EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EoI) - Spotlight Initiative in Jamaica (Phase I) for Civil Society Organizations, Community based Organizations, Faith based Organisations and academic institutions in Jamaica

JOINT CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

The Spotlight Initiative in Jamaica (Phase I)

The Spotlight Initiative Jamaica invites interested Civil Society Organizations, Community based Organizations, Faith based Organisations and academic institutions to apply on the following:

I. BACKGROUND 

In September 2017, the EU and the UN launched an ambitious joint partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls worldwide. The Spotlight Initiative (SI) aims at mobilizing commitment of political leaders and contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Initiative aims at ending all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG), targeting those that are most prevalent and contribute to gender inequality across the world. The Spotlight Initiative will deploy targeted, large-scale investments in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Pacific and the Caribbean, aimed at achieving significant improvements in the lives of women and girls. Jamaica is one of the countries in the Caribbean to benefit from this transformative initiative.

The overall vision of the Spotlight Initiative in Jamaica is that women and girls realize their full potential in a violence-free, gender-responsive and inclusive way. The Spotlight Initiative will directly contribute to the achievement of three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 5 on Gender Equality, Goal 3 on Good Health and Well-being and Goal 16 on Inclusive and Peaceful Societies. The programme will contribute to the elimination of Gender Based Violence (GBV) through the creation of a broad partnership with Civil Society, Government, Private Sector, Media, among others; and, build a social movement of women, men, girls, boys and transgender people as champions and agents of change at the national, subnational and community levels. A specific focus will be on reaching and including in the programme women and girls who are often isolated and most vulnerable to GBV and harmful practices due to intersecting forms of discrimination. The programme will also seek to address the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) needs of all women and girls in all their diversity using a life-cycle approach.

The Spotlight Initiative in Jamaica provides a unique opportunity to address family violence as a major public health and development issue with significant ramifications at the individual, community and national levels. UNFPA, in collaboration with UNDP, UNICEF and UNWOMEN, will address three key priority areas within Family Violence against women and girls in Jamaica through the Spotlight Initiative: (i) Child Sexual Abuse; (ii) Intimate Partner Violence; and (iii) Discrimination against vulnerable groups.

Through a comprehensive approach, the Spotlight Initiative will focus its work on family violence through six key pillars:

1. Developing and implementing relevant legislation and policies
2. Strengthening national and sub-national institutions
3. Preventing violence through evidence-based programmes and campaigns
4. Establishing and strengthening essential services for victims and survivors
5. Ensuring the collection and use of prevalence and incidence data
6. Partnering directly with women’s movements and civil society.

The Jamaican legal framework counts with the National Strategic Action Plan to Eliminate Gender-based Violence in Jamaica (NSAP-GBV) 2017 – 2027.  The NSAP has as an overarching goal “to eliminate gender-based violence in Jamaica, with particular focus on violence against women and girls”, and it has five interlinked strategic priority areas: Prevention; Protection; Investigation, Prosecution and Enforcement of Court Orders; Enforcement of Victim’s Rights to Compensation, Reparation and Redress; and Protocols for Coordination of NSAP and Data Management Systems. This consultancy is aligned with the Activity 1.1.1.1 of Strategic Priority 5 (Protocols for Coordination of NSAP and Data Management Systems), which is “to develop standardized forms to capture reports of GBV”. 

III. SCOPE OF WORK 

The Spotlight Initiative in Jamaica is seeking expressions of interest from civil society organizations representing national and/or local/grassroots networks.

The Joint Programme Secretariat of the Spotlight Initiative in Jamaica, on behalf of the Recipient United Nations organizations (RUNOs): UNFPA wishes to engage civil society partners to implement activities across 2 out of 6 Pillars of the programme. The pillars and activities are as follows: 

Pillar 3: Prevention - See TOR 1 Annex 3

The objective of Activity 3.1.4 is to Support the MOEYI and CSOs to scale up and sustain the implementation of the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) curriculum with a stronger focus on GBV and FV for children and young people in and out of school.

The specific main activities are to:

• Design a training package for school and CSO staff on VAWG and conduct training in VAWG for MOEYI and CSO programme staff in the four parishes;
• Review and update materials for HFLE sessions/workshops in schools and out-of-schools to have a better focus on prevention of VAWG and FV in all their forms; and
• Support school-based, student-led campaigns.

Pillar 4: Services – See TOR 2 Annex 4

The objective of Activity 4.1.7 is to “Develop and operationalize usage of standardized intake forms and client registration formats by both government and CSO service providers.”

The specific main activities are:

• lead the review and development of standardized intake forms and client registration formats for the CSOs and government institutions; and 
• Lead a validation and consensus workshop of the updated forms and formats and their coordinated use in accordance with the ESP principles.

IV. REQUIREMENTS AND COMPETENCIES 

Organizations wishing to apply for the grant should meet the following requirements and competencies: 

1. Be a non-profit organization with a track record on ending violence against women and girls, gender equality, child protection, women empowerment, registered by relevant bodies;
2. Proven experience of prevention, mitigation and response of violence against women and girls, capacity building, human rights, access to justice, security, sexual and reproductive health and rights/adolescent sexual reproductive health, legal reform, strong understanding of gender equality and women empowerment principles, advocacy and community mobilization and engagement for social norms change (a minimum of one of the areas listed); 
3. Have an established physical office/presence in at least one of the target parishes;
4. Ability to carry out activities under at least one of the mentioned pillars of the Initiative;
5. Strong skills in written communications in English by at least one lead member of staff; 
6. Previous and/or current interventions in the target parishes of the Initiative is an advantage;
7. Previous audit report is an asset but not mandatory;
8. Previous experience working with UN agencies is an asset but not mandatory.

V. SUBMISSION DETAILS

Only Expression of Interest Forms submitted in English will be considered. Those wishing to apply shall submit the following: 

1. Letter of Expression of Interest (ANNEX 1);
2. Application Form of Expression of Interest (ANNEX 2);
3. Evidence of established management structure (i.e. organogram/ organizational structure); 
4. Copy of valid legal registration in the country;
5. Documents such as past contracts, donor reports are desirable but not mandatory;
6. Previous audit report is an asset but not mandatory.

Organizations are also encouraged to apply through a consortium, when relevant, but it is not mandatory. Visit our website: http://bit.ly/UNFPASP for the detailed Terms of Reference.   

VI. DEADLINE

Interested civil society organisations should submit their Expression of Interest and supporting documents by 18, November 2020 hour 11.59PM EST by email to srocprocurement@unfpa.org.

Expected timeline of the process from the selection of partners to the endorsement of the partnership is as follows:

• Advertisement of the joint call Sunday, 8^th of November 2020
• The CSOs will be invited to a webinar to present the Call for Expression of Interest and new simplified modality of participation on Friday, 13th of November 2020
• Expression of interest will have to be presented by Wednesday, 18th November 2020 11.59 PM.
• Selection and contact with shortlisted partners on Monday, November 23^th  2020
• Development of partnership on Friday, December 4^th 2020

For further questions regarding the process please contact: srocprocurement@unfpa.org.

Note:

• There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the bid solicitation process. 
• UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.