The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Innovation Service has announced a call for proposals that provides targeted financial support to country operations interested in tackling specific challenges on Community-led Networks to enhance last-mile connectivity.

Through UNHCR's Connectivity for Refugees initiative, assessments have demonstrated that one of the key barriers to refugees' digital inclusion is a lack of connectivity services available in refugee hosting locations. While efforts to enhance service provision commonly rely on commercial providers such as mobile network operators or other internet service providers, in certain locations it is challenging to find a viable business model for provision of services commercially. As such refugee and hosting communities lack the ability to access connectivity, a gateway to vital services and a tool to support community self-reliance.

UNHCR Innovation Service has been exploring alternative options for connectivity service provision in such environments and specifically has been exploring 'Community networks' as a model to address this gap, having recently released the report 'Community-led Connectivity' that explores their potential application in forced displacement settings.

Objectives

• Community networks could play an important role in meeting the needs of refugees for better connectivity, as they provide an opportunity to emphasise the communication needs of excluded groups, specifically marginalised community members less likely to adopt technologies i.e. older persons, people with disabilities etc .
• The potential to encourage self-provision of infrastructure also matches the aims of the Global Compact on Refugees - one of its four key objectives is to “enhance refugee self-reliance”. In this respect there are a number of additional potential benefits to community-based infrastructure deployment that may be particularly appropriate in forced displacement and other similar resource-low contexts, encouraged by the close physical proximity and tight social relationships between the members of the local community and those involved in the network. These include:
  • Local control over how the network is operated and the types of content that are provided over the network. This can allow the use of the network to more closely reflect the needs of the communities served, provided there is representation of different groups in the design.
  • Creation of local opportunities for jobs and fostering entrepreneurship, not only in support of the network directly, but also in the use of the connectivity by local enterprises.
  • Retention of more funds within the community resulting from the low usage costs and the income generated by residents working to support the network.
  • Fostering a sense of agency within the community which can amplify their sense of capability in being able to help to improve the quality of life of community members. This may also then encourage other types of collaborative efforts to improve local livelihoods.

Challenges to Enabling Conditions

While there are many potential benefits to establishing community networks, the primary restriction to the development of community networks is the lack of conducive regulatory environments. A few countries have adopted a licensing framework which includes provision for community operators, such as Argentina, Brazil and recently, Uganda, in general, license fees and the reporting requirements of the license are too onerous for small networks. However, a telecommunications regulator may be open to taking such an approach with the right conditions in place relating to its implementation. 

A Community-based Approach

There may be some challenges to the community network approach in areas of forced displacement. Although there are insufficient examples in developing countries to draw firm conclusions, it appears that community networks have emerged more strongly where there are close knit social structures with a culture of self-organisation. This may not be the case where communities comprise a mix of long-standing residents along with more recent and transient refugee arrivals. However this is also an opportunity to forge community resilience and peaceful coexistence, though these benefits can take some time to mature. 

Eligibility Criteria

Only UNHCR country operations are able to apply to the challenge and one submission is accepted per operation. This Expression of Interest should command the support of senior management within the operation.

Evaluation Criteria

For the Expression of Interests, awarding of funds will be based on the following criteria equally weighted:

• Challenge: Framing of the Challenge and evidence / data to support it with a key focus on inclusive community engagement, leadership and feedback response
• Solution: Articulation of the potential of Community Networks as a solution in context addressing key aspects covered in this background note and the report, specific attention will be give to proposed levels of community engagement / meaningful participation considering diversity and inclusion
• Impact: Potential Impact of the solution in not only in terms of the number of community members supported, but also how the intervention would affect them in their daily lives and build broader community resilience
• Feasibility: Based on approach, administration, tentative budget a determination on how viable the project will be. Specific consideration will be given to sustainability strategies including community self-management

For more information, visit UNHCR.