Terms of Reference (ToR) for Recruitment of Consultant to Deliver Training on Mediation and Dialogue Skills – Association of Pastoralist Community for Change (APCfC)

. Background

Association of Pastoralist Community for Change (APCfC) is a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) registered at sub-national level with Oromia Attorney General Bureau (OAGB) in accordance with the Oromia Regional State proclamation for Civil Society Organizations with a certificate No WB/03/0099. APCfC has been locally instrumental with a goal to see transformed, poverty free, self-reliant pastoralist and agropastoral communities built on justice and peace. To achieve its organizational strategic objectives, APCfC has been collaborating with various donor agencies, government institutions, customary and community structures at various levels in Ethiopia.

The Association of Pastoralist Community for Change (APCfC) is currently implementing the “Infrastructure for Dialogue” (I4D) Programme in the Borena Zone, supported by the GIZ-implemented Civil Peace Service (CPS) Ethiopia.  Contributing to successful achievement of the outcome 2 of the GIZ Infrastructure for dialogue Programme, the project aims to  strengthen local capacity and mechanisms for peacebuilding, with a particular focus on enhancing women’s roles and participation in peace building. It also seeks to address structural barriers and social norms that restrict women’s engagement in peace initiatives.

Informed by the gender-sensitive conflict assessment conducted earlier this year by APCfC and GIZ-CPS in the project target areas, the project supports the revitalization of women’s peace structures, such as the Women Peace Forum, and promote their involvement in the dialogue process. The gender analysis highlighted a significant lack of knowledge and skills in core areas, including mediation and dialogue, as major challenges facing women in their peacebuilding efforts.

With this conviction in mind,  APCfC plans to train Women Peace Forum (WPF) members in Dillo Woreda on mediation and dialogue facilitation to enhance their capacities and confidence to actively shape grassroots peace and dialogue processes in Borena zone, Oromia. The 4-Day training will be held in Hawasa Town, Sidama region and ideally take place in December 2024.

Thus, APCfC seeks to recruit an experienced and competent consultant (firm) to conduct a gender-responsive and culturally sensitive mediation and dialogue facilitation training for our women Programme participants in Hawasa Town, Ethiopia.

2. Purpose of the Consultancy 

The purpose of this consultancy is to design and deliver a tailored training on mediation and dialogue facilitation for Women Peace Forums from Dillo, Borena. By employing adult learning principles and innovative, participatory training facilitation approaches, the training will equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively engage in community-based conflict resolution and promote peace in their communities.

3. Objectives

The overarching objective of the training is to improve the mediation and dialogue facilitation capacities and practices of Women Peace Forum members while promoting collaborative and inclusive dialogue and mediation approaches and methods within communities.

The sub-objectives of the training design and implementations are:

• Enhancing the understanding and practical skills of the WPF from Dillo in mediation and dialogue facilitation.
• Empowering agropastoral and pastoral women to actively engage in community-based dialogue and mediation processes through capacity development, confidence-building, and joint action plans.
• Promoting gender-responsive and participatory approaches in mediation and dialogue processes in Borena.
• Strengthening the leadership, self-organization and advocacy capabilities of WPFs to actively initiate and shape dialogue and mediation processes

 

4. Expected Deliverables and Scope of the Assignment

The consultant is expected to deliver the following results and outputs:

• Briefly assess the needs, specific challenges and gaps as well as interests and priorities of Women Peace Forums for dialogue facilitation and mediation through consultation with APCfC.
• Develop customized, culturally sensitive, and contextually relevant training manual covering mediation techniques, dialogue facilitation, dialogue skills, and practical exercises, and submit it to APCfC for feedback prior to the training.
• Conduct a 4-day training for Women Peace Forums in Hawasa Town, facilitating interactive sessions and participatory adult learning methods, including but not limited to group discussions, case studies, role-playing activities, and other creative tools. Ideally, the training should include elements of self-organization, movement building/collective action, and local agency for WPS to take up future women-led dialogues and mediation processes.
• Prepare a training report evaluating the training’s effectiveness, incorporating the training process, topics and methodology, progress and impact, accompanied by participant feedback and recommendations and strategies for sustaining impact .

 

5. Timeline

The consultancy is expected to be completed in two weeks periods including training materials, delivering training and drafting a training report, with the training tentatively scheduled for the second week of December 2024.  An indicative time schedule for the activities to be undertaken is provided below:

 

Activities	Days	Deliverables
Prepare Action Plan indicating methods and approaches of the training	2 days	Inception report
Preparation of training manual and materials	5 days	Training materials and manuals for sharing with and review by APCfC
Provide a practical and robust training on above mentioned topics	4 days	Handouts and evaluation of Training report
Preparation and submission of training report	3 days	Training report

6. Training location. 

Training will be delivered to selected representatives of Women Peace Forums in Hawasa Town, Sidama Regional state.