Syrian American Medical Society Foundation
Project Background
Over more than 11 years of conflict, the Syrian conflict has seen human rights abuses at a dramatic scale, with hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced. The damage has also systematically targeted civilians including media, civil society, and medical personnel, as well as the places where they work.
With the conflict far from over, there are numerous obstacles that confront civil society organizations in providing justice to victims and bringing accountability to perpetrators – especially given the absence of effective governance and rule of law. These obstacles include:
- Lack of systematic data collection – specifically: 1) attacks on health facilities; 2) medical and legal documentation of complex cases of human rights violations;
- Limited coordination between the health sector and human rights partners, legal experts, media outlets related to channeling data for justice and accountability efforts;
- Limited access to specialized services among at-risk populations – especially victims of torture, arbitrary detention, forced displacements, and victims of attacks on health facilities
- Lack of psychosocial support for frontline workers dealing with victims of human rights violations
The Syrian American Medical Society Foundation (SAMS), will advance justice and accountability for Syrians by pursuing three objectives:
- Improve the quality of documentation and preservation of evidence related to human rights violations
- Enhance the participation of Syrian civil society – in particular the health sector – in international and national justice and accountability mechanisms.
- Increase access to comprehensive support services for victims of human rights violations.
Purpose and Scope of Work
Under the supervision of SAMS Senior Program Manager, and in close collaboration with the Advocacy Department and Protection Department, the Research Consultant will work on the following:
Activity 01: Data analysis including identifying patterns in previously collected data
Throughout this project, SAMS has cleaned and organized its own data related to attacks on health workers.
After completion of the data cleaning, the archive will be shared with the Data Analysis Consultant. Analysis should ultimately be captured via data visualizations tools (charts, infographics, tables, etc.), and provide insight into trends regarding both attacks and their impacts on victims and communities. .
Activity 02: Supervise and conduct the interviews with the victims relatives- friends or colleagues
The Research Consultant should also engage in direct interviews with family and friends of those killed in attacks on health.
Interviews should be conducted in Arabic, and then transcribed for the purpose of qualitative analysis. Quotations can be used in the final report. The estimated number of interviews will be between 10-20. These interviews may also be featured in an online presentation pending the consent of those involved.
Activity 03: Write a detailed report using collected evidence on attacks on health workers and interviews.
The previous analysis and interviews will provide the basis for a final report. Such a report should include a review of attacks on health workers in Syria, as well as previous efforts that were made to achieve accountability. The report should also highlight the evidence and analysis that SAMS was able to provide due to attacks on its own facilities. The report will be an important document in SAMS ongoing advocacy efforts to provide support to victims of attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
Activity 04: Support linking information between the written report and the memorial page
After finalizing the draft report, the web designer will develop the memorial page on SAMS website. The consultant should give input on the best way for the information needed to be reflected into the web page according to the content of the draft report.
Supervision
The Research Consultant shall work under the direction of SAMS Senior Program Manager, and in coordination with SAMS Advocacy Department.
Authority
The Research Consultant shall have no authority to make any financial or executive commitments on behalf of SAMS.
Qualifications
- Advanced university degree in journalism, public health, or related field;
- Proven ability to produce reports, and analysis
- Excellent knowledge of the context for protection of humanitarian workers and the conflict in Syria.
- At least 4 years experience in the above-mentioned fields;
- As all products will be produced in English, professional fluency in English and Arabic, both oral and written; are required
- Computer literate with practical experience in Microsoft packages;
- Ability and willingness to work with people of different cultural backgrounds from the Syrian social fabric;
- Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, as well as the ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities.
Selection process
The Research Consultant will be identified and selected by SAMS, and the selected candidate will be subject to a background check.
Deliverables:
- A detailed report on the members of SAMS health staff who lost their lives while providing medical care in Syria. In addition to analyzing the incidents of health worker deaths documented in SAMS’ archive, the written report will provide the content of the memorial page for all staff killed that will be included in the printed report as well.
Schedule and Level of Effort:
The selected candidate will provide his/her expertise and services to the project as a consultant at different phases of the project, with a total of 30 working days.
The consultant is expected to start the second week of November and to deliver the final document, concluding all activities and the consultancy, by the 28th of December 2022.
Distribution of main tasks and time:
Activity 1 : Data Analysis
Estimated time: 5 days
Key output: Provide a quantitative analysis of the attacks on health workers to use this information for accountability efforts
Activity 2: Supervise and conduct the interviews with the victims’ relatives, friends, or colleagues
Estimated time: 5 days
Key output: Provide media content and qualitative content for the both written and web product
Activity 3: Lead, write, and design
Estimated time:15 days
Key output: Documents that provide a detailed review of attacks on health workers inSyria and in particular documenting SAMS killed staff
Activity 4: Supervise linking information between the written report and the memorial page
Estimated time: 5 days
Key output: Have a designed copy of the report on SAMS website
Total 30 days
How to apply
Please send your resume, cost proposal and writing sample to [email protected]