RFP-IRQ-CO-2022-006- Small Arms and Light Weapons Assessment.

Annex A

Scope of Work for Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) assessment for Ninewa, Diyala – Iraq

Country Office

DRC Iraq

Project Area

Ninewa, Diyala (Federal Iraq)[1]

Timeline

August 2022 – January 2023

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid and facilitate access to rights. We work in conflict-affected areas, along displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and durable solutions.

DRC has been operating in the Middle East region for over a decade, running a combination of emergency, livelihood, protection, humanitarian mine action and advocacy programs through Country Offices in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey with a Regional Office in Amman.

In Iraq, DRC has been at the forefront of providing assistance to the most vulnerable among conflict and displacement affected individuals, families, and communities. DRC’s response in Iraq has focused on ensuring displacement and conflict affected people are able to access protection, meet basic needs, have access to safe shelter and WASH, and live in safety from the threat of armed violence.

the Consultancy background and overview

As part of its effort to explore and address issues linked to the impact of weapons on safer communities, DRC is searching for an external consultant to conduct an assessment on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in two areas where DRC is operational, Ninewa and Diyala. The overall goal is to improve human security and public safety in the two locations through the reduction of small arms associated risks and armed violence. It intends to do so by raising awareness of the risk of civilian-held small arms and engage communities in dialogue on safety measures and development of local community safety initiatives.

The first step is to develop a solid understanding of communities and individuals’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices (KABP) on small arms ownership and use: how, why, when and where they are rendered acceptable, how the acceptance of small arms and small arms ownership is linked to specific cultural beliefs and practices, and perceptions of identity, gender, especially masculinity, and individual and collective motivations for small arms possession.

Key focus areas of the study are:

• Brief history and tradition of arms and how it influences the way arms ownership is perceived in Iraq today.
• How mainstream society and media represent arms and how they reproduce arms as symbols. I.e., what culturally acceptable images of arms that are reinforced through mainstream society, including a gender lens, particularly how conceptualisations and perceptions of masculinity shape small arms use and misuse and the role of women in increasing or reducing risk taking behaviour.
• Youth perception of weapons, ideas of masculinity and drivers of civilian youth weapon ownership.
• The impact of arms proliferation on women and particularly gender-based violence.
• Implication of small arms presence in communities for children.
• What arms related behaviours, if any, are rendered acceptable by communities and why.
• Understand the consequence of unsafe behaviours of arms.
• Understand the locally perceived best practice in safe behaviours.
• Understand community willingness and readiness to address small arms safety issue at community level.
• What implication do these findings have for interventions aiming to decrease the risk of small arms accidents and misuse within communities?

The outcome of the analysis should be a report including recommendations for the intervention and at least five key messages that can be disseminated in an awareness raising campaign.

deliverables

1. Inception report:

• Detailed research question and sub-questions developed and reviewed by DRC staff.
• Inception Report that includes methodology/tools and a clearly defined work schedule for the assignment.
• Preliminary list of key informants to be interviewed.

1. Preliminary report:

• Draft report with recommendations

1. Final report:

• Contextual analysis (max 5 pages): incl. A brief historical overview of the local context, and the key SALW rules and regulations, and actors.
• Methodology, data collection and presentation of data
• Analysis of collected data: The analysis should consist of an overall presentation of findings and two sub-sections elaborating on particularities in the two geographic areas of data collection.
• Recommendations: should include any findings, which assist in addressing the drivers of arms ownership, including unfolding harmful practices that should be addressed, identifying good practices that can be replicated and an explanation of the five key awareness raising messages. Recommendations for DRC programmatic work should also be incorporated.
• Conclusion and bibliography
• A PowerPoint presentation with findings and recommendations to DRC Iraq team and other key DRC staff.

The final report should be delivered in an attractive and concise format not exceeding 30 pages excluding annexesand including an executive summary, conclusion and recommendations, identifying gaps and opportunities for future risk education programming in English. Infographics and other visualisation tools should be included throughout the report in line with DRCs branding guidelines.

Each deliverable product and sub-products, including inception report, preliminary report, questionnaire and the final report will be reviewed for quality. Final payment will be made upon submission of satisfactory deliverables. DRC Iraq has sole ownership of all the final documentation and all collected data which should be submitted to the DRC by the end of the contract period.

Methodology

While the methodology development will be guided by the research partner, it is expected that it includes a thorough desk review, thorough key informant interviews including at national and community level, and community-based focus group discussions in all targeted location. The methodology should be inclusive of age, gender, tribal and religious diversity, and disability. Participatory data collection methods involving community mappings are highly encouraged.

Data should be disaggregated at a minimum at the level of:

• Elderly (male and female)/ men, women/ and youth (male and female).
• Geographical target areas
• Sub-groups: SALW owners and non-SALW owners (optional)
• Different religious, ethnic, and tribal backgrounds.
• Different abilities

COVERAGE

The consultancy should cover the geographic location of Ninewa, Diyala. The final locations will be confirmed through consultation with the consultant and program teams prior to the start of the analysis.

TIME FRAME

The consultancy is expected to commence in August 2022. These responsibilities are assessed to the duration of a total of 132 working days, to be completed at the latest on 31 January 2023

ROLE OF DRC IRAQ

• The DRC will define the scope and objective of the study, as well as provide inputs throughout the process.
• DRC will be responsible for the facilitation and coordination with relevant authorities.
• Provide a focal point for the period of the contract
• Share previously collected data and research tools
• Attend regular status meetings and provide feedback on progress and research
• Provide feedback on inception report, draft report and final report within one week of agreed submission date
• Process payment based on agreed payment schedule
• If required, the DRC will support the consultant with visa(administrative application only, fees to be covered by the consultant ) and access letters while in Iraq.

ROLE OF THE CONSULTANT

• The consultant will be responsible for all aspects of the deliverables and other responsibilities stipulated in the proposal including the data collection process. The consultant will also present the findings to DRC.
• The consultant will be responsible for organizing their own accommodation and travel arrangements.
• The consultant will be required to adhere to DRC rules and procedures for the duration of the consultancy, including safety, Code of Conduct, PSEA etc.
• The consultant will report to the Head of Program for the deliverables, and work closely with the Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding Coordinator.
• Submit timesheets and other required documents for each stage of payment as will be outlined in the contract.

Key requirements are:

• Arabic speaking skills are a must. English speaking and writing skills required.
• A minimum bachelor degree for consultant and team
• Demonstrable understanding of and experience working in Iraq
• Demonstrable access and knowledge of the locations covered by the consultancy an asset
• Demonstrable understanding of and experience working on SALW topics.
• Strong and proven participatory research skills and experience.
• Knowledge of current literature / practice on SALW
• Highly organized and autonomous, able to multi-task and prioritize workload when necessary.
• Sound understanding of humanitarian and protection principles and their application.
• Ability to work in a multicultural context as a flexible and respectful team player.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy.

RESPONSE PROPOSAL SPECIFICATIONS

Technical proposal:

• Understanding and interpretation of the TOR
• Methodology (sequence, quantitative & qualitative approach, participatory research tools; risk management and mitigation)
• Workplan: Time and activity schedule

Financial Proposal:

• Consultant’s daily rate in US dollars
• Other associated costs

Personnel Capacity Statement:

• Relevant experience related to the assignment (include examples of similar work completed in past and reference contacts for relevant previous work done).
• Updated CV of the lead consultant that clearly spells out his/her qualifications and experience
• CVs and experience of key research team members (when applicable) – Note, DRC will favourably consider consultancies which include Iraqi nationals as leads and/or co-leads
• A cover letter, including commitment to availability for the duration of the assignment

[1] Possibility to expand based on accessibility and resources.