ActionAid (AA) Nigeria is seeking the services of a Professional Story Writer to document the stories of change of the Creation of Alternative to Migration Through Socio-economic Development, Sensitization and Conflict Prevention (MIGRATION) project.
AA Nigeria is an affiliate of ActionAid International, which is a global alliance of organisations working towards achieving a world without poverty and injustice in which every person enjoys the right to a life with dignity. As a large and visible development organisation, we work in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and America. Our expertise lies in community-led approaches to development and working through partnerships with the poor and other grass-root organisations.
1. Project Overview:Goal(s) and Outcome(s)
The MIGRATION Project
Creating alternatives to migration through socio – economic development project in Borno and Edo States is aimed at creating job opportunities especially for young generation. The project specifically tackles the issue of unemployment, by directly supporting 1500 and 2000 youths in Borno and Edo states respectively through trainings and mentoring, Sensitisation of 200,000 youths on the dangers of irregular migration and reduce vulnerability of 2000 youths to conflict and natural disasters.
Overall, the project targets a population of 205,500 persons: 5,500 direct beneficiaries (through trainings and support on livelihood and conflict prevention skills) and 200,000 indirect beneficiaries (through Sensitisation).
In order to achieve the objective, the following expected results will be achieved:
1.Provision of sustainable income alternative;
2.Improve knowledge and information on the risks and opportunities related to the migratory processes, and in particular to irregular migration;
3.Implementation of conflict prevention and management tools in the areas affected by armed clashes
As the project enters its final phase, it is important that the project is able to documents its success in print. The documentary process is expected to; help document the impact during the life of the project, documentation that feeds into the end of project evaluation and provide pointers for consolidating the progress by highlighting key areas for developing further engagement in the MIGRATION locations by the partners.
2.Target audience/s
The target audience for the stories of change is the donor, general public in Nigeria and the Nigerian media. The stories of change should help the audience;
See that the MIGRATION project has contributed in building the consciousness of its target groups against irregular in Edo and resilience against forced migration in Borno.
Believe that the MIGRATION project in these states have contributed to changing attitudes towards irregular and forced migration in Edo and Borno respectively.
Do compel the audience to tell the story of MIGRATION on social media and other platforms. The content should also help inspire the audience to take action by sharing the content as a best practice and inspire donors to want to support ActionAid further.
3.Case Studies Guide
ActionAid’s general guide for case studies collection for MIGRATION stories of change:
Interview a range of people involved in the project to create a well-rounded selection of stories.
Interview the groups which ActionAid works on behalf of: women, children, the elderly, ethnic minorities and so on.
Please ensure that the case studies you take link to the tangible elements of the service areas of the project. Case studies for a high value audience are strongest when they are about services delivered, or training received, rather than lobbying and advocacy activities.
When you interview people remember to take note of the following information:
Name and age of interviewee
Family situation (married, single, number of children and their ages, name of husband/wife)
Employment/community role
What ActionAid project are they linked to and how?
What was their life like before the project started?
What part of the project have they been involved in? How have they benefitted in terms of services they can now access, training they have received, information they have?
How ActionAid or the project is personally helping them? What difference is it making to their or their families lives?
When you are interviewing people, it is useful to think of the ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘who’, ‘how’, ‘when’ and ‘why’ of the story.
It is also useful to think of it in terms of a story with three parts:
Issue – what were the challenges before the project?
Action – what did the project do to tackle it? What action was taken?
Impact – what was the impact of the project?
The Writer is to ensure that all case studies are accompanied by good quality action pictures. A professional photographer will be assigned to work with you, the writer is expected to work with the photographer to caption the photographs appropriately.
4. Guidance on Consent
Morally, we have a duty to explain to the case study participants what we are doing, why we are doing it, how it will be used and the risks to the person if they take part. We must also make it clear that at any time they can stop the process or demand that certain restrictions can be placed on the way we use the images and text we have gathered.
Legally in order to store and use the case studies, photographs and videos we use, ActionAid must be able to prove that it obtained consent at the time these were gathered. It is the responsibility of everybody who gathers case studies, films and or photographs with ActionAid to keep records of their case studies and provide proof that this consent was obtained, e.g. through a signed affirmation from the accompanying project worker.
The best evidence of consent is a signed consent form (ActionAid will provide printed copies). This state, when, where and why we were videoing, interviewing, or photographing, where and how the material will be used, along with the full name of the subject and a signature and date.
If for any reason it is not possible to get written consent, verbal consent is acceptable as long as the established routine for gathering consent is followed and that evidence that consent was given is submitted with the collected material. For people who cannot understand, read or fill in the consent form, a representative of their choice could provide the consent on their behalf.
While they may think they are being interviewed by ActionAid for their country, please be very clear with them that any work might appear on the internet on ActionAid websites (and therefore publicly viewable around the world); that it could be picked up by national and international media. ActionAid will provide enough consent forms for the case study collection.
5. Specific Outputs
The consultant will submit professionally written stories of identified beneficiaries and triangulate it with feedback from gatekeepers and stakeholders in the MIGRATION implementing states (Edo and Borno). Considering that the project focuses on two states, the stories from Borno will showcase how the project has supported women to resettle, rebuild their lives and evidence women resilience in emergency and conflict situation. For Edo, the stories will highlight how the project is discouraging irregular migration and evidence the impact of the project in the lives of returnees and how the project has made non-returnees stay back to find alternative sources of livelihood within their vicinity.
The consultant will:
Submit at least 20 strong stories of change professionally written and edited and must cover the list of interviewees provided. (at least 10 stories from each state)
Develop the preambles for the stories booklet. This will include sections on programme overview and goals, major highlight (figures of impact) from the programme.
All outputs from this consultancy belong to ActionAid Nigeria and may not be used for any personal or commercial purposes.
6. Assignment Location and Timeline
The assignment will require the consultant to visit selected communities for and attend selected MIGRATION project activities at the states (Edo and Borno) and national level to interview beneficiaries and stakeholders. The assignment is expected to cover a six (6) month period. (September 2018 – February 2019) with a total number of 30 working days. Consultant will be paid monthly based on the number of days worked.
7. Consent
It is essential that we are to be able to demonstrate that all contributors (non-ActionAid staff) have given informed consent for their names, images and stories to be used. Ideally this should be written consent. A sample consent forms, for individual and a group, are included with this TOR and a final consent form will provided by ActionAid prior to the first content-gathering trip.
If it is not possible to get written permission (e.g. the situation doesn’t allow, the contributor is not literate) please get a verbal consent on video camera – please include the explanation and request as well as the contributor’s consent.
If the contributor is under the age of 18, written or on-camera verbal consent must be provided by a parent or legal guardian.
If written or video consent is not given by the contributors and handed over to ActionAid, we will be unable to use the case study.
8. Child Protection Policy
The following guidelines are in line with our Child Protection policy:
When filming a child, the child’s best interests should always be the primary consideration.
Filming a child should always be a positive experience for them, providing a potential for learning and enjoyment.
Never photograph a child with the intent to shame, humiliate or degrade them, or perpetrate any form of emotional abuse.
Children should never be depicted in erotic, seductive, provocative poses or context (even if illustrating trafficking of girls, for instance).
Ensure that all children represented in images are suitably dressed. We should never use images of nude children, children that appear to be wearing no clothes or children in transparent clothes. We should also never blur nude areas or use props to cover areas that are not clothed.
The caption of an image of a child should never include the child’s full name (Exception: Child Sponsorship material targeted directly to child sponsors.) We should also never disclose personal details, email, postal address and telephone numbers other than if these details have been knowingly and openly provided by the child (See section on Consent Form) and the child is aware that these will be provided with the images.
Try to show children in their context, showing the reality of their lives, the environments in which they live and the circumstances that make them vulnerable.
Where possible, show children as active and resourceful. Where relevant, include families, parents or carers.
Where possible, show how ActionAid works with children, rather than showing them as alone and vulnerable.
9. Reporting Lines
The consultant will work, be accountable directly to ActionAid Nigeria’s Communications Coordinator and Manager, Human Security In Conflict.
10. Terms of Payment
He/She shall be responsible for his/her tax and other statutory obligations. ActionAid shall however deduct the statutory 5% With Holding Tax (WHT) and remit to relevant authority. The Consultant should provide AAN his/her Tax Identification Number (TIN) for the purposes of remittance.
11. Availability
The Consultant will support AAN as agreed in this contract and as subsequently agreed between S(he) and Head of Programmes or any other person authorised to negotiate with him/her on behalf of the organisation. S(he) is therefore to indicate availability within specified timeframe stated in this ToR.
12. Submission of expression of interest
The selected Writer will sign a contract with AAN and is responsible for acquiring other relevant tools needed for the task. Interested Writer are invited to apply by sending a CV detailing competency, links to sample of past works, the execution plan, and any other relevant information, demonstrating skill and experience in this area. Applicants should include invoice detailing daily rate. For field visit, please note that ActionAid will cover the cost of accommodation, per diem (feeding) and transportation. Applications should be submitted electronically to:[email protected] and cc; [email protected] with the subject line MIGRATION Writer Not later than 26th August, 2018. Only awarded contractor will be contacted.