Afghanistan: Context Analysis of Environment (M&E)

Jun 2, 2018 | Swedish Committee for Afghanistan
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The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) is one of the largest development organisations working in Afghanistan. SCA’s operations in Afghanistan encompass programmes for education, health, support to persons with disabilities and rural development. The main target group is the population in rural areas, especially women and girls. Operations are led by five regional offices in Mazar-e Sharif, Taloqan, Maidan Shar, Jalalabad and Ghazni, with support from the management office in Kabul (KMO). SCA activities are organised under three main pillars of service delivery, advocacy and capacity development. SCA has started the implementation of its new 4-years strategic plan 2018-21 with increased focus on moving from a needs-based to a rights-based approach, including strengthening its gender and human rights perspective.

Context and Problems addressed

The United Nations strategic review of 2017 reclassified Afghanistan from a post-conflict country to one in active conflict. The conflict continued unabated throughout the country. The United Nations recorded 5,532 security-related incidents from 15 June to 31 August 2017, representing an increase of three per cent compared with the same period in 2016. By the end of August 2017, the United Nations had recorded more than 16,290 security-related incidents for the first eight months of the year. The continuing high numbers are attributed mainly to armed clashes, which represent 64 percent of the total security incidents and have increased by five per cent since 2016. The changing dynamic of the armed conflict and violence throughout the country has challenged the delivery of humanitarian and development programmes at the community level by national and international organisations. Among these challenges are, the increased demand for humanitarian assistance, due to the internal displacement of a large numbers of population and reduced access for reaching to the communities in needs for the required response for addressing their needs and effective program delivery.

As development organization the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) is operating at the rural areas in 14 provinces of Afghanistan, mainly targeting women, children and persons with disability. The current situation creates challenges for SCA to deliver services at the community level, which requires for an extra effort to adopt alternative approaches to minimize the effect of current conflict and ensure quality of the program delivery to achieve the desired outcome.

In addition to that, SCA is connecting communities to various government institutions and various groups in a complex web of relationship, such as civil society organizations, local government institutions, security organs, community structures, and other groups. In such a complex and unstable environment, understanding the shifting social, political and economic factors behind the conflict/s, particularly at the local level, “negotiating” between the various actors and forces involved, as well as keeping abreast of changing power relations, is becoming increasingly difficult.

Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Prospective

Development cooperation in areas where violent conflict is likely, ongoing or recently concluded, will have both positive and negative impact. Therefore, every development programme must point to and promote violence-preventative methods. SCA is the largest development actor delivering multi development program packages to the rural communities in Afghanistan. Increased understanding of how SCA can work in and on conflicts, rather than trying to work around them, is needed, because all development interventions affect and are affected by the dynamics and structures of conflicts. It is equally important to be aware of the opportunities for promoting peace building and conflict resolution within the scope of current programmes, and that these elements are considered in SCA strategy and programme planning. Also identify potential entry points, key mechanisms and actors, recognising the role of both men and women, to be engage in peacebuilding and conflict resolution at the community level.

Capacity Development for Conflict-Sensitive Programme Delivery

Conflict-sensitivity entails various efforts, methods and tools for working in conflict prone or conflict-affected areas. A conflict-sensitive approach is expected to reduce the risks of development intervention unintentionally contributing to escalation of violent conflict, as well as to directly contribute to peacebuilding. Having operated in a conflict and fragile environment for more than three decades, SCA has adopted conflict-sensitivity approach in its programmes. Nevertheless, it is important to review and update these measures and approaches to make it relevant to the changing dynamic of the current conflict in Afghanistan.

The analysis will also identify capacity gaps both in terms of organisation system and in the required competencies of the SCA staff for conflict-sensitive program planning and management, based on the 'Do No Harm' principle. It will also facilitate identification of relevant tools for analysis, which responds to the changes in context identified through regular monitoring, both at the local and national levels, and how it affects women, men, girls and boys. For all these reasons, it is important that SCA reviews its understanding of the capacity development needs and organisation systems for planning, contextualizing and implementing conflict-sensitive programmes.

2. ASSIGNMENT

2.1 Analysis purpose and objectives

Purpose

The key purpose of this assignment is to refresh SCA managements' understanding of the causes and dynamics of conflict(s) in areas where SCA works, as well as its impact on SCA operations. The analysis will also provide quality inputs and strategic road map for SCA to effectively engage or mainstream peacebuilding and conflict transformation at the community level. In addition to that the analysis will identify the required capacity gap and training needs within SCA for delivering effective conflict-sensitive programmes in the targeted communities, to maximise its positive impact on the current conflict.

Objectives

• To analyse the potential effect of the current conflict on SCA program delivery and itsconsequences on its target group specially, women, men, girls and boys. The analysis will provide SCA with detailed assessment report on the external conflict related factors, which have the potential impact on SCA operation and its target group, with key recommendations on minimizing the effect of those factors and ways forward on how SCA operation can be further improved to better respond to the emerging needs of the external context;
• SCA to deepen its understanding of the effectiveness of its conflict sensitivity approach and to ensure that its programs do not exacerbate the current conflicts and any way; through analysis of the current approach and recommendations for addressing the gaps including identification of the entry point;
• To identify potential synergies and opportunities for mainstreaming peace building and conflict resolution within the scope of current programs and approaches, potential entry point/roadmap for mainstreaming peace building in to the SCA programs.
• To map the current capacity and assess the training needs of the SCA of the SCA staff for conflict sensitive program delivery based on the Do NO Harm principle, that can impact positively on the current conflict.
• Identify the best practices and tools for making conflict analysis an on-going process within reasonable frequency as per-the needs and requirements of the organization.

2.2 Scope of the Analysis

The consultancy work will be focused on; in-depth examination of the conflict, its characteristics, causes and dynamics, its impact on SCA programmes and its target groups, identify potential opportunities for peacebuilding initiatives within the current programs. Including the organization capacity assessment and the training needs analysis for design and delivery of a conflict-sensitive programming, with comprehensive conflict analysis report with all the annexes indicated under the output/deliverable. The analysis will be carried out both at Kabul and in the provinces of Takhar/Kunduz, Jalalabad, Wardak.

3. METHODOLOGY

The SCA Strategic Analysis Taskforce (SATF) will be responsible for overall management of the assignment, who will select one of its member for leading the assignment and will be responsible to facilitate and utilize the work of consultant for the analysis.

For broader discussion and deeper analysis, a reference group consisting of the, managers, specialists or staff from the relevant units will be established and will be engaged and convened as per the needs for discussion, ideas and suggestion during the analysis period.

The consultant will carry out the analysis according to the ToR and will include necessary tools and exercises to meet study objectives. some of these tools and areas of enquiry include, but are not limited to, the following: (a) secondary literature review, (b) SCA internal literature review, (c) key informant interviews, and (e) focus group discussions. Detailed methodology, including the design of data-collection tools and formulation of specific questions will be be developed by the consultant.

4. OUTPUTS/DELIVERABLES

• Inception report containing a detailed conflict analysis methodology with accompanying analysis workplan and tools
• Comprehensive conflict analysis report that contains in-depth examination of conflict, its characteristics, causes, dynamics and consequences for women, men, girls and boys.

The below annexes should be included:

• Conflict scenarios affecting SCA programme delivery and its target groups including key recommendation on mitigation and adaptation measures;
• Assessment report of potential synergies and opportunitiesfor mainstreaming peacebuilding and conflict transformation in SCA programmes and recommendations/roadmap for SCA engagement;
• Capacity needs assessment report of SCA staff and systems with recommendation on the need for specific training and other action required for conflict-sensitive programme delivery to maximize the impact of SCA work on improving peace and mitigating conflict in SCA targeted communities;
• Recommendations for potential mechanism and tools to make conflict analysis/accessibility assessment as on-going process of the organisation and to support management decision on security measures;
• Presentation of analysis results and recommendations at a seminar to be attended by SCA management and Head of Programmes.

SCA Inputs

• Gathering of documentary materials relevant to conflict and insecurity in Afghanistan and to SCA programmes
• All relevant SCA specific organisational and programme documents – including policies, strategies, project plans, situational analyses and evaluations
• Accommodation, subsistence and transportation costs for the duration of the work carried out in Afghanistan

5. DURATION AND WORKING SCHEDULE

The conflict analysis will take place during June-September 2018 for the duration of 30 days.

5.1 Proposed schedule

• Documentary review and preparation of methodology – 3 days;
• National level, meetings, interviews in Kabul: SCA, Sida, Government agencies, other organisations – 5 days;
• Fieldwork – 15 days;
• Assessment, date analysis and report writing – 6 days
• Presentation of findings and workshop discussion of results with SCA management in KMO and completion of the process –1 day;
• Draft report to be submitted no more than 7 days after completion of fieldwork;
• Final report to be submitted within 5 days of receiving feedback and comments from SCA.

6. BUDGET AND PAYMENT

6.1 Fees

The Consultant shall specify the fee per working day (8 hours) including all taxes, social costs and VAT.

6.2 Reimbursables

The consultant is to specify anticipated reimbursable costs. The details of the costs for reimbursables shall be indicative only. Revisions and re-allocations will be decided in dialogue with SCA along the course of work.

SCA will arrange local transport and accommodation in Afghanistan. No reimbursables for these costs should be indicated in the tender documentation.

6.3 Invoicing and Payment Procedures

An advance payment of 30% of the total costs will be settled as soon as SCA has approved the workplan and inception report. A second instalment of 30% will be settled after completion of the field works as indicated in the schedule. The final 40% will only be paid once SCA has approved the final report. A final invoice will be submitted upon the completion of the assignment.

7. CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS

The conflict analysis consultancy assignment is open to individual National/ International or a team of National and International expert consultants, with specialist knowledge and research expertise in conflict analysis and peacebuilding as well as development practice and theory. The consultant will have the following experience and qualifications:

• Significant experience of conducting conflict analysis and/or research on conflict and its causes or approaches to conflict transformation;
• Sound theoretical knowledge of development theory and/or experience of project management for an NGO or UN agency in delivering development projects;
• Previous experiences of practising participatory methods for conducting research and planning;
• Considerable professional experience of working in Afghanistan at the community, village and district levels, with a clear understanding of traditional forms of social organisation and systems of local governance, as well as official systems of local administration;
• High level of competence in the English language, particularly in writing and be fluent in both Dari and Pashto;
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to communicate detailed concepts clearly and concisely both in writing and verbally.

8. APPLICATIONS SUBMISSION

8.1 Documentation and information required

The consultant should present a CV with relevant experience and background for the assignment and the following information:

• Detailed workplan
• Description of the approach and methodology applied
• Detailed budget indicating consultant fee per day, all costs included
• Two examples of studies/reports similar to this assignment
• Three references, of which one should be related to the work

Questions concerning the tender can be posed to the contact persons indicated below until 6 May 2018. SCA reserves the right not to accept any of the tenders submitted. In addition, SCA reserves the right to take references on the proposed candidate.

8.2 Final date of Submission

The application, including all required information, is to be submitted by email to evaluations@sca.org.af at the latest 15 June 2018.

9. CONTACT INFORMATION

For further information, kindly contact Aminulhaq Mayel amin.mayel@sca.org.af