ZOA Liberia and the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) hereby invite proposals from consultants to develop a training module and materials for the following project which is funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, ‘Sustainable and inclusive peace in Liberia through promoting women leadership and participation in civic and political life and their strengthened role in conflict resolution’.

Candidates should study the Terms of Reference below and submit an initial proposal to ZOA, which includes:

(1) a cover letter setting out your qualifications, experience and suitability for this task, as well as two suitable contacts who can give a professional reference on your recent work as a consultant or in a salaried role;

(2) your CV;

(3) a one- or two-page document explaining your ideas for the training module and materials; (4) a financial proposal;

(5) a sample/copy of previous work done which shows experience in graphic design .

Candidates must have knowledge of, and experience in, the Liberian context, including on gender and peacebuilding, good graphic design skills as well as a proven track record in the development of attractive reports and / or manuals. The consultant should be able to show creativity.

Candidates should send their initial proposals to:

Marleen Spieker (Manager of Programme Quality, ZOA Liberia) m.spieker@zoa.ngo

And

Gbeme Horace Kollie (Senior Peacebuilding Officer, ZOA Liberia) g.horace@zoa.ngo

Proposals should be submitted before close of business on Monday 19 July 2021 by COB.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

DEVELOPMENT TRAINING MODULE

Sustainable and inclusive peace in Liberia through promoting women leadership and participation in civic and political life and their strengthened role in conflict resolution

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF PROJECT

In February 2021, ZOA and the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) commenced the inception period of the following project: ‘Sustainable and inclusive peace in Liberia through promoting women leadership and participation in civic and political life and their strengthened role in conflict resolution’. This 18-months project is funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund under the Gender and Youth Promotion Initiative.

The project is taking place in the aftermath of the December 2020 mid-term Senatorial Elections and the Constitutional Referendum, at the same time working towards the 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections. Target areas are Montserrado and Bong Counties. In both counties, there are large inter generational tensions, political marginalization and the exclusion of women and youth from formal decision making processes. ZOA and the ABIC aim to promote women’s leadership and participation in civic and political life and their strengthened role in conflict prevention and resolution among political actors. Through the Women Situation Room (WSR) mechanism and basic Appreciative Inquiry (AI), the project aims to enhance women’s capacity and agency within the political, civic and mediation spaces. The project has two outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Women promote co-existence and peaceful conflict resolution among political actors in the aftermath of the mid-term Senatorial Elections using the Women’s Situation Room (WSR) mechanism;
• Outcome 2: Local authorities and traditional leaders have improved perceptions on and increased commitment to women participation and leadership at local and county level.

Organizational backgrounds

ZOA supports those affected by violent conflicts, natural disasters, and chronic poverty in fragile states, irrespective of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or age. By working with communities, we contribute to enhance their hope and restoration, supporting people to overcome hardship and rebuild their lives. ZOA delivers innovative, and ground-breaking projects in Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, TVET, Home Grown School Meals, and Peacebuilding, with a strong focus on inclusion, participation and sustainability, thereby achieving lasting positive change.

Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC), for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security, is a leading global institution dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of women’s leadership in all aspects of development with emphasis on political participation, economic empowerment, peace and security.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

ZOA is responsible for the implementation of activities under outcome 2. To empower rural women and improve perceptions of local authorities and traditional leaders on women participation and leadership, ZOA uses the basic Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology, which is a strength-based approach to foster positive social change. The loosely guided AI visits to rural women’s groups and key local authorities and traditional leaders are implemented by four civil society organizations. Through the act of exploration, discovery and other techniques, past and present strengths, successes, challenges and potentials for the improved participation of women and people living with disabilities in political and civic life are explored. ZOA has used the same approach in the past in a similar project. The consultant is expected to document important steps in the AI approach and to develop a training module and materials based on ZOA’s institutional knowledge as well as by making use of external sources.

3. METHODOLOGY

This consultancy could either be conducted fully remotely or partly in person (only if the consultant is already based in Liberia). The consultant will collect input for the final deliverables from ZOA staff who have extensive experience in implementing the AI approach in the Liberian context. Furthermore, the consultant will make use of external sources on AI to provide a more objective and holistic understanding of the approach. The consultant should be aware of the fact that AI is a flexible, bottom-up approach to promote change. As such, training modules and materials are there to guide implementers rather than prescribing in detail which steps to take. This should be reflected in the materials. ZOA expects the materials to be attractive documents, including pictures, drawings etc., and expects the consultancy to be creative in presenting the information. As such, good graphic design skills are required.

4. DELIVERABLES

The consultant is responsible for providing the following deliverables:

– A draft format for the training module and materials which needs to be approved by ZOA (= inception report);

– A short report documenting the steps taken during development of the training module and materials, including list of interviews conducted and resources used;

– Draft training module and materials in line with agreed format;

– A workshop with the representatives from the four local CSOs, ZOA and the ABIC staff to validate the final training module and materials;

– The revised and final training module and materials.

5. TIMELINE

– The deadline for submission of bids is 17:00 (GMT) 19 July 2021

– The contract is expected to be awarded 30 July 2021

– 9 August 2021 is the deadline for the inception report

– The deadline for the first draft of the report is 18 August 2021

– The final report should be complete before 25 august 2021

6. BUDGET

The consultant is expected to submit a budget taking note of the following:

– The consultancy is for the largest part desk-based and remote. Interviews with ZOA staff can only take place in person if the consultant is already based in Liberia.

– The assignment should be completed in maximum 8 days, excluding the validation workshop.