ESD Research Consultant TOR (CSS Policy Analysis)

Research Terms Of Reference - Comprehensive School Safety Policy Implementation Challenges

Background

The Asia-Pacific region is the most disaster prone in the world. Disasters both natural and human-induced are leading to spiraling costs in terms of human lives, lost livelihoods, lost development gains and damaged assets. Children are among the most vulnerable groups of people when disasters strike. Not only are they at risk of death and injury, but their right to a basic quality education is also threatened. Whether from a catastrophic earthquake, or due to yearly flooding, disruption to education can have on-going and long-term consequences on children and exacerbate existing disparities. Disaster risk reduction measures in the education sector is emerging as an important priority to safeguard education sector investments.

The Comprehensive School Safety framework provides a solid foundation for safeguarding education sector investment through DRR measures. The framework seeks to engage a wide range of stakeholders with very different roles in the three overlapping pillars of work needed on: 1. Safer School Facilities, 2. School Disaster Management, and 3. Risk Reduction and Resilience Education. The purpose of this Framework is to bring these efforts into a clear and unified focus in order for education sector partners to work more effectively, and to link with similar efforts in all other sectors at the global, regional, national and local levels.

Rationale

One area challenging the successful implementation of the Comprehensive School Safety (CSS) Framework is the development and effective implementation of CSS-related policies. There is opportunity for governments to learn from each other about the current themes and trends in CSS policies, as well as factors that facilitate and block policy development and implementation. These lessons, accompanied by case studies providing examples of the successful implementation of specific policies, can lead to recommendations on how to scale-up, and sustain, implementation.

The study will generate evidence-based documentation, which can be used to support governments in their efforts to implement comprehensive school safety, and to engage knowledgeably in supportive advocacy activities with education sector partners, development partners, donors, and other stakeholders.

Research Aim and Objectives

Aim 

This study aims to address the need for regional collaboration and shared learning to effectively advance Comprehensive School Safety policy development and implementation, by providing an overview of the common themes and trends of CSS-related policies in the Asia Pacific Region, identifying enablers and bottlenecks to policy implementation, learning from successful practices, and providing recommendations for strengthening policy development and implementation to effectively promote school safety.

Objectives

1. To research and report on evidence from a wide range of countries on factors that facilitate and block the effective development and implementation of CSS-related policies.
2. To generate evidence through 8-12 commissioned case studies demonstrating process and practices of successful and effective implementation of specific policies on: comprehensive school safety assessment, safer school facilities, school disaster management, and risk reduction and resilience education, and to draw recommendations from each of these for how to generalize and scale these kinds of successes.
3. To make connections to the conceptual framework and research utilisation roadmap for Education Safe from Disasters, including direct links to:
   • The wider body of CSS and policy and practice research
   • Other ESD research projects
   • Knowledge, research methods and tools that can be used in subsequent research, practice, and/or policy contexts

Scope of Work and Deliverables

Applicants please note: The full Scope of Work may be revised with researcher selected, prior to contracting.

Scope of Work

1. The study will use the data gathered from current survey and interview research on CSS Policy-Mapping from Asia and the Pacific to analyze the current themes and trends in adoption and gaps in CSS-related policies in the region.
2. The study will use data gathered from current survey on CSS Policy-Mapping from Asia and the Pacific to identify the main facilitators and blockers in CSS policy development and implementation. The researcher will supplement this with interviews with a minimum of 10 key informants in leading roles with national education authorities in the Asia Pacific region, to better understand and describe these factors (in general), and report on them.
3. The researcher will guide, commission, collect, recompense, edit, and compile 8-12 case studies (1,000 words each with 300 word summary) from professional policy researchers with requisite in-country access and skills, on successful policy development and implementation on at least one of each of the following topics:
   • Comprehensive School Safety Assessment (eg. CSS Assessment Suite that spans the 3 Pillars)
   • Safer School Facilities (eg. New school construction in China. New school construction in Iran.
   • School Disaster Management
   • Risk Reduction and Resilience Education in Curriculum
4. ​​​​Based on the evidence gathered, the researcher will make recommendations to support development and successful implementation of Comprehensive School Safety policies and practices, at scale

​​(Selection of topics and researchers will be finalized within the first month of the research project with support and approval of the Research Project Guidance Team).

Deliverables

• Inception report with brief review of relevant literature on policy analysis, explanation of specific methods and time-frame, and selection of commissioned case studies.
• Full Research Report (for technical practitioner audience)
• Summary and analysis of themes and trends in Asia Pacific Region (5 pages)
• Summary and analysis of factors facilitating and blocking successful policy implementation (5 pages)
• 8-12 case study summaries (1 page each)
• Recommendations (5 pages)
• Appendices: Full case studies (5 pages each)
•  Research Summary (Translation/Utilization) Report (4-6 pages) (for government and public stakeholder audience) [N.B. This will be translated by Save the Children ESD, into languages selected by Research Project Guidance Team]
• PowerPoint presentation of findings for stakeholder workshop
• Full data set (where applicable).

Budget

Range: USD 20,000 max (including min. $500 min - $2,000 max for each commissioned case study)

Qualifications

Primary investigator should have:

• Masters or Doctoral degree
• Professional experience in education sector policy research and analysis.
• Subject-matter expertise in education sector and/or disaster/disaster management research preferred
• Proven track record in designing and implementing social science research
• Commitment to research dissemination and interest in implementation science highly desirable

In accordance with Save the Children's child safeguarding policies, all team members selected will be requested to sign SC's Child Safeguarding Policies. Where feasible, Child Safeguarding orientation will be provided.