Duration: 01 January 2020 to 30 June 2020 ( for 92 working days)

Location: Home-based

Contract Type: Individual Consultancy, Level D

The Global Context

One of the Seven Core Actions for Refugee Youth, formulated during the Global Refugee Youth Consultations held in 2015-2016, highlights the contribution refugee youth can make to peacebuilding: ‘humanitarian actors must channel and reinforce young refugees’ abilities to build connections and relationships across social, cultural, linguistic, political, and other differences, and support them to contribute meaningfully to peace-building processes’. Refugee female and male youth are acutely aware of the importance of peacebuilding and the and they are keen to engage. Supporting learning opportunities that facilitate peacebuilding is one way to recognise, utilise and develop refugee youth capacities and skills.

The impact of conflict on education has been well documented. Children who are forced to flee are robbed from their basic right of access to education. The scale, duration and growing complexity of forced displacement, and continuing gaps in humanitarian and development funding and action on education for forcibly displaced children and youth have resulted in enrolment and retention rates remaining largely static and much lower than global achievements.

Education, both formal and non-formal, plays a central role in achieving most of the SDGs, as underlined by Target 4.7: ‘by 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development’.

1. Overall purpose and scope of assignment:

The Situation for South Sudanese Youth

This project is a key intervention in helping South Sudanese youth, both male and female, reclaim their future and offers UNHCR a unique opportunity to regionally test a youth led approach to peacebuilding. .

South Sudanese youth can and should play a vital role in helping to build peaceful communities and serve as local peace builders, advocating and taking action to promote peace, reconciliation and non-violent conflict resolution in their country at local and national levels. Youth can serve as agents of peaceful change and as proactive peacebuilders who promote a culture of dialogue.

Building a democratic nation is expected to take decades in South Sudan. The aim of this project is to create a cadre of female and male youth who represent different ethnicities, regions and backgrounds, who will dialogue and engage with each other over many years and across geographical and other divides, and will contribute to peacebuilding, stability and reconciliation. This initiative aims to empower and connect South Sudanese refugee female and male youth as peace builders in their country and abroad through intensive training in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, mediation and related skills, and creating a network of participants that can be drawn on by them in the present and the future – when they may hold positions of authority, influence or power.

Global Advisor – Training and Curriculum Development: This advisor will design the curriculum and deliver the conflict resolution training materials, contribute monitoring assessments, and provide strategic and technical advice on other key programme components and activities, including ensuring that a gender lens and attention to trauma are central in programme materials and work.

In specific, the consultant will:

• Led the development of a new methodology for engaging with refugee youth in a regional context that, once deployed in the Horn of Africa region, can be used to provide authoritative direction on global peacebuilding policies and strategies and be adapted to other regional contexts using. UNHCR is expanding its activities in Peacebuilding through education in 2020 and the deliverables from this consultancy are expected to directly affect the operation of major systems, projects and programmes of the organization.
• In collaboration with the Project Manager advise on the logistics required for the various events, the hiring criteria for local trainers and advise on budget development for the project roll-out commencing January 2020.
• Inform the identification process for partner academic institutions for (a) logistical support of the Training of Trainers and (b) to conduct longitudinal research on this programme. Estimated research commitment is 10 years.
• In January 2020, design, coordinate and facilitate an initial consultation event (2-3 days) in Nairobi, with the 2nd Global advisor, UNHCR Project Manager, key UNHCR staff and the institution that will conduct the longitudinal study. The outcome of the consultation will be:
• To create the global advisory board.
• Contribute to the development of the criteria to identify the regional trainers.
• Assist Project Manager to identify and recruit max 12 trainers from the region.
• Develop the Training of Trainers curriculum and design the TOT workshop.
• Conduct a 12 to 15 day residential training with the selected Trainers and select 6 successful candidates. Selection process will include consultation with the Project Manager, the Global Advisor, and the team.
• Conduct a first workshop with refugee youth, location Nairobi, Kenya, where the Trainers will directly train refugee youth.
• Help to facilitate a 2-day Global Advisory Council meeting with the Project Manager to develop an evaluation of the curriculum and revise methodology and approach based on this workshop.
• Develop programme roll out plan, in collaboration with the Global Advisor – Youth

Deliverables:

• Inception report with proposed methodology.
• Facilitation of 2 project workshops (kick off and evaluation of pilot training)
• Development of TOT materials and curricula.
• Facilitation of residential TOT training.
• Contribution to the programme proposal with annual budgets, targeting selection, recommendations for numbers targeted, trainings, possible training institutes, key partners, including a partner who might be interested in a longitudinal study and a mechanism for youth to stay connected with their cohort over time (e.g. social media groups).

• Evaluate the implementation of the first training for refugee youth

• Final report for review by UNHCR and other stakeholders, 5 pages proving clear recommendations on direction for curriculum in global peacebuilding policies and strategies to be adapted to other regional contexts that will directly influence and affect the operation of major systems, projects and programmes of the organization. Level of responsibilities required: Level D

• Monitoring and progress controls (report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines):

Deliverables:

• Inception report with proposed methodology.
• Facilitation of 2 project workshops (kick off and evaluation of pilot training)
• Development of TOT materials and curricula.
• Facilitation of residential TOT training.
• Contribution to the programme proposal with annual budgets, targeting selection, recommendations for numbers targeted, trainings, possible training institutes, key partners, including a partner who might be interested in a longitudinal study and a mechanism for youth to stay connected with their cohort over time (e.g. social media groups).
• Evaluate the implementation of the first training for refugee youth
• Final report for review by UNHCR and other stakeholders, 5 pages.

a. Work on the basis of time employed? Yes

b. This is a home-based Consultancy

Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required:

1. Post-graduate university degree, PhD., in a relevant social science related to youth, refugees, gender, peacebuilding, reconciliation, mediation, conflict resolution, community cohesion/social inclusion, or related fields, plus a minimum of 17 years of relevant work experience in the above-mentioned fields of work.
2. Significant experience in designing and implementing negotiation, conflict management, and leadership training programs
3. Work experience in South Sudan and the region and a strong understanding of the South Sudanese context is highly desirable.
4. Demonstrated work experience developing peacebuilding curricula for marginalized refugee youth in a country of asylum.
5. Written and spoken fluency in English is required. Command of local languages an asset.
6. In addition to experience working with governments and international agencies, Experience working/conducting research with young people is essential. UNHCR will conduct child and youth safeguarding checks.
7. Broad participation – the interested parties should be involved where relevant and possible and findings should be youth-led.
8. Reliability and independence
9. Strong communication and interpersonal skills