Call for Proposals – qualitative component of the study
Summary
The ICRC is looking for a consultant to carry out a qualitative study on the emblems and signs used to protect healthcare. The study will be based on a series of interviews and will lead to policy recommendations presented to states in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Conference in 2024.
Background
The concept of marking healthcare with specific emblems for protection purposes goes back to the origins of the Geneva Conventions. While the legal framework pertaining to the use of the emblems by military and civilian actors is well developed and understood, the evidence of domestic implementation remains insufficient.
With the view to filling this gap in knowledge and better informing policy, the ICRC has set out to answer the following research questions:
- What is the extent to which military medical services use the distinctive emblems and what are the barriers they encounter to employing those? Anecdotal reports of armed forces refraining from the use of the emblem in certain contexts underscore the importance of this question.
- To what extent are the distinctive emblems used to protect civilian healthcare providers in times of armed conflict, what are the barriers to such use and the legal frameworks that regulate it? The common observation that most of the healthcare in countries affected by conflict is provided by civilian health services and scant reports of emblem use to protect those underscore the relevance of this question.
- What are other signs used to denote healthcare, how are they regulated internationally and nationally, what is their level of dissemination and how do they interact with the distinctive emblems? The apparent proliferation of such signs and their coexistence with the emblems, as well as the increased prominence of violence against healthcare in emergencies other than armed conflict point to the pertinence of this question.
- In light of the digitalisation of healthcare, what is the level of interest of healthcare stakeholders in a digital emblem as a protective measure? This is a key question in the context of prevalence of cyberattacks against healthcare and the evolution of contemporary warfare.
The ICRC has partnered with a legal research institute to execute the legal component of the research and will contract a consultant to carry out the qualitative component of the study.
Based on the findings from the legal analysis and the qualitative component the ICRC will aim to convene a workshop with Movement partners, the researchers, key representatives of the global health community and relevant internal departments to deliberate upon those findings and explore the possibility of strengthening policies aimed at better protection of healthcare through identification. A public report will also be compiled summarizing a select portion of the findings, which it will present at the International Conference 2024.
Qualitative study objectives
The following table contains the research questions to be answered through the qualitative study. The original indexing has been preserved to allow cross-referencing.
Research drivers/questions - Data sources/stakeholders
1.a. Ascertaining the degree to which the distinctive emblems are currently used by armed forces medical services - Questionnaire, interviews with military stakeholders
1.b. How widespread is the marking of military medical services with distinctive emblems as a preparedness measure in times of peace?- Qualitative interviews with military stakeholders and experts
2.c. How widespread and (potentially) effective is such use of the emblems, including preparedness measures in times of peace to implement it in times of war? - Qualitative interviews with key stakeholders at country level
2.d. What are the barriers to use of the emblem by civilian medial units transports and personnel in times of AC? - Qualitative interviews with key stakeholders at country level
3.c. What are the perceptions around the signs used to mark healthcare other than the distinctive emblems? - Qualitative interviews with key stakeholders at country level
3.d. What is their level of dissemination, use and effectiveness including in conflict and OSV? - Qualitative interviews as above, surveys if feasible
4. In light of the digitalization of the provision of healthcare and the risk of cyber operations disrupting such care, how would concerned stakeholders view the development of a ‘digital emblem’ for healthcare (i.e. an electronic marking signalling their protection)? Qualitative interviews as above, surveys if feasible
Approach
The ICRC will engage a consultant, who will be in charge of the following deliverables:
The study will cover 22 countries (USA, Canada, Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, Brazil, France, Spain, Lithuania, Poland, South Africa, RD Congo, Nigeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, India, the Philippines, Australia, Germany, UK) and in each of the countries information will be obtained from the following stakeholders: ministry of health, national medical association, military medical services, National Red Cross/Red Crescent Society and a leading medical university.
The questionnaires will be sent to respondents in advance allowing them to prepare the responses and the consultant will subsequently carry out online interviews with representatives of the stakeholder organisations with the facilitation of the ICRC delegations, the federating bodies (ICMM and WMA), as well as potentially the National Societies gathered in the Steering Commitee.
Timeline
This project is scheduled to run across the years 2023 and 2024 with the qualitative research part focused in Q3 and Q4 of 2023.
The consultant will commence their engagement starting towards the end of June 2023 in order to be ready to incorporate the guidance from the Steering Committee, which will convene around that time. The analysis of the findings will be finalised at the end of Q4 2023.
Deliverables
- Development of a detailed research methodology and plan in consultation with the HCiD team and taking into account the findings from the legal component, as well as the guidance from the Steering Committee
- Translation of the research objectives into stakeholder-specific questionnaires
- Implementation of stakeholder interviews and collection of data through questionnaires
- Analysis of obtained data and drafting of the analytical report
- In person presentations internally and at an external event
Requirements and parameters
Expertise in conducting qualitative research and data collection
Expertise in social and political science methodologies
Particular expertise in health and conflict, military medicine and humanitarian issues will be an asset
Ability to operate in languages other than English, especially Arabic, French and Spanish, will be an asset
The workload for the project is assessed at around 40 working days including the inception phase, data collection, data analysis and presentation/writeup. The workload will be spread across Q3 and Q4 2023.
How to apply
Individuals or organisations interested in carrying out this work should submit resumes and expression of interest letters including a detailing methodology and a budget proposal (no longer than 3 pages) to gva_hcid@icrc.org on 25 May 2023 at the latest.
The ICRC values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.