IDMC – Consultancy to support development of local durable solutions assessment toolkit

BACKGROUND

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is the world’s definitive source of data and analysis on internal displacement. Since our establishment in 1998 as part of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), we have offered a rigorous, independent and trusted service to the international community. Our work informs policy and operational decisions that improve the lives of the millions of people living in internal displacement, or at risk of becoming displaced in the future. IMPACT is a Geneva based think-and-do tank created in 2010 to promote more effective aid action and practices. IMPACT undertakes holistic IM activities across humanitarian and development programming offering a unique set of capacity, skills and expertise with regard to IM and analysis, ultimately bridging information gaps and analysis and supporting humanitarian actors in prioritising and planning aid more efficiently.

IDMC and IMPACT Initiatives are undertaking a 2-year ECHO-funded project to provide data, evidence and analysis to help inform concrete and effective durable solutions strategies and actions at the local level, which began in January 2024. The project will develop an assessment toolkit or module to be used as a plug-in for area-based assessment to evaluate the resources, capacities, barriers and enabling factors to support durable solutions at the local level, as well as the readiness of a particular context for durable solutions to be pursued. The toolkit will be tested in 3 diverse displacement contexts to improve understanding of the resources and investments needed to support IDPs to achieve durable solutions. Namely, in Colombia, Somalia and Burkina Faso. The pilots will be led by IMPACT country office staff in the three countries.

CONSULTANCY OBJECTIVE

This consultancy is to contribute to the toolkit development and documentation of lessons learned throughout the pilot process, in order to ensure the final version of the toolkit responds to the needs of the end users. Specifically, the consultant will engage with stakeholders in each of the 3 pilot countries to capture feedback and lessons learned in a systematic manner, and will support the project team to finalise the toolkit and global-level deliverables, drawing on the lessons from the pilots.

The project was developed in response to the system level need to strengthen the humanitarian sector’s ability to respond to internal displacement crises and accelerate the achievement of durable solutions through the provision of actionable data, evidence, and tools. The tool aims to:

i) Analyse the suitability of areas of return and integration for durable solutions.

ii) Identify capacity and response gaps across the 8 criteria for durable solutions, and other relevant components, that different actors can support progress on.

iii) Inform dialogues on internal displacement and durable solutions, with a specific emphasis on area-based responses.

Working under the supervision of the IDMC and IMPACT project leads, the consultant will:

• Develop a set of pre-defined markers and an overall approach for collecting lessons learned in a systematic manner across the three pilot countries, in coordination with the project team.
• Collect feedback from stakeholders participating in the 3 country pilots through remote key informant interviews and document review, ensuring a mix of profiles is represented.
• Present the findings of the lessons learned process to the project team and representatives from the IMPACT country offices conducting the pilots for review, feedback and validation.
• Draft an information product consolidating the findings across the three countries according to the format agreed with the project team. Review and incorporate feedback to the information product from the project team.
• Review the final version of the toolkit and associated guidance, drawing on the feedback from the country-level engagement to ensure the product is tailored to the needs and capacities of the end-users.
• Upon request, and within the scope of the consultancy days agreed, participate in presentations and meetings related to the project and the launch of the toolkit.

CONSULTANCY TIME and IMPLEMENTATION TIMEFRAME

This is a part time consultancy for an estimated 30 working days to be undertaken over a 6-8 month period, commencing as soon as possible and no later than February 2025.

Key Deliverables:

1. Develop an approach for collecting lessons learned across the 3 pilot countries in a systematic manner and document this in the form of a Terms of Reference, for review and agreement with the project team.
2. Detailed documentation of lessons captured across the 3 countries through the key informant interviews and document review.
3. A high-quality information product consolidating the findings and lessons across the 3 pilot countries, written for a global audience and incorporating two rounds of feedback from the project team.
4. A final draft of the toolkit, incorporating feedback from the project team, along with a presentation to the project team.

Skills/areas of expertise and qualifications:

• Solid understanding of existing frameworks, guidance and approaches to the topic of durable solutions to internal displacement and its assessment.
• Knowledge of area-based assessment approaches and their application in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
• Perfect command of the English language, both written and oral; ability to work in French and/or Spanish.
• Demonstrated research, analysis and writing skills.
• Master’s degree or above in international relations, development, political science, social science, economics, migration or a related field.

Pre-requisites for application:

• Applications can be accepted only from named individuals.
• Registration as a “sole trader” or consultant in country of residence or as employee within a consultancy company is required.
• The consultant must provide proof of status and membership of national social security scheme before a consultancy contract can be issued.
• The consultant must be available to commence the assignment in February 2025.

MANAGEMENT

The consultant will be managed by the Lead Researcher for the project, within the Research Hub of IDMC. The consultant will also work in close collaboration with the other members of the project team from IMPACT Initiatives global headquarters, as well as IMPACT Initiatives colleagues in the 3 pilot countries. A detailed workplan will be agreed at the beginning of the consultancy and reviewed periodically to ensure tasks are completed on time.

How to apply

APPLICATION PROCESS

Consultants who meet the above requirements are invited to submit an expression of interest by 01 January 2025, 23:59 CET to CH Geneva Tenders <ch.gvatenders@nrc.no, and include the following as part of their application:

• CV and cover letter / Expression of Interest
• List of references that can be contacted to verify the quality of services.
• Rates: daily consultancy rate in CHF only, inclusive of all costs, VAT and charges.
• Proof of registration as a consultant/sole trader/proprietor or a company in country of residence as required

Please note: All service providers/consultants working with NRC should maintain high standards on ethical issues, respect and apply basic human and social rights, ensure non-exploitation of child labour, and give fair working conditions to their staff. NRC reserves the right to reject quotations provided by suppliers not meeting these standards. Consultants doing business with NRC will be screened on anti-corruption due diligence before NRC confirms a contract.