Consultant - Baseline Assessment on Current Protection and Child Rights Issues Common to Children Affected By Conflict In North-East Nigeria at Save The Children

Introduction
The Protecting Children in Conflict (PCiC) is set to protect children and adolescents affected by conflict in Nigeria by improving and strengthening our child protection interventions delivered using a multi-sectoral and integrated programing approach and developing competencies of the emergency team so that they are better able to implement advocacy and campaign programmes for better engagement with state and none-state protection actors while amplifying the voices of children especially those directly affected by the conflict.

Purpose of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a baseline assessment on current protection and Child Rights issues common to children affected by conflict in North-east Nigeria. The baseline assessment will identify current child protection risks, needs and map out existing state and community child protection mechanisms in order to have a better understanding of the challenges impacting the delivery of multi-sectoral and integrated protection interventions in Save the Children (SC) Nigeria Humanitarian response.

Project Context:
The humanitarian crisis in north-east Nigeria continues as hostilities between Nigerian security forces and non-state armed groups enter their ninth year. Civilians still bear the brunt of the conflict that has resulted in widespread displacement, lack of protection, destroyed infrastructure and collapsed basic services. According to UNOCHA 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan, an estimated 2.9 million children (61% female, 39% male) in the three most affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe are in acute need of protection interventions for their survival. With the majority of the conflict-affected people having experienced significant psycho-social distress, protection remains an urgent need at all levels. At least 30 per cent of IDPs (including children) are currently separated from their families, and 57 per cent of these have no contact with family members. There are an estimated 6,000 unaccompanied minors, 5,500 separated children and 15,000 orphans, among other groups of children at risk or affected by protection concerns. Conflict and displacement have significantly affected the dignity of women and children.

The conflict has led to massive displacement, thus, exerting more pressure on the already weak protection system. Save the Children’s October 2017 Rapid Gender Analysis showed an increase in adolescent headed households both male and female but a decrease in household headed by older men. Girls are married off at early age making them young mothers while adolescent boys usually replace their fathers who might have died in conflict. Prior to the conflict, the average age of marriage for girls is 14 years. However, the ongoing crisis have made it worst as more girls (younger than 14) are given away in marriage to reduce the burden of care on the parents or grandparents. Cases of men from neighbouring states coming over to marry such girls at a giveaway price have become very rampant in camps and host communities. Cases of sex for food with aid officials have been recorded in numerous IDP camps. Young boys are also exposed to protection risks especially child labour and physical abuse as they try to fend for their households.

Sexual violence, including rape, is a defining characteristic of the ongoing conflict, with 6 out of 10 women in the north-east having experienced one or more forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Women, boys and girls are at particular risk within the current environment, with many reports of survival sex in exchange for food, money and freedom of movement (into and out of IDP sites). This exposes the population to increasing incidence of sexually transmitted infections including HIV, unwanted pregnancies, and obstetric fistula caused by sexual violence, leading to overall poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes. The crisis has significantly affected the dignity of women and children. This is further entrenching pre-existing gender disparities. In the Global Gender Gap Index, Nigeria ranks 118th out of 144 countries.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in grave violations of human rights, including brutal attacks resulting in death, injuries, sexual violence, abductions, early and/or forced marriages, arbitrary and extended detentions without trial, disappearances, and deprivations, denial of services, family separations and forced recruitments by armed group. In 2017, boys and girls were increasingly used as improvised explosive devices bearers by non-state armed groups. In the same year, 117 children were recruited and used in so-called suicide” attacks in and this figure is three times higher than the number for the last three years combined. Due to the high levels of human rights abuses, IDPs are manifesting signs of mass psycho-social distress. Hence, the need to strengthen prevention, monitoring, reporting and response mechanisms to grave child rights violations.

Objectives
Save the Children is therefore seeking a consultant to conduct a baseline assessment in North East Nigeria:

• Map out current protection needs of children affected by conflict with emphasis on gender disparity and challenges impacting service delivery aimed at strengthening SC’s current advocacy programming in Borno.

Key Tasks of Consultancy

• It is expected that the consultancy would last approximately 4 weeks, 8-10 days will be spent in the field- Borno and remaining days for report.
• A detailed methodology incorporating Child Participation for the base line assessment to be submitted and approved prior to field work
• Carry out desk review from primary and secondary sources
• Support two days (2) training of enumerators prior to field work
• Development of tools for data collection, monitor and supervise enumerators and data entry clerks during the data collection process in two LGAs Mafa & Jere.
• Carry out detailed analysis of current protection needs and services for children affected by conflict (CAAFAG, UASC, SGBV survivors, in and out school children, Child Early and Force marriage etc).
• Map out formal and informal child protection mechanisms at local and national levels highlighting key challenges with existing referral pathway to inform SCI future programming
• Assess boys and girls access to child protection service delivery (informal and formal); what key challenges and recommend appropriate integrated intervention strategies for consideration.
• Support the delivery of child- focus consultation to identify, improve, develop and deliver on the PCiC commitments of amplifying children’s voices across our advocacy and campaign programming.

Key Outputs / Deliverables of Consultancy
At the end of the consultancy engagement, the consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

• A report of the consultancy, key findings and recommendations
• Presentation of finding from the field to project team and SLT

Child Safeguarding: The consultant will be expected to comply with Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct; details on these policies will be provided at the start of the consultancy.

Consultant Specification

• Qualification in Social Work or Social Science related courses; experience in the field of Child Protection in Emergencies.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills
• Willingness to travel and carry out field work in Borno for a minimum of three weeks
• Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse teams to achieve the desired outcome
• Fluency in English and ability to communities in local Language, Hausa and Kanuri
• Attach most recent consultancy report.

Fee Structure
All applicants to include daily rates.