The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office for Uganda has developed an operational learning and research portfolio in support of the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) implementation (2011 -2012). The PBF programme is designed to help address major peacebuilding challenges in Northern Uganda. It comprises three joint projects (JPs) which focus respectively on human rights and access to justice, social protection, and livelihoods. A fourth project, aimed at strengthening coordination and coherence during the implementation of the PBF activities, includes a research component. The research component will support operational learning and implementation of the three PBF joint projects and contribute to improved knowledge on issues of peacebuilding relevance in Acholiland/northern Uganda. The research is organised around three main themes: land; youth and the economy; and vulnerability/marginalisation.
Youth related analysis represents a common activity of the three PBF joint projects and a national priority for policy-making. Despite their potential, youths are unable to effectively contribute to the recovery and the socio-economic development of the region. The combination of inadequate income, un(der)employment, lack of education and skills, psychosocial conditions, perceived marginalization and exclusion from planning and decision-making processes make them a vulnerable social group in the region.
While youth issues and dynamics (circumstances of youths) ipso facto do not cause violent conflict, research elsewhere have shown that they could combine with other factors to increase the feasibility or risk of violence or relapse into violent conflict. The 2008 Survey of War Affected Youth (SWAY) reported that while there is broad agreement that youths in Acholi have suffered from the protracted conflict, little is known about the scale and nature of problems facing youths, and the “proportion of those facing particular vulnerabilities”.
Effective conceptualization and categorization of youth and youth vulnerability is of fundamental importance to peacebuilding policy and programme formulation and implementation. It will help identify possible means of improving the conditions of the youth as well as reducing the probability that relatively well-off youths descend into vulnerability. However, exiting categorization is either too simplistic or based on old data. Available household data, though, relatively abundant provide inadequate guidance on the specific circumstances of individual youths within households. Some measures/indicators of youth vulnerability such as single mothers also fluctuate over the short-medium term than measures such as illiteracy thus presenting youth vulnerability as a transient phenomenon. It is useful to identify and extend categories of Acholi youths and indicators of youth vulnerability based on new data in the aftermath of return.
This activity is expected to propose/produce an analysis of the Acholi youth structured on key measurable demographic, social and economic indicators. It is aimed at guiding the work of the PBF JPs, future studies, etc by improving understanding of the youths, youth issues and dynamics. The study will be coordinated with other partners including the Government’s Northern Uganda Youth Development Centre in Gulu, COOPI’s ongoing market survey in Pader and Agago, AVSI (Associazione Volontari e Servizio civile Internazionale)- International Alert’s planned economic opportunities for war-affected youth in Acholi, Lango and Teso, and other partners. The activity will specifically build on SWAY using new data and existing sources including UBOS, NUYDC, Amnesty International, IOM, relevant agency project evaluation reports etc.
The study/conceptualization will be guided by four key questions: - Who are the youths? Where do they live?
- What are their primary socio-economic activities? What are their primary concerns?
- Who among them is suffering what, how much –how do we know?
Objectives: To propose/develop a categorisation of youth and youth vulnerability in Acholiland that will help to improve understanding of and action on youth issues and dynamics. Specific objectives are to: - Identify existing measures/indicators used to study youths and youth vulnerability based on review of available data.
- Extend the measures by proposing other indicators or combination of indicators that could be utilized based on primary research.
- Identify the different typologies of young people in Acholi based on qualitative research with youth focused organisations.
- Identify/define the types of youth vulnerabilities –not necessarily why they occur but their nature and scale.
- Provide a gender sensitive conceptualisation and categorization of youth and youth vulnerability.
- Provide guidance to the UN PBF joint projects in the implementation of their activities focusing on this specific target group.
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Duties and Responsibilities: A team of two consultants will be contracted for the assignment. The consultants will carry out the following specific tasks: - Review available literature and analyse existing data.
- Establish demographic, social, psychosocial, and economic indicators necessary for the classification of the youth and youth vulnerabilities. This will also include indicators outlined in the JPs and drawing from previous youth related studies including SWAY 2008 and survey data from UBOS, NUYDC, other training centres etc. (any coded transcripts of focus groups to be provided to RCO).
- Propose a standard methodology and test it in selected area(s) within Acholi, providing justification for the case selection .
- Develop taxonomy or categorisation of youth and youth vulnerability in Acholi; the classification should make it possible to identify the main youth related issues and dynamics in Acholi. If possible the distinction should separate the main demand and supply side problems/challenges facing youths in Acholi.
- Findings will be broken down by gender. This will allow differences of perceptions and reactions between young men and women to the same environmental constraints to be captured.
- If possible/necessary, aggregate/narrow the categories to promote better understanding of the intersections of the indicators/measures used.
- Examine the intersections of the measures; compare and contrast the proposed categories.
- Identify limitations of the classification (or provide relevant caveats) and identify where further refinement should be done or type of data required.
- Present preliminary taxonomy including by gender for feedback to RCO and to a workshop with the Northern Uganda Youth Development Centre and other partners.
- Refine/review taxonomy and submit enhanced version to the RCO.
- Coordinate with the research focal persons for PBF JP1, JP2 and JP3 and other partners.
- Develop/provide guidance note to support the implementation of relevant youth activities under the JPS.
- The consultants will also be required to organize and present findings to a validation meeting/workshop at an appropriate venue.
- For primary research, any sample is required to be substantial enough to allow for different dimensions in the target population (gender, rural/urban milieu); confidentiality to be assured.
Key Deliverables: The consultants will produce the following: - Draft research project proposal and a timeline within one week after contract signing. The research project shall include a list of indicators to be used in the taxonomy and a methodology note.
- Complete draft of the report which will be submitted for RCO comments three weeks prior to submission of the final report.
- Presentation of the research findings in a workshop held with partners.
Final consultancy report of no more than 3000-word containing: - A taxonomy of the Acholi youth and youth vulnerability based on appropriate measurable indicators Final methodology note identifying limitations of approach (provide relevant caveats on data utilization).
- Annotated bibliography of literature reviewed and data sources.
- Guidance note for UN agencies and local authorities on youth oriented measures to be implemented by different sectors in Acholi (Health and Nutrition, Education, Food Security Agriculture and Livelihoods, etc.).
- An appendix of written record/coding of the interview, and the results of quantitative and qualitative analysis
The consultants will work with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s office to disseminate research outputs and materials to relevant stakeholders.
Duration and timing:
Approximately 4 months (June to end September 2011)
Reporting: The consultants will identify a team leader and task him/her with the responsibility for ensuring timely delivery of specified deliverables. he consultants will report to the Peacebuilding Coordination Officer in the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator (based in the UN Area Coordination Office in Gulu, Uganda). |
| Education: - Advanced academic degree in demography, statistics, economics or sociology.
Experience: - Relevant experience in the field of youth and youth policy development, especially, in a “post-conflict context”.
- Minimum of five years field research experience in northern Uganda using quantitative and qualitative methods.
- Availability and willingness to travel to remote areas and personal initiative for quality assurance.
- Prior experience in a lead role or management (for the team leader).
- Knowledge of the region is an asset
Language: - Fluency in written and spoken English, knowledge of Acholi is an asset.
Application Procedure - Applicants are required to submit joint applications for a team of two consultants with one of them taking the lead. The two consultants are required to submit a joint proposal, which include the following:
Job Proposal: - Letter of Interest.
- Explanation as to why the team considers itself suitable for the assignment.
- A brief methodology on the approach and implementation of the assignment.
Personal CVs of both of the two applicants within the team: - Highlighting past experience in similar projects.
- Work references - contact details (e-mail addresses) of referees.
Financial Proposal - Please submit a joint financial proposal indicating consultancy fee, lump sum fee or unit price together with any other expenses related to the assignment.
Please note that the system will only allow you to upload one document, therefore all the job and financial proposals are to be attached to the CVs and uploaded together at once. |
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