Consultancy for Statistical Analysis - Violence Against Children and Women, Georgetown, Guyana - 45 Days (Nationals of Guyana Only)

Violence against children and women takes many forms, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and may involve neglect or deprivation.

Background:
Violence against children and women takes many forms, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and may involve neglect or deprivation. These violations occur in many settings, including the home, school, community, detention centres and over the Internet. Similarly, a wide range of perpetrators commit violence against children, such as family members, intimate partners, teachers, neighbours, strangers and other children. Regardless of the nature or severity of the act all forms of violence can cause harm to children, reduce their sense of self-worth, affront their dignity and hinder their development. Examining global patterns of violence as well as attitudes and social norms sheds light on an issue that has remained largely undocumented. Using data to make violence against children/women and its many ramifications more visible will bring about a fuller understanding of its magnitude, nature and offer clues to its prevention.

Data sources for violence against children and women are critical and can be found through a variety of sources (administrative records, surveys and qualitative studies).  In September 2014, UNICEF produced "Hidden in Plain Sight: A Statistical Analysis of Violence Against Children" which made use of available evidence to describe what is currently known about global patterns of violence against children, using data compiled from a selection of sources, including  Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and Demographic Health Surveys.

Regionally (Latin America and the Caribbean), efforts have been made to document the level and types of violence against children and women.  Nevertheless, there is still the recognized need for reliable, quality data in order to ensure all forms of violence becomes visible.  In Guyana's case, this data is often unavailable and in the Concluding Observations of the CRC in 2004 and 2013, the need to improve data and systems for data collection was expressly noted.

Purpose of the study:
Data collection and analysis on violence against children and women is critical in helping to shape an understanding of the nature and extent of the violation, it assists in planning and budgeting, the analysis informs the development of effective laws, policies, and prevention programmes. For example, prevalence rates are needed in order to understand the magnitude of the problem; information relating to risk factors can be drawn from family and the social environment; and information on attitudes and beliefs may help to explain social norms that drive violence.

Specific to this study (analyzing administrative data),  will ensure a better understanding around a particular issue by analysis key trends over time and lend to some understanding of reporting, referral and prosecution rates and answer questions on capacity  (e.g. use of services).

Scope and focus: 
As a general rule, work in the area of data analysis for child protection seeks to highlight trends, emphasize patterns found within data and suggests how these data can be used to strategically inform programmatic efforts.  Generally and where possible all data must be disaggregated by location geographic areas/ residence (urban/rural), sex, education, age, wealth, ethnicity/religion, marital status and other stratifiers where available. 

The primary agencies that are proposed to be engaged in the study are those that are involved in the prevention, treatment and response to violence against children and women.  These include: the judiciary, the police, social welfare services as well as the public (and private) health sector.

With respect to this study, the individual agency reports will   provide an important analytical information to assist in, among other things:
1. Determining data collection efforts (including what/how data is collected, stored and used)
2. Determining key trends/patterns, based on disaggregated information. This will include:
i. monitoring demands for services, assessing adequacy of existing measures and identifying the type of assistance needed,
ii. an estimate to the administrative costs of violence, and help in developing policies on reduction of  violence against children and women and in calculating the required budget to be provided to these services

Additionally, for areas for analysis over a 10 year period will include:
i.   Key trends in reporting on the types of violence (including neglect) over a 10 year period
ii.  Key trends in face-to face contact with clients
iii. Perpetrator counselling
iv. Hotline services
v.  Client Referrals
vi. Referral data

All data should at least be disaggregated by age, location, gender, education, ethnicity and other stratifiers where available.

Process and methodology:
For this consultancy, the consultant (individual or institutional) will lead in the review of reports from the  relevant state agencies    Additionally, while, some measure of qualitative analysis will accompany the data, the consultant is expected to use (to the maximum extent possible) data-visual techniques and tools to further "illustrate the data". 

The phases for this exercise will be as follows:

Phase 1:  Desk/Data review and Inception report
Work plan, data collection tools, list of required meetings.  The consultant will be required to field test these tools.

Phase 2: Data collection- in this phase the following must be determined, through agreed method (e.g. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions and review of secondary data):
• the current efforts to collect data (including the individual effort of each agency)
• the type of administrative data on violence- key questions also include :
 What kind of data is being collected, key definitions and with which methods.  Note must be made of any disparities in the data collection efforts. 
 What kinds of variables are already being collected?
 Is data collection done systematically and is a specific form and/or data system used when recording data?
 How is data used in planning?
 Is it possible to follow the cases from the report of an offence to the end of the crime investigation?
 Is it possible to follow the cases from the end of the crime investigation to the prosecutor?
 Is it possible to follow the cases from the prosecutor to the court?
 Is it possible to follow the outcome of the cases that go to court?
• Suggest a model design/approach containing recommendations on the collection of administrative data beyond current practices (including how to establish an administrative data system in institutions that do not yet collect the recommended data?

Phase 3: Data Analysis, Report writing and dissemination
This must include:
• Key trends, patterns and incidence of violence (please see number 2 above based on the scope of work)
• Capacity needs of the State agencies to use data and translate data  for policy makers (as key examples)
• Best practices and any noted challenges (along with recommendations) should be captured.  These can include issues relating to standardized definitions, agreed indicators, format for recording and reporting (including quality, harmonization, issues of overlap in reporting), storage, confidentiality

The consultant is expected to provide analytical agency reports (based on the above) and one overall report which would allow for better comparative analysis of the data.

Ethical Considerations:
All standard ethical considerations and best practices in research applies. These include:
• a duty of confidentiality towards informants and participants
• a duty to protect participants from harm, by not disclosing sensitive information
• a duty to treat participants as intelligent beings, able to make their own decisions on how the information they provide can be used, shared and made public (through informed consent)
• a duty to inform participants how information and data obtained will be used, processed, shared, disposed of, prior to obtaining consent

Stakeholder participation:
All agencies involved in this analysis will have access to both draft and final individual agency and general reports.

Study team composition and competencies:
The consultant will rely upon a core team with focal points the individual agencies and from UNICEF Guyana (Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist and the Child Protection Officer).  All focal points will be kept in the loop on all stages of the exercise and be afforded a standard honourarium given their time to review collect, collate and review data in the process.

Qualifications:
• An advanced university degree (Master's) in Social Sciences or other relevant disciplines
• A minimum of two (2) years relevant work experience.  Knowledge and work experience in statistics and demography would be an asset
• Excellent and proven analytical skills is required
• Excellent and proven English writing skills is required
• Relevant experience in related or similar assignments
• Excellent organizational and communication skills, ability to prioritize and work with minimum supervision is required

Duration of Contract: 45 Days

Accountabilities:
Final Products will be jointly approved by partners and UNICEF

Procedures and Logistics:
The consultant is expected to work independently on his/her own.

Products/Deliverables:
Hard and soft copies of reports (including the statistical products) for both the combined and agency level analysis must be submitted to UNICEF.

Tasks 
(1) Inception Phase 
      End Product/deliverables: Inception Report including work plan, data collection tools, list of required meetings.  The consultant will be required to field test these tools.
      Working Days: 5
      Payment (%): 20%

(2) Field Work Phase/Report Writing Phase
     End Product/deliverables: Draft report  
     Working Days: 35
      Payment (%): 50%  

(3) Final Report Writing Phase
     End Product/deliverables: Incorporation of key finding in report and submission of final report
     Working Days: 5
     Payment (%): 30%  

Resource requirements:  
Fees will be negotiated at a daily rate, through Non-Grant resources and any necessary travel will be paid separately.

Conditions:
• The nature of the contract will be temporary.
• The consultant is expected to conduct all work independently of UNICEF, in accordance with the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) norms and standards and in line with the accountabilities section of this Terms of Reference (TOR).
• Prior to commencing the contract, the individual consultant will be required to sign a Health Statement for consultants/individual contractors, and to document that he/she has appropriate health insurance, if applicable.

Special Requirements Remarks:
Kindly submit a cover letter with your application, a financial quote (lump sum), examples of relevant previous work, date of availability and a minimum of two (2) references from your current and previous supervisors.