Request for Proposal Notice

EDUCATION SAFE FROM DISASTERSRESEARCH

Request for Proposal:

Scalable Approaches, Methods and Tools for Child-centred Risk Reduction & Resilience

Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organisation for children. We work in 120 countries. We save children’s lives; we fight for their rights; we help them fulfil their potential. We work together, with our partners, to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. We have over two million supporters worldwide and raised 1.6 billion dollars in 2011 to reach more children than ever before, through programmes in health, nutrition, education, protection and child rights, also in times of humanitarian crises.

Save the Children International Asia Regional Office is inviting submissions for proposal ofdeliveringthe following research:

  • “Scalable Approaches, Methods and Tools for Child-centred Risk Reduction & Resilience”

1. BACKGROUND

Twomainproblemsidentified in child-centered disaster risk reduction and comprehensive school safety are the need for documentation of effective and scalable approaches, methods and tools for child-centered risk reduction and resilience, the lack of application of learning from other related and longer-standing programming areas (eg. school health and nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene). This is related both to issues of assessment of program effectiveness with respect to social and behavioural change, as well as to the need for systematic approaches to design and assessment for scalability.

In terms of program effectiveness, the range of current practices in school-based and community-based interventions, especially specific variations in content and methods, have not been sufficiently well-documented to discern important variables. Some school-based programs have implemented cascading models of in-service teacher training seeking to reach children with DRR education in the classroom, while others focus on experiential learning through participatory school disaster management activities, such as hazard and vulnerability assessment, risk mitigation activities, and school-based disaster drills. It is not at all clear whether evidence of best practices and framework approaches from the literature on cascading methods of teacher in-service training or from the implementation of experiential learning (especially simulation drills) have been applied, respectively, in these projects.

Some common obstacles to successful implementation that have been identified specifically in some DRR education projects include busy curricula, lack of teacher training, lack of necessary resources and tools, and lack of partnerships with DRR professionals/emergency management agencies (Amir et al. 2017; Johnson et al., 2014; Johnson & Ronan, 2014). These appear to underpin what has been described as a resultant “project mentality”.

Many other innovative and potentially scalable approaches that are being used in other programming areas have been largely neglected in this field.

2. RATIONALE

In just the past 15 years, the growth in research in DRR and education has been substantial, thus there is now a strengthened empirical and theoretical foundation from which to make more substantial progress. This project aligns with building on progress to date through a project that can assist to solve important problems related to effectiveness and implementation and help to drive the development and delivery of effective, scalable, and sustainable Child-centred Disaster Risk Reduction (CCDRR) and Comprehensive School Safety (CSS) programming.

Save the Children is currently developing a common approach to Comprehensive School Safety, and has been implementing a set of foundational tools, and a toolbox of CSS-related guidance and activities to support this work. Similarly, other GADRRRES partners are contributing to technical support for the Worldwide Initiative for Safe Schools. Other organizations have also developed projects with scalability in mind (eg. The Great ShakeOut, IFRC Pillowcase Project).

3. AIM & OBJECTIVES

Aim:

The aim is to provide an evidence-base for scalable C-CDRR and CSS approaches through understanding ‘scalability’, evaluating existing interventions and recommending rigorous means for identifying, testing and scaling those that are most effective and scalable at national, sub-national, and local levels.

Objectives:

1. To understand approaches to assessing and designing for scalability. This will be undertaken through a review of the literature and production of a “research-into-practice” brief (2,000 words) to introduce practitioners to this arena of implementation science, and to link this to best practice frameworks for C-C DRR and CSS as found in that literature.

2. To undertake a scoping review of existing and most promising scalable practices, tools and methods in C-C DRR and CSS program implementation, as identified by practitioners associated with GADRRRES members. This should include research, program documentation, program evaluations, and key informant interviews.

3. Tospecifically appraise the effectiveness, ongoing impacts, and scalability of current CCDRR/CSS programming approaches that have been implemented in at least two different contexts). This review should include on-site Scalability Assessments, conducted with program and technical staff, and education sector partners. It should also include application of cross-cutting gendered and inclusion lenses. Recommendations for evidence-driven scalable, design and implementation, and ongoing methods for appraising and tackling scaling up of effective projects, programs, methods, and tools that can be used within and across countries. Gaps and deficiencies in the evidence-based for these practices should be summarized.

4. SCOPE of WORK and DELIVERABLES

Applicants please note: The full Scope of Work will be agreed upon following submission of successful Research Proposal.

Scope of Work:

Ethical statement regarding human subjects: Note that any results that are to be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal will require approval by academic institutional human subjects or ethics board.

DELIVERABLES:

  • 1. Brief Inception Report as needed to finalize methods
  • 2. Research-into-Practice Brief (2,000 words, template to be provided) (for general practitioner audience) This should summarize the existing evidence base for effective work in child-centered disaster risk reduction and resilience and climate change adaptation in urban settings.
  • 3. Full Research Report Include:
  • Scoping of scalable approaches to C-C DRR and CSS based on desk review of documents from GADRRRES members
  • Description onnumber of methods/approaches selected for review
  • Scalability assessments of 4-5 approaches
  • Recommendations for next steps in application of scalable approaches to C-C DRR & CSS
  • 5. PowerPoint presentationof findings for general practitioner and stakeholder workshop
  • 6. Full data set (where applicable)

5. QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants should demonstrate that the primary investigator(s) should have:

• Masters or Doctoral degree

•Subject-matter expertise in education sector, and or disaster/disaster management research

• Proven track record in designing and implementing social science research

•Firm grasp of ethical/human subjects review considerations

• Experience in participatory-action research, desirable

• Commitment to research dissemination and interest in implementation science highly desirable

• Appropriate cultural and language skills to carry out research in this particular context

6. RESEARCH TIMEFRAME

Research Duration: 15th May – 15thOctober, 2017

7. TENDER PROCESS:

Submission of application should include below information in Bidder Response Document:

  • Cover letter stating interest and qualifications
  • CV(s) of proposed research team members, and/or introduction of institute, company and primary investigators
  • Links to 1 or 2 sample research work products
  • Full proposal in respond to above described research topic

If you are interested in this tender, please follow the below link to our Save the Children website to review the full request of proposal documents, how the express of interestneeds to be received and whom to contact for any further information requirement.

Application deadline to return your application submission must be received at theemail address below not later than 11:55pm Singapore time on 27th April 2017 ("the Closing Date"). Failure to meet the Closing Date may result in the tender being void. Returned proposals must remain open for consideration for a period of not less than 60 days from the Closing Date. Save the Children is under no obligation to award the contract or to award it to the lowest bidder.

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