Terms of Reference

Consultancy on Gender Mainstreaming Trainings  

Community based component of Building Resilience and Addressing Vulnerability to Emergencies (BRAVE) Programme

February 2025

 1.       Background

Concern Worldwide is an international, non-governmental, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. Concern’s aim is to help people living in extreme poverty, achieve major improvements in their lives which last and spread without on-going support from Concern. To achieve this aim, Concern engages in long term development work and seeks to address the root causes of extreme poverty. Concern has been working in Pakistan since 2001, when it initiated an emergency response project to address the Afghan refugee crisis in Baluchistan. Concern later moved into emergency, early recovery, and long-term development programming being implemented though local NGO partners in Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, and Sindh provinces.

Organisationally, Concern Worldwide has identified gender inequality as a key obstacle to reducing and eliminating poverty.  The organisation is committed to gender transformative approaches focusing on the empowerment of women and engaging men as allies to influence a change in gender relations, and social norms that contribute to gender inequality. Concern Pakistan is committed to introducing approaches to addressing gender inequality and these capacity building initiatives would be an important step towards achieving the aims of gender equality for BRAVE programme.

The goal of BRAVE programme funded by FCDO is to increase the capacity of at-risk and climate vulnerable households and communities to anticipate, adapt to, and absorb the impact of shocks and stresses induced by climate change and natural disasters, including measurable changes in gender roles and social inclusion. The consortium, led by Concern Worldwide in partnership with WWH, AKF and Cesvi is presently implementing the Community Based Climate resilience component of BRAVE in 5 districts (Astore and Ghizer from Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral, Nowshera and Charsadda from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) during Implementation Phase I. The Community based Climate Resilience component of BRAVE is assisting the village communities to build the resilience against impacts of climate change and prepare for disasters.

According to a recent Gender Equality and Inclusion Analysis conducted in the BRAVE targeted districts, as an approach, men need to be engaged and sensitized for meaningful inclusion of women in resilience building efforts as the barriers identified in the analysis are mainly linked to patriarchy and socio- cultural gender norms. In parallel, it is also important to build the leadership capacity of women on negotiation and claim their spaces especially in the context of building resilience to climate induced disasters. Therefore, there is need to address the challenges of gender inequality with regards to linking women’s or men’s disaster experiences to the wider context of gender inequality which can lead to gender just practices, contributing to enhanced women resilience to disasters. Therefore, there is need to address the challenges of gender inequality with regards to linking women’s or men’s disaster experiences to the wider context of gender inequality which can lead to gender just practices, contributing to enhanced women resilience to disasters. At this stage of implementation phase I, trainings on Engage with Men approach will be conducted with the targeted communities; with male office bearers of the Union Council level Climate Adaptation Forums (UCAFs) and community gate keepers while the leadership skills with selective women members of UCAFs/VCAFs as well as female community gate keepers would be done especially on negotiation skills to influence gender inequality and claim their space accordingly, besides awareness on gender in BDRP targeted districts.. Overall, these sensitization and capacity building efforts are aimed to apply the approach of Engage with Men for the positive influences and establish role models from within the targeted communities for building women resilience in the context of natural disasters including floods, drought, earthquake, GLOF etc.

Purpose of the consultancy  

The specific purpose of this training consultancy is to ensure the enhanced impact on women through promoting gender equitable attitudes (amongst men and women) and decision making in the climate resilience component of BRAVE programme by building the capacity of selective male and female UCAF members and community gate keepers as the social change agents on gender equality through Engage with Men and women leadership approach respectively.  

Objectives and Specific Tasks to be undertaken by the Consultant(s)

The objective of this assignment is to further fine tune and contextualise the relevant training modules and delivery of trainings in BDRP targeted districts. The consulting firm/ consultant is expected to undertake following major tasks:

1. Design: Training modules to be contextualised for training on Engage with Men (male office bearers of UCAF) and Women Leadership & Negotiation Trainings for women members of UCAFs based on the Concern/Sonke manual)
2. Material: Preparation of training material/handouts, translation of modules in local languages (Urdu where required) convenient for the local training participants.
3. Delivery: Total of 10 simultaneous trainings of 2 and 3 days each (1 training on Engage with Men for 2 days and 1 training on women leadership and negotiation skills for 3 days in each BRAVE target district) conducted within the agreed time period .
4. Report: Submission of consolidated good quality training report with all required contents as per the agreed deadline

The tasks may be adjusted according to the need of the programme (if required).

2.       Outputs

The consultant trainer(s) will produce following key outputs (subject to further refinement after consultation):

• Further fine tuning/contextualisation of training module for Engage with Men and women (based on the Concern/Sonke manual) with translation of handouts in Urdu
• Delivery of 10 trainings (simultaneous)-1 training for male office bearers from UCAFs for 2 days and 1 training on women leadership and negotiation skills for 3 days for women members of UCAFs/office bearers of VCAFs in each district along with social mobilisers from implementing partners’ staff
• Submission of consolidated good quality training reports (1 consolidated report for Engage with Men trainings and 1 consolidated report for Women Leadership and Negotiation Skills trainings

 3.       Essential and Desirable Experience/Qualifications

Concern Worldwide is seeking an experienced consultant trainer(s) / firm with the following expertise:

• Advanced university degree in relevant field (Gender/development studies, social sciences, disaster management and other relevant subjects) of trainers.
• A reputable consulting firm/Trainers with documented and proven over 5 years’ experience of designing and conducting trainings on Engage with Men approach and on Women Leadership/Negotiation skills.
• Excellent training delivery and communication skills especially in the local contexts of BRAVE targeted districts (the trainers must be fluent in local languages for districts – Pashto for Nowshera and Charsadda and Khowar language for Chitral, Shina/ Khowar for Ghizer and Shina for Astore.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively work in a multi-cultural environment with integrated themes including Community Based Climate Resilience, and livelihoods (on and off farm).

4.       Lines of Communication

The trainer consultant/firm will report to Technical Advisor-GESI and will closely liaise with Programme Director for Climate Resilience component of BRAVE Programme and also with relevant sectors  technical advisors at Concern and consortium level.

5.       Timeframe

The consultant is required to complete the trainings by April 2025, with the following timelines.  

6.       How to apply:

Interested potential trainer consultants/ firms with relevant proven experience can submit sealed technical proposals only containing following documents to Concern Worldwide at Plot No. 144, Street 30, I & T Centre, Sector G-9/1, Islamabad by March 14, 2025.

• Cover letter detailing the trainer consultant’s/ firms’ suitability for the assignment, relevant experience and current contact information
• A short description of methodology to undertake assignment
• Outline your approach to training/facilitation  
• Profiles/CVs of trainers to be involved for the assignment; preferably male trainers for Engage with Men trainings and women trainers for Women Leadership and Negotiation Skills
• At least one relevant example of previous assignment of similar nature carried out in Pakistan with international NGOs/UN agency preferably through FCDO funded programmes (Concern will strictly ensure the confidentiality of the reports.)
• For any clarification regarding scope of assignment, please submit your queries before March 12, 2025 to [email protected]. Only clarifications in writing will be responded.

Note:

• Consultancy companies shortlisted based on Technical proposals will be asked to submit their financial proposals.
• The Evaluation committee reserves the right to change the quantities or cancel/reject any or all offers without assigning any reason.
• Please make sure that you have submit self-declaration (attachment available) of previous criminal conviction along with technical proposal as part of the application process.
• CVs of training team will not be change during the course of the assignment (once shortlisted for assignment) unless mutually agreed by both parties.

Safeguarding at Concern: Code of Conduct and its Associated Policies

Concern has an organisational Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organisation, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any firm/individual consultant offered a consultancy opportunity with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their consultancy contract. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, consultant acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies. Additionally, Concern is committed to the safeguarding and protection of vulnerable adults and children in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to do consultancy work or volunteer with vulnerable adults and children are recruited by us for such roles. Subsequently, being hired as a consultant with Concern is subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking.