Strengthening implementation of Women, Peace and Security agenda in Niger through participatory action research and civil society engagement

Background

Given alarming trends globally, Oxfam has strengthened its programming and policy work in relation to the Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Oxfam promotes gender-transformative changes in crisis and conflict settings through engaging with and supporting women and women’s organisations as leaders and change agents to ensure they lead, participate in and benefit from relief and response efforts, as well as longer-term recovery, resilience and peace processes in an equitable, safe and meaningful manner.  

Under the Danida Strategic Partnership II, Oxfam Denmark has strategically committed to ensuring that “Marginalised voices, such as young women and women from displaced communities, will be a particular focus for Oxfam Denmark and partners, to ensure their participation in and influence of decision-making spaces including in peacebuilding processes and policy reform processes.” Two years into the implementation of the SP II, some of the ambitions set towards implementing the WPS agenda, such as focusing on partnering increasingly with local women’s rights and women-led organisations (WROs and WLOs), strengthening women’s participation and influencing work towards decision-making on peace and security, as well as linking this work more strongly with protection from and prevention of all forms of human rights violations, including sexual and gender-based violence, in crisis still need to be strengthened further.

Please refer to full Terms of Reference document for additional information.

Nature and scope of the assignment/service 

Women and girls are particularly affected by conflict and violence in Niger, especially in the current context, due to the proliferation of armed conflicts and high levels of criminality, with around 5 out of 8 regions affected. Women and girls living in conflict-affected areas are more exposed to gender-based violence, including sexual violence, rape, forced marriage and domestic abuse. This violence not only affects their well-being, but also limits their full social and economic participation in all spheres of life and society, and ultimately hinders their potential contribution to the promotion of peace and development. Oxfam Niger civil society partners engaged in the WPS programme are facing a number of opportunities and challenges which impact civic movements, initiatives, and coalitions in conflict-affected and fragile settings. In such circumstances, accompanying and providing civil society actors with a safe space for exchange of experiences and lessons learned to build joint strategies for strengthening efforts of influencing and engaging in peacebuilding efforts. 

Hence, Oxfam Denmark seeks to contract a service provider to pilot a WPS focused initiative in Niger focused on strengthening WPS advocacy and alliance-building by WROs/WLOs. This will focus on accompanying women peacebuilders both individually and collectively in their efforts to engage, influence, and shape peacemaking efforts in Niger. 

Methodology

The methodology for the WPS pilot initiative in Niger would combine the following elements: 

• In-person workshops in Niger with Oxfam staff and partners: These would seek to take stock of civil society perspectives of the opportunities, challenges, and entry points pertaining to CSO influencing of the WPS agenda in Niger and perceptions regarding potential for alliance building and collective strategies. 
• Remote accompaniment support and online peer exchanges: Regular follow-up calls and peer-exhanges on identified action points and key contextual/thematic issues agreed to during in-person workshops. 
• Production of learning products: these would outline lessons learned and recommendations for partners to consider in relation to specific issues or topics identified through the workshops and/or remote support and online peer-exchanges.

Deliverables, timetable and budget

The assignment must be completed within 34 days over a 12 month period (1st October 2024 – 31st  September 2025).

The maximum budget amount available for this consultancy is 375,000 DKK (all inclusive). The consultant/consulting firm will submit a financial proposal that indicates all-inclusive costs for conducting the assignment. The consulting firm shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of the proposal. All costs should be quoted in EUR and will remain valid up to sixty days (60) from the day of proposal submission.

Qualification criteria for suppliers

Qualifications

• Team members with Master’s degree in Law, human rights, gender, international relations, international development, international law or other social science fields is required; A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree; 
• Team members with each at least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in designing and implementing Women, Peace and Security programming and policy/advocacy initiatives; 
• Technical expertise in conducting participatory action research and facilitating focus group discussions and key informant interviews 
• Experience working with civil society in crisis/conflict-affected contexts
• Technical expertise in feminist MEAL principles 
• Experience working with Oxfam an asset
• Experience working in West Africa required.
• Experience working in Niger an asset
• Fluency in English and French required. 

Compliance requirements:

ODK imposes a requirement on all co-operating partners (including suppliers and consultants) to consider an environmentally sustainable development and that goods and services shall be produced and supplied in the most environmentally friendly way possible.  ODK also requires that fundamental human rights such as those expressed in the ILO’s Core Conventions relating to freedom of association and the right to organize, prohibition against forced labor, child labor, and discrimination are respected.  Suppliers that breach fundamental human rights shall not be accepted. Further suppliers should not be involved in tax evasion activities or tax heaven constructions. It is also a requirement that all contractual parties accept our anti-corruption provisions, which among other things prohibit bribes and corruption. Suppliers shall not be bankrupt, convicted of a crime or guilty of grave professional misconduct, or have tax debts. Danish suppliers must hold a business tax certificate. Consultants shall also comply with Oxfam’s Code of Conduct.

Expression of Interest 

Interested consultants must submit: 

1. A cover letter including an expression of interest and related experience.
2. Technical proposal (maximum eight pages), including consultants understanding of the TOR, clear and elaborate workplan, CVs for all the consultant(s) proposed and proposed capacity of any complementary staff, and organizational capacity statement, experience and activities related to project/programme evaluations. 
3. Financial proposal (including a suggested schedule of payments).
4. Applications should include 3 organizations that will act as professional references.
5. Two copies of similar samples of written work and relevant publications undertaken in the last 3 years. 

Interested applicants must submit their proposal with all required documents merged in one standalone file including all them by 20th September 2024 to the following email: procurement@oxfam.dk

Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date will not be given consideration. Please note that only applicants who are shorted-listed will be contacted.