TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR MAPPING HARD TO REACH AREAS IN SIERRA LEONE
1. OVERVIEW
Hard-to-reach areas can be defined as those parts of the country that have physical, communication, security, social and economic conditions that make them receive a level of public service that is relatively inequitable.
In Sierra Leone, there are differences in education, health, protection and socio-economic outcomes based on place of residence as well as other attributes such as gender, age, educational achievement and wealth due to inequitable access and utilisation of services.
This mapping study is primarily concerned with areas of Sierra Leone where service delivery is low due to physical, communication, security, social and economic conditions.
To achieve more equitable educational, health, protection and socio-economic outcomes for children, it is important that policies are formulated and programmes planned based on the following principles to ensure predetermined circumstances, such as physical location, do not hamper equal opportunity:
(a) Universal access to quality basic services for all children to ensure fairness in access to health, educational and other social opportunities.
(b) Special attention has to be paid to the most disadvantaged children, that is, the poorest, those excluded due to circumstances such as location in areas that do not receive adequate services and those facing discrimination. These are the most needy and much impact on child rights can be achieved by increasing access and utilisation of services for these children.
2. RATIONALE
Identification of hard-to-reach areas in Sierra Leone is important for policy formulation, programme planning and delivery of services because it enables UNICEF, the Government and partners to have a clear view of children that face serious inequities based on physical location, communication difficulties, security challenges and poverty. There is clear evidence from existing data that children and households in certain areas are being left behind in service delivery and educational, health and protection outcomes.
3. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this mapping exercise will be to:
(a) Identify population clusters that are strictly hard-to-reach based on established criteria with regard to access and utilisation of educational, health and welfare services.
(b) Profile the areas in an appropriate interactive map software format.
(c) Provide detailed descriptions, measurements and coordinates of the services, features and circumstances of the hard to reach areas in the report.
(d) Recommend actions that can be taken in the immediate term and in the medium term to improve access and utilisation of educational, health and welfare services in the hard-to-reach areas.
(e) Inform equity-focused programme interventions for the Country Programme 2015 - 2019
4. METHODOLOGY
The mapping should first identify chiefdoms and villages in each district that are considered strictly hard-to-reach through local knowledge of officials elicited in key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The selection criteria will then be applied to the areas to identify a short-list of hard-to-reach areas. The research team will then visit the short-listed villages to collect further information from community members.
4.1 Key informant interview and focus group discussion with officials
The research team will interview key informants or convene focus group discussions as appropriate with Chiefs, Councillors, District Medical Officers, District Education Officers, Social Development Officers (Social Workers at Chiefdom level where they exist) and Community Health Officers to use their local knowledge to identify in consensus chiefdoms and villages that are likely hard-to-reach. Where Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operate in the areas, they should also be involved in the interviews and discussions to help identify the areas.
These interviews and discussions will produce a short-list restricted to areas that are very difficult to reach with services based the following criteria for defining a hard-to-reach area:
(a) Access to health services
Distance to nearest health facility (differentiating private and Government health facilities and Government facility type-PHU, MCHP, CHP or hospital):
· More than 10 km away
· Less than 10 km away
(b) Access to education services
Distance to nearest school (differentiating primary, junior secondary and secondary schools and ownership of school i.e. Government owned or non-Government but children supported by Government or private):
· More than 10 km away
· Less than 10 km away
(c) Access to welfare services
Distance to nearest Family Support Unit (FSU) and location of nearest social welfare office:
· More than 10 km away
· Less than 10 km away
(d) Terrain
· Difficult (rugged, mountainous, riverine, swampy)
· Road conditions linking community with facilities and markets (all-weather, seasonally cut off due to rains and floods, not motorable).
· Easy terrain (favourable topography).
· Presence of regular transport services (okada, taxi or bus).
(e) Socio-economic conditions
· Distance to nearest regular market with basic items available (shops with basic drugs, learning materials, food and fresh produce).
4.2 Data collection at village level
The research team will visit each hard-to-reach village selected in 4.1 and collect GPS coordinate data and other measurements and ascertain the following:
(a) Access to health services
(i) Distance to nearest health facility (differentiating private and Government health facilities and Government facility type-PHU, MCHP or hospital):
· More than 10 km away
· Less than 10 km away
(ii) Presence of community health worker in the population cluster or close by.
(iii) Presence of regular health outreach services for immunization, nutrition supplementation and services, health information, treatment.
(b) Access to education services
(i) Distance to nearest school (differentiating early childhood, primary, junior
secondary and secondary schools and ownership of school-Government or children receiving Government support and private):
· More than 10 km away
· Less than 10 km away
(c) Access to welfare services
(i) Distance to nearest Family Support Unit (FSU)
· More than 10 km away
· Less than 10 km away
(ii) Presence of welfare outreach services for child neglect, abuse and reunification.
(iii) Presence of community social welfare worker at community and chiefdom levels.
(d) Terrain
· Difficult (rugged, mountainous, riverine, swampy)
· Road conditions linking community with facilities and markets (all-weather, seasonally cut off due to rains and floods, not motorable).
· Easy terrain (favourable topography).
· Presence of regular transport services (okada, taxi or bus).
(e) Mobile phone communication
(i) Existence of reliable mobile network.
(ii) Existence of a weak and unreliable mobile network.
(iii) Non-existent.
(f) Security
(i) Community perceptions on security
· Secure
· Insecure
(g) Socio-economic conditions
(i) Distance to nearest regular market with basic items available (shops with basic drugs, learning materials, food and fresh produce).
(ii) Ownership of mobile phones
· Everybody
· Majority
· Few people
· None
(iii) Ownership of bicycles
· Everybody
· Majority
· Few people
· None
The areas will be profiled in an interactive map in an appropriate map software format and a detailed description of their conditions outlined in the report.
5. DELIVERABLES
Deliverable / DeadlineAdvertisement for consultant and invitation of expressions of interest (EOIs) done / 28 March 2013
Interview and analysis of EOIs to select the consultant completed / 19 April 2013
Consultant commences work / 6 May 2013
Field preparations and training of field staff completed / 10 May 2013
Field work commences / 12 May 2013
Field work completed / 31 May 2013
Draft report and maps submitted / 14 June 2013
Comments incorporated and final report and maps submitted (from home country) / 21 June 2013
The work will be for 7 weeks (35 working days) with 41 days in Sierra Leone with a negotiable fee and daily subsistence allowance (DSA) paid for the days spent in Sierra Leone.
7. QUALIFICATION AND COMPETENCIES OF CONSULTANT
· Minimum of a Master’s degree in Statistics, Demography or Economics
· At least eight years of progressively responsible work experience in conducting geographical mapping and large surveys as well as production of interactive maps.
· Excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills gained from working with communities and officials in field research conditions.
· Excellent analytical and documentation skills.
· Good communication and writing skills in the English language.
· Excellent computing skills.
· Able to work independently with a variety of stakeholders.
· Adaptability and flexibility, confidentiality, initiative, concern for accuracy and quality.
8. RESPONSIBILITY OF UNICEF
· Facilitate availability of documents for literature review, meetings with partners and field work including transport while in the field .
· Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) for the period of stay in Sierra Leone
· Costs of international flights from home country to Sierra Leone and back, visa and terminal expenses. The office will arrange transportation to work on the first day of the mission while the staff finds his own means of transportation except that transport for field work and other official purposes will be provided.
· Identification of possible hotels to stay.
· UNICEF shall not be responsible for any other payments, insurance and reimbursements other than those specified here. The consultant is strongly advised to take out medical and evacuation insurance for the duration of stay in Sierra Leone.
9. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANT
· Diligent work to deliver satisfactory outputs specified in the ‘deliverables’ in a timely fashion.
· Adherence to all rules and procedures customarily required by UNICEF in the conduct of such work including maintaining confidentiality, recognizing that all products of the work are intellectual property of UNICEF and its partners and keeping working hours for the duration of the consultancy.
· Office hours are from Monday to Friday 08.00 to 17.00 each working day.
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