Consultant - Development of Community and Practitioners Guide on the Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus at ActionAid Nigeria

Introduction

• The Humanitarian-Peace-Development (HDP) Nexus otherwise known as “the New Ways of Working”, although introduced following the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit is yet evolving in implementation owing to inadequate understanding of the gains and approach to utilise the Nexus in coordination of responses provided by HDP actors.
• The implementation of the Nexus remains a continuous challenge because the sectors of humanitarian relief, development assistance and peacekeeping/peacebuilding have long worked separately, with different mandates, priorities and approaches.
• They can be considered as three different systems with separate funding streams, timeframes and implementation procedures that can result in duplication or even conflicting interventions.
• While there is a joint acknowledgement that complex crises require comprehensive and coordinated responses, specialized actors continually tend to follow their respective priorities which often lack coherence and synergies on the ground.
• Against this backdrop, Practitioners and Community stakeholders do not have the pre-requisite understanding of the Nexus and how it can be utilised for improved service delivery of interventions within their respective sectors.
• This trend has now given the urgency to develop the Practitioners and Community guide aimed at addressing the existing gaps in understanding and utilising the instrument of the HDP Nexus to promote participation and coordination of practitioners and community stakeholders in line with the “New Ways of Working”.
• The Practitioners and Community guide will also contribute to overcome the longstanding complexity associated with understanding the concept of the HDP Nexus as well as mainstreaming the Nexus across all phases of HDP interventions leading to the achievement of collective outcomes.

Background

• The HDP nexus promotes interlinkages between the humanitarian, development and peace sectors.
• It seeks to promote collaboration between the HDP actors leading to accountability in delivering the respective sector’s initiatives to meet peoples' needs, mitigate risks and vulnerabilities, and move toward sustainable peace.
• The Humanitarian Peace-Development (HDP) Nexus, is therefore a new way of working that provides a pathway to bridge the gaps between the three traditionally distinct areas of crisis intervention.
• In Nigeria several actions has been embarked upon to implement the HDP nexus though a National HDP Plan.
• This is evidenced by the decision of the National Humanitarian Coordination Committee (NHCC) through the National Humanitarian Coordination Technical Working group to develop a NHDP framework that will aid the restoration of peace and stability in Nigeria through multitrack, multi-agency and multi-stakeholder approach.
• Hence, in August 2021 during the World Humanitarian Day tagged 2021, “Building Resilience to Climate Change Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus and Localization Framework”, the Office of the Federal Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development announced the unveiling of the NHDP framework.
• The framework envisions stronger collaboration and coordination among actors from the fields of development cooperation, humanitarian action and peace building.
• Following the unveiling, a 3-day stakeholder engagement was convened by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development with key HDP Partners and government actors leading to the validation of the framework and kick-start of the development of the NHDP plan.
• The NHDP plan when finalized is expected to span the period of 2022 to 2027. Inspite of the ongoing efforts, Practitioners and Community Stakeholders do not understand the HDP nexus and how it can be applied in terms of approach, interlinkages, promoting participation, inclusion and accountability.
• This accounts for the dwindling funding available for Civil Society Actors who are not mainstreaming the HDP approach into all aspects of their work.
• Community Stakeholders on the other hand are left behind and have not been able to interrogate the interventions of HDP actors in line with the HDP Nexus approach.
• ActionAid Nigeria recognises the gaps listed above and therefore seeks to develop a simplified Community and Practitioners guide on the HDP Nexus.
• The consultant is expected to deliver two products comprising:
  • A Practitioners guide on the HDP Nexus (including a summary of the NHDP Pillars and priorities)
  • A simplified community guide aimed at promoting participation of community stakeholders in delivery of HDP interventions.

Consultancy Objectives

• This consultancy seeks to provide a resource that will enhance the understanding and operationalization of the HDP Nexus by Practitioners and Community Stakeholders leading to increased participation, collaboration and accountability in line with the principles of the HDP Nexus/New Way of Working.
• Specifically, the main objectives are:
  • To provide a deeper insight and understanding of the HDP Nexus and how it can be operationalized by Practitioners and Community Stakeholders
  • To promote collaboration and interlinkages between HDP actors towards achievement of collective outcomes
  • To promote participation of community stakeholders during operationalization of the HDP Nexus leading to increased participation, accountability and inclusion
  • To contribute to the body of knowledge on implementation of the HDP Nexus in Nigeria.

Scope of Work
The scope of the consultancy and expected outputs / deliverables will be the following:

• Prepare a comprehensive proposal outlining the briefs of the Practitioners and Community Stakeholder guide
• Present the summarized practitioners and stakeholders guide (with a comprehensive list of contents) for approval by the Country Office team.
• Present a draft Practitioners guide on the HDP Nexus (max 20 pages) and a Simplified Community stakeholder guide (max 10 pages with infographics) to be reviewed by the Country Office team.
• Facilitate two-validation meetings with Community stakeholders and practitioners (organized by ActionAid Nigeria Humanitarian Project group) to receive feedback from sample end-users and test the relevance of the guide
• Prepare the finalised Community and Stakeholder guide that incorporates feedback from community stakeholders and practitioners

Deliverables

• Submit a detailed proposal 5 days after the start of the contract providing details of the comprehensive list of contents
• Produce a well-written draft Practitioners guide on the HDP Nexus (max 20 pages) and a Simplified Community stakeholder guide (max 10 pages with infographics)
• Incorporate feedback from two-validation meetings with Community stakeholders, practitioners and Country Office team into the Community and Practitioners guide
• Submit a finalized and designed version of the Practitioners guide on the HDP Nexus (max 20 pages) and a Simplified Community stakeholder guide (max 10 pages with infographics).

Methodology

• This consultancy will be conducted through desk review and engagement with practitioners and community stakeholders during validation engagements.
• During the desk review, the consultant is expected to work at own space.
• However, the consultant will be required to facilitate the validation meetings with community stakeholders and practitioners aimed at validating and testing the relevant of the guide and obtain feedback on ways of improving the resource.
• The methodology should factor considerations such as the existing power imbalance between Donors, Nigeria Government and aid actors, sensitivities of the topics to be discussed, providing a safe space for participants to extensively share their experiences around humanitarian development and peace Nexus during the validation meetings.
• Because they are not likely to share information on practices easily when they think it will affect their organization profile or funding opportunities.
• A level of trust and appropriate approaches (Participatory and inclusive) are required to gain a deeper insight of the actors’ practices, challenges, and ideas.

Required Expertise and Qualifications

• A national practitioner from Nigeria is required.
• A minimum of three years of professional experience of working within the HDP sector preferably with NGOs.
• Proven experience in the implementation of HDP interventions.
• A good knowledge of the local context; work experience in the country is an asset.
• Proficiency/experience in content development and facilitating participatory methodologies is required.
• Excellent communication skills oral and written in English (example reports to be delivered), and main local languages in the context.
• Experience with facilitation of a diverse groups of people (Community stakeholders and practitioners).
• Good listening skills.
• Skills to build trust.

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

• The evaluation of the consultant applicants will be based on Combined Scoring method - where the qualifications and methodology are given 70% weightage and financial offer will be given 30% weightage.
• Only consultant meeting a minimum of 50 points under technical evaluation would be considered for the financial evaluation.
• Following specific criteria would be assessed:

Scope of Financial Proposal and Schedule of Payments
Payment:

• The consultants will be offered a lump sum consultancy fee (excluding travel costs for field visits).
• The payments will be made in instalments based upon outputs/deliverables specified in the TOR (under payment schedule) and upon certification of satisfactory work as per work plan with the endorsement by ActionAid Nigeria Humanitarian Working Group.

Payment Schedule:

• 20% on submission of the detailed proposal and comprehensive list of contents
• 40% on submission of draft Practitioners and Simplified Community stakeholder guide (max 10 pages with infographics)
• 40% on submission of finalized and designed version of the Practitioners guide on the HDP Nexus and Simplified Community stakeholder (incorporating all the input from the ActionAid Nigeria Humanitarian Project Group (version in English).