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Newsonline reports that Mercy Corps has been present in Nigeria since 2012, focusing its interventions on humanitarian assistance, economic development, and conflict mitigation. With the ongoing insurgency and other forms of identity-related conflicts, causing the displacement of thousands of individuals and communities in North-East Nigeria, Mercy Corps started its humanitarian response in the region in 2014 to address rising humanitarian needs. As the crisis persists, Mercy Corps’ strategy has also expanded to address the root causes of the conflict and seek to build the long-term resilience of communities with integrated programs that focus on governance, the recovery of markets and livelihoods, improving social cohesion and protection, youth empowerment, and enhancing local conflict management.
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Project Description:
In order to contribute to the mitigation of shared natural resource conflicts, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Search for Common Ground (Search), and Mercy Corps have designed the COMITAS program as a comprehensive and integrated approach to respond to conflicts over natural resources between farmer and herder communities in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The European Union’s (EU) Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) that responds quickly and flexibly to conflicts and crises funds the 18-month program.
1 Within the scope of the COMITAS program, natural resources include land and water resources that contribute to building and sustaining socially- and economically viable opportunities for farmer and herder communities.
This project has four specific objectives:**
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Strengthen traditional conflict resolution in the targeted locations in Adamawa state to support conflict prevention and mitigation efforts;**
Improve trust in authorities’ commitment to providing security and adequate resource management to help prevent communities from turning towards violence;**
Address the root causes of conflict between farmer and herder communities over natural resources and;**
Improve intra- and intercommunal perceptions.
Mercy Corps is responsible for implementing activities under objective three by enhancing collaboration between farmer and herder communities on natural resource management. Mercy Corps’ approach focuses on strengthening the capacity of Natural Resource Management Committees and local authorities and supporting them to develop action plans and implement concrete solution initiatives that are mutually beneficial to farmer and herder groups. Through the establishment of natural resource management committees, the project will enable communities to identify and implement immediate conflict prevention or mitigation measures, such as the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure that supports collaboration on natural resource management. This study will also be instrumental to consolidating the outcomes achieved by the committees and the project in building these collaborative infrastructures that strengthen relationships between farmer and herder communities. It will also identify and show how diverse economic opportunities and value chains associated with land and water resources will improve social cohesion further between both groups, increase house incomes, and minimize exploitation on natural resource management by one group over other group groups.
Purpose and Goal:
For Mercy Corps’ COMITAS program, this study seeks to explore valuable economic opportunities – market systems and chains and other economic connectors – that exist to strengthen conflict mitigation efforts, improve livelihoods, natural resource management, and social interactions between farmer and herder communities and other social groups in Adamawa State. The key focus of the study will be on the critical value chains that are not linked to conflicting resources within communities. The assessment will also integrate critical considerations such as gender sensitivity, conflict patterns related to natural resource management, access, and use, agro-enterprises, climate change and resiliency, conflict sensitivity, and economic recovery challenges. Also, as an essential part of the study, this assessment will identify concrete and plausible economic alternatives that will favor crop and livestock production, and other agricultural inputs, financial service sectors, and market components that rural community groups can explore to alleviate poverty and complement existing agricultural value chains. The assessment will also identify critical supporting functions and rules and norms that help shape the performance of markets while inherently addressing some of the underlying constraints associated with natural resource management and resource-based conflict mitigation in Adamawa State.
This study will develop the evidence base to stimulate accessible, inclusive, and resilient market systems that recognize the challenges and complexity of the farmer-herder conflicts in Adamawa State, and identify diverse pathways to support individuals, households, and communities engaged in agricultural production out of chronic impoverishment. Also, the study will focus on reducing barriers for market participation or inclusion for households, individuals, and communities in Adamawa to address agricultural productions and incomes while bolstering alternatives to natural resources usage and having the capacity to diffuse conflicts. This assessment will be evidence-based and will draw on any existing market practices and models that have proven to be effective in advancing natural resource outputs across rural and urban environments, and favor broader economic impacts across Adamawa State. The end-product of this assessment will promote systemic changes in market systems, remove the barriers to market entry for farmer and herder populations, and facilitate widespread adoption of microenterprise group models that are relevant to farming and herding to boost agricultural productivity and quality.
In terms of specific objectives for this assessment, the consultancy will:
**(1) Analyze the socio-economic environment in Adamawa State, taking into consideration some of the local causes and drivers of shared natural resource conflicts (immediate/proximate/cyclical/historical factors) in farmer and herder communities.
o Identify the vulnerabilities faced by farmer and herder communities (and its members, i.e. women/men and youth), and barriers to and impacts of resource-based conflicts on their effective participation in market systems.
o Analyze the impact of internal and external factors (including geo-politics, sociocultural dynamics, climate change) on shared natural resource conflicts and value chains.
o Assess the range of trade-related issues that escalate and protract natural resource conflicts and other extra-trade tensions that are related to broader structural issues, including natural resource policies and the attitudes and behaviors of market players.
Assess market weaknesses that could be both a source and a consequence of conflict between farmer and herder communitieso Identify and analyze key value chains that have the potential to:
o Reduce resource-based conflicts, especially between farmer and herder communities.
o Provide alternatives to natural resources.
o Potential to promote growth and inclusion of disenfranchised communities.
o Map the actors involved in agricultural value chains to understand how specific market systems are organized, including their supporting functions and the [in]formal rules and norms governing the system.
Assess capacities, constraints, incentives, and risks within these market systems.
Identify value chain actors/networks that allow users to easily access key local and state-level value chain actors.
Analyze the interplay of actors between these different structures and systems at the different levels (local community, state and beyond), identifying the interests of the identified actors to sustain market practices that address poverty, prolonged natural resource conflict dynamics, and support economic frameworks that foster market cooperation among diverse parties [in]directly associated with or affected by resource-based conflicts
(2) Review existing agricultural market models to identify their effectiveness, the gaps in their operations, and how their adaptation will address poverty and improve positive interactions and social cohesion across communities.
o Analyze the natural resource institutional capacities that exist to support access to effective value chains and functional markets, especially those that are inclusive, and consider the intersectional capabilities of diverse men, women, and youth groups involved in farming and herding activities.
Identify the diverse social structures that guarantee adequate social inclusion, particularly facilitating women’s economic empowerment opportunities within agricultural production and natural resource market systems.
o Assess stresses, shocks, and/or stressors that influence natural resource management, agricultural production, and economic recovery for poor populations (at individual/household/market/macro levels).
Identify the impact of environmental depletion and climate change, infrastructural damage, disruption of legitimate market networks, and limited market scope on various value chains.
o Identify diverse leverage points within value chains, addressing some of the gaps that affect functional markets that different groups, particularly farmer and herder communities, can access and engage with various users [in]directly.
Highlight the power imbalances that exist or often result from the structure of these leverage points, such as factors that prevent crop or animal producers from interacting directly with end-buyers.
Identify the quality and type of agricultural products that diverse end-market users demand and the requirements and risks associated with meeting these demands.
Identify the opportunities/mechanisms available for farmers and herders and other socioeconomic groups to improve agricultural production and raise personal and household income.
(3) Provide key recommendations that will guide Mercy Corps to develop a livelihood strategy that identifies both short and medium-term interventions to strengthen farmer and herder communities’ access to markets in an inclusive, gender- and conflict-sensitive manner. These recommendations should also prioritize critical components that will strengthen farmer and herder communities’ market positions through collaboration and multisectoral partnerships, especially with the private sector and other formal institutions, to tackle diverse structural factors that impede collective economic flourishing for rural and urban populations.
Research Questions:
The following questions will guide this study:
i. What is the nature and impact of socioeconomic conditions on resource-based tensions and market systems in Adamawa State? How are they impacted by resource-based conflicts?
ii. What existing (and sustainable) value chains facilitate robust agricultural production, market access, and improved livelihoods and economic recovery for diverse rural and urban populations and reduce resource-based conflict escalation in Adamawa State?
iii. What is the state of existing trade institutions and market networks in facilitating inclusive market systems in Adamawa State?
iv. What existing market strategies and practices are adopted to ameliorate livelihoods and social cohesion in farmer and herder communities through collaborative market engagements in Adamawa State?
Geographic Coverage of the Study:
This assessment will cover at least 10 Local Government Areas of Adamawa State.
Approach and Methodology:
For this assessment, the method of engagement will be consultative and grounded on the principles of participation. The consultant will clearly state the proposed research methodology, detailing how this study will be operationalized across all the research sites in Adamawa State. The consultant will make recommendations on who will be the target research respondents, offer justifications for their selection, and explain how they will be identified and engaged. Also, s/he will elaborate on the process of data collection, highlighting how data quality and research ethics will be guaranteed, including principles of Do No Harm, and how the data collected from research participants will be analyzed.
The proposed methodology for this assessment should incorporate:
i. Micro and macro environment analysis of the geopolitics, sociocultural dynamics, and climate change factors influencing natural resource conflicts and value chains in Adamawa state.
ii. A structured mapping of the agricultural market system in Adamawa State, including the core transactions and key supporting functions that are relevant to agricultural production and enable effective value chains, the rules or norms governing the system, and other factors that drive social cohesion and resilience within market systems at the local, state and regional levels. Also, the structured map will demonstrate the potentials for agricultural value chains to address or deescalate resource-based conflicts, improve social cohesion, facilitate economic benefits for farmer and herder groups, and increase growth.
iii. Survey of different actors, networks, and institutions that influence transactional patterns and market practices, taking into account some of the sensitivities associated with socioeconomic interactions across farmer and herder groups.
iv. Desk review: Conduct an extensive review of diverse resources on market systems, the natural resource conflicts, and the humanitarian context in Adamawa State to identify and understand existing data, and triangulate this information to demonstrate the intersection of resource-based conflicts, value chains/market systems, and social cohesion. This desktop review will also examine existing market practices, the COMITAS program framework, local economic laws, policies and strategies, and sectoral guidance and toolkits for operationalizing effective economic recovery programs.
v. Focus Group Discussions: Describes the modalities for organizing and facilitating structured discussions with identified research participants. The consultant will determine the number of FGDs and participants, respectively, to effectively measure various perceptions on the nexus between natural resource conflicts, economic value chains, and the broader market system in Adamawa State.
vi. Key Informant Interviews: Involves semi-structured interviews to be conducted with ordinary community women and men, youths, farmers, herders, market and business sector leaders/networks engaged in agricultural production, government officials and line ministries, humanitarian workers, etc.
vii. Other relevant data collection approaches and tools that will be administered for the assessment by the consultant. The consultant and Mercy Corps’ COMITAS and technical teams will review these data collection processes and tools collaboratively to ensure quality and the incorporation of vital conflict sensitivity components.
viii. Procedure for ensuring gender sensitivity and social inclusion (mainly for youth, persons living with disabilities, and other marginalized groups) in tools design, data collection, and the entire research.
ix. Do-No-Harm principles: Informed consent should be obtained from all research participants including secondary consent for participants below 18years of ag Appropriate local authority permissions should also be obtained prior to commencement of the data collection. The data collection process should be inclusive and participatory, ensuring that from the team composition to how research participants are engaged, there are adequate representation across gender, ethnic, religious, and livelihoods groups. Consultative groups should be gender and age-specific, as appropriate.
x. Compliance with national and state-level COVID-19 protocols: Primary data collection must be well-organized and undertaken in a manner that aligns with the safety and health protocols provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), State and Federal Ministries of Health, and Mercy Corps.
Deliverables and Timelines:
Deliverables
No. of days
Person Responsible
1
Desk review
4
Consultant
2
Development of tools
3
Consultant
3
Submission of the inception report, tools, analysis Plan, and dissemination/publication plan
2
Consultant
4
Review and sign off on inception report
3
Mercy Corps
5
Training of enumerators
2
Consultant
6
Pilot of tools
1
Consultant
7
Review and sign off of tools
3
Mercy Corps
8
Data collection
20
Consultant
9
Submission on Clean and Raw Data set as well as implementation report
2
Consultant
10
Data analysis and submission of first draft Research Paper
5
Consultant
11
Review of analysis and first draft research paper
5
Mercy Corps
12
Revision and submission of the final research paper and Factsheet
2
Consultant
13
Dissemination workshop
1
Mercy
Corps/Consultant
Total number of days
55
(45 working days for consultant)
Budget:
The consultant should provide a detailed budget, daily rates, including logistics, and all direct costs related to data collection for the study. Mercy Corps will work with the consultant (s) to recruit personnel that will support the field data collection.
Competencies Required:
**i. Advanced university degree in International Development, Business Management, Economics, International Humanitarian Action or related area.
ii. At least 5 years of experience conducting market system assessments or other livelihood evaluations in humanitarian environments, including quantitative and qualitative data collection for INGOs. Some experience in assessing social dynamics/conflict would be an added advantage.
iii. Prior experience in conducting natural resource mapping in farmer and herder communities.
iv. Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication, writing, and presentation skills.
v. Proven capacity to build strong interpersonal relationships and utilize existing networks within market systems, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, and farmer and herder communities to work effectively.
vi. Excellent command of English is required.
vii. Knowledge of and ability to integrate natural resource conflict prevention components and multisectoral value chain analysis across local and state levels into market system assessments.
viii. Strong knowledge of the political and socio-economic landscape in Adamawa State.
ix. Demonstrated track record to work independently and deliver quality research outputs that are on time, scope, and budget.
Application Process:
Interested candidates (individuals or teams) are required to submit the following documents to apply:
Cover letter and curriculum vitae, highlighting research competencies and relevant publications;
A concept note that provides the details of the methodology for the research activity. This technical proposal will also include a detailed work plan and budget (including personal logistical costs) for the consultancy.
The Consultant(s) will report to:
Mercy Corps Technical Support Unit (TSU), and the Program Manager, COMITAS
The Consultant(s) will work closely with:
The COMITAS program team
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Closing Date: 11:59 pm (UK Time) on Sunday 31 October 2021
