Call for Consultant – Case Study on Tara Bandu

TERM OF REFERENCE

World Vision Timor-Leste is seeking an individual or organization to develop a Case Study on Tara Bandu: Keys to Success & Overcoming Challenges

Background

Tara Bandu literally means “hanging prohibition” which refers to a wide range of prohibitions or restrictions by hanging an object to mark the restriction. In practice Tara Bandu is used for many different purposes, from conflict resolution between communities, reinforcing “no-fishing” zone or slash-and-burn practices to prevention of gender-based violence.

World Vision Timor-Leste has facilitated communities to make community agreements through Tara Bandu to limit the practices of firewood-cutting and slash-and-burn. In the previous project, WVTL has facilitated 6 communities, namely Soileso, Letuhito, Ilatlaun, Atuaben, Goulolo dan Gunulei, to make Tara Bandu agreement to limit and even ban the practice of firewood cutting from the forest that have turned the land to barren. Consequently, the land is more prone to flood, landslides and has been degraded. However, the outcomes of the Tara Bandu implementation have been mixed: some were successful and some weren’t.

Project Background:

The Disaster Ready Phase 2.0 is a 4.5- year project funded by DFAT through Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) and implemented by AHP agency partners in across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. The objective of DRP phase 2.0 is for women, men, youth, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, to be better prepared for and more resilient to disasters and climate change in selected Pacific countries and Timor Leste. This project is implemented by 5 AHP agencies such as World Vision, CARE, Oxfam, Plan International, and Caritas Australia. WV will be implementing the disaster ready 2.0 in Bobonaro municipality across 8 sucos, such as Ilatlaun, Atuaben, Goulolo, Guenulai, Manapa, Raiheu, Aiasa and Lourba and World Vision’s Timor-Leste Better Food Better Health (BFBH) Phase 2 Project aims to bring about positive nutritional outcomes by improving access, utilization, and demand for diverse, nutritious foods for 20,549 people in Aileu, Baucau, Bobonaro and Covalima municipalities by 2027.

The Objectives:

The objective of the assignment is to make a case study using ethnography, positive deviance or other sound sociological qualitative methodology to capture the learning of the success and challenges in enforcing effective Tara Bandu and to provide recommendations for future use of Tara Bandu

The output of the assignment is a case study report with a strong methodology, outlining:

1. Executive Summary (no more than 3 pages)
2. Methodology: key questions, approach, with strong data collection, verification and analysis method
3. Findings & Analysis: context, factors of successes and failures, positive reinforcement for Tara Bandu to succeed, learnings
4. Identify steps to establish Tara bandu and how to monitor its implementation outcome.

Key Questions

The Case Study is expected to answer the following key questions:

1. What is the context in the targeted areas that make Tara Bandu relevant?
2. Who are the key actors in each area?
3. What makes Tara Bandu effective in some areas and not in some other areas?
4. What discourages Tara Bandu to be effective and what are the alternatives?
5. What are your recommendations to WVTL to facilitate the communities in order to make Tara Bandu effective and what are the alternatives, considering that WVTL is an external party to the community?

Methodology

The consultant is expected to propose the methodology, combining desk study and field data collection. The proposed methodology should include:

1. Scoping of the socio-cultural context,
2. Data collection that is robust and verifiable,
3. Facilitation techniques and approaches.

Budget:

Maximum Budget: $10,000

Timeline

The starting date of the consultancy is expected to be in the third week of May and the final version of the document is to be received by mid of June 2022.

Responsibilities of the Consultant

1. Conduct the case study based on the agreed methodology in the selected AHP project areas.
2. Arrange your own transport and accommodation for the assignment.
3. Present preliminary findings to WVTL to get feedback and revise accordingly.
4. Submit the report by the agreed due date.

Qualification Requirements

1. The applicant can be an individual, a team of individuals, or an organization with at least 5 years of experiences in conducting similar studies/researches; a team of individuals should identify the team leader in the proposal,
2. A sound proposed methodology to capture the socio-cultural context of the issues,
3. Understanding of Timor-Leste context and fluency in Tetum,
4. A proven sound knowledge and skills in data collection techniques with the community including women, older people, and people with disability,
5. Be based in Timor-Leste,
6. Competitive financial proposal.