TERMS OF REFERENCE

RESEARCHER FOR SPACES PROJECT

26 January 2024

Keywords: Social accountability, food security, gender-responsive programs, CSO-LGU partnership,

transparent, accountable, and participatory (TAP) governance, post-COVID pandemic recovery.

1. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

Oxfam Pilipinas and implementing partners, Galing Pook and AGREA, have embarked on a 15-month
project entitled “Strengthening Participation and Accountability Through Civil Society Organizations and
Engagement with Subnational and National Government (SPACES)” starting last March 2023. The
project aims to strengthen existing CSO-LGU partnership mechanisms towards promoting more
equitable, inclusive, and gender-responsive local policies and programs as a pathway for addressing
constraints and enhancing the country’s social and economic recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic.

In preparation for project assessment and learning processes by project end in June 2024, the Oxfam
Pilipinas project team is proposing the collation of all available information from partners’ profiling and
scoping activities with local actors (partner local governments and civil society groups) and conduct of
data gathering (baseline recall) and midline study to help validate and enhance initial baseline data on
project’s impact and outcome indicators gathered during proposal development and to compare the
existing data to the starting conditions of the project sites. In relation to this, the present Terms of
Reference outlines objectives, parameters, and deliverables for a contracted baseline-midline
researcher.

2. AUDIENCE AND USE FOR OUTPUT

Main target audiences for the proposed study report will be the project teams of Oxfam Pilipinas and
local partners, external evaluator to be contracted by project end, and local actors (partner civil society
groups, local government units, national agencies, etc.). Intended primary use would be as a reference
point for assessments of project performance and results, as well as for planned reflection and learning
processes to draw out insights for subsequent programming around focus themes.

Other possible secondary audiences and uses could be identified during the uptake planning process
to be led and facilitated by the Oxfam Pilipinas project team with the implementing partners.

3. OBJECTIVES OF ENGAGEMENT
The proposed SPACES report or knowledge products aims to collate all available information and gather
other relevant data around initial measures or conditions of selected impact and outcome indicators of
the project (i.e., value or condition of these indicators prior to or at project start) and highlight key
insights that can be used in assessing gains or gaps in terms of achieving the project’s target results.
Specifically, the proposed engagement hopes to provide information on the following project indicators:
Impact:
Established CSO-LGU partnerships promote equitable, inclusive, and gender-responsive national and local legislation that improve
the Philippines’ recovery from COVID-19 and address equity constraints impeding social and economic bounce-back
• Local policies and programs co-developed via CSO-LGU collaboration deliberated or adopted at the national level
• Local policy and/or program models emerging from CSO-LGU collaboration that address issues and/or needs of women
and other marginalized groups in the post-COVID 19 pandemic situation/context
End-of-project outcome:
Citizens and public decision-makers at subnational level work together to contribute to the enactment and implementation of
policies that reduce inequalities and accelerate economic and social recovery from the pandemic
• Number of partner LGUs with strengthened or activated local development councils and other spaces/mechanisms for
collaborative formulation and implementation of local policies, plans, and programs with CSOs/communities
• Documented experiences and lessons around actual collaboration of local CSOs and partner LGUs in co-developing
gender-responsive post-pandemic recovery plans, policies, programs under project
Intermediate outcome 1:
Local governments have increased uptake to enact relevant policy reforms and to institute platforms where CSOs can engage
• Number of partner LGUs that adopted ordinances promoting equitable, inclusive and gender-responsive economic
recovery and/or put in place/strengthen platform for CSO engagement in local public program monitoring
• CSOs’ assessment of partner LGUs’ policies and platforms in terms of facilitating more equitable, inclusive,
genderresponsive post-pandemic recovery, and strengthening CSO and citizen participation in local governance
Intermediate outcome 2:
CSOs, women and young people engage more effectively with public decision-makers
• Number of CSOs, women, youth organizations, other marginalized groups who joined activities like that of SPACES
• Level and quality of engagement between CSOs/marginalized groups and local decision-makers

4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions will guide data collection and subsequent analyses. These can be
revised and finalized later with partners, in consideration of the scope and design of their own initial or
inception studies or assessments, and with the contracted baseline consultants:

1 What were the initial conditions of selected project indicators in prospective partner
groups/communities (and among those who will not be reached by the project)? How have the
existing conditions evolved following the inception of the project?
1.1 What examples of CSO-LGU collaboration that happened in partner LGUs prior to SPACES, and
were there any documentation of the experiences and lessons under these partnerships?
1.1.1 How did the prior collaborations evolve following the SPACES implementation?
1.1.2 What additional CSO-LGU collaboration have happened in partner LGUs following the
implementation of SPACES, and were there any documentation of the experiences and lessons
under these partnerships?
1.2 How have earlier collaboration addressed the issues and key concerns of women, young people,
and other marginalized groups through relevant policies, programs, and services?
1.2.1 What new collaboration addressed the issues and key concerns of women, young people, and
other marginalized groups through relevant policies, programs, and services?
1.3 How have such prior and newly partnerships or collaboration responded to the COVID 19
pandemic?
1.4 What were the pre-existing mechanisms and guidelines for local participatory and
genderresponsive governance and development in the SPACES and (non-SPACES)
communities?
1.4.1 How were the pre-existing mechanisms and guidelines evolved following the SPACES
implementation? What new mechanisms and guidelines were developed?
1.5 How did local CSOs and communities view the efforts of partner local governments to make
local governance and development processes more equitable, inclusive, gender responsive?
And how did these views change following the SPACES implementation?
5. FRAMEWORK AND APPROACH
The project’s theory of change will provide an analytical reference point (see section 3 above).

In line with Oxfam Pilipinas’ adherence to feminist research and monitoring, evaluation, learning, and
social accountability (MELSA) principles, the proposed SPACES baseline study shall endeavor to:

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 • Adopt a gendered and power-aware perspective in achieving its objectives and responding to
the proposed research questions and generate insights from the baseline information around
how unequal gendered power relations in the local food security and GAD sectors in partner
local governments could be transformed, while also recognizing that such change could be a
long, complex process involving opposition, reversals, negative shifts, as well as small gains.

• Design and carry out appropriate, participatory, and flexible/adaptable research instruments
and processes with implementing partners, local women and other marginalized groups, and
other project actors, that consciously remove barriers to, while encouraging meaningful and
broader involvement in the whole study – from identification of query focus to sensemaking.

• Frame the entire baseline study as a learning-oriented process for research participants that
provides spaces for collective interrogation, reflection, assessment, and consensus-building
around emergent insights and proposed actions – and not simply an extractive data collection
activity – thus contributing to jumpstarting the project’s transformative interventions.

In finalizing the design and carrying out the baseline study, the contracted consultants will be asked for
specific inputs to operationalize and concretize these principles in the conduct of the research.

6. GENDER
As the achievement of a more equal future, empowerment of women and other marginalized groups,
and the promotion of more transformative practices, are at the core of the SPACES project’s target
results and interventions, implementing partners and Oxfam Pilipinas are also aiming for a gendered
baseline research and report. Aside from parameters already outlined above, contracted consultants
shall work closely with partners and Oxfam Pilipinas’ project team to ensure the following:

• Gender, gender issues, and the differentiated and gendered experiences of potential research
participants are considered in proposed baseline study rationale, design, methods, and tools,
and rigorously analyzed and reflected in the final baseline research report.
• As far as practicable, given existing local contexts in SPACES project areas, data collection and
presentation are disaggregated by gender. Apart from requiring relevant competencies around
gender sensitivity and onboarding on gendered research practice, composition of the
consultants’ field research team should reflect a good balance in terms of gender.
• Baseline results and conclusions contribute to partners’ and Oxfam Pilipinas’ evidence base for
more long-term and programmatic transformation of gendered power relations in project sites,
and baseline recommendations are framed as realistic and actionable points that can be
considered in project sustainability, learning, influencing, and networking initiatives.

7. RESEARCH METHODS
In line with Oxfam Pilipinas’ feminist research and MELSA orientation, the proposed baseline study will
employ a mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) approach, ensuring effective triangulation and
complementation towards ensuring validity of collected data and robustness (breadth and depth) of
subsequent analyses. As per the research objectives and questions identified in previous sections, the
list below outlines an initial set of suggested methods for the proposed baseline study:

1 Document review. These could include available project documents like the: 1) Assessment of
the local social accountability contexts done during the initial orientation with LGU and CSO
partners; 2) Initial LGU profiling and needs assessment during the formal launching workshop;
3) Food security mapping reports (overall and individual LGUs) by AGREA; 4) Assessment of CSO
and community engagements with government. The study could also access available online
materials (e.g., official government data or reports) relevant to project indicators and baseline
research questions. Proposed research method will be primarily desk-based.

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2 Key informant interviews. These can be conducted with selected representatives from the
identified partner institutions and project actors – e.g., decision-makers and service providers
from national and local governments, and other civil society groups operating in project areas
and/or implementing related interventions. The consultants shall take measures to ensure
proper gender balance in respondents. Interview tools shall be part of the submitted inception
report for the engagement to facilitate feedback from project partners and Oxfam Pilipinas
project teams. This proposed baseline research method will be field based.
3 Case studies. These will facilitate a more in-depth look into the existing policies, programs,
services, and challenges of partner local governments in relation to small food production and
relevant gender issues (e.g., early child marriage). At least three (3) in-depth case studies will
be designed for the baseline study to cover the following: one partner LGU presenting what the
partners and consultants consider to be best practices in terms of more inclusive and
genderresponsive governance, one partner LGU with good enough practices and systems, and
one LGU that could be considered as just starting to put in place such practices. Consultants
may want to consider using a customized version of social accountability tools like the
community score card to come up with these case studies. Proposed method will be field based.
8. KEY SOURCES
The list below shall be reviewed and updated by the contracted consultants based on agreements on
research design and methods with implementing partners and Oxfam Pilipinas project team:

1. Women, men, youth, and other marginalized groups in partner LGUs 2.

Project focals of AGREA, Galing Pook, and Oxfam Pilipinas
3. Decision-makers and frontline service providers from:
• LGU departments relevant to project’s focus issues (e.g., MAO, GAD focals)
• Local bodies like Municipal Agriculture and Fisheries Council and Nutrition Council
• Local decision-makers who participated in SPACES interventions
4. Selected informants from:
• Private sector groups and social enterprises
• Relevant national government agencies
• Other groups (CSOs, academe, donor agencies) with related programs

9. TIMETABLE
The following timeline will be adjusted and finalized with the contracted consultants:

Activities January 2024 February 2024 March 2024 April 2024

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Finalization of ToR and requisition
Posting of call for consultants
Recruitment process
Onboarding of selected consultants
Inception process with partners
Data gathering and processing
Data analysis and drafting of report
Sensemaking with partners/Oxfam
Revision/finalization of baseline report
Submission of other outputs and exit

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Expected deliverables from the engagement will include the following:

OUTPUTS DATE DUE FORMAT

1. Inception report. Not more than fifteen (15) pages. Should outline 01/03/2024 Word file
the consultant’s understanding of the research rationale, objectives,
methods, and other parameters. Draft research tools, detailed work
plan, and data protection and management plan (including
informed consent forms, and provisions for the storage and
handling of audio and video recordings and transcripts, photo
documentation) may be annexed. Initial draft of inception report for
review by partners and OP, and to be revised accordingly.
2. Baseline-midline research report. Not more than twenty (20) 19/04/2024 Word file
pages, excluding the annexes. To include an executive summary,
brief background on the SPACES project, concise discussion on the
baseline and midline study – rationale, objectives, and methods, key
findings (around the identified project indicators and additional
research questions), and recommendations. Consultants should
optimize use of summary tables, charts, graphs, and visuals to
present a good, compact report. Detailed findings of the baseline
and the midline studies should be annexed. A draft should be
submitted to Oxfam Pilipinas for review by project partners, and
subsequent revision for the final
research report.

3. Case studies on LGU practices. Each case study should not be 19/04/2024 Word file
more than eight (8) pages. Outline could depend on the selected
project indicators or criteria identified with local CSOs in adopted
social accountability methods. Case studies should be annexed to
the initial and final versions of the baseline report.
4. Presentation deck. Deck used by consultants in presenting the key 12/04/2024 Powerpoint
findings to partners and Oxfam Pilipinas team during the
sensemaking may be revised and submitted as part of outputs.
5. Baseline-midline results brief. Not more than six (6) pages, 26/04/2024 Word file
excluding diagrams and charts. Should provide a brief
backgrounder on the SPACES project and baseline-midline research,
outline its key findings, and highlight recommendations or
implications for programming, policy influencing, and future
learning and/or research initiatives.
10. ETHICS AND RISKS
Low to medium risks in terms of security issues in the SPACES project sites. Contracted consultants
will be required to coordinate closely with Oxfam Pilipinas’ security team and local partners in carrying
out regular security assessments, and to comply with any suggested course of actions to help mitigate
any direct threats to the safety and well-being of their field teams, core research teams, and potential
respondents, especially marginalized women, young people, and other vulnerable groups.

Safeguarding and protection cases could be another potential risk during data collection in the field.
The consultants’ field research teams will therefore have to be properly briefed on safeguarding and
protection principles, and proper protocols if they encounter such cases on the ground. Local GBV
referral focals will be notified of the baseline study, and field research teams will be provided with the
contact details of these focals. Proper coordination and reporting arrangements with Oxfam Pilipinas’
safeguarding and protection team will also be discussed and agreed upon during the onboarding.

11. RESEARCH MANAGEMENT

On the part of Oxfam Pilipinas, the SPACES Project Manager shall be the commissioning or hiring
manager for this proposed engagement. She/he will be supported, on technical matters, by the WEE

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MELSA Officer and the OP core MELSA team. A Steering Committee, to be composed of identified
representatives from AGREA, Galing Pook, Oxfam Pilipinas’ Resilience Portfolio Manager, and DFAT
program focal, shall be formed to provide advisory support during design and implementation.

12. BUDGET
Total available budget for the whole engagement, including operational costs, is Four hundred thousand
pesos (Php 400,000.00).

The amount (less taxes) will be released in three (3) tranches:

40% upon submission of final inception report

30% upon submission of draft report
20% upon submission of the revised/final research report.

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