TERMS OF REFERENCE Consultant to Provide Technical
Assistance in Community-based participatory research to
grantees of COIN/CVC Awards for Action Research
Introduction
COIN/CVC has launched a closed call to current and past grantees for small awards
to fund operations research in community-based action research related to currently
funded model community grants designed to increase the evidence base in
community-based HIV/AIDS research. The primary objectives of this program are
fourfold:
•To build research capacity among local agencies;
•To address research gaps in relation to current community grantees of model
programs addressing HIV/AIDS; and
•To provide opportunities for the data to be disseminated to and used by local
stakeholders for informed decision-making.
•To strengthen strategic information produced by current model interventions
financed by COIN/CVC
The small awards are intended to support primary and secondary data analysis and
data use activities based on research findings. Small grant recipients are expected
to produce a publishable research report and complete a data use activity that makes
use of the information collected by the research (e.g. presentation of the data to the
National AIDS Programme)
Community-based participatory research emphasizes the participation, influence
and control by non-academic researchers in the process of creating knowledge and
change. Community member participation has been shown to enhance the validity
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of research findings and assist in ensuring that research results are used to inform
and foster social change at the local level. The benefits of community involvement
in research are well recognized; they include improved access to and greater
representation of marginalized groups in research; data that are richer in quality and
more authentic in their representation; and the creation of opportunities for local
capacity building and empowerment. These benefits are often realized through
partnership approaches that leverage the skills and assets of all team members.
Community members often can bring expertise that is informed by life experience to
research projects, including perspectives on the issues at hand and insights about
solutions, produces data that are jointly owned and accessible to all partners and
drives expected outcomes of trust-building, decision-making, power and resourcesharing, and reciprocal capacity-building.
The base amount for a small award is between US$15,000 –US$25,000 which is
intended to cover basic research expenses for a 6 month timeline. The total amount
of the approved award will be based on proposed budgets and is expected to reflect
realistic data collection and analysis activities. Anticipated data use and
dissemination activities should be included in the proposed budget. Possible travel
to a relevant conference or event within country to present the research findings may
be requested.
COIN/CVC will assign technical staff including a research consultant in the DR and
another in Jamaica with expertise in participatory action research to provide
assistance for data analysis, editing drafts, and/or data utilization, as needed.
COIN/CVC will also administratively manage the sub-agreements.
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Roles and Responsibilities
Two consultants will be hired, one based out of Jamaica who will support the
research awards in the English Speaking Caribbean and one based out of the
Dominican Republic to provide technical assistance to the research awards in the
Dominican Republic and Haiti. The respective consultants will:

Ensure that the funded proposals are driven by the community models needs and
priorities and will answer relevant questions that will help build the evidence-base of
the model programs and inform programmatic areas and/or advocacy efforts.

Oversee that the research process values the lived experience of community
members and welcomes and encourages community members’ contributions at
every level of input, including: initiation of ideas, process (during data collection,
analysis and interpretation phase), outcome (implementing action-oriented
recommendations).

Ensure that the action research undertaken is methodologically sound and rigorous;
respects and encourages varied research methods; and adheres to standard ethical
review processes.
The consultant based in Jamaica will support with research awards made to partner
CBOs in Trinidad, Suriname, Guyana and Jamaica, whereas the research consultant
in the Dominican Republic will be assigned to research projects awarded in the DR
and Haiti.
The consultants will work with each of the assigned research projects to provide
technical assistance to:

Review draft proposals prepared by the grant awardee team including: ethics
application form, informed consent form, verbal script for potential participation,
safety precautions,

Assist to strengthen the proposed research methodology and data collection
instruments (interview guides, survey questions etc)
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
Support in sourcing background data and with the literature review

Advise on identifying/ recruiting of potential study participants,

Participate (through consultation and feedback) in all phases of the research project
to ensure that the research is properly carried out and yields sound and useful data.

Provide support with data entry and analysis

Review and provide feedback on draft and the final report of the research project,
outline recommendations and plan for application of the results at a local level.
Desired Qualifications and Experience
The Consultant is expected to possess the following experience, skills, and personal
characteristics:

Proven track record in research (preferably action research) with public health focus;

Strong analytical skills and in-depth understanding of evaluation and research
approaches;

Proven skills and experience in guiding and supporting within a participatory
approach;

Experience of work with key communities;

Academic links in the respective country, such as affiliation with a university of
research centre;

Ability to communicate with a broad range of stakeholders, in particular with
members of key communities as well as governmental authorities, law enforcement
officials, etc.;

In-depth understanding of and affinity with the project’s key affected populations;

In-depth understanding of capacity building approaches in civil society and
willingness to support capacity building for participatory research process;
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
Fluent in English (Jamaica based consultant) and Spanish (DR consultant). The DR
based consultant should also have a good working knowledge of English and
French;

Principal residence in the respective country of Jamaica or Dominican Republic.
Deliverables

Sign off on research awardees work plan for conducting research, detailed outline
of the method, proposed tools/instruments

Annotated first draft for review by CVC/COIN Technical Team

Annotated Second draft for review by key stakeholders

Annotated finalized study
The consultant will work closely with the grantee team and directly with the assigned
lead researcher designated by each of the awardees to act as focal point for the
research; as well as with COIN/CVCs Program Team and its Monitoring & Evaluation
unit to provide guidance and support.
Time frame and Remuneration
The consultant must be partially available between the beginning of June 2015 until
the end of November 2015 (the research period established for grantees) and the
work days will be scattered in intensity based on the research work plans of the
grantees.
The consultant will be paid based on a daily rate. The number of days will be
determined after the total number of research projects have been determined and
assigned to each of the consultants.
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The technical assistance and back stopping provided to the research awardees does
not contemplate travel. It will take the form of written feedback and skype calls at
critical moments in the awardees research project work plan.
How to apply
Qualified consultants must send a resume, cover letter, daily consultancy rate,
and
example
of
previous
published
studies
to:
[email protected] by 15 May 2015.
Please include in the subject line of your email “Community Research Consultant.”
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