Assessment of Urban Food Security & Shelter Best Programming Practices, Kenya

Closing Date: Monday, 28 October 2013

NRC started to implement food security programs in urban areas (Somalia, Cote d'Ivoire, South Sudan, DRC) using cash/voucher transfers. This type of intervention is, as of today, perceived by the humanitarian community as one of the best option for urban based food security programming. NRC Horn of Africa (HoA) mission is implementing food security and shelter programming in urban areas using CTPs as tool for aid delivery. Due to the short timing for implementation (4 months from September to December 2013) of this urban work stream related initiative funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affair (NMFA), NRC HoA decided to revise the initial scope of the initiative that was looking at answering to the 2 following questions:
1) Which types of interventions guarantee best sustainability, effectiveness and efficiency with regards to the reduction of food insecurity? and
2) What type of intervention is more appropriate to urban context in regards to market linkages?
Initially, NRC HoA envisaged answering these questions in 2014 by starting a pilot food security project using 4 different types of cash-based interventions in 4 similar urban centres (Mogadishu, Bossaso, Hargeisa and Aden) serving as refuge for conflict affected displaced people. The overall objective was to identify the appropriate design of market based programming in urban settings. This was planned to be achieved by measuring and comparing the performance of different types of intervention in terms of sustainability and market linkages.
The 4 type of interventions were:
1. Unconditional cash transfer (= food basket value)2. Food transfer (= food basket)3. Safety net (cash transfer < food basket value) + urban based livelihood4. Food transfer (< food basket value) + urban based livelihoodThe revision of this urban work stream initiative in HoA is due to the short timing for implementation and to be more in line with the strategic objective of NRC in Kenya in looking at programming outside of refugee camps (Dadaab and Kakuma) and starting assisting IDPs, refugees and host communities affected by displacement in urban but also rural areas of Kenya. The choice of Aden took consideration of on-going shelter and food security projects which, though at advanced stages, could further benefit from the findings of this study.FOR COMPLETE TERMS OF REFERENCE, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO: habon.garad@nrc.no Reference no.: 1922882718 Deadline for application: 28.10.2013
Job description

• NRC HoA is now planning to proceed with a research mainly using secondary data review as methodology to identify and compile best practices in terms of shelter and food security programming in urban areas. If needed, the research will include some limited field data collection. The research will focus on identifying programming design for food security and shelter intervention in urban areas having maximum positive impact and sustainability on the living condition improvement of people affected by displacement in urban areas. The benefit to the local economy thanks to the linkages between the urban programming design and the market will also be of focus during the research work. The urban centres targeted by the research are Mombasa (Kenya) and Aden (Yemen). The research aims at improving NRC HoA capacity to design quality shelter and food security urban programmes, including tools and approaches, by reviewing past and current practices and identifying the most appropriate for NRC HoA and to pilot the selected programming design 2014.
• Based on the research findings, NRC will pilot improved shelter and food security programming in 2014 in these 2 locations. Once the tools (profiling, needs assessments, market assessments) are fine-tuned for NRC's programmes, NRC will need to develop the capacity to train staff in the use. The development / adaptation of training material will be a core activity during the second half of 2014 in order to be able to roll out a full training programme in 2015 in order to build the capacity of NRC staff across different core competencies to apply these tools in their strategy development and their programming cycle for 2016.
• Assessment findings and conclusions will be shared with relevant donors, NRC Head Office (HO) in Oslo, the Core Competency Advisers, the Horn of Africa Regional Management Team, the Kenya and Somalia Country Management Team and other interested partners.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in humanitarian programming - preferably in urban areas in HoA
• Experience in Shelter and Food Security (FS) programming in urban areas in HoA
• Experience in assessments including desk/secondary data review in HoA
• Knowledge & understanding of FS and shelter programming in conflict and post-conflict settings
• Experience & knowledge in market intervention and Cash Transfer programming (CTP)
• Knowledge & understanding of the context of Kenya (Mombasa) and Yemen (Aden)
• Prior experience in conducting similar assessments
• Experience in previous education assessments in both Kenya and Somalia is an added advantage
• At least a Master's degree in relevant related field (e.g. Urban Planning and Housing, Human settlements, Agro-Economist, etc…)
• Knowledge of the Arabic and/or Swahili and/or Somali languages is an added advantage
• Fluency in both written and spoken English is required for all assessment team members
• Good communication and representation

Job location

• Kenya

Education field

• Agricultural / Forestry / Aquaculture

Education level

• College / University, Master / Phd grade

Miscellaneous info

• Other
• Start date for employment: 01.11.2013
• End date for employment: 31.12.2013

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