Naher Osten

Terms of Reference / Call for Expressions of Interest

Title: Advocacy Capacity Development Consultant (Kurdistan Region of Iraq)

Deadline for application: 15 May 2024

Expected level of effort (LOE): Approximately 20 days

Start date: June 2024

Responsible office: medica mondiale’s regional office in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

About medica mondiale

medica mondiale e.V. is a non-governmental organization based in Cologne, Germany. As a feminist women’s rights and aid organization medica mondiale supports women and girls in war and crisis zones throughout the world. Through own programmes and in cooperation with local women’s organizations we offer holistic support to women and girl survivors of sexualized and gender-based violence. On the political level, we pro-actively promote women’s rights, call for a rigorous punishment of crimes as well as effective protection, justice and political participation for survivors of violence. Currently medica mondiale e.V. is working in Northern Iraq/Kurdistan, in Afghanistan, in West Africa, in Southeast Europe as well as the African Great Lakes Region.  

medica mondiale in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

medica mondiale is active in KRI since 2015 and implements qualification programmes for medical and psychological expert staff in psychosocial advice centres, psychological first aid and mental health. medica mondiale cooperated with the local health authorities. In the course of the THTP-II programme (P3407, BMZ, 10.2018-06.2022) medica mondiale set up a national steering committee which includes leading public health institutions and NGOs in the province of Dohuk. The steering committee plans for the improvement of stress- and trauma-sensitive healthcare for survivors of sexualised violence in the host community and refugee communities. Furthermore, a national advocacy strategy was developed by members of the steering committee and women survivors from the Yazidi community. This advocacy strategy aims at influencing change on a national and regional level in the KRI. It is planned that one member of the steering committee, a local women’s rights organisation, will take on more and more responsibility and acquire technical knowledge to enable the NGO to lead future projects independently.

Call for Expressions of Interest: Advocacy Consultant (2024-2025)

Project Context

The Transnational Health Training and Advocacy Programme (THTP) aims at improving access to stress- and trauma-sensitive health care services for women and girls affected by sexualized and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kosovo (KOS) and the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI). medica mondiale e.V. implements the THTP together with its partner organizations Medica Zenica (BiH) and Medica Gjakova (Kosovo). In the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI) the project is implemented through the medica mondiale e.V. regional office. The project is now in its third phase (2022 – 2025). One of the main focuses of this phase is to upscale field-tested good practices and lessons learned in implementing the Stress- and trauma-sensitive approach (STA) in the health care sector from the country level to the international sphere.

The project pursues a system-oriented approach that strengthens capacities at several levels with connected components: 

1. Direct support and awareness raising for SGBV survivors and their social environment.
2. Qualification and strengthening of health professionals.
3. Advocacy work on country level.
4. Transnational Learning Exchange.
5. International Advocacy work.

Purpose of Assignment

This consultancy focuses on the country level advocacy which aims to institutionalise stress-and trauma sensitivity at national level in the health system. For this purpose, the medica mondiale regional office in KRI seeks to commission a capacity development consultant with focus on advocacy and lobbying who will work with the regional office, the country advocacy team and the project steering committee on developing their capacity and the developing the advocacy plan. This will then enable the regional office, the country advocacy team and the project steering committee to implement the project’s one year advocacy component.

The focus of the capacity development will be:

• Developing the capacity of the members of the country steering committee and the country advocacy team on advocacy and programme management.
• Operationalising the country advocacy strategy into an operational plan with a clear outline for the needed budget.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop an outline for the methodology and approaches as well as a specific timeline for the consultancy to be submitted to medica mondiale regional office max 1 week following contract signature.
• Review the project documents, including project proposal and country advocacy strategy.
• Conduct a quick needs and capacity assessment for the project steering committee and the country advocacy team.
• Develop an outline for the needed capacity development interventions for the project target groups including the operationalization of the country advocacy strategy in a collaborative and participatory manner with the team.
• Implement capacity development interventions with the teams.
• Prepare a mission report that outlines the achievements of the consultancy, challenges as well as recommendations for future efforts (a template will be provided).

Time Frame

This consultancy is planned to start by the end of May 2024 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Deliverables 

Qualification 

• Proven experience in advocacy work (including development of advocacy strategies for and with CSOs development and implementation of advocacy work), ideally in the health care sector and with linkage to SRHR.
• Strong knowledge of KRG public health policies and the related stakeholders, policies and guidelines, with relevance for improving access to adequate health services for survivors of SGBV.
• Strong comprehensive and holistic understanding of SGBV in conflict affected contexts.
• Knowledge of the stress and trauma sensitive approach and survivor centred approach is an asset.
• Expertise in providing capacity development to local partner organisations.
• Knowledge about dynamics in conflict contexts.
• Excellent and proven report writing and verbal communication skills in English. Other language skills relevant for the respective countries, would be an asset.
• Knowledge of Microsoft 365 and MS Teams.

Personal Skills

• Feminist background and a clear commitment to working with an intersectional women centred and empowering approach.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and inter-cultural skills: ability to communicate with partner organisations and stakeholders from health institutions at different levels and contexts (local, country, regional) in a suitable manner.
• Ability to work in an independent and self-contained way, while maintaining reliable communication and working relations with both, medica mondiale regional office.
• Flexible, able to deal with challenging, conflict related work context.

Start Date

• Preferred starting date: June 2024

Frame Contract

The contract frame will be six months. However, as this assignment will be implemented in a dynamic and crisis affected context the consultant will be offered flexibility for re-evaluation and adaptation of the tasks based on the needs.

How to apply

To indicate your interest, please send your CV and expression of interest, including your daily rate and a technical and financial offer (with methodology and approach) for the assignment as one PDF file with a maximum of 2 MB. Only successful candidates will be contacted. The interviews will take place online.

Please send your application with the subject ‘Country Advocacy Consultant for THTP 3 - KRI’ recruitment@medicamondiale.org until 15 May 2024.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply. We strive for greater diversity of life backgrounds and therefore expressly welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, people with experience of racism/people of colour and people with disabilities.

Further information on medica mondiale e.V. and our projects can be found on our website: medicamondiale.org. For specific questions related to the assignment, please contact: wedad.ibrahim@medicamondiale.org until 5 May 2024.