Consultancy Opportunity to conduct Research and Documentation on Trauma Healing for Enhanced Peacebuilding project in South Sudan
Background
American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light of each person, AFSC works with communities and partners worldwide to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace. AFSC has more than 100 years of experience building peace in communities worldwide and works in the following ways: bridging and convening, community organizing and civil society strengthening, advocacy, research, and analysis. It seeks to change situations and systems that lead to violence. Much of AFSC’s work includes support to opportunities for dialogue and capacity building led by the affected communities.
About the Program
AFSC is implementing a trauma healing program for enhanced peacebuilding in South Sudan and works directly with two (2) local partners and indirectly with 19 CBOs/FBOs in Juba, Mundri and Jur River for a period of three years. The program aims to heal peacebuilders of their secondary trauma, build the capacity of peacebuilders on primary and secondary trauma, development, and operationalization of work-based trauma healing policies, conduct advocacy and research on trauma healing and peacebuilding.
Peacebuilders training on trauma healing has facilitated a process of individual healing of trauma and cascading of knowledge and skills acquired to other peacebuilders within their organizations, partners and communities served.
AFSC -intends to engage a qualified consultant with knowledge, skills, and experience in research, documentation and drawing lessons for the South Sudan project on trauma healing for enhanced peacebuilding. The assignment aims at ensuring that relevant information on current practise in peace building and trauma healing, and relevant policies inform and strengthen the impact of AFSC program in South Sudan. Where possible the research findings will inform subsequent advocacy initiatives.
Scope of assignment:
The consultant will be expected to carry out the research, document and capture lessons for the trauma healing for enhanced peacebuilding project.
Expected Outcomes
- Research and document existing peace building and trauma healing practices.
- Establish existing peace building and trauma healing policies to inform advocacy.
- Research on how the project participants and their organizations are integrating trauma healing initiatives into their peacebuilding work at community and National levels.
- Establish the existing gaps and challenges on integrating trauma healing with peacebuilding initiatives.
- Give recommendations on best ways to integrate trauma healing and peacebuilding at the community and National levels.
Objectives of the research:
This research/assignment is aimed at strengthening the impact of AFSC trauma healing program in South Sudan. The consultant is expected to Conduct research, document and -capture lessons on trauma healing for enhanced peacebuilding project in South Sudan. The assignment will provide the relevant information and data to address the existing gaps and evidence to inform advocacy. It is expected to bring the peace builders in the program to comparable levels for cross learning and joint advocacy.
The Approach
The consultant will be expected to:
- Develop data collection tools and procedures to be reviewed by AFSC team and sample questions to guide the research.
- Engage AFSC program participants, staff from the two project implementing partners participating CBOs/FBOs, community peace members, government officials, CSOs and other stakeholders while ensuring gender representation.
- Conduct qualitative and quantitative data collection while ensuring proper identification of selected respondents, gathering of high-quality data, secure management of data, respect, and confidentiality of the respondents.
- Travel to project implementation locations in South Sudan to conduct field research and documentation.
- Prepare research report detailing the methodology used to collect data, preliminary evidence-based findings, conclusions, lessons, and recommendations among other relevant information.
- Submit draft research report for review and comments by AFSC team, present research report for validation meeting, incorporate comments by implementing partners and AFSC.
- Submit final report to AFSC.
Duration of the assignment
The assignment will be conducted and completed within 21 consultancy days Spread in May and June 2023. This time will be allocated to 1 days-preparation, 1 day-inception meeting and reporting, 16 days travel to program sites and data gathering, 1 day – data analysis, 1 day reporting and 1 day – dissemination of the findings.
Applicant Requirements
Desired Qualifications AFSC is seeking qualified, experienced, proactive, and dedicated expert with knowledge on research and documentation.
- The ideal candidate should have post graduate qualifications in relevant discipline including development studies, social sciences, psychology, or any other related field.
- Experience in research and documentation in peace building and trauma healing in a Conflict/post-conflict setting.
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in analysing complex information with strong bias in peace building and trauma healing.
Key skills and competencies
- Excellent research and documentation skills.
- Proven research experience and publication work.
- Demonstrated success working in collaboration with multiple organizations, international experience, and knowledge of FBO’s/CSO’s in developing countries.
- Knowledge of South Sudan Context
- Language: Excellent written and spoken English
How to apply
All interested applicants who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit their application including:
- Cover letter and CV
- Technical proposal that summarizes understanding of TORs and methodology
- Financial proposal indicating consultancy fee with breakdown of costs including logistics.
- Three referees (one being on the most recent assignment)
The application should reach AFSC on or before 10th May 2023 at 5:00 PM and be sent to:
email: infoafrica@afsc.org