Catholic Relief Services
With USAID/Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) funding, CRS implements the Budikadidi Resiliency Food Security Activity (RFSA) in concertation with key implementing partners: 1) the Government of the DRC (GoDRC) extension services across sectors and community level structures; 2) National Cooperative Business Association Cooperative League of the USA (NCBA CLUSA); 3) Caritas Mbuji Mayi; 4) Réseaux Femmes et Développement (REFED); 5) Sun Mountain International 6) Réseau des Associations Congolaises des Jeunes / Kasai Oriental (RACOJ); and 7) Tufts University. The 7-year program (2016-2023) seeks to improve nutrition, food security and economic well-being status in the health zones of Miabi, Kasansa and Cilundu in the province of Kasai Oriental in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
To support the achievement of program results, Budikadidi implements a cross-cutting and transformational gender strategy, which supports systemic reductions of gender-related barriers in the community and province at the individual and household level. Strategies used by the project to improve women’s control over resources in agriculture, health-nutrition and within the household include positive masculinity, improved communication within the household, increased representation of women in decision-making structures and reduced acceptance of gender-based violence (GBV), including early marriage.
CRS is committed, through the framework of cross-cutting protection and safeguarding policies to safe programming by ensuring that its programs, its operations/procedures, its staff and its partners integrate the principles of safety, dignity, and the participation and empowerment of the communities it serves. The Budikadidi project places particular emphasis on the CRS agency Safeguarding Policy, a means for the agency to reflect its responsibility to ensure that its programs, operations and staff promote the well-being of children and vulnerable adults and do not put them at risk of harm and abuse. This policy governs the expected behavior of CRS staff, its partners and affiliates in general and more specifically of participants in the Budikadidi project and their interaction with the communities where it operates.
With funding from USAID/BHA, CRS implemented the Strengthening Partners’ Protection Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse through Protection Mainstreaming in DRC as well as three other countries. CRS worked with six national partners in DRC, including Caritas Mbuji Mayi which is a Budikadidi partner organization. This two-year project worked with partners to operationalize the policies, systems, and structures needed to prevent and respond effectively to issues of sexual abuse and exploitation (SEA) within their organizations and the communities they serve and developed a toolkit for national organizations.[1]
- Purpose
In pursuit of its commitment to promoting the dignity and well-being of its staff and its partners as well as that of the communities it serves, CRS seeks to conduct a safeguarding and protection assessment to improve the understanding of attitudes and practices, and risks in safeguarding and protection.
Specifically, the assessment will:
- Assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of CRS staff, partners and affiliates on the content of the safeguarding policy and their level of confidence in the internal system for handling allegations (whistleblower system, investigation process and response to allegations).
- The identification of safeguarding risks and measures to mitigate these risks in programs, such as practical measures taken by staff to minimize and address harm caused by staff and programs.
- Assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of community members on issues related to expected behavior of personnel, prevention against sexual exploitation and abuse, and efforts made with the community to raise awareness on safeguarding issues and protection.
- Assess the general protection context of the areas covered by the Budikadidi project, including protection risk analysis and mapping of operational support services.
The main questions that the assessment will answer are:
1. What is the level of knowledge of Budikadidi staff, partners and main stakeholders on the issue of safeguarding and protection?
2. What are the common attitudes and practices that Budikadidi project staff and partners hold in relation to safeguarding and protection issues?
3. What understanding do the staff, partners, and stakeholders of the Budikadidi project have for the mechanisms for reporting and processing safeguard allegations?
4. What are the safeguarding and protection risks in the areas covered by the Budikadidi project? What are the operational community mechanisms to respond to them?
6. What elements of local practices could exacerbate safeguarding and protection risks?
7. What are the local capacities at the community level on which the project could rely to mitigate safeguarding and protection risks in its area of intervention?
8. How does the community perceive the mechanisms put in place by Budikadidi to prevent and respond to protection and safeguarding risks?
9. What are the operational structures in place that deal with protection and safeguarding cases and how are they perceived by community members?
- Activities
To achieve the objectives of the safeguarding and protection assessment of the Budikadidi project, the non-exhaustive list of the following activities should be implemented:
- Develop a clear and understandable methodology
- Develop questionnaires and adapt the Safeguarding Assessment Tools.
- Facilitate the identification and training of data collectors for participatory data collection.
- Develop a work plan for the implementation of the assessment.
- Supervise the implementation of the study.
- Facilitate the data analysis with program staff.
- Draft the final report.
The consultancy will require travel to Kasai Oriental, DRC.
- Deliverables
At the end of the assessment, the consultant will provide a detailed report.
The expected deliverables are:
- A detailed work plan with key stakeholders
- The description of the methodology of the protection and safeguarding assessment
- Collection tools and survey questionnaires finalized and shared
- A complete/comprehensive report that includes the main findings, conclusions and recommendations for addressing the safeguarding risks of the Budikadidi project
- Completed safeguarding and protection risk analysis matrices and action plans for risk mitigation measures with well-defined responsibilities
- Mapping of available and operational support services structures
- Timetable
The assessment is expected to begin in June 2022 and be finalized at the latest by the end of August 2022.
- Desired profile
- Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, gender, food security, nutrition
- Knowledge of the DRC context
- At least 3 years’ experience in the field of protection and safeguarding
- Expertise in leading assessments on protection and/or safeguarding
- Expertise in qualitative analyzes
- Knowledge of participatory research approaches and tools
- Proven ability to analyze, present and write quality reports
- Knowledge of French and English, and ability to write professionally in English
- Cost and Payment Schedule
The payment will be made at the end of the consultancy. The consultant shall provide indications of the expected daily rate.
- VIII. Application Form
Please submit applications to [email protected]. The application files must mention the name of the applicant and the offer number (CD 2783) and must include:
- A curriculum vitae (3 pages maximum) including at least three (03) professional references.
- A copy of an evaluation on safeguarding and protection conducted by the consultant
Interested applicants must send offers to [email protected] by June 3, 2022.
You have the right to report any fraud attempts by calling CRS’ free hotline (47 11 11).
The CRS receives all applications without distinction of religion, political affiliation, or gender.
Women’s applications are encouraged.
CRS recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. CRS takes all allegations very seriously. Abuse or exploitation of children or vulnerable adults may result in dismissal.
- Consultancy Period
The consultancy is expected to start June 12 to August 12, 2022. Level of effort not to exceed 40 billable days. Dates are illustrative.
Next Steps
Proposed Dates
Responsible
Comments
Elaboration of methodology, tools, calendar, and budget
12 to 17 /Jun/22
Evaluator/CRS
With validation from CP, and support from Safeguarding Regional Technical Advisor
Document Review
20-22 /Jun/22
Evaluator
Finalization of data collection tools & methodology
27/Jun/22
Evaluator
With validation CP and support from CRS’ Safeguarding RTA
Trip to Mbujimayi
28 /Jan/22
Evaluator
With CRS’ Support
Enumerator’s identification in Mbujimayi
15 to 29 /Jun/22
Evaluator
With CRS’ Support
Enumerator’s training in Mbujimayi
30/Jun to 1st /Jul /22
Evaluator
With CRS’ Support
Data collection in office and Sub office
04 to 08 /Jul /22
Evaluator
Finalization of data transcription
13 /Jul /22
Evaluator
Trip back
14 /Jul /22
Evaluator
With CRS’ Support
Data Cleaning and Analysis & Debrief with Budikadidi and the Ethic unit of the region
15 to 22/Jul /22
Evaluator
Draft report
25 to 29 /Jul /22
Evaluator
Review draft report
1st to 05 /August /22
CRS
Final report and deliverable
12 /August /22
Evaluator
[1] “Strengthening Partners’ Protection Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse through Protection Mainstreaming: A toolkit for local and national organizations,” Catholic Relief Services, 2021. https://www.crs.org/our-work-overseas/research-publications/strengthening-partners-protection-against-sexual
How to apply
- VIII. Application Form
Please submit applications to [email protected]. The application files must mention the name of the applicant and the offer number (CD 2783) and must include:
- A curriculum vitae (3 pages maximum) including at least three (03) professional references.
- A copy of an evaluation on safeguarding and protection conducted by the consultant
Interested applicants must send offers to [email protected] by June 3, 2022.
You have the right to report any fraud attempts by calling CRS’ free hotline (47 11 11).