Problem Statement
ChildFund International is using participatory assessment methods with communities to better understand child protection harms and how these harms are being addressed. Nineteen Country Offices in three regions (Africa, Asia and Americas) are currently using the methods. Internally, the assessment methods are referred to as Community-based Child Protection (CBCP) Mapping and they consist of a series of focus group discussions, interviews with key informants and participatory exercises with sub-groups of participants. The sub-groups are cohorts divided by age, gender and socioeconomic status in the community. Each session is organized around a set of questions, and the sequence of sessions build toward a deepening of understanding and collective learning about the child protection issues and assets within a community.
Country Offices (CO) have struggled with processing the large amounts of qualitative data being collected through the mapping. COs are often inexperienced with handling and interpreting the qualitative data. Thus, there is a recognized need for user-friendly methods for processing, synthesizing, analyzing and summarizing these data. The desire is to have the ability to have the data recorded in a manageable summarized format for easy use, while not sacrificing too much of the richness and the original meaning of the content.
Some of the COs have developed tools for aggregating and documenting their data. However, they have asked the International Office for support in developing a standardized tool and methods for CBCP data synthesis/ aggregation and documentation. Such a tool would be helpful for all three of ChildFund’s regions, that are struggling with this issue.
Purpose
The purpose of this body of work is to develop guidance on methods and a tool for synthesizing, aggregating and recording qualitative data from the CBCP Mapping exercises. This should respect the qualitative nature of the data, ensuring that the meaning and quality is not lost, and should provide CO staff and local partners with the ability for relatively simple and straightforward use.
The Consultant will work closely with selected Child Protection Specialists in ChildFund’s three regions, as well as the Sr Child Protection Advisor, Sr. M&E Advisor and Research Manager at the International Office to develop a guidance document that clearly describes how CBCP mapping data will be organized, coded, aggregated, synthesized and reported.
The consultant will start with a review of existing materials that will be used to develop the guidance and the tools.
The Consultant will review:
- The conceptual and analytical framework used for CBCP Mapping in each region;
- CBCP data collection tools/methods;
- CBCP reports compiled to date;
- Documented data management and analysis processes from COs, where available;
Consultant will use this to develop:
- A clear approach to working with the qualitative data: make transparent the steps that teams need to take to organize the data;
- A tool (or set of tools) for data management that allows teams to trace coded data back to quotes to allow for iterations of meaning;
- An approach to using the conceptual/analytical framework to make meaning of the data.
Deliverables
- A literature review summary using a tabular format (format will be supplied).
- A finalized guidance document which details an approach to: working with qualitative data - including methods for tracing coded data to original quotes; using a conceptual/ analytical framework to make meaning of data; using the tool(s) (see below) designed to support COs to organize, synthesize and manage the CBCP mapping data. (Expected length: 30 to 50 pages)
- User-friendly tool or tools used for aggregating, synthesizing and summarizing qualitative data that will include the tracing coding for relevant quotes.
- Field-testing of guidance and tools with short report (2-3 pages) summarizing the results of the test and what changes to the tool and guidance were made based on these results.
- Three 2-hour webinars provided for International and Country Offices to introduce the tool. This will include the power-point presentation that will be used for the webinar. Administration The guidance and tools development will take place from March 1 through April 31, 2019 over an estimated 32 consultancy days (e.g. not necessarily consecutive and a total of 256 hours).
Timeline
- The Consultant will have periodic check-in conference call with the CPA and other ChildFund colleagues. These check-ins will start with the initial call to review the SOW. The second call will be after the Consultant submits an outline of the guidance document and tool. The third call will be to discuss the first draft of the guidance and the tool. The fourth call will be to review the final products of the guidance and tool. Additional calls may be organized as needed.
- The Consultant will report to ChildFund’s Sr. Child Protection Advisor (CPA) from the International Office. The CPA will facilitate initial contact between the Consultant and Sr M&E Advisor, Research Manager at the International Office and child protection specialists from ChildFund Country Offices in the Asia, Africa and Americas Regions. A few group calls (1 for each Region) will first take place to gather information (challenges, how they’ve tried to work with the challenges, etc.), and then follow up only with those COs with the most promising practices to learn more, develop and test ideas. The Consultant will be expected to arrange additional calls as needed with these Officers.