Consultant

Terms of References for Consultant

Developing Training Manual for Women Community Leaders on Leadership Skills, Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Advocacy

Introduction

Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) is recognized as one of the leading Pakistani rights-based civil society organization, in terms of its countrywide presence and outreach. SPO has a broad programmatic portfolio that includes Social and Economic Development including Health, Education and Water and Hygiene, Climate Change Adaptation, Cultural Diversity and Tourism Promotion and Digital Knowledge Transformation in partnership with a diverse spectrum of groups from grassroots communities to various tiers of governance: local, district, provincial and national. SPO has a footprint in 75 districts in all four provinces of Pakistan.

SPO envisions “a democratic, socially just and an ecologically sustainable society working with communities and public interest institutions across Pakistan to promote rights and civic responsibilities for human and institutional development”, with a mission to support and strengthen disadvantaged communities and public interest institutions for sustainable development.

Context

On Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan is ranked 7th most vulnerable country to climate change. In recent years, Pakistan has witnessed catastrophic climate-change-induced natural disasters and remains one of the least prepared countries to address climate change. The selected geographic areas in the north and south of country often bear the brunt of natural disasters. Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change is compounded due to government’s haphazard planning and lack of capacities in communities to adapt to climate change, as is the case in selected districts for this programme. According to IMF, Pakistan is ranked 3rd among countries facing acute water shortage, and by 2025 it may run out of water. Additionally, already weak WASH services and infrastructures in selected areas are faltering for not being climate and health resilient and sustainable. Impacts of climate change related to water security are most notable. These include variability of rains and melting of glaciers; increased demand for water for irrigation purposes because of higher evaporation rates when per capita availability of water is decreasing; increased sedimentation of water reservoirs leading decreased storage capacity; snow avalanches and glacier lake outburst floods; and the degradation of surface water quality due to floods and droughts.

This project is an effort to mobilize, resilient and empowered communities to lead climate action for a discernible improvement in the quality of their lives. The project will contribute to the overall goal “Civil society actors and space are strengthened to foster human rights and dignity and empower people to participate in the development and implementation of public policies, development plans and humanitarian response”. This initiative is part of an integrated programme to address climate change issues that will intervene in three thematic areas (Cultural Cohesion, Understanding & Diversity/FBCA, CR WASH, & GBV) and shall leverage the sway of faith actors over communities to jointly mobilize communities on climate change affects and advocate for necessary climate action.

The project identifies that a lack of awareness on climate change and respect for diversity in target communities, specifically among women and girls belonging to religious minorities is a key challenge. Often communities resist climate change adaptability citing their main concern of providing for their families first. The communities in selected districts are deeply religious and diverse faith actors have a great influence over their respective faith communities. The recent experience of working in the selected districts suggest that faith actors have great interest to work with communities for climate action and to improve intra- and inter-group relations. However, they lack necessary/technical skills and capacities to mobilize their constituents to respect communities of diverse faiths and be resilient and adaptable to climate change.

Using theological arguments, faith actors (male and female) can not only change their constituents’ mindset towards acceptance of faith diversity and but also mobilize them for joint faith-based climate action. Since the duty bearers have not fully engaged the communities in implementation of the policies for climate change. Therefore, faith-actors can play their role in advocacy and help communities to hold duty bearers accountable. Since faith actors are respected in the communities, they are well placed to address local conflicts and can play key role in improving intra- inter-group relations.

Furthermore, the role of female faith actors (female seminary teachers and Islamic studies lecturers, professors etc.) especially in climate change-related activism to raise women’s awareness is minimal and needs to be increased by their involvement. There are no formal national or provincial level faith/civil society actors’ networks to raise awareness and advocate with duty bearers on climate change. A lot of community-based work does therefore not necessarily connect at policy level to hold duty bearers responsible. Moreover, there is a need to open space for social action in Pakistan.

Rationale

SPO intends to engage various stakeholders through capacity building initiatives primarily focusing on advocacy and lobbying to engage and educate the associated stakeholders on climate change, disaster risk reduction, and climate resilience. These beneficiaries include Faith actors, Youth, CSO’s, CBO’s, Social activists, Women and other marginalized segments of the societies  who are directly or indirectly affected from the climate change and limits these marginalized groups from voicing their concerns and needs in planning for climate resiliency and remain largely untapped resource. As a result, often climate adaptability, resilience and DRR plans disproportionately affected these groups. Another important aspect of the project is to disseminate knowledge and understanding of what is needed to adapt to changing environmental and social conditions for those severely affected by climate change that has increased vulnerability of these target groups and communities.

The project aims at building the capacity to these marginalized groups to engage with institutions for long term sustainable result and carrying out coherent policy development and implementation campaigns in order cultivate a good working relationship with the institution responsible for developing the policy, and where possible with those actually drafting legislation and engage with duty bearers and government line departments for social change and reforms related to climate change through district, provincial and national networks.

These trainings will mobilize the communities and make them understand the social accountability tools to execute the climate action advocacy campaigns at their UC level. The trainers will also advocate and lobby if their needs are not adhered to in emergency situation.

Note: Due to Covid-19, SPO will strictly observe WHO guidelines and will make sure that all trainings are conducted through digital platforms and large gatherings are avoided. Therefore, the anticipated deliverable of the training manuals to entail exercises, list and link of relevant videos for enhancement of knowledge through different mediums.

Format and methodology:

The manual will contain two thematic components:

a) Training manual on ‘Women Leadership Training on Climate Change and Its Impact’.

b) Training manual on ‘Leadership & Advocacy Skills for Social Accountability’.

c) Training manual on ‘Community Leadership Training on Climate Change Advocacy, Food Security and Climate Mitigation Strategies’

Training manual will further be divided into sub themes to partake trainings of master trainers. It will be essential to include each component in the manual with elaborative methodology as a toolkit to roll out trainings with smaller groups.

Primary target group:

• 2 Cohorts of 25 Master Trainers comprising Female Faith/Social Actors and Female Activists each in district Peshawar (KP) and Umer Kot (Sindh)
• 2 Cohorts of 25 Master Trainers including government stakeholders, CBOs, CSOs, Faith Actors, Community Representatives, Women and Youth Activists (Male & Female), each in district Peshawar (KP) and Umer Kot (Sindh)

Training Manual on ‘ Women Leadership Training on Climate Change and Its Impact’

Objectives:

·         Enhance the capacities of Female Faith Actors and Social Activists as Master Trainers  by increasing their understanding of themes such as climate change, community-based strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, disaster risk reduction and climate advocacy.

·         Equip these women groups with necessary skills to undertake advocacy, influencing and lobbying initiatives with the government departments at the district level.

·         Increase understanding of and create scientific and fact-based awareness on climate change and its impacts on their livelihood and well- being.   

·         Facilitate the trainees to initiate and practice tailored initiatives at the community level.

·         Help the trainees to determine the existing level of service delivery at the UC level concerning climate change, mitigation and adaptation, tree plantation and CR WASH and district level disaster response services and their effectiveness.

Topics to be covered: Understanding Climate change, Impacts of Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Advocacy, Lobbying Skills, Complaint Mechanisms, Identifying Key Government Departments and Leadership Skills.

Mapping of Resources: The manual must include mapping of all relevant government and private departments to facilitate the trainees in identifying point of contact person for their advocacy campaigns and action plans.

Methodology & Format of Training:

1)      The consultant will be required to provide training manuals which are ready to use and attach all materials digital formats.

2)      The manuals must contain all training guidelines, timeframe for each session and exercises in order to help Master Trainers who then will use these manuals to cascade the training at community level.

3)      The training manuals must include pictures, illustrations, questions and case studies to make it interesting and easy to grasp for the targeted audience.

Training Manual on ‘Leadership & Advocacy Skills for Social Accountability’  

Objectives:

·         Enhance the capacities of Faith/social leaders and CBOs from selected UCs of District Peshawar & Umerkot in the areas of climate change, community-based strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, disaster risk reduction and climate advocacy.

·         Equipping them with the deeper understanding and concepts of leadership, advocacy tools and influencing strategies. 

·         Increase knowledge on key issues concerning the well-being and livelihood of communities such as women, men and transgender that is being affected due to climate change and absence of climate mitigate strategies.

·         Provide in-depth knowledge on Right to Information and Transparency Laws passed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces so the Faith//Social leaders and CBOs can use these tools to initiate advocacy campaigns addressing issues related to climate change, natural or man-made disasters, un-availability of WASH facilities and Tree Plantation drives at UC level.

·         Facilitate the process for Faith/Social leaders and CBOs (both male & female) and draft action plans to address those challenges at the end of each workshop.

·         Help the trainees to determine the existing level of service delivery at the UC level concerning climate change, mitigation and adaptation, tree plantation and CR WASH and district level disaster response services and their effectiveness.

·         Prepare trainees to serve as community leaders and establish community-led monitoring platforms by building liaison with the duty bearers at UC level.

Topics to be Covered: Leadership Skills, Advocacy Tools, Campaigns and Awareness Raising Influencing Strategies, Mapping and Effective Usage of Social Accountability tools e.g. Sindh Transparency and RTI Act-2016 and Transparency Laws passed in KP Government, Govt led Helplines or Complaint redress mechanisms, Impacts of Climate Change on district Peshawar & Umerkot.

Mapping of Resources: The manual must include mapping of all relevant government and private departments to facilitate the trainees in identifying point of contact person for their advocacy campaigns and action plans.

Methodology & Format of Training:

4)       The consultant will be required to provide training manuals which are ready to use and attach all materials in print and digital formats.

5)       The manuals must contain all training guidelines, timeframe for each session and exercises in order to help the facilitators who then will use these manuals to cascade the training at community level.

6)       The training manuals must include pictures, illustrations, questions and case studies to make it interesting and easy to grasp.

Training Manual  on ‘Community Leadership Training on Climate Change Advocacy, Food Security and Climate Mitigation Strategies’                                                   

Objective:

·         Increasing awareness of Master Trainers comprising Faith Leaders, Social Leaders and CBOs on climate change, its impacts on citizens, marginalized communities, climate resilience and response, disaster preparedness, natural resource management,  and climate friendly practices.

·         Provide in-depth knowledge to targeted groups on impacts of climate change in district Umerkot and Peshawar and helping the trainees to identify the issues concerning their well-being for those affected by climate change and DRR (especially within the context of COVID-19 and other humanitarian crisis in the provinces).

·         Improve the existing knowledge of CBDRM approach at communal level.

·         Introducing trainees with key institutes and providing them information related to complaint mechanisms.

·         Provide in-depth knowledge on Local Government Acts (Sindh & KP) and how community based groups can use these channels and resources to initiate advocacy campaigns addressing issues related to Cultural Cohesion, Understanding of diversity, climate change, natural or man-made disasters.

Topics to be covered: Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigation Strategies through Faith-Based approach, climate change and its Impacts on Women and other marginalized group members i.e PWDs, Transgender etc, Climate-Resilience and its effects on livelihood, Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management, Safe WASH Services, Impacts of Climate Change and DRR in district Peshawar & Umer Kot for WASH Services improvement.

Mapping of Resources: The manual must include mapping of all relevant government departments in Sindh & KP, private initiatives/sector partners such as DDMA, PDMA, Water and Sanitation Services Providers, Agriculture extension, livestock department, Forest Department, Water Management bodies, Health Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on a Status of Women (KPCSW), Academia, to facilitate the trainees in identifying the resources for their coordination and facilitation to complete their action plans.

Methodology & Format of Training:

1)      The consultant will be required to provide training manuals which are ready to use and attach all materials in print and digital formats.

2)      The manuals must contain all training guidelines, timeframe for each session and exercises in order to help Master Trainers who then will use these manuals to cascade the training at community level.

3)     The training manuals must include pictures, illustrations, questions and case studies to make it interesting and easy to grasp for the targeted audience.

Scope of Deliverables                                                                  

·         The purpose of the consultancy will be to provide a training framework for the selected community members. Therefore, it will be ensured that the manuals are comprehensible and localized. The development of the training manual will take into account the local context; especially focusing on climate related problems, adaptation and mitigation strategies, and the need for collective action and shared accountability.

·         The potential consultant will provide the comprehensive desk review of all available resources, mapping of stakeholders, key players, departments and NGOs, private firms who have already taken such initiatives.

·         The consultant will develop the training manuals in English first for review and approval. Then the consultant will be required to translate the manuals into Urdu and Sindhi language. The translation and proofreading of the Urdu and Sindhi translations will be carried out by the consultant. The manuals will be provided in hard copies by the consultant.

·         The manual must include pre and post training-assessment questionnaires to evaluate the learning outcomes of trainees.

·         All training resources, including power point presentations, videos, documentaries, case studies shall be provided in both print and digital formats at the completion of assignment.

·         A pretest of the manual will be carried out and essential changes will be incorporated in case there is any change required.

·    Content of manual will be agreed mutually prior to development of content.