Peace and Conflict Assessment (PCA) with focus on Resilience and Gender for Niger (Diffa) and Nigeria at CBM International

The project is aiming to improving access to education and vocational training for refugees, IDPs and host communities in Niger (Diffa) and Nigeria (Borno State and Yobe State), with special attention to persons with disabilities, by providing equally accessible school education (1), improving the living situation of displaced persons and people from host communities, especially youth with vocational training measures (2), building accessible and safe latrines and water points in schools and vocational training institutions (3) and strengthening the capacities of self-advocacy organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) (4).

CBM will implement the project in cooperation with 5 local partner organisations. In Niger we are working with FNPH, DEMI-E, AGIR PLUS and in Nigeria with Taima-ko-CDI and COCIN. The partner organisations will work closely with OPDs.

The project seeks to promote a disability-inclusive, conflict- and gender-sensitive approach throughout all intervention areas.

Expected Results and Specific Objectives

The advertised analysis is mandatory by the donor and must be submitted with the full proposal and is essential for proposal development. The analysis consists of 3 components that are intertwined:

• Peace and Conflict Assessment, PCA (1)
• Resilience Analysis (2)
• Gender-specific Needs Assessment (3)

The assignment will use the methodological framework of a PCA, a diagnostic tool for a context assessment and for understanding the contextual challenges. Further the PCA is a methodological approach for ensuring conflict-sensitivity of the planned project. Lastly, the PCA is used as a mechanism for brining project stakeholders together to discuss and agree upon a shared understanding of the conflict dynamics to improve the project design in the context of peaceful and inclusive coexistence.

The four specific objectives of the PCA are (1):

• Description of the main factors leading to conflict, fragility, displacement, and violence as well as needs for peace
• Assessment of the relevance of the planned project to peace and security
• Identification, definition, and assessment of the risks and the risk management in the context of conflict, fragility and violence
• Guidance on monitoring impacts and avoiding negative impacts (Do No Harm).

Resilience strengthening aims to enable regions and people to cope with crises independently and to prepare for recurring stresses to mitigate the negative effects of crises and overcome them gradually and permanently through structural changes. To taking into account resilience strengthening in project planning, the following objectives need to be analysed (2):

• Existing risks and crises in the country context: What factors weaken resilience?
• Affected and responsible actors and structures as well as their strengths, potentials, and competencies (resilience capacities) to deal with risks and crises, and
• Needs and opportunities to further strengthen these capacities for crisis management across sectors.

Gender Need Assessment (3):

• Analysis of gender-related risks and violence in the project context
• Gender-specific needs in relation to projects objectives

Deliverables, methodology, timeframe, and duration

The assignment can be conducted remotely but travels to the target region is mandatory. The consultant/team is expected to use a diverse set of methodologies:

• Desk review: current information on conflicts, situation analyses, needs assessments of the humanitarian, political, economic, social and environmental situation of the region and the target population of the project.
• Interviews: Interviews involving representatives of CBM and the local partner organizations and relevant actors, such as representatives from clusters and other (inter-) national organizations working in the target region.
• Focus group discussions: Focus group discussions may involve potential beneficiaries.
• Analysis workshops: Analysis workshops (context analysis; assessment of relevance; risks and monitoring) allow key project stakeholders to engage in a participatory conflict analysis process.
• Resilience-capacity-matrix: key analyticalinstrument summarises and visualises existing resilience capacities. It presents the various actors’ responses to crisis contexts at all levels (e.g. individual, household, community), assigning them to a resilience capacities. This creates a foundation for formulating indicators and for the subsequent monitoring and evaluation of changes in resilience capacities.
• Assessment report: around 30 pages.

The exact questionnaire will be discussed in cooperation with the CBM country offices and local partners.

Timeframe: The anticipated time period for the assignment is up to 25 days between March and May 2023. Context factors such as seasonal situation (raining season), public/traditional/religious holidays or similar must be taken into consideration.

Required Expert Profile

The consultant/team should possess the following qualifications:

• Degree related to Social/political Sciences, International Development, Humanitarian Aid, African Studies, Anthropology, or similar specialization.
• Proven experience with conducting resilience analysis, gender analysis, peace and conflict assessment or similar;
• Familiarity with the academic and policy literature surrounding the topics and consequences of violent conflict, capacity building, conflict-sensitivity, and do-no-harm assessments;
• Excellent analytical and writing skills - ability to write in a structured, lucid, and concise manner, without losing depth of the substance;
• Excellent writing skills in English is a must;
• Experience in participatory approach and facilitation skills are a must;
• Technical expertise in the field of disability-inclusive development and internally displaced;
• Proven work experience with NGOs or INGOs and the (local) Government;
• Experience in transitional aid and/ or humanitarian aid;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential;
• Proficiency in spoken French is essential;
• Working knowledge in the Niger/Nigeria context is preferable;
• Ability to obtain entry permits / visa for Niger/Nigeria is necessary;
• Familiarity with disability-inclusive programming would be an asset;
• Expertise in Child Safeguarding principles and gender competency would be an asset.