Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)

Terms of Reference (ToR)
For
Hiring Consultant to Conduct Need Assessment and Module Development

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK)

1. Work Title:

Conduct need assessment for the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and develop a training module on Prevention, Protection and Referral services against any form of Sexual Harassment (Physical, Verbal, Psychological and Cyber).   

2. Background:

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) was established in 1986 as a national legal aid and human rights organization. Over the last thirty-six years, ASK has evolved a more comprehensive approach towards promoting, protecting, and preventing legal and human rights throughout the country. Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), as a sub-grantee of BRAC has been implementing a project titled “AGNEE – Awareness, Actions, and Advocacy for Gender-Equal and Safe Spaces for Women and Girls” in Rajshahi and Gazipur district in Bangladesh. The action builds on BRAC’s and Ain o Salish Kendra’s (ASK) experience of providing human rights and legal aid services, preventing and protecting violence against women and girls, implementing gender-responsive interventions, collaborating with CSOs, GoB, private sectors, NGOs and community network. This is a three-year project from March 2022 to February 2025.

Bangladesh has observed a significant increase in female labour force participation, especially after the emergence of the manufacturing sector. Maximum women workers of this sector are from low socio-economic and educational backgrounds and have migrated from rural areas, and are currently living in slums near their workplaces. Besides other vulnerabilities, they experience various forms of gender-based and sexual violence in their workplaces, public spaces, in and around public transportations and even in digital platforms. The absence of any legal framework despite High Courts directive (2009) to address Sexual Harassment (SH) at the workplace and public spaces through another directive by High court in 2011 to address stalking, lack of redress mechanism at the workplace and public transportation sector, barriers in accessing services, culture of victim-blaming, socio-cultural norms and practices are some significant challenges behind this situation. Above all, there is a need for comprehensive interventions to address different forms of sexual violence at multiple levels.

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) will conduct training for local level CSOs including women led organizations which lack organisational and technical capacity to address and advocate to prevent physical, verbal, psychological and online SHs and will benefit from this action to strengthen their capacity. To identify the improving area, ASK will organize need assessment for the CSOs in Rajshahi and Gazipur district. Based on the assessment, the programme will develop training curriculum to build the capacity of local CSOs.

Another target group is RMG factories and other workplaces that do not have any or have ineffective, non-standard SH redress policy, formal internal complaint mechanisms.

Educational institutions will also be targeted by the action as these do not have adequate mechanisms to orient and support students facing SH incidents including online harassment. The action will contribute to increased awareness of school management committees, teachers and students on SH and GBV including setting redress mechanism at educational institutions.

3. Intermediate result of the action:

After conducting two (2) focus group discussions with CSOs in selected two districts, the consultant will be able to gauge and analyse their skills on prevention, protection, and referral services against any form of sexual harassment (physical, verbal, psychological and cyber). And the Findings from the FGD will also help to develop capacity development plans for the CSOs and finalize the training module.

It is expected that after providing the capacity building training:

  • Capacity of local level’s selected CSOs in two districts will be enhanced;
  • Access to legal aid, medical, shelter and psycho-social services will be improved
  • Prevention and protection systems in the public spaces, workplaces, educational institutions and digital platforms will be strengthened; and
  • Stronger engagement will be ensured at policy and advocacy level leading towards achieving the specific and overall objectives.

4. Deliverables:

  • Prepare SMART work plan within 7 days from the contract signing and share with ASK
  • Specific report (including photographs, attendance) on Need Assessment survey after completion of two (02) FGDs
  • Prepare a draft module including handout materials at the starting period of module developing and share with ASK within 30 days from the contract signing
  • The revised document must be shared within 7 days of receiving ASK's feedback (as per needed) 
  • Submission of final module (Soft and hard copy in Bangla SutonnyMJ font) within 40 days from the contract signing.

5. Objective of the assignments:

  • To assess the understanding of the CSOs and outline their requirements;
  • To understand the existing reporting mechanism of CSOs;
  • To arrange three (03) days long training on identification, reporting, data collection and referral on SH (physical, verbal, psychological and cyber) and violence at public spaces, workplaces and digital platforms for selected CSOs in two districts;
  • To provide annual refreshers training for selected CSOs;
  • To make strengthen the confidence level of targeted CSOs to act as a collective force to collaborate with state and non-state actors to protect and support women against SH and GBV;
  • To make sure the active participation of CSOs at local level to promote a harassment and violence free environment for women strengthening their participation in workplaces, educational institutions and all spheres of life; and
  • To make sure the data collection process as mentioned on Project Proposal (PP).

6. Scope of work

  • To review the project documents (PP, concept note etc.)
  • To conduct two (2) Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with selected CSOs to identify their level of understanding and existing mechanism of reporting on GBV and SH incidents;
  • To provide an idea to CSOs on identify the issues of GBV and SH incidents;
  • Each training module has to be precise and the session content must be self-explanatory with necessary audio-visual tools; and
  • To provide instructions for service mapping, referral linkage, policy advocacy etc.

7. Module structure should include:

Cover page, Acknowledgement, Table of Content, List of Acronyms, Executive Summary, Introduction, Objectives and Methodology, Training schedule, Pre-test questionnaire, Post-test questionnaire, Evaluation form, Yearly action planning format, Data collection format, Periodic reporting format, Narrative description of every sessions, Proving general idea on relevant special laws/sections, Hand-outs of every sessions, PP presentations of sessions, Recommendations, Conclusion, Source/references, Annex (if any), etc.

8. ASK Responsibilities:

  • Share relevant documents related to the assignment;
  • Regularly communicate, coordinate and provide feedback;
  • Provide briefing/ overview of the project to the consultant (online or in person).

9. Requirements:

  • The independent consultant or consultancy firm shall have comprehensive expertise regarding Human Rights, Women Rights, Child rights, GBV, SH, relevant national & international conventions and related laws/Acts in Bangladesh;
  • At least 8-10 years’ experience of module developing and conduct need assessment survey; and
  • Willingness to travel to working areas for assembling required information and data

10. Time frame:

The total work period will be not more than 40 days (including week days and holidays) from signing of the agreement.

11. Payments and procedures:

  • Total amount for the consultancy will be BDT- 198,340/- (One Lac Ninety-Eight Thousand Three Hundred Forty only) including VAT and TAX (For Two (02) Need Assessment Survey 98,340/- and For Module development 100,000/- only)
  • 15 % of the consultancy fee will be paid after signing the agreement
  • The rest of the amount will be paid after submitting the final two documents approved by ASK.

12. General Terms and Conditions:

  • ASK reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal without giving any verbal and/or written rationale;
  • All reports and documents prepared during the assignment will be treated as ASK’s property;
  • The reports/documents or any part cannot be sold, used and reproduced in any manner without prior written approval of ASK;
  • ASK and its representatives reserve the right to monitor the quality and progress of the work during the assignment.

13. Key communication:

  • Project Coordinator of the project.

14. Application process:

  • Interested candidates (consulting firm/research firm/agency/organisation/individual) should forward their applications including updated CV (not more than 4 pages) and express their interest to admin@askbd.org highlighting consultancy profile and experiences relevant to this assignment;
  • Technical and financial proposal should be in separate file;
  • TIN and BIN certificate should be shared with profile.

15. Terrorism and money laundering issues:

If any proof of engagement in any terrorism and money laundering issues is found, ASK will reject the proposal without assigning any reason.

16. Child Protection Policy, Code of Conduct and Sexual Harassment Protection Policy:

 The firm/organisation/individual shall comply with the Child Protection Policy, Code of Conduct and Sexual Harassment Protection Policy of ASK. Any violation/deviation in complying with ASK's child protection policy, Code of Conduct and Sexual Harassment Protection Policy will result in termination of the agreement.

Submission Deadline: 1 October 2022