Humanitarian Evidence and Learning Repository Consultant

ABOUT START NETWORK PAKISTAN:

Start Network is a global network of more than 150 humanitarian organisations working to move funding, decision-making and trust closer to crisis-affected communities. READY Pakistan is the Start Network hub in Pakistan, bringing together over 50 local, national and international member organisations to strengthen locally led preparedness, anticipatory action, disaster risk financing and response. Acted, the Host Agency of the READY Pakistan Hub, invites Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from qualified individual consultants for the assignment below, to be implemented on behalf of READY Pakistan Hub of Start Network UK.

Over recent years, Hub members have implemented anticipatory action and disaster risk financing initiatives in response to floods, droughts, heatwaves and other hazards. Evidence and learning from these interventions are currently dispersed across individual organisations, reports and platforms, and are not systematically captured, quality assured, shared or used to inform programming, advocacy and decision-making. This consultancy responds to the need for a consolidated, accessible and member-owned evidence base for the Hub.

OBJECTIVE:

Generate and consolidate evidence on humanitarian interventions supported by Start Network and the READY Pakistan Hub, including anticipatory action, Start Fund responses and disaster risk financing. Establish a living learning repository that Hub members can continue to update with their experiences and lessons learned.

The specific objectives are to:

• Identify, collate and synthesise existing evidence and learning from Start Network and Hub member interventions in Pakistan
• Document what has worked, what has not and why, including the perspectives of affected communities, women, persons with disabilities and other at-risk groups
• Establish a member-owned digital learning repository with clear governance, quality assurance and data protection arrangements
• Strengthen the capacity of the Hub secretariat and members to sustain, update and use the repository after the assignment.

INDICATIVE SCOPE OF WORK:

• Map and review existing reports, evaluations, data and case studies from Start Network and Hub member interventions in Pakistan
• Develop evidence and learning framework and methodology in consultation with the NSC and Hub Team Lead
• Collect and analyse evidence through desk review, key informant interviews and consultations with members; document good practices and case studies
• Design and set up a user-friendly digital repository including structure, taxonomy, access rights, contribution guidelines for members to upload and update learning
• Orient Hub members and the secretariat on using and maintaining the repository
• Apply ethical standards throughout evidence collection, including informed consent, do no harm, confidentiality, data protection, and the safeguarding of respondents
• Disaggregate analysis by sex, age and disability where data allows, and reflect gender, inclusion and accountability to affected populations
• Develop quality assurance, validation and data protection protocols for content uploaded to the repository, including consent for sharing case studies and images
• Recommend a sustainability plan for the repository, covering ownership, hosting, maintenance roles and indicative running costs.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES (INDICATIVE):

• Inception report with methodology, approach and workplan
• Evidence and learning report, including case studies
• Functional learning repository with user guidelines
• Orientation session and handover of evidence and learning report and functional learning repository to the Hub secretariat
• Data collection tools, consent forms and anonymised datasets
• Final consultancy report, including the repository sustainability plan

PRE-QUALIFICATION NOTICE:

This summary TOR is issued only for the pre-qualification of individual consultants. Pre-qualified consultants will be contacted individually and invited to respond to a Request for Quotation (RFQ), at which stage the full and detailed TOR will be shared. No financial offer is required at this stage. Financial quotations will only be requested from pre-qualified consultants at RFQ stage.

ETHICS, SAFEGUARDING AND COMPLIANCE:

• The selected consultant will be required to sign and comply with the Acted Code of Conduct and with the policies of Acted and Start Network on safeguarding, PSEAH, child protection, anti-fraud and anti-corruption, conflict of interest and data protection.
• Acted has zero tolerance for fraud, corruption, collusion, coercion and any form of sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment. Any attempt to influence the evaluation, including canvassing or offering gifts or favours, will result in disqualification.
• All applicants are subject to due diligence, including screening against applicable sanctions and debarment lists, before any contract is awarded.
• All data, documents and products developed under this assignment will remain the property of Acted, Start Network and READY Pakistan, and may not be used, published or shared without prior written consent. The consultant will keep all information obtained during the assignment confidential.
• Personal data of applicants and of any respondents will be collected, stored and processed in line with applicable data protection laws and the data protection policies of Acted and Start Network.

Accountability:

All Acted team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

PSEAH Obligation:

• ACTED has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) and strives to recruit those who share our values.
• All candidates will be subject to a pre-employment check that includes satisfactory references, screening, and criminal checks in line with legal requirements.
• All candidates who have been offered a position will sign and respect ACTED’s Code of Conduct and related policies as part of their work contract. All staff are expected to abide by the standards of behaviour outlined in those documents.
• Managers will have a special responsibility to foster a safe environment.
• Misconduct can lead to serious disciplinary sanctions.