IDP Registration Study and Review Phase 1 – Desk Review Consultant
Starting date: Sept 1st
Application deadline: August 15
Background
The humanitarian reform process and the cluster leadership approach are innovations geared to improve protection and assistance responses to IDPs, and to enable conditions necessary for IDPs to achieve durable solutions, whether return to the place of origin, local integration or settlement elsewhere in the country. An effective response must be grounded in reliable population data for advocacy, planning, protection and assistance. Like all activities in response to IDP crisis situations, the collection of such data, whether by registration, profiling or other means, is often undertaken by different agencies and organisations, including national or local government, and requires effective leadership, coordination and the involvement of organizations and institutions with specific technical expertise.
Registration involves the gathering and recording of detailed personal data with the aim of identifying the person at a later time; for instance, to facilitate the delivery of assistance and protection. Unlike for refugees, IDPs remain citizens in their own country, entitled to their rights as citizens, and being an IDP is not a legal status. Hence registration of IDPs is not always needed or desirable. In the context of internal displacement, the benefit of registration depends on factors such as the actual need for and use of detailed data, the criteria for and accessibility of registration procedures, the role of the government, and the period during which the information will remain valid.
UNHCR, IOM, other agencies and NGOs have been involved in the registration of IDPs in a variety of contexts, and there are different standards, objectives and categories of collected information for IDP registration. In some instances there are considerable protection dividends with registration; in other instances, registration has posed risks or has been used by some actors in a way that negatively impacts protection.
There has not yet been a documented review of the different experiences of IDP registration with a comparative analysis of the successes, challenges and lessons learnt. As such, a desk review of existing IDP registration systems, and their actual use and effect, is warranted. Consulting with relevant partners for input, UNHCR will undertake a desk review to comparatively analyse the experience of the international community and national authorities in IDP registration.
Such a review will then inform whether additional guidance or policies are needed to inform decision makers on the appropriate contexts and procedures for the registration of IDPs, possible protection safeguards that may be implemented, as well as suitable data collection methods for specific scenarios.
Description of methodology for study and review
The study and review will be conducted in collaboration with UNHCR (lead by FICSS, with participation of DIP, and the CCCM and Protection Global Clusters) and the Joint IDP Profiling Service (JIPS) to define the methodology of the research, and conduct a comparative review and analysis of past IDP registration exercises, taking into consideration the following issues:
- Purpose and objectives of registration, including initial purposes as well as any later explicit or latent uses,
- Ownership of the registration activities and collected data,
- Populations targeted for registration, how they were identified, and numbers registered,
- Criteria used for eligibility for registration, as well as relation to the definition of IDPs (including any national definition used),
- Registration procedures implemented the course of the humanitarian response, including criteria and mechanisms for de-registration,
- Data gathered through registration, including number of IDPs and numbers registered,
- Documentation issued as result of registration,
- Use of and access to the data collected, as well as the standards governing actors involved in registration activities and the use of information,
- Tools used to facilitated registration, including guidelines, software, fixing methods.
- SOPs for registration or follow up verification exercise,
- Governments’ position regarding the impact of registration on legal status, access to assistance or reparations, as well as that of other humanitarian actors,
- Description of unregistered populations, causes, and
- Relationship of registration and related documentation to access to protection, assistance and durable solutions, including impact (benefit and risk) on well-being,
- Comparison of registration needs, procedures and concerns between camp-based population and those accommodated privately or with host families, and
- Comparison of registration needs, procedures, and concerns in natural disasters to those in complex emergencies.
- Perspectives of the affected population (whether or not they chose to be registered) on the benefits, utility or risks of registration
The work will include meeting with Registration and Senior Registration Officers, Senior Protection Officers, Field Officers, as well as interviewing different actors involved in registration exercises as well as other partners using registration information such as WFP, and the Shelter and Education Clusters that base planning and delivery of protection and assistance on registration data. Protection and CCCM cluster members and coordinators should also be interviewed on protection dividends and risks and links to assistance and durable solutions.
The work will entail reviewing existing registration practices, strategies, databases, operating procedures, reports, and usage of the information available in a comparative and analytical fashion.
In addition, the consultant will liaise closely with IOM, which is undertaking a similar exercise, to ensure complimentarity in the studies.
The study will take place in two phases, with two different consultants, with an overlap of time period and objectives to ensure a coherent result.
The first phase, which this TORs addresses, will be a desk study, with possible field mission, of existing IDP registration practices and experiences in at least five different field operations. The study will examine and compare various aspects of the registration in different locations, and draw a series of lesson learned about IDP registration to date. The observations from the study will be presented to relevant staff for an organised discussion and analysis.
The second phase of the study will look at existing policy and guidance on IDP registration and compare to the results of discussion and analysis to identify gaps in policy and guidance and recommended new policy and guidance.
Project Timing:
The project should start as soon as possible; ideally concluding all phases by end November.
Step 1: The two consultants will work together for an approximately 1 week period at the beginning of the project to define the desk study methodology, criteria and outputs as necessary to inform the review and analysis of policy and guidance.
Step 2: The consultant for Phase I (Desk Study) will then conduct the study review for a period of two (maximum three months); with occasional interaction with the consultant for Phase 2 as need to ensure project continues to work towards the agreed upon objectives and in line with agreed upon methodologies.
Step 3: The two consultants will jointly present the results to relevant staff in FICSS and DIP (to be determined by UNHCR).
The specifics of the project methodology and the above-proposed steps would be reviewed and further developed as necessary during step 1 of the project.
Deliverables
The consultant will draft the findings of the desk review in a structured and informative fashion including analytical comparison of the different exercises. At the end of the first phase, the result will be a short document of 20-25 pages (deliverables 1 & 2 below), identifying and analyzing the key elements of registration exercises listed above, drawing conclusions on positive practices, challenges, and protection risks and dividends. An annex should be attached to the analysis and include primary source documents used in the IDP registration exercises reviewed.
In addition to the written report, the findings will disseminated through presentations for relevant parties and stakeholders.
- Report that includes key findings, background, methodology, comparative analysis, and conclusion (20 pages maximum)
- Compilation of SOPs and documentation related to the exercise, to be included in the Annex and posted on relevant sites including the JIPS Profiling Resource Kit and UNHCR Registration Handbook
- Presentation of findings to UNHCR, JIPS, IOM, the CCCM and Protection Clusters.
Qualifications/Duration - Phase 1 (Desk Study)
Experience:
The preferred consultant for phase 1 will have at least 5 years of experience at a professional level in progressively responsible functions related to data collection and registration in general, or census and collection of economic data of large popultions in order to establish the population profile and its economic status/parameters. Experience in IDP registration is required including strong knowledge of organising registration exercises, collection and analysis of data and formulation of conclusions on the basis of analysis for policy development. Experience and understanding of IDP contexts, IDP protection and the cluster approach is mandatory. Knowledge of UNHCR field operations is preferable. English necessary, French and/or Spanish desirable.
Skills: - Ability to conduct research with strong analytical skills essential. - Ability to produce high quality output with desirable results. - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interview colleagues of different cultural and educational backgrounds. - Strong report writing skills essential
- Experience working in IDP contexts and within the cluster approach essential .
Duration: Initially 2.5 months, maximum 3 months allowing for report review and revisions to incorporate feedback from partners
A full curriculum vitae, including references, as well as motivation letter should be sent by e-mail to:
ROBERSON@unhcr.org. Please use “IDP Registration Application Ref REG-11” as the subject of your email.
