1.    Background

Pakistan is beset with a plethora of natural and man-made disasters. In the recent years, the magnitude and frequency of natural disasters such as floods and droughts have increased significantly. These repeated floods have reversed the recovery of affected communities and may have resulted in permanent changes in livelihood patterns across disaster prone areas. The increase in natural disasters is mainly attributed to climate change but also due to factors including lack of DRR knowledge to construct disaster resilient houses and infrastructures as well as resilient livelihood options and lack of institutional set up.

DFID funded CBDRM component of BDRP programme is working with the poor and vulnerable households and communities to build their resilience to climate related natural disasters by August 2018. The consortium led by Concern Worldwide (“consortium lead”) in partnership with ACTED, WHH, and IRC (“consortium members”), are implementing this component of BDRP (“programme”) with approximately 75000 HHs in 300 villages of 4 disaster prone districts of Pakistan including Kashmore, Ghotki of Sindh and Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh for Punjab province. This phase I starting from May 17 completed in August 2018 with a complete programme cycle in above mentioned villages and districts. Activities identified as result of risk and resilience profiling completed in July 18. Phase-1 will followed by a new phase proposed to implement in new-targeted areas. The programme is following an integrated approach for resilience building measures in CBDRM, shelter, WASH, infrastructure, on-farm livelihoods and off-farm livelihoods.

The overall outcome of the BDRP programme is the “increased capacity to reduce disaster risk, through better planning, preparedness, response, and resource allocation at the governmental and community levels.” The delivery of CBDRM will assist targeted communities to mitigate and prepare for disasters through improved early warning systems, risk information, community level response mechanisms and improved linkages with disaster management authorities. In addition, community-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures will also be realised for improving resilience of local communities.

Following are the three outputs of the programme

Output 1: Target communities have effective disaster risk management structures in place to take up and advocate resilience-building measures;

Output 2: Target communities and households are prepared to (a) cope with climate related natural disasters and (b) adopt risk reduction measures, and

Output3: Target communities and households introduced to sustainable livelihoods and environmental management practices for resilience building.

2.    Purpose of the Consultancy

The overall purpose of the assignment is to conduct a training to enhance the capacities of consortium member organization’s field staff and members of UCRF members on effective social mobilization, community led monitoring, linkage development and sustainability of programme through use of proven techniques, most up to date practices and latest innovations in respective themes.

Furthermore, the consultant is expected to support staff of consortium member organizations to build its institutional capacity in aforementioned themes through the development of relevant materials (guidelines, modules, monitoring tools and manual/reading material) and based on observation of field social mobilizers during implementation of Phase-I, and delivering a ‘Training of Trainers’ session.

3.    Relevance/Appropriateness and coverage:

·         This assignment intends to evaluate the capacities and skills of community/social mobilizers of consortium members for effective social mobilization and judge the programme objectives and key interventions were conveyed to local population and addressed their needs. 

·         Further, identify the shortcoming/limitations of knowledge and skills of field community mobilizers and challenges countered in the Phase-1 that can affect the social mobilization process during Phase-2 programme implementation.

·         Guide the staff that how to overcome such limitations/barriers by equipping with most updated knowledge, skills and techniques. These skills and knowledge should result in increase of inclusive community participation and mobilization with sense of self-preparedness, protection and ownership.

·         Inform and capacitate the social mobilizers to explore channels and steps to be taken using social mobilization tools for sustainability of interventions implemented and structures established. 

·         Inform and capacitate staff on community led monitoring tools and technique. Capacitate staff to facilitate continuous and joint learning and reflection, which is particularly important for participatory community monitoring.

·         Give a very basic knowledge and techniques to UCRF members in respective UC  to;

o   Allow  communities for transparent community selection process

o   Map community priorities and select community leadership

o   Conduct community meetings with leaders to harvest their support to mobilize community participation.

o   Select quick impact projects to solidify support and stimulate local participation

o   Lead, design, and monitor community project in transparent way.

o   Learn Communication techniques, which could help them to convince government and private sector departments/organizations and divert attentions for pooling funds for community development to registered community organizations.

o   Prepare UCRF for representation of community as a civil society organization for coordination with external stakeholders for communal development intervention (both DRR and non DRR activities) as well as their sustainability.

4.    Essential and Desirable Experience/Qualifications of Consulting team

·        Master degree in social sciences or related field.

·        At least more than five years of demonstrated experience in conducting social mobilization, monitoring trainings with particular focus on resilience, programmes or CBDRM programmes in Pakistan contexts.

·        Knowledge of the Pakistani regional context

·        Experience in the use of participatory methodologies and developing inclusive social mobilization trainings and participatory monitoring

·        Excellent written, spoken communications skills in English as well as in Urdu.

·        Practical experience and knowledge in Social mobilization and most significant change technique/ method used for evaluating complex interventions

5.    Objectives and Specific Tasks to be undertaken by the Consultant

The main objectives of the assignment is to enhance the institutional capabilities of consortium member organizations as well as Union Council Resilience Forums (UCRFs).

However, during this assignment, consultant will undertake at least following tasks;

·         Review the current social mobilization materials, approaches, and existing practices among consortium members and provide feedback on how to improve.

·         Evaluate organizational staff and UCRFs members through consortium staff in purview of social mobilization, identify the knowledge and skill gaps, limitations, and address through training in line with findings.

·         Develop guidelines on effective social mobilization, community led monitoring and process guide for sustainability introducing best practices and recommending appropriate techniques. These guidelines should be applicable at consortium and UCRFs levels and easy to implement.

·         Conduct training with emphasis on group works and role-plays for field staff/ UCRF members on effective social mobilization, effective community led monitoring, and sustainability process of programme activities implemented.

·         Develop training modules and reading material with clearly defined sections on (a) Effective community mobilization (b) Community led monitoring and (c) sustainability process, procedures for key programme intervention (i.e. linkages of Social structures, EWS, trainings and infrastructure schemes).

·         Conduct a two days “Training” session on social mobilization for community/social mobilizers.

·         Submit and detail report for feedback from all consortium members

·         Incorporation of feedback in the draft report and submission of the final report

Final payment is dependent on the submission of a good quality, well-written final report or completion of agreed outputs (as detailed in the TOR). This report will be shared with DFID in addition to other relevant internal and external stakeholders.

6.    Outputs 

Essentially, the consultant will produce following sets of outputs:

·         Pre and post test of the participants

·         A Comprehensive and contextually appropriate guidelines and checklists on social mobilization and participatory community led monitoring and sustainability process guide/ checklists that could be followed during implementation of programme in a sustainable manner. These guidelines should give guidance on step-by-step social mobilization process to achieve sustainability of the interventions by both consortium staff and UCRF members with community ownership. 

·         Guidelines should have separate section particularly focusing on sustainability of key interventions and social structures established at community level. Section should elaborate the steps and key procedures followed for sustainability by consortium and UCRFs.

·         A 2 days training module at each UC on effective social mobilization, Participatory monitoring and sustainability of program interventions for 20 staff members of UCRF and consortium staff. Training should be on focused on field-based learnings of staff, their experiences and challenges. It should particular emphasis on the concepts of social mobilization, roles of community mobilizers, tools, approaches for effective community mobilization and participation, use of effective social mobilization as a tool for sustainability and greater impact of the intervention.

·         Develop social mobilization training and participatory community led monitoring checklists annexed with the general reading material at the end.

·         A detailed assignment report

7.    Line of communication

The consultant will report to IRC Program Coordinator for CBDRM-BDRP programme and will liaise closely with Community Mobilization Lead. The session plan and modules will be submitted early for discussion prior to finalization.

8.    Timeframe

The consultant will be required for full time and to sit in the IRC Office at Ghotki and will work as a member of the team for this assignment.

The trainings will be conducted in selected seven UCs of targeted district and will tentatively start from January 2019.  The duration of the assignment will be finalized at the time of signing of contract and tentatively will be for a period of 2-3 months.

8.    Applications

This consultancy is open to National applicants only. For conducting the trainings the good speaking skill of Sindhi language is required. Use of computer and translation of materials from English/ Urdu to Sindh will be a plus.

Interested consultants are invited to send the following documentation in hard copies or through email to Muhammad Mirza, HR Coordinator Muhammad.Mirza@rescue.org by or before the deadline of CoB 25 Nov 2018.

·         Cover letter detailing the consultant’s suitability for the assignment and current contact information

·         A short description of methodology to undertake assignment and proposed fee.

·         Profiles/CVs of key trainer

·         At least one relevant example of previous assignment of similar nature carried out preferably in Pakistan with international NGOs/UN agency  

·         Technical and financial proposals should be submitted in a sealed envelope.

·         Please clearly write consultancy title on left upper corner of outer envelope.

Note: Individuals shortlisted based on Technical proposals will be asked to submit their financial proposals