Request for Tender
Lead Researcher for the Get Up Speak Out (GUSO) Programme Operational Research
Background
Get Up Speak Out (GUSO) is a programme designed to fulfil the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of young people 7 countries; Indonesia, Pakistan, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Ethiopia. This programme is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands through a consortium in NL/UK consisting of Rutgers, CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, Dance4Life, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Simavi, and Aidsfonds. In Indonesia, GUSO is implemented by 10 non-governmental organizations which are members of One Vision Alliance (Aliansi Satu Visi) in five different provinces.
GUSO’s Indonesia long term objective is that all young people fully enjoy their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in productive, equal and healthy societies. In order to realize that objective, GUSO operates through four outcome areas; 1) Strengthened and sustainable alliance, 2) Empowered young people voice their rights, 3) Increased use of SRHR information and education, 4) Increase use of youth-friendly SRHR services, and 5) Improved socio-cultural, political and legal environment.
Meaningful Youth Participation and Youth Adult-Partnership (MYP &YAP) is one of GUSO’s five main strategies. The GUSO programme aware that despite of the complexity surrounding young people situation, their understanding of their own issues are very unique. Therefore, their participation to manage their own issues and create changes is crucial and cannot be disregarded. The right to participate is human rights, also for young people, because their participation will allow them to not only to exercise their rights but also contribute to a democratic society.
A great number of references surrounding youth participation are available both via studies or field experiences in Indonesia and other countries. Nevertheless, deeper analysis of how concrete, realistic, and measurable youth participation in the context of social and cultural of Indonesian community in relation to the implementation of the SRHR programme for young people has not yet been explored. Therefore, the GUSO programme opens a tender for proposal for institutions as well as individuals to conduct the MYP-YAP operational research that is able to address the challenges faced by the programme.
Key research question, subject to be discussed more detail in the aspect and area of issues:
- How meaningful youth participation and youth-adult’s partnership (MYP – YAP) can be implemented and strengthened to accelerate the achievement of program?
- How new innovations can be applied to meet the principles of meaningful youth participation and youth-adults partnership (MYP – YAP) during program implementation to optimize the effort of youth empowerment?
Primary stakeholder involved
- Aliansi Satu Visi;
- GUSO Partners in 5 locations (PKBI Lampung, PKBI DKI Jakarta, Yayasan Pelita Ilmu, Ardhanary Institute, Aliansi Remaja Independen, PMI Jakarta Timur, RutgersWPF Indonesia, PKBI Jawa Tengah, PKBI Bali, dan IHAP Kupang.);
- Young people in GUSO working areas (Kupang, Bali, Central Java, Lampung, and DKI Jakarta);
- Education Office, Health Office, Public Health Centre, Schools, Religious institutions/leaders, Parents).
Research proposal
The methodology on conducting the research should be reflected in the research plan. Key research questions are intended to guide researchers to focus on key issues when designing methods, analysing results and findings and recommendations. The research proposal provides an outline on how each question will be accommodated by considering the time and availability of resources.
As guidance to design the research methodology, GUSO will conduct a prerequisite and series of operation research during 3 years (2017 – 2019). The series of research divided into 3 phases:
- Explanatory Study/ Social Diagnostic. It is targeted in 2017. Please note that current proposal tender will be only focus to conduct this phase.
- Field Intervention Study. It is targeted in 2018 – 2019. Intervention study will be done based on the findings and recommendation that gathered from the first phase above.
- Evaluation Study. It is targeted in the second semester of 2019 to evaluate previous studies.
Research proposal include methodology to responds the research question; data collection process and data analysis, include tools and instruments (among others are questionnaire and tools of measurements); identification of challenges and its anticipation to achieve the research goals; allocation of tasks for each team, timeline, and consultation schedule.
The structure of the research proposal could include (but not limited) the following:
- Focus, purpose and scope
- Client requirement/respondent/informant
- Resources available to conduct the research
- Description of the research (sub research question)
- Issues to be highlighted (from initial consultation and an exploration of the key research question)
- Assembly of evidence (sources of evidence and coding to maintain an evidence trail and finding)
- Data management (how the data will be collected, analysed and integrated to address the questions)
- Ethical consideration (if any)
- Work plan
- Risk management
- Budget (including fee of consultant/lead researcher, costs of workshops, and costs of field work)
A participatory approach with broad young people engagement is expected and appreciated particularly those young people who have been involving in GUSO program, GUSO partner, and main beneficiaries of the program.
Team Composition
The research team composition includes a lead researcher, co-researcher and enumerators (see figure 1). This tender is looking for one lead researcher who will lead the whole research process. The youth representative as co-researcher will be recruited in separate tender. The lead researcher is also allowed to propose a team consist of co-researcher, but the decision regarding the selection of co-researcher will be decided by the GUSO OR team. In addition, the enumerators will be selected from the young people (19-24 years old) who are working at GUSO partner organizations as staff or volunteer involved in GUSO program. (See annex 1 for information on co-researcher)
Figure 1. Composition of the research team
The lead researcher should have the following skills and experience:
- Skills, relevant experience and qualifications in qualitative and quantitative research method, preferably in the youth reproductive health sector, youth and community empowerment. Experienced and skilled in operation research, and demonstrated ability to draw national and international best practice. They will possess very high analytical skills; an ability to gather and interpret data and information and write constructive, informative reports.
- Knowledge of operation research standards and working knowledge and familiar of cross cutting issues such as gender, partnership, anti-corruption issues together with an understanding of the Indonesian social and political context.
- Excellent report writing skills with the ability to produce concise and accurate research reports.
- Previous public health experience related to young people and SRHR would be an advantage.
- Interest in health programming, including SRHR.
- Willingness and interest to work with young people.
- Good interpersonal skills and open attitude.
- Appropriate administrative skills.
Responsibility & tasks of the lead researcher:
- Drafting and submitting the research proposal;
- Prepare a detailed work plan that includes a thorough and tight time frame, and detail budget for the research;
- Develop the qualitative instruments (interview and FGD) and present it to the OR-GUSO team;
- Select (among three candidates recommended by GUSO partner organizations), train, organize and supervise an appropriate team of enumerators;
- Conduct the kick off workshop attended by the research team and the OR-GUSO team;
- Manage the whole research budget (fee of consultant/lead researcher, costs of workshops, and costs of field work);
- Arrange field work accommodation and travel;
- Contact partners and informants for field work;
- Conducting qualitative and quantitative data collection, also manage the related cost of this activity (e.g. consumption and travel cost of participants).
- Analyzing the qualitative and quantitative data;
- Presenting preliminary findings to OR-GUSO team;
- Select strategic decision makers of GUSO partner organization to attend the reflection workshops;
- Conducting the findings reflection workshop;
- Write inception, progress and final report of the study.
Proposed Methodology and key activities:
The following proposed OR methodology and activities are to be addressed in the proposal submission:
- Literature Review: including previous MYP OR.
- Methodology: to be proposed and approved by the OR GUSO Team.
- Using online survey for data collection among young people as respondents should be considered (i.e. Survey Monkey). The youth staffs or volunteers of GUSO partner organizations that are involve in GUSO program should make a priority as respondent.
- One on one interview or FGD with GUSO implementing partners, the beneficiaries, young people as project staff and their local counterpart should be considered.
- The OR should promote the engagement of young people as enumerator, a selection criteria and training design should be clarified before Enumerator Training is carried out.
- Ethical consideration, especially involving young people below 18yo.
- Timeframe
- Report Outline
- Kick off workshop, which will be attended by the research team and GUSO-OR team in Jakarta. In this workshop the research proposal, instruments – including dummy for online survey, and work plan will be presented, discussed, and finalized.
- Enumerators Training
- Data Collection:
- Online survey (tbc)
- Field work, travel to five (5) GUSO working areas.
- Reflection workshop, which will be attended by the selected strategic decision makers from all GUSO partner organizations. In this workshop, the preliminary result of the OR will be presented and discussed. The recommendation for each GUSO partner organizations will be discussed and endorsed to be implemented until the next assessment in 2018.
Summary of key finding and research report
The lead researcher will present the research process during the phase of: a). Revision of the proposal after input from GUSO team provided, b). Preparation of data collecting, c). Preparation of data analysis, and d). Data integration. The presentation will allow the OR GUSO team to provide feedback and inputs. The presentation should be accompanied by a 3-page briefing note on key findings against each of the key research questions. The draft research report will be produced following the feedback from OR GUSO team on the presentation and initial findings. The report will directly address the key research questions with links to evidence to support claims.
Tangible outputs
- Inception Report – Analysis of existing situation and plan of work for the assignment. The reports shall be written in Bahasa Indonesia.
- First Draft Report – Short description of progress (technical and financial) including problems encountered; planned activities for the coming period accompanied by an invoice and the expenditure verification report. Analysis of the online survey and qualitative data will be part of this report. The reports shall be written in Bahasa Indonesia.
- Final Report – Short description of achievements including problems encountered. The reports shall be written in Bahasa Indonesia with additional Executive Summary in English.
OR Management, Timeframe and Workplan
The NPC GUSO Indonesia will directly supervise the implementation of the research.
The OR GUSO team will oversee the research; they are the representatives of Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) GUSO, PMEL GUSO Indonesia team, Coordinator of Youth ASV, and Representative of MYP-YAP working group.
From early August to end October 2017 with estimated 30-working days.
Procedures and Logistics
GUSO will provide support in contacting focal points to arrange meetings and field visits. All logistics related to travel and FGD on the field will be borne by researcher. GUSO will also make available office space; the researchers are however expected to bring their own laptops.
Proposal Submission
GUSO is seeking a five page proposal that will include following content:
- Technical section: proposed OR methodology, timeframe & workplan
- Financial section: consultancy fee and travel cost (if any)
The proposal should be completed with:
Curriculum vitae which includes a research Portfolio, preferably with direct experience leading an Operational Research related to youth issues. Please also kindly submit a sample of previous reports or online link to related publication.