Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The primary objective of the consultancy is to develop minimum standards for adequate preparedness, response and recovery to natural and man-made disasters that ensure the protection and well-being of children, persons with disabilities, and the elderly and other vulnerable groups. The SoPs should guide on key interventions for each category and to promote effective coordination among stakeholders and efficient resource allocation for immediate and long-term response as per special needs and vulnerabilities.

Key Tasks:

1. Conduct a comprehensive review of existing national and international frameworks, guidelines, and best practices related to disaster response for vulnerable groups.
2. Review international best practices and standards in disaster preparedness and response, particularly those focusing on vulnerable populations & benchmark Rwanda’s existing policies against these standards.
3. Assess the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children, persons with disabilities, and elders in the context of Rwandan disasters.
4. Identify gaps and challenges in current disaster response practices concerning these vulnerable groups.
5. Define the scope of the SOPs, specifying the types of disasters covered (e.g., floods, earthquakes, pandemics)
6. Specify the geographic scope (national, regional, local) and the responsible agencies or stakeholders involved.
7. Produce the first draft of the key findings and SoPs and organize a workshop for TOT Piloting and validation.

Methodology

1. Describe the approach to be used in developing the minimum standards.
2. Stakeholder consultations with government agencies, NGOs, and relevant community representatives.
3. Literature review and analysis of existing international and national policies, reports, studies and guidelines on disaster preparedness and response to protect vulnerable groups.
4. Field visits or case studies to gather first-hand insights into local challenges and best practices.
5. Facilitate a workshop and discussions to validate and refine the standards.

Key Components of the Minimum Standards

1. Preparedness Phase

1. 1. Identification and mapping of vulnerable groups.
   2. Procedures for inclusive evacuation, sheltering, and access to essential services.
   3. Coordination mechanisms among responders and stakeholders to address specific needs.
   4. Budgeted preparedness and resource mobilization plan

2. Response Phase

1. Immediate actions to ensure the safety and well-being of children, persons with disabilities and elders.
2. Protocols & procedures for evacuation, sheltering, and provision of protection, mental health wellbeing and psychosocial support with consideration of each category’s special needs.
3. Coordination mechanisms among different agencies and stakeholders.

3. Recovery Phase

1. Procedures for assessing and addressing the long-term specific needs of vulnerable groups in post-disaster recovery.
2. Long-term planning for rehabilitation and reconstruction that considers the needs of vulnerable groups.
3. Measures to promote resilience and reduce future vulnerabilities.

4. Roll-out Plan of the SoPs

1. Outline steps for piloting and implementing the minimum standards.
2. Specify roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in the implementation process.
3. Establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of the SOPs and make necessary adjustments.

5. Compliance and Sustainability

1. Ensure alignment of the minimum standards with national policies, laws, and international conventions (e.g., UNCRC, UNCRPD).
2. Develop strategies for sustainability, including capacity building, institutionalization of standards, and regular reviews and updates based on lessons learned.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

• Produce the Inception Report highlighting the methodology with key actions to be undertaken for each step, the KIIs and key milestones and coordinate with MINEMA & UNICEF to organize a meeting for technical validation
• Conduct a quick assessment of situation of each category of vulnerable groups (children, PWDs, the elders and the chronically sick) and what are their specific needs in emergencies and produce a summary report of not more than 15 pages together with the outline of the SoPs that tackles on all the phases (preparedness, response, and recovery)
• Organize & facilitate the technical validation meeting
• Develop the SoPs and organize/facilitate the endorsement (to be conducted in a form of ToT piloting)
• Finalize the SoPs with inputs after validation and share the final report

Deliverables/Outputs:

Payment 1: 20%

1. Inception Report

Payment 2: 30%

2. Summarized Assessment Report
3. Outline of the SoPs

Payment 3: 50%

4. Workshop for SoPs validation is organized.
5. Final SoPs shared

Duration and Duty Location

This consultancy will be completed within 2 months. The consultant will be working from home.

Selection Criteria

Applications shall be assessed based on their technical and financial proposals. Maximum scores for technical and financial applications will be 75% and 25%, respectively.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Social Sciences, Development Studies, International Relations, Human Rights
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in conducting assessments of national systems.

• Experience in child protection, child rights, disability Inclusion and/or social protection. A combination with Child protection in Emergencies would be an asset.
• Understanding of Rwandan legislations and policies and the system approach to child protection, disability inclusion and social protection.
• Understanding of international instruments, protocols, and guidelines on humanitarian action (Core commitments for children, IASC guidelines, CPMS in Humanitarian action,
• Experience on Developing SoPs & guidelines