Terms of Reference

for a Baseline Survey on the Effects of Lack of Parental Care on Children

in Coastal Areas of Ghana
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Background and Need for Study

Challenging Heights recognizes that child labour and child trafficking are real threats to the wellbeing and education attainment of children in Ghana.  Therefore the organization is constantly seeking out new and innovative means of addressing and reducing the incidence of child labour and trafficking in Ghana, as well as improving school enrollment and achievement.  In order to design relevant and meaningful programs for children and communities, there is a need for accurate and current data on the status and reasons for children to be engaged in work.

For this study, Challenging Heights will look at the incidence of children without parental care or at risk of losing parental care in 6 districts in southern Ghana and how this lack of care relates to the incidence of child labour, trafficking, and lack of schooling.  Additionally, this study will investigate pro – poor interventions in these districts and how impactful these have been at preventing at risk children from losing their parental care or protecting those children who have already lost parental care.  Challenging Heights has a current project to support children at risk of losing parental support and their parents.  This study will inform the methodology of that program, as well as prepare baseline data to monitor project progress, for project expansion, and for use as evidence for advocacy activities.

Study Goals and Methodology

Goal of the study: To gain baseline information on the status and number of girls and boys without parental care or at risk of losing parental care in six districts in southern Ghana in order to plan relevant interventions to assist these children, including gender specific responses.  Additionally, this study will give information on the situation of the 40 children who are currently project beneficiaries.

This baseline study will take place in six districts in southern Ghana, namely Awutu Senya, Effutu Municipal, Agona West, Mfantseman, and Kasoa District Assemblies, and the Kaneshie area of the Greater Accra Region.  Information from District Assembly Secretariats (informed by district officials of the Ghana Education Service, Department of Social Welfare, Ghana Police Service, and the Commission on Human Rights and Justice), as well as district reports, indicate that these districts have high levels of parental neglect and children living without parental care.  Challenging Heights has also worked in most of these districts to some extent.

The final methodologies for this research will be designed by the researcher in collaboration with Challenging Heights staff.  However, it is likely that the research will include a quantitative questionnaire with approximately 60 children (half girls, half boys) in each of the six districts and in depth, qualitative surveys with 10 girls and 10 boys in each district (these 20 children drawn from the sample of 60 children in each district) who have lost their parental care.  The quantitative questionnaire will be conducted with the 40 current project beneficiaries and 20 of these children (half girls, half boys) will also be given the qualitative survey.

Additional surveys will need to be carried out with parents in each district, as well as potentially some government officials in the Education Service, Department of Social Welfare, and/or police.  Other research methods might include observation and focus groups.  Forty children (20 girls, 20 boys) from the sample of 60 in the district that the project is currently operating in will be randomly selected to serve as a control group to compare against the project beneficiaries.

The researcher will design and conduct a study to determine in each district, aggregated by gender:

Quantitative

•  Demographics including:
a) Age
b) Gender
c) Are their parents living? Marital status?
d) Education of parents
e) Education of children
f) Family size
g) Region, district origin of children
h) Religion of parents/child
i) health issues of child and parents
j) family income and modes of income generation
k) Are children living with their grandparents or other relatives?
l) Are there child mothers?
m) Are there children headed households?
•  the number of children in the district living without parental care or at risk of losing their parental care
•  the status of children in such situations (What are they doing? Are they in school? Are they engaged in child labour? Were they trafficked? What problems do they face? Where are they living? How much are they getting paid?)
•  similarities/differences between the situations of girls vs. boys and different ages
•  How many minutes/hours per day do children have for playing?

Qualitative

•  can the children mention dangers they face (as many as possible)?
•  can the children mention ways they can protect themselves? Can they mention places that they can access help?
•  How to children visualize a safe, loving home? Do they feel that this describes their family?
•  the effects of loss of care on the children
•  the causes of children being in these situations (why did they lose care?)
•  the risk factors for children to lose their parental care
•  potential remedies for children without parental care or to mitigate the risk of children losing their parental care  (what do the children think will help them or their peers facing similar situations?)
•  the current pro-poor interventions that are targeting such children in these districts
•  questions to examine any outcomes of LEEP on poor families/children in the districts where this program is running
•  can adult family members (parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, adult brothers/sisters) mention the rights of children? Can adult family members name dangers associated with trafficking? Have adult family members ever referred a case of child trafficking to authorities?
•  How are family conflicts resolved in their family? (question to children and parents)

The researcher will generate baseline data and work with Challenging Heights staff to identify evidence based recommendations on strategies to address the needs of children without parental care, as well as strategies to mitigate the risk of children to lose their parental care.  These recommendations will be used to inform community, national and international level advocacy efforts and interventions.

Tasks of the Consultant

•  Develop baseline survey design in consultation with Challenging Heights (CH) staff, including development of survey methods/tools/questionnaires
•  Form a gender-balanced research team
•  Design appropriate ethical considerations into the study
•  Implement baseline survey
•  Analyze data collected
•  Write a final report on research findings
•  Work with Challenging Heights staff to provide feedback on the research to the participating communities.

Deliverables:

•  Final report
•  Summary report on the project beneficiaries and their control group
•  Hard data collected during the research

Qualification Required & Experience

•  Minimum of Masters degree in social science, child psychology, or related discipline
•  Willingness to be police-checked to assess eligibility to work with children
•  Experience designing and conducting similar research in Ghana
•  Strong analytical skills

Remuneration negotiable based on qualifications, proposed research plan, and project budget.

Challenging Heights will provide:

•  Desk space for the analysis phase, if necessary
•  Key contacts within communities
•  Access to project beneficiaries

The consultant will provide their own computer/laptop and include all expenses relating to the project within their budget proposal. All expenses will have to be accompanied by a receipt or payment voucher.

How To Apply For The Job

Email the following to:

infoCHghana@gmail.com

Closing Date: 01 October, 2012

•  CV including 2 professional references
•  One page draft research methodology proposal for this study plus proposed budget including all research costs and consultant fee
•  An example of your work (Please provide a copy of an evaluation or piece of analysis you have authored – this will be treated in confidence)