Back Developing and delivering a durable solution training

INTRODUCTION
The Durable Solutions Platform (DSP) is a joint initiative of the Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, Action Against Hunger, Save the Children, and Oxfam. Founded in 2016, DSP generates evidence and convenes strategic dialogue on durable solutions to displacement in the Syria crisis. The platform conducts research in countries throughout the Middle East region, as well as within Syria itself, and supports policymaking, advocacy, and programming related to durable solutions and adjacent topics. The described in this TOR will support the work of DSP and its partners to better understand the durable solutions landscape inside the country, as well as opportunities for greater engaging stakeholders beyond humanitarian agencies.
Displacement has been a defining feature of conflicts in today’s Middle East (ME) region. Countries in the region that are currently generating large numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) include, but are far from limited to:
 Syria, which continues to be the largest displacement crisis in the world. An estimated 6.6 million Syrians are living as refugees abroad, the majority of whom (5.6 million) reside in neighboring countries, while a further 6 million Syrians are displaced internally; 1
 Yemen, where conflict and environmental drivers have contributed to the largest-scale humanitarian crisis in the world. More than 3,600,000 Yemenis are estimated to be internally displaced,2 and more than 50,000 are living abroad as refugees. Yemen notably also hosts approximately 177,000 refugees from other countries, primarily Somalia.3
With millions of persons living in increasingly protracted displacement across the Middle East, the search for durable solutions to their displacement has never been more important. However, durable solutions as both a concept and practical approach to programming is often poorly understood, and at times misunderstood in ways that can create a disservice to displacement-affected communities.4 Humanitarian and development actors working in this space would thus benefit from a dedicated training that provides an overview of durable solutions in both theory and practice, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to incorporate these perspectives into their own work. THE

CONSULTANCY
DSP has periodically received requests for such trainings, from both international and local partners, but previously lacked the capacity to develop a dedicated training package to respond to these requests. In an effort to meet this identified need, as well as to continue building DSP’s reputation as a knowledge hub on durable solutions in the Middle East region, the platform intends to create a bespoke training package that will
1 UNHCR Data Portal: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria_durable_solutions. Last updated 5 July 2020.
2 https://www.internal-displacement.org/countries/yemen
3 https://www.nrc.no/countries/middle-east/yemen/
4 For example, Syrian refugees who voluntarily cross the border into Syria are categorized as returnees by UNHCR, with no concerted follow-up to evidence whether a durable solution has in fact been achieved.
contribute to enhancing the capacity of both local and international actors working on displacement and related topics.
Training Purpose and Overview
Purpose: The purpose of this training is to meet an identified need for enhanced durable solutions knowledge and capacity in the Middle East region. This training will be appropriate for use by actors working throughout the region, however it will primarily draw examples from the Syria and Yemen displacement contexts, including examples from refugee-hosting countries. DSP will therefore develop training aimed for relevant actors that will cover:

1. The theoretical, legal, and operational bases for durable solutions;
2. Key durable solutions actors and coordination bodies in ME region with focus on Syria, its neighboring countries and Yemen;
3. How to apply a durable solutions lens and strategy to research, advocacy and programming; and
4. Deep-dives into key durable solutions topics that are of particular importance in the ME region.
   The focus of the training will be on imparting key concepts related to durable solutions and capacitating attendees to operationalize these concepts in their own programming, advocacy, or policy work. It will be grounded in examples from country contexts and tailored to meet the specific needs of actors working on crises in the Middle East. As the main group targeted by this capacity-development are local actors, training materials, and the training itself, will be created in English, and then translated and piloted in both English and Arabic.
   Objectives:
5. Enhance knowledge and understanding of durable solutions in ME region; and
6. Support the use of durable solutions tools and approaches in humanitarian and development programming, research, advocacy and, as relevant, peacebuilding initiatives.
   Outcomes:
7. Participants understand the core conceptual and legal tenets of durable solutions;
8. Participants are able to identify and have a basic understanding of how to utilize durable solutions frameworks and tools;
9. Participants have the knowledge and capacity to incorporate a durable solutions lens into their work related to displacement programming, advocacy, and/or policy-making.
   Users: The training is intended for program, policy, and advocacy staff working in local and international organizations at the regional and country level. This include staff of NGOs, UN agencies and when relevant, governmental authorities. As durable solutions are cross-sectoral and extend from humanitarian response to stabilization and peace building, users of this training can be working in humanitarian, development, or peacebuilding initiatives. Although case studies and examples are pulled specifically from the Syria and Yemen contexts, the overall concepts are relevant to practitioners working throughout the ME region.
   Proposed Training Structure
   The training will be divided into seven modules, which in total have a planned length of 2-3 working days (the exact length of the training will be tested and refined during the development and piloting phases). The modules
   will be based on a durable-solutions training already developed by the Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (ReDSS), which will be updated, modified, and built upon in order to be usable in a ME context.5
   Each training module will consist of a presentation, quiz, and a small number of handouts for participants’ reference. The first three training modules, which will build upon ReDSS documents.

DELIVERABLES AND CONSULTANT ENGAGEMENT
DSP will hire an individual consultant or consulting firm to prepare the training materials, support and supervise the delivery of two pilot training session in Arabic, conduct two pilot training sessions in English, review and revise the content, and deliver finalized materials. The consultant will oversee the overall development of this resource from beginning to end. To that end, the consultant will be expected to produce the following deliverables:

Training materials (in English) for the seven above-stated modules
a. Materials per module: PPT presentation with presenter notes, learning activity prompt, facilitator’s guide, start and end of module quizzes, Yemen- and Syria-specific content as needed, regionally focused activities (one per module).
b. Other materials: overarching facilitator’s guide, script and oversight of three to four short training videos.
c. Draft materials to be submitted for review by DSP and other targeted colleagues. Following the piloting of the training, revisions will be made to the materials as necessary and a final package will be produced and delivered.
d. The final formatting of the powerpoints, as well as the production of three to four videos based on scripts prepared by the consultant, will be managed by the communications team at the Danish Refugee Council. The consultant is expected to liaise with this team as necessary to ensure the satisfactory finalization of these products.
Two English-language pilots of all modules
a. First training to be held in person in Amman, Jordan. In the case of COVID-related or other factors precluding an in-person training, the training may be held virtually.
b. Second training to be held virtually with practitioners in Yemen.
Two Arabic-language pilots of all modules:
a. First training to be held in Istanbul or Gaziantep by a DSP facilitator in person. The consultant will supervise and support the facilitator to deliver the training in Arabic and collect the feedback. In the case of COVID-related or other factors precluding an in-person training, the training may be held virtually.
b. Second training to be held in Beirut by a DSP facilitator as well in person. The consultant will supervise and support the facilitator to deliver the training in Arabic and collect the feedback. In the case of COVID-related or other factors precluding an in-person training, the training may be held virtually.
The Translation into Arabic of training modules, PPT, scripts, guides and videos will be conducted by DSP, VDSF and Durable Solutions Consortium. To respect the short timeline for the overall consultancy, the developed materials for piloting will be translated on an ongoing basis. Therefore, the consultant will indicate the ready to translate materials as they develop them.
The final products will be reviewed for quality and final payment will be made upon submission of satisfactory deliverables. DRC Middle East Regional Office has sole ownership of all the final data and documents. The consultant will be expected to work on the tools, desk review, stakeholder consultation and develop the training modules remotely. Depending on travel allowance, consultant might have to spend some time in Amman, Beirut, and Istanbul or Gaziantep to facilitate and/or support the delivery of the training sessions. Cost of travel, visa, local transportation will be covered by DSP. Logistics and technical support for the conduction of the training session will also be provided by DSP. This includes selection of participants, inviting them and all related costs for their participation i.e. accommodation, travel and per diems.

CONSULTANT PROFILE
The Consultant individual or team is expected to meet the following criteria:
 Advanced University degree in international affairs, migration, human rights, humanitarian assistance, social studies, political science or relevant field of study;
 Minimum 10 years’ proven experience in programs, research, policy and/or capacity building in a displacement context;
 Demonstrable experience related to forced migration and durable solutions with programming experience is an added advantage;
 Demonstrable experience in developing and delivering capacity building activities in similar contexts;
 Strong knowledge of the Middle East region and particularly the Syria and Yemen crises regarding the dynamics affecting displacement and the local and international response;
 Strong analytical and writing skills with proven experience in producing high quality reports with ability to present complex information in a simple and accessible manner;
 Fluency in written and spoken English.
 Fluency in Arabic is desirable
For JV/Consortium/Association, all Parties cumulatively should meet requirement DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED
A technical & financial proposal
Tax registration as a legal entity in the relevant country
Updated CV/s of the consultant team/individual that clearly spelling out their qualifications and experience
One or more examples of comparable work
two reference contacts