South Sudan (Republic of): Livelihoods Consultancy - strategic planning
Country: South Sudan (Republic of)
Closing date: 31 Aug 2013
Background
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve forced displacement problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.
Promoting social and economic self-reliance of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons is a key component of UNHCR’s work, both in displacement situations, and in areas of return and reintegration. UNHCR promotes self-reliance by implementing projects that directly protect and enhance the livelihoods of displaced populations and host communities. Such projects include small business development, entrepreneurship, microfinance, skills and vocational training, employment services, food security including; agricultural production, livestock, and/or fisheries.
General Context
The situation of refugees from the DRC and CAR living in South Sudan remains difficult, as the flight caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) along the borders regions of the DRC and CAR continues albeit at a reduced pace. LRA splinter group attacks and other rebels and criminal groups continue to be reported in the DRC and Central African Republic (CAR), giving rise to periodic new displacements into South Sudan. In the month of January 2013 alone, there have been 16 reported attacks in DRC and CAR, further destabilizing the security of these countries. As such, many refugees are reluctant to return home due to fear of the possibility of recurrence of attacks and on-going insecurity in their places of origin. Indeed, many of these refugees have been in Sudan (now South Sudan) for over ten years. Regional security is not foreseen to allow for voluntary repatriation in light of continued political turmoil in CAR and continued violence in DRC.
Refugees from DRC and CAR are accommodated into the established refugee settlements of Lasu, Makpandu and Ezo in Central and Western Equatoria, while over some 2,000 live within the communities in Tambura, Source Yubu and Nzara. The main livelihood occupation of the Congolese and CAR refugees in the settlements is agriculture/farming at both small and large scale. Farming is conducted within the settlements and surrounding areas sharing with host community and also on the land provided by the South Sudan government for refugees. The refugees have developed relatively good coping mechanisms to respond to their socio-economic needs since establishment of the camps five years ago. Building on the achievements made so far and the existing capacities, it is therefore necessary to develop community based sustainable development strategies which will offer the refugees the opportunity to enhance self-reliance and allow for a smooth phase out of basic humanitarian assistance. Currently, some of the refugee population is receiving targeted food assistance, based on date of arrival, location and vulnerability. Ideally, this consultancy would examine the rationale of who requires direct food aid support and who could reasonably meet their own food needs with some non-food livelihood support such as land, equipment, training, inputs and market development.
Moreover, the refugee camps in the southwest have been selected as a UNHCR/WFP/FAO pilot. Working with these agencies and with the private sector, UNHCR hopes to move 1,600 DRC refugees away from food-aid to food-security and self-reliance. UNHCR will engage a different potential framework partner to do household economy/baseline study and a socio-economic survey, which includes for instance looking at engaging refugee women in the production of shea butter (currently being considered as an export product by a private sector company).
The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Senior Reintegration Officer. He/she will be based in Juba, and will be required to travel regularly to Yambio and Yei where the refugee operations for the pilots are located. His/her counterparts will mainly be Government, local NGOs and implementing partners, while collaborating with WFP, FAO, IFAD, ILO, UNDP, World Bank, donors, and other experts.
Purpose and Scope of the four months Assignment:
The overall objective of the consultancy will be to support the office in defining quality socio-economic data and develop a comprehensive livelihood strategy for the refugee camps in the southwest through a consultative process. The assessment and strategic planning will cover refugees in the camps/urban, as well as surrounding local communities who provide reference as to what to expect in the target areas. In particular the consultant will:
- Support the UNHCR main focal point for the UNHCR-WFP joint pilot programme which aims to increase self-reliance and reduce food dependency amongst selected refugees. Identify and select suitable partner to conduct a baseline assessment.
- Develop a contextual analysis of the current socio-economic situation of the target population and surrounding areas by identifying the need for necessary assessments (i.e. HEA, market, value chain etc.) and selecting suitable partners to conduct these assessments, defined in order to meet the objective of reducing food assistance and increasing self-reliance.
- Develop a multi-year strategic livelihood framework with WFP, possibly with extended partnership or coordination with other relevant developing actors such as FAO and/or IFAD and/or ILO, which outlines key steps to be taken, a time-line and benchmarks to measure progress.
- Identify possible partners, such as private sector companies working in agro-business.
- Recommend opportunities and solutions to challenges identified in the assessments, including access to formal employment, vocational training, agriculture and microfinance, and advise on means to develop the local livelihood resources and social infrastructures.
- Provide technical guidance to the development of UNHCR’s and implementing partners’ livelihoods projects and strategies.
- More globally, provide, mobilize and co-ordinate support to UNHCR livelihoods activities in the development and implementation of innovative livelihoods strategies and programmes for the refugees living in the camps or rural areas, and to the host population.
- Provide regular feedback on progress to the UNHCR Representative, Regional Support Hub, Pilot Focal Point, donors as well as to OSTS in Headquarters. Participate in relevant meetings with WFP and ensure an active role in the collaboration and cooperation.
- Produce a comprehensive, clear and detailed report that presents outputs described herein. Prepare a summary of key findings and concrete recommendations and present these at a workshop, gathering key stakeholders in the assessment and progrmming process.
- Guide and monitor livelihoods activities/programmes for refugees in line with UNHCR’s policies and the Global Livelihoods Strategy, mainstreaming gender, age and diversity.
Outputs/Deliverables1. Contextual Analysis - The current livelihood strategies of refugee and local populations in the target areas are analysed and documented, including:a. The socio-economic profile of the camp based population (main wealth-group/socio-economic categories of the population characterized in terms of household composition; livelihood assets; income sources; food-security status);b. The livelihood assets and strategies of households within each wealth-group, with particular attention to the different roles of men and women, capacities and capacity-gaps for accessing employment/self-employment opportunities.2. The contextual opportunities and constraints for employment/self-employment are analysed and documented, including: a. The actors and institutions operating in or delivering services to the area; the accessibility of markets for goods and services; the accessibility of vocational training, financial services, and business services providers; b. The development processes in the area (review local development plans and identify planned or potential sources of public/private sector investment; other processes that can affect the markets); c. The policies and practices relating to employment, enterprise development, access to land etc., that influence development processes and affect livelihood opportunities in the area, as well as existing land and environmental management policies and practices and their potential threats.3. Actionable strategies to reinforce and develop camp populations’ capacities, livelihood assets and outcomes, address capacity gaps, and enhance their access to employment/self-employment opportunities are formulated. 4. Implementation and partnership arrangements are recommended.5. Baseline indicators are selected, to enable regular assessment of changes in socio-economic profiles, livelihood assets and outcomes of camp population groups, inclusive of age and gender differentials.
Qualification and Experience of Consultant (degree required, years of experience, field of expertise, language required):
• Advanced University degree (Master Level) in: Development Studies (including Development Economics, Finance and Management), Business Administration, Economics, Rural Development (including Agriculture & Livestock), Natural Resource Management, Microfinance, or other related fields;• Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in programmes related to self-reliance and livelihoods development, agriculture/livestock, rural development, cooperatives ; rapid and participatory rural appraisal ; urban and rural small business development and or microfinance; gender analysis, risks and vulnerability assessment, community development and participation; • Demonstrated professional exposure to development and poverty-related issues in developing countries, especially rural poverty and gender analysis.• Proven experience in strategic planning, assessment, implementing, and monitoring livelihoods programmes (and managing multiple projects) in rural development; a combined experience in household economy approach, market analysis and value chain would be an asset.• Experience in working effectively with UN organisations, international and national NGOs , and with government authorities at national level;• Knowledge about latest developments in the livelihoods sector, and in-depth knowledge of at least two technical sub-sectors in livelihoods (e.g. microfinance, agriculture and livestock, vocational training and technical education, entrepreneurship building, cash assistance, community contracting, employment services);• Strong communication and individual organizational skills;• Language: Fluency in English and knowledge of Arabic as working language. Knowledge of another UN language will be an asset.• Skills: Excellent research, analytical and drafting skills, advanced report writing skills, strategic planning, excellent networking skills with private and public sector institutions; • Computer skills: excellent computer skills including excel, word and power point; • Women are encouraged to apply.
How to apply:
Please send full Curriculum Vitae including nationality, references and a cover letter to: hqliveli@unhcr.org
Application deadline: Friday, 31st August 2013
