RFP for Consultant- Development of Training Module on Safe and Meaningful Political Participation and Representation of LGBTIQ+ Communities and facilitate TOT

Terms of Reference (TOR) for Development of Training Module on Safe and Meaningful Political Participation and Representation of LGBTIQ+ Communities and facilitate TOT.

Project: Promoting Rights, Inclusion, Dignity and Enhanced Political Participation of LGBITQ+ Individuals in Nepal (PRIDE).

1. Introduction of the organization

Blue Diamond Society (BDS) is the first community-led and community-driven non-governmental organization established in 2001 under the Government of Nepal’s Cooperative Act 2034. BDS is committed to creating a society where Gender and Sexual Minorities (GSM) can live with equal rights, freedom, dignity, and full opportunities. The organization works to address human rights violations, inequality, stigma, and discrimination faced by GSM communities. It also advocates for improved access to education, political participation, employment, and healthcare services, including HIV and AIDS and STI prevention, as well as care and treatment for GSM people. BDS has made important progress in advancing equality, dignity, and recognition of GSM communities in Nepal. However, meaningful participation of LGBTIQ+ persons in political processes and decision-making spaces remains limited due to persistent social stigma, discrimination, systematic structural barriers, and limited awareness, and less access of civic engagement and political rights.

BDS partnership with DCA implementing PRIDE: Promoting Rights, Inclusion, Dignity and Enhanced Political Participation of LGBTIQ+ Individuals in Nepal (PRIDE) project aims to identify and strengthen the pathways for LGBTIQ+ communities and their representative CSOs to engage with parliamentary committees, electoral bodies and political parties to address the identified challenges and increase LGBTIQ+ communities’ safe and dignified representation within the political processes and structures. PRIDE has adopted three interconnected strategic approaches: a) A focus on empowering LGBTIQ+ communities, their networks and other CSOs representing minority groups on civil and political rights. It facilitates peer mentoring to leverage lived experiences for the furtherance of shared objectives. This will provide a space LGBTIQ+ community can identify common areas of convergence and collaborate on joint advocacy, monitoring, and awareness campaigns. b) Generating a strong evidence base to enable CSO-led policy advocacy. Evidence will be collected in collaboration with Nepal Law Campus, National Election Observation Committee and by engaging members of youth LGBTIQ+ organizations. The findings can also be utilized amongst consortium members and the broader LGBTIQ+ networks to inform targeted advocacy campaigns beyond the Action. c) Strong interface with duty-bearers: The research findings will inform targeted capacity strengthening for state actors and political parties (including sister organizations) on LGBTIQ+ inclusion, fostering a more inclusive and enabling environment for political participation.

2. Objective of the Assignment

The overall objective of this consultancy is to develop a comprehensive training module on safe and meaningful political participation and representation of LGBTIQ+ communities that can be used for Training of Trainers (TOT) and local-level capacity-building initiatives.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Conduct a desk review of relevant national and international frameworks, including constitutional provisions, electoral policies, human rights instruments, and mechanisms related to civil and political rights and LGBTIQ+ inclusion.
• Carry out consultations with key stakeholders, including LGBTIQ+ community representatives, civil society organizations, human rights experts, and project partners.
• Identify key barriers and opportunities for LGBTIQ+ participation in political and civic processes.
• Develop a comprehensive training module/manual on safe and meaningful political participation and representation of LGBTIQ+ persons.
• Ensure the module includes participatory learning approaches, case studies, practical exercises, and contextual examples relevant to Nepal.
• Incorporate content related to human rights principles, civic engagement, advocacy, leadership, and protection mechanisms.
• Revise and finalize the training module based on feedback from the project team and relevant stakeholders.

4. Key Deliverables

The consultant will deliver the following outputs:

1. Inception Report outlining methodology, work plan, and outline of the training module.
2. Draft Training Module/Manual on safe and meaningful political participation and representation of LGBTIQ+ communities.
3. Facilitator’s Guide and Training Materials including presentations, exercises, and training tools.
4. Final Training Module incorporating feedback from stakeholders and the project team.
5. Facilitate 5 days TOT for selected participants from LGBTIQ+ community

Qualifications and Experience

The consultant should possess the following qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Human Rights, Political Science, Social Sciences, Law, or related fields.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in developing training manuals, curricula, or capacity-building materials related to human rights, governance, or civic engagement.
• Demonstrated knowledge and commitment of LGBTIQ+ rights, inclusion, and social justice issues.
• Familiarity with Nepal’s political system, legal frameworks, and civil society landscape.
• Experience working with civil society organizations and marginalized communities.
• Strong analytical, writing, and facilitation skills both in Nepali and English.

Click Here for detailed TOR

Interested consultancy organization / individual who meet the above requirement should apply with their technical and financial proposals (which also includes detailed methodology, a work plan, a budget and their CV) through the following link bds.jobs2012@gmail.com by 23 March 2026. The selection will be based on the combination of technical expertise, relevant experience and proposed budget.