Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Action Review
Background and Rationale
Transform Aid International (TAI) is committed to seeing an end to poverty and injustice in the world through partnering with over 30 local faith-based organisations working with communities in South and South-East Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa via integrated community development, child and youth, and disaster response programs.
At a community level, TAI’s focus is on reducing people’s vulnerabilities by improving methods to anticipate, withstand, cope with, and recover from hazards (whether through disaster response and recovery, or integrated development programming). In the future TAI is moving towards mainstreaming DRR and climate change resilience across long-term programming. This reflects global trends in community development as well as the increasing focus on climate change among both development and humanitarian actors. It aligns also with initiatives (such as Charter 4 Change) looking to scale up locally led actions to address climate-related disasters, and Australian aid priorities.1
TAI is currently undergoing a strategic review of its Disaster Management Framework, including disaster response and recovery, and disaster risk reduction (DRR). As a signatory to the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organisations, TAI is also looking to translate its climate and environment commitments into targets and action plans.
Consultancy objectives
As part of the strategic review of Disaster Management at TAI, the purpose of this consultancy is twofold: to determine the nature of and extent to which TAI’s International Program, through its partners, is already investing in DRR and Climate Change (CC) activities; and, to listen and learn from TAI’s partners about their perception of and aspirations for building community resilience, with a focus on DRR and CC activities.
TAI is seeking to:
1. Document the last five years of investment into DRR and CC activities;
2. Develop a baseline of the number and nature of projects that partners are already implementing, that include DRR and CC activities;
3. Learn from its partners, about how they understand concepts of risk and resilience, including climate change and its disaster effects; and
4. Understand the ways in which partners want to develop in this area: what they see as gaps and opportunities for growth in the communities they serve, their own capacity, and how TAI could support them in the journey.
It will be used to:
1. Celebrate TAI’s partners and their projects current initiatives in DRR and CC.
2. Inform resource allocation for peer learning and/or training with partners in DRR and CC.
3. Inform the development of TAI’s target-setting and resource allocation for actions within the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organisations’.
4. Inform TAI’s definition of ‘Resilient Communities’ and the potential development of a tool to measure community resilience, including community response to climate change.
5. Inform opportunities for future investment into projects which integrate DRR and CC projects.
Methodology 2
To address the objectives the following methods are anticipated:
• Inception meetings with TAI IP Staff
• Desk Review of TAI and partner documentation on DRR/CC programming (includes CD, child and youth, and selected disaster response)
• Semi-structured interviews with selected TAI team and Partner staff
• Online Survey to be sent to a selection of TAI’s partners that invites self-assessment of their capacity for DRR and CC activities, and their desires for the future.
It is expected that the desk review would encompass the last 5 years of TAI’s projects using existing M&E and project management data, with reference to relevant ACFID and ANCP guidelines, TAI’s DFAT accreditation Organisational Review, and TAI’s Disaster Management Strategic Review documentation.
Deliverables
1. Documentation of TAI and its partners approaches to DRR and CC, including observations on TAI partner strengths, assets, opportunities, and gaps;
2. Case studies (minimum 3) that demonstrate the breadth of TAIs partners work;
3. Recommendations on ways in which TAI can better support its partners in DRR and CC in line with TAI strategic objectives;
4. A Workshop/presentation of preliminary report findings to TAI IP team;
5. Final report.
Consultant skills and experience
• International and community development, with experience in CC, DRR and/or resilience building approaches.
• Partnership management
• Working with organisations in a cross-cultural setting
• Understanding of churches and faith-based organisations
• Remote rapport building and interviewing
• Report writing
Timeframe
The consultancy will approximately take place between July and September 2023 with specific dates and milestones open to negotiation.
A draft report that highlights important observations, conclusions and recommendations is to be submitted within 2 weeks of the final report submission.
Resources
TAI will provide:
• Logistical support in scheduling meetings and interviews with Transform Aid and partner staff
• Meeting space, where necessary, as well as any other practical materials required by the consultant
• Relevant documentation and data
• Feedback on a draft report
Budget
TAI will fund all aspects of the consultancy according to the budget agreed. Consultant’s fees and total budget should be agreed on in writing in advance of commencement of the consultancy and documented within the Terms of Engagement.
If it is anticipated that the consultancy will extend beyond the agreed time frame, TAI must be notified immediately, and extension of consultancy approved.
The consultant is requested to submit an invoice for professional services to TAI at the conclusion of the review, including the preferred method of payment and banking details.
Submission of interest
Interested consultants are requested to submit a (brief) expression of interest which outlines how the consultancy will be conducted e.g suggested research methodology and timeline, proposed budget and curriculum vitae with 1-2 writing samples of similar/relevant work to Beth Sell [email protected] (TAI International Programs Officer) 16th June, 2023.
1. In addition, in 2021, TAI has identified “Resilient Communities” as one of seven impact areas in its International Program Strategy 2019-2023 update. Subsequently, “Resilient Communities” has become one of the three themes in TAIs organisational strategy, “Fullness of Life” 2022–2027.
2. To be guided by ACFID’s “Principles and Guidelines for ethical research and evaluation in development” Updated August 2021
