Call for Expressions of Interest - Expert on advocacy strategy development

The Transnational Health Training Programme (THTP) aims at improving access to stress- and traumasensitive 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). medica mondiale is launching this call of Expressions of Interest to develop a Counttry Advocacy Strategy for the Kurdish Region of Iraq.

Context

The Transnational Health Training Programme (THTP) aims at improving access to stress- and traumasensitive 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 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 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. 2

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 traumasensitive 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.
• 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: Country Advocacy
Strategy for the Kurdish Region of Iraq.
Against this background, the objective of the consultancy is to facilitate the development process of a
Country Advocacy Strategy and to build the advocacy capacities of the Country Advocacy Strategy Team.

Scope of Work
1. Inception Phase:
- Briefing Meetings with medica mondiale in KRI, and possibly the medica mondiale Head office in Cologne
- 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 Country Advocacy Strategy Team, according to the working plan. Documentation of the process (i.ex. 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 Country Advocacy Strategy Team)

Deliverables

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