Job Description

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy to Review, Contextualize and Revise the Evidence-Based Advocacy (EBA) Training Module

1. Background

1.1 About Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC)

Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC) is a Somali, women-led, non-governmental and non-profit civil society organization founded in Mogadishu in 1992 by a group of Somali women from across the community. SSWC is headquartered in Mogadishu and operates through offices in South and Central Somalia.

SSWC’s mission is to empower vulnerable Somali women and children to live in dignity. The organization works to overcome marginalization, violence and poverty by strengthening women’s voice, leadership and access to services, and by advocating for laws, policies and practices that uphold the rights of women and girls. As a women-centered organization, its programs are shaped by the needs and priorities of the women it serves, and it maintains established management, finance, safeguarding and program systems.

1.2 About the RWVL Somalia Project

The project’s ultimate outcome is increased enjoyment of human rights by women and girls in all their diversity and the advancement of gender equality across Somalia. It takes an integrated, feminist approach to strengthening the sustainability, programming and influence of WROs, WHRDs, YLOs, organizations of persons with disabilities and informal women’s groups – particularly those led by or serving IDPs, persons with disabilities and ethnic and clan minorities. The project is guided by feminist principles co-developed with Somali WROs, including “Nothing about or for WROs without WROs” and “WROs are experts.”

The Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership (RWVL) – Somalia project is part of Global Affairs Canada’s (GACs) flagship feminist RWVL Program, which provides long‑term, flexible support to local women’s rights organizations (WROs), LBTQI+ groups, and feminist movements to advance gender equality and protect the rights of women and girls. Implemented in partnership by Plan International Canada and Somalia, the Network Against Female Genital Mutilation (NAFIS), and Save Somalia Women and Children (SSWC), the RWVL – Somalia project supports approximately 65 local, regional, and national WROs, Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs), Youth‑Led Organizations (YLOs), and feminist networks across Somalia. Recognizing WROs and their networks as critical agents of change, the Program provides 1) institutional‑capacity strengthening, 2) addresses persistent funding gaps, and 3) supports feminist movement‑building. Emphasis is placed on organizations working in crisis‑ and conflict‑affected contexts and those serving structurally excluded groups, including women and girls with disabilities, Indigenous women and girls, and young feminists. Together, project partners aim to contribute to a vibrant, sustainable women’s rights movement that consolidates the voice, agency, and leadership of women and girls to influence policy and drive social change across Somalia.

1.3 Rationale for the Assignment

Under Outcome 1300, RWVL Somalia aims to increase the effectiveness of women’s rights platforms, networks and alliances to effect policy, legal and social change. A core part of this is strengthening the capacity of WROs, women’s rights networks and young women activists to generate evidence and carry out coordinated, evidence-based advocacy, including in crisis- and conflict-affected settings. The project aims to train 15 WROs, WHRDs and YLOs in EBA in the first phase and 30 over the life of the project. The consultant will review the findings of Activity 1311.1, which SSWC and NAFIS Network will share at the start of the assignment. If the assessment needs is still being finalized, the consultant will coordinate with the assessment team, use available preliminary findings clearly identified as such, and validate the implications with grantee partners; conducting or repeating the needs assessment is not part of this assignment. This assignment contributes to Immediate Outcome 1310 and Output 1311. Knowledge gained through the EBA training will be reported under PMF indicator 1310a: Total #/% of trained members of supported WROs, women’s rights networks and young women activists with adequate knowledge in evidence-based advocacy (by sex, age and disability), measured through pre- and post-training assessments. While the training target refers to organizations, indicator 1310a counts individual trained members.

Seven Influencing Grants have been awarded in Year 2 to support policy engagement and movement-building across Somalia. To support these partners, the Year 2 Annual Work Plan sets out a connected sequence of EBA activities:

The existing EBA module was developed for the WVL projects in Ethiopia and Ghana. It provides a valuable foundation, but it was not designed for Somalia. Somali advocates work within a federal system where the Federal Government, Federal Member States, customary (xeer) and religious institutions all shape policy and practice. Civic space is narrowing and becoming polarised ahead of the 2026/27 electoral process; insecurity, climate shocks and displacement affect where and how advocacy can take place; and WHRDs face real risks, including online harassment. The module must therefore be thoroughly contextualized – not simply edited – so that it is relevant, safe and practical for Somali women’s rights actors. The consultant will also develop the training materials that form part of the revised learning package under Activity 1311.2; Activity 1311.3 will use these materials to deliver the regional training.

2. Purpose and Intended Use

The purpose of this consultancy is to review the existing WVL EBA module and produce a contextualized, practical and user-friendly EBA learning package for Somalia, ready for use in RWVL Somalia training, coaching and advocacy planning.

The revised package will be used by:

3. Objectives

3.1 Overall Objective

To deliver a contextualized, validated and ready-to-use EBA learning package that strengthens the ability of Somali WROs, WHRDs, YLOs and women’s rights networks to generate and use evidence for safe, coordinated and effective advocacy, and to challenge structural barriers and unequal power relations affecting women and girls.

3.2 Specific Objectives

1. Assess the WVL Ethiopia and Ghana EBA module for relevance, technical accuracy, clarity, structure, accessibility and practical usefulness in the Somali context.
2. Using the findings of the EBA capacity needs assessment (Activity 1311.1), identify content that is missing, outdated, duplicated, too complex or unsuitable, and recommend what to keep, adapt, replace or add.
3. Adapt the module to Somalia’s federal, customary and religious governance landscape and to the realities of advocacy in crisis- and conflict-affected settings, with Somali examples, case studies, exercises and tools.
4. Embed feminist and gender-transformative advocacy, intersectionality (GBA+), analysis of gender and social norms, power relations and structural barriers, opportunities for collective action, safeguarding, collective care, conflict sensitivity, digital safety and Do No Harm throughout the module, not as stand-alone add-ons.
5. Co-create the package with a representative group of WROs, WHRDs, YLOs and other grantee partners at key stages, including the gap analysis, development of Somali examples and tools, and validation of the complete package; obtain additional technical input from experienced advocacy practitioners and facilitate a structured validation workshop.
6. Produce a final facilitator guide, participant handbook, toolkit, slide deck, session plans and assessment tools in English, with participant materials and key tools in Somali, and orient facilitators on their use. And
7. Design a pre- and post-training knowledge assessment tool aligned with the module’s learning objectives, and finalize it with SSWC and Plan International, so the project can use it to measure and report on PMF indicator 1310a.

4. Scope of the Assignment

4.1 Geographic and Participant Scope

The revised module is intended for use across Somalia. Consultations, the validation workshop and examples in the module should reflect the nine  locations of the project: Puntland, Jubaland, Galmudug, Southwest State, Hirshabelle and Banadir. Participants in review and validation will include Engagement should be representative and accessible, with reasonable accommodation and safe participation arrangements. The co-creation group should be involved at key stages rather than only at final validation.

• representatives of Influencing Grant recipients and other RWVL grantees (WROs, WHRDs, YLOs and networks), including organizations led by or representing IDPs, persons with disabilities, minorities and young women;
• experienced Somali advocacy practitioners and women’s rights actors;
• SSWC, NAFIS Network and PISOM program, MEL and safeguarding staff, and Core Trainers and Coaches; a small technical review group nominated by these partners will review key outputs and consolidate feedback.
• where appropriate, resource persons, including ministry gender focal points or parliamentary women’s caucus members, serving as advisers.

SSWC will manage the contract and day-to-day coordination through the Project Officer. A technical review group comprising designated representatives of SSWC, NAFIS Network and PISOM, including relevant program and MEL staff, will provide coordinated technical reviews. The Project Officer will transmit consolidated comments to the consultant. SSWC Head of Programs will provide contract oversight and final approval, following technical review and confirmation with Plan International where required, including finalization of the indicator 1310a assessment tool.

4.2 Out of Scope

This assignment does not include delivery of the regional EBA trainings or ongoing coaching of grantees. It does include a short orientation for facilitators so that they can use the package with confidence.

5. Content of the Revised Module

The consultant will propose the final structure based on the review and the needs assessment. As a guide, the revised package is expected to cover the following units. Each unit should include learning objectives, key concepts in plain language, Somali examples, participatory exercises, practical tools or templates and a short recap.

Cross-cutting requirements. Throughout all units, the module must: apply GBA+ and reflect the experiences of IDP women, women with disabilities, minority-clan women and young women; integrate safeguarding, collective care, conflict sensitivity and Do No Harm; use adult-learning and participatory methods; and include adaptations for participants with low literacy, for virtual or hybrid delivery, and for short (1–2 day) and full (4–5 day) training formats. The gender-transformative approach must go beyond participation and inclusion to examine and address the norms, power relations and structural barriers that sustain gender inequality, and identify opportunities for collective action. Evidence generation must be participatory and feminist: participants should consider who defines the advocacy question, whose knowledge is treated as credible, how evidence is interpreted, and how findings are returned to affected communities. Informed consent to participate or provide information must be distinguished from separate, explicit consent to publicly use a person’s story, image or identifying information.

Pre- and post-training assessment tool. The consultant will design a knowledge assessment tool, aligned with the module’s learning objectives, that the project can administer and score independently after the consultancy. At a minimum, the tool should:

• use the same items before and after training;
• include a core set of items, covering the learning objectives addressed in all training formats (short, full, virtual/hybrid), that every participant completes and that is used to calculate indicator 1310a; optional additional items may be included for content covered only in longer formats;
• be available in English and Somali and suitable for oral administration with participants with low literacy;
• collect the sex, age and disability information needed for disaggregation.

The consultant may propose the item formats and a scoring system that produces an individual score. The threshold for “adequate knowledge” under indicator 1310a will be set by SSWC and the Plan International project team and is not part of this assignment. The scoring system should allow that threshold to be applied without redesigning the tool. The tool will be finalized with SSWC and Plan International. It measures knowledge only and is not intended to measure changes in advocacy practice.

6. Deliverables

All deliverables are to be submitted in editable formats (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and PDF. The facilitator guide and final report will be in English; the participant handbook and key tools in English and Somali. Indicative due dates assume contract signature by 13 November 2026 and will be confirmed in the approved inception note. The schedule below assumes contract commencement by 9 November 2026 and completion by 31 December 2026. It provides staged review and consolidation periods; exact dates will be confirmed in the approved inception note. SSWC will coordinate consolidated feedback from the technical review group, and the consultant will incorporate comments within the agreed review windows.

7. Safeguarding, Ethics and Data Protection

• The consultant and all team members must comply with SSWC’s Safeguarding, PSEAH, Child Protection and Code of Conduct policies and with applicable project and donor requirements and will sign SSWC’s code of conduct before starting work.
• Participation in consultations and the validation workshop is voluntary. Participants will be informed how their input will be used, and no participant will be quoted or identified in any product without their explicit consent.
• Case studies and examples must be anonymised or composite, must not expose individuals, organizations or communities to risk, and must not include identifiable survivor stories.
• Module content must itself model safe practice: it must not encourage tactics that could expose WHRDs, WROs or communities to avoidable harm. Advocacy should be non-partisan and conflict-sensitive, particularly during the electoral period: it must not endorse political parties or candidates, while remaining clear and principled in its commitment to human rights and gender equality.
• Workshops must be held in safe, accessible venues, with reasonable accommodation for participants with disabilities and support for participants who need it.
• Any safeguarding concern must be reported to SSWC’s designated safeguarding focal point within 24 hours. Personal data collected (such as participant lists) will be stored securely and used only for project purposes.

8. Required Qualifications and Experience

8.1 Education

• Advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in gender studies, human rights, law, social sciences, development studies, education, communications or a related field.

8.2 Professional Experience

• At least five years of experience in advocacy, policy engagement or capacity strengthening on gender equality, women’s rights or human rights.
• Proven experience designing or revising training curricula, modules or toolkits for adult learners, preferably on advocacy; at least two examples required. Applicants may propose a small multidisciplinary team and must explain how the team collectively covers advocacy, Somali governance and context, adult learning and instructional design, gender-transformative and feminist approaches, safeguarding and conflict sensitivity, and Somali-language translation/editing.
• Strong practical understanding of evidence-based and feminist advocacy and of civil-society advocacy processes in Somalia, including federal and FMS policy processes.
• Experience working with WROs, WHRDs, YLOs or community-based organizations, including those representing marginalized groups.
• Experience integrating safeguarding, conflict sensitivity, digital safety or WHRD protection into training materials.
• Experience facilitating participatory consultations, training of trainers or validation workshops.
• Experience on harmful practices (such as FGM/C and child, early and forced marriage), GBV or women’s political participation is an advantage.

8.3 Skills and Languages

• Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to turn technical concepts into clear, practical and accessible learning content. The proposed team should demonstrate complementary competencies across the required technical and language areas; these competencies need not all be held by one individual.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder-engagement skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Somali is required (or a team that clearly provides both, including a qualified Somali translator/editor).
• Ability to work independently, manage time and meet deadlines.

    Somali consultants, women-led consultancies are strongly encouraged to apply. 

9. Application Requirements

Applications must include the following. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Procurement and contracting for this assignment will be conducted in accordance with SSWC’s procurement policy and procedures.

1. Cover letter (maximum 2 pages) expressing interest and summarising relevant experience.
2. Technical proposal (maximum 10 pages, excluding annexes) setting out: understanding of the assignment and context; approach to reviewing and contextualising the module; proposed module structure; approach to inclusion, safeguarding and conflict sensitivity; validation approach; quality assurance; and a workplan consistent with Section 9. The proposal should identify the proposed team composition and show how the team collectively covers advocacy, Somali context, adult learning/instructional design, safeguarding, inclusion and Somali-language expertise.
3. Financial proposal as described in Section 14.1, submitted as a separate document.
4. CVs of the consultant and any team members, with each member’s role, level of effort and languages.
5. Two samples of training modules, curricula or toolkits the applicant has developed or revised (with their role clearly described), preferably on advocacy or women’s rights.

16. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated on a combined technical and financial basis. Only proposals that score at least 63 of the 90 technical points (70%) will have their financial proposals assessed. SSWC may invite shortlisted applicants to an interview or to present their proposed approach.

17. How to Apply

Qualified individual consultants and consulting firms are invited to submit their applications, with all required documents, by: Monday 9^th , November 2026, at 16:00 hrs (East Africa Time).

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

SSWC’s commitment

SSWC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the rights, dignity and protection of women, girls and children. All engagements are subject to safeguarding checks, and SSWC has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. SSWC is an equal-opportunity organization; qualified women, persons with disabilities and candidates from under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Annex 1. Quality Checklist for the Revised Module

SSWC will use this checklist to review the draft and final package (D3 and D5). The consultant should use it for self-assessment before submission.