http://reliefweb.int/job/1522446/research-consultancy-unaccompanied-and-separated-children-move-through-and-north-africa

Research Consultancy on Unaccompanied and Separated Children on the move to, through and from North Africa

SUMMARY

The North Africa Mixed Migration Hub (MHub) http://www.mixedmigrationhub.org/ seeks a research consultant to complete a regional study analyzing protection issues, services and community support mechanisms pertaining to Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC)1 on the move to, through and from North Africa.2 The purpose is to produce a comprehensive and up-to-date regional overview for the inter-agency North Africa Mixed Migration Task Force (NAMMTF) in order to improve responses at the national level for UASC.3

2. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

Human mobility in North Africa is characterized by complex movements originating within the region, as well as in other parts of Africa and the Middle East. Increasingly, mixed migration flows within and through the region include significant numbers of children, both with their parents/guardians and separated from them. While previously neglected in the international debates on migration, children are now becoming a more recognized part of global mixed migration flows. However, statistical data on children on the move globally remains scattered and partial. While a number of studies exist on UASC in other regions, there is a lack of literature on UASC in North Africa, and available research tends to limit the scope to arrivals from the region into Europe. Human mobility in the region, including that of children, takes multiple forms and has a range of root causes. Within the category of UASC in North Africa, children have diverse profiles and reasons for moving.

UASC on the move present a range of protection challenges for states and humanitarian agencies. The rights of children are often not upheld in national laws addressing either migrants or children, due to poor and often discriminatory implementation of child rights legislation. The lack of safe routes and limited legal pathways for seeking asylum and migration leads children to undertake journeys along dangerous routes. Those who move through irregular channels suffer extensive exploitation, criminalization and restrictions upon their human rights. UASC in North Africa often suffer due to gaps in institutional protection mechanisms, have limited access to basic services, and are at risk of detention, trafficking and exploitation. Girls face additional gendered risks in the migration process, while younger children are also particularly vulnerable. At the same time, there are many types of effective formalized support systems and community-based informal support mechanisms which offer some forms of protection to UASC. Migration itself also offers opportunities, and it is therefore critical that research examines both the difficulties and opportunities that migration presents for children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most widely ratified human rights treaty and requires the recognition of the agency of children. Therefore, children are uniquely placed as experts to articulate their needs and the interventions affecting them. Substantive consultation with children and those working closely with children is required in order to understand the protection needs and coping mechanisms of UASC in North Africa.

In order to improve responses at the national level for UASC in North Africa, MHub is commissioning research to better understand the protection issues, services, and community based among this group. The Cairo-based MHub serves as a knowledge hub and secretariat for the NAMMTF, consisting of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat (RMMS), Save the Children’s Regional Office for the Middle East and Eurasia, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The NAMMTF promotes a human rights-based approach to ensuring the protection of people moving in mixed and complex flows to, through and from North Africa. In 2016, the NAMMTF has identified children and youth on the move as a key focus area and seeks to undertake a range of outreach, research and influencing initiatives in this field.

   1   According to the Inter-Agency Guiding Principles on Unaccompanied and Separated Children, “unaccompanied children” are those children under the age of majority (18 years) who have been separated from both parents and other relatives and are not being cared for by an adult who, by law or custom, is responsible for doing so. “Separated children” are those children under the age of 18 years who have been separated from both parents, or from their previous legal or customary primary caregiver, but not necessarily from other relatives.
   2   According to the mandate of the North Africa Mixed Migration Task Force, the North Africa region refers to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Sudan. From within the NAMMTF, a Research Advisory Group will be established to guide and review the research at particular milestones.
   3   From within the NAMMTF, a Research Advisory Group will be established to guide and review the research at particular milestones.

3. RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Aim: To provide a comprehensive and up-to-date mapping and analysis of protection issues, services and community support mechanisms pertaining to UASC on the move to, through and from North Africa in order to improve coordinated responses at the national level by agencies, NGOs and governments.

Objectives:

·         To identify and describe broad profiles and recent trends of UASC moving to, through and from North Africa
·         To document the key protection challenges faced by UASC, including detention and deportation, lack of access to services, gaps in protection mechanisms, and vulnerability to exploitation
·         To document institutional and community based methods of support for UASC
·         To seek children’s input on protection challenges and needs, experiences of institutional and community support mechanisms, and recommendations for service provision

4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

·         Profiles and Trends

·         What are the profiles of different UASC populations moving in the region (including nationality, age, gender, location, personal history)?
·         How have the patterns and dynamics of children’s movements in the region changed in recent years? Include routes, origins, destinations, smuggling and trafficking mechanisms.

·         Key Protection Challenges

·         What are the positive and negative coping mechanisms used by UASC?
·         What are the protection gaps faced by UASC in the region? (including detention, deportation, lack of access to services, gaps in protection mechanisms, risk of violence and exploitation)
·         What are the factors which contribute to increased protection risks (including gender, age, ethnicity, language, disability, parenthood, pregnancy etc)

·         Institutional and Community Support

·         What forms of institutional support and services (state and non-state) are available to UASC? How do these forms of support relate to protection, local integration or onward movement?
·         How are UASC identified by stakeholders and service providers? What are the processes of identification, assessment, best interest determination, and referral mechanisms?
·         What are the success factors which contribute to providing effective institutional provisions?
·         What are the current community methods of support and informal care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children at risk? How do these forms of support relate to protection, local integration or onward movement?
·         To what extent do formal and informal guardianship services exist, either institutionally or informally?
·         What are the success factors which contribute to fostering effective community support arrangements?

·         Children’s Input

·         What are the key protection gaps and needs according to UASC?
·         What are UASC’s experiences of the available services and institutional support mechanisms?
·         What are UASC’s experiences of community based support mechanisms?
·         What are UASC’s recommendations for improving service provision and overall protection?

5. RESEARCH METHODS

The consultant will conduct the research in close coordination with MHub and relevant members of the NAMMTF in two stages:

Stage 1: Desk-Based Literature Review and Institutional Mapping Exercise

a. Develop, in cooperation with MHub, a workplan for undertaking the research, including detailed timeline, methodology, milestones, key collaborators and resources required

b. Prepare a literature review on UASC in North Africa, using the bibliography produced by MHub

c. Use the results of consultations conducted by MHub of Task Force members to produce a mapping report documenting existing programs and services for UASC

d. Identify, with support from MHub and selected Task Force members, regional key informants to interview (either face to face or via Skype/telephone)

e. Conduct outreach with UASC service-providing organizations to identify opportunities and appropriate processes to conduct FGDs and/or interviews with UASC using child friendly techniques, and where appropriate their caregivers

Stage 2: Field Research with community-based organizations and UASC

"Please note that stage 2 of the research is pending funding availability. Therefore, the initial contract will be drawn up for stage 1 only, with the contract for stage 2 to follow once funding is confirmed"

f. Interview diverse stakeholders across the region, including UN agency staff, INGOs, NGOs and community based organizations (CBOs), and government representatives, ensuring diverse regional representation (may include travel within the region as required)

g. Conduct FGDs and/or interviews with UASC, through service-providing organizations and CBOs (may include travel within the region as required)

h. Draft final report and present research findings to MHub, relevant Task Force members and other stakeholders in order to receive feedback and refine the final report

i. Present the research findings at a public research launch event to be held in Cairo

6. DELIVERABLES

Stage 1: Desk-Based Literature Review and Institutional Mapping Exercise

a. Detailed work plan for undertaking the research, including timeline, data collection methodology, deliverables, plan to address ethical considerations, organizations and individuals to contact, resources required, and report outline – to be agreed with MHub

b. Literature review: Produce a comprehensive literature review on UASC in North Africa

c. Produce a mapping report for each country documenting existing programs and services for UASC, based upon MHub’s consultations with Task Force members

d. Lead a meeting with the Task Force’s Research Advisory Group to present methodology and workplan in order to solicit feedback

Stage 2: Field Research with community-based organizations and UASC

e. Submit field research schedule – to be agreed with MHub, including travel plans

f. Submit draft questions for interviews with key informants and UASC Focus Group Discussions

g. Draft of final overall report of the assignment, including:

I. Background Context

II. Methodology (including limitations)

III. Country Profiles for all 5 Countries, including:

i. Broad profiles and recent trends of UASC moving to, through and from each country

ii. A country-level flowchart depicting the system of referral/mode of contact for UASC navigating agencies and services, including (where possible) the average time taken at each stage

iii. Analysis of community and institutional forms of support and how these pertain to protection and onward movement

iv. Recommendations (for governments, agencies, and NGOs, with a focus on protection and coordination)

h. A presentation of draft research report, to be presented to the NA MMTF and other stakeholders to allow for feedback before finalization of the final report

i. Final overall report incorporating feedback submitted to MHub

j. A public presentation of the research findings at a research launch event in Cairo

7. TIMELINE

Stage 1: Desk-Based Literature Review and Institutional Mapping Exercise

Deliverables: June - September

Work Plan submitted to MHub

Literature Review: Review and build upon MHub-produced literature review of UASC in, through, and from North Africa

Programmatic Mapping Report: Review, collate and follow up results of MHub consultations with TF members to produce broad mapping report

Teleconference with Task Force Research Advisory Group

Stage 2: Field Research with organizations and UASC

Deliverables: October - December

Interview Questions: Draft interview questions submitted to Task Force Research Advisory Group for feedback

Field research schedule, including travel plans for field research

Draft report, structured as per agreement with MHub

Presentation to NA MMTF, MHub and other stakeholders

Final report submission, following inclusion of feedback

Research Launch Event to publicly present the research in Cairo

Total number of working days: STAGE 1 + STAGE 2 Not to exceed 90 working days

Required Qualifications and Experience

·         At least 5-10 years’ experience working on migration and child rights
·         Knowledge of separated and unaccompanied children principles and issues
·         Comprehensive knowledge of refugee, asylum seeker and migration issues, particularly pertaining to children
·         Proven experience in conducting qualitative field research from a human rights perspective
·         Experience in child participation research methodologies
·         In-depth understanding of the North African region, especially in relation to migration
·         Ability to conduct research in an ethical and sensitive manner, particularly with children
·         Excellent written and verbal communication skills
·         Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality written reports in English
·         Proficiency in Arabic and/or French highly desirable

9. HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates are invited to submit a technical proposal which includes the following: to [log in to unmask]

·         Proposed methodological approach, including the ethical participation of children
·         Preliminary work plan with timeline, including total number of days required to complete deliverables
·         Covering letter with description of previous relevant experience, as per the selection criteria
·         CV with 3 referees
·         Financial proposal, including daily rate in USD and payment schedule

Technical questions can be addressed to [log in to unmask]

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