Terms of reference to undertake the Development of the Strategic Plan 2024-2028.

 1.0       BACKGROUND 

Women’s International Peace Centre (The Peace Centre) works in conflict and post-conflict countries, providing groundbreaking approaches to addressing women’s rights in fragile settings and what it means to be at peace with oneself, one’s community and country. Over the years, The Peace Centre has emerged as a leader in the feminist discourse on peace and security, using national and international frameworks such as the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR1325), Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action Compact (WPS-HA), National Action Plans on 1325 (NAP), the Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 16 and other women, peace and security frameworks.

The Peace Centre has been implementing a five-year strategic plan (2019 to 2023) which was greatly informed by the achievements and experience of The Peace Centre since its formation, recognizing that the need for peace in the African region and globally, was direr than ever. The Peace Centre’s focus for the period was to enhance the position of women in peacebuilding processes powerfully and unapologetically to transform peace-building spaces. The Peace Centre also intended to become the ‘go-to’ Centre on women and peacebuilding. To contribute to sustainable peace, two outcomes were deemed necessary, that is, increased participation of women in peace processes articulating and influencing gender responsive and sustainable peace; to support and empower women to advocate and seek justice; contribute to peacebuilding and most importantly influence those spaces and processes; and transformed gender-responsive peace processes in terms of prevention, mediation, dialogues, peace building and negotiation.

To support and work towards the achievement of the goal and outcomes, The Peace Centre designed key outputs or results, achievable in the strategic period. They include:

• Enhanced Technical Expertise of women to participate in peace processes.
• Information is available for women to influence decision-making in peace processes.
• Deliberate attempts to claim spaces and influence for women to participate in local, national and regional peace processes.
• Holistic Well-being of women in peace processes ensured.
• Enhanced institutional capacity for the effective and efficient implementation of the strategic plan, while maintaining a healthy working environment.

2.0      THE STRATEGIC PLAN 2024-2028

The core mandate of The Peace Centre is to amplify the voice and the needs of women in conflict and post-conflict situations in key geographical locations. We are looking to be bolder and more ambitious in our focus and scope of work. The proposed plan will define a more expanded reach in Africa and Asia and articulate realistic strategies that will enable us to take the organization to another level taking into account the current geopolitical dynamics globally.

2.1      Objectives of the Strategic Plan 2024-2028

This strategic plan seeks to:

I) Streamline intersectional approaches to women, peace and security for sustainable peace.

II) Internationalization of the Peace Centre.

III) Holistic Well-being of Women Human Rights Defenders.

3.0       KEY DELIVERABLES

• An Inception Report detailing the agreed methodology, work plan and the proposed outline of the strategic plan to be presented to the Board not later than 10 working days after signing the contract.
• Meeting with Peace Centre staff, partners, and the Board to harvest areas of focus for the Strategic Plan
• Presentation of the draft plan to the Board for review.
• A final strategic plan approved by the Board of Directors of the Peace Centre.

4.0       QUALIFICATIONS  

1.  The strategic plan development will be conducted by the consultant(s) who will have substantive knowledge of peacebuilding, gender analysis and governance programming. ii. Familiarity with the existing and ongoing peace processes in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
2. Team members will be part of a Consulting Firm (‘the Consultant’) with clearly demonstrated expertise and experience in conducting evaluations and impact assessments using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods in the field of peacebuilding, leadership, democratic governance and adult education. The firm/individual consultant should have legal registration according to the national consultancy firm registration requirements.
3. Evidence of ability to produce high-quality analysis reports in English, and work within tight timeframes.
4. A strategist with Six to ten (6 to 10) years of experience in program development, design, monitoring, evaluation, research, learning and adaptation.
5. Demonstrated experience in developing strategic plans with clear references and hyperlinks
6. Ability to reliably access the internet, as well as relevant national policy and planning documents and surveys.
7. Critical thinking and analysis.
8. Time Management.

5.0      GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND VALUES 

It’s important that Bidders highlight measurements to which the strategic plan development will meet ethical standards, feasibility, relevancy and accuracy, as well as propose other quality performance measures that will be refined during the inception phase if found to be necessary.

6.0       TIME SCHEDULE

 The duration of the assignment is 8 months including all the preparation and field-related work, as well as the writing of the inception report, data collection and analysis, presentation of preliminary document and submission of the final product. The assignment is estimated to be undertaken between February and September 2023.

7.0       APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

 The Consultant to carry out the assignment will be selected according to the “Open Tendering” method, following the procedures, templates and instructions of The Peace Centre’s “Standard Request for Proposals for Consultancy Services”.

Applicants will be required to submit a Technical and Financial proposal. Proposals will be evaluated using the principle of Quality and Cost Based Selection, with a weight of 80% given to the Technical Proposal and a weight of 20% given to the Financial Proposal.

Applications should be submitted via email to procurement@wipc.org or delivered to Women’s International Peace Centre, Plot 1 Martyr’s Garden B, Minister’s Village, Ntinda, Kampala.

The closing date for receiving both the Technical and Financial proposals is Friday 17^th February 2023 at 5:00 pm East African Time (EAT).

Only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted.