Expert on international advocacy strategy development

The Transnational Health Training Programme (THTP) aims at improving access to stress- and trauma-sensitive health care services for women and girls affected by sexualised and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kosovo and the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI). To achieve this goal, the project includes the implementation of a stress- and traumasensitivity approach by medica mondiale. medica mondiale implements the THTP II together with its partner organisations Medica Afghanistan (Afghanistan), Medica Zenica (BiH) and Medica Gjakova (Kosovo).

In the frame of these Terms of Reference, medical mondiale is looking for a consultant to develop a: International Advocacy Strategy.

Against this background, the objective of the consultancy is to facilitatethe development process of a Country Advocacy Strategy and to buildthe advocacy capacities of the InternationalAdvocacy Strategy Team(about 7 persons).

Context

In the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI) the project is implemented through the medica mondiale regional office.
The project pursues a system-oriented approach that strengthens capacities at several levels with connected components:

• Component 1 (Qualification of health care professionals) strengthens the capacity of health professionals to provide stress - and trauma-sensitive health services (including symptom identification, qualified referral and treatment/counselling and self-care).
• Component 2 (Institutionalisation of stress- and trauma-sensitive health services) strengthens institutional capacities among management structures and decision-makers in the participating health care facilities by raising awareness of the need for stress- and trauma-sensitive health services.Component 3 (international networking and advocacy work) strengthens the capacities of the health institutions and local project holders to influence relevant international advocacy processes.

Components 2 and 3 include the development of advocacy strategies. The strategies will guide the implementing partners to advocate on district/provincial, national and international level. The goal is to institutionalise stress- and trauma-sensitive health services for survivors of SGBV in the health systems on a long-term. The following advocacy strategies shall be developed:

• Country Advocacy Strategies for each country (Kosovo/ Bosnia and Herzegovina/ Kurdish Region of Iraq/ Afghanistan), which primarily address stakeholders at country level. The Advocacy Strategies at country level shall guide the local project partners in institutionalising stress- and trauma-sensitive elements into health services at local health facilities. The focus of the strategies will be on raising awareness on existing barriers regarding the access to trauma-sensitive health services and on advocating to make them a priority on a policy level.
• International Advocacy Strategy, which creates interlinkages between the country advocacy strategies and addresses relevant stakeholders at international level. The International Advocacy Strategy shall guide the international advocacy of the project partners (including medica mondiale) to influence the international dialogue on the topic of "Strengthening health systems for survivors of SGBV". The development of the Country Advocacy Strategies refers to Component 2. The development of the International Advocacy Strategy refers to Component 3.

Purpose and Objectives of Assignment
In the frame of these Terms of Reference the following strategy will be developed: International Advocacy Strategy.Against this background, the objective of the consultancy is to facilitatethe development process of a Country Advocacy Strategy and to buildthe advocacy capacities of the InternationalAdvocacy Strategy Team(about 7 persons).

Scope of Work
1.Inception Phase: -Briefing Meetings with International Advocacy Strategy Team
                               -Compilation and agreement on detailed work plan of the consultant and an inception report including a compilation of existing advocacy work within the organisation.
2.Analysis and conception phase: including desk review, workshops, feedback loops and interviews with International Advocacy Strategy Team, according to the working plan. Documentation of the process (i.e . workshops, interviews, etc.)
3.Writing phase, including the compilation of the strategy document based on the results of the analysis phase (workshops and interviews with International Advocacy Strategy Team)

Deliverables
• Working plan (and inception report)•Regular updates on the implementation status of the consultancy (frequency and template to be defined)•International Advocacy Strategy, including objectives, indicators and action plan based on the documentation of the PATH methodology (i.e. stakeholder analysis).
• Final report of the consultancy

Methodology
• The consultant should use the PATH methodology (https://pathwebprod.path.org/resources/map-your-advocacy-impact-strategy/) to facilitate, accompany and document the development process of the International Advocacy Strategy.
•The process should be participatory and engage the International Advocacy Strategy Team through workshops, feedback loops and interviews.
• The advocacy strategy should include short-, mid- and long-term goals. The monitoring of the goals should be clear and accompanied by SMART indicators.
• The advocacy strategy should include clear action points to achieve its goals.
• The consultant should advise the International Advocacy Strategy Team on innovative ways to implement the advocacy strategy.
• The consultant should also be able to realise the facilitation of the process remotely, depending on the current Covid-19 situation and travel restrictions.
• The final document should be compiled by the consultant with the content input by theInternational Advocacy Strategy Team: International Advocacy Strategy and attachments (documentation of PATH methodology)
• Key inputs:
   o  Use the key recommendations from the country studies compiled within the THTP project as a base for the advocacy strategy.
       A comparative study puts the results from all for countries into relation and offers recommendations on enabling access to STA health services.
   o  The consultant compiles and reviews existing advocacy(-relevant) documents and uses them as a key input for the International Advocacy Strategy.
   o  The consultant collects relevant advocacy input from the four countries.
• The consultant is expected to use other relevant information for the advocacy strategy.

Qualification
• Demonstrated conceptual knowledge of feminist theory and praxis in the context of sexual and gender-based violence and/or public health
• Knowledge and/or experience on working with or within UN structures, ideally with relation to WHO and other global health stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience to facilitate the development process of an advocacy strategy
• Demonstrated experience in the implementation of advocacy strategies
• Capacity-building skills to accompany and engage the International Advocacy Strategy Team in a participatory way, preferably also applicable online
• Strong conceptual, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong coordination, organisation and communication skills •Uses creative approaches to work and resolve challenges in a positive way•High language level of English •Ideally, familiarity with the PATH methodology to develop advocacy

How to apply:
To indicate your interest, please send your CV and a cover letter, including your daily rate and links to previous assignments or work (please send all documents as one PDF file with a maximum of 2 MB). Only successful candidates will be contacted. The interviews will take place online in the beginning of January 2021. Please send your application with the subject ‘International Advocacy Strategy’ to recruitment@medicamondiale.org until December 11st, 2020. For questions about the content of the assignment please contact Carolina Kamratzki, at ckamratzki@medicamondiale.org. Female candidates are encouraged to apply. Further information on medica mondiale and our projects can be found on our website: medicamondiale.org