Consultancy for Supporting Partner Organization in Safety and Security

Kvinna till Kvinna’s Syria Regional Programme January 2017- December 2021, focuses on women´s increased participation, psychosocial support and women´s economic empowerment as well as support to partner organisations’ capacity building, networking and advocacy in the region.

It is part of Kvinna till Kvinna’s support model to provide institutional capacity building to partner organisations in the Syria Regional Programme, having into consideration organisational structure, level of capacity and topical focus; operational framework, degree of physical, organisational stability and where they are based in the MENA region and Europe.

Purpose of the assignment

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to support one of Kvinna till Kvinna’s partner organisation in the Syria Regional Programme to develop their safety and security policy and operations procedures.

Scope of Work

Kvinna till Kvinna seeks a dedicated humanitarian professional with substantial experience managing safety and security for non-profits in the Middle East for a consultancy supporting one of Kvinna till Kvinna’s Partner Organisation in the Syria Regional Programme.

Objective of the services

The consultant will work with the Partner Organisation, in different office locations in Syria on a collaborative basis to develop the organisation’s Safety and Security policy and Operational Procedures, by performing the following tasks:

1. Safety and Security Policy. In consultation with the PO Senior Management Team, develop a Safety and Security Policy which is tailored to PO organisation size and scope and informs staff of the principles, approaches, and responsibilities for security risk management, and ensures that staff act in a manner that is appropriate for the organisation. 

1. Support to Operations and Programs. In collaboration with field offices, to develop the following documents: 

• Development of Security Risk Assessment Tool.
• Office and Accommodation Safety and Security SOP.
• Contingency Plans, including Emergency Communications Planning.

The access to field offices in Syria is to be conducted remotely – online. The number and locations of the field offices will be agreed upon by the Partner Organisation and the consultant during the hiring process.

1. Field Office Staff Online Training on duty of care, risk assessment, and NGO security strategies (points 1 and 2).

Deliverables

The consultant shall be responsible for providing the following deliverables, written in Arabic to the Partner Organisation as per the schedule outlined below. All deliverables should be presented as per international best practices- reference: GISF's Security Risk Management: a basic guide for smaller NGOs.

1. Activities Report (Monthly): Via email to the Partner Organisation and Kvinna till Kvinna describing work completed in the previous month and any challenges or support needed.

1. Safety and Security Policy, (8-10 pages) To be submitted in a draft version by the fourth week of the consultancy and a final version before the end of the consultancy. Proposed sections must include:

• A statement on the importance of staff security and safety, the scope of the policy and who it applies to.

•  A ‘principles’ section explaining the organisation’s security culture, risk attitude and the key principles that shape the organisation’s approach to staff security and safety.
•  A ‘responsibilities’ section setting out the organisation’s security risk management structure and the roles and actions allocated to specific positions.
• A ‘minimum security requirements’ section establishing the specific organisational security requirements that must be in place.

1. Development of Security Risk Assessment (SRA)Tool, (4-6 pages) including: information about SRA functionality, Instructions for preparing a SRA; examples of threats categories, risk scale; and SRA risk register matrix. To be before the final field office staff trainings

1. Office and Accommodation Safety and Security SOP, (4-6 pages) including site selection; site protection measures; fire safety; office safety and security checklist. To be submitted before the final field office staff trainings.

1. Contingency Plans (8-10 pages), including:

• SOPs in case of suspension, hibernation, and relocation of staff. Should include maps of proposed routes, triggers for relocation, and addresses/details on proposed safe havens. Hibernation plan should identify a suggested room in the field office and include a list of needed items/physical security improvements.
• Emergency Communications Planning with staff contact rosters, and a communications plan incorporating primary, alternate, and contingency methods, including planning for communications if internet/cell service is not accessible.

To be submitted in draft version halfway through the consultancy and a final version before the final field office staff trainings.

f) Field Office Staff Online Trainings, primarily on-the-job via participation in other activities in this ToR, but include at least four hours of theoretical training per field office on duty of care, risk assessment, and NGO security strategies (points 1 and 2). Training materials and training delivery to be provided in the last phase of consultancy.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Position available to Syrian or international applicants currently residing in Turkey; Arabic fluency required.
• Minimum of five years working in an insecure context with an NGO in a security management capacity; previous security work in Syria highly desired.
• Demonstrated training experience, especially in security related fields.
• Demonstrated experience with context/risk assessment, security policy and procedure creation, and security planning.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Management and organisation

The consultant will be working closely with the Kvinna till Kvinna Syria Regional Programme team. The consultant is responsible for completing and delivering the above specified deliverables to the Syria Regional Programme team and the partner organization.

The total duration of the consultancy is to be decided between the consultant, the partner organizations and Kvinna till Kvinna, based on a time frame submitted by the consultant in accordance with the points specified in this ToR. The suggested time frame must include preparation, work with   field offices, development of materials (deliverables), and field offices staff online training.

The work plan for the implementation of the consultancy will be developed in partnership with Kvinna till Kvinna Syria Regional team and the partner organisation.

Compensation,  and Supplies/ Equipment

The consultant shall be compensated via a lump sum amount agreed upon between Kvinna till Kvinna and the consultant, to be paid in two tranches, the first after the first month of the consultancy, and the second instalment on successful provision of all deliverables listed below. No per diem or lodging is offered and the consultant is responsible for providing computer, internet connection, and phone services at their own expense. Kvinna till Kvinna will provide the consultant with an email address which shall be used for all communications related to this consultancy. Pending local authorities COVID-19 restrictions, the consultant will be mostly based in the Partner Organisation Office in Gaziantep,