Country: Switzerland
Closing date: 30 Mar 2018
The Global Shelter Cluster State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements Working Group, co-led by IFRC and UNHCR, is seeking a consultant to carry out data gathering and analysis related to current trends in the humanitarian shelter and settlements sector. Please refer to the ToR for further information.
The consultancy is to start immediately and is for a maximum of 45 days of work over a 3-month period.
- Purpose of Consultancy **
The following are the Terms of Reference for a Research Consultant to support data gathering and analysis for the State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements publication in development through the Global Shelter Cluster. Specifically, this consultancy will aim to address the proposed Part 2 of the document which is intended to detail more specific analysis and evidence related to the current trends in the sector highlighting what information we know about shelter needs and response but also, and perhaps more usefully, to assist in documenting what information sources are still lacking and posit recommendations for systematizing future data collection for these information needs.
Annex A of this Terms of Reference contains a provisional overview of current thinking toward content for this section of the publication and the types of support required by the consultant. This content may evolve following further review of what deliverables are realistically achieved through available resources.
- Background on the State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements Publication
While humanitarian actors have always been addressing shelter and settlements needs, the recognition of shelter as a standalone sector in humanitarian response is relatively recent, mostly driven by the establishment of the cluster approach in 2005. The issues and practices of the humanitarian shelter and settlements sector remain however poorly understood and recognized in comparison with other humanitarian sectors, resulting at best in poorly integrated responses and at worst in a significant gap in meeting humanitarian shelter and settlements needs.
The Global Shelter Cluster has acknowledged this issue and established as one of its Strategic Aims to promote an increased recognition of the shelter and settlements sector as an essential component of the humanitarian response.
The State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements report aims to raise the profile and understanding of the humanitarian shelter and settlements sector, by providing a comprehensive picture of the extent and nature of humanitarian shelter needs and responses. It also offers an analysis of current trends in the humanitarian shelter and settlements sector with the supporting statistical evidence base. It contributes to Strategic Aim 3 of the GSC Strategy 2013-2017.
The State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements is proposed as a biannual publication with two distinct parts:
Part 1: A series of articles by leading thinkers, practitioners and representatives from a diversity of those engaged in addressing the issue of humanitarian shelter needs from humanitarian agencies, donor and affected governments, researchers and academics, around a common thematic area of interest which each edition will focus on.
Part 2: A mapping and statistical analysis of current humanitarian shelter needs and responses as well as trends and evolution of the shelter and settlements sector within the humanitarian system, including cause and effect relationships and the dynamics imposed by those trends, and evolutionary paths on the humanitarian system as a whole.
As a broad interagency partnership platform mandated by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) for the coordination of international humanitarian shelter activities, the Global Shelter Cluster is best placed to undertake this initiative and develop The State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements as a cluster product. The proposed project will therefore be undertaken by the GSC through the GSC established processes for GSC activities, and the proposed report will be a GSC product, labelled, messaged, referenced, and otherwise disseminated as a GSC product.
The State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements will constitute a key tool for advocacy with humanitarian policy makers, donors, government officials, and senior management of humanitarian agencies and institutions to better prepare for and meet the shelter and settlements needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises. In addition to a useful advocacy tool, the publication will advance the science, methodologies, and application of the shelter and settlements sector in humanitarian interventions.
The State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements complements another GSC initiative, Shelter Projects, targeting a different audience and for a different purpose. Shelter Projects primarily targets shelter practitioners with a view to disseminate some of the project options available to agencies and institutions working in humanitarian shelter and learn from the experiences, so that operational practice improves over time. The State of Humanitarian Shelter primarily targets policy makers, donors, governments and senior management of humanitarian agencies and institutions with a view to enhance the profile and understanding of the humanitarian shelter sector and inform these key decision makers in adopting policies and strategies that more effectively address the humanitarian shelter needs of crises affected populations.
3. Objectives of the Consultancy
The goal of this consultancy is to support the development of the Part 2 section of the SoHSS Publication as an overview of the data and statistics that are available for describing the prevalent trends, needs, available resources, and gaps for the shelter sector. The specific objectives that are expected to be delivered by the consultant include:
Collection and aggregation of available data representing current humanitarian needs for shelter following crises (natural disasters as well as conflict and refugee situations).
Collection and aggregation of available humanitarian activity monitoring (3W etc)
Review of key existing literature and data sources on shelter activities, needs
Liaise with key informants from the sector to provide valid input on information needs per stakeholder type
Collate the various datasets (as described in the document outline), and generate appropriate infographic material and supporting narrative
4. Project Support and Reporting Lines
This project position will be supported by a small support committee that will guide the development of the Part 2 document as well as represent and report progress to the GSC SoHSS Working Group. To this end, the primary reporting line for this consultancy will be provided by the GSC GFP for information Management and the GFP for Assessments. Other guidance will come through the SoHSS publication lead editors who will ensure coherence with the other sections of the publication, and the Deputy GSC Coordinators who lead the SoHSS Working Group.
5. Duration and key milestones
Publication of first edition of The State of Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements will be by mid-July 2018. Finalization of content for the Part 2 section is expected by 15 June 2018. To meet these deadlines the following timeline and milestones are suggested:
Selection of the SoHSS Research Consultant – 31 March 2018.
Kick off teleconference of the Part 2 Committee – approximately 3 April 2018
Mid-project Committee review – approximately 30 April 2018
Project Draft Deliverables Due (consultant) – 30 May 2018
Committee Review period (committee) – 30 May to 4 June 2018
Review by SoHSS WG
2 Week Project Finalization Period (consultant) – 4 June to 15 June 2018
6. Outputs
The final deliverable for this section of the SoHSS Publication is envisioned to be a comprehensive evidence-driven display of the available data that describes the current view of shelter as a sector globally. The product will need to present data, information, and statistics in a legible infographic style of presentation with appropriate narrative. *
How to apply:
Interested applicants, please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your interest in this consultancy and how your experience, qualifications and skills make you an ideal candidate for the role. Please also include your asking daily fee or total budget. Applications are to be sent to pablo.medina@ifrc.org and urquia@unhcr.org as soon as possible and in any case no later than the end of Friday, March 30, 2018. If a successful candidate is identified before the deadline, the application period will be closed earlier.