Vulnerability Assessment Consultant / Researcher Fellow

1. Background

ActionAid Myanmar (AAM) is implementing a short project which is for women, designed and implemented by women. It envisages reaching newly displaced women within-kind and cash humanitarian assistance that responds to the needs of women’s specific needs including life-saving food, protection (GBV and PSEA), and empowerment through orientations and training on women’s participation and leadership.

The primary outcome of the project is to support Women’s Rights organisations and Women Human Rights Defenders including artists, journalists and activists to ensure their safety and access to resources and aid to promote feminist actions, gender equality; advocacy and networking to amplify the voices highlighting the Human rights condition in Myanmar. The project aims to achieve the primary objective through the following outputs:

• WROs/Women networks and alliances are supported and strengthened through trainings, small grants, networking support and form alliances and women-led safe civic spaces are supported to enable them for managing the post-coup stress in their program implementation and developing policy and advocacy.
• Knowledge produced and disseminated through research and advocacy to build solidarity with prodemocracy efforts, document HR violations, map vulnerabilities women are facing- all aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE).

The project envisages a multi-dimensional vulnerability mapping to be done across 3 states/regions. This study aims to help understand the condition of women pertaining to safeguarding, livelihoods, displacement and other issues. This study will help relevant stakeholders understand the vulnerability status of women in Myanmar and will be a valuable resource in designing future interventions.

1. Objectives of the Work

The multi-dimensional vulnerability mapping will deep-dive in the lived experiences of women who are living in conflict or crisis ridden areas with the objectives of:

• Understanding the challenges that women are facing related to livelihood, displacement, and safeguarding.
• Exploring how women are coping with the challenges they are experiencing.
• Providing recommendations for AAM and other relevant stakeholders to address the challenges they are facing.

1. Scope of Work, Specific Duties and Responsibilities, Schedule of Work

This consultancy will involve working with AAM staff, in shaping assessment and analysis by documenting the experiences of vulnerable women. The consultant will lead in co-designing the assessment framework and instruments, conducting the key informant interviews, focus groups discussion, and case stories, and develop an assessment report. This research is expected to complete in Yangon peri-urban area and two other states and regions of Myanmar.

This consultancy will be managed by ActionAid/Myanmar, and it is expected that it will be done over February through April 2023.

In consultation with AAM, the responsibilities under this role will include:

• In consultation with AAM, develop assessment framework that includes conceptual framework, methodology, assessment tools and assessment plan.
• Conduct literature review.
• Conduct KIIs, FGDs and collect case stories.
• Use ActionAid’s feminist research guidelines when conducting KIIs, FGDs, and collecting case stories.
• Conduct a validation workshop.
• Analysis of the data with gender and age lenses
• Finalise assessment report.
• Prepare assessment brief.
• Led/participate in research report dissemination events.
• Ensure and adhere to the safeguarding principle and actions throughout the assignment.
• Ensure to collect data that is practical, in a way that no women’s safety will be compromised throughout all activities.

1. Qualification Requirement

We are looking for a consultant with the following key skills and capacity:

1. Education

   • Master’s degree in Gender studies, Feminist studies, Social Sciences, Refugee and Displacement studies, Political Science, Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, or related fields. A PhD degree in similar field is desired.

2. Experience

   • Minimum 5 years relevant work experience in conducting and leading research projects and assessments.
   • Highly proficient in data collection and analysis
   • Familiarity with the context of Myanmar and humanitarian crisis, particularly on women’s issues.
   • Demonstrable experience of delivering research on feminist issues and utilising feminist methodologies and approaches
   • Experience of ensuring quality of data collection
   • Strong understanding of, and experience working on, fragility and vulnerability
   • Strong grounding in feminist theory and approaches
   • Proficiency in high quality report writing in English and ability to write academic text.

3. Language

• Fluency in English language both written and spoken.

1. Others

   • Proven record of writing research reports and publications
   • Experience in editing of reports for international development agencies
   • Have excellent interpersonal skills and a strong commitment to working in collaboration and partnership
   • Have accuracy, attention to detail, motivation and ability to meet deadlines
   • Ability to work independently
   • Excellent computer skills in MS word and presentation
   • Ability to deliver on time as committed and be responsive to all communications from AAM

2. Expected Timeframe (to deliver this work)

SN

Deliverables

Deadline

1

Develop assessment framework in consultation with ActionAid/Myanmar (3 days)

24th February 2023

2

Conduct Literature review (2 days)

28th February 2023

3

Conduct 18-21 KIIs and 9-12 FGDs and 3 case stories (10 days)

15th March 2023

4

Conduct a validation workshop (1 day)

18th March 2023

5

Research Report finalisation: Analysis and Report Writing (9 days)

31st March 2023

6

Prepare a research brief (2 days)

4th April

7

Research Dissimination event (1 day)

7th April 2022

The report should be written in English and should not exceed 45 pages (Times New Roman, font size 12, single space). To complement the full report, the document should be accompanied by research tools and plan for research and analysis, list of literature reviewed, list of interview respondents and reference list. The report should be submitted electronically in a MS-Word document.

Reference in APA format will be cited after each important facts and figures. Completed checklists, methodology and plan and photos have to be submitted to AAM.

The consultant is expected to build on the research plan in consultation with AAM. AAM research team will closely work with the consultant and AAM will provide the necessary feedback upon receiving the research framework, research questionnaires and research report.

1. Management/Reporting

The successful candidate will report to Head of Programme Quality and Research.