Plan International Zambia
Plan International Zambia
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INVITATION FOR CONSULTANCY
9th September, 2019
CONSULTANCY FOR FACILITATION OF THE TRADITIONAL LEADERS SHARING & LEARNING REGIONAL WORKSHOP, AND PRODUCTION OF A PUBLICATION ON TRADITIONAL LEADERS BEST PRACTICES ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE AND TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN EASTERN & SOUTHERN AFRICA
Plan International invites the public for Consultancy for the facilitation of the Traditional Leaders Sharing & Learning regional workshop, and Production of a Publication on Traditional Leaders Best Practices on Ending Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy in Eastern & Southern Africa as per Terms of Reference (ToRs)
Background
Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) is a grave violation of children’s rights and a fundamental impediment to human development. It has particularly adverse effects on girls, curtailing their education, violating their sexual and reproductive health and rights, limiting their autonomy and placing them at increased risk of violence.
The 2017 UNICEF data show a historic drop in child marriage rates globally, confirming that progress is possible in the fight against this harmful practice. While global trends are encouraging with 25 million child marriages averted in the last decade, some regional and national situations are worrying. 1 in 3 of most recently married child brides are now in sub-Saharan Africa, compared to 1 in 5 a decade ago, indicating that the global burden of child marriage is shifting to sub-Saharan Africa, which is deeply a source of critical concern.
In an effort to reverse these global and regional trends, Plan International Country offices housed in the Region of Eastern and Southern Africa have been very instrumental in implementing multi-pronged interventions, strategies and programmes to address child marriage with collaboration with various stakeholders such as governments, line ministries, health institutions, parents, youth groups, champions of change, opinion formers, religious leaders and community leaders such as chiefs/ Chieftainesses, Head persons, elders and other traditional leaders.
2.0 About the 18+ Centre of Excellence on Ending Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy in Eastern and Southern Africa
Plan International established the 18+ Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Ending Child Marriage and teenage pregnancy in Eastern and Southern Africa (hosted in Zambia) in 2018. The 18+ CoE is a hub for shared services, providing expertise for programming and evidence-based influencing to end (CEFM) and teenage pregnancy (TP) in Eastern and Southern Africa. Services provided to Plan International Country Offices and partner organisations (COs) include; capacity building training & mentorship, programme/project design support, networking/sharing & learning, monitoring, evaluation and research (MER) support & documentation, as well as influencing /advocacy support
3.0 The 18+ strengthening civil society to end child marriage in Eastern and Southern Africa Sub – Regional Project
The Goal of the 18+ strengthening civil society to end child marriage in Eastern and Southern Africa project is to make a contribution to gender equality and the self-determination of women and girls by ending child marriage and early pregnancies in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The project is being implemented by Plan International country offices for, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique in collaboration with the following partner organizations: Girls Empowerment Network (GENET) in Malawi, Women In Social Entrepreneurship (WISE) in Tanzania, Simukai Child Protection Programme (Simukai) in Zimbabwe, and Mansa District Women Development Association (DWA) in Zambia aim to end child marriage by raising awareness amongst and increasing engagement with traditional figures of authority to address the harmful practice. The sub-regional is coordinated by the 18+ CoE and funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Development Cooperation (BMZ)
Consultancy Assignment One
4.1 Facilitation of the 18+ Regional Traditional Leaders Sharing and Learning Meeting, 1 – 3rd October, 2019, Lira, Uganda
Having identified how traditional/cultural norms and practices drive child marriage in the region, 18+ found it necessary to engage the custodians of cultural practices in the communities. In partnership with Women for Change, a Zambian NGO in 2015, the 18+ Programme engaged the SADC Council of Traditional Leaders on their role in ending child marriage in 2014. This was the first time the SADC Council of Traditional Leaders were meeting with the sole purpose of discussing the issue of ending child marriage. This culminated into, the development of a declaration stipulating commitments and actions to be undertaken upon return to their various countries.
The outcome of this engagement is the commitment that some traditional leaders in the 18+ Programme participating countries have shown to honour their declarations by abolishing the practice in their chiefdoms and dissolving child marriages. Therefore, traditional leaders have among other measures introduced by laws to ban child marriage in their chiefdoms and are championing changes in social norms and practices that drive child marriage
In 2017 the 18+ Programme held a follow up workshop in Lilongwe Malawi to review progress made in implementation of the 2014 traditional leaders’ declaration to end child marriage. This meeting included a field exposure visit to renowned Chieftainess Kachindamoto’s chiefdom where participants had on the ground learning experience. The review meeting ended with another progressive declaration been developed and adopted by traditional leaders.
In line with its mandate the 18+ CoE, through the 18+ Strengthening Civil Society to End Child Marriage in Eastern and Southern Africa project, a third traditional leaders sharing and learning meeting has been arranged to take place from 1- 3rd October in Uganda.
The expected outcome of this meeting is a compilation of best practices by traditional leaders in their work to end CEFM and teenage pregnancy.
Specific workshop objectives include:
- Review progress in implementation of the 2017 Malawi declaration on ending child marriage
- Exposing traditional leaders to the User Guide on SADC Model Law on Ending Child
- Marriage and protecting those already in marriage, and orienting them on how they can use it to end the vice in their chiefdoms as well as to advocate for its adoption by their respective governments.
- Enabling traditional leaders to share and learn from best practices arising from their work on ending child
- Exposing traditional leaders to AU’s 2nd phase campaign on Ending Child Marriages
- To share existing by-laws developed in various chiefdoms for learning purposes and;
- Review of the Lilongwe declaration (Declaration in Annex), Feedback on milestones achieved to meet the Lilongwe declaration and develop an agreement of actions/interventions and key advocacy messages to take forward to their respective countries and chiefdoms
Expected workshop outcomes include;
- Clear understanding of the extent of the problem of child marriage, Female genital mutilation and teenage pregnancies in the representing countries
- Thorough orientation on best practices, lessons learnt, existing by laws in the region
- Agreed common actions/interventions and key advocacy messages to take forward to their respective countries and chiefdoms
- Develop a compilation of Traditional Leaders’ best practices in ending CEFM, teenage pregnancy, and FGM/C.
- Develop targeted IEC materials on the participation and obligations of Traditional
- Leaders and distribute at events at the AU level
4.2 Specific Deliverables
- Provide detailed guidance to Country Offices in the region in the identification of traditional leaders’ best practices in ending CEFM work. This includes the development of a clear methodology for the process.
- Facilitating (using participatory methodologies) the three-day (1st – 3rd Oct) sharing and learning workshop to refine and complete the pre-workshop documented draft best practices (case stories)
- Finalise (following up with country offices for any additional information requirements) and edit best practices, case stories, lessons learnt, on traditional leaders’ ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy work.
- Copy editing, graphical designing and laying out of the Traditional Leaders’ best practices on ending CEFM publication into ready to print format, in line with Plan International’s global brand.
- In consultation with Plan International review draft publication and incorporate feedback from country offices, agree on style, graphics and overall design of the publication.
- Submit high quality graphically designed ready to print publication to Plan international in agreed formats
- Ensuring deadlines established for this process are respected.
- A powerpoint presentation for supporting the promotion of the publication with talking points.
5.0 Consultancy Assignment Two
5.1 Production of a Model Chiefdom By-Law on Ending Child Marriage
Over the past four years Traditional leaders in Eastern and Southern Africa have taken an active role in the fight against child marriage in their chiefdoms. Majority of them have developed community grassroot strategies to end the vice such as by-laws on ending child marriage. There is growing interest among traditional leaders in the chief to develop Chiefdom by-laws on ending child marriage. The 18+ CoE therefore, would like to provide guidance to traditional leaders by developing a Chiefdom Model By-law on ending child marriage that is based on best practices as well as national, regional, and international frameworks on ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy. The Chiefdom Model By-law will act as a reference document for traditional leaders as they embark on processes of developing by-laws that are centered on children and girls rights, the best interest of the child, and in line with the laws of the land.
Specific Deliverables
- Develop a clear work plan and methodology for the assignment
- Review existing chiefdom by laws in the region to identify commonalities and best practices
- Draft the model by-law based on commonalities across the region and in line with children and girls rights, the best interest of the child, and regional mechanisms to end child marriage
- Share draft document and address comments from reviewers
- Copy editing, graphical designing and laying out of the Chiefdom Model By-laws on ending CEFM into ready to print format, in line with Plan International’s global brand
- A powerpoint presentation for supporting the promotion of the publication with talking points.
- Ensuring deadlines established for this process are respected
6.0 Budget
The facilitator must submit a budget proposal for the entire process, indicating a daily rate and the specific activities to be undertaken each day. The budget proposal must also include costs for copy editing, design and layout of the aforementioned publications as well as any expected reimbursable costs. Plan International will cover costs for flights, meals and accommodation
7.0 Ethics and Safeguarding children/Young People
It is understood and agreed that the facilitator shall, during and after, the effective period of the contract treat as confidential and not divulge, unless authorized in writing by the Plan International, any information obtained in the course of the performance of the Contract.
The ethics process will ensure compliance with:
- The requirements of Plan International’s safeguarding Children and Young people Policy and Implementing Standards.
- Plan International’s Research Policy and Standards in relation to: informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality and anonymity; steps to minimize discomfort and harm, including intervention and support; feedback of study findings to participants/communities; participation of children under 18 years, and appropriate safety measures for researchers.
SELECTION CRITERIA OF CONSULTANT/S
The following are the attributes of a suitable consultant/s
Chiefdom Model By-law: Higher qualifications ( master’s degree from a reputable institution) in Law with an emphasis on law drafting
Knowledge of child marriage and regional measures on ending child marriage in Eastern & Southern Africa
Strong knowledge of children’s and girls rights as well as international ending child marriage framework.
Experience working with virtual teams
Excellent English communication skills
Traditional Leaders Best Practices: Higher qualifications ( master’s degree from a reputable institution) in communication for development, journalism and experience in stories for transformation change
Experience in facilitating and documenting/publishing social development best practices (case stories) for development organizations
Experience working with virtual teams and traditional leaders
Strong workshop facilitation skills and ability to adapt methodologies to suit the cultural context
Excellent English communication skills
9.0 Timelines
The assignment is expected to take place during September – December 2019, and up to 21 days are estimated for its completion. The work can be done on a full-time or part-time basis, and by one consultant or a team of consultants. Work can be conducted at a distance with regular calls/meetings with Plan International. Calls and meetings between Plan International and the consultant(s) will be scheduled in the work plan to monitor and support the advancement of the work.
The following indicative timetable can be discussed and partly adjusted depending on availability:
Requirements and Mandatory Submissions
Profile of the Consultant – The successful consultant or team of consultants must have the following qualifications:
- C.V of the consultant(s), highlighting relevant experience and qualifications.
- Cover letter outlining understanding of the assignment and suggested approach.
- Cost proposal, including daily rate of all consultants, and proposed timeline.
- Offers must be received by 17:00hrs on Wednesday 18th September 2019.
Shortlisted suppliers may be invited to discuss their proposals in more detail at Plan’s discretion. Plan International Zambia shall be free to accept none of the proposals and or republish this Request for Quotations.
However, all Consultancy Documents submitted via email will be accepted at: [email protected]
For any queries before submission: [email protected] or [email protected]