Consultant: Participatory Action Research on Small Arms and Light Weapons

Terms of Reference for

“Participatory Action Research on Small Arms and Light Weapons”

Download the terms of reference here.

I. Introduction

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) is a nonpartisan international organization globally recognized for its Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) strategies in preventing violence, increasing safety and security of civilians, and strengthening local peace infrastructures across its programme locations.  Presently, NP has country programme operations in South Sudan, Sudan, Myanmar, Iraq, Ukraine and the Philippines.

NP has been present in Mindanao, Philippines for 14 years working and living within the conflict-affected areas and being the first international NGO tasked to monitor civilian protection issues under the signed peace agreements of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) since 2009. With the recent Bangsamoro transition, NP’s current strategy is directed towards supporting and complementing the operations of Joint Normalization Committee (JNC) and other normalization mechanisms on the ground.

Republic Act No. 10591, An Act Providing For A Comprehensive Law On Firearms And Ammunition And Providing Penalties For Violations thereof provided that it is the policy of the State to maintain peace and order and protect the people against violence. The State also recognizes the right of its qualified citizens to self-defense through, when it is the reasonable means to repel the unlawful aggression under the circumstances, the use of firearms. Towards this end, the State shall provide for a comprehensive law regulating the ownership, possession, carrying, manufacture, dealing in and importation of firearms, ammunition, or parts thereof, in order to provide legal support to law enforcement agencies in their campaign against crime, stop the proliferation of illegal firearms or weapons and the illegal manufacture of firearms or weapons, ammunition and parts thereof.

Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) pose a significant challenge to peace and security in the Philippines. The SALW program aims to restrict the movement and manage the number of loose firearms in the communities, which is one of the main causes of violence in hard-to-reach areas.

The support of the European Union (EU) in the Philippines, through the Nonviolent Peaceforce Philippines, is instrumental in framing, contextualizing and firming up of the frameworks on small arms and light weapons, which is one of the key areas that need to be addressed not only in the fulfillment of the deliverables under the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro but also in achieving sustainable and lasting peace in the Bangsamoro, where the Bangsamoro people can live free from fear and insecurities and achieve meaningful transformation into peaceful and productive civilian lives.

NP is currently implementing the ATTAIN 2.0 Project or Accompanying the transformation of conflict, transitional justice and reconciliation, actions supporting nonviolent means of political participation and initiatives sustaining the gains of normalization in BARMM. This action focuses on sustaining and strengthening the previous efforts and expanding the interventions to other key aspects of normalization.

II. Objective

One of the interventions under the project is to conduct participatory action research to determine the prevalence of violence related to firearms in local communities. This is a preliminary activity aimed at establishing data on the number of firearms in 2 priority provinces in BARMM to be able to identify pilot communities for the implementation of succeeding SALW activities.

The participatory action research aims to determine the prevalence of violence related to firearms in local communities and identification of priority target areas.

• Determine the extent of firearm proliferation and the underlying reasons for it. This could include examining the sources of firearms, the motivations behind their acquisition, and the social, economic, and political factors driving their spread.
• Identify the impact of firearm proliferation to women, girls and other vulnerable sectors in the community, with a focus on crime rates, violence, community safety, and the overall well-being of communities affected.
• Involve a diverse group of stakeholders, including community members, law enforcement, local government, and other relevant organizations, in the research process.
• Develop strategies and interventions to address firearm proliferation in the identified areas including assessment the effectiveness of existing firearm-related policies and regulations.
• Identify key messages for the development of IEC materials on the risk associated with the proliferation of firearms.

III. Scope of Work

The selected Consultant will lead and conduct the project’s PAR.  Working closely with Field and Project Coordinator.

1. Develop research methodology, research questions/tools, research workplan and accessible database to collect relevant data aligned with the PAR objectives.
2. Undertake coordination with relevant stakeholders from the BARMM ministries and agencies, local government units, community leaders, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to ensure support in the roll-out of the PAR.
3. Conduct the PAR through strategies that are acceptable in the context of the community, local government and other stakeholders. The Consultant is expected to lead in the facilitation of the research process ensuring that the norms of the community are considered.
4. Submit narrative report on the result of the PAR

IV. Timelines

The assignment will run for 2 months. The selected service provider will be expected to cover all logistics and transportation costs.

V. EXPECTATIONS: Deliverables and Timelines

The consultant’s engagement shall be for 60 days for a period of two months (November 1 2023 – December 2023). The activities with corresponding deliverables or outputs are the following:

Please see ANNEX 1 of this document.

VI. Deliverables and Payment

In line with the tasks and assignments stipulated above, the release of fees will be in tranches, each tied to the specific deliverable as shown below:

Please see ANNEX 2 of this document.

The consultant will ensure that the following gender considerations are integrated in conducting the assignment:

• The entire process will take into consideration key gender issues for each area of focus.
• Set gender equality protocols for the data collection, ensure all tools and data collection techniques are sex-disaggregated
• Collect data using good gender equality practices. Note that data sets must be sex-disaggregated and collect information from women and men as separate individuals or groups

VII. Copyright and Ownership of the Study

Any and all documents produced under this consultancy shall be the sole property of NP and may be used for any purpose whatsoever without the need to consult with the author.

VIII. Qualification of the Consultant

Please see ANNEX 3 of this document.

IX. Application Process and Requirements

Qualified and interested parties are asked to submit the following:

• Letter of Interest addressed to:
  • DELSY RONNIE

Head of Mission

Nonviolent Peaceforce Phillippines

• A detailed technical proposal clearly demonstrating a thorough understanding of this TOR and including but not limited to the following:

  • Consultant/Company Profile
  • Description of the Methodology and Sample Size Determination
  • Demonstrated previous experience in similar assignments and qualifications outlined in this TOR (provide 2-3 sample work)
  • Proposed data management plan (collection, processing and analysis)
  • Study work plan
  • Team composition and level of effort of each proposed team member (include CVs of each senior team member)

• A financial proposal with a detailed breakdown of costs for the study quoted in PHP.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Candidates meeting the above requirements are requested to submit a CV (max. 2 pages) and cover letter (max. 1 page), through our website detailing their experience and how they qualify for the role. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• This shall be in rolling basis.
• The closing date for applications is Friday, 3 November 2023
• As part of the recruitment process, shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a written assignment before participating in an interview.

SPECIAL NOTICE

Nonviolent Peaceforce is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.

Nonviolent Peaceforce acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of employees, contractors, volunteers, interns, communities we work with, and other stakeholders and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities and government guidance and complies with best practices in the Humanitarian and Development sector.NP expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We prioritise ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks,

which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. NP also participates in the Inter

Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment or incidents under investigation when the applicant left

employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

NO FEE

We never ask for payment as part of our selection process, and we always contact candidates via our corporate accounts and platforms. If you are approached for payment, this is likely to be fraudulent. Please check whether the role you are interested in is posted here on our website.

Keywords

Participatory Action ResearchViolenceFirearmsLocal CommunitiesStakeholdersResearch MethodologyData CollectionData ManagementStudy Work Plan