Antecedentes

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. In doing so, UN Member States took an historic step in accelerating the Organization’s goals on gender equality and the empowerment of women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. Women in all parts of the world suffer violence and discrimination. They are under-represented in political and economic decision-making processes. For many years, the UN has faced serious challenges in its efforts to promote gender equality globally. UN Women was created to address such challenges. It will be a dynamic and strong champion for women and girls, providing them with a powerful voice at the global, regional and local levels. Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the UN Charter, UN Women, among other issues, works for the: elimination of discrimination against women and girls; empowerment of women; and achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
 
In response to the global UN Women practice area of ending violence against women and in accordance with the international compacts on Human rights, the CEDAW and the Beijing platform, the UN Women Iraq office continues its commitments and support to its main counterparts’ initiatives on eliminating violence against women and girls ensuring that the best practices were met and the needed support were provided to all VAW survivors.

The Directorate of Combating Violence Against Women (DCVAW) in Kurdistan is one of the potential partners of the UN Women Kurdistan office, this entity has been established by the Kurdistan Ministry of Interior in order to provide the support needed to the VAW and GBV survivors from across the Kurdish region. Since its establishment the Directorate of Combating Violence Against Women (DCVAW) has been receiving very few capacity building and technical trainings to its case workers. With the unfortunate increasing numbers of the VAW and GBV, the directorate case workers have been facing real pressure and potential difficulty on dealing with different type of VAW and GBV cases. The DCVAW and the UN Women Kurdistan office has realized the urgent need of a capacity building sessions to the DCVAW front line staff. The training sessions should be designed to better enable the case workers to undertake their responsibilities on dealing with each VAW and GBV case professionally. It should also guide them on how to provide the requested support and remedy to all cases equally.
 
The UN Women is therefore seeking to start a series of technical capacity building training sessions to the DCVAW case workers all over Kurdistan on legal, psychological and social methods. The series of training sessions should start with an intermediate level session setting out guiding principles on the aforementioned methods with the potential for further support to  an advanced level through more specialized training sessions later. The aim is to better ensure the readiness of the DVAW to deal with different VAW cases, and to support them recognize the importance of their core responsibility not only on receiving cases but also on combating the phenomena across the region.

 UN Women and the DCVAW are therefore looking for the best international expertise to conduct the first training/ capacity building sessions to the case workers in the three governorates Erbil, Sulimanya and Dohuk. The trainers are also requested to develop a first level guiding manual highlighting best practices and recommendations to case workers.

Rationale:

The Directorate of Combating Violence Against Women DCVAW staff are able to provide the best psychological, legal and social support to each and every VAW and GBV survivor.

Objectives

Total of 67 Social, legal and psychological researchers and workers at the DCVAW are able and better skilled to deal with the reported cases of VAW and GBV survivors to directorate. DVAW staff are able to better recognize the proper methods to remedy each case through the best practices and best scientific and psychological methodologies used in similar contexts.

Trainers will be required also to produce a supporting manual to the DCVAW trainees to support their daily work and set as a guiding book to both old and new hiring staff.

Deberes y responsabilidades

To draw up a training programme for 67 staff divided into three groups three days each on:

Provide Technical Training:
  • Guiding principles on dealing with VAW and GBV survivors as first cases’ receivers;
  • Advocacy and linkage with other governmental departments to provide support and further facilitation to survivors (social integration and cases referrals);
  • Use examples and working groups to address challenges and provide recommendations.
Develop one guiding manual:
  • Produce a guiding manual for DCVAW staff on how to deal with each case in accordance with its circumstances and different social factors.
Timeframe:     
  • 25th November-30th November 2013- Preparation phase;
  • 1st -10th December 2013- Trainings started;
  • 10th -15th December 2013- Submission of the manual as the final report.

Deliverables:

  • 67 DCVAW employees received full technical course that improves their capacity to deal with cases – measured by knowledge of best practice before and after receiving the training;
  • Technical evaluation criteria developed that can be used to test knowledge of employees before and after training and also to develop future training needs;
  • Guiding manual for front line VAW and GBV case workers with lessons learnt and recommendations developed and presented to DCVAW and UN Women.

Competencias

  • Good understanding of participatory methods in learning and strong facilitation skills;
  • Advanced understanding of VAW and GBV in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with specific knowledge of the Arab/ Kurd contexts;
  • Demonstrated public speaking skills;
  • Excellent knowledge of Iraqi/ Kurdistan laws;
  • Advanced knowledge of human rights, women’s rights, and socio-economic justice;
  • Demonstrate excellent knowledge of psychological perspectives on dealing with different VAW cases;
  • Excellent communications skills both verbal and written;
  • Organised and structured planning of own work;
  • Innovative;
  • Respect for diversity, demonstrated ability and experience of working with trainees from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds;
  • Knowledge of UNWomen’s mandate and priorities.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:
  • Degree in sociology, psychology, social work or related discipline.
Experience:
  • At least 5 years post degree of relevant training experience preferably in the Middle East;
  • Documented experience in facilitation and action based learning preferably with case workers (VAW and GBV).
  • Demonstrated experience on case referrals and social integration;
  • At least 3 years of specific/ specialized training to workers on VAW and GBV survivors;
  • Excellent understanding of gender issues in development and demonstrable commitment to promoting gender equity;
  • Experience in working with and promoting better opportunities to VAW and GBV survivors (post remedy).
Language:
  • Fluency in Arabic and/ or English (reading, writing and speaking), knowledge of Kurdish is an asset.
Documents to be included when submitting the Proposal

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
  • A cover letter setting out proposed time frame of training and preparation (Course agenda and the evaluation criteria/ questioner of pre and post training);
  • Please clarify language of training Financial proposal;
  • Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references, or dully filled Personal History Form (P11);
  • A brief methodology on how he/she will approach and conduct the work;
  • A financial proposal.
Financial Proposal:

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including daily fee, travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).   

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  In general, UN Women should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the consultant wish to travel on a higher class, he/she should do so using their own resources.

In case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.
 
Evaluation Criteria

The offer will be evaluated by using the Best Value for money approach (combined scoring method).  The Technical Proposal will be evaluated at 70%.  Whereas the Financial Proposal will be evaluated at 30%.
The breakdown of the technical criteria will be evaluated as follows:
  • Criteria: At least five years of relevant training experience preferably (Weight: 30%. Maximum obtainable Points: 30);
  • Criteria: Direct knowledge of VAW and GBV experience working in capacity building of case workers (Weight: 40%. Maximum obtainable Points: 40);
  • Criteria: Knowledge of gender issues  (Weight 15%; maximum obtainable points 15);
  • Criteria: Experience in working and supporting VAW and GBV survivors (post remedy) (weight 5% maximum obtainable points 5);
  • Criteria: Excellent written and spoken English and/or Arabic, knowledge of Kurdish is preferable. (weight 10%; maximum obtainable points 10).
 The overall total of 100 will re-weighted to 70% on completion of the evaluation.
 
List of abbreviations:
  • DCVAW: The Directorate of Combating Violence Against Women (Kurdistan-Iraq);
  • CEDAW: Convention to Eliminate all forms of Discrimination Against Women;
  • VAW: Violence against women;
  • GBV: Gender Based Violence.