaging through social media?
7. Which youth or youth organizations are active in inter- and intra-communal peacebuilding in Karachi and Lahore?
8. Who are the key leaders and organizations in that respect? What are their existing programming, institutional strengths/capacities and gaps?
9. What are the essential youth programmings/activities that need to be enhanced or established in the targeted area according to the youth in order to enhance positive engagement of youth in religious affairs?

4. Geographic Locations

The needs assessment will primarily target two urban areas, Karachi and Lahore, with high levels of religious diversity. This will allow the project to expand its reach while also incorporating Search’s existing capacity of the youth previously trained by SCGP in Karachi. The needs assessment should be representative of the religious diversity in Karachi and Lahore and reflect perspectives and input  from Sunni and Shia Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Sikh communities. 

The youth mapping activity will primarily focus on identifying youth organizations leaders in Karachi and Lahore actively working directly or indirectly on inter- and intra-communal peacebuilding. The mapping should help SCGP identify diverse youth leaders, male and female, from different faiths in the target areas.

5. Methodology and Data Collection Tools

Proposals should outline methods for data collection to be used and justification for these methods related to the research questions. The proposal must integrate the toolkits mentioned below with an outline of how each intended target group for the tool will be identified and approached and the numbers of each target group to be reached. Please include the sampling strategy and approach to the analysis for the study in your proposal. A plan should be made to reflect Search’s resources on conflict sensitivity and Do No Harm principles given the program’s focus on religious tolerance & co-existence, gender equality, and inclusivity. Proposals should outline a plan to work with local partners to identify locations or concerns that may require particular sensitivity in approaching issues surrounding religious minorities. Also, to Do No Harm strategies, any proposed deliverables for sharing the findings of the study should be included in this section of the proposal.

The consultant will need to propose a methodology to undertake the youth needs assessment. However, the outlined methodology should incorporate the Grounded Accountability Model (described below) to identify baseline assessment indicators relevant to the project’s objectives. The methodology should be participatory and work with youth involved in inter- and intra-communal peacebuilding.

The Grounded Accountability Model (GAM) is an approach employed by Search for Common Ground that prioritizes local voices. The idea is that future project participants as well as broader community members can share their thoughts and experiences, so that SCGP can properly design project activities as well as ways in which we measure project developments. GAM will help identify indicators specifically relevant to the people living in the target areas, and be used to adapt and refine them over time. It will also inform the content and focus of the project’s training, dialogues, and youth-led initiatives. The methodology will be used to obtain baseline indicators related to the needs assessment’s objectives. It should complement the assessment of the capacity of existing interventions, perceived barriers/enablers for engagement in religious communities, and the impact of gender on youth-led initiatives.

The consultant should expect to receive training from Search for Common Ground’s Institutional Learning Team (ILT) on the methodology and they will need to coordinate with ILT to ensure that the principles of the approach are practically reflected in the study design and understood.

This will include conducting key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) in Karachi and Lahore with: (1) male and female youth from diverse religious and secular communities, (2) youth members involved in youth-led organizations or initiatives related to inter- and intra-communal peacebuilding, and (3) a representative group of local religious or community leaders working on inter- and intra-communal peacebuilding. Youth in this case is defined as males and females from different faiths in the target areas ages 20-35, including university and madrassa students

The proposed methodology should include a plan for:

1. Working with local partners to conduct representative focus group discussions with youth and community members to identify indicators used by the community to measure peacefulness relevant to the need assessment’s objectives.
2. Implementing a two-step verification process with the community to refine the original indicators, then identify the most representative indicators through a participatory process.
3. Developing the everyday indicators as a diagnostic tool to ground project and program design for our monitoring and evaluation team.
4. Using mobile phone applications with the refined list of indicators for a first-round survey to participants and obtain feedback related to perceptions of peace and safety.

The proposal for Youth Mapping should incorporate Search’s youth mapping toolkit to identify youth leaders and organizations in Karachi and Lahore directly or indirectly supporting intra- and inter-communal collaboration. Proposals should include a plan to work with local youth organizations initially identified by SCGP to map both formal and informal youth groups and leaders from different faiths. This mapping should identify youth leaders, male and female, in each of the two cities who will be targeted for the project activities. The mapping should be representative of youth from different faiths, including minority groups and secular groups, as this tool will be used to develop inter-communal initiatives and relationship building through the establishment of youth networks.

Deliverables

SCGP expects the following deliverables from the external consultant(s) as they correspond to the timeline and budget:

• An inception report detailing the methodology, data collection tools and timeline. The Inception report should clearly articulate how the needs assessment and youth mapping will be done.
• Any necessary training of data collectors or set-up of systems for data collection;
• Supervision and participation in data collection;
• Oversight of data coding and analysis;
• All original data submitted to Search;
• Draft needs assessment and Youth Mapping reports in English for review by SCGP staff and partners. The structure of reports will be discussed and agreed with Search, Pakistan during the finalization oInception report.
• A final report in English (40 pages max in length, excluding appendices) and a summary of the results of the needs assessment and youth mapping in Urdu consistent with SCGP branding and standards. The report:

○  Uses the SCGP template unless otherwise agreed in the contract.

○  Provides a clear connection between the needs assessment and the intended results, articulate the project’s ToC, and include other relevant project specifics.

○  Fully explains the objectives and research questions of the study, limitations and methods chosen for analysis.

○  Findings respect Search’s standards, are structured around the main objectives of the needs assessment, and are presented in relation to the intended target groups. The findings should speak to the link between the project, it’s Theory of Change and its contribution to our strategy. It should explain adaptations that occurred during the project and their impact on results.

○  Recommendations should have a clear audience and be specific, accessible, and actionable.

○  Indicator table showing all indicators.

○  Youth mapping of Karachi and Lahore.

○  Appendices should include detailed research instruments, list of interviewees, terms of references and evaluator(s) brief biography.

Logistical Support

Consultant(s) will be responsible for organizing their own logistics for data collection (vehicles, fuel, and drivers), and this must be budgeted into the study. SCGP can provide support in arranging logistics as agreed upon based on the consultant’s proposal. At least one SCGP staff member may be available to support data collection and logistics.

In addition, SCGP and partners will share the following elements with the external consultant(s): Background materials including the project proposal and logframe, M&E plan, etc.

6. Ethical Considerations

The consultant(s) must clearly outline key risks of conducting the study and the steps to assure Do No Harm, conflict sensitivity and inclusion principles especially in consideration of  gender, age, ethnicity, and religion. They should ensure adequate representation from all relevant groups to minimize the perception of bias, mitigate the risk of increasing feelings of marginalization and division, and identify safe spaces to conduct project activities to minimize risks and are accessible to all participants regardless of their gender, affiliation, and physical abilities. The consultant should fully abide by the research ethics applicable to conflict sensitive areas, such as respect for withdrawal from the interview anytime during the interview, respondents express consent for interview, guarantee of safety and security of the respondents, privacy of the respondents and need for express consent of the respondents to use their names in the report (if needed).

7. Data Quality Assurance and Management

The data collection process and outcomes of the needs assessment and youth mapping will be reported to the M&E Manager. All data  should be recorded and stored in a high quality manner that can be shared both internally and externally in case of need. The draft and final reports will be reviewed and approved by our country office and global Institutional Learning Team (ILT). Final payment clearance is subject to ILT's approval of the final product.

8. Timeline

SN	Activity	Date
1	Proposal submission	February 12, 2021
2	Interview	February 18-19, 2021
3	Signing the contract	March 1, 2021
4	Training on GAM by ILT	March 2, 2021
5	Inception report	March 10, 2021
6	Data collection	March - April, 2021
7	Submission of draft report	April 30, 2021
8	Review of the draft report by Search	May 15, 2021
9	Submission of final report	May 31, 2021

9. Budget

The total budget available for this study is a maximum of USD 15,000 (inclusive of applicable taxes and any other costs) for one joint needs assessment and youth mapping process to cover costs for consultant’s remuneration, travel and participant engagement for data collection and production of the needs assessment and mapping reports. A detailed budget should be provided, including daily rates for personnel, and costs related to data collection (per total number of people sampled, sites for collection, etc.), analysis, and production of deliverables.

10. Requirements of Consultant

The following skills and experience are expected by SCGP for our evaluator for this project:

• Proficiency in English and Urdu (written and spoken);
• More than 5 years of experience in needs assessments and stakeholder mapping, including collecting data in interviews, surveys and focus groups;
• Experience in conflict analysis and working with justice and civil society sectors;
• Strong understanding of youth and religious dynamics in Pakistan;
• Experience working with international organizations;
• Experience conducting quantitative surveys and analysis;
• Research methods and data collection skills;
• Familiarity and experience with contextual challenges in the geographic location(s) where the study will take place.

In addition, the consultant is required to respect the following Ethical Principles^[1]:

• Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: Consultant should make the most of the existing information and full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. Consultant should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. He or she should communicate his or her methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique his or her work. He or she should make clear the limitations of the review and its results.
• Competence: Consultant should possess the abilities and skills and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of his or her professional training and competence.
• Honesty and integrity: Consultant should be transparent with the contractor/constituent about: any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information.
• Respect for people: Consultant respect the security, dignity and self-worth of respondents, program participants. Consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age and ethnicity.

Selection Criteria

Consultant proposals will be selected for:

1. Relevance of proposed methodology to the goal, objectives, and research questions for the project.
2. Quality of proposed methods, conflict sensitivity approaches, and quality control measures.
3. Qualifications of the candidate(s).
4. Proposed budget in relation to proposed methodology, deliverables and team. A High quality proposal with a smaller (yet adequate) budget will be given priority.
5. Timeline for proposed activities.

Applications

To apply, interested candidates (individuals or teams) are requested to submit the following two documents:

• Curriculum vitae;
• A technical proposal proposing a methodology for the baseline together with a financial proposal for the completion of the aforementioned deliverables and a short cover letter.

Note: Only two documents can be submitted, so the technical and financial proposals must be combined, along with the short cover letter.

Adapted from the American Evaluation Association Guiding Principles for Evaluators, July 2004