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medica mondiale e.V.
About medica mondiale
medica mondiale e.V. is a non-governmental organisation based in Cologne, Germany. As a feminist women’s rights and aid organisation medica mondiale supports women and girls in war and crisis zones throughout the world. Through own programmes and in cooperation with local women’s organisations we offer holistic support to women and girl survivors of sexualised and gender-based violence. Furthermore, we cooperate with our partners in the areas of prevention of SGBV and in feminist action. 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 is working in Northern Iraq/Kurdistan, in Afghanistan, in West Africa/Mano River Region, in Southeast Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia and Croatia) as well as in the Central African Great Lakes Region.
Call for Expressions of Interest:
Consultants (2) for the Development of the regional strategy “Southeast Europe”
medica mondiale e.V. International Programmes Department
Terms of reference (Date: 31/05/2023)
Context
medica mondiale’s three strategic fields of action are (1) prevention of sexualised and gender-based violence (SGBV), (2) response to SGBV and support for survivors, and (3) strengthening of feminist action. We are active in four geographical regions each with (post-)conflict contexts: Southeast Europe, Mano River Region/West Africa, the Great Lakes Region, and Afghanistan and Iraq. We apply a regional focus in our International Programmes work as it enables us to address interlinkages of conflicts and their respective impacts beyond national borders, promote cross-border learning, and scale up the impact we can achieve. In Germany we support the work of our partners by carrying out public relations and advocacy work as well as fundraising measures.
Information on medica mondiale activities in the region “Southeast Europe”:
Together with currently ten partner organisations with running projects we implement eight projects and activities in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia.[1]
For the development of our five-year regional strategy for the medica mondiale focus region “Southeast Europe” 2024-2028 the International Programmes Department of medica mondiale is looking for two experienced consultants with expertise in the region as well as in international cooperation.
The two consultants will work as a tandem, jointly facilitating the development of the regional strategy in close collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, i.e. national and regional partner organisations and international actors, based on sound intersectional feminist values and in a power-conscious co-creative manner.
This development process is taking place simultaneously and in close exchange and coordination in all four focus regions.
Strategic fields of action
1) Preventing violence against women
In order to effectively prevent sexualised violence, we need to recognize, question and change the structures and narratives that discriminate based on gender. We educate and inform about sexualised wartime violence; we raise awareness of how the causes and consequences of sexualised violence are similar around the world. We exercise political influence. State and political institutions can play a great role in the prevention of violence. We actively demand protection and legislative equality for women in conflict and post-conflict regions. Our programmes ensure that women and girls have access to protected spaces. They gain access to knowledge, education, training and property, allowing women and girls to expand their scope for action and to resist violence.
(2) Supporting survivors of SGBV
Women and girls who have survived rape and torture require protection, care, solidarity and trained contact points. The support our partner organisations offer directly to survivors includes psychosocial, medical, legal and economic assistance. Together with local women’s organisations and activists, we build up community-based women’s support groups, protection networks and referral systems for survivors of sexualized violence. We provide training courses for civil society and government institutions on how to encounter women affected by
violence in a stress- and trauma-sensitive manner.
(3) Strengthening of feminist action
A strong feminist civil society plays a decisive role in promoting gender justice. For our partner organisations, we help to secure resources and spaces that enable them to enhance their structures, strategies and networks. We call for protection and empowerment of women’s rights defenders and advocate politically for their independence and resilience. In order to strengthen the interests of our organisation and our partners, we actively work together with feminist stakeholders worldwide.
Purpose and Objectives of Assignment
Objective of the assignment
The key expected outcome of the consultancy is to develop a regional strategy based on an intersectional feminist approach.
The strategy will span five years and follow the three strategic fields of action. It will include an action, and a financial plan for its implementation as well as a monitoring and review plan. The strategy will be developed in a co-creative and power-sensitive way, with involvement of internal and external stakeholders and partners from the region and beyond.
Scope of Work
1. Inception Phase – An inception report is prepared by the consultants’ team after reviewing relevant documentation and the clarification of the assignment in a workshop on regional level (tbd). Preparation of an inception report until end of July 2023.
2. Data Collection phase: 1) Desk review and analysis on relevant topics and structures (partly outlined under tasks), and 2) Field Research/Interviews with key resource persons (internal and external), relevant stakeholders/ institutions; focus-group discussions with colleagues from partner organizations, and others, as defined during the inception phase.
3. Analysis and regional strategy development phase in co-creation with selected internal and external stakeholders (identified during the first two phases) including knowledge exchange and learning with the other 3 regional teams.
4. Presentation and launch of the strategy in a joint workshop in April 2024.
Tasks
1. Writing an inception report, including the proposed detailed methodology for the strategy development process, following a co-creative approach (to be clearly outlined in the inception report). The report template will be provided by medica mondiale.
2. Presentation of the regional approach in a medica mondiale kick-off workshop with the mm Management-Team on 17 August 2023 (in Cologne and hybrid).
3. Compile a desk review/ contextual analysis, analysing the geopolitical, economic, legal, women and human rights and social situation in the region with a focus on gender (in-)equalities through an intersectional feminist lens.
4. Workshop facilitation with Extended Strategy Steering Team (ESST) including the strategy development teams of the other three focus regions of medica mondiale, for exchange, discussion, validation of findings
5. Field Research/Interviews: Collecting data including field and secondary research on key issues identified in the desk study phase, ranging from i) SGBV – prevalence; legal, policy and institutional environment; prevention; protection and access to justice; and ii) political and social participation of women, girls, and LGBTQI+ persons.
6. Mapping of the intersectional feminist, LGBTQI+ and women right’s landscape including, but not limited to the medica mondiale networks/partnership landscapes on national and regional levels (international, national and private institutions, (I)NGOs and umbrellas, activists and platforms, political parties and politicians, including male role models and allies).
7. Reflecting and analysing the strengths and opportunities of medica mondiale in the different feminist, women rights and LGBTQI+ movements, clarifying the current and potential future role and mandate under consideration of the mm multi-level approach based on the mapping. Facilitation of workshops in collaboration with medica mondiale and selected external partners and stakeholders as defined per co-creative approach.
8. Prepare and facilitate regional strategy development workshops with internal and external actors to identify new potential partners, analyse their strengths for feminist action and clarifying potential synergies with medica mondiale.
9. Develop ideas/proposals on how the work of feminist actors can be strengthened within and across national borders to achieve greater impact in the region.
10. Prepare and participate in exchange/steering meetings with other regional teams and colleagues from various medica mondiale departments for reflection and feedback.
11. Provide regular updates on the implementation status of the consultancy and presentation of (preliminary) results in the different strategy development phases.
12. Writing up/finalizing the regional strategy with reference to the overall strategy of medica mondiale and incorporating feedback.
13. Presentation of the regional strategy in a joint event with relevant stakeholders.
Deliverables
· Inception report: Concept for a co-creative development process of the regional strategy incl. detailed work plan, methodology and tools.
· Documentation of regular updates on the implementation status of the consultancy and (preliminary) results (frequency, format and template to be defined and where possible harmonised with other development teams).
· Final regional strategy document (deadline tbd).
Place of work
Deskwork; field research in the region and in Germany
Qualifications of the two consultants
· Identifying with medica mondiale’s values
· Demonstrated conceptual knowledge of feminist theory and practises in the context of sexualised and gender-based (war time/conflict related) violence and feminist action
· Theoretical and practical experiences in working on SGBV in conflict/post conflict
· Knowledge of and experience in the regional or national context in the region
· Experience in strategy development, ideally regional/country strategy
· Excellent skills in data collection and data analysis, interview, focus groups design and implementation, mapping etc.
· Knowledge and understanding of medica mondiale’s stress and trauma sensitive approach® (STA®) is an asset, willingness to familiarise and apply such an approach a precondition
· Ability to work in diverse international teams and experience in co-creative / participatory processes
· Conceptual, analytical, and problem-solving skills
Qualifications of consultant with expertise in international cooperation
In addition to the above the following should be demonstrated
· Practical experience in/with the German/European/International Development Cooperation landscape
· High language level of English (speaking, understanding, reading and writing), further language skills relevant for the region and respective countries would be an asset (Dari, Kurdish, Arabic).
Qualifications of the consultant with regional expertise
· Same as above plus
· Working experience in the region and with (regional) institutions/actors
· Extensive feminist network in the region/country/-ies of the region is a strong asset
· Understanding of feminist movement/landscape in region
· Language skills, English as common language; further language skills relevant for the region and respective countries would be an asset (Dari, Arabic, Kurdish)
Suggested timeframe
01 July 2023 – April 2024
Preliminary Time Table
Tentative Timetable for the consultancy. Deadlines to be revised during inception phase. The highlighted deadlines should be met, as other processes in the implementation of the programme depend on them.
Date
Activity
Participants
Locality
31 July 2023
I. Inception phase and report
Consultants and medica mondiale
September -December 2023
II. Data collection, analysis and conception phase
Consultants with support of medica mondiale
Desk review, field research, workshops etc.
January and February 2024
III. Writing Phase
Consultants
End of February 2024
Deadline for the draft of the regional stra
tegy
Consultants
End of March 2024
IV. Delivery of the final regional strategy
Consultants
How to apply
We welcome applications of tandems as well as of individuals for one of the two positions (see section qualifications). Submission of EoI including your updated CV, technical and financial proposal, and links to three meaningful and relevant previous assignments or work (kindly send as one pdf document) by Sunday, 18 June 2023 to [email protected]. Subject: “Application consultant team/individual RS SEE” (please indicate if you apply as team or individual). Please note that we may contact and invite prospective candidates to interviews before the application deadline in order to facilitate an ongoing selection process.
The available budget is EUR 45,000.00 for the tandem incl. necessary travels and accommodation. Further information on medica mondiale and our projects can be found on our website: medicamondiale.org
[1] Further information on medica mondiale and our projects in SEE can be found on our website: https://medicamondiale.org/en/where-we-empower-women/southeastern-europe