Terms of Reference: Conduct of Baseline Survey

On the back of growing threats of violent extremism and its implications for Ghana, STARGhana Foundation is implementing the Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism (BRAVE) project in selected border communities in northern Ghana aimed at reducing
vulnerabilities of targeted populations to radicalization and recruitment by violent extremist organizations. To guide the project implementation, we are currently seeking to recruit a consultant to conduct a baseline survey on key indicators of the project.

Closing Date: 30th January 2024
Type: Individual Consultant/Consulting Firm

Scope of work:

This baseline survey will cover the three project communities of (1) Garu and (2) Sapelga in the Upper East region and (3) Felmour in the Upper West region of Ghana. It will engage relevant institutions at the national, regional, district and community levels that the project will work with and/or may possess relevant information on key indicators contain in the project’s results framework. It will also involve engagement with host community and refugee youth and women in the three communities. As a result, the consultant is expected to travel to the selected communities as part of this assignment.

Background

The spread of violent extremism from the Sahel especially in Burkina Faso has caught up with the coastal west African countries and puts Ghana at a significant threat. The incessant violent extremist attacks in Burkina Faso which shares very porous borders with northern Ghana opens border communities in northern Ghana not just to increased vulnerabilities of infiltration and/or attacks by VEOs, but also a spillover of the effects of the surging attacks in Burkina Faso.

With more than 50% of its territory believed to be outside of the state’s control and in the hands of Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs), the ongoing violent extremist attacks in Burkina Faso is getting worse and continues to displace thousands of Burkinabes into border communities in northern Ghana. The violent extremist menace in Burkina Faso is seeing a significant increment over time, and the effects on people in Burkina Faso and vulnerable communities in places like northern Ghana that receive displaced victims of the attacks are rising. Since the double coups in Burkina Faso, the number of deaths recorded from attacks by militant Islamist violence have nearly tripled over what was recorded 1.5 years prior to the first coup in January 2022. As a result, an estimated 1 out of every 10 Burkinabes – over 2.1 million people are displaced forcefully1.

An estimated 3.4 million Burkinabé are suffering from hunger, of which about 650,000 face extreme hunger2 induced by the insecurity situation. As a coping mechanism, majority of these people are crossing into neighbouring countries especially Ghana, where conditions are comparatively stable and peaceful. Similarly, pastoralists are facing increased displacement as well. Attacks on water sources have left several people and animals without a reliable source of water, thereby pushing majority of the nomadic populations wandering across the porous borders to neighbouring countries like Ghana in search of favourable conditions. Despite efforts by Government, official housing facilities such as reception centres are not adequate to house the growing numbers of
insecurity induced refugees and displaced people. As a result, majority of the displaced persons who enter Ghana through unapproved routes in northern Ghana prefer to settle themselves with host families and communities in northern Ghana. Inherent in this informal way of settling of refugees and displaced populations is the mounting pressure on already inadequate social and economic infrastructure and services and consequential stoking of tensions between Burkinabe settlers and host community members.

The porous nature of the Ghana-Burkina Faso border, coupled with the absence of effective screening systems and security outposts, presents a challenge to border security officials in effectively screening people who enter the country or accurately estimate the number of Burkinabe refugees in the country. This comes with it the risk of violent extremists’ elements having an easy entry into the country through the porous borders to radicalize and recruit vulnerable young people especially.

Left unattended, the prevailing refugee situation, influx of irregular migrants via unapproved routes, coupled with prevailing local social and economic conditions pose a risk of triggering conflicts between host border communities in northern Ghana and the refugee/settler population, which could be leveraged by VEOs to destabilize northern Ghana and the country as a whole. In addition, the high poverty, unemployment, and growing risks of food insecurity further pushes the population (host community and refugee) into increased vulnerability to radicalization and recruitment by violent extremists.

It is against this backdrop that STAR-Ghana Foundation is implementing the Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism (BRAVE) project in vulnerable communities, aimed at building resilience of vulnerable populations and communities against radicalization and violent extremism. To this end, SGF seeks a consultant to conduct a baseline survey to help understand the status of key indicators of vulnerability to violent extremism across selected border communities including Garu, Sapelga and Felmour and validate the project’s results framework. The project has a specific target on host community and refugee youth and women in these communities, and will be implemented around the following outcomes and outputs:

A. Outcome 1: Vulnerable women from host and refugee communities have increased economic resilience.
1 https://africacenter.org/spotlight/burkina-faso-crisis-continues-to-spiral/
2 https://adf-magazine.com/2023/11/u-n-warns-of-tipping-point-as-hunger-violence-worsen/
• Vocational training and seed grants provided to vulnerable women from host communities.
• Market skills training and support to vulnerable women from host communities that have received the vocational training/grants.
• Market skills training and support to vulnerable women from Burkinabe refugee communities.
B. Outcome 2: Youth from host and refugee communities have increased sense of purpose and critical thinking.
• Training for at-risk youth on critical thinking and digital literacy.

Purpose and Objectives of the baseline

The purpose of this baseline to provide a rapid understanding of the vulnerability of the selected communities and targeted populations to radicalization and violent extremism that will provide status on all project indicators at the outset against which targets will be set and subsequent progress and changes will be measured. It is intended to provide a basis for progress on indicators at the output and outcome levels to be measured and tracked over the project period and beyond. The final baseline report will therefore be useful as a monitoring, evaluation and learning tool on the project.

Approach and scope of work

A mixed method approach, making use of both qualitative and quantitative methods is recommended for this assignment. It will involve secondary data sourced from desk review of relevant literature. Primary data will be sourced from engagements with stakeholders and members of project communities as well as relevant state and non-state institutions, using Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focused Group Discussions (FGDs). Data collection is expected to cover all three project communities using appropriate sampling procedure.

The consultant will be required to develop comprehensive methodology and propose data collection tools for discussion with and approval by the project team.

Activities and deliverables

Deliverable
1 Inception Report detailing plan of work, budget and methodology

Activities

- Prepare detailed workplan for assignment.
- Propose detailed workplan and field budget.
- Prepare detailed methodology outlining sampling procedure and size

2 Data Collection Tools

- Draft tools for data collection for review and approval by SGF
- Outline tool(s) for data analysis

3 Data Collection

- Train field enumerators
- Deploy the tool/template to collect data.

4 Draft Interim Reports

- Clean and analyse data.
- Submit draft report based on desk review and primary data analysis.
- Incorporate feedback from SGF into reports.

5 Final Reports

- facilitate a presentation of final baseline report to SGF and other stakeholders.
- Submit final baseline report to SGF

Management and support

• The consultant will report to the Executive Director of STAR-Ghana Foundation through the Results and Learning Manager.
• The Results & Learning Manager and the Head of Programmes will provide strategic level support and supervision necessary for the timely execution of deliverables.
• The Project Manager will provide technical and operational support to the Consultant to facilitate the delivery of the assignment.

Qualifications

The preferred consultant will meet the following minimum specifications:

• Hold at least a master’s degree in a relevant field with a strong background in research.
• Highly proficient in both quantitative and qualitative research.
• Have demonstrable experience and record in undertaking similar assignments. The candidate’s knowledge and experience in conducting assessments especially within the regions of this project including the local language will be assessed. Specifically,
the candidate’s ability to develop appropriate tools and coordinate quality data collection and analysis will be prioritized.
• A strong understanding and experience working on similar assignments on themes relevant to the concept of violent extremism or peacebuilding/conflict resolution mechanisms is required.
• Skilled and experienced in development and deployment of data collection tools
including electronic data collection tools like kobotoolbox.
• Ability and availability to travel to the field for the purposes of data collection and as would be necessary for completing the assignment.
• Have good understanding of conflict and cultural sensitivity around the theme for the assignment.
• Excellent written and communication skills
• Please note that this is only the minimum requirement, and that final selection will be based on an assessment of the quality of all EOIs that will be received for this assignment.
• Therefore, merely meeting the minimum requirements above does not necessarily guarantee selection for the assignment.

Expression of Interest

Interested consultant(s) should share a technical proposal that includes the following:

• A short 1/2-page proposal that reflects your own understanding of the assignment.
• Indicative timelines for delivery of the main activities
• Financial proposal for the assignment
• Profile and CV of the consultant(s)
• Overview and evidence of relevant assignments in the last 5 years (Kindly attach 1or 2 recent survey reports)
• At least 3 references client organizations and key contact persons (include name; email address and mobile number)

How To Apply

The Expression of Interest (EoI) should be submitted via e-mail with the subject line: EOI to Conduct Mapping of Peace & Security Actions in Northern Ghana

_APPLICANT’S NAME to: applications@star-ghana.org by close of business on
Tuesday 30th January 2024.

Questions or requests for clarifications should be directed to:

Aatimpe@starghana.org CC: famoateng@star-ghana.org

Closing Date: 30 January, 2024