Opportunity for organisations and researchers working with marginalised groups in Lebanon

Project background

60% of preventable maternal deaths globally occur in humanitarian crises or fragile contexts. Humanitarian crises are also characterised by increased, often acute, levels of sexual and gender-based violence, early marriage, homo- and transphobia, and other harms that result in critical sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) needs. There is widespread recognition that SRHR is deprioritised in crisis contexts in favour of food, water and other ‘basic needs’. Current standards are either not met, or do not take sufficient account of the structural and other barriers to achieving them. Despite the low levels of current humanitarian engagement, there is a critical opening for research, advocacy and action on this agenda due to growing interest in SRHR in global policy agendas. Humanitarian crises, as instances of both critical need and poor understanding, must be part of this conversation.

USAID has commissioned the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at ODI to conduct research that will explore current barriers, stigmas and challenges that impede access to SRHR in protracted crisis, enabling us to offer targeted policy recommendations for implementing/expanding current SRHR commitments under the Sphere Standards and interventions, and proposals for more inclusive and gender-responsive support. The research will also explore ways of increasing awareness of SRHR needs and related stigmas/discriminations across multiple areas of humanitarian response, including health, protection, education, food security, shelter, WASH and coordination. The research will use in-depth qualitative methods and a political economy approach to examine the experiences of affected populations in seeking out critical services in SRHR in protracted crisis settings. Working with key humanitarian actors to develop actionable recommendations for policy and practice, our goal will be to provide ways forward to support a more coordinated approach to SRHR that is embedded across responses and functions on inclusive and gender-responsive principles.

The research will be oriented towards answering the following research questions:

1. How do people living in protracted crisis settings understand and pursue healthy sexualities and relationships? What are the enablers and barriers that shape these experiences?
2. How can humanitarian response better support gender-responsive and inclusive SRHR and wellbeing in crisis settings?
3. How do protection-focused approaches shape the possibilities for or framing of bodily autonomy, healthy sexualities/relationships and wellbeing in humanitarian policy and practice?
4. How can humanitarian actors cultivate more supportive and collaborative relationships with health services and advocacy organisations, including both government and civil society?

Objectives

Data collection will be carried out in Lebanon in October and November 2022. All interviews and the analysis workshop should be completed by 31 December 2022.

The undersigned will work in collaboration with HPG staff and be responsible for:

• Contributing to the coordination of logistics in preparation for the primary research (helping identify interview targets, organising in-country research approvals with local authorities, in-country transportation, etc.).
• Participating in virtual trainings on how to use Sensemaker®.
• Providing feedback on and helping to shape the methodology, including the interview questions, their format and methods of targeting.
• Support in piloting and finetuning the methodology.
• Collecting and facilitating the analysis at least 80 stories from crisis-affected people in Lebanon using Sensemaker® (subscription provided by HPG).
• Conducting approximately 20 key informant interviews in Lebanon with service providers and other relevant stakeholders. For these key informant interviews, taking detailed interview notes and transcribing all interviews in detail (not verbatim) in English, highlighting key points
• Attending an online analysis workshop and helping draft the outline for the report.
• Reading and commenting on a first draft and approving the final draft of the report as co-author(s) of the report

Proposed timeline and deliverables

September 2022

Research partner:

• Secure in-country approvals with local authorities
• Set up logistics
• Participate in online methodology/design workshop
• Attend training on Sensemaker®

ODI:

• Develop methodology
• Organise training on Sensemaker®
• Technical set-up of software

1–15 October 2022

Research partner:

• Identify interview targets
• Pilot interviews and support with finalising methodology

ODI:

• Finalise methodology and technical set-up of software

16 October–30 November 2022

Research partner:

• Collect stories using Sensemaker®
• Conduct and transcribe interviews
• Translate transcripts into English

ODI:

• Provide ongoing support and input to research partner

Early December 2022

• Attend and contribute to analysis workshop (research partner)
• Organise analysis workshop (ODI)

28 February 2023

• Comment on first draft of report (research partner)
• Produce first draft of report (ODI)

30 April 2023

• Approve final draft (research partner)
• Produce final draft of report (ODI)

Researcher profile

For this research, HPG is interested in partnering with researchers and/or organisations that are:

• Based in Lebanon.
• Work regularly with crisis-affected populations or in humanitarian response with an inclusion or rights-based approach.

We particularly welcome submissions from organisations serving and/or led by marginalised groups – for example, women and girls, persons with disabilities, youth, elders, diverse SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics), migrant workers, etc. Please note that there is no need for researchers or organisations to be specialists in SRHR to be eligible to tender.