Introduction

medica Liberia (mL)

medica Liberia (mL) formerly medica mondiale Liberia is a non-governmental women’s rights organization working in Liberia. Our Organization offers support to women and girls affected by sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) and is involved with programming on women’s agency and leadership. Since 2006, medica Liberia has been implementing programs for women and girls in Liberia’s South-eastern parts and recently extended its coverage to Montserrado and Margibi Counties respectively, through funding from the German Government and other donors. The organisation’s vision is a just and violence-free society in which women and girls live in dignity. As a feminist organisation, mL advocates for the rights of Liberian women and girls and the end of S/GBV at all levels of society and politics.

Liberia National Police (LNP):

The Liberia National Police (LNP) is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for maintaining public order and ensuring the safety and security of the Republic of Liberia. These responsibilities include:

1. Preventing and deterring crime, which involves conducting investigations, apprehending offenders, and ensuring the safety of individuals and their property.
2. Safeguarding the fundamental freedoms and rights of individuals.
3. Collecting, storing, and analyzing information relevant to preventing, detecting, investigating, and prosecuting offenses.
4. Protecting the lives, security, dignity, liberty, and property of all citizens, particularly those who are vulnerable.
5. Preserving public peace, which encompasses managing civil disturbance, crowd control, and the safety of vulnerable populations.

In August 2023, The Liberia National Police and medica Liberia executed an MOU confirming their goodwill and intent to collaborate in the spirit of partnership for the integration of the SGBV Stress and Trauma Sensitive Approach as a course in the curriculum of the Police Academy Curriculum as well as the role-out and application of newly revised curriculum. The MOU further reflects the commitment of mL and the LNP towards a short-term partnership aimed at sustainable SGBV programming.

In this regard, mL and LNP, are looking to hire a qualified individual consultant or firm for the below position:

• Position Description:

Position Title: Training and Curriculum Development Consultant

Duty Station: Monrovia, Montserrado County, Liberia

Duration: Short Term Consultancy

1. Background:

Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) stands as a major form of human rights violation in Liberia, transcending factors like gender, age, class and race. It represents a fundamental breach of human rights, creating a substantial obstacle to the realization of rights for both women and children, particularly their access to justice.

The Liberia National Police has a dedicated unit known as the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS), which specializes in investigating cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women and children, along with other forms of violence. WACPS officers receive advanced training in handling SGBV cases before being assigned to this section. However, The LNP has signed an MOU with medica Liberia to incorporate SGBV including the Stress and Trauma Sensitive Approach into the basic police training at the Liberia National Police Academy and Training School. This collaboration aims to equip police officers with the necessary skills to handle SGBV-related cases effectively.

• Scope:

The objective of this consultancy is to supervise the integration of SGBV (Sexual and Gender-Based Violence) education, including The STA – Stress- and Trauma-sensitive Approach is a low-threshold way to ensure support can be offered in a low-resource environment to people affected by violence and trauma. It takes into account four basic principles (Safety, Empowerment, Solidarity/Connection, Self-/Staff-/Organisational Care in dealing with people who have experienced violence. It involves avoiding additional stress to the affected persons, preventing reactivation oftrauma symptoms, and thus strengthening and stabilizing women and girls affected by violence. The people who support those affected should also remain healthy as they do so. More info on the STA: STA – Stress- and Trauma-sensitive Approach (medicamondiale.org)

The STA – Stress- and Trauma-sensitive Approach, into the curriculum of the Liberia National Police Academy and to undertake a comprehensive curriculum revision.

The scope of work encompasses several key facets. Firstly, the consultant will coordinate the revision of the training curriculum. In doing so, close collaboration with the technical working group is envisaged. The technical working group comprises SGBV actors from various public institutions. This group was established to work closely with the consultant to ensure that the curriculum adheres to international best practices in handling cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

The consultant will lead and facilitate validation meetings, providing a platform for parties to contribute input and feedback on the revised curriculum. Additionally, active participation in policy dialogues will be essential, as it entails advocating for the endorsement of the trauma-sensitive curriculum by decision-makers within the Liberia National Police.

Furthermore, the consultant will spearhead in close cooperation with mL and its trainers the design and development of a Training of Trainers (ToT) program, ensuring that National Police Academy personnel are equipped with the necessary skills to proficiently teach the revised curriculum. This includes the creation of training materials, modules, and resources to bolster the effectiveness of the ToT program.

Lastly, documentation of the entire curriculum development process will be a core responsibility.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• Desk Review: Assess the current curriculum’s relevance, strengths, weaknesses, and alignment with SGBV/STA content, identifying gaps and areas for improvement in the current curriculum, considering emerging trends and alignment with best practices.
• Training Needs Assessment: Assess the training needs of participants
• Stakeholder Engagement: Lead the collaboration and coordination with relevant stakeholders, to gather input and feedback for the curriculum development.
• Revise Curriculum: Revise curriculum including the relevant SGBV/STA contents, including the development of assessment methods and tools to measure students’ attainment of learning objectives effectively;
• Quality Assurance: Implement quality assurance mechanisms to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the revised curriculum continually.
• Feedback and Validation: Establish mechanisms for ongoing feedback from stakeholders and iterative improvements to the curriculum and lead final validation exercise
• Training of Trainers: design a Training of Trainers program with close cooperation with the master trainers of medica Liberia (Madam Elizabeth Greene and Madam Florida Clarke) to provide training and support to trainers of the police training academy to ensure they are equipped to deliver the revised curriculum effectively including assessing existing processes and schedule of the police training academy.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Develop criteria and metrics for assessing the success and impact of the revised curriculum on student learning outcomes.
• Documentation: Maintain comprehensive documentation of the entire review and revision process, including meeting minutes, reports, and feedback and a final report summarizing the entire curriculum review and revision process, including recommendations for implementation.
• Approval and Implementation: Present the revised curriculum for approval by relevant authorities

Deliverables and Timelines

• Desired Skills and Competencies:

The successful candidate for the Training and Curriculum Development Consultant should possess a combination of skills and competencies tailored to the specific objectives and responsibilities outlined above and as follows:

• A relevant advanced degree in education, curriculum development, gender studies, or a related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in curriculum design and development, particularly in the context of law enforcement, SGBV or educational institutions.
• A good understanding of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) issues, including trauma-informed approaches to addressing SGBV.
• Proven experience in effectively engaging and collaborating with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and educational institutions.
• Strong interpersonal skills to facilitate dialogue, gather input, and build consensus among stakeholders.
• Experience designing and delivering Training of Trainers (ToT) programs.

• Application Process:

Start Date: IMMEDIATE:

Closing date of this posting: October 7, 2023

How to Apply: email your application (CV, cover letter and references not Exceeding 2MB) as well as your remuneration expectations to: recruit@medicaliberia.org Please mark your application with the reference: Organizational Development Consultant the subject of your email or on the envelope;/top of your application. For applicants based in Greenville, you may submit hard copies to medica Liberia office in the county.

Please note that applications without remuneration expectations will not be considered

Female applicants are encouraged to apply.