TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)
MULTI-SECTORAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT (MSNA) IN SELECTED LGAs OF BORNO STATE
Core Activity
Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) covering Protection, Education in Emergencies (EiE), Livelihoods, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) needs in North-East Nigeria.
Country/Region :Borno State North-East Nigeria
Purpose of MSNA:To generate current, evidence-based overview of the humanitarian situation of IDPs, returnees, refugees and host communities including persons with disabilities in Borno State and to inform sector prioritisation, programme.
Study Period: 1 – 31 October 2026
Methodology
Mixed methods: Desk Review, Quantitative Household Survey, and Qualitative (KIIs, FGDs, Observation)
Commissioning Organisation: Christian Blind Mission International (CBM)
Contact Person:Name: Fwangshak Guar
Position: Country Humanitarian Technical Specialist
Phone: +234-9010658204
Email: Fwangshak.guar@cbm.org
Anticipated MSNA Report Release Date: 31 October 2026
Recipient of Final Needs Assessment Report: CBM International
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
CBM: CBM is an international Christian development organization committed to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the poorest countries of the world with over 118 years of experience. In Nigeria, CBM works with local partners to implement programmes in health for the prevention and management of disabilities, inclusive education, livelihoods, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and inclusive humanitarian response. Through Inclusive Humanitarian Action (IHA), CBM has been working to ensure that all persons affected by natural and manmade disasters have access to inclusive humanitarian assistance. CBM is also a certified partner of DG-ECHO since 2021. Our Humanitarian activities aim to equally reach all persons and actively involve persons with disabilities with specific needs while promoting and facilitating full inclusion in mainstream services.
NE Nigeria Context: More than sixteen years on, the crisis in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (the BAY states) in North-East Nigeria continues unabated, characterised by conflict, insecurity and widespread displacement driven largely by the Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency. Escalating insecurity across Borno and Yobe has continued to disrupt markets, restrict movement to farmlands, and trigger fresh displacement, while large-scale civilian displacement continues to be reported from Gwoza, Pulka, Abadam and Kukawa LGAs in Borno. Humanitarian access across the region remains highly constrained by military operations, the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance, and illegal checkpoints along main and secondary supply routes.
The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) for the BAY states estimates that some 5.9 million people face severe to extreme humanitarian needs (severity levels 3 to 5), and the Government of Nigeria and humanitarian partners have appealed for US$516 million to deliver life-saving assistance to 2.5 million of the most severely affected people across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States, with women and children comprising eight in every ten people targeted. This follows a sharp funding shortfall in 2025, when the HNRP received only US$282 million, about half the funding secured in 2024, resulting in a marked reduction in humanitarian assistance across the three states.
Food insecurity across the BAY states is projected to deteriorate further, with the Food Security Sector warning of rising severe malnutrition, escalating protection risks, further displacement, and the possibility of localised famine-like conditions in areas already showing pockets of catastrophic (CH Phase 5) food insecurity. Funding cuts have left more than 900,000 displaced people across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe exposed to overcrowding, deteriorating shelter conditions and heightened fire risk in displacement sites. Children represent an estimated 60 per cent of people in need, equivalent to roughly 5 million children requiring humanitarian assistance across the BAY states in 2026.
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The general objective of this multi-sectoral needs assessment is to provide an updated, evidence-based overview of the situation of IDPs, refugees, returnees and host populations including persons with disabilities in Borno State, by assessing their needs and generating disaggregated data relating to protection, MHPSS, livelihoods, education in emergencies, disability inclusion and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), to inform response planning, prioritisation.
Specific Objectives of the MSNA
- To assess variations in MHPSS, protection, Education, livelihood and WASH humanitarian needs in Borno state, geographic areas, population groups, and vulnerability profiles, to inform response, prioritisation and strategic planning.
- To assess the severity of needs and identify gaps in service provision for persons with disabilities, IDPs, refugees, returnees and host communities (with particular attention to girls and women across age groups), relating to protection, Education, MHPSS, WASH and livelihoods.
- To map humanitarian actors in selected LGAs implementing MHPSS, protection, livelihood and WASH interventions in Borno, including their activities, disability-inclusion approaches, intervention sites, and existing service gaps not currently covered.
- To identify key lessons learned from prior interventions and to highlight least-served locations and at-risk groups across all three states.
- To assess potential risks including security, access and climate-related risks that could impact programme implementation and access to target communities.
- To assess community coping capacities and existing humanitarian interventions, including disability inclusion, across Borno state.
- To produce state-level comparative analysis.
In general, the consultant will be tasked with identifying and mapping the population groups affected by the crises in Borno state, with a focus on their specific health (MHPSS), protection, livelihoods, education in emergencies, disability inclusion and WASH needs. This analysis will encompass the following areas:
1. Protection
Protection Risks: Assess and document the protection risks faced by individuals target locations in Borno. This includes:
- Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV): Examine the prevalence of SGBV and associated risks, and evaluate support systems in place for survivors.
- Child Protection: Focus on children who have been separated from their parents due to conflict, or who have stopped attending school, particularly in the areas targeted.
- Civil Documentation: Explore challenges related to access to civil documentation (including disability cards for persons with disabilities), which can affect individuals’ ability to receive services and protection.
2. WASH
- Investigate the availability, accessibility for persons with disabilities, and functionality of water infrastructure in target locations (schools and communities).
- Examine the distance from residential areas to water fetching points and average water-fetching time; identify any protection issues related to WASH.
- Assess common hygiene practices and the level of awareness of good personal and communal hygiene practices, including handwashing and latrine ownership/usage.
- Investigate common water-related health issues such as cholera and diarrhoea in the communities.
- Investigate the availability and functionality of community structures for the operation and maintenance of water infrastructure, including community practices around maintenance and repair.
- Examine community waste management processes to inform the potential provision of incinerators and waste-management infrastructure.
3. Livelihoods
Impact on Livelihoods: Assess how the crisis has impacted the livelihoods of affected populations across the three states. This will include:
- Economic Disruption: Evaluate the extent to which livelihoods have been disrupted, including loss of income, employment and access to resources.
- Community Resilience: Analyse community resilience and the availability of support systems to help individuals regain or sustain their livelihoods.
- Assess the most appropriate livelihood activities for these populations in the target areas, including for persons with disabilities.
- Gender Disparities: Analyse disparities in access to livelihood opportunities between boys and girls, especially where cultural or safety concerns limit girls’ participation. Identify specific barriers girls face, including early marriage, domestic responsibilities, or lack of sanitary facilities in schools, and analyse whether livelihood impacts contribute to a rise in protection-related issues.
4. Education in Emergencies (EiE)
Education Needs: Assess how the crisis has affected access to safe, inclusive, and quality education for children and adolescents across the three states. This will include:
- Access to Education: Evaluate disruptions to education services, including school closures, damaged learning facilities, displacement, and barriers preventing children from attending school.
- Learning Continuity: Assess the availability and effectiveness of alternative learning opportunities, including temporary learning spaces, non-formal education, and remote learning mechanisms where applicable.
- Protection and Well-being: Analyse the extent to which the crisis has increased education-related protection risks, including child labour, child marriage, recruitment into armed groups, psychosocial distress, and school-related gender-based violence.
- Barriers to Participation: Examine disparities in access to education among boys and girls, including factors such as safety concerns, household responsibilities, economic pressures, menstrual hygiene management challenges, and cultural norms affecting school attendance and retention.
- Education Needs and Priorities: Identify the most critical education needs of crisis-affected populations, including access to learning materials, trained teachers, safe learning environments, psychosocial support, and inclusive education services for children with disabilities.
5. Disability Inclusion
Impact on Persons with Disabilities: Assess how the crisis has affected persons with disabilities and their access to humanitarian assistance, essential services, and opportunities for participation across the three states. This will include:
- Access to Humanitarian Services: Evaluate the accessibility of education, health, livelihoods, WASH, protection, and other humanitarian services for persons with disabilities, including physical, communication, attitudinal, and institutional barriers.
- Participation and Representation: Assess the extent to which persons with disabilities, including women, girls, boys, and older persons with disabilities, are consulted and actively involved in community decision-making and humanitarian response mechanisms.
- Protection Risks: Analyse disability-specific protection concerns, including discrimination, neglect, exclusion, violence, exploitation, and barriers to accessing reporting and referral mechanisms.
- Assistive Devices and Support Services: Examine the availability and adequacy of assistive devices, rehabilitation services, personal assistance, and other disability-specific support systems required to promote independence and well-being.
- Inclusive Programming Needs: Identify priority interventions required to ensure the meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian programming, including reasonable accommodation measures, accessible infrastructure, inclusive information dissemination, and targeted support where necessary.
- Intersectional Vulnerabilities: Analyse how disability intersects with age, gender, displacement status, and socioeconomic factors to influence vulnerability and access to services, ensuring that the distinct needs of women, girls, boys, and older persons with disabilities are adequately captured.
In summary, the assessment requires a multi-faceted approach that integrates SGBV prevention and response, child protection, and support for civil documentation, to build a comprehensive picture of needs among vulnerable populations affected by conflict and displacement in Borno state.
Programme Evaluation: The consultant should also review current humanitarian programmes across the Borno state to determine whether they are inclusive of persons with disabilities, in line with IASC guidelines. This involves assessing how well programmes involve persons with disabilities and their organisations across the project cycle and identifying gaps and recommendations for improved disability inclusion.
Based on evidence collected in the field, the consultant will propose actionable, location specific and state-wide recommendations to improve the living conditions of affected populations, with a focus on enhancing, protection measures, EiE, WASH, livelihoods support and mental health and psychosocial support. The consultant’s final deliverables will include a detailed report outlining findings and recommendations across all the target locations.
SCOPE OF WORK
Geographical Scope
The assessment will be conducted in the following Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Borno state, as summarised below. LGA selection is illustrative and should be finalised jointly with CBM following an updated access and security review, and in consultation with the relevant State Emergency Management Agencies and sector coordination groups.
S/N Borno State
- Mafa
- Kaga
- Bama
- . Magumeri
Programme Scope
The assessment will focus on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS); Protection, including Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), Disability Based Violence (DBV); Education in Emergencies (EiE); Disability Inclusion and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). In addition, the assessment will investigate vocational practices and livelihoods in Borno State.
Under the direct supervision of CBM, the consultant/firm will be engaged to:
- Develop a detailed survey plan (inception report), including potential methodologies, tools and approaches to be used, with explicit consideration of the different access and security contexts in Borno state. This will be reviewed and approved by CBM before implementation.
- Conduct comprehensive literature research and extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders across the three states to understand the overall legal, regulatory and institutional framework and challenges associated with the region, facilitating a timely, quality and hitch-free data collection exercise. Provide an executive summary.
- Develop a detailed data collection tool and plan and mobilise a team of trained community/LGA-based enumerators to collect primary/secondary and quantitative/qualitative data (orienting enumerators jointly with CBM’s team).
- Manage (validation, entry and cleaning) and analyse data using standard software for quantitative and qualitative data. Analysis must allow disaggregation by state, LGA, gender, age, status, disability and other relevant attributes.
- Share preliminary research findings (not more than 25 pages) with CBM as a draft report.
- Prepare separate key findings and full survey reports, structured to support state-level and cross-state comparison.
- Submit the final assessment report, addressing feedback, and datasets of the assessment with findings and recommendations backed by data collected across the three states.
- Prepare and submit the final survey report, together with a concise summary.
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