Consultancy: Development of case study guidance tool

Background

The American Red Cross is part of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent (RC/RC) movement and serves as the world’s largest humanitarian network. Around the world RC/RC national societies work alongside communities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Disasters are on the rise, with global trends such as urbanization and climate change compounding people’s vulnerability to disasters; more resources are needed to bolster preparedness and response capacities so RC/RC national societies can effectively meet the growing needs.

The Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) is a joint venture between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the American Red Cross. The GDPC aims to expand and enhance disaster preparedness (DP) capacities of RC/RC national societies and other DP practitioners through a service, demand-driven approach. The GDPC focuses on three areas of services: knowledge management, technical assistance and research. With these services the GDPC complements and supports relevant efforts being under taken by national societies. The services of the GDPC are offered primarily to disaster preparedness practitioners of other RC/RC national societies but also to the wider humanitarian community. There is a growing demand from national societies to have a mechanism to review real-life issues in preparing for disasters and the innovative approaches needed to confront these issues.

Justification for Consultancy

In collaboration with our partners, the GDPC seeks to enrich and advance the library of case studies showing good practices in disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction that are available to practitioners worldwide. As a first step, the GDPC seeks to develop a guidance tool on how to best construct and capture case studies that define the challenges facing disaster preparedness practitioners and the solutions or approaches that are successful in overcoming those challenges. The guidance tool will highlight the use of video case studies to capture unique challenges and innovative approaches.

Objective for Consultancy

The primary aim for this consultancy is to provide RC/RC national societies and other preparedness practitioners with a guidance tool that explains how to best develop case studies for optimal utility by RC/RC national societies and our partners. The document will:

• Serve as a tool that can be applied in a variety of environments and cultures to add value to ongoing preparedness programming and pave the way for new, innovative approaches.
• Guide practitioners to identify and capture the essential points of learning and insights for a particular case intervention or activity.
• Inform practitioners of the benefits and effective use of case study research in capturing complex, nuanced issues related to disaster preparedness.
• Highlight the various modalities of capturing case study research, with particular attention to the use of video.
• Ensure robust linkages to partners both internal and external to the RC/RC network, complementing efforts in case study research while minimizing duplication.

Scope of work

In undertaking research for the GDPC case study guidance tool, the consultant(s) will be responsible for:

• Conducting background research on the case study research method which includes:

- Literature review with an emphasis on the use of case studies in the field of international relief work, particularly disaster preparedness and the various modalities for presenting case studies (reports, videos, etc.).

- Consultations with the American Red Cross, IFRC and other Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies and external partners (e.g. the RC/RC Climate Centre, ALNAP, Practical Action, and CARE) to extract good practices and capitalize on opportunities to coordinate efforts. 

• Developing a detailed guide with suggested techniques for organizing and conducting a case study to capture the essential points of learning and insights from the case, with particular attention to the use of video case studies.

- This guide should target the range of anticipated users, including the global RC/RC network (headquarters, branch staff and volunteers) and external partners such as municipalities, governments, private and corporate partners of the RC/RC network.

- The guide should be concise and easy to comprehend so it will serve as practical guidance for practitioners.

- The guide should also include a short component on video creation and editing using basic tools (e.g. smartphones and mobile apps).

• Presenting recommendations to the GDPC based on research and analysis, highlighting creative and innovative approaches to case study research.

Requirements of case study consultant(s)

• Proven experience and expertise in case study research, qualitative research methods, information management in relation to disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction.
• Familiarity with work of the Red Cross and Red Crescent global network and knowledge of the international humanitarian relief sector preferred.
• Clearance from American Red Cross & GDPC leadership on final product/services rendered in order to complete contract.
• Experience with video creation and basic editing.