RFP for Data Collection Firm to support Safer Cities for Girls Research

Safer cities for urban refugees: research in Beirut

  1. Background

Plan International’s Safer Cities for Girls programme currently operates in eight global capitals,[1] including in locations where there are high numbers of urban refugees. However, at present the programme does not target refugee populations strategically.

Plan International Lebanon are planning to conduct a research project to understand the specific needs of girls who are living as refugees in urban settings regarding their safety in the city and their participation in these issues, and to accordingly adapt and expand our urban programming to include these girls. The research will be led by academic Monash University.

We are looking for a data collection agency to support the implementation of this research.

  1. Research objectives and questions

The draft research questions for this work are as follows:

  1. How do adolescent girls (aged 10-14; 15-18), from local and refugee communities, perceive and experience their city, particularly in terms of safety and violence? How do their perceptions, the types of violence, and the risks and barriers they experience differ from each other?
  2. Based on their perceptions and experiences of safety in public sphere, how do those adolescent girls navigate the city? What coping mechanisms and capacities do they utilize?
  3. What opportunities or mechanisms exist to support adolescent girls in this city? Are adolescent girls aware of, accessing and participating in these opportunities?
  4. What are the recommendations, based on the research findings and the opinions of adolescent girls themselves, for Plan International, humanitarian actors, policy makers, donors, and the broader community to improve their perceptions and experiences of safety in their cities?

Note this information is for guidance only: Plan International and Monash University will design and share the tools.

  1. Scope of the research

The research will take place entirely within Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

Research participants will include:

  • Adolescent girls aged 10-18, who are refugees (living in camps or in the community) or girls from host communities in Beirut
  • Adolescent boys (10-18) in the same communities
  • Female and Male parents/caregivers of the same adolescent girls living in communities in Beirut
  • Relevant service providers, government representatives, and technical/coordination leads
  1. Methods

The methodology for this research will include

  • A quantitative survey of adolescent girls and boys on their perceptions and experience of safety in their cities, including participation in decision making processes (estimated at 400 surveys)
  • FGDs with adolescent girls and boys, using innovative, participatory approaches (estimated at 12 FGDs)
  • FGDs with parents/caregivers, community leaders, and other community-members (estimated at 6 FGDs)
  • KIIs with community leaders; service providers including for public services such as transport; municipality and national government representatives; and other technical experts and coordination leads (estimated at 12 KIIs)

The number of activities included here are estimates only: this is subject to slight change.

  1. Tasks and deliverables
  • Develop a fieldwork implementation plan, including data collection methodology
  • Participate in a training on the tools, including enumerators and supervisors (4 to 5 days)
  • Pilot test the tools under the supervision/monitoring of Plan International and Monash University, and provide feedback for adaptation
  • Collect qualitative and quantitative data over a period of 4 weeks, including quality control checks by Plan International and Monash University
  • Maintain frequent contact with Plan International throughout data collection, including providing daily updates on issues, challenges and progress during data collection
  • Input, check and clean quantitative data into a spreadsheet template
  • Develop verbatim transcripts of qualitative interviews and focus group discussions, and translate the transcripts into English
  • Provide other documentation as needed

Please note that Monash University is responsible for developing the data collection tools and analysis of data in consultation with Plan International and the selected team of data collectors.

  1. Timeline(around 6 weeks overall):
  • September – training of enumerators, piloting of tool and feedback on adaptation.
  • October – data collection and data entry
  1. Ethics and child protection

 

Data collection process must ensure: appropriate, safe, non-discriminatory participation; a process of free and un-coerced consent and withdrawal (by children and their parents/caregivers); confidentiality and anonymity of participants. Plan International is committed to the protection of children and ethical practice in all our work. The consultancy firm and all staff contracted by them must read, understand and agree to our Child Safeguarding Policy. Training will be provided on ensuring ethics and child safeguarding throughout the data collection, but applicants should also detail proposals on how they will ensure ethics and child protection in the research process.

 

  1. Selection criteria for agency/firm

Proposed teams must comprise of, at a minimum:

  • Data collectors who have extensive experience using qualitative and participatory tools, including with children and young people
  • Data collectors who have extensive experience conducting surveys, including with children and young people
  • Strong background in Protection, Child Protection and/or GBV fields
  • Supervisors with experience managing field teams
  • Data entry staff and transcribers

The exact number of data collectors and supervision staff should be proposed by the applicant, based on the scope of activities.

Agencies applying for this role must be able to demonstrate the following:

  • Extensive experience running similar data collection activities
  • Clear understanding of and process to uphold child protection
  • Capabilities to work in Arabic and English languages
  • Experience working in selected areas (Beirut and Mount Lebanon)
  • Experience working with vulnerable groups, including refugees and children
 

[1] Cairo, Egypt; Nairobi, Kenya; Kampala, Uganda; Delhi, India; Hanoi, Vietnam; Lima, Peru; Asunción, Paraguay; Honiara, Solomon Islands.

How to apply

Please submit your proposal (up to 5 pages), portfolio and quotation to [email protected] mentioning “Safer Cities Data Collection” in the title of your email. Please also include a statement clarifying your availability or any prior commitments during the time period.

Expired
Deadline
Sunday, 26. Aug 2018
Type of Call
Call for Proposals
Intervention Sector(s):
Children & Youth, Human Rights & Protection, Refugees
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