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DEVELOPING AND TESTING AN EQUITY-FOCUSED RESEARCH FRAMEWORK FOR UNICEF-INDONESIA

Introduction and Rationale

Analysis of development indicators indicates that national level gross figures do not necessarily reveal inequities in a population, which could be due to geographical, gender, social, ethnic and cultural variables, among others. This is particularly true in a middle income country like Indonesia, where despite is rapid economic growth, development indicators remain far below the average in some of its provinces; among certain social and ethnic groups; and between genders.

In order to ensure that disparities will be addressed, UNICEF's programmes globally, are increasingly focused on ensuring that development programmes reach the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. It has been found that development programmes often miss the most disadvantaged groups because they are hard to reach to provide services. However, if these groups continue to be left out of the development processes, development goals will not be achieved. Not to reach the most disadvantaged would also conflict with the human rights based approach underpinning UNICEF’s work, which aims to ensure the realization of the rights of all children and women, particularly the most disadvantaged and vulnerable.

This is equally true for communication for behaviour and social change. Access to information and communication is usually poorer for the most vulnerable groups. In order to ensure an equity-focused approach, behaviour and social change communication strategies need to be based on evidence that includes the most disadvantaged as well as on an understanding of the socio-cultural and other barriers of these groups in practicing desired behaviors, such as exclusive breast feeding, immunisation, and hand washing with soap. In fact some behaviour change theories, like the diffusion of innovations, would suggest that it may be advisable to first target those whose behaviours are relatively easier to change, or the low hanging fruit, to obtain faster results. We need, however, to find ways to ensure that the evidence we use as a basis for developing communication strategies, has sufficient representation of the most vulnerable groups, to enable us to understand their knowledge, attitudes and practices and to ensure an equitable approach. This will mean shifting paradigms to ensure that we will not only base these strategies on an understanding of those who are more accessible or more articulate.

This framework will guide the design of future research studies on C4D, in terms of research methodologies, sampling and analysis, to ensure disaggregated data at appropriate levels etc.

An Equity-Focused Research Framework for UNICEF Indonesia

One of the results that the Communication for Development (C4D) programme of UNICEF, Indonesia country office is aiming to achieve is as follows:

“By 2013, effective policy, decision making and resource allocations by government, civil society and private sector partners at national level are based on an improved evidence base and analysis of behavioural and social factors contributing to inequities”.

One of the milestones for this result is “By end 2012, research frameworks have been developed and tested to focus on poverty and non-poverty inequities and barriers to positive behaviours, and are aligned to national government surveys”.

Therefore, the C4D programme of UNICEF, Indonesia, would like to hire an institution to develop an equity-based research framework, that would guide UNICEF staff, government counterparts, other partners and development practitioners, on how to design and conduct such studies, to ensure that they provide data that will help the programme to address these behavioural and social change issues for the most vulnerable groups,


The scope of the framework will include four main phases namely:

I) Desk review which will aim to explore and analyze whether equity-focused frameworks have been developed in any country and whether there could be some learning from the implementation of such frameworks.
II) Data collection and analysis: Interviews with key informants as well as field visits, to understand the behavioral and social issues relating to equity, identification of appropriate variables for disaggregation, proposed methodologies etc. We may need to use a combination of different qualitative, quantitative and participative research methodologies, which would allow us to have a more in-depth understanding of these socio-cultural barriers and help us to identify possible motivators and triggers for behaviour and social change.
III) Development of the research framework based on i) and ii).
IV) Testing the Framework: Once the framework has been developed and agreed with UNICEF and key partners, the assignment would include testing the framework, by actually using it to conduct a study.

Deliverables:
• Inception report
• Research Framework document
• Proposal for testing the research framework
• Research instruments for testing the research framework
• Report of study conducted to test the framework


Time- frame
May 2012 to October 2012

Starting date:
1 May 2012

Experience and competencies:
• A research institution that has extensive experience of working in the development sector.
• Familiarity with basic concepts related to equity and behavior and social change communication
• Highly skilled researchers capable of conducting key informant interviews with government officials and other key partners
• Ability to undertake, supervise and provide quality assurance of field work in Indonesia.
• Demonstrable experience of using qualitative and quantitative approaches as well as participatory methodologies, both in terms of fieldwork and analysis.
• A senior level behaviour and social change communication specialist included in the team.
• Experience of working with the UN and especially with UNICEF is desirable
• Experience of working in Asia is an asset.