Terms of Reference

VSO 

ACTIVE (Active Citizens through Inclusive Volunteering and Empowerment) 

Concept note for preparing ToT Manual and capacity building on GIEN and Girls leadership and right based advocacy for promoting of girls and inclusive education at school level.

1.  Background 

VSO is the world’s leading independent, international development organization that works through blend of community, national and international volunteers. VSO is working in Nepal since 1964 to improve the lives of impoverished people, particularly focusing on marginalized groups, vulnerable women and girls. We believe that people are the key to overcoming poverty, and that is why we work through Volunteering for Development Approach that people are empowered, public services are inclusive and accessible and decisions makers are held to account. 

VSO is implementing  ACTIVE (Active Citizens through Inclusive Volunteering and Empowerment) project which is funded by FCDO. The project aims to contribute in developing more inclusive, open, resilient, and gender equitable societies by making positive contribution in resilient livelihoods (promotion of agro-ecology and Right to Food Advocacy and its localization), health (equitable and accessible health systems strengthening), inclusive education (and youth (engagement and leadership). This multi year project works with both CSO and Government level platforms and mechanisms. 

Inclusive education is core theme of this initiative as increased access to inclusive and quality education for girls is one of the prominent pre-requisites to promote gender equality and empowerment.  Education gives women and girls the opportunity to access social, economic, and political opportunities which enables them to demonstrate their meaningful presence in decision making and leadership roles at home, community, and nation building. Girls face barriers to education broadly because they are trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, harmful socio-cultural norms and practices, violence and violation, poor infrastructure, and lack of agency.  Among many issues related to attainment of inclusive quality education for girls, access, safety, life skills and career moves are important aspects. 

Mechanisms and structures like child clubs, youth clubs and various groups for girls and young people are present in Nepal, however, they have not organized for collective action to attain inclusive and quality education. In this context, Girls, and Inclusive Education Network (GIEN) has emerged as a key catalyst and loose forum which consists of girls, youth, and adult members as representatives from a range of stakeholders at school, municipality, provincial and federal levels with core agenda of promoting inclusive education including specific needs of women and girls and adverse impacts of climate change and disaster. 

GIEN is important as it provides marginalized girls with localized support through a peer mentoring model. Since volunteers often share the same background and lived experience, they can offer both support and motivation to these marginalized girls. It is envisioned to be developed as a female-led network so has the unique potential to become a catalyst within the education landscape by activating school-based Girls and Inclusive Education Networks (GIEN) in schools and different layers of government. The network is designed to align closely with Government of Nepal’s (GoN) policies and priorities outlined in the School Education Sector Plan 2021, especially regarding the creation of gender networks ensuring GoN’s ownership in sustaining these endeavors. 

As in other projects, even in ACTIVE VSO has been promoting and supporting Girls and Inclusive Education Network (GIEN) in leadership of Centre for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD) of GoN as one of the focused sustainability along with embedded actions.  Through this network, marginalized girls are being empowered to lobby with the local authorities, influence policies, promote girls’ rights to education, protection and safeguarding, reduce gender-based violence (GBV) and challenge harmful social norms and practices. GIEN has also played important role in strengthening complaint response mechanisms (CRM) at school level. School level GIEN is a key platform to enable these girls and marginalized children to raise their concerns at various tiers of GIEN as well as in school and local governance mechanisms. 

In this context, in order to strengthen school level GIEN platform capacity building initiative has been planned under ACTIVE to promote the concept of ACTIVE citizenship building process. 

2.  Objectives 

The overall objective of this assignment is to strengthen school level GIEN interventions. Specific objectives of the assignment are as follows: 

• Develop common understanding on procedures of GIEN formation and its role in promoting gender equality and inclusive education. 
• Enhance facilitation skills required to raise awareness on rights, gender equalities, roles in promoting of girls and inclusive education and challenge the harmful practices
• Develop skills to act as catalyst to enhance capacity of big sisters/right holders for enabling them to claim their rights to education with clarity on concepts RBA approaches and its obligations: to respect, protect and fulfil every right. 
• Enhance knowledge on concepts of promoting rights to school (PRS) and supports links between programme work at the school level and advocacy and policy efforts in Palika and province levels.

3.  Expected Outputs/deliverables 

• Deliverable 1:  Development of Training Manual on GIEN, Girls Leadership and Right Based Advocacy for promoting gender responsive and inclusive education in Nepali. 
  • Prepare draft training manual based on agreed framework in consultation with concerned VSO team members. 
  • Pre-test the manual in the Training of Trainers (ToT) event
  • Finalization of the manual based on the insights of ToT
• Deliverable 2: Organize Training of Trainers for 26 participants. 
  • Organize and coordinate Training of Trainers with effective facilitation and execution of training sessions based on draft Training Manual, presentation slides for all session.
  • Logistics of the event will be managed by the consultant and VSO Partners can support in identification of the participants. 
  • Provide required document/materials, resources/training materials to participants (both in Hard and Soft Copy)
  • Conduct pre and post test
  • Prepare event report
  • Post-Test, report generation and quality assurance of ToT and resources/training manual. Submission of training event report. 

4.  Scope and geographical coverage 

Training Manual will be prepared and pre-tested in the Training of Trainers with Approximately 26 participants from Bara and Parsa. Participants of the training mostly will be big sisters, community volunteers, social mobilizers and field-based team members actively engaged in strengthening capacity of school level GIEN members. In some instances, Gender Focal Teachers coordinating GIEN and other influential leaders can also be identified as the participants of the training.

4.1  Details of participants

4.3  Preferred venue and date for the training 

The proposed venue for conducting ToT is Chapur of Rautahat in the Second-third week of March 2023.

5.  VSO’s responsibilities

VSO will provide/facilitate following:

• Provide technical insights on the framework of Training Manual 
• Coordination with partners for identification of relevant participants for the Training of Trainers
• Provide inputs for finalization of training sessions and facilitation of some sessions as required. 
• Provide inputs for finalization of the Training Manual in coordination with CeHRD
• Consultancy fee as per agreement and release instalments as mentioned in agreement. 

6.  Consultant's responsibilities 

The selected consultant/s will have following responsibilities: 

• Coordinate with project team both in Kathmandu and field for preparation of manual and TOT
• Coordinate, facilitate and logistics management of one event of Training of Trainers preferably in Bara with 26 participants (Bara: 13 and Parsa: 13) 
• Prepare event report and submit with final settlement document.
• Finalize Training Manual and submission.

7.  Required qualifications and experience

Following qualifications and experience is required for consultant (if any individual is applying) or assigned person (if any firm/company is applying);

• At least (minimum) two thematic experts (team leader preferably with facilitation expertise and manual content writer) in a team. One of which should have expertise in Inclusive Education and expertise on gender equality and rights-based approach promotion. 
• At least; Master/Bachelors' Degree in Social Science, Development Studies, or in any relevant subjects. 
• Demonstrated experience in developing/conducting Training Manual, Training and Report.  
• Strong verbal, writing and oral communication skills in English and Nepali language including document's language proof reading. 
• Coordination and team working skills. 

8. Consultancy Period, Time Frame, Travel and Placement

The assignment should be completed within 25 of March 2023. In this context, the recommended timeline is as follows: 

8.1  Time Frame

• The total time of this consulting work is 15 days. The time period for the assignment will start from the date of agreement signing and need to be completed by 25 March 2023.  The applicant form/ consultants need to calculate all required days and experts being within the limitation of provided scope. There could be engagement of multiple experts/facilitators which needs to be clearly mentioned in the technical proposal. 

8.2 Consultancy Period 

• Training manual development-10 days 
• ToT Preparation-2 days 
• ToT Delivery-2 Days 
• Final Report Preparation-1 day 
• Total tentative days planning: 15 Days 

8.3  Travel Arrangement

• The consultant will travel to field for facilitation and arrangement of ToT event in Rautahat, Chapur. 
• Travel and accommodation will be incorporated in the remuneration package -and need to be cover by consultant which needs to be clearly mentioned in the proposal.

9.  Intellectual property and data protection

The training manual will be VSO’s property. VSO’s communications and branding related provisions will be applied. The consultancy team will ensure required mechanisms for data protection as per consultation with VSO team members. 

10.  Safeguarding and Protection 

The consultant will be bound by VSO’s safeguarding policy. It is important that the successful bidder has taken all reasonable measures to mitigate any potential risk to the delivery of the required outputs for this evaluation and safeguarding of any stakeholders and primary actors involved. 

11.  Reporting and supervisory support

The consultant/s will complete the deliverable with the technical guidance of GIEN Technical Lead of VSO or assigned team member at VSO. The consultant will be required to submit the regular progress report during the consultancy period summarizing activities/tasks completed to date. 

12.  Language of the reports  

The consultant/s need to prepare manual in Nepali. The training manual will be prepared in Nepali with two pager summary note in English. VSO expects final proof-read copies of these deliverables. 

13.  Budget Planning 

13.1 Budget for Consultancy Service 

A.   Manual Development Cost for 'Girls Leadership and RBA training for promoting of girls and Inclusive Education'

Budget/cost must include:

• Thematic Expert, ToT 
• Facilitation Cost, 
• ToT Facilitation Preparation, 
• ToT Facilitation, Documentation and Reporting, 
• Local Travel and Coordination and Document Printing Cost, 
• Air Fare, 
• Other costs (If required)

B.  Girls Leadership and RBA training for promoting of girls and Inclusive Education TOT (2 days - Residential)

Rautahat, Chapur - 19-20 March 2023

Budget/cost must include:

• Stationary for participants – 26 participants (13 from Bara and 13 from Rautahat)
• Food Package with residential programme for 26 participants
• Hall Rent (If applicable)
• Training Materials for 26 participants
• Training Handbook/Photocopy
• Local Travel for participants: 13 nos from Bara and 13 nos from Rautahat 
• Projector charge

14.  Application Procedure

Consultants are required to submit the following: 

• A cover letter explaining the applicant’s interest and suitability.
• Technical proposal which includes objectives and method with detailed timeline.
• CVs of professional personnel proposed (at per the team requirement  as mentioned in section 6). 
• Copy of company registration certificate.
• Copy of PAN/VAT registration certificate.
• Financial Proposal in as a separate document.
• In case of individual/freelancer- Copy of VAT registration certificate is must.
• Latest Tax Clearance Certificate FY 2078/79.

Proposals must be submitted to an email: Procurement.nepal@vsoint.org by 26th February 2023.