Consultant - Baseline Study - “Toward a Gender-Equitable Society” project

1. Context , The Project

Toward a Gender Equitable Society is a project that is being implemented by ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality (ABAAD) in partnership with Search for Common Ground (Search), with the aim of reducing Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) including intimite partner violence and child marriage, and improving the prevention and response mechanisms in close partnership with existing national and governmental frameworks to ensure sustainability of the national system for SGBV prevention and response.

In order to do so, ABAAD will ensure 1) the improvement of the access of women and girls to SGBV prevention and response services at its Mid-Way Houses and Women and Girls Safe Spaces, including the provision of high quality psychosocial support and case management services to GBV survivors and women and girls at high risk who have experienced any type of violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse; 2) the engagement of community members including men and women in dialogues and/or activities through its Mobile Unit Interventions, leading to increased social cohesion and resilience.

In parallel, Search will focus on breaking gender stereotypes through media to enable the environment for women and girls to be able to discuss violence openly, better understand pathways for reporting violence, and engage an audience of millions in a social shift on public discourses on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Search will be doing so by 1) building the capacity of screenwriters and producers on Media for Social Change and 2) supporting popular TV Networks and/or Company Productions and film students to include nuanced storylines related to gender and violence in their media outputs.

With that being done, ABAAD and Search will create an enabling environment in which social norms around VAWG in Lebanon will be shifted.

2. Goal and Objectives of Study

Search is seeking a consultant who can conduct a Baseline study to understand and investigate the status of social norms and perceptions around SGBV and accessibility to quality prevention and services to inform the project’s planning and implementation in Lebanon. The findings of the baseline will be used as a point of reference to measure the impact of the project and track its progress over time by collecting project indicators and provide benchmark information for measuring project outcomes based on the project log-frame. Particularly, overall objectives of the baseline study are:

1. Provide benchmark information for measuring project outcomes based on the project logframe (the project outcomes to be measured are those related to Search’s logframe indicators);
2. Investigate the primary causes of SGBV and the blocking factors to access adequate SGBV prevention services and what are the opportunities;
3. Investigate and assess community members in targeted areas and project's participants’  perceptions around social norms and SGBV;
4. Map out available VAWG/SGBV prevention and response service providers (with a special focus on media actors e.g., TV Networks and media company production) in terms of raising awareness on VAWG/SGBV and investigate potential complementarity with the project’s objectives;
   1. Assess the level of knowledge of media professionals and film students on creating SGBV-sensitive media products for positive social change
   2. Inform Search on the selection process of media professionals and film students
5. Provide recommendations on engaging media professionals and film students, and community members, with a special focus on men and boys, in SGBV prevention related activities; and
6. Capture lessons learned and good practices feeding into recommendations and planning processes. 

The baseline is also expected to validate the relevance of the project indicators and set baseline values for the project and to provide recommendations for the project implementation (the project outcomes to be measured are those related to Search’s logframe indicators).

3. Key Questions of the Study

The intended study is an assessment covering all the areas of Lebanon to determine the level of perceptions around social norms, SGBV and VAWG. The baseline is expected to be a participatory analytical study; more specifically, the study will seek clarification on the below key research questions:

Objective 2:

1. What are the primary causes and drivers of SGBV in targeted communities?
2. What are the triggering factors that amplify SGBV and reduce the impacts of SGBV prevention efforts in Lebanon and vice versa?
3. How does the media react to and deal with narratives of SGBV?
4. What limits adequate access to VAWG/SGBV prevention services?
5. What are current opportunities (both on policy and practical levels) of reducing SGBV in Lebanon and of promoting adequate accessibility for those in need of SGBV services, particularly SGBV survivors and marginalised groups?
6. To what extent have these efforts been effective in providing psychosocial support and case management services to SGBV survivors, and of promoting their self/worth-self/esteem and decision-making skills? What are the current pathways and services for reporting violence?

Objective 3:

1. What are the existing perceptions around cultural and social norms related to VAWG/SGBV in targeted communities and among project’s participants?
2. How media efforts/contributions are perceived among these participants in terms of changing negative perceptions of VAWG/SGBV?
3. What are the current understandings and attitudes of local authorities and community members towards the need to enable the environment for women and girls to be able to discuss violence openly and better understand pathways for reporting?

Objective 4:

1. What different SGBV prevention and response types of services are provided in Lebanon? And what are their outcomes?
2. To what extent media actors contribute to diffusing positive social norms and raising awareness on gender and SGBV issues?
   1. How have media actors been contributing to increasing the outreach of existing SGBV services to community members in Lebanon?

What is the existing level of knowledge and understanding of media professionals (e.g., screenwriters, producers and film students) of gender and SGBV issues?

4. Geographic Locations

The baseline study is expected to provide quantitative and qualitative information, sex-age disaggregated data and high-level analysis across Lebanon.

5. Methodology and Data Collection Tools

Approach

Search’s approach to the study is grounded in the guiding principles of our work: participatory, culturally sensitive, committed to building capacity, affirming and positive while honest and productively critical, and valuing knowledge and approaches from within the context. Search and the hired consultant will agree upon a joint set of standards when negotiating the final contract of agreement.

The below principles should be taken into account:

• Inclusiveness—the methodology should include a wide range of viewpoints, specifically gender and age-sensitivity when applicable.
• Mixed-method approaches—both qualitative and quantitative methods need to be present in the methodology.
• Rigor of evidence—gathered information needs to be reliable and transparent
• Ethics—the methodology needs to consider ethics in order to ensure that the evaluation is fully objective.

The consultant(s) will utilise a multi-method approach of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to conduct the baseline study, including Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and a survey. The baseline study will be conducted to triangulate data from multiple sources and stakeholders in order to infer reliable findings. The consultant will conduct KIIs with policy makers, women’s rights activists, SGBV/PSS case workers, civil society actors and media professionals in addition to surveys with producers and screenwriters including film-making students. The survey sample size should be adequate and representative of those who will be directly and indirectly engaged in project activities. Search staff will work with the consultant to ensure adequate selection of the Key Informants and FGD participants.

The consultant is requested to provide a detailed sampling framework in the inception report with clear criteria for respondent inclusion KIIs. Data collection, analysis and the results should represent Inclusiveness—the methodology should include a wide range of viewpoints, specifically sex, gender and age-sensitivity. In addition, these should ensure integration of ethical considerations, and rigorousness of findings.

In addition to adopting a mixed evidence-gathering approach, the consultant will also conduct a desk review, synthesizing ABBAD’s monitoring data in addition to any existing literature on the project and/or related or similar projects in Lebanon. Together, the KIIs, surveys, the FGDs, and the desk review will provide a holistic understanding of the project’s progress.

The methodology and data collection tools need to be validated by Search’s MEAL and Project Managers.

The consultant(s) is also required to develop a detailed evaluation matrix with judgment criteria that captures the study’s objectives and key questions which will guide the study process into reliable judgments and outcomes.

It will draw on the following sources:

• Desk study review: it is important to review project documents, logical framework, available monitoring data, and other relevant sources of data to complete the assessment.
• Key informant interviews with policy makers, women’s rights activists, SGBV/PSS case workers, civil society actors and media professionals: interviews will be conducted to gather in depth information on key questions.
• Focus group discussions with community members: to gather in depth information regarding the key questions described above.
• Survey with producers and screenwriters including filmmaking students: to collect both quantitative and qualitative information related to the study’s key questions.

Deliverables

Search expects the following deliverables from the external consultant(s) as they correspond to the timeline and budget:

• An inception report detailing the methodology, data collection tools and timeline, in addition to an evaluation matrix;
• Any necessary training of data collectors or set-up of systems for data collection;
• Supervision and participation in data collection;
• Oversight of data coding and analysis;
• All original data submitted to Search;
• A draft evaluation report in English for review by Search staff and partners;
• A final report in English (40 pages max in length, excluding appendices) consistent with Search branding and standards for evaluations. The report:
  • Uses the Search evaluation template unless otherwise agreed in the contract;
  • Provides a clear connection between the conflict or context assessment and the intended results, articulate the project’s ToC, and include other relevant project specifics;
  • Fully explains the objectives and research questions of the study, limitations and methods chosen for analysis;
  • Findings respect Search’s evaluation standards, are structured around the main objectives of the study, and are presented in relation to the intended target groups. The findings  should be consolidated with ABAAD initial baseline data, and should speak to the link between the project, its Theory of Change and its contribution to our strategy. It should explain adaptations that occurred during the project and their impact on results;
  • Recommendations should have a clear audience and be specific, accessible, and actionable;
  • Indicator table showing all indicators;
  • Appendices should include detailed research instruments, list of interviewees, terms of references and evaluator(s) brief biography.

Logistical Support

Consultant(s) will be responsible for organizing their own communication and logistics for data collection (subscriptions to digital platforms of data collection, vehicles, fuel, and drivers), and this must be budgeted into the study. Search can provide support in arranging logistics as agreed upon based on the consultant’s proposal. At least one Search staff member may be available to support data collection and logistics.

In addition, Search and partners will share the following elements with the external consultant(s): Background materials including the project proposal and logframe, M&E plan, etc.

6. Ethical Considerations

The consultancy should take consideration of the rights of participants in line with the ethical codes and guidelines of research. The participant should be asked to provide their consent and made aware that their identities would not be revealed. Cultural rights will be respected; minors below 18 years of age would not be assessed while collected data would be protected for confidentiality all through the data management process.

The firm/consultants are required to respect the following ethical principles:

• Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: Consultant should make the most of the existing information and full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. Consultant should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. He or she should communicate his or her methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique his or her work. He or she should make clear the limitations of the review and its results.
• Competence: Consultant should possess the abilities and skills and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of his or her professional training and competence.
• Honesty and integrity: Consultant should be transparent with the contractor/constituent about: any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information.
• Respect for people: Consultant should respect the security, dignity and self-worth of the respondents, program participants. Consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age and ethnicity.
• Do No Harm: Consultant should obtain informed consent of participants and understand the context and the participants’ cultural backgrounds as well as the dynamics between the different target groups to avoid exacerbating negative impact and/or placing unintentional harms/risks. .

The assignment should take into account precautionary measures to avoid COVID-19-related complications during data collection. These measures should ensure social distancing and remote interactions where possible. Therefore, applicants are kindly required to integrate a detailed multiple scenario strategy in their proposed methodologies and work plans that would ensure efficacy in the delivery of the assignment and allow for flexibility to switch between different modalities (i.e., to virtual data collection and vice-versa) whenever there is a need to do so.

7. Data Quality Assurance and Management

All deliverables will be reviewed and approved by the country office and global Institutional Learning Team prior to acceptance of the final product. The consultant(s) are also required to develop a clear and rigorous quality control plan during the inception phase of which will be implemented and deployed throughout all phases of the evaluation process to ensure reliability and validity of findings.

8. Timeline

The baseline study’s timeline is expected to be kicked off on April, 1st and concluded on June 15, 2021 by submitting the final deliverables requested above.

9. Budget

The total budget available for this study is 22283 USD. A detailed budget should be provided, including daily rates for personnel, and costs related to data collection (per total number of people sampled, sites for collection, etc.), analysis, and production of deliverables.

10. Requirements of Consultant

The following minimum, education, skills and experience are expected are required for the lead consultant under this assignment:

• At least a relevant master’s level degree with strong research components;
• More than 5 years of experience in research, including collecting data in interviews, surveys and focus groups;
• Experience working with justice and civil society sectors;
• Experience working with international organizations;
• Experience conducting quantitative surveys and analysis;
• Evaluation methods and data collection skills;
• Excellent proficiency in English and Arabic - written (including professional English reporting) and spoken; and
• Familiarity and experience with contextual challenges in the geographic location(s) where the study will take place.

11. Selection Criteria

Consultant proposals will be selected for:

• Relevance of proposed methodology to the goal, objectives, and research questions for the project;
• Quality of proposed methods, conflict sensitivity approaches, and quality control measures.
• Qualifications of the candidate(s);
• Proposed budget in relation to proposed methodology, deliverables and team; and
• Timeline for proposed activities.