Consultancy: Conduct a needs assessment on unregistered children in Dadaab Refugee Camp (Re-advertisement) at UNICEF

Background and Justification

Dadaab Refugee camp was first established in 1991 to accommodate refugees fleeing civil conflict in Somalia. A second influx of asylum seekers arrived in 2011, when over 130,000 Somalis left their homes due to devastating drought and famine. In April 2016 the Government announced that Dadaab Refugee Camp would be closed. A tripartite agreement between the Government of Kenya, Federal Government of Somalia and UNHCR was signed to guide organized, dignified and voluntary return to Somalia. Between 2016 and April 2019, nearly 78,874 (50% female) refugees have voluntarily repatriated from Kenya to Somalia. During this period, an unknown number of refugees also left Dadaab for Somalia spontaneously without participating in the voluntary repatriation procedure (without the facilitation of UNHCR and the Government).

Due to continued insecurity in Somalia a number of Somalis have become internally displaced or have crossed the border to Kenya. The suspension of registration and refugee status determination procedures for all nationalities, including Somalis seeking refuge in Dadaab, has resulted in the non-registration of asylum seekers in Dadaab. UNHCR and partners estimate that as of 1^st July 2019, there are over 15,302 unregistered asylum seekers in Dadaab, 62% children. Non-registration and suspension of refugee status determination procedures has exposed children to multiple vulnerabilities and limits the extent of services such children are able to access. Child protection partners have reported that unregistered children are sometimes compelled to work (child labour) to survive. Some of the unregistered children are fostered by relatives and clan members who are equally constrained due to inadequate resources such as food and shelter.

In view of the above, UNICEF foresees the need to better understand the risks and vulnerabilities faced by unregistered children in Dadaab, with a view to make evidence-based recommendations on how the situation of these children can be addressed to inform advocacy strategies that, in collaboration with UNHCR and other partners, can be used for high level engagement with relevant Government authorities.

UNICEF would like to recruit a qualified consultant to develop the methodology and to undertake the assessment of the situation of un-registered children in Dadaab.

Scope of the work

The main objective of this assessment is to deepen understanding and knowledge on the needs of unregistered children in Dadaab refugee camp to inform the response plan that is evidence-based, participatory and in the best interest of children.

Based on the assessment, the consultant will also develop an advocacy strategy for advocacy for unregistered children targeting government, donors and other stakeholders.

Achieving the above will require the consultant to:

• Develop an assessment methodology for the rapid assessment.
• Carry out a rapid needs assessment of unregistered children in Dadaab. The assessment will seek to gain a better understanding of the daily life of unregistered girls and boys (including those with disabilities) and will assess their vulnerabilities and protection needs, living conditions, access to services, reasons for flight, aspirations, care arrangements, coping strategies etc.  The assessment will also consider the specific gender aspects relating to the specific experiences of girls and boys (including those with disabilities).
• Based on the assessment findings, propose key evidence-based high-level advocacy messages that UNICEF, jointly with UNHCR, can use in lobbying senior level/policy makers in Government and donors for enhanced protection of refugee children seeking asylum in Kenya.

Under the overall guidance of the Chief, Child Protection, and the technical support of the Child Protection in Emergencies Specialist, the Consultant is to achieve the below outputs/deliverables:

Payment Schedule

• 30% to be paid after meeting with UNCIEF and partners, and upon submission of satisfactory inception report (deliverable # 1, 2, 3);
• 40% to be paid upon submission (incl. revision with UNICEF and partners comments) of all consultations reports (deliverable # 4, 5, 6, 7);
• 30% upon submission (incl. revision with UNICEF and partners comments) of strategy plan (deliverable #8, 9, 10)

Required qualifications, desired competencies, technical background and experience

Education

• The consultant should have an advanced degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Economics, Law or related fields.  
• The consultant should demonstrate excellent written and spoken English; spoken Somali or Swahili would be an asset.

Relevant Experience

The consultant should demonstrate at least five years of relevant experience in:

1. Programming or advocacy on children’s rights, especially in displacement or emergency contexts;
2. Research, evaluations or assessments in child protection or other areas relevant for this assignment.

Additional Knowledge of the consultant

The consultant should demonstrate understanding of:

• Child protection programming (including in refugee context would be an advantage);

• Child protection system in Kenya (including in Dadaab refugee camp would be an advantage).

  Competencies of consultant

• Drive for results
• Working with people
• Analytical Skills
• Technical knowledge in subject area
• Planning and Organizing

  Skills

• Excellent  communication skills with ability to present ideas and concepts concisely in written and oral form is required.
• Demonstrated experience in multistakeholder initiatives and consultative processes.

Ability to write for a general audience of  government policy makers, donors, child rights advocates and service providers.

Application

Interested candidates are required to submit technical proposal with separate financial proposals (including translation costs) within the deadline.

Financial Proposal

The Currency of the proposal shall be in Kenya Shillings or US Dollars.

The financial proposal should be realistic. The Budget should be itemized in detail by activities to be undertaken, and clearly reflect the professional charges (fees) to be paid to different levels of professionals per day as stated above, including all travel related costs.

Conditions

As per UNICEF policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, subject to a maximum of 30 per cent of the total contract value in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.